Safety Fast! December 2015

M e r ry C h ri st m a s a nd

Happy New Y ear

DECEMBER 2015 ÂŁ3.50

Volume 59

Number 12

inside this month MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_Covers.indd 1

THE MARQUE OF FRIENDSHIP The X in your MG Part Hubert Charles: engineer extraordinary MGA Register 60th Anniversary Return to Dundrod Japanese Journey

20/11/2015 16:47

21st Century Technology for the Classic Motorist Startmonkey 400 is a revolutionary new alternative to the heavy battery jump pack. Weighing in at only 1100g and measuring just 210x65x64mm, it will start the 12 volt battery of any 4x4, van, car, boat or motorcycle between 15 and 20 times without requiring a recharge. It will retain 75% of its charge for at least a year. The roadside model connects to your battery with conventional crocodile clips while the motorsport model is fitted with a standard Anderson plug. £199.95 incl UK delivery and VAT. Zircotec has appointed British Motor Heritage as distributor and technical support for their incredible heat management products. Significant reduction in under-bonnet temperatures is possible by coating an exhaust manifold with Zircotec ThermoHold Coating. A range of 14 different coloured ceramic coatings provide the ultimate in thermal barrier performance whilst they are also an attractive durable finish that is easy to maintain. Please call for more information and a quotation to coat your exhaust components.

The Motoring Classic’s Powermonkey Discovery measures only 46x13x114mm yet can recharge an iPhone twice, standard mobile phones 3-4 times, or give iPods / MP3 players up to an additional 120 hours playtime. Simply recharge the unit from your computer USB or a mains charger (not supplied). £45.00 incl UK delivery and VAT.

buy online at www.motoringclassics.co.uk or call 01993 707200

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20/11/2015 16:47

MIDLAND

CLASSIC

R E S T O R AT I O N S

Servicing and MOTs, Restorations, Insurance Work, Full Trim Facilities, Full Race Preparation and Performance Modifications Offering a comprehensive range of services for all types of MGs and any classic motor car 5 minutes from Junction 6 of the M5 at Worcester

www.midlandclassicrestorations.co.uk

Call 01905 622166

Unit 4, Woodfield Business Units, Kidderminster Road, Ombersley, Droitwich, Worcs, WR9 0JH

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2015

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Sussex Classic MG Car Parts Huge range of MGB parts!

We stock MG Midget and MGB GT Roadster Parts and accessories including: bumpers, tuning, body, engine, seats, brakes, clutches, hardtops, windscreen, headlamps, mats, exhausts, chrome wheels, gearboxes, suspension, calipers and catalytic parts.

We sell online and from our premises at Partridge Green, and are always pleased to see visitors even if only for a chat about their cars.

Order your parts online or in store

Phone for our FREE exclusive parts catalogues OPENING TIMES: Mon - Fri: 8.30am – 5pm Sat: 9am – 12pm

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THE HUTSON MOTOR CO. LTD. Parts & Panels for TA to TF

BUY DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER

We manufacture a complete range of top quality ash frames and components, complete panelled bodies, individual steel parts. Full restorations undertaken on all classic cars.

Comprehensive paint shop and trim facilities.

Ash frame skeleton bodies.

Individual ash frame components and steel panels.

• Dashboards • Quarter Panels • Door Frames • Hood Finishers

T-Series ash frame sections & body panels are hand built in our Bradford factory.

Fully assembled complete panelled bodies for TA to TF.

Fast and efficient mail order • Helpful counter assistance Free Price Lists available Please telephone for your copy PAWSON STREET • BRADFORD • WEST YORKSHIRE • BD4 8DF TEL: 01274 669052 • FAX: 01274 669685 • Email: hutsonmc@talk21.com

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www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:59

Inside

this

issue

December 2015

18 Our MGs Fred Sutton’s 1968 MGC GT which he has owned for the last 37 years in a suitably snowy scene, taken a couple years ago after a heavy snowfall in Norfolk. Photo: Fred Sutton

