Safety Fast! December 2020

THE MARQUE OF FRIENDSHIP

December 2020 Volume 65 Number 12 £3.95

erry s M stma i ppy r h C Ha ar e & Y w e N

A MARQUE REBORN l 25 YEARS OF THE MGF REGISTER l THE REBIRTH OF THE MG TF

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WELCOME MGF/TF MERCHANDISE Why not cheer up your Christmas Tree with this birchwood MG TF Bauble, £7.25

W

elcome to the December issue, and let me start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. Although I’m sure it’s going to be a very different Christmas this year due to the pandemic, I do hope you all enjoy yourselves. As mentioned in my Editorial last month, the MG Car Club have got a huge range of MG Merchandise available from https://shop.mgcc.co.uk/ Ineke, our merchandise co-ordinator, has been working hard dispatching all the orders from Kimber House, so if you need any last-minute Christmas presents for the MG person in your life why not take a browse on the online shop site.

This issue is the last of our special editions marking the 90th anniversary of the MG Car Club. Although we haven’t been able to celebrate how we would have liked, I hope you’ve enjoyed the various front covers we’ve been running this year, and as you will have seen Safety Fast! and its predecessors have an illustrious history over the years, all whilst bringing you the MG and Club news whilst maintaining the ethos of the Marque of Friendship.

It’s hard to believe that the MGF celebrated its 25th Birthday this year. I remember its launch well and all the positive reviews when it graced the cover of many a motoring magazine in 1995. Since then the F and later TF have made such an impact on the MG scene, and the MG Car Club were quick to embrace this. In the minutes of the April 1994 Council meeting, Don Bishop of the MGB Register proposed that an embryonic register be formed to accommodate the then much talked-about PR3 model being developed, later to become the MGF. The initial meeting of the MGF Register was held immediately after the Council meeting at the Upper Reaches Hotel in Abingdon in April 1996, and ever since then the Register has gone from strength to strength. You can read more about the history of the MGF Register, penned by Tim Morris, starting on page 53. You’ll find plenty of other MGF/TF-related content in this issue to celebrate the 25th birthday as well, from the memories of the MGF press launch, owner’s perspective, the rebirth of the TF in 2007 and technical articles. All being well, I’ll be at Gaydon in my 1996 MGF in July 2021 to celebrate the belated 25th birthday of this special sportscar.

Until next month, drive safely.

Andy Knott

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The MG Car Club, Kimber House, 12 Cemetery Road, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1AS Tel: 01235 555552 Fax: 01235 533755 E-mail: mgcc@mgcc.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk

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Everyday modifications for your MGF and TF book, written by the MG expert Roger Parker £25.00 Small MG Car Club grille badge, ideal for use on the more modern cars, such as MGF, TF £19.50 All prices exclude P&P, visit https://shop.mgcc.co.uk/

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 3

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JULY 2016 SAFETY FAST! 3 www.mgcc.co.uk

INSIDE REGULARS 7 Club Matters and Kimber House News 10 Postbag 14 Young Members Branch 70 Race Torque 72 MGs on Track 73 MGCC Speed Championship 75 Centre Updates 84 Register Updates 92 Classifieds 98 Looking Back

NEWSLETTERS

Two MGF Press cars pictured outside the MG Longbridge factory where the cars were built in 1995.

Photo: Matt Woods

57

41 Y Type Newsletter 46 MGA Twin Cam Newsletter 50 V8 Newsletter

FEATURES 17 A MARQUE REBORN

33 To celebrate 90 years of the MG Car Club, we’re tracing our roots right back to the early 1930s and taking a look at the various publications the MGCC have used to communicate with their members. The front cover of this issue of Safety Fast! is the current cover design.

The combined magazine deal with MG Enthusiast lasted two years, from 2005-2007. From the start there were a number of problems when it came to working out and applying the concessionary Club membership offer to existing and later new MG Enthusiast subscribers. There were added complications when it was found that a significant number of members already subscribed to MG Enthusiast. The arrangement was discontinued by mutual agreement and after approaching several publishers, the familyrun business Hine Marketing was selected, and with the help of Hine Marketing Safety Fast! returned to a stand-alone 100-page glossy publication in July 2007. The first issue carried a report from the recently held Silverstone event, with lots of photos of all the action, which was well received by MGCC members. Safety Fast! then underwent minor alterations, with the 2009 issues celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the magazine by including relevant articles and a large gold 50 that adorned the slightly revised cover. In 2010, to celebrate the Club’s 80th anniversary, the magazine was facelifted and the large Safety Fast! script that embellished the front cover was replaced with a logo that resembled the Safety Fast! advertising logo of the 1930s. The last facelift appeared in June 2016. The magazine was radically redesigned. Since then there have been minor improvements along the way, with the ethos of the content to always be lively, interesting and topical.

www.mgcc.co.uk

Roger King recalls his memories of the MGF Press Launch in 1995

22 THE COLLECTIBLES The story of Rob and Jane Parry, who have been on quite a quest to preserve early MGFs

33 THE REBIRTH OF THE MG TF Ian Pogson, one-time Chief Engineer at MG Motor, recalls his time when the TF was relaunched

57 25 YEARS OF THE MGF REGISTER Register President Tim Morris regales the history of the MGF Register

64 MG TF FRONT DISC CHANGE Colin Grant details changing the front discs and pads on his MG TF Spark

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 5

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CHAIRMANS NEWS

2

020 has been the strangest year that we can remember in the history of the Club. Our Club exists because of the camaraderie between its members, who have a common interest in the cars we all love and in gathering together to enjoy them in the company of others. Since the start of the spring we have all been protecting ourselves, our families and our friends

from an unseen infection that has sadly taken away many too soon, and this has meant that our organised activities as a Club have been cut to an absolute minimum. Those that have taken place have been conducted in a safe and orderly way which to our knowledge has not led to any spread of infection amongst those taking part.

During this strange summer the Club has been continuing to operate through the ingenuity and commitment of our staff at Kimber House, who worked at the office where that could not be avoided or from home when this is called for; currently for the second time. We have continued to communicate with all our members through the pages of Safety Fast! and via online weekly newsletters and, a new innovation for us, our weekly podcast which has been well received. This has kept the Club’s profile high, despite the fact that all the shows, where we normally meet our current members and gain new ones as they learn what our Club has to offer, have been cancelled.

Now that we have the hope of a vaccine becoming available to us all in

the new year, and as many parts of the Club have been working with optimism and enthusiasm to provide a bumper set of activities for 2021, hopefully we can, if circumstances will allow us to, take part in gatherings once more while operating under the new normal, whatever that is.

In the last month the Club’s archive has been able to acquire a most unique piece of MG memorabilia; the first piece of furniture ever recorded by MG at Abingdon, which is the boss’s, Cecil Kimber’s, desk. There are now plans afoot to have a re-creation of his office at Kimber House using a number of the items that the Club already looks after.

In the 90 years since 1930, the Club has seen many changes, and many volunteers and staff have contributed to the success and longevity of the Club.

We are today one of the strongest and soundest car clubs in the country if not the world, and we look forward to celebrating the 100th birthday of MG in the not-too-distant future when all the current hardships will be well behind us.

Bill Silcock

KIMBER HOUSE NEWS Well it’s official! Christmas is around the corner and our Kimber House elves are busy packing up your orders ready

to surprise that special someone on Christmas Day. We have a whole host of amazing gift ideas and they can be found

on our webshop - shop.mgcc.co.uk but you best be quick, as last postage dates are fast approaching.

Royal Mail last post dates to the UK • 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For: Friday December 18 • 1st Class and 1st Class Signed For and Royal Mail Tracked 48: Monday December 21 Please note that Kimber House will be closed for the festive period from 5.30pm on Wednesday December 23 and will reopen at 9.00am on Monday January 4 2021.

As Kimber House is closed, phone calls will not be answered during this period.

Please email us at office@mgcc.co.uk, and we will deal with all enquiries as soon as possible following Monday January 4 2021. Apologies for any inconvenience.

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 7

OBITUARY A TRIBUTE TO

DOUG HARRIS 25 SEPTEMBER 1937 TO 22 OCTOBER 2020

by John Day

Doug with Margaret Harris and Janet Day manning the Vintage register Stand at Silverstone

I am sad to report the passing of my dear friend Doug Harris, a well-known and much-respected member of the Vintage Register and South West Centre. Doug’s membership began more than 50 years ago when he began racing a Triple M special which in his own words “was frighteningly quick”.

Over many years Doug owned and rebuilt a number of MGBs but his main passion was his 18/80 saloon, one of only two 18/80s to have survived with a fabric

Doug’s 18/80 first time out at MG Silverstone 2004 8 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

covered body. It was in a very decrepit state when he bought it in the 1970s, but his slow and careful restoration was finally completed in 2004. Doug researched how the car was built by the factory and paid careful attention to detail during the restoration, thus ensuring it was one of the most authentic cars in the Vintage Register. For example, the edging used on the interior trim was no longer available but Doug persuaded the company that wove it in 1929 to retrieve the original

loom from their archived equipment and recommission it into working order. It says something about Doug’s powers of persuasion that the company agreed to do this work but only if he ordered enough trimming material to complete 10 cars!

The car celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2004 and one of its first public outings was at the MG Car Club Silverstone event that year. With its leatherette covered body and red plush interior it was the star of the display in the main marquee. The work carried out by Doug was nothing short of outstanding and even professional car restorers have commented on the incredibly high standard of workmanship.

Doug trained in Bristol before moving to Shell as a professional engineer, but he will be remembered by Club members for his work on the Vintage Register committee including three years as Chairman. He was a regular at Silverstone every year where he and his wife Margaret often manned the Vintage Register stand.

The 18/80 was also used extensively for Club rallies and events in the UK and European Events of the year. Doug and I often travelled together to events in our 18/80s and the cars were a well known sight at MG events across Europe. The last long trip we made together was to Ulster Centre in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Centre. Our two cars completed the entire trip from our respective homes to the northern coast of Ulster and back again without a single problem. Cecil Kimber would have been proud of how the cars were being used.

Doug was a gentle, quiet and thoughtful person who loved being a member of the MG Car Club because it meant he could help others. His many friends both in the Vintage Register and the main Club will miss his technical ability which he freely shared with anyone who needed his expertise and knowledge.

We are all going to miss one of life’s true gentlemen. Our thoughts are with Doug’s wife Margaret and his two daughters.

UU2506 Doug’s much loved and well-travelled 18/80 www.mgcc.co.uk

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POSTBAG

KIM JOHNSON Last month in Safety Fast! you would have seen an obituary of Kim Johnson written by his very long time friend, Tim King, whom he worked with at Longbridge, shared a very rapid Midget and other racing cars, and was a business partner and fellow Shelsley Walsh volunteer worker.

I knew Kim when we both owned TFs in the mid/late 1960s, and then went on to race Spridgets. Our paths parted for a while with Kim concentrating on speed events and I mainly stayed with circuit events. On my return to speed events we had a very friendly rivalry, his ultra-fast black car against my white Midget. Kim won nearly every time.

In the early 2000s, not long after I

A tribute to Kim at Shelsley Walsh

stopped circuit racing, Kim did various jobs on my racing Midget making significant improvements.

In 2008 after I had bought back and finished the rebuild of my 1953 TF (which I had sold in 1973) Kim helped me fit a five-speed gearbox. We enjoyed working on this and the Midget together – I had a real insight of his all-round engineering skills. This led to close camaraderie, with lots of humour, that was developing between us.

As a consequence of this, in 2012 we spent almost three years completely rebuilding my Mk 1 Sprite TZA 238. He was amazingly competent, both with his hands and with ideas, and could tackle any job in a calm and reassuring way.

Only two and a half weeks before he died we were both competing at Shelsley, coming first and second on scratch in our Midgets (Kim naturally first of course). At this venue he was the master as no other Midget has got into the 33-second bracket.

Kim was a very gifted engineer, always willing to use his talents and time to help others, and to greet and engage you with a lovely open smile.

I and many others will miss him very much; I feel blessed and honoured to have been a friend of Kim’s and I shall cherish the memory of so many good times we had together, both competing in Spridgets and working on our various cars together.

James Thacker

CARBON FREE FUELS If I may respond to the letter from Dennis Wharf in the October edition of SF!, interesting though his comments were on the subject of fuel consumption, the bit that piqued my curiosity concerned Dennis’s reference to ‘carbon-free’ petrol. I’d not heard of this, so embarked upon some research, and thought that other members who likewise have no knowledge of this fuel might be equally interested to know more.

I must say straightaway that I am a layman with absolutely no background training in the field of petro-chemicals or vehicle fuels. My interest stems purely from nearly 40 years in the realms of vehicle finance and fleet management. If anyone wishes to dispute what follows, please feel free – I will happily stand corrected. So here goes.

10 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Most people are familiar with the idea of using hydrogen as a fuel source for motor vehicles, employing a fuel cell to produce motive power. In doing so, the only tailpipe emission is water vapour. Unfortunately, most of the processes currently used to produce hydrogen for vehicles either require large amounts of energy, which in itself produces the very greenhouse gases that the use of hydrogen is trying to avoid, or are not yet efficient enough to produce large quantities. However, a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) within the production process could be obtained through use of renewable energy (wind, solar, etc.). A study produced by the Shell oil company in 2017 suggested that by 2050, 113 million fuel cell electric vehicles could save up to 68 million tonnes of fuel and almost 200 million tonnes of carbon emissions, making a significant

www.mgcc.co.uk

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90TH ANNIVERSARY MERCHANDISE

s e r o t S r e b m i K MGCC 90th Anniversary box £25.00

MGCC 90th Anniversary Pin Badge £4.75

MG Car Club small 90th Anniversary Grille Badge £22.50

MGCC 90th Anniversary Note Book £9.50

MGCC 90th Anniversary Large Car Badge £40.00

MGCC 90th Anniversary Overalls £30.00

MGCC 90th Anniversary Tie £17.50

MGCC 90th Anniversary Cap £12.50

MGCC 90th Anniversary Conference folder £17.50

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To order please visit shop.mgcc.co.uk email ineke@mgcc.co.uk or Phone 01235 849737 www.mgcc.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 11

POSTBAG contribution to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.

OK, now ‘carbon-free’ fuels, otherwise known as ‘synthetic fuels’. Put simply, this involves a way of making a liquid fuel by sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere using filters, or from industrial processes, and combining it with hydrogen made through the electrolysis of water. So in some ways the production process for synthetic fuel has similarities to that for hydrogen fuel. While the process requires a lot of electricity, this can again be obtained through the use of renewable energy sources. The resulting synthetic fuel can be blended or used on its own as petrol, diesel, or jet fuel. When it’s burned it emits the same amount of CO2 that went into making it, so it’s effectively carbon-neutral.

As Dennis also mentioned, the Formula 1 world is investigating the use of synthetic fuels to replace the ‘bio-fuels’ it currently uses in an effort to be ‘net zero carbon’ by 2030. Some may ask why not switch to fully electric power. Unfortunately electric motors are not yet capable of generating the amount of energy required to propel an F1 car at the speeds desired, which is one reason why they and Le Mans cars use petrol/electric hybrid engines, and these are likely to continue in the sport for some years yet. And as has often been the case down the years, racing technology can find its way into everyday road cars at some point.

Another thing to consider with carbon-free/synthetic fuels is that they can be used with existing infrastructure. In other words, unlike electric vehicles which will require a huge network of recharging stations to be constructed, or even pure hydrogen which may require special dispensers and containment vessels, the information suggests that synthetics could be dispensed through the present network of fuel stations, and vehicles would require little or no modification.

Moving away from petrol for a moment, let’s think about diesel vehicles. Diesel seems to be on its way out. Buyers are generally shying away from DERVs in favour of petrol or electric. This is a shame as diesel could be a useful fuel in the future. After all, it produces much less CO2 than does petrol. Certainly, we do have to consider NOx, but there are ways around that. We already have processes which can alleviate NOx. EU6 diesels have particulate traps and Selective Catalytic Reduction (urea injection) to deal with the NOx. They are much better than the older, dirty diesels but still not quite as clean as petrol engines. In addition, as recently as 2018, Bosch announced a new technology that could cut NOx by “almost 90%” and these figures were produced in ‘real world’ conditions, not a laboratory. What could be achieved if these processes were brought together?

It is generally accepted that electric vehicles are not as ‘emissions-free’ as some manufacturer marketing would have us believe. Yes, the tailpipe emissions are clean, but the energy needed to charge the batteries has to come predominantly from power stations, many of which continue to use fossil fuels such as gas for generation. And that’s without considering the extraction of the raw materials, the shipping of those materials to new factories built specially to produce batteries, the construction of those batteries, and their eventual recycling and/or disposal – what is the cost in

12 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

CO2 overall? It needs a cost/benefit analysis of the entire process, from drawing board to final disposal and/or recycling.

There is also the consideration of electricity generating capacity for the replenishment of car batteries, something that has been discussed before now. A few weeks ago motoring journals and newspapers were carrying stories that energy watchdog Ofgem was considering giving authority for energy providers to cut off power to electric vehicle chargers during periods of high demand.

The proposals, set out in a report by the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA), warns that “Electricity networks in Great Britain were not designed to accommodate the significant additional demand that certain consumer devices (such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers) presents.” All of which seems to suggest that energy providers already recognise that the UK may not be able to generate sufficient capacity to accommodate a large increase in electric vehicles. Of course, that may change with time, but it should nevertheless be kept in mind.

Estimates suggest that there are currently over 100 million new cars being produced every year, and by 2035 there could be 1.8 billion globally. Not every country in the world will be able (or willing) to change to electric vehicles, so it is reasonable to believe that by the time the UK and other ‘First world’ countries try to phase out the sale of new fossil-fuelled vehicles, large parts of the rest of the world will happily continue to use them, and continue to generate electricity for their populations and industries through power stations using coal and other fossil fuels. Not forgetting that there will still be an awful lot of fossil-fuelled cars on the roads, both in the UK and other countries globally.

Finally, consider this. Back in the late 1970s, TV video tape recorders became popular (remember them?). In the early years there were three competing formats – VHS, Betamax and Video 2000, this latter format being pioneered by European manufacturers Philips and Grundig. Many experts in the field considered V2000 to be the better format, not least because the tape was double-sided so you could record on both sides in the same way as with audio cassettes. Despite this, and other benefits offered by Betamax, VHS came out as the eventual winner due to it having better global market penetration and being heavily promoted by the Japanese electronics giants such as JVC. Thus, the potentially better technology lost out to a possibly inferior competitor. Then by the mid-90s we had DVD, so within a few short years the tape technology was obsolete.

I must make it clear that this is not an anti-electric polemic; indeed, my next family car may well be a hybrid. But I guess the talking point here is – are we doing the right thing in rushing headlong down the path of electric vehicles without considering their true cost to the environment, their possible life-span and, more importantly, the alternatives – hydrogen, synthetics - which might in the end prove to be more cost-effective and, crucially, more environmentally-friendly, either on their own or in conjunction with electric power.

Discuss!

Andy Robson

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 13

YOUNG MEMBERS

A

couple of months ago, my brother and I decided that we should buy a race car. There are a whole host of friendly, competitive events put on by the MG Car Club that allow for cheap entry into motorsport. Events such as trials, autotests, and autocross can be attended with Motorsport UK’s free RS Clubman licence, which helps make starting off very affordable. All these events can be attended using a road car; however, my daily driver is a creaky old Land Rover Discovery, and our MGB GT is due some for some TLC – not ‘tight lateral cornering’. So, it was decided that we’d buy an MG to take part in some Clubaffiliated motoring action, and we’d do it on the cheap.

Of course, a Z car fits the bill. The ZR, ZS and ZT are all well represented in the Car Club. Stylish, powerful, brilliantly practical and criminally undervalued.

However, despite being the obvious choice, the ZR has never really appealed to me.Perhaps it’s the boy racer image, or the constant incessant beating of the head gasket drum, but when I arrived to view a trophy blue ZR 160 – my expectations were low. I approached the spicy Rover

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200, took in the bright blue paint, had the appropriate coolant discussion, and went for a test drive. Aside from a symphony of rattling interior trim, the car seemed in good health and drove okay. At 68k miles there were no knocks, no apparent looseness, and the car was very responsive on the tight suburban roads. The seller insisted that the car really came to life after 4000rpm, so I gave it a quick punch on a back road, and all seemed fine. I was satisfied, so swung the car around at a mini roundabout to head back to base, quickly finding myself nose to kerb. The turning circle isn’t brilliant, then.

It was a cheap car, with good history, in a nice colour, and I was confident it would serve our purposes well. The offer was accepted, and I began the journey home. I began to find myself moulding to the surprisingly comfy black seats.

The interior falls silent. I turn on the air conditioning. I take in the pleasingly subtle but sporty engine noise. I like this car.

Then the roads become wide and twisty, and I begin to appreciate the remarkable handling and the razor-sharp steering. I take heed of the seller’s advice, leaving the ZR in a low gear and letting

Rover’s variable valve control system come into play.

The cheap, disposable race car is currently sat outside my front door, and I’ve driven it everywhere. I love its cheeky character, how rewarding it is to drive, and its practicality. I even had the entire interior of a B GT in it last week, minus the front seats. What was supposed to be an inexpensive weekend hobby has turned out to be truly brilliant little car. I really can’t wait to unleash it next year on a sprint track, or at an autosolo. And then, on the following Monday, probably drive it to work too.

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 15

FEATURE

A

s I swept down the drive of the Coombe Abbey Hotel, located just outside Coventry, I reflected on how I was full of anticipation about the next 24 hours. It was late afternoon when I checked in and with my key and overnight bag I ascended to my room on the first floor. And some room it was, well in keeping with the splendid setting of the hotel. For this was no budget establishment.

As I entered, the first thing that caught my eye was a superb model of a car lying in the middle of the four-poster bed. A sports car, and to be precise, an MGF. For

this was 1995 and I had been invited to participate in the press launch of Rover Group’s new MG. At the time, I was director of public affairs at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and as such, one of my “duties” was to represent the organisation at new model launches.

The evening pre-drinks and dinner saw around 30 doyens of the motoring press chatting to Rover Group personnel about the drive we would be experiencing the following day. As yet, there were no cars to see, for that would have to wait until the morning.

The next day, I made my way to the car park to see a phalanx of MGFs drawn up for our drive. And they looked superb, basking as they were in a watery sunlight, valeted to within an inch of their lives. We had been told that there were two models to choose from, the standard 1.8 K Seriespowered car and the higher performance VVC version. The evening before, a Rover engineer had been attempting to explain what VVC actually meant. Shamefully, the drinks and food had won; but we soon found out.

There was an equal number of the two specifications, so whichever one we

A MARQUE REBORN

By Roger King

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 17

selected first we could swap after the lunch halt. Although the weather was a little on the chilly side I immediately dropped the hood on the red 1.8 I had chosen. The idea was that we should

18 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

travel two up and so I found myself with the Sun’s motoring correspondent, Ken Gibson, sitting beside me.

I knew Ken quite well since we conversed regularly about motor industry matters. In any case, I live in Longbridge, Birmingham, and he hailed from Bromsgrove, so come what may the MGF was going to get a positive write-up, given that it was made locally.

But in the first few minutes of our drive it was clear that, apart from a niggle or two, the car was a delight. Following the route we had been given, stopping occasionally for Ken to take photographs, we powered our way along the rural roads of Northamptonshire, revelling in the ride

quality from the surprising use of Hydragas suspension, along with the performance and handling. And the pointing fingers of the public as they stared at our cavalcade.

(When that happens you know you are driving a winner.) The only downside was getting a truly satisfying driving position, given that early cars had no steering wheel adjust and that the seats seemed to pitch the top of the head just a little above the screen, points that came up in discussions later. This made keeping a hat on a real challenge. Indeed, I recall being practically frozen despite the powerful heater warming our feet; but the hood was staying down!

After lunch we jumped into a green VVC version. We thought the 1.8 was quick but this blew our minds as the K Series wound itself up to nearly 7,000rpm with the car hurtling forward, responding well to a good, but not perfect, gearchange. (This being undertaken, I hasten to add, on an A road dual carriageway.) Ken enthused wildly about his time at the wheel; we were driving a miracle, a British sports car, an MG at that, and at a really affordable price.

That evening, more drinks and a grand dinner at which Rover executives, including the highly approachable Gerry McGovern, and the MGF engineering team, gave a further round of presentations and answered questions from the assembled scribes. I remember a kind of reverential hush from normally vociferous journalists, for the MGF had cast a spell upon us all.

This was no ordinary car launch, this was

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something very different.

It was the beginning of a new era, the true re-birth of the hallowed name of MG with a product that was so fitting to carry the octagon badge. We knew, of course, that BMW now owned the company and was preparing a sports car of its own, but the MGF demonstrated just what Rover could accomplish on a fraction of the development money that they would inevitably spend.

When Ken and I had returned to Coombe Abbey and reluctantly parked up, as we got out I turned to him and said in a loud voice “Yes!” He looked at me and replied “Yes!” as well.

I knew then that someday, somehow, I would have one of my own.

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It took 15 years before this happened, but that’s a story for another time.

I came away from the press launch thrilled and confident that Rover Group were set fair for an exciting future. Sadly, we all know how that eventually turned out but it was through no fault of the MGF, for

it became, along with the TF, the UK’s bestselling sports car. And those of us who drive one know exactly why.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 19

WHAT THE PRESS SAID ABOUT THE MGF Safety Fast March 1995 Paddy Willmer the then Editor wrote:I have looked into the future and it is good! I bid, on behalf of you all, a welcome, nay a rapturous welcome to the new MG, called the MGF Daily Mail Saturday March 4 1995 All mod cons….and a touch of class comes as standard Auto Express March 3-9 1995 Britain’s favourite sports car is back!

And everyone’s under the spell of MG magic….

Classic Car Weekly Wednesday October 4 1995 Here’s a car worthy of wearing the MG badge…..in every sense a thoroughbred!

Turning up a launch brochure, itself a work of art that truly was one of the best, and probably the last of its type ever produced for any new car (despite the fact that it did not feature the MGF on the cover but majored on a close-up of an alloy wheel.) I reminded myself of part of the text that the writer created, obviously bonding to the whole concept. It reads thus: “DRIVE AND ENJOY Now you can forget all the disappointing times when you felt driving should give you something more. This is the car you were looking for: within your reach, at last.

The beginning, who knows, of the love affair of a lifetime. Reviving the golden days of motoring in the true British tradition. When driving was unashamedly about having fun. An experience to be enjoyed for its own sake. A sensation as powerful as your own heartbeat: as powerful, perhaps, as desire itself.”

Compiled 25 years ago, could such words be written today given all the emphasis on green issues? But those of

20 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

us who drive an F or TF know that they encapsulate everything we love when driving the MG marque.

As we celebrate the silver jubilee of the launch of the F, I can do no better than quote the concluding comment on the rear cover of the brochure: MG. It lives. Do you?

Autocar September 20 1995 Given that MG is as British as tea and muffins, it’s good that the MGF is British to the core Car, October 1995 The MG handled the bumps, dips and troughs with almost arrogant disdain!

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FEATURE

22 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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THE

COLLECTIBLES

By Jeff Ruggles. Photos Matt Woods

Rather than being salted away as hallowed ‘first editions’, the early MGFs that marked the genesis of MG’s first all-new sportscar for a generation were all too often used and abused. Thankfully, Rob and Jane Parry have been on a quite a quest to preserve them…

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 23

Volume one

A

wise person once said that you don’t start collections, but collections start you. For proof, look no further than Rob and Jane Parry. When the couple from the Black Country first went shopping for an Octagon-badged roadster some 19 years ago, they surely wouldn’t have believed they were setting the wheels in motion for a truly fantastic collection of launch-year MGFs – and a whole new lifestyle to go with them.

Of course, the F celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020, but this remarkable tale was in the making long before the car’s 1995 launch. Rob’s interest in cars was triggered by his father, who worked on Rolls-Royces and Bentleys for PJ Evans, a Birmingham-based dealership that also had a Triumph franchise. His first classic was a Morris 10, but preferring something a little more useable than a car made in 1946, Rob went out in 1997 and bought the red 1972 MGB GT he still owns today.

Jane was also a keen car enthusiast, having worked in various car plants, and soon after the couple met in 2001, they attended the MG Day at Brooklands with the intention of buying an MGB roadster. However, the time-consuming nature of running another B as a daily driver led them to look towards something a little more modern, and having seen the MGFs parked on the banking, they decided that was the way to go. “I had a company car, but was made redundant, so we went out and bought a Holly, a 1996 Japanese import in British Racing Green,” Jane recalls.

24 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Car collections often start by accident, and in this case, it happened all too literally. On a return trip to the MG Day Brooklands the following year, the F was sadly written off on the motorway. But as they sat on the hard shoulder, Jane fondly remembers Rob saying: “Don’t worry, I’ll put it right.”

Volume one of “putting it right” would arrive just six weeks later in the shape of a 1999 Tahiti Blue Mk1/2 crossover car called Kismet, so-named, as Jane explains, because “destiny and fate brought her our way.” Remarkably, it’s still around and has now racked up an impressive 165,000 miles in Jane’s ownership.

Surprisingly given what was to follow, another MGF wouldn’t arrive until 2011. But in the meantime, the couple attended MGF 10 at Gaydon, where they saw all the 1995 ‘birthday’ cars on display. Initially, Jane didn’t see the appeal – she was quite happy to enjoy the MGF she had – but Rob did. “The very first cars of a new model, to me, are always something special,” he says.

“They’ve got a bit of history to them, perhaps a few little differences, so to get one manufactured before December 1995 was what I really wanted.”

Rob was already aware of the 30 ‘SVC’registered cars, which comprised 20 preproduction examples and 10 taken off the line.

These were used as factory test cars and press duties, adorning newspapers and magazines everywhere – N801 SVC was even given a glowing review by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear.

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As they couldn’t be sold with the usual warranty, many hung around until 1998, when they took to the track for the MGF Cup and MGCC Abingdon Trophy Race Series.

Rob’s subsequent research also revealed the importance of the ‘SAC’-registered cars, which were the first production line vehicles and generally went to those in lofty positions within the Rover Group (although some early 1996-regsitered cars did get an SAC plate too).

“I thought an SAC car would be really good, as I thought I had no chance of getting an SVC car,” remembers Rob. He was initially proven right, as having missed out on a green SVC car listed on eBay, Rob spotted an Amaranth SAC on Gumtree for £750. “Eventually the young lady who owned it responded, so we drove up to Sheffield to see it,” he explains. “It was parked outside her flat looking very sorry for itself – the bumpers had gone a bit discoloured, so had one wing, and corrosion had started in the back of the sills. She also couldn’t get it to start. I saw the VIN, which was 329 and worked as the 52nd off the production line, but I didn’t buy it. I said, ‘if you can get it started, let me know’, and we went home.”

Jane thought he was mad to pass up the opportunity, but Rob admits he’s a little less impulsive and likes to think things over.

Nevertheless, after some deliberation, he went back with a low-ball offer that was eventually accepted. The non-running F was duly transported to the Parry household with a suspected seized engine, but that transpired to be no more than a jammed-up alternator. With a replacement fitted, some new brakes and a fresh MoT, N446 SAC – now known as Penelope – was up and running.

“The idea was that Jane would drive it for six months, then we’d get it restored,” Rob explains.

26 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Distraction time That was the plan anyway, but soon after, an opportunity for a hallowed SVC car arose. Not only that, but a VVC model with an illustrious racing past. Registered N823 SVC, it had long been known as ‘Zip’ due to its paint scheme, which was the result of an accident on track that saw one side painted silver, separated from the original Amarnath by means of a large zip decal.

The car had been purchased and raced by a franchise director for Rover, Lloyd Tredell, but was now red all over.

Rob recognised a good chance to get a preproduction car, with the aim of returning it to the road. However, the couple now had Jane’s father living with them, who was suffering from dementia, meaning Jane was reluctant to take on another project. “We were living a crazy life, and there’s Rob, wanting to buy a racing car,” says Jane with a wry smile. “He was spending a lot of time in the garage on his phone with ‘Mark’, but then he comes in one day all forlorn… Mark’s sold the racing car…”

Initially, the price tag had led to Rob’s procrastination, but he got another chance.

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The original buyer was due to collect the car at MGLive! but reneged on the deal, so a couple of weeks later, Mark was back on the phone. Jane admits she doesn’t know where her reaction came from, but this time she told Rob to just buy the car and be done with it, so a deal was done. “Mark was really good because he was quite happy to sell all the race parts I didn’t need separately, which made it more affordable,” he comments.

Not only did Zip wear the very low chassis number of 95, but the body was from the first batch of ‘QP’ quality proving shells – number nine

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in this case – produced ahead of the subsequent ‘method build’ and ‘volume’ versions. As such, it was clearly a special car. “The priority became to get Zip to MGF20, but we failed,” remembers Jane.

“The bodyshop had him from April to September, so his first event was the Abingdon Works Centre’s 85th Anniversary Run in the October.”

The freshly painted car looked so good in monotone Amaranth that Rob and Jane couldn’t bring themselves to add the silver, though they did add their own take on the zip graphic. And although it’s no longer a race car, it still has its race

engine and independent suspension set-up. Inside, ‘Speedster’ seats from the MGF Centre have been fitted to retain the feel of the old racing buckets without the impracticality. “Because everyone knew the car for what it was rather than how it came out of the factory, we thought we had a bit of poetic licence,” says Jane. “It wasn’t original, so why try and make it something it wasn’t?”

Clearly, they’ve done a cracking job of paying homage to both the car’s pre-production status and its motorsport history, but they didn’t just sit back and admire it. With Zip finished, the third 1995 car you see on these pages joined the Parry fleet. Once again, though, there was a false start. “We bought a ZR from a guy who posted a lot on the MGF Register forum, and when we went to pick it up, it turned out he had a white MGF. Rob had always said that if it came up for sale, we should buy it,” says Jane.

Sure enough, the car did come up for sale as the vendor, Phil, had lost his storage. It was only £250, but being only a month after Zip had been finished, Rob and Jane talked each other out of it.

“Then the car came up on the forum again, and he dropped it to £150,” remembers Rob. “It had no engine in it, but for that price we couldn’t go wrong. I asked my friend Matt at MG Obsession if we could store it there as we’d run out of space.”

The Parrys had unearthed another special car.

Registered N426 SAC and christened Snowdrop on account of its rare White Diamond paint, it’s even earlier than Penelope. The production cars have VINs running from 251 as per MG tradition, with 251 put on display at Gaydon, and later moved back to Longbridge to be displayed.

However, these numbers appear not to have been allocated to a car in sequential order. So although Snowdrop has chassis number 266, it’s the 11th off the line, and is believed to be the oldest production car currently on the road.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 27

It was May 2016 before Snowdrop was put up on the ramps to see how bad it was – and it wasn’t pretty. The car was showing various signs of corrosion and had a rather nasty underseal tidemark to hide its sins, which is seldom a good sign.

Fortunately, the Parrys had managed to sell the car’s non-original wheels and seats, effectively making it free. The original engine was then collected in its dismantled state from a chap called Nick at Austin Garages, where, by a magical twist of fate, the green SVC car that Rob missed out on in 2011 was sitting outside. But more about that later…

28 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Anyway, Snowdrop proved to be a long project, covering plenty of miles on the back of a transporter as it was ferried about. The paint and bodywork were entrusted to the bodyshop that had done such a good job on Zip, while the engine was rebuilt at the MGF Centre because Rob was forced out of action with a torn retina.

The car then went to the Parry household for reassembly, before heading back to MG Obsession for the engine to go back in. Trim-wise, Rob had spotted some new old stock Red Fusion seats in the warehouse at Leacy Classics a couple of

months prior to the car’s purchase, and finally had an excuse to go back and buy them.

To reflect what she’d learnt from the other builds, Jane also treated the car to Avo dampers and independent Hydragas as per Zip, while the solid cam 1.8-litre motor received a 52mm throttle body, a 4-2-1 manifold and a matching Daytona exhaust from Mike Satur. Oh, and there’s a fancy TF LE500-spec roof, too. “Apart from the tailpipes and roll hoops, she looks as she did when she left the factory,” adds Jane. “To be honest, there was no expense spared.”

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Volume 2 By this point the Parrys were on a roll, with Snowdrop winning car of the day at Brooklands in 2018. But even before it had been finished, Rob has been busy completing “putting it right” volume two – some 15 years after volume one.

Early in 2017, the couple spotted a green car on the ramp at MG Obsession that turned out to be a Japanese import, just like Jane’s first ever F. And in case you hadn’t already guessed, Rob bought it for her. “In VIN, it’s only about 1000 away from my original Holly and is pretty much identical, so we called her Holly again,” Jane tells us.

That one’s currently undergoing a sympathetic restoration with the aim of being driven on the Two Ball Rally to Romania next year, but it wasn’t the only arrival of 2017. Barely six months later, Rob and Jane were at it again with the 1995 cars.

During a visit to Zed 15 at Gaydon, the Parrys caught up with Nick from Austin Garages, who was thinking of selling his green SVC. Although not a pre-production car, it was an early VVC that had been taken off the line for press use.

And with so many spares to come with it, Rob

30 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

and Jane naturally couldn’t resist bringing home ‘D’Artagnan’ as their fourth 1995 Musketeer.

Currently, D’Artagnan is awaiting restoration, because Jane needed to satisfy a desire for yet another early MGF first, this time in the rare burnt orange hue of Volcano. “They didn’t produce any production Volcano models until 1996, so it was going to have to be an SVC,” Jane explains.

“There were four Volcano SVCs made; but only one that no one knew the whereabouts of…”

Until Jane did some sleuthing, that is. “One morning a red SVC popped up on eBay, but where the carpet had moved away inside, it looked Volcano,” Jane remembers. “Someone else had also spotted it and had put it up on Facebook, so I knew I had to be quick and messaged the guy for a buy-it-now price. It turned out I wasn’t the first to ask, but he said he’d end the auction early and accept the highest bid by that evening. My heart ruled my head, so I made my bid and bought it.”

Nicknamed Nemo, N817 SVC is an original press vehicle used for the launch photo shoot and road run, as well as for a French magazine. Time had not been kind, though, with the trip home

from Dorset to the Midlands revealing a worn clutch, dodgy brakes and misaligned steering. “It was a bit of a dog,” Rob admits. “It wasn’t the sort of car you’d normally bother bringing home.”

After being used for several months then stored, Nemo was dispatched to the bodyshop in March, which revealed the kind of quirks you sometimes get with pre-production vehicles. “The bodyshop said there was a heck of a lot of lead in it,” Rob explains.

“All the little seams and everything were created from lead rather than pressed into the panels as they would be on a production car. It’s actually QP body number six, so it’s a really early one.”

The idea was to have the car completed for MGF 25 in the summer, but a certain pandemic put paid to that. Still, Nemo helped keep a few people in a job during lockdown and can now be reassembled at a more leisurely pace ready for the delayed celebration in 2021.

Nemo is set to be the couple’s most impressive build yet, but what happened to their very first ’95 car, Penelope? Well, as these pages reveal, that’s now been properly sorted after years in the garage. Just before Nemo was taken off the

www.mgcc.co.uk

road, Penelope was repainted and treated to a fresh pair of the correct red seats. “It didn’t need a lot to be honest,” says Rob. “We haven’t gone over the top as we just wanted something that could be used in the summer and kept nice.”

Before we wrap up, though, there’s the small matter of a sixth 1995 car – and once again it was one the Parrys had initially turned down. While waiting to see ELO at Wembley in 2017, they caught wind of another really early white SAC for sale on eBay. “We had no intention of buying it, but Matt wanted one, so he bought it with the idea of building a show car to promote his business,” adds Rob. “He sent if off to have some bodywork done, but after 12 months not a lot had happened…”

It was inevitable really. Snowflake, as Jane had already christened the car, became the latest arrival at the beginning of this year. Wearing VIN 255, it came off the line as the fourth production car and is quite feasibly the oldest remaining example apart from 251. Snowflake is also set for MGF 25, via a trip to the bodyshop in January.

So, some 16 years after spotting the birthday cars at Gaydon, the couple will be back with two

www.mgcc.co.uk

SVCs, three SACs and their 1996 car, Holly. Even then, they’ll still be leaving two cars at home. “I never dreamed it would become such a passion,” says Rob.” I just wanted one special car, but the more you understand them, their differences and the little bits of history they have, it makes them all special in their own way.”

For Jane, the transformation from not being bothered about the 1995 cars to a foremost collector has been even more stark. The turning point came before her father sadly passed away, when having an MGF project offered some form of rest and relaxation that Rob and Jane could both enjoy during a tough time. But at the same time, the cars were increasingly opening doors to a whole new community for the couple to enjoy, one where they’ve met amazing people and enjoyed countless memorable experiences. And perhaps most importantly of all, they’ve done it together.

Both Rob and Jane are adamant that the cars will never be for sale, but even if we did try to put a price on them, we’d be missing the point. The collection is amazing enough on its own, but the experiences it’s fostered are priceless.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 31

FEATURE

THE REBIRTH OF THE MGTF

By Ian Pogson

Ian Pogson, one-time Chief Engineer at MG Motor, recalls his time when the TF was relaunched www.mgcc.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 33

A 135 and 85 at the end of the system together with the 85th Press car Photo Ian Pogson

I

came into the MGTF rebirth a little late on in its progress towards launch and delivery. At the time, I was employed (and had been since August 2005) by SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation). My employer was then called Ricardo 2010, as the Company was a JV (Joint Venture) between SAIC and Ricardo, based at Redford Semele in Leamington Spa. 2010 was the planned

Author and ‘his’ cars Photo Colin Grant 34 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

celebrations for an Expo event in Shanghai and many of us believed it to be an indicator of how long we had with SAIC! Whilst I had been doing my thing for the nascent SAIC team, who had enjoyed real success partnered with GM and VW, NAC (Nanjing Automotive Corp.) re-employed some good UK engineers at Longbridge, led by the steadfast Nigel Taylor to re-start UK production. The team

was barely more than a dozen people, but the testing they conducted on Chinese-supplied parts and China-built bodies was truly astonishing. The plan shows how many serious, Rover-spec. tests were carried out in the UK and in Australia for Hot Testing and then Cold Environment in Finland. This small team carried out the work of what would have previously been a far larger group to a high standard, and it must be said that a HIDE (High Input Durability & Endurance) was passed with China-built bodies, a pass that had eluded UK-built ones!

I was sent over to Longbridge from Ricardo 2010 as an advance party (of one….) to see what the NAC team had been doing since 2005 and report back. I organised line-walks for SAIC teams and reviews in the Kremlin Board Room. There was very little amiss noted by the visitors and so blessing was given, with some caveats, to resume manufacture.

Not all was, however, plain sailing; it never is with car manufacture. We had a very early issue, reported to VOSA, with throttle pedals becoming displaced off www.mgcc.co.uk

Spraying the body colour

Paint shop finishing

their pivot shafts (a spec. error in the circlips), a lower rear trailing arm stressraiser and paint falling off. We had also asked that plastic bumpers be unpainted and sent, as on the 6 weeks on board a ship, the primer would go off and be useless, but this message took some time to register. It was to be one of many logistics issues I was to investigate, the saddest/funniest being the boxes used to send under-body air-con pipes to the UK. The packers had clearly been given the boxes and told to pack the pipes, despite the fact that they did not fit, the pipes being almost the length of the car and

the boxes being about 500mm square, so the packers had just bent the alloy pipes around their knees to fit in the boxes!

In another problem, brake fluid leaks were caused by incorrect tooling used to machine the AP calipers, just showing that UK suppliers need watching, too. The “get out” clause was always the fact that large quantities of ex-MG Rover parts were still available, although these had been cleared and quarantined in CAB2, so that Chinesesourced parts were used in preference to gain Type Approval.

Once we had started limited manufacture, these and other problems

Author showing detail of 85th wishbone Photo Colin Grant

began to become apparent. Trying to wake a sleeping giant like the Paint Shop was never going to be easy and some fairly basic mistakes were made – some being spotted during our track walks and others, like the examples above, occurring as time moved on.

An LE500 with Christine Jacks car at Q Gate Photo Art Jacks

www.mgcc.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 35

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www.mgcc.co.uk

Guy and Stuart on trim 1 cake stand

Bodies in storage from the Stadco production

Guy and Stuart fitting center console

Guy locating rear console

www.mgcc.co.uk

For those few of you unfamiliar with the Longbridge plant layout and method of TF manufacture, the operation was contained within CAB1 (Car Assembly Building), as this building still featured the two tracks essential for Mini/Metro and TF manufacture. All these cars were built in two parallel processes:1. The bodies were dropped from the painted body store (PBS) onto a raised, long platform (the “cake-stands�) with a moving centre track and fitted with harnesses, cables and all the parts under the floor and carpets, then trimmed and fitted with gear change mechs, pre-assembled fascias and windscreens. Unlike most other volume cars, the doors remained in place on the bodies during this phase.

2. The powertrain on its rear subframe and steering gear on the front were built on a slat-track at just below waist height. The slats had steel fixtures that supported the sub-frames, set at the correct distance apart.

These were then brought together by lowering the bodies onto the sub-frames and securing. Wheels were fitted, and the car could then roll up a slope and finish its build on its own wheels on the final cake-stand.

What was staggering to me, despite all the good work and intentions, was that there were still several hours of rectification work to be conducted on the parts delivered for each car! Items such as wheel arch liners needed fettling to fit,

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 37

Lisa and Graham on Trim 1

Last ever TF on track Photo. Hylton Routledge

gear-change mechs were never easy and it is a credit to the small team on the shop floor that cars were built at all. The winter months were a major challenge, as the vast build hall, once home to thousands of sweating workers, all generating heat and hundreds of screens, machines and cars starting also heating the space, was almost barren. Imagine trying to lay a harness into a car in sub-zero temperatures – copper wires feel more like steel. But it was OK, the lads (and one lass) were given woolly hats and body warmers by the caring management.

It has to be said that the build team really tried to build the best car that they could. No one wants to do a bad job. I am proud to call them “Brummie (insert term of abuse here)” to their faces still, and we achieved a level of mutual respect, me as the self-proclaimed Chief Engineer and them as a bunch of Bobs (as in the Not the 9 o’clock News skit and more latterly The Builder).

Life was never dull, and we reviewed audit cars on a daily basis, with

Manufacturing and Quality demanding better from Engineering (I had a staff of none and had to blag support from Ricardo 2010). We had a very active and engaged Supplier Quality team but dealing with a supply base on the other side of the world in a different time zone was never easy.

The Engineering and Assembly teams also managed to bring in-house the softtop build process from Pininfarina, one of many examples of what could be done by small teams.

The first cars were the LE500s and I recall insisting upon personally inspecting each one as it was loaded onto a car transporter. TFs as we know are very low and some transporters just were not designed with them in mind… The maniacal launch event had been and gone before I came on board fully, so there was already pent-up demand created by the legendary S&M (Sales and Marketing) team. My battles with successive S&M personalities (or lack of them) are well known to many of you, but I will not expand upon allegations of slow and poor

Birt working in the pit Photo. Ian Pogson

decision-making, mistrust, bullying and libellous comments here. We’ll have a quiet drink sometime and talk it over, dear reader.

The 85th Anniversary came along as a Last Hurrah! Project, but that has already been the subject of its own story when it came out (Safety Fast! October 2009).

Suffice to say that we never achieved the volumes that we intended – as Programme Manager I was never given a volume to aim at by Sales, so I unilaterally decided that in order to give my suppliers something to quote against, it would be 200 units. We built 51 cars including two Press Cars and one Styling car. So a lot of parts were left over and languished, unloved in the not-weatherproof ex-BMW temporary Body Store, created for MINI (R50) and left behind as our Teutonic

WAHA (wheel alignment headlamp alignment) Photo. Ian Pogson 38 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

www.mgcc.co.uk

Last ever TF Photo. Hylton Routledge

friends (and many really were) retreated to Cowley, sorry, Plant Oxford.

I loved the 85th and it was the besthandling TF ever made. With what proved to be a bulletproof engine, (I only heard of one warranty issue) and all the chassis tweaks, especially the corrected bumpsteer, bigger anti-roll bars and wider wheels, we had a winner of a car. I just feel embarrassed that the painted stripes (the aubergine and silver ones) never passed the fade tests and have had to be replaced for angry owners. If the spares supplier had looked after the replacement ones I kept in storage, this may have mitigated such anger, but again we had differences of opinion on customer support.

After the 85th we were left with the news that a limit on gearbox supply meant we could only build a few more cars and anyway, MG Motor were gearing up for MG6 launch and “better days”, with a “proper car”. Hence the 135 model. 135 was of course the power output of the standard 1.8L engine and so we ran on to the end with improving parts supply

www.mgcc.co.uk

and quality in most cases. New wheels were promoted, the hard-top (a source of much heartache as the MG Rover supplier had been top-notch but abandoned for the LE500) was discontinued and features such as the OTT and troublesome leaking parking sensors deleted.

The final car was a white model and I signed the boot as a tribute to the original

Chief Engineer Brian Griffin, photographing my words and sending the picture to his widow, who appreciated the gesture.

It was enormously sad to see the tracks cleared behind the car as it travelled along the system and to see the team pack up their tools and head for training on the MG6 (well, four of them came to Shanghai anyway). That, as they say, is another story.

Birt, speaking to Author, at the wheel of an 85th pre-WAHA

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 39

Jerry Birkbeck 01926 258691 Mob: 07855 566325 birkbeckjerry@gmail.com www.mgccyregister.co.uk

NEWSLETTER

WELCOME TO THE

Y TYPE NEWSLETTER We are living in very strange and worrying times as the pandemic and international events have affected everyone’s life. Surprisingly, it has had some benefits as there has been a noted upturn in leisure activities. This was especially so in the first national lockdown. Many folk had that rare commodity – time – at their disposal. However, it came with significant downsides. Over the last nine months our personal freedom to meet up with friends and colleagues has been subject to, at times, bizarre restrictions. So, as you are all aware car shows, events and meetings have been cancelled and travel has been restricted.

Worldwide, we have become aware of meetings through Zoom, a concept that probably the majority of us had never heard of, and the novelty of ‘working from home’ where possible.

So what have we done?

Decorating, home improvements, gardening, walking, reading and a wide variety of other activities. There have been several

fascinating hobbies that Club Members have mentioned, well outside maintaining and repairing their beloved MG. Many of you will have seen these on the Internet. This newsletter is of course about MG Y Types and though I have struggled for copy, primarily because of so few events over the last year, I have for your interest three pieces covering our models. Hopefully, you will enjoy them!

Please do look after yourselves, family, friends and neighbours and to use the current mantra… “Stay safe”.

Theoretically, after you receive your issue of Safety Fast! we will be looking a few days ahead to escape from Lockdown two.

However, who knows?

Despite all this I would like to wish you all a happy Christmas... although from what we have found to date, it will be very different!

Jerry Birkbeck

DAVID BARKER’S YT

Dave’s YT was well known in the MG world when it was acquired in 2002 by the late Tony Stock and his wife Jill. The background is fascinating and Tony mentioned in the Y Register website under ‘Owners and their Cars’ about some of the history of the car, which I have reproduced here. www.mgcc.co.uk

YT EXR 2617 was first registered from new on April 20 1949 by John Urbane Bull, a coffee planter from Kenya, on his retirement, having purchased the car in dollars directly from the MG Car Company. The bodywork was originally red.

John Bull appears to have been an interesting individual who extolled the virtues of his YT in a series of articles for Autocar during 1950. One has to remember that motoring magazines were not as prolific as they are now. There was an understandable emphasis on maintaining your car through magazines like Practical Motorist. General motoring was highlighted through magazines such as Autocar and The Motor and not forgetting, of course, Bill Boddy’s MotorSport.

I have extracted a few lines from John Urbane Bull’s visit to North Wales which he covered in an article in the June 30 1950 issue of Autocar. Considering that 70 years ago petrol was still rationed (until 1951) one might wonder how he was able to obtain the fuel! That I can’t answer.

Our explorer was keen to see the sights of North Wales on a motoring holiday from Cambridge to Chester and Conway and then home. A distance of over 350 miles round trip, which is nothing today but on the UK highways and byways was most certainly a challenge. He commented DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 41

NEWSLETTER

A few of the Autosport pages, showing the YT on its travels.

Dave’s YT as it is today

on his desire to return to Wales, where in his youth he had enjoyed roaming, rock climbing and swimming and was determined to return.

42 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

“Our new one and a quarter litre MG would have gone there of its own accord, had it been possessed of a free will. Cars are like that. There are those

that are meant to be driven along safe, smooth roads, mainly in built-up areas and preferably with the occupants soberly attired. Not so the MG; something tougher and more exacting was demanded and above all how are they to keep up with the current conception of sports-car types?”

He went on to describe crossing “the wild Llanberis Pass… and after several days of heavy rain we decided to return to Wales along the A5 to Cambridge”.

He was of course keen to extol the virtues of the YT. He wrote: “I would say that the one and a quarter litre MG Tourer is nearly, if not entirely, a car that cruises at 60mph. A magical phrase ‘cruise at 60’, but for a small car it becomes even more magical. Under even conditions the speedometer reached about 75, or perhaps slightly higher.”