Adam Sloman’s 1973 MGB GT

21 The X in your MG Part A look at X Part, genuine parts for MG Rover cars

24 Hubert Charles: engineer extraordinary An article by Mike Allison on the life and times of HN Charles

36 Stress Where does your ancient MG stand as far as stress is concerned?

Regulars 7 9

Editor’s Welcome A summary from Andy Knott

61 Luffield Championship

From the Chair

Club Matters from Ian Quarrington

10 News A great car made better, Michael Sedgwick Award and more

12 Kimber House News A few words from Bill Silcock

14 Products The latest products in the world of MG

16 Postbag Members have their say

30 Event Reports

62 Out and About Photos from MG events from around the world

64 Overseas News

Japanese Journey and European Magnette Event 2015

70 Overseas Review Safety Fast! keeps tabs on the overseas action

Looking ahead to 2016 Ron Gammons

60 MGs on Track The NEC Classic Motor Show and 2016 MGoT dates

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_03-51.indd 5

Newsletters 38 Y Type Newsletter

72 Centre Updates News from the MGCC Regional Centres

NEC Classic Motor Show, MGA Register 60th Anniversary Return to 82 Register Updates News from the MGCC Registers Dundrod and more

58 Race Torque

Latest news from the MGCC Luffield Speed Championship

92 Looking Back A selection of snippets from the MGCC archives

94 Classifieds Cars and Spares offered for sale

Reflections on 2015, a simple carburettor bowl repair and more

42 MGA Twin Cam Newsletter Clutch slave cylinder, Talking of Five Speed…, The Long and Short of it and more

48 V8 Newsletter

Check the age of your tyres, V8 Technical Day 2016, new coolant bleed procedure and more

52 ZR/ZS/ZT Newsletter Living long & prospering – The Story of the Vulcan Racing Team and more

DECEMBER 2015

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LAUNCHING OCTOBER 2015 L A U NPremium C H I car N storage G Osolutions CTO E and R your 2 0vehicle 15 for Byou, Premium carstorage storagewithin solutions for you, and your vehicle All inclusive a custom designed facility All inclusive storagefully within a custom designed facility Climate controlled, alarmed & monitored 24/7 Climate fully alarmed & monitored 24/7 Discreetcontrolled, location just outside of Stratford-Upon-Avon Discreet location just outside of Stratford-Upon-Avon

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Custom-blended for Classics

websites moss-europe.co.uk / moss-europe.fr facebook facebook.com/mosseurope twitter twitter.com/mosseurope ebay stores.ebay.co.uk/moss-europe-ltd

Dynolite Stockist: Moss Europe Ltd

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MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_03-51.indd 6

Approved Trade member for British Motor Heritage, MG Car Club, TR Register & FBHVC. ŠMoss Europe Ltd, E&OE 2015

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:59

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 2015 Editor: Andy Knott 01235 849730 / 01235 555552 andyknott@mgcc.co.uk Deputy Editor: Colin Grant 01235 849733 colingrant@mgcc.co.uk Editorial Committee: William Ball, Dennis Wharf, Colin Grant, Victor Smith, Adam Sloman Regular Contributors: Alwyn Morgan

Andy Knott

Editor

PR and Communications: Lauran Gallacher 01235 849735, Chris Kynoch 01235 849731 Advertising: Hine Marketing 01452 730770 Published by: Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton Glos, GL2 9LN. Tel: 01452 730770 Printed by: Precision Colour Printing. Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQ Tel: 01952 585585 President: John Day Vice Presidents: Ron Gammons, Don Hayter, Peter Best.

Chairman: Ian Quarrington Vice Chairman: George Wilder Treasurer: Richard Colston Directors: Dave Saunders, Paul Plummer, William Ball, George Wilder, Dave Tynan and Peter Cook Company Secretary: Colin Grant Staff Members: Adam Sloman (General Manager 01235 849732), John Hutchison (Competitions Secretary 01235 849738), Andy Knott (01235 849730), Liz Allsworth (Membership Secretary 01235 849734), John Inness (Exhibitions 01235 849737), Colin Grant (01235 849733), Lauran Gallacher (01235 849735), Cherina Scarrott (Finance Officer 01235 849736) and Chris Kynoch (01235 849731) Honorary Members: Michael Allison, Ron Gammons, Peter Best, Don Hayter, John Quenby, Sir Stirling Moss, Paddy Hopkirk, Norman Ewing, Rob Oldaker, Steve Hanegan, Gerry McGovern, June Wallis, Ann Hawke, John Dutton, John Day, Julian White.