He concluded his review by noting that “the road-holding qualities are so good as to be beyond praise. I enjoyed being able to place my car on the road with complete accuracy. It is a car with personality, and as such to be cared for at a time when cars are tending to lose that personality”.

It is fascinating to read the experiences of the owner of a new YT and I am sure that many of us are just as enhanced with similar feelings when driving our own Y. The car passed through several owners in the late 50s and 60s and advertised by one of them in Motor Sport April 1968 for £35. It was bought in the early 1970s

by John Finch, who restored the car over a number of years and was a successful concours entrant from 1980 onwards.

www.mgcc.co.uk

NEWSLETTER Tony saw the car advertised in Safety Fast! in August 2002 and it was used as regular, everyday transport. The only problems that he experienced were the starter motor chucking its pinion adrift on several occasions and the brake pedal cross shift stripping its splines.

The YT has a different body colour which is like a Rover Old English White,

and ventilated ‘Derrington (?)’ wheels.

An additional driving lamp and chrome horns were fitted by John Finch during restoration.

Tony kept the car until his death in 2014. It was sold by the family some years later and Dave acquired the car in exchange for a 3.8 Jaguar saloon.

Dave has been running a trimming

business since his retirement and, as the photographs show, he has undertaken an excellent complete retrim of the interior and recovered the side screens and fitted a new hood.

I am grateful to Dave for providing me with the background information about his YT. Jerry Birkbeck

REFITTING YT DOORS I bought my YT at the turn of the century and have always tried to improve her during the winter months. Last year I had the bottom half of my boot lid reskinned and I touched up all round the front end with the remains of the paint. So, come last spring, she was all set for the new season looking quite a bit smarter. Then lockdown hit us. As one door closed another opened and I decided to refit the doors and touch up the paintwork to make good use of the unexpected off road time.

95% of my driving is with the top down, so the large gaps around the bottoms of the doors have not really been a problem. However, the paintwork was crazed and tatty round the edges and the fit was uneven, whilst the hinges had been painted over what was left of the chrome. Restoration was well overdue.

The doors came off quickly and the first job was to refit them so that the rubber seal just made contact with the door surround. I had read how T Type owners had replaced the internal diagonal steel strap with a tensioning strap and I found the ideal fitting for this at a ships’ chandlers. They were stainless steel and made for tightening the rigging on a yacht.

The picture shows their quality, and they were remarkably cheap at £12.79. The left and right hand threads made adjustment very simple and the doors were easily pulled in to fit. The passenger door only, for some reason, required 3mm aluminium shims to be added behind the hinges; this reduced the gap at the front.

Once I was happy with the new fit on both doors, I sent the hinges away to be re-chromed and started to tidy up the paintwork on the doors. It didn’t take me long to decide that it was a job for the professionals and the doors were

www.mgcc.co.uk

taken off to be stripped and resprayed. This left me with the door surrounds to tidy up. The surround trim came out and revealed plenty of work. My tin of touch-up paint was again used, and with the use of a good quality, wide artist’s brush I managed to achieve a respectable finish.

I collected the doors, and the result was well worth the £500 spraying cost. The newly chromed hinges (£14.50 each) were fitted, as were the freshly cleaned door cards. Refitting the doors required a fair bit of adjustment as the door cards hadn’t been in place on the previous fitting. Finally all the screws were replaced with polished head stainless steel ones, and the job was done.

All ready for the open road… and Oh No! yet another lockdown.

Peter Vielvoye

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 43

NEWSLETTER THE FLYING MIDGE One of the most photographed items on our YT is the ‘flying midge’ that is fitted to the radiator cap. The ‘midge’ is a mascot that has adorned MG for many years. It certainly is an eye catcher. Douglas Pelton who produces stainless steel replicas wrote in the October 2011 edition of the MG T society of the history. “It was not a product produced by the MG Car Company but by an H.J. Randall of Birmingham and was designed especially for MG car owners.

It first appeared in an advertisement in the May 1934 issue of The MaGazine. It was only found on 1935 P Type, according to automobile historian Mike WorthingtonWilliams, although it did appear in factory literature and was primarily sold

as an accessory by University Motors Ltd, London, acting as an MG Agent. ‘ Originals are much sought-after, but Doug Pelton has produced a fine replica.

THE CHROME EMBELLISHERS Our YT was built in January 1950 and exported from the factory to the USA and an MG dealer in New York by the name of J S Inskip. Inskip was an importer of high-quality UK cars and in particular he focused on Rolls-Royce, modifying them to meet his customers’ aspirations. He became a New York dealer for

44 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

It rests on either the YT or TC depending upon which car we are using. A stylish addition, though not everyone’s cup of tea!

Jerry Birkbeck

the marque during the late 1930s through to the late 50s. In his Manhattan showroom he widened his range and became a distributor not only for Rolls-Royce but also Bentley, Riley and MG. In 1950 he marketed a four-seat TD on a lengthened wheel base.

It appears that the chrome embellishers along either side of the bonnet and both doors were only fitted by Inskip. Another individual feature on our YT. Jerry Birkbeck

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NEWSLETTER

Colin Manley mgatcgscribe@gmail.com

WELCOME TO THE

TWIN CAM NEWSLETTER You will recall that I have been appealing for some time for material from Twin Cam owners. This newsletter and our other communication, the emailed Twin-CaMGazette, are only as good as the input I get from you, the membership.

Whilst I have a couple of items, the size of this newsletter reflects the lack of material I have had from YOU, the considerable readership of both media types.

I NEED MATERIAL. If Twin Cam owners still want to see both these publications continue, I will need some articles or topics, and some high-resolution images. We badgered the MGCC to give us space for two newsletters per annum – let us not waste it!

The fate of both these publications now rests with you…

You can send me material at either mgatcg@outlook.com or mgatcgscribe@gmail.com

TIMING CHAIN TIPS

The IWIS Chain packaging

During a recent engine refresh the timing chain cover had to be removed to recover a piece of lock wire that had fallen into the well at the bottom. (Operator error: rag stuffed into the recess would have caught the errant wire!)

The tensioner was almost at the end of its adjustment hence, while access was available, it made good sense to replace the chain. The sprockets appeared to be in good order.

Casting around for suppliers, the usual High Street retailers were offering Indian-manufactured chain for around £30, made

by Reynolds, ICM or Diamond. However, reports of stretch issues with ‘cheap’ chains were of concern.

Neil Burnside suggested contact with Villiers Services in Dudley UK (www.villiersservices.co.uk), which jived with Mick Anderson’s recommendation to fit IWIS chain manufactured by a longestablished company in Germany. (suppliers to Mercedes and Audi).

Sure enough, Steve at Villiers was very helpful and described the two qualities of IWIS chain they could supply: ‘regular’ quality with joining link for around £75 or endless Cosworth ‘race’ quality for around £95. For the sake of a few pounds and only wishing to do the job once the Cosworth chain was ordered. Brilliant service: ordered Saturday delivered Monday.

46 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Checking the exhaust cam

Here’s a couple of photos the first showing the chain in situ with the cam timing being adjusted and the second the packaging label for the Cosworth chain.

Graham Smith (CM – I have also asked Graham if he will ‘write up’ his timing chain tensioner modification.)

www.mgcc.co.uk

NEWSLETTER TWIN CAM PARTS SUPPLIERS You may have noticed, after I listed some parts suppliers in the October Twin-CaMGazette, Edward Vandyk did similar in the MGA Register newsletter in November’s Safety Fast!

The intent of the Twin Cam listing is to list suppliers of parts that are not usually readily available from the regular and more well-known suppliers.

KNOCK, KNOCK – WHO’S THERE?

The almost detached bush; note the shiny interior surface

The cable tie check strap

Driving the Twin Cam, at various times I was hearing, sometimes a squeak, sometimes a gentle knock and sometimes a bit of a clunk,

www.mgcc.co.uk

when driving along. The sound emanated from the rear of the car. Numerous ‘bouncing’ exercises proved the knock was

If you know of a supplier that can offer some of these parts, please send full details to me so that I can coordinate with the two members who are compiling a list.

on the driver’s side, but I wouldn’t be able to trace the actual location until I removed the rear wheel and bounced the car whilst having a second jack under the axle. In fact, once jacked up and the wheel removed, the source of the knock was literally staring me in the face.

The upper bush of the rear suspension link had completely detached from its metal surround, allowing the arm to move laterally until it was clattering against the inside face of the chassis. It was only the chassis that prevented the arm from completely detaching. You can see in the photo that the interior metal surface of the arm is very smooth and glossy; likewise, the surface of the bush is also smooth – the two surfaces showed no sign of any bonding material ever being used.

The arms, whilst just over a year old, had done less than 3,000 miles.

Contacting the supplier only led to “Due to Covid…” etc messages. Even though you can order and pay for parts online quite easily, you cannot get to talk to anyone.

The bush itself is quite sound (it should be, with less than 3,000 miles!). I was not going to order replacement parts from the same supplier and the same part from another supplier probably comes from the same manufacturer whose intrinsic manufacturing process is not fit for purpose.

I used Loctite to hold the bush in position and also used a cable tie as a check strap to stop any lateral movement in the event of a further bonding failure.

This was repeated on the passenger side also. I will check after a variety of drives when the suspension has been exercised.

Colin Manley

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 47

NEWSLETTER CARBURETTOR REPAIR One of my carburettors had a broken body bracket which might have rendered it redundant if it had not been for the fact that the throttle spindle bearings were perfect, indicating little usage.

The broken off piece

As the photos show, it was the mounting for the choke lever mechanism and required great strength. Fortunately, the broken part was retained by the extension bracket, so I was able to retrieve it and it fitted back on perfectly. See photo of clamp holding it in place.

This small clamp came from Aldi or Lidl, I cannot remember which, but when on sale in store they are fantastic value and come into their own at times like this.

I decided the best way that I could repair it was to Araldite it into position; but to give it strength and reinforce it with two brass pins of 2mm diam. The photo shows the process of first drilling the broken-off part from the broken face through to the curved outer surface.

This part was then araldited into place and, when set, the two drilled holes were

Clamped in place

used as guides to drill into the body of the carb. after which the brass pins could also be glued into place. When all is set it

just remains to file down the brass pins to effect a neat repair.

Jonathan Tucker

The finished item

THAT’S ALL FOLKS Drilling for reinforcing pins

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If you want to see some content in the April 2021 Twin-Cam Newsletter, send me some material.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 49

NEWSLETTER

Victor Smith 0208 392 9434 victorsmith@v8register.net www.v8register.net

WELCOME TO THE

V8 NEWSLETTER

MGB GT V8 - tools and materials

ROUTINE ENGINE OIL CHANGE ON A V8 With lower use of their MG V8 during the Covid restrictions some owners may have deferred routine vehicle servicing and may be concerned over possible consequences.

Clearly the safety-related aspects of servicing must not be overlooked and the regular inspection of brakes, tyres, suspension and steering should be resumed as soon as possible, but here Jim Livingstone seeks to address the less safety-critical consequences of deferring an engine oil change.

What are the consequences of extending the oil change interval?

As most owners will know, the products of combustion in a petrol engine are primarily carbon dioxide and water plus a complex mix of chemicals, some of which find their way into the engine oil. Filtration will remove most of the particulate matter but

the acidic chemicals remain in circulation.

One of the purposes of regular oil changes is to remove those residues. Apart from its frequency, the timing of oil changes can be just as significant. For many MGB V8s nowadays, winter is a time of inactivity and in such circumstances contaminated oil will have a detrimental effect on the life of the engine – as the oil drains off metal components the acid contaminants will attack the surfaces of the bearings surfaces and the particulates will settle to form sludges. To avoid that damage an autumn oil change to give the engine an internal coating of clean oil for the winter months is recommended.

The MGB GT V8 is a relatively straightforward vehicle to service but its engine lubrication system has some peculiarities worthy of note. As owners will be aware, the oil filter is located

remotely on the right-hand inner wing just behind the radiator panel. A cartridge filter is employed and with a suitable strap wrench this can be removed relatively easily. A separate oil cooler is located close to the filter, but apart from a periodic check for leaking hoses and unions this is maintenance free. Finally, the oil pump has the relatively rare distinction of being driven by the distributor and not vice versa. This feature allows the pump to be rotated by an external source (for example a power drill) once the distributor is removed. The process is covered in greater detail in V8NOTE206 and V8NOTE430 and is useful if the engine has been lying idle for an extended period. See our “More” webpage for links to those notes.

The main considerations when undertaking an oil and filter change at home are do you have access to the relevant data, do you possess the necessary equipment and facilities, are replacement parts and materials available and are there facilities for safe disposal of the used materials? The purpose of this article is to provide enough information for an owner to tackle this task with confidence.

Data, Tools and Materials The data you need are: the engine including the filter has eight pints (filter

MGB GT V8 – sump drain plug 50 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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NEWSLETTER

MGB GT V8 - strap wrench to the oil filter canister and rotate

is half a pint), the oil grade is 20W/50 and the sump plug torque is 40Nm. The tools and equipment you will need are disposable oil-resistant gloves, a 7/16�

Whitworth or 21mm wrench (hexagon socket preferred as the sump plug is brass) and filter removal tool and a funnel.

The parts and materials you need are an oil drainage container, low rise ramps (optional), oil filter (part no: GFE121) and a sump plug seal (part no: 213961) and nine pints of 20w/50 engine oil. If purchasing online it is more economic to procure several filters and sump plug seals at a time as the charges for post and packing are only marginally greater.

Procedure 1. Warm up the engine to get the particulates into suspension and reduce the oil viscosity. A brisk drive of up to five miles should be adequate.

2. Check that you can reach the sump drain plug. It is located at the left rear corner of the sump (see image left) and is most easily accessed from behind the left front wheel. If additional height would be an advantage, low-rise ramps or axle stands may be useful.

3. Place the drainage container under the sump, wipe clean the surrounding area and carefully remove the plug. But a note

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of caution: a gallon of hot oil will exit rapidly, so ensure that you are protected from contact as it will burn bare skin and also contains harmful carcinogens. The surrounding area should be covered with disposable sheeting. The drain plug will be difficult to retain but can be retrieved from the drainage container once the oil has cooled.

4. Leaving the sump oil to drain, attach the strap wrench to the oil filter canister and rotate clockwise when viewed from above (see image left). A spray of light oil like WD40 on to the top seal may help.

5. The canister will contain 1/2 pint of hot oil and should be kept upright to prevent spillage. It can be extracted upwards through the gap between the radiator and the alternator drive belt. Clearances will vary between vehicles and it is advisable to check the gap with a new filter beforehand. It may be necessary to remove the alternator belt to facilitate extraction.

Some disposable sheeting under the filter and its extraction route will reduce the clean-up required.

6. Empty the oil filter canister into the drainage container.

7. When the oil has drained fit a new sump plug seal, insert the plug and torque to 40Nm. If a torque wrench is not available, ensure that the new seal is fully compressed, use a medium wrench (3/8� socket driver) and tighten firmly.

8. Remove and clean the oil filler cap and insert the funnel.

9. Remove and wipe the dip stick. Refill the engine with approximately seven pints of fresh oil until the oil level registers on the dipstick.

10. Fill the oil filter canister with approximately half a pint of fresh oil. This will be a slow process as it takes some time for the viscous oil to permeate the filter medium. The purpose of priming the filter is to reduce the time taken for the oil to circulate through the system.

11. Coat the top seal with fresh oil and refit the canister to the filter head. Hand tighten only and do not use tools.

12. Lower the front of the car before starting the engine to ensure that the pump pick-up is immersed in oil and aeration is avoided.

13. Start the engine and run at a fast idle (1000-1200 rpm). Check the sump plug and filter for signs of oil leakage. Tighten as required.

14. Stop the engine, check the oil level and top up if necessary.

15. Periodically check for leakage during the first week of running.

16. Dispose of all waste in accordance with local bylaws. Used oil is generally accepted at a council waste disposal centre.

Oil and filter change on an RV8 John Anthistle mentions a few of the oil change differences with an RV8. For example, you will need five and a half litres of semi-synthetic 10W/40 engine oil, – preferably to AECA A3 or API SL spec. The sump plug torque is 45Nm. Next the sump drain plug is located at the left side rear of the sump and is most easily accessed from behind the left front wheel. The small ground clearance of the RV8 makes this difficult and it is therefore advisable to raise the front of the car, either on ramps or by jack and stands under the front suspension cross-member.

Never rely only on a jack only for support.

RV8 - sump drain plug on nearside

RV8 - oil fill point and funnel

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 51

NEWSLETTER FOURTH VOLUME OF NOTES LAUNCHED IN 1984 The fourth volume of the V8 Workshop Notes series was published in May 1984 starting at Note 101 by Geoff Allen with the title “Take care – your balls may drop!” Here is the note.

The carburettor dashpot damper on the MGB GT V8 is clipped into the tube of the dashpot piston.

Therefore, when the three securing screws are removed the cover, piston and damper can be lifted off as an assembly. If the damper clip becomes weak or is broken, the cover and damper are lifted off leaving the piston in position in the carburettor body. The natural reaction is to take it out and replace it in the cover without checking.

Now, just a brief refresher on the SU HIF carburettor. Inside the dashpot cover is a piece of tube (bronze on early V8s, nylon or similar on later cars) which has six balls of about 3/32 inch diameter at each end to act as a bearing, and with the tube of the piston and when the assembly is replaced and the engine started, they are sucked through the two holes in the bottom of the piston and into the cylinders making a rather nasty noise on the way through as the space between the cylinder head face and the outside rim of the piston is rather less than the diameter of the balls. If anyone has the misfortune to have this happen to your V8, switch off immediately and try to recover the balls from the cylinders before too much damage is caused. It may be possible to remove them through the spark plug holes with a small magnet (drain plug type) on a piece of wire. But do not forget that on the side of the suspect carburettor, the cylinders are the front and rear and on the other side the two centre cylinders which at the worst could involve the removal of both cylinder heads. If you take the heads off, you will see the piston and rim will bear indentations made by the balls, apart from the possibility of damaged valves and seats.

The moral of the story is whenever the dashpot piston is removed from the cover, take it to the bench and make sure that you have all twelve balls in position before refitting it to the unit. Also, I have seen cases of the washer which holds the tube and ball assembly in position becoming uncrimped, allowing the tube to drop with the same result. This seems as good a reason as any for regularly inspecting the assembly.

52 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

40 YEARS AGO On the cover is Chris Dodds, an early member of the V8 Register in Australia who sadly died far too early in life.

BUMPER SYSTEM THAT’S A LOT MORE THAN SHOW

In 1974 BL were the first UK motor manufacturer to produce cars fitted with bumpers made from the totally new Bayflex system. Keith Belcher spotted the advert saying: “I was doing some research the other day and came upon this advert from 1974”.

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Non-toxic All Year Round Protection DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 53

NEWSLETTER FITTING A GRILLE BADGE TO AN RV8

Soon after getting an RV8, Paul Wilson joined the Club in June 2020 and purchased the small grille badge. In a post on the V8 Bulletin Board he sought help saying “the apertures in the grille on the RV8 seem to be just too small to permit the folding ‘wings’ of the badge to slip through. Short of bending and ruining the integrity of the front grille, is there an alternative way to secure your badge?”

Here Marion Quarrington explains how she fitted a grille badge to her RV8.

Brief guide The key to fitting the grille badge is to prepare the butterfly spring and then grip it in a suitable tool so that it can be offered up into the small space at the back of the grille. Photo below shows the pair of locking pliers that we used for this, but slim mole grips would also work. Note that it may be helpful to have a second person at the front of the car to assist at Step three.

they are almost parallel, which will move the spring away from over the insert, see Photo below. Grip the wings in this position using a suitable tool, and check that the bolt will run smoothly between the wings and into the insert.

Step three Fit the bolt through the badge and identify where on the grille it is to be fitted. Offer the butterfly spring up to the back of the grille, with the wing tips against the grille.

Note that, depending on the size and shape of the badge, the wings can often be positioned so that they will not visible from the front of the grille. Offer the bolt through the grille from the front, engage the bolt in the threaded insert and use an appropriate screwdriver to continue. The overall intent of how the kit goes together is shown in the Photo below. Once the bolt is running through the insert, the lock on the tool can be released to allow the wings to open against the back of the grille, which will also put the retaining spring in tension against the bolt. Do not fully tighten at this point.

Step one Get secure access to the front of the car from underneath, either by jacking the car and putting it on axle stands, or by using a pit.

Spring moved from over the insert

Step four locking pliers with a bolt

grille badge kit

It is not easy to fit some types of grille badge to an RV8 due to the reduced access at the rear of the grille. Here Marion Quarrington explains how, with some simple tools, it is possible to fit a grille badge without dismantling any of the car. This guide is for the grille badge kit consisting of two butterfly springs with threaded insert, two threaded bolts and the badge; see Photo above.

54 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Repeat with the other bolt and then tighten both bolts to the required tension once the badge has been positioned correctly.

Folded butterfly spring

Step two Take one of the butterfly springs, and rotate the threaded insert as necessary until the thread is fully available. Gently fold the wings towards each other until

wings open to clamp on the back of the grille

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 55

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56 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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FEATURE

T

he MGF Register created MG Car Club history in 1995 by being the first Register to be formed at the time the actual model was launched, a record it held until the advent of the ZR/ZS/ZT Register in 2001. 1995 was a year of great excitement for the British motoring world with the first massproduced MG roadster since the demise of the MGB in 1980 about to be launched

– a lot rested on the MGF’s shoulders.

Amongst all the excitement, the MGF Register itself had an assured start with the help of the MGB Register, particularly Don Bishop, getting it under way in the first place. The design of the car carried over into the Register’s distinctive logo based on the filler cap and was created by the MGF Chief Designer, Gerry McGovern.

25 YEARS OF THE MGF REGISTER

By Tim Morris

In the first couple of years there were relatively few MGFs on the road and the nascent MGF Register found it difficult to arrange events with only a few cars in attendance. The first Chairperson, Julia Marshall, and the new committee solved that particular problem by attending the MG Rover-organised birthday events held at the Heritage Motor Centre (now the British Motor Museum).

There were two large events held at Gaydon in 1996 and 1997 with all new owners of the MGF invited to attend, the second attracting some 2,000 cars.

The third and fourth Birthday parties in 1998 and 1999 were essentially meets organised through the MGF Enthusiasts Bulletin Board (most of whom were MGF Register members too) and held at Brooklands Museum. The Bulletin Board was the precursor of the numerous MGF/ TF pages found on modern social media today, including the Register’s own. An extra birthday party in 1999 saw a link up with the MG Car Club annual meeting at Silverstone for the 75th Anniversary of MG, where thousands of MGFs descended on the circuit. By this time the Register had a much more secure foundation and began to organise its own events, as well as recording details of as many

The MGF’s first birthday celebrations at Gaydon

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 57

An early MGF Register stand at Brooklands 1998

of the new cars as they could. The first Register event proper was a “Care Day” held at Abingdon where over 90 members attended and was soon followed by a Medieval Banquet at Warwick Castle and day runs to historic houses or pubs.

In 2000 the Register organised a fifth birthday party for the MGF at the Midlands Motor Museum, which turned out to be a very damp day; it would be another five years before a similar event occurred again. The following year the MGF was completely re-designed by Peter Stevens and re-launched as the MGTF. As the new model still had the same pedigree, the new roadster was incorporated into the MGF Register but it was not thought a name change was necessary as the car was basically an upgraded MGF. Julia remained chairwoman until 2000 when Steve Slivinski took over, followed by Steve Terry and then Richard Martin.

One of the most significant developments within the Register was the creation of Regional groups. Some of the earliest groups (Essex Roadsters, Central Scotland, South East MGF and South Wales MGF) were born independently from the MG Enthusiasts Bulletin Board, the only MGF internet forum at that time, but these were soon embraced by the Register with many more being set up by the Register itself after development of the concept in 2003. Today the Register has

58 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

regions around the country as well as embracing the internet age with its own Forum, Website and social media pages. More recently, a new YouTube channel has been added to collect Register videos and selected MGF marketing videos, etc. The Regions themselves also run their own social media pages to keep in touch with their Members.

In 2005 the MGTF ceased production, as MG Rover were liquidated a few weeks before the Register helped celebrate

The major MGF festival programmes

The new MGF Register committee in 2008 – only Rob Bell and Tim Morris are still on the committee today www.mgcc.co.uk

Rob Bell, Gerry McGovern and Tim Morris at MGF10

100 years of the Longbridge factory at a huge event in Cofton Park, alongside the Austin Federation and many other clubs associated with the factory. This special event morphed into the later series of Pride of Longbridge Rallies. In the same year the Register was also looking forward to the 10th Anniversary of the MGF, returning to the scene of the original MG Rover MGF Birthday parties at Gaydon. With no car now in production, MGF10 became the largest single gathering of MGF/TFs since those earlier parties with over 500 cars in attendance; the event was also attended by many involved in the creation of the car including Gerry McGovern, Rob Oldaker, Brian Griffin and Adrian Guyll.

Rob Bell became Chairman in the 10th Anniversary year of 2005 and remained so for three years with Dave Livingstone as his deputy. The pair were instrumental in

A snowy celebratory run to the Geneva Motor Show in 2010

setting up the MGs on Track group which initially focussed on helping MGF owners get their own cars on track, but now organises track days for any type of MG. Following the success of MGF10 the Register created a series of annual weekend events along the same “party” idea called MGFest – featuring cars, competitions, games, talks and live music.

The first, in 2007, was held at Billing Aquadrome but returned the following year to the more appropriate home of Gaydon where it remained for three years until the 15th Anniversary in 2010, suitably

entitled MGF15. Of course, the Register continued with its normal day runs and events, both nationally and locally within the regions as well.

A charitable aspect to the Register was introduced in 2006 with the “Effing the Bridges” event involving the Severn and Bristol bridges and finishing at a National Trust property, Dyrham Park.

The charity, Prostate Cancer Awareness, was the first recipient of the fundraising and the charity’s founder, the late Gary Steele MBE, was our guest at the event along with Martin Wills, who was also

The MGF Camping area at Billing Aquadrome during MGF Fest 2007

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 59

Enjoying the Highlander 2011 event around the highland town of Pitlochry

supporting them in the class F MGOC Race Series. Rather than remain focussed on just one charity, it was decided that the Register would support a different charity each year and this has resulted in much money being raised for good causes. In the Silver Anniversary year the Register will be supporting the Young Minds charity and this will flow through into 2021 as fundraising opportunities have been somewhat limited in 2020. There have been two rounds of major fundraising events using a special hardtop, which involved all the regions, gained some national press interest and even did a final lap in Europe. The Hard-Top Relay was inspired by the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay and was along similar lines, with the top being passed from car to car.