Company limited by guarantee The Club, as a corporate body established as the MG Car Club Limited, is a company limited by guarantee. Every member of the Club undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Club in the event of its being wound up while he is a member, or within one year after he ceases to be a member, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the Club contracted before he ceases to be a member, and the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributors among themselves, such amount as may be required, not exceeding one pound.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information at the time of going to press, neither The Publisher (herein referred to as Hine Marketing), the Editor, nor the MG Car Club can accept any responsibility or loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in the publication. The opinions of authors are their own and Hine Marketing, the Editor and the MG Car Club are not bound to agree with opinions expressed herein.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Safety Fast! and The MG Car Club badge are protected through trademark registration in the UK and in the foreign countries where Safety Fast! circulates. Readers are warned that if they attempt any mechanical or other modifications or methods referred to herein, they do so at their own risk and no liability will attach to the MG Car Club, the Editor nor Hine Marketing. Neither shall the MG Car Club, the Editor nor Hine Marketing have any responsibility for the accuracy of the content of the editorial, neither the content of any advertisement published in Safety Fast!

It should be noted that neither Hine Marketing, the Editor, nor the MG Car Club make any recommendation in respect of any goods and/or services advertised or featured in this issue. It is the responsibility of readers to satisfy themselves 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.

The MG Car Club, Kimber House, PO Box 251, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1FF Tel: 01235 555552 Fax: 01235 533755 E-mail: mgcc@mgcc.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk

The NEC Classic Motor Show, what a way to finish off the 85th Anniversary of the MG Car Club. With Octagonal Cakes on the stand and a good selection of MGs and merchandise we welcomed a lot of new members to the Club over the weekend as well as taking a number of renewals. As ever the show seemed bigger than ever, which is a great sign that the classic car market is very buoyant at the moment.

The NEC was the last major show of the year but don’t put your MG into hibernation just yet as the Centres and Registers have got plenty of events in the run up to and over the Christmas period, events such as Christmas Dinners, Chilly Willy and Boxing Day runs to name but a few.

Mentioning Christmas, you’ve just enough time to order any last minute MGCC merchandise from the Club, some of which is shown within the pages of this issue, with the whole range available from the online shop www.mgcc.co.uk/shop. With the Christmas post, please make sure that from Europe you order by December 7 and UK by December 11 at the latest to ensure delivery before Christmas.

Next month we start a special series in the magazine detailing the history of the MGCC. Ex- BMC Competition Secretary and Safety Fast!

Editor Peter Browning has brought the articles that were published in the 70th Anniversary MGCC history book compiled by the much missed Mike Hawke up to date, and throughout 2016 we’ll be running the extracts on the history of the MGCC. Due to the good weather work is progressing at quite a pace on the new archive extension; to reiterate my notes last month, visitors remain welcome at Kimber House, however we would ask that anyone visiting, especially large groups, give us prior warning to allow us to accommodate you during this time as car park space will be limited and parts of the building may be inaccessible. Please bear in mind also that Kimber House will be closed from Wednesday December 23 2015 and the office will reopen at 9.00am on Monday January 4 2016. Finally let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Until next month, drive safely

@mgcarclub

If visiting The MG Car Club using Sat Nav please use OX14 1AS

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2015

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23/11/2015 14:59

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23/11/2015 14:59

FROM

THE CHAIR

Ian Quarrington Club Matters from

These are my first Chairman’s words for Safety Fast!. I feel honoured to have been elected as your Chairman for the next 12 months. I must start by publicly thanking my predecessor, Bill Silcock, without whose gentle guidance and enormous experience I would not be able to take on this role.

The MG Car Club has had yet another successful year. It is hard to choose from all the events across the UK and the world where the Club has been promoting itself but we have had six wonderful racing events; MGLive! was a stunning success; and most recently the Club was extremely well represented at the NEC Classic Car show. But where it really counts is with you, the members, and all the volunteers who give their time day after day (and often many evenings too), whether that is by organising an event, offering technical help to another member or being part of our CRB committees, or whether you come along to support those who make these events happen. Too often people are reluctant to

volunteer to help because of the worry of commitment. My own personal experience is totally the opposite so I would encourage you to get involved, the rewards far outweigh the input, I can assure you. None of our success can be attained without volunteer effort.

Whilst it is right to acknowledge how we fared in 2015, we have for sometime been looking forward and planning for 2016 and well beyond. The initiative to attract younger members into the Club has already started. At the NEC Classic Car Show we were able to ask a great many young people what they wanted and expected from a Car Club. These surveys will give us an insight into how we can encourage this generation to be involved; we will launch our plans fully in the Spring. The Bill Wallis Archive building work continues apace, project managed

by Dave Saunders from the Board of Directors. We hope you will all see the Archive as a big step forward for the Club

and a huge benefit of your membership.