The run of annual MGFest shows ended in 2010 and a new National weekend event was introduced in September 2011 hosted by one of the Regions around the country and designed as a showcase for those regions. These

Some of the committee with the Hard Top at Kimber House 2012

continued for a number of years with events in the North West, Yorkshire and the South East before they took a short rest. They were re-activated in 2017 in a slightly different style, organised centrally

by Ian and Angie Wright, with the first one taking place in Jersey. Subsequent events have been in France, and in 2019 Durham, and this year should have been North Wales, now postponed until 2021.

Tim Morris became chairman in 2008, having led MGF10, MGF15 and the MGFest series and introduced the charitable fundraising. He also helped develop the spread of Regions and founded the Register’s quarterly printed magazine FasTForward in 2006. The magazine continues to chronicle the history of the MGF Register along with articles on the MGF/TF, technical features, regional and international reports. He was the first person to complete the full term of five years in the chairman’s role before handing over the reins in 2013 to Keith Williams, and in 2017 was voted as the

Register’s first President and still holds that honorary title today.

Keith had been dealing with events and regalia, taking the sales of that on to the internet as well as helming MGF20. He became the second person to complete a full five-year term in the role and is now a Director of the MGCC, as well as remaining on the Register committee.

Rob Bell is the longest-serving committee member, including his spell as Chairman, and remains the Register’s technical expert as well as being one of the few longterm owners of an original MGF and the author of the popular Project Shed series in FasTForward. A further success of the

MGF TF Timeline at Stoneleigh in 2014

60 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 61

Keith Williams, Julia Marshall, Tim Morris and Richard Martin gathered at MGF20

The Regional flags at Gaydon for MGF20

Colour coded parking at MGF20

Register has been with its International connections. The Register built a strong network of contacts abroad, particularly throughout Europe, which the Register still draws on to take part in events and trips on the continent. Currently the Register’s

International Liaison is led by Colin Murrell who continues with a network of contacts throughout the world.

Nigel May has been chairman since 2018 and now, through the central committee and the regions, oversees the

Register organising over 100 different events per year ranging from local regional pub meets and runs to National events, large shows and trips to the Continent.

You’ll often find Nigel manning the Register stand at shows such as Stoneleigh and the NEC with his wife, Jo, and usually one of their large collection of MGFs where they are busy chatting to F/TF owners, which resulted in winning the Nikki Saunders Trophy in 2019 for the CRB signing up most members.

Along the way, the Register has also supported MGCC motorsport by supporting both the Church Square Autos “Racing Red” Team and Project Shed Hill Climb and Sprinting, with both cars sporting fetching MGF Register logos and, of course, the Register was involved with the celebratory MGF Cup anniversary race at MGLive! too.

One of the principal purposes of the Register is to collect as many details of MGF/TF cars as possible which are added to an ever-growing database. Production records were donated to the Club by MG Motor UK and with these and other historic details gathered by numerous members and the current Registrar, Nigel May, means that our database of MGF and TF cars is extensive, with details of virtually every MGF/TF made.

Since the MGTF finally ceased production in 2010, after a short reincarnation under Chinese ownership which saw a facelifted TF produced, the MGF Register is now in the same position as previous Registers, concentrating on preserving the history of the model whilst providing a social framework for our

Elaine Ball got in to the spirit of the Glo Cars with a Glo Costume MGF20 62 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

www.mgcc.co.uk

Members. In that year we marked 15 years of the MGF with a snowy celebratory run to the Geneva Motor Show, beginning in Abingdon Town Square watched by the BBC. It accurately replicated an original MGCC event that took place at the launch in 1995, but this time actually using MGFs! In 2015 the Register celebrated 20 years of the MGF and the MGF Register with another birthday party at the Heritage Motor Centre which attracted some 600 MGF/TFs – another large gathering of MGFs and TFs to celebrate two decades of this model. Today MGFs and TFs are declining rapidly in numbers as more are scrapped, but alongside that there is hope as we are also witnessing a huge increase in cars being restored, many of which have been featured in the pages of FasTForward.

Today the Register organises and attends many events throughout the year, both centrally and regionally. The main events include the Chairman’s weekend in Spring which kicks off the charity fundraising year, a national (and sometimes International) weekend and an end-of-season “bash” at Cricklade, all ably organised by our main events people Ian and Angie Wright. The Register continues

Philip and Carole Hayward lead across the moors in their vibrant orange LE500 during the 2019 MGF National Weekend Event

Christmas jumpers at Cricklade 2019

to collect details of the cars themselves and provides technical help through its webbased pages or personally from Rob Bell.

Now we reach the Silver Anniversary of the MGF, but our planned events and

return to the British Motor Museum for MGF25 was curtailed by COVID but… we hope to be back there to mark the occasion on July 24 2021 – we’ll see you there and look forward to the next 25!

Project Shed at Wiscombe Hill Climb 2018

www.mgcc.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 63

TECH TORQUE

1 Jack up front and place axle stands

MGTF FRONT DISC CHANGE H

By Colin Grant

aving been shown as an advisory on its last MOT, I felt I should set to and change the front discs on my 2004 TF. The fitting instructions below refer to the 304mm size discs with AP four pot calipers, which came as part of the Sport Pack option fitted to the car from new. I obtained the discs together with pads from my local Auto factors. I decided to replace the calliper fixing bolts, pad locating pins and disc locating screws as well, being good practice to do this. These I obtained via eBay. I carried out this work in my garage as it has a sound flat surface to work on.

I loosened the front wheel nuts and then jacked up the front of the car and placed axle stands underneath. After removing the wheels I inspected the discs and, as expected, they had seen better days, with a ridge being felt around the circumference where they had worn. I started on the off side disc and removed the locating pins and pressure plate. Then I undid the two locating bolts at the rear of the calliper.

Gently tapping, I removed the calliper from its location and once off the disc I slid out the old pads. Next I removed the two countersunk disc locating screws. These were the original Phillips screws and I had to

64 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

use an impact driver to remove them as they had become corroded into place.

I used an air line and blew out the dust and crud from the calliper, and then gave it a thorough clean. I also took the opportunity to clean the front suspension and remove the build-up of crud from behind the wheel arch liner. Once this was done, I fitted the new disc and located it with two new countersunk Allen fixing screws. These are an aftermarket item but make it so much easier when it comes to removing them next time. A small amount of copper grease on the thread will also help in their removal.

I then positioned the calliper in place and fitted new locating bolts and torqued them to the correct setting. Before pushing the pistons into their home position, I removed the cap from the brake master cylinder and placed some rag around its orifice as, when pushing the pistons back into place, it also pushes fluid back into the reservoir and if you have topped it up regularly you may have a spillage. Then using a flat bar I pushed the pistons back into their home position, which allowed me to fit the pads.

Before doing this I placed a small amount of copper grease on the top and bottom edges of the pads and where the pistons make

contact. Once, in place, I fitted the pressure plate with the arrow facing down and located it with the new fixing pins, making sure their sprung ends were fully in their home position.

Once done, I wiped the disc over with solvent to remove any trace of dirt or grease.

After replacing the near side disc and pads I took the wheels and applied a small amount of copper grease where the wheels make contact with the disc, as this aids in their removal. I once got caught at the side of the road with a puncture and could not remove the wheel, it having bonded to the disc, and had to get assistance from the RAC. Once the wheels are on and the wheel nuts are in place, remove the axle stands and lower the car to the ground. Then torque up the wheel nuts to the specified torque settings.

Lastly, sit in the car and gently push the brake pedal down to place the brake pistons into their operating position and make sure you have good pressure on the pedal.

Replace the cap on the master cylinder, top up if necessary, and take comfort in a job well done.

Note: The first few miles you travel after fitting new discs should be driven carefully until the discs and pads have bedded in.

www.mgcc.co.uk

TECH TORQUE

2

3

Remove wheel nuts

Remove locating pins

4

5

Pressure plate, note arrow direction

6 Impact driver

www.mgcc.co.uk

Undoing the calliper locating bolts and then removing the calliper

7 Use impact driver to remove disc locating screws

8 Lift disc off old disc

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 65

TECH TORQUE

9

10

New components ready to be fitted

11 New locating bolts with copper grease applied to threads

Fit disc and locate with new Allen screws

12 Remove master cylinder cap

13 Push calliper pistons back into their home position

14 Pads fitted and in place

15 Pressure plate and new pins ready to be fully located into place

16 Torque the wheels nuts up to the specified torque setting

HEALTH AND SAFETY Please do not undertake this work if you don’t have the necessary knowledge, mechanical skills, a suitable working area, the necessary tools or personal protective equipment. Instead, enlist the services of an MG Specialist to carry this work out for you.

66 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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Classic car sales including Classic Car Specialists focusing

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F C AN OLL REE D EC DE TI LIV ON ER Y

Thank you to all our customers for their ongoing support – the ‘shout-outs’ in Safety Fast! mean a lot to myself and the team.

Classic & Sports Cars Essex – open for business I would like to send well wishes to my loyal customers, I hope you are healthy and getting through this difficult time.

Whilst I can, I am remaining open with only immediate family working alongside me in the workshop.

I am offering a free collection and delivery service for anyone who would like long or short-time works carried out this summer.

Without the worry of timing for car shows and trips away, we have a strange opportunity to have those works completed that you may have been putting off.

If you would like to reserve a space for big or small jobs, I will be very happy to hear from you.

This year we are celebrating our 10th Anniversary and I am proud of how far we have come. With your continued support I hope to pull through this and continue happy motoring for many years to come.

Kindest and warmest regards

Jason

View all our work at www.xpagmg.com

RACE TORQUE

Carl Robinson, in his Class A winning ZR 160

A

s I write this in mid-November, I am yet again struck by the strangeness of this year. Normally, I would be brushing off my dinner suit and bow tie and looking forward to attending a number of award ceremonies as our MG Car Club Championships celebrate another year of racing. Of course, the global pandemic has put a stop to all of that and a number of our Championships made the difficult decision not to run in their normal format this year.

Despite this, we do have some Champions to announce and should be justly proud of their achievements in a curtailed season.

In the BCV8 Championship, Ollie Neaves is our 2020 Champion, as well as winner of Class D. In Class AB, Russell McAngus drove to the win, with Mark Scott taking the Class B honours. Jim Bryan was the Class C table-topper.

RACE TORQUE

by Mark Baulch

In the Cockshoot Cup the 2020 Champion is Brian Butler and he is also winner of Class F, driving his standard MGF. Class A was won by Paul Wignall in his ZR160 with Ian Wright second in his Midget. Class B winner was Mark Bellamy in his ZR170 with Jimmy Johnson second in his ZR170 and Mike Peters third in his Midget. Class C honours went to Keith Egar in his K series-engined Midget from Carl Green’s ZS and Ray Collier’s ZR190.

Finally for 2020, in the MG Cup supported by Peter Best Insurance, the overall Champion was Carl Robinson, winning Class A in his ZR160, with father

The 2020 Cockshoot Cup Champion, Brian Butler (L) with Paul Goodman.

70 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Dennis Robinson taking the Class B win in his ZR170. The most powerful class was won by Mike Williams, taking his Metro GTi to the top of the Class C table.

We now look forward to 2021 and really hope that we will be able to run a full race programme, with the backing and assistance of our governing body and the regulations that allow us to continue through these trying times.

Work continues on providing a suitable calendar for next year and the details of this will be shared here as soon as we can. Hopefully, some spectators may be permitted as the year progresses and you will be able to enjoy more of the racing. In the meantime, I would like to wish all of the racing ‘family’ a very safe and enjoyable festive period and a New Year filled with motorsport. I would also like to pass on the same wishes from them to all MG Car Club Members.

Ollie Neaves 2020 BCV8 Championship Champion www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 71

MGs ON TRACK

MG on track

Duncan Wood duncanw@mgs-on-track.com

PECULIAR, NOT HA-HA!

W

ere the obscure 20th century homespun philosopher and my mum Peggy Wood alive today, she would no doubt have described 2020 as ‘Funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha’, a sentiment with which few could argue. Many people’s lives have been turned completely upside down since March, and in much more fundamental ways than missing out on favourite pastimes and activities, but reflecting solely upon the MGs on Track year I think it actually went much better than we might have foreseen.

Our season opener at Goodwood in February was a sell-out as it always is and was made more atmospheric by the Triple M cars filling one session. Unfortunately, our next event at Bedford Autodrome in March was not completely full, as it seems some members are yet to be persuaded to sample this track with its 3.8 miles overall length featuring high-speed straights combined with technical twiddly bits, and all with

copious run-off areas. Perhaps if people had known what was about to befall the nation just a week later, enthusiasm to attend would have been boundless!

Cadwell Park should have been next on the calendar but was cancelled by the circuit due to a re-scheduled race meeting, so we were pleased to be able to arrange a visit to Mallory Park at short notice, particularly as the previous attempt to go there a decade ago had been thwarted by an unseasonably early snow fall.

However, what has since come to be known as the first lockdown postponed Mallory and cancelled subsequent events at Snetterton, Castle Combe, Croft, and our North Weald experience day. In addition to the driving days, we also missed out on attending the NEC Restoration Show plus, of course, MGLive!

Finally, in July, our track days resumed with a restricted numbers event at Blyton Park, followed by Anglesey, the postponed Mallory Park, Castle Combe, Donington Park, and the year’s second Goodwood visit. All of these sold out quickly, in their

entirety, and even had lengthy reserve lists, seemingly proving that in these strange times the desire for an enjoyable escape is greater than ever. Only Brands Hatch remains on the calendar for the year; with luck it will be proceeding as hoped and will provide one last opportunity for some safe on-track action.

Our track days are also as safe as possible even when not driving, as all circuits have adapted their operations to make them Covid-secure. Safety briefings are now available online in advance of the event, as are both the circuit’s and MGs on Track’s indemnity forms to keep faceto-face contact to a minimum on the day.

There are changes in the way that catering arrangements, toilets, etc, are managed, but otherwise attending a track day when you are either out in the fresh air or driving solo in your own car is going to be very low risk from an infection standpoint.

As well as the circuit management, real thanks go out to the marshals who, whatever the weather, ensure that the event passes off as efficiently and safely as is possible, whether they be manning the pit lane, the flag signal post, or perhaps recovering a too enthusiastic driver from the gravel! Thank you also to another group essential to an MGoT event, the instructors.

Sadly this year we have needed their services a lot less than normal as we have had to halt in-car instruction, so I will single out Alan Wilshire, who we have seen at Goodwood and Castle Combe in a day manager role, to represent them all on this occasion.

This month’s picture from Goodwood comes from our special photographer Dani Larson who, with her partner Chris,

Photo: Dani Larson

72 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

www.mgcc.co.uk

MGCC MGCCSPEED SPEEDCHAMPIONSHIPS CHAMPIONSHIP MGS ON TRACK – 2020 CALENDAR

John Wilman, Beechfield, Fern Bank, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak. SK23 0JJ Tel: 07778 165186 www.mgspeed.net

Please visit www.mgs-on-track.com to register, check availability, or to book a track day.

Registered members will receive regular newsletters and notification of event opening dates.

Brands Hatch ‘Indy’ – December 7 Our season finale (fingers crossed); do not miss the chance to enjoy this undulating circuit including the worldrenowned Paddock Hill Bend! As I write this event is sold out, but it could be worth checking for a last-minute cancellation. Cram in some track day fun in case it proves to be ‘Always winter but never Christmas’. is to be found roaming our events, frequently soaked to the skin, but always transforming drivers and cars into peerless visual art! Visit her webpages to view or buy her photos; usually there is a direct link from our homepage or go to www.daniellelarson.co.uk I would like to highlight the excellent job Andy Knott and team have done this year, not only continuing to produce Safety Fast! every month but keeping it as lively and informative as before with some genuinely interesting articles. The idea of using front cover designs from earlier times to celebrate the MG Car Club’s 90 years underlined the Club’s lineage, even if overall the anniversary celebrations have been somewhat disrupted. Three of our committee attended the gathering at Gaydon, a real-world success for the Car Club to accompany an increased online presence that keeps us all virtually entertained and in touch.

Next month’s Safety Fast! article will feature our 2021 Calendar, hopefully with confirmed dates where possible, although much like this past year we may not be carving it onto stone just yet!

Meanwhile, whether it be peculiar or ha-ha, have a Very Happy Christmas.

www.mgcc.co.uk

Ben Rolls in his Sprite, lifting a wheel at Wiscombe

O

ne of our most enthusiastic competitors is Ben Rolls who competes in a modsports Sprite. He is ably backed up by his mum and dad and they have become known as, ‘Team Rolls’. Below is their account of the recent Wiscombe and Castle Combe events.

Wiscombe on September 12 gave us good weather which was great, having nearly drowned on one run at Shelsley.

Wiscombe is one of our favourite venues and there was a good turnout. With great organisation following Covid rules, the day went well, apart from Rob Orford’s MGB which developed a slight mechanical problem so could only do one timed run. A big thank you for all who ran the event and especially the Marshals who, as always, did a great job.

Fastest MGCC competitor overall on the day was Ben, doing a personal best with a 44.35 which we think would have counted as a new record in a normal year’s events. Second was John Tandy with a 46.51 and third was Rob Orford with a 48.13 on his one timed run.

Our next and final event was the Pegasus Sprint at Castle Combe where MGCC members were split into various

classes due to there being no official MGCC Class. The event was run on a reduced 3/4-length track; we missed doing the last corner but this allowed a quicker flow to the event. Again, guidelines were followed well with face masks, etc.

Ben found himself up against the well-known double-driven Mini of Brian Davage and Lewis Salmon, as well as a Davrian MK8, Sebring Sprite and MG PA, so he knew it would be extremely challenging but managed a 70.39 to take first in class. Other MGCC members also found themselves up against a very mixed class, and overall quickest times of MGCC members were Steve Jackman 2nd in his MGF doing a 74.42 and Neil Lock in his MG ZR third with a 75.51.

With the weather again dry and thank goodness no thick fog as we had last year, the day went well. Great end to a short season and let’s hope 2021 turns out to be better for all.

As we have just entered the new lockdown period there is really nothing else to report at this time. The calendar of events for 2021 is almost complete and we can only hope that we get the chance to run a complete season.

Happy spannering and stay safe.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 73

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CENTRES ABINGDON WORKS Richard Martin sfscribe@mgabingdon.org.uk www.mgabingdon.co.uk Well, here we are with the last Notes for 2020 and I’m reminded that, with the exception of our AGM, we’ve not had a single AWC organised event to report upon all year. Sadly, I’m now going to add a couple more non-events as this year’s traditional Boxing Day gathering in Abingdon’s Market place and the New Year curtain raiser, Vintage Stony, have also become casualties. I’ve reproduced below the wording taken from the Vintage Stony organisers’ statement as the criteria for both events are the same. I’m sure everyone hopes that the New Year will herald more positive news sooner rather than later.

ANGLIA Rob Muir 01206 862619 scribe@mgccanglia.com www.mgccanglia.com Anglia Centre Regalia Following a great deal of work by committee member Andrew Isaacson, we can once again offer members Anglia Centre Regalia.

It is with regret we have come to the conclusion that it will be impossible to hold Vintage Stony on New Year’s Day 2021 in the way that we are used to and all enjoy.

As you will know, our event is held in a public space where it is not possible to control the number of visitors – be they exhibitors with their vintage and classic cars or the many members of the public who attend.

With the ongoing Covid–19 pandemic and the demands required of the Government Protocols, we could not guarantee to maintain safe distances between you all, nor maintain the maximum meeting numbers required.

The past month did present a couple of opportunities to take the B out in the autumn sunshine. We took part in a charity car run organised by the Oxford Rotary Club and were also privileged

Although we all love to own regalia from the main MGCC it is nice to be able to sport our own Centre attire as well, depicting the motif of the MGCC Anglia Centre. The clothing is very well made. It includes a large selection of items, from woollen hats and polo shirts to coats, all available in a multitude of colour options. The shirts and jumpers are available in both female and male cut.

The Ladies jumper is shown in the photo.

You can browse the merchandise via the Regalia link on the Anglia website or via the Facebook page link.

Online is by far the easiest way to order from https://mgcca.ace-online.co.uk/ However, we do understand that some members do not have access to the internet. In this case you can talk to our suppliers direct, who will run through the regalia options and take your order on the telephone if you ring 0121 559 1234.

With Christmas coming up, new Anglia Centre clothing could be just the ticket.

to be one of the cars in the cortege accompanying Don Hayter on his final journey. The accompanying Gill Martin photo shows the MGBs arriving at the crematorium.

The other photos serve as a reminder, if one were needed, of what we’re sadly missing this year.

Stay safe everyone and enjoy yourselves over the Christmas and New Year period. See you in 2021!

presented to the winner of this year’s competition.

Kindly donated by our President, Roger Latham, the winner will be able to have the trophy for a year before it passes to the next recipient in December 2021.

You still have a short time to enter this year; details are in previous notes and on the website.

Anglia Centre Photographic Competition I have had a sneak preview of the lovely glass trophy that you see in the picture. It will be

www.mgcc.co.uk

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CENTRES CALEDONIAN Bob MacGillivray 07870 407111 mgcarsscotland@gmail.com www.mgcaledonian.com It’s difficult to say these days when you might actually receive your magazine, but perhaps you will have this slightly in advance of the Zoom online AGM on Tuesday December 1. If you do not already have log in details then contact Nancy, our secretary, or myself.

Your committee has spent some time putting together a programme for 2021, but with no certainty that events will proceed as planned! A copy of the programme will be mailed with the 2021 Newsletter later this month. The best way

DEVON & CORNWALL Young Janner II bobslatter@hotmail.com www.mgcc.co.uk/devon-cornwall-centre Hopefully by the time you read this, we will be coming to the end of the second period of lockdown and be able to get out a little more and enjoy our cars in the winter sunshine – roof down, of course. I know that is difficult in a saloon!

www.mgcc.co.uk

to keep up to date is by the website or Facebook page or my regular emails.

It is, however, fair to say that whatever the proposed programme is, it is not set in stone. If this pandemic continues in some shape or form well into the New Year, then perhaps a different type of event may need to be invented! If any of you have any thoughts about this then please get in touch.

There may be a Chilly Willy event, early In January, but check the website or Facebook for updates.

One thing we are hoping to run in January is the Film night. Virtually all of the films shown over the last number of years have been from my stock.

If any of you have any old MG, Scottish Centre or related items then please get in touch. No matter their format, we can get them transferred to video.

Don’t forget, pre-Christmas, that we have a surfeit of overstocked regalia to dispose of at bargain prices, contact Leslie for more details.

The attached pics are to remind you of happier times, the 2015 Three-Day Tour, and hopefully to give something to look forward to!

On behalf of your committee may I wish you all a Covid-free and Merry Christmas, when it comes!

Normally, these notes would have been about the up and coming Natter Christmas Parties being organised all over the Centre, but as all these have been curtailed, I will dive into the archives once again.

For those of you who receive the excellent Centre Newsletter edited by Ted Lawrence, you will have seen a couple of photos from earlier Christmas Dinner Dances when we organised our own cabaret to entertain all the guests.

One of these shows the Widecombe Fairies in 1979, but their story goes back a lot earlier than that, to 1955, in fact, as shown in the first photo. It shows the Devon and Cornwall Centre banner designed and painted

by John Perrin of the Silverton Savages.

From left to right are Harold Beare, Cecil Voisk, Tim West,

Percy Lilley, Ernest Dickaty, Harry Chislett and Peter Prance, all in the same order on the banner.

John Perrin, the artist, is seated in front. I wonder what happened to that banner.

The second photo shows some of the guests celebrating the winning of the Nuffield Gold Cup at the 1959 Dinner Dance held at the Victoria Hotel, Torquay. Don’t they look sombre!

Although it is only the beginning of the month, may I take this opportunity to wish all members a safe and Happy Christmas on behalf of the Committee, and maybe we might be able to organise some get-togethers in the New Year.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 77

CENTRES LINCOLNSHIRE IAN MACKENZIE 01529 497849 MaccaV8@aol.com www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk Well, the results are in! Well done, Joe and Kamala. Time to move into the light.

Once the legal votes had been totted up, we also had a top three in our Virtual Driveway Concours.

In third place, Jeff Patterson’s Targa red MG Montego B260 GSX, subject of an eight-year restoration, and proud possessor of a Nicolette McKenzie digital “talking dash”.

In second place, Jeffrey Townsend’s green

MG TB JPC 901 first registered in the month before the outbreak of World War II, and having racing history in Jeff’s hands.

In first place, Charlie Blow’s dove grey MGA 1600 Mk11 850 YTJ. Initially a daily driver until 1973, his 1990s restoration ran through to 2018. The previous owner, ‘Miss Great Britain’ Valerie Martin will be delighted to see her old motor when social distancing allows.

Our second autotest of the year took place on Sunday October 18 under a big bright Lincolnshire sky. Joint third place in Long Wheelbase Class were Duncan Peters and Mike Denton, Mark Peters second, and first Robert Taylor in an MG TF. In the Specials/Short Wheelbase Class, Geoff Hirst was second, and

First-time entrant Danny Read at the October Autotest DONHOODS-SFAug07.QXD:Layout 1 23/9/09

16:22

Page 1

Bob Welch first. Malcolm Clark claimed Fastest Time of the Day. Please go to our website and watch some of the videos taken by Sheila Laurence, edited by our Webmaster Bob Welch.

And a correction – Geoff Hirst was third in the short wheelbase class in September’s ‘Lockdown’ Autotest.

At the time of writing, we are unable to organise a New Year’s Day meeting and run, due to Covid Lockdown restrictions. If that changes in the interim, we will spread the word by email, website and jungle telegraph.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Roll-on 2021.

To this month’s pictures kindly submitted by Sheila Laurence and Charlie Blow:

Charlie Blow’s Virtual Driveway Concours winning MGA

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CENTRES MIDLANDS Brian Osborn Admin@mgccmidlandcentre.co.uk www.mgccmidlandcentre.co.uk Midland Centre Facebook: @ mgccmidlandcentre Covid has really cocked up our programme of events this year, with our Spring Sprint and Welsh Touring Rallye having to be cancelled or postponed and entries refunded which in itself was a big hassle.

Nevertheless, our teams are to be applauded for managing to put on two Covid-safe events – a practice sprint at Curborough in August jointly with Shenstone DCC and an Autumn Trial in September, which you no doubt have already read all about in last month’s Safety Fast!

We are currently tentatively putting dates to our proposed calendar for next year in the hopes that they will happen. These were noted in last month’s notes, but for reference they are as follows:- AGM January 18; Spring Trial March 28 (maybe); Spring Sprint April 11; Welsh Touring Rallye May 14-16; Regularity Run June 5; Summer Sprint August 1; Autumn Trial September 26. All of which are to be confirmed in our notes and/or website.

A few comments about our events that we organise primarily for you. As one of the Club’s largest geographical Centres, we currently have a membership of just over 1,200, of whom we are lucky if we see or hear from maybe 10%.

OK there will be some of you that we don’t know about who participate, help or attend the main Club’s events like race meetings, MGLive!, or their local Natter - of which we have lots, about 15. But what about the rest of you?

We run two Sprints a year at Curborough in which entries are predominantly from MG Cars and/or MGCC members, say 80%+, no doubt

helped by them being rounds of the MGCC Speed Championship. We used to hold two trials as well, in which the entries latterly were usually the other way round with 80% from invited non-members or non-MGs. Have our lot gone off getting their cars a bit muddy?

Our non-competitive Welsh Touring Rallye or Run is usually about 90% MGs and members, which is good because we like to use our voluntary efforts for the benefit of our members if we can.

So, if we look on the bright side and say that we get 50 sprinters, 50 Welsh, 15 marshals/ officials, and 5 triallers, that is about the 10%.

Question is – should we continue to organise events like trials for the benefit and continuation of grass roots motorsport? Some of us think so, otherwise we would have packed it in some time ago.

But to continue to do so we need assistance from more of our members. An example: for the recent Autumn Trial the Clerk of Course, Adrian Tucker-Peake, had to enlist the help of some nonmembers to set up the sections.

Whilst discussing the Autumn Trial, perhaps I could make a small correction to Tony’s report on it. The event that was not run was in 2000 when Burton Dassett was waterlogged and the landowner pulled the plug – so to speak.

At this time of the year our Welsh Rallye organising team of King, Hollingworth and I would normally be busy ‘organising’. Paul and Me on the suggested route and Roger on the Entries.

Roger, however, has or will be contacting all our refunded entrants from this year with details of the postponed event now in mid-May 2021. If you haven’t heard from him, let us know. Entries will open in January, Covid permitting.

Some of you are probably aware that we have a collection of trophies of which most are used for our competitive events. We also have awards for non-competitive efforts by members

Midget enjoying the 2020 Curborough Sprint. Photo: Stuart Wing www.mgcc.co.uk

– the PJ Evans or Abingdon-Abingdon Cup awarded a year in retrospect by the Chairman for services to the Centre that usually goes to a committee member. For the year 2019 that was awarded to Roger King who is now chairman.

The Wilf Hale Cup is an award by the committee also for services to the Centre but by a noncommittee member. For 2019 this went to Scott Munton for his previous duties in organising the camping at Silverstone MGLive!

Whatever – the committee wish you and yours a very Merry Xmas and a better New Year.

Midland Centre virtual AGM to be held on Monday January 18 2021 commencing at 8.00pm Agenda Welcome guests to meeting Apologies Minutes of previous AGM Matters arising from previous AGM minutes Approval of minutes Chairman’s report Secretary’s report Treasurer’s report Trials report Sprints report Chief Marshal’s report Any other business Election of centre officers Election of committee: Close of meeting If you wish to take part, please email the Secretary Paul Hollingworth paul_irene@ btinternet.com to be sent an invitation to the Zoom meeting. All nominations for election to committee and any other communications to the Secretary, email or by post at 92 Old Birmingham Road, Lickey End, Bromsgrove B60 1DG by January 3 2021.

Scott & Kerrie Munton enjoying a previous MGLive! Slalem course.

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 79

CENTRES NORTH WEST Paul Goodman 01625 876300 As 2020 ends, then it is time for the North West Centre Committee to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. As this is written it is impossible to predict what the festive season will be like, but there will still be presents and, hopefully, whatever you asked for to enhance your MG. The Committee has not met in person since February but planning for 2021 is taking place using proven electronic communications. The intention is to try to give members a wide range of social and competition events to choose from, even if restrictions of some type continue.

Speed events and race meetings have been held in the latter part of the year and Motorsport UK are to be congratulated for devising rules and regulations allowing these to take place.

Anglesey Circuit have informed us that we can use the circuit for our sprint weekend on May 1-2. The entry forms for the event will be issued early in January. The planned Scammonden Dam Hillclimb will be two weeks later on May 16. Both these events will be rounds of the MG Speed

SOUTH EAST Ray Ruffels and William Opie raywillmg@gmail.com www.mgccse.co.uk October was a busy month pre-lockdown, starting with the Autumn Naviscat organised by Alex and Joanna Lemon and Mike Chittenden. It was a select group of MG and IRC members that met at the Surrey Oaks pub near Newdigate. This was the first Naviscat with full Covid-19 compliance, so entrants were welcomed with sealed, quarantined instructions which contained an amazingly creative selection of 46 different types of object, all to be found with a map. After starting at 11.00am the 2.30pm deadline arrived all too soon, but all made it back in time to avoid penalty points!

The pre-arranged lunch was excellent and over coffees our hosts returned with the scores which were greatly varied. The winning team was James and Tom Campbell with 46 points and the best MG team, also second overall, was George Homewood and Rose Carr with 29 points. It was an excellent day, not spoilt by the swirling

80 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Championship, for which a calendar is beginning to take shape. The Cockshoot Cup Championship will be racing at all the major circuits with the June MGLive! and July Donington Park meetings being two of the highlights. The awards for 2020 were presented by “zoom” with surprise presentations being the BAR exhaust pipe to Dickon Siddall for his great photographs, the Bent Con Rod to Ian Whitt for pluck in the face of bad luck and the SPG given by Julie Butler (the previous winner) to Phil Rigby.

Socially, the only possible remaining event of the year is the Plough and Flail Christmas meal scheduled for December 15. We might be able to

hold this, although we will have to wait and see if pubs can reopen. Some clubs and organising companies have found ways of organising outdoor events, so there is a good chance that some of our favourites like Tatton Park and Lymm might be held in 2021. The Plough and Flail concours on June 15 will be our major gathering.

Finally, although the Centre was not able to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Club as planned, a small number of members assembled at Barton Airfield which is the same age as the Club. The intention is to use this easily accessible and friendly location for more gatherings in the future.

MGCC and Barton Airfield Are Both 90 Years Old. Photo: Laurie Kennard

presence of Storm Alex and all are keenly looking forward to the next Spring Naviscat in “Sunny Sussex” planned for March 28 2021!

Following the 90th Anniversary Main Club celebration at Gaydon on October 10, the Fairmile Natter organised an event at Brooklands the following day. Highlights included the appearance of a late Colin Reynolds Cream Cracker and demonstrating the cars to the paying public on the newly reinstated Start/Finish straight.

The MGCC 90th Anniversary was also celebrated on October 18 with two 40-mile car tours. One provided a circular route in Surrey and Sussex for 45 entrants starting and finishing at Kingsfold near Horsham, the other in East Kent running from Herne Bay to Birchington with 25 cars attending. The day was carefully arranged under the Guidance of Motorsport UK, to ensure full compliance with the Covid-19 requirements. Both runs were very successful and well supported, so thanks to John Bennett for arranging the East Run and David Griffiths for the West Run. For full details and results on all the above events go to www.mgccse.co.uk/ or see our Facebook pages.

The South East Centre AGM has been re-scheduled for Saturday January 30 2021 at 11.00am.

This will be an online meeting with the agenda, reports and committee proposals published before on the SE Centre website and in the January newsletter. Members need to register to attend this meeting in order to receive the Zoom invitation – contact austin.banner@gmail. com. We look forward to seeing many of you at the online AGM which will be a first for us.

We hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year.

Hamish and Gwen Cameron-Blackie with dog Hector setting off on the West Kent 90th Anniversary run. Photo: John Morgan

www.mgcc.co.uk

CENTRES SOUTH WEST Andrew Owst 01761 221893 andrewowst@hotmail.com www.mgccsw.com www.facebook.com/MGCCSW When the rota for South West Centre Safety Fast! notes was compiled, I had hoped by now that I may have some good news to look forward to next year. Instead the opposite is now the case, with another lockdown imminent at the time of writing but scheduled to end just after this edition of Safety Fast! is published. In the meantime, your committee will continue planning events for the spring and summer of 2021 in the hope that it will be possible to run them.

Despite all the Covid restrictions, to my knowledge there have never been any on the type of car we are allowed to use. I have tried to use the MGs as well as our Sunbeam Talbot 90 saloon as much as possible throughout the summer, even if trips to the local shop and the pharmacy have resulted in long detours. As Sue’s MGB GT is our only car with a towbar, it has seen a fair bit of use towing our trailer, collecting materials for all the

TYNE-TEES Tony Wood anthony@scrutonvillage.co.uk A couple of weeks ago I got a call from my near neighbour Peter Macey inviting me for coffee, with the ulterior motive of getting a second opinion on what to do with his YB which has been languishing in his garage for the last 30 years.

Coffee and scones duly consumed, I was amazed at how well the YB had stood the test of time, and in our conversation I was reminded that before Peter bought it in 1974 it had already passed through the hands of two Centre members, Maurice Standish and our then Secretary, Tony Palmer. This and an email from Brian Ireland pointing out that the MGA featured in last month’s photo from Beamish 2013 was his at the time and that he had bought it from Maurice who in turn had bought it from me to build as a race car. This he did, then sold it to Brian who put it back into road trim. If this is starting to sound a bit incestuous, the point of my meandering is that if you had a reputation as an old car fanatic you are often given information on the whereabouts

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jobs around the house and garden which we have carried out during lockdown. The photo shows the MGB with a load of garden waste on the way to the local recycling centre.

The other photo shows the MGB on our drive on the day of Don Hayter’s funeral.

Finally, with much sadness I report that Harold Sibley, a long serving member of the Centre, sadly passed away on October 11. Most Centre members will remember Harold for organising the Dorset weekend and being in charge of the start line at Wiscombe Hill Climb for many years along with his wife Margaret, to whom we extend our condolences.

of cars, and even if you were not likely to rebuild them yourself your network in the MGCC meant they would find a loving home somewhere.

Within Tyne Tees Centre at least three cars have moved from me to Maurice, and then on to other members, the most notable being an L type chassis which I found in an alley in Tynemouth which moved to Maurice who procured more parts before it moved on to our ace T Type racer Brian Sayers who had the all-important engine.

He finished the rebuild and some five years or so after discovery it saw the light of day as a beautiful two-seater which finally ended up with the Chief of Police in Brescia, Italy.

The late Bill Tonks was a veritable bloodhound at finding abandoned MGs, as were Duncan Johnson and Owen Frankland.

Even now, a fair number of cars move between Club members without ever coming onto the open market,

and in the same way as the earlier cars were preserved in the past Fs TFs and Zs are being saved for fellow enthusiasts.

Enough waffle. By the time you read this we will have held (hopefully successfully) our first Zoom event, a quiz night. We will be doing more online events going forward, check the ever-excellent Tyne Tees Tidings for details. Finally, Happy Christmas to one and all from the committee and a heartfelt plea from your scribe for anything to help fill this blessed column. Who would have thought I would feel nostalgic for event reports!

Maurice Standish’s NB on the Beamish Run in 1976. Photo: Richard Verrill

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 81

CENTRES YORKSHIRE Ken Cothliff kencothliff@hotmail.co.uk https://mgccyorkshire.co.uk Yet another month under lockdown, and all that entails, meant the Club activities were curtailed again. Most of the Natters had a local quiz, Mike Payne from North Natter organising one using distance between locations as a competition. South Natter had their quiz run by Geoff Norcliffe.

However, before everything closed down again several members of the South Natter took

the opportunity to head off to the British Motor Museum at Gaydon for the MGCC MG90 event to celebrate 90 years of existence. Kathryn, Mal and Denise (MG ZT-T), Geoff and Pauline (MG TF 115) and Cliff Hobbs (MG ZR 160) all had a great time taking in the exhibits and their history, as well as taking advantage of the local area. It was great to see as many MGB models as possible parked in the same area in respect to the great Don Hayter. Geoffrey Wilson, the oldest member of the Yorkshire Centre at 96 years old, just had a fall and broke his arm. However it did not stop him attending a local remembrance day service, and laying a wreath. Geoff, who still has his 1939 VA, was a Lancaster bomber pilot in WW2.

Photos this month include a selection of cars at Allerton Castle at the beginning of the Canada Run in 2018, Geoffrey Wilson and members of North Natter in the sand hills during one of their group days out to Merseyside, and a very old original MG with ‘bullnose’ radiator spotted at Houghton Mill in Cambridgeshire.

ULSTER

quality and have a turn-up which prevents the embroidery from irritating the skin. Each item of regalia is £8 + any post and packaging involved.

Collection and some close-by deliveries will be possible. Please place your orders with Carol by December 12 latest.

Carol Willis 07831 345560 www.mgcculstercentre.co.uk carol.mgulster@hotmail.co.uk Life has certainly been extremely different for us all over the past eight to nine months and I am sure Covid-19 will not end just for Christmas.

It will be very strange for many over the festive period, both those who have families and also those who live alone. In many ways we are fortunate to belong to this marvellous extended family known as The MG Car Club which is

82 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Have a very Happy Christmas from all in Yorkshire, and we hope to see you back on the road in 2021.

renowned worldwide for its friendship. I would encourage you to give one or two a call over the next month or so, it may well brighten up their day.

As far as motorsport is concerned, nobody knows what will happen during 2021. We have our ANICC Calendar confirmed but are still unable to make plans for competition, which is very frustrating for both organisers and competitors alike.

Christmas gift ideas: What about a personalised mug – we have two designs, see photos of both the Ulster Centre 50th Anniversary or the MGCC 90th Anniversary designs. Or how about our ever-popular smart navy, Ulster Centre beanies – they are good

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REGISTERS VINTAGE Rob Constant rob@littleabingdon.co.uk Welcome to December’s Vintage Register Notes.

Little could we have known that in preparing October’s slightly-brought-forward version of Doug Harris’s definitive ‘Buyers Guide to Vintage MGs’ that we would sadly say goodbye to our dear friend during the very same month.

We are all moved by Doug’s passing – one of life’s true gentlemen; kindly, helpful, considerate, thoughtful – in a ‘weighing things up’ sort of way – he will be very much missed. Elsewhere in these pages our Club President has written a most fitting tribute to this respected Vintage MG enthusiast. We all send our condolences and kindest wishes to Margaret, their two daughters, and their family.

Looking back, there have been some wonderful owners of the Vintage cars, all contributing to the history and ‘colour’ of the story which tracks the survival and enjoyment of the earliest MGs. In doing so, it focuses the mind on what is important, of course. The people and the cars. But in that order. Doug we are sure, as

TRIPLE M CATHELIJNE SPOELSTRA +31 (0)6 41216600 cathelijnespoelstra@outlook.com www.triple-mregister.org A while back, this automotive journalist friend of mine, Peter E., bought a bunch of boxes of newspaper clippings and press cuttings at a local village fête. With Covid-19 restrictions in place, he finally got round to going through them the other day and to my surprise he sent me a couple of press photographs of my Grandad in his official capacity of Minister for Culture and Arts for our government in about 1965. That’s all lovely and all, I can hear you think, but what does that have to do with MGs, let alone with Triple-Ms?!

Patience, dear, patience! Next came a bunch of gorgeous photographs of a little boy and his Tri-Ang lorry-on-a-string admiring the brand new MGA Coupe being presented at the 1961 Dutch Motor Show at the RAI in Amsterdam. Seriously, if only I were Scribe for the MGA Register right now! Sorry, I seem to be digressing again… So, drumroll, please! He then sent me this picture!

would our other predecessors, have wished us to continue to enjoy and focus on the friendships we all have, sharing in the experience of owning and enjoying these elegant machines.

With this in mind, and looking to our future, it is heartening to report that the Vintage Register Facebook Group has now crested the 100-member mark as a growing network of owners, ex-owners, friends and other admirers of the 14/28, 14/40, 18/80 and 18/100 MGs. And, when all this

Covid business is at last over, we look forward to resuming our hobby with a new relish!

With this being the December issue, after what has been a tumultuous year for so many of us, it leaves me only to wish you all a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas and to look forward to what we all hope will be a much better 2021…

This month’s photo could only be of a certain beautiful MG 18/80 Mk. I Fabric Saloon – UU 2506 – with the late owner. A life well lived.

How cool is that?! Now I’m not too familiar with old-time piccies of K3s, so I’m not sure if it’s a well-known one or not; apologies if it is. On the back, in a lovely and neat 1950s hand, it said it was ‘Andy Brown au volant K3030 in 1953’. Peter added they were clearly pouring in some ‘go juice’ which I thought was a nice phrase. Anyway, a quick skim through the Hawke History showed the event to be the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne, in which Andy came home third. K3030 is of course the car made famous by ‘B. Bira’, nom de course of Prince Birabongse of Siam.

After a very active year racing at Brooklands and Donington with Bira, it was shipped off to Australia in 1936 where it’s resided ever since. Current Aussie

owner John Gillett has been stabling it at the Brooklands Museum for the past few winters so he can race and hill climb it in England and continental Europe in summer. When there’s travelling and events to be had again, that is … More patience required, methinks! Until such time, dear people, Happy Christmas and stay safe and sane!

Photo: Peter E Collection 84 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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REGISTERS in 2019. At the time of writing they are due to be included in the November auction at the same guideline price, although it now seems that some Paul Campbell parts have been sold separately, so both are svw.safety.fast@gmail.com incomplete. It’s a pity they ended up in a general www.svwregister.co.uk auction rather than seeking the advice and assistance of the SVW Register.

Two MG SA Saloons (one early and one late Mike Benton contacted me recently to say model) were at the Mathewsons auction in he’d sold VA Tourer 1607, affectionately known October, but failed to reach the estimated as Sabrina, owing to moving home from Dorset £10,000 each. Both required full restoration, to Sussex. The new owner resides on the Devon/ as can be seen from the photos taken from the Cornwall border. Before selling it, Mike and his auction website. The long-term owner sadly died wife embarked on a 700-mile trip around Wales without a single hiccup. Mike says “she was a bit of a handful around the small and twisty lanes, but whizzed along the M4 and M5”. Mike hopes to buy another MG, possibly a VA again, when settled in their new home.

As part of the Mrs B and Sabrina at the Elan Valley Reservoir Wales in September.

90th anniversary of Photo: Mike Benton

SVW

T TYPE Paul Plummer 01926 854574 scribe@tregister.org As I write this piece in November, the whole country is locked down again and by the time you read this it will be early December, and who knows what the situation will be then?

At least we had an event to attend last month with the 90th anniversary celebrations which took place at the BMM Gaydon, which has been reported upon in last month’s magazine.

The current prognosis for more events in the near future looks pretty bleak.

Following the successful virtual committee meeting in October, our next meeting is scheduled to take place on Sunday January 3 2021.

With Christmas approaching, I would encourage you to visit the T Register Shop.

Go to www.mgcc.co.uk/t-register then click on the T Register Shop, where you will find loads of goodies that your nearest and dearest might like to buy you for

www.mgcc.co.uk

the upcoming season, whilst at the same time bolstering the Register’s funds.

Whilst in my local newsagent I spotted a magazine entitled Cotswold Life, the front cover of which showed the rear view of a black TF.

The MG Car Club, there was a photo competition that attracted 700 entries. The SVW range was very well represented by the following: VA Tickford (Richard Colston); VA Tourer (Peter Freeman); VA Tourer (John Scott – two photos); WA Tickford (John Dutton – 2 photos); VA Saloon (Brian Deacon); SA Tickford (Andrew Pearce) and WA Tickford (Simon Hopkins).

Two SA Saloons at Auction. Photo: Mathewsons

The car is registered ASB 380, which is a 1500 and known to the Register, with chassis No TF8532, built on December 22 1954. If the owner reads this piece, perhaps he would like to contact me at the above address.

Whilst we are all locked down, I would like to cheer you up by sharing this colourful and zany picture of Barbie doll piloting a flower power Rocker Box Racer at the Australian National Meeting, which took place in Adelaide in 2010.

In the meantime, stay safe and keep on fettling!

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 85

REGISTERS MAGNETTE Stephen Tickell 01737 760330 stephen.tickell@gmail.com www.magnette.org We held a committee meeting and a brief Register AGM by Zoom on October 24.

Chairman Paul Batho and current committee members are all continuing in post, apart from Clive Webb who retires as Secretary after eight years in the role and a number of years before that as Safety Fast! scribe. We’re very grateful to Clive for his excellent minutes, for generally keeping us in order, and all his efforts on our behalf. You’ll be glad to hear that he’ll still be around at Register events and involved in other ways.

Rosemary Jones has agreed to continue as Treasurer but as mentioned previously would like to hand over the reins when a replacement can be found. Please do consider if you could take on either this job or that of secretary – I should add that it would also be great to have new committee members joining ‘ without portfolio’.

MGA Edward Vandyk 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk The MGA Register Committee extends the Season’s Greetings to all Register members and looks forward to renewed MGAing in 2021.

Register members with keen memories may recall that apart from the change of year the above replicates what I said in December 2019’s issue of Safety Fast! What a difference a year makes and renewed MGAing must be our fervent desire – here’s hoping.

Despite lockdown, the Register’s online shop is open for business. The last date to process orders for Christmas delivery is December 20 to UK addresses and 13th for overseas.

I appealed for MGA wedding stories and photographs and they continue to arrive; thank you and please keep it up. I hope to do a feature next year in one of our larger spreads. However, I could not resist sharing with you the photograph from Alan Dobson, taken at his step-daughter’s wedding. Stephanie’s significant veil, which I am going to designate as being 17 1/2 feet long as

86 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

Database updates The steady stream of new additions and updates to our records this year has continued, with well over 1,000 cars now in the website gallery and more than 2,000 in the database (although both include a number since scrapped). Many thanks if you’ve recently registered your Magnette or notified us of an ownership change, and if you still haven’t, it’s never too late!

One ZA with a particularly interesting history has been acquired

by Ray Holtzapple in Houston, Texas.

Originally owned in California by Kjell Qvale, a Norwegianborn importer of MG, Jaguar and Healey cars (who was later the major shareholder in Jensen-Healey) it was sold to the Pillsbury baking

it grew in the course of my correspondence with Alan, had, of course, to accompany her in the MGA. Here is Mum achieving the near-impossible.

Alan bought the 1600 MkII Roadster in 2011, prior to which it underwent a body off restoration completed in about 2003. It was first registered in East Sussex on August 18 1962, making it according to Club records the second-to-last MGA to be registered in the UK and still on the road today.

Alan’s stewardship of the MGA hasn’t always been without incident! As he tells it: “In 2013 Christine and I were travelling back along a dark and rain-swept section of the M25 after a day at the Goodwood Revival, only to be shunted from behind by an Eddie Stobart lorry who had failed to see the car in the inside lane. That put us in a spin and we came to rest in the outside lane facing the way we had come. Miraculously, we were not hit by other traffic and whilst we both sustained minor injuries the MGA came off reasonably well, considering.” Standing in the fast lane dressed in his 1940s attire in the pouring rain awaiting the emergency services isn’t an experience Alan says he would want to repeat anytime soon.

family and then passed to their gardener.

Eventually it resurfaced in Colorado, where it had spent 30 years more or less abandoned in the desert until found by Carl Goodwin from Ohio. Ray now has the car stripped down for restoration and installation of ‘a large V8 engine’, so it will certainly be interesting to see the finished result.

Kjell Qvale ZA being restored by Ray Holtzapple

Alan first started using the MGA for weddings back in 2013, when on that occasion it took his step-daughter Charlotte and her husband Chris from the church to the reception. It was again called into service for the marriage of his son Alexander to his wife Ally, and most recently for Stephanie’s wedding.

Alan believes it is unlikely to be the end of the car’s use as a wedding car and he sees many years ahead, as successive generations seek to enjoy what arguably has to be one of the most beautiful roadsters on the road today. Your Scribe agrees.

www.mgcc.co.uk

REGISTERS

Did you manage to get to the MGCC 90 social event in October at the British Motor Museum?

Unfortunately, the Register was not able to put on a display or stand at this event but your scribe was in attendance during part of the day. It was good to catch up and pleasing to see so many cars in attendance, despite the Covid-19 situation preventing the usual type of event put on by the Club, but the BMM is full of very interesting and historic exhibits with many MGs, including

famous record breakers. Maybe it was the time that I attended, but it was a pity there weren’t more Midgets in attendance. Hopefully, next year when we celebrate 60 years of the Midget, more of our cars will be seen out and about as more normal events take place.

Have you been listening to the MGCC Podcasts? A hearty ‘well done!’ must go to Wayne and Adam for putting on very entertaining and professionally produced shows. I was up on some of the ones I had missed recently and in Podcast number 15 of July 18, MGCC Director Lorraine Noble-Thompson gave some details of her MG collection, including a unique WSM Midget. Well worth a listen to.

Look out for a feature on this very interesting car and how it came about in Safety Fast! in the New Year!

Have a Very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year and we hope to see as many of you as we can in a return to normal MG activities in 2021!

We have had an overwhelming response to the request for photos for the MGC calendar and have not been able to thank everyone personally, so thank you if you have submitted pictures to us.

The selection has been made, preparations are now underway to go to print and all being well should be available from early to mid-December.

The cost is £9.99 + p&p. For those of you who frequent the C Register site on Facebook, keep an eye open to know when we have stock.

Choosing twelve pictures has been extremely difficult in light of the very high standard of entries, so sorry if yours isn’t included, but watch

Safety Fast! during 2021 and we will try to use some of your photos throughout the year.

A quick update on Register events for next year. It will not come as a surprise to anyone with the crisis is still in a state of flux that it is impossible to make plans for next year’s events. The Cuckoo Fair/Downton Engineering Works event next May is definitely cancelled.

Whether we can eventually get some sort of event staged for MGC Day 2021 remains to be seen.

Fingers crossed.

Happy C Motoring.

Colin Howes

MIDGET Chris Hale c.hale1962@btinternet.com www.midgetregister.com With Christmas only a few weeks away, now is the time to order your Midget Register Regalia. We have set up a partnership with ACE Embroidery to make available a range of clothing, including teeshirts, jackets, sweatshirts, fleeces and caps, etc, in a variety of colours all with the Register logo.

Orders can be made at https://mgmr.ace-online. co.uk/catalogue. They will make ideal Christmas gifts for your loved ones, or you! Prices on the website include VAT.

MGC Mike Haughton mgc_mike@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/mgc-register/ It was wonderful to see so many Cs at the 90th Anniversary at Gaydon in early October, considering the exceptional circumstances. The C Register was very well represented and thank you to all C owners who brought your cars along, braved the weather and came up to the stand to say hello.