We continue to look at our IT project so we can allow members more access to the data we hold and keep it fresh and available to you. Our relationship with SAIC continues to prosper: Adam Sloman has recently returned from Dubai where he was promoting the Car Club at the launch of the latest MG model, you can read more on that in next month’s magazine.

At the first Council meeting I attended the feeling was one of ‘Evolution, not Revolution’. Now we are looking at moving that to a determination to provide Continuous Improvement, and that applies to all that staff at Kimber House are doing for the membership, guided by and supported by the Board.

This is a team effort and so I hope you will understand that rather than begin my notes with a photo of the Chairman as has become tradition, I have chosen to show you the team at Kimber House including our President John Day.

“I’m not going to tell you what your present is: that would spoil the surprise!” www.mgcc.co.uk

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NEWS NEWSLETTER

Ann Riley (nee Wisdom) May 28 1934 to October 14 2015 We are very sorry to report the passing of Ann Riley (born Ann Wisdom), on October 14 2015, after fighting illness.

As Pat Moss’s long-time co-driver in international rallying, Ann and Pat were one of the most formidable and successful teams in the sport, not only in the Ladies’ category, which they habitually dominated, but competitive at the same level as the men in this exciting, colourful and gruelling sport.

Her husband Peter, along with her daughter Jenny and son Tim, survive her.

Backed by the thousands of friends and fans who admired the Moss/Wisdom partnership, they will miss her greatly.

A full tribute to Ann is published on the MG Car Club website.

A great car made better MG’s trendy MG3 has just got even better with the introduction of new technology, designed to give better economy and lower emissions.

The MG3 2016 MY (model year) offers customers better fuel consumption, lower tax and an updated personalisation range; which includes the launch of new combinations and roof colours. The supermini, which now benefits from a more economical 124g/km of CO2 and a stop-start EU6 engine, also comes with a new chrome grille to complement the MG family face.

Customers who are looking to make their car even more unique, and really

stand out from the crowd, will be pleased to hear that the MG3’s Red Rose and Hello Yellow paints are now available with selected roof colour combinations: white or black.

Customers can choose from the four models available, all priced as nicely as the car itself: MG3 3Time (from £8,399); MG3 3Form (from £9,599); MG3 3Form Sport (from £9,899); MG3 3Style (from £10,499); and MG3 3Style Lux, which comes with the addition of leather seats (from £10,999). The MG3 2016 is available on 0% finance, so book a test drive at your local dealer now and find out what this much-loved supermini has to offer.

Midland Centre AGM Date: January 18 2016 Location: Somers Sports & Social Club, Halesowen Time: 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 & trials report Curborough report Any other business Election of Centre officers Election of committee Close of meeting All nominations for election to committee and any other communications to the secretary, Paul Hollingworth, 92 Old Birmingham Road, Lickey End, Bromsgrove B60 1 DG by January 4 2016.

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Stewart Penfound scoops Michael Sedgwick Award MGCC T Register Specials Registrar Stewart Penfound was presented with the prestigious Michael Sedgwick Award at the AGM of The Society of Automotive Historians in Britain on October 25 for his recently published book ‘Harry Lester, His Cars and The Monkey Stable’.

The award is named after the renowned motoring historian the late Michael Sedgwick and is given for a publication that is the result of new research into a subject relating to British motoring history.

Seven publications were nominated for the award and Stewart’s book was judged by the SAHB as being the best overall to ‘demonstrate excellence in its research, presentation, readability and novelty, and to materially further understanding of the subject’.

Publication of the book was announced in Safety Fast! earlier this year; it is the story of Harry Lester and his cars, together with the exploits of The Monkey Stable during their brief but significant racing career.

Garage owner and expert tuner of MG cars, Harry Lester was one of the more successful sports car competitors in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1949 he designed and built his own car, with a rigid tubular chassis, fitted with a lightweight aluminium body and utilising the favoured engine of many club racers of the time, the XPAG unit from the MGTC. Containing much previously-unseen material, it is a story as much about the period and the characters as the cars and is a significant addition not only to MG history but to the record of motor racing immediately after the end of the Second World War. To find out more, and to obtain a copy, visit the website www.lester-mg.co.uk

www.mgcc.co.uk

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NEWS NEWSLETTER

Social News Media Kimber House

A few words from Bill Silcock In last month’s notes I did not have sufficient space to say some very big thank yous to various people, without whose help I would not have been able to carry out my role as your Chairman.