Nicely presented roadster at the 90th gathering

www.mgcc.co.uk

Keeping the balance, a John Chatham Works spec GT

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 87

REGISTERS MGB David Broadhurst 01209 614704 newsletter-editor@mgb-register.org www.mgb-register.org I am opening this newsletter with the exact same sentence that I used in May; there is a sense of deja vu about this. Everybody holed up with a suitable supply of Speckled Hen and getting under management’s feet when not polishing the MGB and muttering darkly to yourselves, eh? I know the feeling. Having cancelled the AGM, scheduled for March 22, it finally happened on October 24 using Zoom. Highly successful with participants from far-flung corners of the colonies. I was not able to attend as my wife and I had a novel invitation – to a drive-thru flu jab, no less! Wonderfully organised by our medical practice in the middle of

an enormous field. Together with a test for Covid, negative thankfully, I am now properly set up for an isolated Christmas with my wife, daughter and our dogs.

We are all dreadfully saddened by the death of Don Hayter. He has been, and will continue to be, so well regarded as an outstanding creative automobile engineer. Several members, with their

MGBs, helped form the cortege accompanying him on his final journey and we have had an appreciative and appreciated letter from Mary, his widow. When you drive your MGB think occasionally of its creator and enjoy it!

All I have to say now is have a Merry, but safe, Christmas and maybe have a look at the delights on our Register items for sale advert.

A few of the MGBs that accompanied Don on his final journey. Photo: John Lakey

MGF Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org In December we normally look back at the great things we have done as a Register during the year.

Well, clearly, this year has been like no other and most of our activities have been on the internet and not in the cars. That does mean we have been doing some tinkering. We’ve set up an MGF Register YouTube channel where we have posted up some archive MGF Register event videos and some Rover Group press videos relating to the MGF. You’ll find the video for the 200HPD project on there, see last month’s Safety Fast! for the article by Adrian Tucker-Peake to go with it.

You can also find it on our website which is also undergoing a slow makeover at the moment, with added features appearing all the time – you’ll find that at www.mgfregister.org if you haven’t found it already.

We have to look back a long way this year to find something we did do – we were at Stoneleigh in February, looking forward to

88 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

MGF25 in the summer and then the Chairman’s weekend in Somerset before a new Kimber House open day…didn’t happen. Our first new event fell by the wayside and we thought, never mind, we’ll postpone it until May! Well here we are in another lockdown and there is still a good deal of uncertainty, but there may be some light at the end of the tunnel which could get us back to a semblance of normality once again.

It has been a time to reflect and take stock of the Register, and in this issue of Safety Fast! you’ll find a lightning run-through of 25 years of the MGF Register as we look forward to a new era beginning in 2021. To that end we are emailing a survey out to Members to find out what you think of the Club and how we can improve the member experience for you.

We have some vacancies on the committee and an online AGM coming up in January, should you wish to be a part of the future with the MGF Register. We are particularly looking for someone to help with a new team dealing with the important subject of our IT, in particular WordPress experience.

We also want to reach out to more members through our system of regions, and if there is nothing in your area then why not get in touch and start one up? The Register offers support, advice and security for anyone organising events under the auspices of the Club and you will, of course, be part of the MG Car Club itself.

Back to the 200HPD article, it is amazing how MG Rover were pushing at the forefront of hybrid and electric power all those years ago but sadly, the demise of the company put paid to any further development. You can read the second part of Adrian’s story, The VERVe project, in the current edition of our Register magazine FasTForward, which can be ordered from our online shop. It’s gratifying to see that MG have now fully embraced fully electric and hybrid technology, but wouldn’t it have been great to have had the first hybrid MG TF sports car in production all those years ago?

We sigh for missed opportunities, and there have been plenty of those this year, but as Christmas approaches we wish you all well and hope you can make the best of the festive season and I am sure we will all be looking forward to a much brighter New Year.

www.mgcc.co.uk

Season’s Greetings from the

MGB Register

Treat yourself to some of our MGB Regalia Here is a small selection to choose from

Visit www.mgb-register.org for our eShop or telephone 07555 044 528

REGISTERS ZR/ZS/ZT JOHN THOMPSON 01702 298866 johnt5@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/zedregister As I write these notes for our last register update of this year, we have just entered our second lockdown. We hope some sort of normality will be able to return in the new year and we can get out and about in our Zeds more. As previously

mentioned, we are still planning our events calendar as normal for next year. At this stage this is all we can do. Hopefully our own events, and events we have been invited to, will be able to go ahead on their advertised dates. We will release our provisional events calendar next month in our four-page newsletter together with our plans for our anniversary year.

Thank you to everyone who has been in contact with me in recent weeks with their stories and pictures of the work taking place on their Zeds. The depth of work and restoration

being undertaken on some Zeds is incredible. It’s heartening to see our ‘Save Our Zeds’ campaign forging ahead despite our current circumstances.

Those of you with an eye for social media will have seen that the Register now has its own Instagram and Twitter accounts. Please follow us at www.instagram.com/thezedregister or https:// twitter.com/thezedregister for the latest pictures, projects and information.

We would like to thank you all for continuing to support the Register during this unusual time, and wish you all a very safe and Merry Christmas.

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90 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

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STEVE McKIE SPORTSCARS CHESTERFIELD

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DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 91

CLASSIFIEDS How to Advertise

Members can advertise their cars free of charge in Safety Fast! The cost for non members is £20. The advert will also be posted on the Club website in due course. To place an advert in Safety Fast! please email colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with an attached photo of your car, details of your car, your contact details, price of your car, area where you live and membership number. Please keep your advert to 70 words, the editor reserves the right to edit longer adverts.

This is for one insertion only, for additional insertions please email Colin at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk

MG TD 1952

Matching numbers (verified by MGCC) Imported by myself from California, NO rust or rot , rewired, 5 new tyres. Drives very well ( except noisy 2nd gear ) has original hood frame, side screens and jack. Superb patina, enjoy as is or restore V5 in my name, and have all USA documentation. For more information please call Andy on 07709 819033 or Email ANDREWKCOX@aol.com. £13,950 ono.

Delivery possible world wide.

1980 MGBGT

Acquired 14.09.1996. Reconditioned unleaded engine and clutch fitted 06.01.00 (97317) current mileage 410. SS exhaust GAZ rear damper kit. Complete set (5) new tyres approximately 300 miles.

Complete interior replaced, new foam seat padding with leather on front seats and imitation on rear, new carpet through out. Just had MOT as with all MOTs any issues have been dealt with, by local garage (LMG). Garaged since first acquired. Reason for sale due health issues.

Price £5500.00, contact Richard, Mobile 07759 640027 (Dartford Kent)

2005 MG ZT 190

This ZED is worth saving. Registered Jan 2005 just 3 months before production ceased. Favoured powerful V6 2.5 litre facelift model, genuine 69916 mileage.

Owned 5 years, dry garaged, occasional use only with intention of keeping but also have 1958 Magnette and can’t keep both. Very smart, good condition, runs beautifully, good handling, great colour (Ignition Blue). Good history file, new timing belt 2000 miles, lower coolant rail, battery, engine mount, oil & filters service. MOT January. Priced to sell £2750, Mob 07801-434603, Email malcolmralph@hotmail.com.

(Cambridgeshire)

1954 MG TF 1500

Believed to be the oldest surviving 1500 (car number 6505) as featured in Safety Fast articles ‘Bringing Home Neville’. The car was repatriated from Nevada and is still in left hand drive configuration. It has undergone a thorough re-commissioning including a bare metal respray in two pack BRG. The car comes with a full tool kit, Heritage Certificate, manuals and new tyres. £33K Contact Dean on 01462 677112 (Hitchin)

MG TD 1952

Matching numbers (verified by MGCC) Imported by myself from California, NO rust or rot, rewired, 5 new tyres. Drives very well (except noisy 2nd gear) has original hood frame side screens and jack.

Superb patina, enjoy as is or restore. V5 in my name have all USA documentation. £13,950 ono. Tel: Andy 07709 819033, or Email: ANDREWKCOX@aol.com.

Delivery possible world wide.

Please note that the Advertising deadline is December 4th for the January issue of Safety Fast!

92 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

A GW M UR YO

r e rm

Fo

M.O.T 07.07.2021-no advisories. Colour Silver. The clutch sometimes slips. £750.00. Tel: 07752608680 Email terrenceward1@btinternet.com (Worcestershire area)

1954 MG TF

RHD converted European Export Model.

Red with black trim. Mechanical/ Electrical restoration, Engine rebuild, clutch, steering, brakes, wiring, radiator re-core, SS exhaust, hood & side screens new, wire wheels powder coated, 5 new Vredestein tyres & tubes. Speedo recalibrated to MPH. Matching numbers engine & chassis. Body rust free, paint older respray but still good. Car runs really well. £23,750 negotiable. Tel. 01642 701072.

Email: phil_otterburn@yahoo.com (North Yorkshire)

1959 A/H Frog Eye Sprite

Complete car barn-find for spares or complete restoration engine turns by hand engine gearbox rear axle all instruments switches / electrics all in place. info photos Offers tel 07803847625. Or Email: p.k.grant1929@gmail.com

ry o l G BY

01844 281700

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MGOC Recommended Dealer 40 MGs in Stock Best Prices paid with friendly advice. Est 1986 Fast payment and collection

Colne Classics

1955 MG TF 1500

Black, red Connolly leather. New stainless wires ( tubeless). Cream hood and side screens. Full tonneau. All matching numbers for engine and car. Gearbox recent rebuild with new clutch. MGA 4.3 rear axle ratio. Stainless exhaust. More photos available. £26,000. Contact Douglas Email: darthur984@btinternet.com or tel: 07785513929. (Stirlingshire)

RPX 1.8 Bodykit Conversion fitted. Registered January 2005. Rebuilt engine (MJS Marine) and MOT passed 26/06/2020.

SS Exhaust, ITG Maxagon air filter and induction kit. Monza Black Alloy wheels.

Full red leather tonneau included. Bluetooth DAB stereo. Removable hard top and detachable sunroof in carbon wrap.

Mileage 65000. Full Swedish Military underseal – no rust. Full provenance in Kit Car Magazine, comes with the car. £3500 ono. Call Dave on 07984 272 534.

(High Wycombe)

ED NT

1967 MG Midget

Abandoned Project. Fitted with 998cc engine. Original Log Book with the vehicle This project is now a kit of parts (all of them there) Two sets of wheels, one set Discs and one set Wire. All appropriate fittings. £500. Can deliver locally Contact Gordon Stanley on 07767454866 or 01483 487546. (Surrey)

MG TF 160 Spark

2004 MGTF 1600cc

MG Power Steering and restoration specialists

1970 MGB GT

Current MOT. Good Tourer. Recent engine and body restoration, gas flowed unleaded head, S/S Twin Branch Exhaust. Fast Road Cam, Anti-roll Bar, Servo Brakes, 4 speed with Overdrive, Electronic Ignition, New carpets, walnut dash and bespoke leather seats. £7,250. Tel: 07942 448868 or 0117 239 5028.

Email: tonyblake38@hotmail.com (Bristol)

View the website on www.colneclassics.com B1 Seaden Court, Gorse Lane Ind Est, Clacton, Essex.

01255 432693, 07714 675319 www.mgcc.co.uk

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1933 J2 Specification.

A totally totallyrestored restored mint J type MGMG to J4toto specifi cation with Phoenix crank, crank, Corello MG J2J4 to to J4J4Specifi cation. restoredmint mintcondition condition JJ type J4J4specifi cation with Phoenix 19331933 MG J2 MG to Specifi cation.

AA totally condition type MG specifi cation with Phoenix crank, rods rods &&Cosworth pistons.

Nose mounted ArnottArnott s/charger, full J4 dash 6” rev. counter, switch bank, dashlamps, etc; Corello & Cosworth pistons.

Nose mounted Arnotts/charger, s/charger, full with J4 with 6”6”rev. counter, switch bank, Corello rods Cosworth pistons.

Nose mounted J4 dash dash with rev. counter, switch bank, . full Full Brooklands exhaust; bucketexhaust; seats in bucket grey leather toincompliment thetosuperb Oceanthe bluesuperb coachwork, & blue a fullcoachwork, set of black dashlamps, etc; Full Brooklands seats grey leather compliment Ocean dashlamps, etc; Fullweather Brooklands exhaust; bucketopportunity seats in grey leather to rare compliment the superb Ocean blue coachwork, double-duck equipment.

A wonderful to obtain a very MG................£69,950 & aset fullofsetblack of black double-duck weather equipment.AAwonderful wonderful opportunity to a avery MG................£69,950 NOW REDUCED...£42,500...Just view it & a full double-duck weather equipment. opportunity toobtain obtain veryrare rare MG................£69,950

Estd.1968

SENSIBLE OFFER SECURES

WE HAVE SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOR ALL PRE-WAR MGs – BOTH NEW & USED 1932 MG J2 FOR Visit www.barrywalker.com or phone or email COMPLETION

Estd.1968

NOW REDUCED...£42,500...Just view itview it NOW REDUCED...£42,500...Just

Almost complete. Fully

ARE SOME RARE & DIFFICULT PARTS NOT OFTEN AVAILABLE WE HAVE SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FORHERE ALL PRE-WAR MGs MGs – BOTH NEWNEW & USED WE HAVE SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOR ALL PRE-WAR – BOTH &restored USED rolling chassis.

Complete J2 eng. & box.

VisitVisit www.barrywalker.com or phone or email www.barrywalker.com or phone or email * P Series cyl. block...excellent...............................................................£850 Radiator & shell, new head...excellent..............................................................£950 HERE AREARE SOME RARE DIFFICULT PARTS NOTNOT OFTEN AVAILABLE * P&Series HERE SOME RARE &cyl.DIFFICULT PARTS OFTEN AVAILABLE firewall, new dashboard * Set of 12” cable brakes...per corner.....................................................£250 (no gauges), old seats, NOW REDUCED...£42,500...Just view it Set of orig. J/F/D cable brakes...whole car...........................................£650 plus v. good wheels, new * P Series cyl. block...excellent...............................................................£850 P Series cyl. block...excellent...............................................................£850 * * WE HAVE SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOR ALL PRE-WAR MGs – BOTH NEW & USED 4-star steel J/L/P/N differential.................................................£975 tyres and brand new * V. rare cyl. head...excellent..............................................................£950 cyl. head...excellent..............................................................£950 * P Series NOW REDUCED...£42,500...Just view it *theP Series 2-seatROAD body,WHEELS.................................................... cycle wings, Visit www.barrywalker.com or phone or email * V. rare MG ‘M’ 9:44 REBUILT diff........................................................£850 BARNcorner.....................................................£250 FIND JUST ARRIVED. 1932 6 cyl F. Magna. Can be built as the original open 4-seat tourer Setorof 12” cable brakes...per Set of 12” cable brakes...per corner.....................................................£250 valences by Gilbert. * *F engine rare J2DIFFICULT windscreen...£650..........................................P type..........................£550 1933 MGARE J2. Dismantled many years ago SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOROFTEN ALL PRE-WAR MGs – BOTH NEW & USED * V.WE HERE SOME RARE &HAVE PARTS NOT AVAILABLE v.handsome 2-seater. It also comes with your dream choice of a rebuilt Set of orig.

J/F/D cable brakes...whole car...........................................£650 This is the defi nition of Set of orig.

J/F/D cable brakes...whole car...........................................£650 * V. rare D/F1 dash panel, complete...totally rebuilt as new......................£950 but all major components are original and * V. Visit www.barrywalker.com or phone or email a bargain!...... £18,950 * or the more than desirable N engine. Both fit the v. rare ENV g’box included.

V. Prare steel J/L/P/N differential.................................................£975 V.4-star rare steelpresent………….

J/L/P/N differential.................................................£975 £12,500 (library photo) HERE ARE cyl.4-star good bodywork. Price dependent on your engine choice....£20,000* guide.

This car isblock...excellent...............................................................£850 *Series SO,SOSOME MUCH RARE MORE TO IF YOU CALL IN NOT OFTEN & SEE DIFFICULT PARTS AVAILABLE *V. rare delivered UK. ROAD WHEELS....................................................................£50 each each ‘M’ 9:44 diff........................................................£850 ROAD WHEELS....................................................................£50 V.MG rare MG ‘M’REBUILT 9:44 REBUILT diff........................................................£850 virtually complete. No screen. It truly is a bargain and needs to be* viewed, will make cyl. head...excellent..............................................................£950 * P*Series ALL PRICES PLUS CARRIAGE & VAT OR CALL IN FOR BETTER BARGAINS ON PRICE SHIPPING ARRANGED F OR AL Lwith WE OF ER, WE HAVE SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOR ALL PRE-WAR MGs – –BOTH NEW &&USED a very valuable if built asMGs the 2-seat Magna N engine.

V.*F rare J2 windscreen...£650..........................................P type..........................£550 cyl. block...excellent...............................................................£850 Set V. of rare 12” cable brakes...per corner.....................................................£250 J2 windscreen...£650..........................................P type..........................£550 E SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOR ALL car PRE-WAR – BOTH NEW &CARS USED * P Series * Complete WE HAVE SPARES, SPARES, SPARES FOR ALL PRE-WAR MGs BOTH NEW USED * NEW 12” cable brake sets now coming on stream, available as full sets or pairs. *or 8:43; 8:41; 8:39 new crown wheel & piston sets to suit 2 or 4 star diff. units.............the v P Series head...excellent..............................................................£950 Set V. of orig.

J/F/D cable brakes...whole car...........................................£650 Visit www.barrywalker.com phone or brand email HASSL E ** FV.*Frare * back D/F1 dash panel, complete...totally rebuilt as cyl. new......................£950 Visit www.barrywalker.com or phone W orITHOUT D/F1 dash panel, complete...totally rebuilt asSPA new......................£950 www.barrywalker.com or phone orLAMPS...HEAD/TAIL/SIDE S SHIPPING H I P P I N G ARRANGED ARRANG Eemail D FALL O RCARS A L L WE C AOFFER, R S W EWITHOUT O E*Rrare , rare Wdifferential.................................................£975 E HMMM AVE SPA ES, R ES, SPA R ES FOR* LUCAS A LL PR E-WA Remail M Gs – B OTH NforEW & US D 12” cableVisit brakes...per corner.....................................................£250 ORIGINAL all early MGEmodels...all totally restored, out shelf FULLYsteel restored & rebuilt & TA/B/C DYNAMOS & STARTER MOTORS, HASSLE V. 4-star J/L/P/N * Set ofR * Off* the ARE SOME RARE & DIFFICULT PARTS NOT FOR OFTEN AVAILABLE SO,SO MUCH MORE TO SEE IF YOU CALL IN brakes...whole Set of orig.

J/F/D cable car...........................................£650 SO,SO MUCH MORE TO SEE IF YOU CALL IN Visit www.barrywalker.com or phone or email W I TH O U T H A S S L E ROAD WHEELS....................................................................£50 * * INSTRUMENTS we carry one of the largest ‘off the shelf’ stock each of early MG gauges, OUTRIGHT OR EXCHANGE (2BRUSH MMM also available).

V. rare MG ‘M’ 9:44 REBUILT diff........................................................£850 * V. rare 4-star steel J/L/P/N differential.................................................£975 *Spares rare J2 TYPE windscreen...£650..........................................P type..........................£550 MMM/TABC Spares 160 REAR VIEW MIRRORS FOR ALL MGs FROM 1930OR - 1950 types,BETTER any model, outright orON exchange.

ALL PRICES PLUS CARRIAGE & VAT CALL IN FOR BETTER BARGAINS PRICE ..............................................................£850 MMM/TABC * P Series rad shell with nose… really excellent condition...............................£650 ALL PRICES PLUS VAT OR CALL INallFOR BARGAINS ON PRICE * V.LUCAS * NEW ROAD WHEELS....................................................................£50 each rare&J2 windscreen… £650...............P type .................................................£550 V. rare CARRIAGE MG ‘M’ 9:44V. REBUILT diff........................................................£850 * of V.‘King-of-the-Road’ rare D/F1 dash panel, complete...totally rebuilt as new......................£950 * J Series rad shell with nose… really excellent condition ...............................£650 with medallion....................................available with RH & LH arms.

- factory specification TOOL KITS...NO REPROS. All original, all correct, all MMM & ..............................................................£950 Send for a full allofJ2allwindscreen...£650..........................................P * available Send for8:43; alisting full 8:41; listing * Remember Complete J2 engine, fully restored, not assembled ................................£7,500 V. rare NEW 12” cable sets now back on stream, as full as sets orsets pairs.

8:39 brand new crown wheel & piston sets tosets suitbut 4 2star units.............the very best *8:43; NEW 12” brake cable setscoming now coming back onWe stream, available fullMUCH or pairs.

8:41; 8:39 brand new crown wheel &type..........................£550 piston to2 -or suit or 4diff. star diff. units.............the veryavailable. best available. * Other rad shells, poorer but brake cheaper. * Complete * corner.....................................................£250 MMM/TABC Spares * Complete * can now offer original large button/parallel sided MMM horn button dip switches Remember we carry off the shelf, both NOSE-MOUNTED & SIDE MOUNTED SO,SO MORE TO SEE IF YOU CALL IN Another, also complete, J2 engine, but unrestored ......................................£5,500 parts available or send us V. rare D/F1 dash panel, complete...totally rebuilt as new......................£950 * & STARTER MOTORS, parts*available * early MG models...all totally restored, outright or exchange. send us * Set orig.FULLY J/F/Drestored cable brakes… ..................................................£650 LUCAS*orORIGINAL LAMPS...HEAD/TAIL/SIDE for all Off the of shelf & rebuiltwhole MMM car & TA/B/C DYNAMOS s...whole car...........................................£650

* LUCAS ORIGINAL LAMPS...HEAD/TAIL/SIDE for all early MG models...all totally restored, outright or exchange. * * * Tel: 01789 400181 Mob: 07836 24410 * * * horn button dip switches can original large button/parallel sidedFOR MMM Remember -any we model, carry theoff shelf, NOSE-MOUNTED & ofSIDE MOUNTED canoffer now offer160 original large button/parallel sided MMM dip- (2switches Remember - we off carry the shelf, both NOSE-MOUNTED SIDE‘offMOUNTED *both INSTRUMENTS - we carry one the&largest the Email: shelf’ stockbarry@barrywalker.com of early MG gauges, OUTRIGHT OR button EXCHANGE BRUSH MMM also*available).

ORE TO SEE IF YOU CALL IN* We LUCAS TYPE REAR VIEW MIRRORS ALL MGshorn FROM 1930 1950 all *types, outright or exchange. * Wenow Web: www.barrywal * NEW .....for very best vintage MGs.....

NEW LUCAS TYPE 160 REAR VIEW MIRRORS FORthe ALL MGs FROM 1930 -in 1950 all types, any model, outright or exchange. *

* Off the shelf FULLY restored & rebuilt MMM & TA/B/C DYNAMOS & STARTER MOTORS,

set ofCALL restored gauges, plates, switches in black or brown with chrome plinth..............long overdue.........................................£96.50 each. supercharger installations for ....................................£950 all pre-T models.

Send a full listing of all SO,SOComplete yourfor ‘wants’ list.

ALL PRICES PLUS CARRIAGE & VAT IN PA FOR BARGAINS ON PRICE MUCH MOREOR TO SEE IF YOU IN BETTER your ‘wants’ list. * TA/B.C fully 8:39(2high rationMMM differential .......................................£1,250 fferential.................................................£975 INSTRUMENTS - we carry one the largest ‘offCALL the‘off shelf’ of earlyof MG gauges, OUTRIGHT OR restored EXCHANGE BRUSH also INSTRUMENTS - wePRICES carryofone of the largest the stock shelf’ stock earlyBETTER MG gauges, OUTRIGHT OR EXCHANGE (2MMMavailable). also available).

Coming on stream, fully rebuilt MMBRUSH andcoming T series headlamps .......

From £750 available or send 8:39 us brand ALL PLUS CARRIAGE & VAT OR CALL FOR BARGAINS ONbest PRICE ROAD WHEELS....................................................................£50 each diff........................................................£850 NEW cable brake sets now back onMGs stream, available as fullpair sets orparts pairs.

8:43; 8:41; neworcrown wheel & piston sets to suit 2 or 4 IN star diff. units.............the very available. ** Complete NEW LUCAS TYPE12” 160 REAR VIEW MIRRORS FOR ALL FROM 1930 -1930 1950 all* types, any model, outright exchange.

NEW LUCAS TYPE 160 REAR VIEW MIRRORS FOR ALL MGs FROM 1950 all types, any model, outright or exchange. ....................................P type..........................£550 *onLUCAS ORIGINAL for all models...all or exchange. the shelf FULLY restored & rebuilt MMM & TA/B/C *DYNAMOS & 12” STARTER Complete NEW cable brakeMOTORS, sets now comingyour back ‘wants’ stream,list. available as full LAMPS...HEAD/TAIL/SIDE sets or pairs. * 8:43; 8:41; 8:39 brand newearly crownMG & piston sets totally to suit 2restored, or 4 star diff.outright units.............the very best available. * Off‘King-of-the-Road’ with medallion....................................available with RH & LH arms.

Remember -STARTER factory specification TOOL KITS...NO REPROS. Allwheel original, allallcorrect, all MMM & TA/B/C. with ‘King-of-the-Road’ medallion....................................available with RH & LH arms.

Remember factory specification TOOL KITS...NO REPROS. All original, all correct, all MMM & TA/B/C. plete...totally rebuilt as new......................£950 * LUCAS ORIGINAL LAMPS...HEAD/TAIL/SIDE for early MG models...all totally restored, outright or exchange.

Off the shelf FULLY restored & rebuilt MMM & TA/B/C DYNAMOS & MOTORS, * INSTRUMENTS - we carry one of the largest ‘off the shelf’ stock of early MG gauges, OUTRIGHT OR EXCHANGE (2- BRUSH MMM also available). please ‘phone before calling in

BARRY WALKER

BBARRY WWW ALKER ARRY ALKER B ARRY ALKER BARRYWW ALKER BARRY ALKER BARRY WALKER British Motor

black brown with plinth..............long overdue.........................................£96.50 Heritage approved CES PLUS CARRIAGE &inVAT OR CALL FORchrome BETTER BARGAINS ON PRICE with ‘King-of-the-Road’ with RH & LH arms. each. * in or black orINbrown with medallion....................................available chrome plinth..............long overdue.........................................£96.50

s.

*

supercharger for all for pre-T -installations factory specification TOOL KITS...NO each. supercharger installations all models. pre-T models. REPROS. All original, all correct, all MMM & TA/B/C. * Remember

with ‘King-of-the-Road’ with -RH arms.

- factory specification & KITS...NO REPROS. All original, all correct, all MMM & TA/B/C. * Remember We wheel can now offer button/parallel sided MMM horn button dipmedallion....................................available switches we& LH carry off the shelf, both NOSE-MOUNTED SIDE MOUNTED Tel: +44 (0)1789 400181 TOOL Mob: +44 (0)7836 244103 & piston setsoriginal to suit 2 large or 4 star diff. units.............the very best available. * Remember * 8:43; 8:41; 8:39 brand new*crown We can now offer original large button/parallel sided MMM horn button dip switches - we carry off the shelf, both NOSE-MOUNTED & SIDE MOUNTED in black or brown chrome plinth..............long each. supercharger installations for all* Remember pre-T models. * LUCAS ORIGINAL LAMPS...HEAD/TAIL/SIDE forwith all early MG models...all totally restored,overdue.........................................£96.50 outright* or exchange. please ‘phone callingMob: in07836 in black or brown with chrome plinth..............long overdue.........................................£96.50 each. Tel: supercharger installations for400181 allbefore pre-T models.

01789 400181 Mob: 244103 Tel: 01789 07836 244103 * INSTRUMENTS - we carry one of the largest ‘off the shelf’ stock of early MG gauges,

.

British Motor all types, any model, outright or exchange. ....for the very best in vintage MGs.....

Heritage approved TOOL KITS...NO REPROS. All original, all correct, all MMM & TA/B/C. * Remember - factory specificationBritish Motor British Motor ....for....for the very bestbest in vintage MGs..... both NOSE-MOUNTED & SIDE MOUNTED the very in vintage MGs..... * Remember - we carry off the shelf, Heritage approved Heritage approved British Motor ch. supercharger installations all pre-T models.

British Motor Britishfor Motor .....for the very best in vintage MGs..... .....for the very

R

Heritage approved

Heritage approved

.

.

.....for the very best in vintage MGs.....

Heritage approved

Tel: 01789 400181

Email: Web: www.barrywalker.com please ‘phone‘phone before callingcalling in+44in (0)7836 Tel:barry@barrywalker.com +44 (0)1789 400181 Mob: 244103 please before Tel: 01789 400181 Mob: 07836 244103 Tel: 01789 400181 Mob: 07836 244103 Email: barry@barrywalker.com Web:calling www.barrywalker.com Email: barry@barrywalker.com Web: please ‘phonebefore before calling in before calling in please ‘phone inwww.barrywalker.com please ‘phone

best in vintage MGs.....Email:

Email:barry@barrywalker.com barry@barrywalker.com Web: Email: barry@barrywalker.com Web: www.barrywalker.com Web:www.barrywalker.com www.barrywalker.com

Mob: 07836 244103

please ‘phone before calling in

Email: barry@barrywalker.com Web: www.barrywalker.com

SPECIALIST IN CLASSIC SPORTS CARS enquiries@mgsforsale.com

www.mgsforsale.com

01707 876089

07831 556666

MGB Roadster Mk1 1965 Handle MG CGT 1968 AUTOMATIC OlderPull Nut &Door Bolt Restored ss these payments in house.

(GPJ896C) pull door 1968, handleautomatic, model, only four former ion at the present time.

(RWD628G) MG CGT excellent Mineral keepers since Feb 1965, British Racing Greenoriginal Coachwork, Blue coachwork with nicely mellowed Black nicely mellowed Blackoriginal leathergenuine interior trim, original period leather interior trim, leather bound MGC e TL enquiries@mgsforsale.com process these payments in house. steering wheel, Mohair hood, chrome wheels, steering nicely detailed engine wire compartment 0firmation miles at the present time. overdrive,theolder restoration originalideal shellwith withthegood housing smooth 3.0 litreonengine Borg rease) 18” structure,automatic paintworkgearbox not perfect but this still much admired, Warner making particularly rare T’d until more recent works have included new correct periodformed petrol tank, brake calipers, electronic model an ideal classic today, this vehicle apparently part new of a collection of a deceased ads as well ignition,oncarburettor boot, battery modification isolator, very few miles estate, inspectionoverhaul, one can carpeted see the of theAUTOMATIC rebuild fromOlder a&number years ago andin or, satMGquality CGT 1968 Nut &of Bolt Restored recent years and properly stored, previously soldCGT by ourselves in 2013 & 2018 (images with likely little miles sincedry is still very fresh in appearance, just automatic, arrived £24,950.00 ll service (RWD628G) MG 1968, excellent Mineral available now £13,495.00 Blue coachwork with nicely mellowed original Black or 2016 UK Tech-MG6 relate), GT diesel MG BGT 1972 (LLF951K) . Spacious, leather interior MG trim,BGT, original genuine leather bound MGC Facelift model. Top-of-the rangeLast TL Owner 37 Years owner 37 years,61,317 chrome bumpers, MG. £6500 MGB Roadster, 1981, miles fromoverdrive, new steering wheel, nicely detailed engine compartment model.

1.9 turbo1972, diesel.last 48,000 miles chrome Rostyle Aqua coachwork now requiring 44(daily driver so mileage housing the smooth 3.0 litre engine ideal with the Borg withwheels, original To Service’ document, (BDM261W) will increase) 18”‘passport some improvement but etc. a very solidWarner vehicle indeed a automatic gearbox making this particularly rare alloys, red bumper oldinserts. mot’s , MoT’d invoicesuntil etc. within heavy history file,with Mid nice original feel and appearance, original style Hallam’s, navy cloth June 2020. Recent discs and pads as well 90’s extensive professional restoration

by Robin gold seal engine tted bare mid metal 80’s and drives as new tyres. Fullinterior leathertrim, interior, satincluded new wings, doors, sillsfiand re spray, nav, Bluetooth connectivity. service delightfully, good history fileleather, with original replacementFull interior in Black clubsportdocumentation wheels, new history – servicedback

by SAIC Motor Techto the 80’s, aUK plethora of invoices from renowned specialists Brian Brown Classics & B carpets including boot etc. etc. comprehensive restoration nical Centre. In good condition.

Spacious, Hive, original Unipart Gold Sealphotos. papers,Sold old mot’s etc. etc. just arrivedin£5,950.00 documenting works including

by Classic Restorations 2001 for £8500, still economical engaging modern MG. £6500 maintaining nice fresh appearance, excellent drive, previously sold by us in 2016 (images relate), ono. Call Adam on 07530734044 little miles since, mot September 2021, just arrived, £7,950.00

el

01707 876089

1972 MGB Roadster. British Racing Green, black trim.

Leather seats. Antique red carpets. Fast road engine, moto lita, superb driving car in super condition. Nice engine bay, superb shell, fast and fun £13,795.00

1976 MGB Roadster, Black (with red fleck-range rover colour), black leather trim, antique red carpets, 15” minilites, Oselli fast road engine. Restored car, all new chrome. Red mohair hood, walnut dash. Drives superbly, well maintained, excellent car ready to use and have fun. £11,995.00

1952 MG TD, Black, red leather interior, tan hood, tonneau and hood cover. A superb MG TD original spec . Restored in the 1990s and still superb , massive history file , drives superbly ,panel fit is excellent, one of the nicest TDs we have had in a long time. well sorted and maintained car, has been used reguarly so lovely patina looks and feels like a 10 yearold well maintained car. Original R/H/D car, was exported and returned to uk before being completly restored. If being very picky has a slight 3rd synchro lag, Super car £22,995

1964 MGB Roadster Pull door handle car, Iris blue, black /white trim. Excellent restored car done a while ago in the 90s but still excellent and one of the early Californian imports when they were really good. O/drive, interior really as good as new, lovley engine bay, superb shell and superbly original, painted underside, alloy bonnet, w/wheels, original steering wheel. Fitted with better 5 brg engine, original banjo axle. A superb older restoration and ready to enjoy with no work required £15,995.00

1995 MGRV8, Woodcote Green, stone beige trim. New beige mohair hood, new (original) tonneau, interior in excellent condition, new door cards. Re veneered dash console and door caps. 48,500 mls. Screen frame excellent (refurbed). Fitted with power steering, New clutch and slave cylinder, new boot stays, in fact all the usual RV8 foibles all sorted out. Excellent example. £22,995.00

1957 MGA 1500, Iris blue, Black trim, walnut dash, chrome wire wheels, immaculate restored car, painted underneath, everything is new or reconditioned, lovely panel gaps, a superb car and ready to use, would cost double asking price to restore. £32,995

www.mgsforsale.com balanced and stage 11 head. 15” minilites, carbon fibre dash,

07831 556666

URGENTLY WANTED

ANY ANY MG MG

URGENTLY WANTED

ANY ANY YEAR YEAR ANY CONDITION

On the ANY CONDITION EU approvBarry Walker October 20.indd 1 proved Barry Walker October 20.indd OF 1 SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OUR STOCK he motor o lead h a beige 15/09/2020 09:27 Barry Walker 20.indd 1 vehicles with cheaper inferior quality models offered elsewhere. Part exchange DoOctober not confuse the above . MG A 1600 any make of Motor Car with generous allowances. Discounted cash purchases. Viewing by appointment only the In car. good condition, built On1 the please (available evenings & weekends) no obligation to purchase. All our vehicles carry a warranty, have an Barry Walker December 20 1961.

(2).indd MOT and are areItfully fully serviced prior to to collection/delivery. collection/delivery.

GBP. Theare 58’000 MOT and prior tacho miles. hasserviced EU approvce.alPhone papers (before this it was approved in Switzerland) The power of the motor is 79 PS and had be changed to lead www.mgcc.co.uk freeBarry petrol.

The car is black with1 a beige Tel: +44 (0) 1953 717618 Fax: (0) 1953 717850 Walker October 20.indd Barry Walker October 20.indd 1 interor. It’s in a good condition. y Walker December 20 (2).indd 1 The wheel is on the left side of the car.

Price 38’000 Euro or £34’200 GBP. The

www.mgsforsale.com www.mgmecca.co.uk

A NEW NAME FOR MG MECCA CAR SALES

15/09/2020 09

15/09/2020 09:27

Unit 1, Roudham Trading Estate, Roudham Rd, East Harling, Norwich, Norfolk, NR16 2TW

www.moderngarageclassics.co.uk Tel: 01953 717100

12/11/2020 15:35

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 93

15/09/2020 09:27 09: 15/09/2020

12/11/2020 1

MARTIN MARTIN SMITH SMITH

www.martinsmithmgspares.co.uk

The MG specialists for MGF-MGTF-MG3-MG6

MARTIN SMITH Quality new and used spares.

Car trimmers/upholstery.

MG car sales and MG repair service

Tel: 07722 175473 Units 1&2, Westlane Farm, Westlane, East Lydford, Somerset TA11 7HD Email: smudgemg@yahoo.co.uk

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94 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

www.mgcc.co.uk

church square

autos FAMILY BUSINESS ESTABLISHED 1981.

Our office/ showroom is at 62B HIGH STREET SHEPPERTON TW17 9AU VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT PLEASE MG TF 160vvc 2008(08) – 38,000 Miles A Very Very rare 2008 (08) registered TF160vvc, with the number plate MG08 VVC. FSH Late facelift car with soft ride suspension, smokstone cockpit, black leather sport seat, grey alcantara inserts, heated glass rear screen etc. new headgasket/cambelt/water pump by us in 2018 Outstanding condition. £7,995

MG TF 160vvc + H/top.Huge spec – 49,713 Miles 2002 (52 Reg) Manual Petrol TF160vvc, huge spec including a removable hard top. Black leather with Blue alcantara inserts, upgraded ecu, New black mohair hood with a Glass heated rear screen. Soft ride suspension, fully rust treated and stone chip paint to car main under floor, wax oiled sills etc. Total invoice price of £4150 @48,545 miles, Outstanding immaculate condition. £4,895

MG MGF Convertible + H/Top – Just 43,000 miles 1999 (V Reg), Manual, Petrol Finished in: Silver / Black leather MGF 1.8i Facelift model, with removable colour coded hard top, black soft top. Fitted with black leather sport seats, passengers airbag, adjustable steering column, electric mirrors, documented service history.

Just moted. New headgasket/cambelt/water pump (13/10/20). Outstanding original car immaculate condition. £3,795

1956 MGA ROADSTER

2009 MG TF 85TH ANNIVERSARY.

Old English White, with red trim.

In Enigmatic Silver, with

Originally a North American

Aubergine seats and door

Export. Brought back into the

casings.

UK in the late eighties and given

Two owners from new with

a ‘Nut & Bolt’ restoration to

only 26,000 miles covered. Full

concourse condition. Restored to

service history with hardtop.

RHD spec. A stunning example

Only 50 Built. A chance to own

and one of the best MGA

one of the last beloved MG TF

Roadsters we have owned.

series sports cars.

£36,995

£7,500

1971 MGB V8 ROADSTER.

1968 MGC ROADSTER

MG MGF Freestyle – Limited Edition.

2001 (51 Reg), 70,000 Miles, Manual, Petrol, Finished in: BRGreen/Black leather Last MGF ltd edtion made. MGF Trophy front and rear spoilers, full Black leather sport seats, 16” ‘SE’ alloy wheels. Rare in British racing green. Serviced, new headgasket cambelt, new mot, no advisories. A very sort after MGF model. £3,495

MG MGF 1.8i Convertible – Just 57,000miles 2001 (Y Reg), 57,000 Miles, Manual, Petrol, Finished in: Black metallic / Full Black leather Lady has owned this MGF since 2006. Low mileage, abs, wind deflector, ew, cl, alloy wheels. Service history, spare keys. Covered just 1,700 miles since 2015. Full service plus a new headgasket/cambelt/water pump and cat/ lamba sensor, new mot £2,695

We have a Large selection of MGF/TF’s Parts for sale.

MGF/TF/LE500 huge parts selection, MGF TF/LE500 Body panels, interiors, alloy wheels, mechanical parts. MGF / TF’s Front Bumpers, Rear Bumpers, bonnets, wings, doors, MGF/TF Door handles / locks / motors / mirrors. Interior Items + Door cards & trims. MGF/TF Walnut / Carbon Fibre & Silver interior trims & Steering wheels..

MGF / TF Lights, Interior Items, Seats And Trims MGF/TF alloy wheels New and Secondhand

THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION FROM OUR STOCK 01932 241843 OR 07836 281493 mgsales@churchsquareautos.com • david@usedmgf.co.uk www.churchsquareautos.com • www.usedmgf.co.uk

5 Speed gearbox, Power steering, Custom Metallic Blue paint, Beige trim with blue carpets. Blue Everflex Hood, Wood trim dash with a Mota Lita steering wheel. The car was rebuilt in 1993 with many upgradesNot for the purists, but beautifully detailed and a lot of fun!

The car has just come in and it is awaiting preparation. Please call for more details.

White with Black Interior piped White, Black Mohair Hood, Still retains its ‘original’ registration number ‘OOB 21G’ Stainless Sports Exhaust, Spax Shocks Conversion – front and rear.

Painted Wire Wheels, Superb history going back over many years Invoices, photographs, Original Sales Brochure etc.Please call to arrange inspection or to discuss further.

£23,995

£24,995

For full stocklist please see our website

Upton Fields Garage, Upton Road, Southwell, Notts. NG25 0QB. www.sherwoodrestorations.co.uk sales@sherwoodrestorations.co.uk or call us on 01636 812655

SALES &PARTS FOR YOUR MGF/TF www.mgcc.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 95

B32 - MIKE ROLLS SERVICES_MIKE ROLLS SERVICES 13/12/2012 09:50 Page 1

Insurance for all MG’s classic and modern 2016

TRADE MEMBER

How to Advertise

MIKE ROLLS

Members can advertise their spares free of charge for items less than £250 in Safety Fast! The cost for spares more than £250 is £20. The advert will also be posted on the Club website. To place an advert in Safety Fast! please email colingrant@mgcc.co.uk Please keep your advert to 60 words The editor reserves the right to edit longer adverts.

This is for one insertion only, for additional insertions please email Colin Grant

SERVICES FOR MGs Specialising in all MG’s

TEL/FAX: 01258 820337

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am-6pm, Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm MG TF 160, 2003

Finished in Starlight Silver with Gunsmoke Alcantara & Black Leather interior, 2 previous owners, It has done just over 35,000mls from new and had a new headgasket, cambelt and water pump @ 31,000mls. We have recently carried out a full service with new clutch and cavity wax and fitted a new black hood with glass rear window. This car is in superb condition with service history and HPI check, it will have a new MOT upon purchase and is one of the best around. £4,695.

MGF Hardtop

This is a black hardtop that is in very good condition. There are a couple of very small marks/scratches that are hardly noticeable (photos available).

Glass heated rear window.£400 ono.

Buyer to collect. Contact John on 07972 906040. (Central Bedfordshire)

MG MIDGET, 1973

Round wheel arch in racing green. High spec hillclimb/sprint/track car built on a Heritage shell in 2004 by Oselli.

Fitted with with full race 1380 engine with weber, Maniflow straight through exhaust, 4 Speed dog engagement straight cut gearbox, Quaife 4.2 diff with Quaife LSD, 4 Pot calipers, plumbed in Fire extinguisher, Alloy radiator, lightweight battery, 2 x set wheels with tyres ( Road and Track) , Drivers harness, Works style hardtop, Frontline roll cage and Soft top with frame. Engine was built and fully balanced by CCK Historic in 2017 with Omega forged pistons, Swiftune camshaft, Ported and polished 11 stud head and weber and exhaust as above, lowered and stiffened suspension, polybushed, negative front camber, Panhard rod, Lightened flywheel, Uprated rear leaf springs .7.5 Helix clutch, Peter May halfshafts etc the list goes on. Spec sheet upon request. This is a stunning well sorted Midget in excellent condition having had a large amount of money spent with good history/invoice file. £18.995.

Austin Healey 1958/9

Spares for a Frog eye sprite. Complete set of mechanical and instruHow toelectrical Advertise ments inclusive engine which Members canofadvertise theirturns spares by hand gearbox rear front and rear free of charge foraxle items less than suspension frontThe suspension £250 indampers Safety Fast! cost for spareswishbone more than is £20. The kingpins etc.£250 Info photos advert will also be posted on the Offers to p.k.grant1929@gmail.com website. To place an advert in orClub tel 07803847625.

CM02.13/B32/d

Safety Fast! please email colinMG Midget Spares grant@mgcc.co.uk Please keep

Dynamos, differentials, carburettors, lay your advert to 60 words gears headlamps The and editor reservesplus themuch rightmore. to edit All original genuine Message longerparts. adverts. for prices and items available.

Email: This is for one insertion only, for leslie.steele@sky.com additional insertions please email

Units 9/10 ROADSTER Fifehead Business Park, ManorROLLS Farm, Fifehead Magdalen, near Gillingham, Dorset SP8Page 5RR 1 MGB - 1969 B32 - MIKE ROLLS SERVICES_MIKE SERVICES 13/12/2012 09:50 Colin Grant MGF/TF Spares E-mail: mikerolls4mgs@compuserve.com • www.mikerolls.co.uk Finished in British Racing Green, the car TF 1 x Tech Grey centre console in Order “Friendly Quality Service” was re-shelled using aMail Heritage shell back MGF Hardtop excellent used cond. £24 - or £30 with

1997 with a heritage certificate, it was sold This is a+black whitehardtop dials. that is in very B32 - MIKEoriginally ROLLSbySERVICES_MIKE SERVICES 13/12/2012 09:50 Page 1 switches university motors from ROLLS new. good condition. There are a couple of

TF 1 set of 3 silver heater control switchsmall marks/scratches esvery - excellent used cond. £18that are hardly noticeable available).

F/TF 1 set of 4 Matt(photos Black 7Jx16 Glass heated rear window.£400 11-spokes - excellent used cond. ono.

Buyer to set collect.

Contact John onwith Matching ‘09build, compatible 07972 906040.

(Central red 4-pot calipers. £245 Bedfordshire) Austin Healey 1958/9 F/TF 1 x Emergency spare wheel + tyre Spares for aGoodyear.

Frog eye sprite.

175/65/R14 Never Complete used in set of£20 mechanical electrical and instruanger. ments of engine which F/TF 1 x inclusive Pioneer DEH-1300MP carturns raby hand gearbox rear axle and rear dio/cd player, MOSFET 50Wfront x 4 - WMA suspension dampers front /MP3 - will plug straight intosuspension a TF. Good kingpins etc. Info photos used cond.wishbone £18 Offerschris.muffett@talktalk.net/ to p.k.grant1929@gmail.com Email: or tel 872939/ 07803847625.

01798 07821 143497 for pics + further (West Sussex area) MG details.

Midget Spares

We re-commissioned it in 2017 and it comes with Chrome painted wire wheels, Overdrive, Stainless steel Tourist Trophy exhaust system, 123 Ignition, Black leather seats, Woodrim Motolita steering wheel, 2016 engine bay, and painted underside. detailed This is a beautiful rust free car in excellent condition and drives extremely well. £17.995.

MIKE ROLLS SERVICES FOR MGs Specialising in all MG’s MIKE ROLLS TEL/FAX: 01258 820337 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am-6pm, Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm

AUSTIN HEALEY FROGEYE 2016 - 1960

TRADE MEMBER

SERVICES FOR MGs

Finished in in Cherry Red with Silver strips.

Specialising in all MG’s The car comes with a Healey hardtop and a TRADE MEMBER TEL/FAX: Soft top with frame, Fibre glass front 1275 01258 820337 Mon, Tues, Thurs, 8am-6pm, Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm cc engine with single 1 3/4 Fri: SU, Manifl ow exhaust system, recently re-conditioned ribbed case gearbox, servo assisted discs brakes on the front and mini fin drums on the Midget Dynamos, differentials, carburettors, lay Please check this proof carefully for errorsMG in style, content and layout. back. The car was restored in 2007 and has Cross flow radiator, twoplus halfmuch shafts, gears andadvert, headlamps Although everycarcare is exercised your we cannot holdmore. £14,995 in preparing an excellent solid body with a few minor paint blemishes, its a superb to drive.

4:1/1 differential.

Buyer collects.

Tel: All original genuine parts.

Message ourselves responsible for any inaccuracies01480-450367 you may overlook. mobile 07901 762386. for prices andor items available.

Email: MGB GT - 1967 SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THIS PROOF PLEASE leslie.steele@sky.com MGB Finished in black with painted wire wheels Rear chrome bumper.

From MGF/TF Spares . _ _a _‘74_ car _ TELEPHONE BEFORE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AND QUOTE ADVERT NO and Michelin XAS Tyres, it comes with an believed to be re-cromed OEM part.

TF 1 x Tech Grey centre console in impressive spec of a 1950 fast road engine, Excelent condition but £24 very- slight excellent used cond. or £30barely with Weber, 3 branch big bore manifold with distinguishable dent.£120 switches + white dials. plus delivery. stainless steel exhaust to match, 123 Ignition, Email: patjrichardson@hotmail.com TF 1 set of 3 silver heater control switchtwin coils and fuel pumps, 5 speed gearbox, es - excellent used cond. £18 Ridgard RS9 seats with Willans harnesses’s, MGTF Parts F/TF 1 set of 4 Matt Black 7Jx16 and Motolita wood rim steering wheel. This 175/65R14 82T spare wheel (New) 11-spokes - excellent used cond. car has been built for Rally, Fast road, Track Fan Belt. Set Front Brake Pads, Matching set ‘09build, compatible with day use, it has a very sound body and excellent paint,We it drives like a proper sports car loads for any reserve the right towith charge alteration to this proof which Water Pump. Wind Stop.

Set Front red 4-pot calipers. £245 £15,995 from the of torque, it has a Heritage certificate, good history file and is Tax and MOTisexempt. a departure original copy£50.00 Wishbone Bushes. for the lot.

F/TF 1 x Emergency spare wheel + tyre Margaret on 01746.768382 MG TF 160 - 2002 175/65/R14 Goodyear. Never used in or Rob on 01746.768457 Finished in X Power Grey, 2002 with only anger. £20 49,000mls from new. The car has had a new ZA/ZB Radiator Grille.car raF/TF 1 x Pioneer DEH-1300MP head gasket and cambelt done @ 32,000mls Cleans adequately.

Very slight dio/cdupplayer, MOSFET 50W x 4 -crease WMA and comes with black leather interior, a new in/MP3 the centre strut.straight MG medallion - will plug into a TF.missGood hood with glass rear window. We have just ing. £50cond. ono. £18 Please call 01227 637813 used given it a full service and new MOT which orEmail: Emailchris.muffett@talktalk.net/ johnbennett698@yahoo.com. runs out in August 2021. The car is in very 01798 872939/ 07821 143497 for pics + good condition. £3,995 Please(West note that thearea) further details.

Sussex Advertising deadline is MG Midget Units 9/10 Fifehead Business Park, Manor Farm, Fifehead Magdalen, near Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5RR Cross flow radiator, two half shafts, December 4th for the January issue of E-mail: mikerolls4mgs@compuserve.com • www.mikerolls.co.uk 4:1/1 differential. Buyer collects. Tel: Safety Fast!

Mail Order “Friendly Quality Service” 01480-450367 or mobile 07901 762386.

Units 9/10 Fifehead Business Park, Manor Farm, Fifehead Magdalen, near Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5RR

E-mail: mikerolls4mgs@compuserve.com • www.mikerolls.co.uk Mail Order “Friendly Quality Service”

96 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

CM02.13/B32/dCM02.13/B32/d

URGENT PROOF

MGB

Rear chrome bumper. From a ‘74 car believed to be re-cromed OEM part.

Excelent condition but very slight barely distinguishable dent.£120 plus delivery.

Email: patjrichardson@hotmail.com

Call for a quote today

01376 574000

www.classiccarinsurance.co.uk MG Magnette

Hub Caps with MG Badge. In the 1950’s my uncle bought a new MG Magnette.

He immediately removed the hub caps from the car for the winter months. He smeared them with Vaseline and put them away but subsequently misplaced them. They were never reunited with the car. As new condition. £100.00 + P.P. Email: Ianforrester@mac.com

MkIV Midget Parts

Engine, two gearboxes, hood frame, windscreen, front and rear bumpers, radiator grille front cross member, chrome MIDGET letters. Tel: 01227 637813 or Email: johnbennett698@yahoo.com

SPARES WANTED Wanted

XPAG engine professionally rebuilt by another company and inspected, 020”pistons, Looking for a full tonnau cover for an reground crank, unleaded head MGRV8 – must be in good condition. etc. All un run. Built for TD but Robert – 01384 295373 – 07549 640757 we can change the mounting plate for any T Type. £3250 XPAGs engines, removed in exchange for upgraded

MG Magnette units.

Running but condition

unknown, Hub Caps with MG£1950 Badge. each.

In the 1950’s myTuncle a new MGchassis Magnette.

Typebought rebuilds from He immediately up. Engine removed rebuildsthe to hub anycaps from the carspecifi for thecati winter on. months. He smeared them with Vaseline and put S.U. Rebuilds.

Special exhaust them away but subsequently manifolds, and anything misplaced T type. them. They were never reunited with We have been rebuilding T types the car.MGA As new condition. £100.00 + P.P. and s Bs and derivati ves Email: Ianforrester@mac.com for over 50 years. Many spares.

CollectiMidget on anywhere in Europe.

MkIV Parts

An oldtwo fashioned company with Engine, gearboxes, hood frame, old fashioned values. windscreen, front and rear bumpers, ra01308 / chrome diator grille front 868884 cross member, 07885768830 MIDGET letters. Tel: 01227(T) 637813 or Email: johnbennett698@yahoo.com

SPARES WANTED Wanted

Looking for a full tonnau cover for an MGRV8 – must be in good condition.

Robert – 01384 295373 – 07549 640757

FOR DISPLAY ADVERTISING IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF

08 £3.95 August 2019 Volume 63 Number

NDSHIP THE MARQUE OF FRIE

THE

CLUB

CAR LT D

ABINGDON-ON-TH

AMES

FO U N D E D 193 0

THE BATTLE OF THE BABIES

● CLUNKING AND CREAKING

● JEKYLL AND HYDE 25/07/2019 09:09

Safety Fast_Cover August2019.indd

1

PLEASE CALL NICK ON 01452 730770 www.mgcc.co.uk

ar 01308 B 01376 574000email b 868884 ‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ Call for a quote today

Insurance for all MG’s classic and modern

www.classiccarinsurance.co.uk

I’ve decided to create space for the work tha WE ARE OPEN AND NOW IS THE TIME TO HAVE ALL YOUR WORK CARR

arter rie C01308 r a B and Alan Bartlett

C aarrtter e i r r 07885 C e i a 07885 r r er BBa 07885 01308 ype’ - ‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ -‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’-768830 868884 ‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ 768830 868884 ‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ r - ‘T-type’ art - ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ 768830 ie C‘X-pag’ and Alan Bartlett and Alan Bartlett email barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk email barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk

mail barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk

07885 01308 868884 ‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ 768830 B ar

er

Triumph TR6 150HP Totally rebuilt from a dry state car into this fabulous RHD TR6. It was professional body off rebuild to the

MGB Roadster 1977. Terrific chrome bumper

highest of standards, everything new or reconditioned. Superb a leading MG company, owned and cherished ork that’s coming through our doors, MG’s, Race cars, Classics of all types. body, chassis and all matching leather interior, new carbs, rebuilt as many sensible upgrades as you could wish I’ve decided to create space for the work that’s coming through our doors, MG’s, Race cars, Classics ofallall types.

O.D. box, wood rimed wheel, unused weather equipment, all leather interior, new wings, lovely undernea and Alan Bartlett K CARRIED OUT, SO THESE SALE CARSI’ve AREdecided AT, OR WELL BELOWspace THEIR COST TO ME. I’m very dealable!

MiniliteClassics rep wheels, and soof much more.

Less than 500 miles wheels, oh and 45 DCEO. This car pulls like a to create for the work that’s coming through our doors, MG’s, Race cars, all types.

WE ARE OPEN AND NOW IS THE TIME TO HAVE ALL YOUR WORK CARRIED OUT, SO THESE SALE CARS ARE AT, OR WELL BELOW COST TO ME. I’mratevery since THEIR it was rebuilt and its gorgeous.

This must as one ofdealable! ultimate long distance classic MB. To coin an email barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk the bestTHEIR TR6s about, much more toME. tell if you ring. £21,500 Belter I love it. wheels, and so much more. £1 WE ARE OPEN AND NOW IS THE TIME TO HAVE ALL YOUR WORKTCCARRIED OUT, SO THESE SALE CARS ARE AT, OR WELL BELOW COST TO I’m very dealable!

Racer Although there has been

much interest in my ex-championship XPAG engine professionally TC Racer Although there has been Lada Niva.ex-championship The forgotten 4 TC well Racer Although has been much interest in my ex-championship and known T.C. race there car, I don’t much interest in my TC Racer Although there has been wheelT.C. drive miracle the rebuilt by another company and want the part xs offered. is already and well known race car, I ofdon’t and well known T.C. Itrace car, I don’t want the part xs offered. It is already much interest inStill mymade ex-championship 80s. and sold very cheap and has so many rare want the part xs offered.

Itcar, is already and well known T.C. race Itodon’t veryexpensive cheap and has so many parts I’m not giving it cars, Classics of all types. inspected, 020”pistons, regroundto create space for the work all over Europe.

Butrare find and parts I’m not giving itrare and expensive I’ve decided that’s coming through our doors, MG’s, Race very cheap and has so many want the part xs offered.

It is already a RHD oneI’m is so now away.

Derrington inlet and ex.and ex. manifolds, 13/4 50s vented brakes, away.L.S.D. L.S.D. Derrington inlet and notrare giving crank, unleaded run. veryexpensive cheap andparts has so many rare it with cossack 13/4 50s vented WE ARE OPENhead AND etc.

NOWAll ISun THE TIME TO HAVE ALL YOUR WORKmanifolds, CARRIED OUT, SObrakes, THESE SALE CARS14ARE AT,Avon OR WELL very dealable! away.

L.S.D.especially Derrington and ex.it trampbars, telescopics, alloy panels, 72 spoke wheels, 22R. To BELOW THEIR COST TO ME. I’m and expensive partsand I’mtoinlet not giving wheels, findbrakes, one trampbars, telescopics, alloy panels, Built for TD but we can change the manifolds, 13/4 50s vented away.

L.S.D. Derrington inlet and ex. that has never been welded build this 72 spoke 14would wheels,cost Avon 50k 22R.but To it’s a proven car. It can be sold as a rolling trampbars, telescopics, alloythem panels, manifolds, 13/4 50s vented brakes, rarer still.

Ihas used in build this would cost 50k but a engine, or with a less modified engine or TC Racer Although there been mounting plate for any me bumper car converted by Triumph chassis all complete butit’s less 72 spoke 14telescopics, wheels, Avon 22R. To TR6 150HP Totally rebuilt fromTa Type. dry state£3250. car into this trampbars, alloy panels,

and the constant much interest inthe my80s ex-championship build this would cost car, 50k but a 14 wheels, Avon 22R. and 72 wellspoke known race4WD I don’t 2T.C. speed got a it’s lotTo of proven car.xs Itoffered. cancost be Itsold as rolling build this would 50k butait’s want the part is drivers already embarrassed in aflash all complete less verychassis cheap and has so many rare proven car.

It can be sold as aengine, rolling 4wd out ofbut trouble.They are with a less modified engine or andor expensive parts I’m not giving it chassis all rugged complete less off engine, andbut terrific and away. inletyou andwish. ex.orIt’sto whatever combination or L.S.D. with aDerrington less modified engine on road cars, far superior manifolds, 13/4 50s will vented brakes, very cheap and giveyou youwish. lots It’s of whatever combination these piddly little Pandas. trampbars, telescopics, alloy panels, fun, orBuy competition.

Ring veryroad cheap and will give you lots of rare, buy fun £5,750 72 spoke 14 wheels, Avon 22R. To or cost competition.

Ring buildfun, thisroad would 50k but it’s a proven car. It can be sold as a rolling J40 Although Revival has chassis all complete but less engine, been putengine on hold, be J40 Although Revival has or with a less modified or it will back sowish. will racebe been and put on hold,the it will whatever combination you It’s G.P. hopefuls in very cheap andfor willyoung give lots of race back andyou so will the fun, road or competition.

Ring the lovely J40 pedal cars, for young G.P. hopefuls in

proven car. It can be sold as a rolling MGB Roadster 1977. Terrific chrome chassis bumperall carcomplete converted whatever combination wish. It’s very cheap and will give you lots of butbylessyou engine, a leading MG company, cherished 9 years withengine MGB Roadster 1977.owned Terrificand chrome bumper car converted by or or withroad afor less modified fun, or competition.

Ring Ford Y Type for special fitted with MG 1935 as amany sensible upgrades as you could wish for, leading MG company, owned and whatever cherished forsuspension, 9 years with combination you wish.period It’s Ford P or JY Body.

Built for hillfitted climbwith sprints 1935 Type for special MG all as leather interior, new wings, lovely underneath, Minilite rep many sensible upgrades as you could wish for, very cheap andsuspension, will give you lots ofthe 50s/60s a family owned. Running driving P or J Body. Built for hill climb sprints wheels, oh and 45 DCEO. This carlovely pulls likeroad a train and is the all leather interior, new wings, underneath, Minilite rep Ring inperiod fun, or competition.

1935 8 Tourer 2owned. owners, the last great fun.a family The Body is probably worth in thevintage 50s/60s Running driving ultimate distance classic MB. coinlike an old phrase, it’sthe a Morris wheels,long oh and 45 DCEO. This carTopulls a train and is Belter I lovelong it. wheels, so much more. greatthan vintage fun. £5,250 The Body is probably worth more the car. ultimate distanceand classic MB. To coin£11,250 an old phrase, it’s a forRevival 28 years.

Gorgeously J40 one Although has Belter I love it. wheels, and so much more. £11,250 more than the car. £5,250restored, little been put on hold, it will be T Type rebuilds from chassis up .

Lada Niva. The forgotten 4 Extremely rare 4WD switchable 1990 Subaru Y Type for special fitted with MG runs backused, and so will the 1935 race Ford excellent paintwork, leather interior, wheel drive miracle of the 4 Justy, 34000 miles and in lovely condition inside and period Lada Niva.

The forgotten for young G.P. hopefuls in P or J Body. Built for hill climb sprints Engine rebuilds to any specifi cation.

1 Doctor 80s.

Still drive mademiracle and Rover sold out. These out perform pandas, 205s, even MX5s. in thestereo, 50s/60s ano family owned.

Running driving wheel of theMetro 1.1 1990 only 2 owners 1 Lady, the lovely J40 pedalNo cars, perfectly.

SatBody Nav £11,995. and 21000 miles, full history and as new and fabulous all insurance. over Still Europe. to sold find Quick, Quirky and superior, Cheap Tax and great vintage fun.

The is probably worth 80s. madeBut and here is one. It has a S.U. £2,250 Rebuilds. Special exhaust starter car. £2,500 a RHD oneEurope. is so rare now all over But to find Mot’d. more fully prepared painted bodythan the car. £6,550 especially withis cossack a RHD one so rare now and most parts, missing manifolds, and anything T type. wheels, and to findcossack oneXPAG engine professionally rebuilt especially with lights, bybumpers & seat T Type rebuilds from chassis Engine FORGET YOUR SHEPHARDS HUTS! up.TR6.

This fabulous thatwheels, has never and been to findwelded one covers, all available from This superb showmans living van We have been rebuilding T types TR6 was build another company and inspected, 020”pistons, rebuilds to any specification.

DURING THE ENFORCED rarer used them thatstill. hasI never been in welded the Vintage Pedal Car RHD using a sound came from a showmans family and and MGA s BsHOLIDAY, and derivatives therarer 80s still. and the constant I used them in reground crank, unleaded head etc.Company.

All un An easy, cheap unrotten US donor. is absolutely Special fabulous. The interior manifolds, S.U. Rebuilds. exhaust and GARDENING n No. You’ve still about as far as we the 80s andgot theaconstant 2 speed 4WD lot of entry to Revival and your and exterior have been decorated It was built as a over 50 years.

Many spares. run. the G.P. driver can as only a trueanything the saloon, around 60,000 miles, for 2 speed 4WD got ain lotflash of Built for TD but we can change T van type. body off new or embarrassed drivers protégée WE ARE STILL Romany living Locust (Lotus 7 type)ABLE Kit Car. With 24wd gearboxes, Subaru Justy Van No. You’ve still about as far as we reconditioned.

It is and with a superb interior. It drives embarrassed drivers in flash help you build it, all ready out of trouble.They are could be.

The ceiling is insulated mounting plate for any T saloon, Type. £3250 Collection anywhere in Europe.

Anandcage, pinto rolling chassis, all bodywork, immaculate. have been rebuilding T types and MGA O.D. Subaru Justy You’ve stillnext about as miles, far as weWeand It’s just likeVan theNo. around 60,000 as a switchable 4wd system. I like TOengine, DELIVER 4wdfullout ofterrific trouble.They for years Goodwood quilted cloth, and the double rugged off and are know.

Locust (Lotus 7comfortable. type) Kit Car. With 2 box, gearboxes, new carbs, simpleyou completion for on garage It’s just likeand the saloon, around 60,000It miles, in know. lovelyremoved condition a superb interior. drivess Bsbed wife.... fun £2,650 is supremely It has rugged andfar terrific off and romp. £1,950 on road£2,250 cars, superior to engines, XPAGs inwith exchange for oldshould fashioned company withretiree old trust us ourbound and derivatives for over 50 years.

Many Locust (Lotus 7 type) Kit Car. With 2 gearboxes, mini lite reps, it’s pintobuilt engine, rolling chassis, all bodywork, full cage, lovely with a superb drives been with vintage wheels and MX5condition and has and a switchable 4wd interior. system.ItI like on road superior to likein an piddlycars, littlefarPandas. just magnificent descriptions as most values. people do, these upgradedodd units.

Running condition pinto rolling all bodywork, full cage, new tyresengine, and has anfor ‘A’chassis, frame tobound simple completion garage retiree £2,250 likeballs, an MX5 andwife.... hasbut a switchable spares.

Collection anywhere in Europe.

An old fashioned ask my fun £2,6504wd system. I like little Pandas.

Buythese rare,piddly buy fun £5,750 having £2,250 covered enable it tocompletion be towed on road, bound retiree simple forthe garage we can still deliver in the UK odd balls, ask my wife....

Buy rare, buy fun £5,750 unknown, £1950 each.fun £2,650

d cherished for 9 years with could wish for, suspension, ly underneath, Minilite rep pulls like a train and is the To coin an old phrase, it’s a h more. £11,250

fabulous RHD TR6.150HP wasTotally professional body the 1935 Ford YIt Type for rebuilt special fitted with MG Triumph TR6 from aoffdryrebuild state to into this 2, XPAGs removed incar highest of standards, newfor or reconditioned.

Superb fabulous RHD TR6.

Itengines, was professional body off rebuild to the period P or J everything Body.

Built hill climb sprints body, and all matching leather new carbs, rebuilt highest of50s/60s standards, newinterior, or Running reconditioned.

Superb inchassis the a everything family owned. driving exchange for upgraded units.

O.D.body, box, wood rimed wheel, all unused weather equipment, chassis and fun. all matching leather interior, newworth carbs, rebuilt great vintage The Body isLess probably Minilite rep and so muchallmore. than 500 miles O.D. box,wheels, woodthe rimed wheel, weather equipment, Running but condition unknown, more than £5,250unused since it wasrep rebuilt andcar. its gorgeous.

This must onemiles of Minilite wheels, and so much more.

Less rate thanas 500 the since best TR6s more to tell ifThis youmust ring. rate £21,500 £1950 each. it wasabout, rebuiltmuch and its gorgeous. as one of the best TR6s about, much more to tell if you ring. £21,500

www.bar

and here isJ40 one.pedal It hascars, a the lovely fully prepared painted and here is one.

It has body a

barriecartermg.com www.barriecartermg.com www.barriecartermg.com and Europe. We have plenty of work, but can always cope with more. MGs and all classics.

only avalues. few hundred fashioned with this vancompany has been built withold carefashioned and historical skills now largely forgotten. It is ready to use, show,

Subaru Justy Van No. You’v know. It’s just like the saloon in lovely condition and with a like an MX5 and has a switch odd balls, ask my wife.... fun

miles, in the hands of an octogenarian

owner. The best B&B. Unrepeatable, and MG XPAG TC. TD. TF. engine all running andAir complete aswillremoved from I’ve seen. £27,995 car £2,500 always make you smile. £11,995

J40 Although Revival has body and most parts, missing fully prepared painted been put on hold, it will be lights, bumpers seat andand most parts, back so will the&missing race all available from lights, & seat forcovers, young bumpers G.P. hopefuls in covers, all available Vintage Pedal cars, Carfrom thethe lovely J40 pedal the Vintage Company.

AnPedal cheap and here is one.

Iteasy, hasCar a fully prepared Company.

Anpainted easy, entry to Revival andcheap your body andtomost entry Revival and can your protégée G.P.parts, driver missing lights, bumpers protégée G.P. driver can help you build it, all ready & sea covers, all available helpnext youyears buildGoodwood it, all ready for from the Vintage Pedal Car for next years romp. £1,950 Company.

An easy,Goodwood cheap romp. £1,950and your entry to Revival protégée G.P. driver can help you build it, all ready for next years Goodwood romp. £2,750

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

www.barriecartermg.com 4Sight Lighting Company........ 74 A-Plan Insurance, Cherished Vehicle Insurance.................... 21 Adrian Flux ............................ 61 Barrie Carter .......................... 97 Barry Walker .......................... 93 Beech Hill Garage................... 94 British Motor Heritage ............ 16 Brown and Gammons ............... 9 Bucks Sports and Classic........ 78 Car Covershop ....................... 45 Carole Nash Insurance............ 45 Chisbon Restorations.............. 76 Church Square Autos ............. 95 Classic & Sports Cars Essex).............................. 68, 69 Clive Wheatley........................ 53 College Motors Burford............ 56 Colne Classics........................ 92 David Manners ........................ 6 Distributor Doctor.................... 55 Don Trimming......................... 78 EJW Classic and Sports........... 97 Evans Division of Hydratech..... 53 Fishers Services...................... 74 Footman James...................... 29 Former Glory ......................... 32 Fostons Ash Inn..................... 83 Frontline ................................ 32 Grand Prix Models................... 78 Halls Garage........................... 56 Heathrow Transmission........... 91 Hoyle Suspension.................... 55 Hydragas................................ 55 Just Right Autos Ltd................ 40 Longstone Tyres ..................... 48

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Machine Mart......................... 61 Manor Garage........................ 74 Martin Smith Used MGTF Spares ......................... 94 MG & AMC Parts..................... 67 MG Motors ............................ 25 Midland Classic Restoration....... 4 Mike Authurs Classics............. 97 Mike Rolls ............................. 96 Mike Satur.............................. 45 Modern Garage Classics Ltd ... 93 Moss Europe Ltd.................... IFC NTG Services........................OBC Oselli Ltd ............................... 71 Peter Best................OBC, 96, 97 Quarry Classics MGC.............. 94 Quarry Classics MGTF............. 90 Rees Bros............................... 74 Retro Sports Cars ................... 91 Rimmer Bros Ltd....................... 6 RJH Automotive Transport........ 71 Robin Lackford Motor Engineering ........................... 91 Sherwood Restorations STOCKLIST............................. 95 Skiptune................................. 61 SMR ...................................... 93 Steve McKie Sports Cars......... 91 Summit MG............................ 56 Sussex Classic Car Parts......... 76 The Hutson Motor Co Ltd........... 4 The Market............................. 36 Torro Sports Cars Ltd.............. 97

URGENTLY WANTED MGA/MGB/MGC/V8/ MIDGET/SPRITE ETC

Any Condition from non runners to rebuilt cars

Please call Edward 01923 840236 or any time on 07774 484497 Email: ejwclassiccars@btinternet.com Website: www.mgandporsche.com (Northwood, Middlesex)

WANTED WANTED ALL MG MODELS! All conditions wanted, from barn finds to concours. Complete collections purchased.

Cash buyer. Discretion assured.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in selling your MG and are looking for a prompt hassle-free cash buyer! Please feel free to contact me for a no obligation friendly chat.

I am especially interested in the following models: MG TC, MGA, MGB, MGC, MGB V8, Magnette and Midget.

MIDGETS! WANTED

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CALL DIRECT ON: 07787 528131 UK Based Buyer

DECEMBER 2020 SAFETY FAST! 97

LOOKING BACK The official publication of The MG Car Club Incorporating ‘The M.G. Magazine’, ‘The Sports Car’ and ‘Brooklands Track and Air’, Safety Fast!

Copyright MG Car Club 2020 2019

Editor: Andy Knott 01235 849730 / 01235 555552 andyknott@mgcc.co.uk Deputy Editor: Colin Grant 01235 849733 colingrant@mgcc.co.uk Editorial Committee: Andy Knott, Colin Grant, Adam Sloman PR and Communications: Advertising: Hine MarketingJade 01452 Beckett 730770 01233 849731 Published by:Hine Advertising: HineMarketing Marketing, 01452 Hill Farm 730770 Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Glos, GL2 9LN. Tel: 01452 730770 Published by:Norton Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Distributed Lane, Bishopsby: Norton Air Business.

Glos, GL2 Merlin 9LN. Centre, Tel: 01452 4 The, 730770 Acrewood Way, St Albans Tel: 01727 890600 Distributed by:AL4 Air0JY Business.

Merlin Centre, 4 The, Acrewood Way, St Albans President: John AL4 Day 0JY Tel: 01727 890600

A

year after the MGF was launched MG Cars organised an event to take place at the Heritage Motor Centre, an event to which all those purchasers of the company’s allnew roadster were invited. Around 2,000 owners responded and descended on Gaydon. The anniversary celebrations have been popular events ever since, with the MGF Register really picking up the reins and organising a big gathering in 2005 to celebrate the 10th anniversary. Following our MGF theme this month, the looking Back page features photos from that 10th anniversary Birthday Party for the MGF held at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon. Were you there?

98 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2020

President: Vice Presidents: John Day Ron Gammons, Peter Best, Ian Quarrington

This year the Register would have been heading back to Warwickshire to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the popular two-seat MG, but due to the current situation it has been postponed until July 24 -25 2021. I’m sure it will be as popular as ever.

Chairman: Vice Presidents: Bill Silcock.

Ron Gammons, Don Hayter, Peter Best, Bill Silcock.

Vice Chairman: Keith Williams Chairman: Dave Tynan Treasurer: Richard Colston Vice Chairman: George Wilder Directors: Dave Saunders, Peter Cook, Lorraine Noble Treasurer: Colin Thompson, Richard Withers, Colston George Wilder and Dave Tynan Directors: Secretary: Company Dave Saunders, ColinPeter Grant Opie and Peter Cook Staff Members: Company Secretary: Adam Sloman Colin Grant (General Manager 01235 849732), Andy (01235Adam 849730), Lauran Gallacher (Assistant General Staff Knott Members: Sloman (General Manager 01235 849732), Manager 01235(Competitions 849735), Liz Allsworth Secretary John Hutchison Secretary(Membership 01235 849738), 01235 849734), Mark Baulch (Motorsport 07554 160840), Andy Knott (01235 849730), Lauran Gallacher (Assistant General Colin Grant (01235 849733), Cherina(Membership Scarrott (Finance Officer Manager 01235 849735), Liz Allsworth Secretary 01235 849736),Colin InekeGrant Sherman (Merchandise 01235 849737) 01235 849734), (01235 849733), Jade Beckett and Gemma Bray Cherina (Communications Administrator) (01233 849731), Scarrott (Finance Officer 01235 849736) and Ineke Sherman 01235 849737) Honorary Members: Michael(Merchandise Allison, Ron Gammons, Peter Best, John Quenby, Paddy Hopkirk, Norman Rob Oldaker, Honorary Members: Michael Allison,Ewing, Ron Gammons, Peter Best, Steve Hanegan, McGovern, AnnMoss, Hawke, JohnHopkirk, Dutton, Don Hayter, JohnGerry Quenby, Sir Stirling Paddy John Day,Ewing, Julian Piers White,Hubbard, Bill Silcock.

Norman Rob Oldaker, Steve Hanegan, Gerry McGovern, June Wallis, Ann Hawke, John Dutton, John Day, Company by guarantee Julian White,limited Bill Silcock.

The Club, as a corporate body established as the MG Car Club Limited, is a company limited by guarantee. Every member of the Company limited by guarantee Club undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Club in the The a corporate established as the MG Clubone eventClub, of itsasbeing woundbody up while he is a member, or Car within Limited, is a company limited by guarantee.

Every member of the year after he ceases to be a member, for payment of the debts Club undertakes to contribute to the before assets of Clubtoinbethea and liabilities of the Club contracted hethe ceases event of its woundcharges up while is a member, or within member, andbeing the costs, andheexpenses of winding up, one year after ceases to be a member, payment of theamong debts and for theheadjustment of the rights offorthe contributors and liabilitiessuch of the Club contracted before henot ceases to be a themselves, amount as may be required, exceeding member, and the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, one pound. and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributors among Whilst every effort has beenasmade the not accuracy of themselves, such amount may to beensure required, exceeding information one pound. at the time of going to press, neither The Publisher (herein referred to as Hine Marketing), the Editor, nor the MG Whilst every made to ensure accuracy to of any Car Club caneffort accepthas anybeen responsibility or lossthe occasioned information time of going to press, Publisher person actingatortherefraining from action as neither a resultThe of any material (herein referred to The as Hine Marketing), the are Editor, norown theand MGHine in the publication. opinions of authors their Car Club can lossare occasioned toto any Marketing, theaccept Editorany andresponsibility the MG Car or Club not bound agree person acting or refraining from Reproduction action as a result of anyormaterial with opinions expressed herein. in whole in part in the publication.

The opinions of authors are their own and Hine without written permission is prohibited. Safety Fast! and The MG Marketing, the Editor and the MG Car Club are not bound to in agree Car Club badge are protected through trademark registration with opinions Reproduction in whole in part the UK and in expressed the foreignherein. countries where Safety Fast! or circulates. without permission is prohibited.

Safety Fast! andorThe MG Readers written are warned that if they attempt any mechanical other Car Club badge protected through trademark registration modifications or are methods referred to herein, they do so at theirinown the in the foreign countries Safety risk UK andand no liability will attach to thewhere MG Car Club,Fast! the circulates.

Editor nor Readers are warned thatshall if they mechanical other Hine Marketing.

Neither theattempt MG Carany Club, the Editorornor Hine modifications or methods referred to herein, they do so at their own Marketing have any responsibility for the accuracy of the content of risk and no liability will attach to the MG Car Club, the Editor nor the editorial, neither the content of any advertisement published in Hine Marketing.

Neither shall the MG Car Club, the Editor nor Hine Safety Fast!

Marketing have any responsibility for the accuracy of the content of Ittheshould be noted that Hine the Editor, nor the MG editorial, neither theneither content of Marketing, any advertisement published in Car Club make any recommendation in respect of any goods and/ Safety Fast! or services advertised or featured in this issue. It is the responsibility Itofshould neither Hine theservices Editor, offered nor the or MG readersbetonoted satisfythat themselves that Marketing, the goods or Car Clubtomake any recommendation in respect any goods and/ referred are bona fide and in no instance shallofHine Marketing, or advertised or featured thisresponsible issue. It is for thethe responsibility theservices Editor or the MG Car Club be in held quality or of readersof toany satisfy suitability suchthemselves items. that the goods or services offered or referred to are bona fide and in no instance shall Hine Marketing, the Editor or the MG Car Club be held responsible for the quality or suitability of any such items.

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