Firstly to the ongoing Club treasurer Richard Colston, who has always been able to provide the financial data and other close support when we needed to make big decisions to move the club forward.

Next to Paul Plummer, who joined the board with me and became Overseas Director, committing vast amounts of time and energy to keeping up and expanding the Club’s global footprint; he has now handed on this onerous task to Peter Cook who I wish well in his future travels.

To my fellow retiring directors Richard Martin and Peter Skipper, a thank you for their support in the roles they were asked to undertake. I would also like to thank the continuing board members and wish them success in their future endeavours.

I wish Ian well, and with the support of George Wilder, who also provided me with support in my initial year, I’m sure he will continue to move the Club forward.

Finally thanks to our President, John Day, who has always been available with a good historical perspective and sound advice.

Welcome...

A big welcome is in order for new Finance Officer Cherina Scarrott who has replaced Gerry McGreevy, who had unfortunately been experiencing some health issues and had to step down from his post. We all wish Gerry the best for the future.

Cherina comes in with a wealth of experience and has already adapted well to life at Kimber House. She was born in Gloucester but moved to the Oxfordshire area at the age of 12 where she has remained since. Her previous job was at WG Powell Ltd - a post she held for just shy of 36 years until the company ceased trade only recently.

Round Up

2

Just before the beginning of the month we released our first Safety Fast! Podcast, which is available to download on iTunes and SoundCloud, and features Club President John Day as the special guest.

We’ve started a #MurrellMondays feature that runs across our social media channels and counts down Club Photographer Colin Murrell’s top ten MG pictures from down the years.

Some more bizarre photos have also been doing the rounds. An MGB hoisted up by a hot air balloon, a photograph of the factory telephone, and an old bicycle dismount sign that still sits outside Kimber House to this day.

We also had a lot of content from the NEC Classic Motor Show, including a video of TV presenters Ant Antstead and Edd China cutting our 85th Birthday cake, and a Periscope so those that couldn’t be at the show could see what it was all about.

Formula One driver Pastor Maldonado was driven around in an MG TD on the parade lap at the Mexico Grand Prix – thanks to the T Register and MG Car Club of Mexico for picking that one up.

Alongside that we’ve been having some fun with Twitter – and more specifically with the Tesco Mobile and Old Speckled Henry accounts. Instagram has once again been handed some pretty pictures, and our Pinterest and Google Plus accounts are coming along nicely too. If you haven’t followed us on any of these yet, be sure to do so for some cracking content.

14

29

The work on the Bill Wallis Wing is coming along well here at Kimber House; however progress has been slightly hindered due to poor weather. A lot of brickwork can be seen now though, and the roof should be up by next month’s update

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F: www.facebook.com/MGCarClub T: @MGCarClub I: @MGCarClub

O D

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:59

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11 Days, 10 Nights 11 Days, 10 Nights

£1599.00 Per Person FromFrom £1599.00 Per Person

May,May, JuneJune & September & September

8 Days, 7 Nights 8 Days, 7 Nights

£699.00 Per Person FromFrom £699.00 Per Person

JERSEY JERSEY INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL MOTORING MOTORING FESTIVAL FESTIVAL 1st or 1st2nd or 2nd JuneJune 17th 17th to 8th 22 Days from £2395.00 SeptSept to 8th OctOct - 22- Days from £2395.00 6 Days, 5 Nights 5 Days 4 Nights 6 Days, 5 Nights or 5 or Days 4 Nights

From £399.00 Per Person From £399.00 Per Person

DISTRICT THETHE LAKELAKE DISTRICT

& September JuneJune & September

4 Days, 4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

3rd 3rd to 7th to 7th JuneJune& the & the Atlantic Atlantic Road Road

5 Days, 5 Days, 4 Nights 4 Nights

FromFrom £479.00 £479.00 Per Person Per Person

4 Days, 4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

FromFrom £289.00 £289.00 Per Person Per Person

DUTCH WINDMILLS WINDMILLS & WATERWAYS & WATERWAYS 14th14th to 23rd to 23rd August August - 10-Days 10 Days From From £1995.00 £1995.00DUTCH

in in Bruges Bruges

Norwegian NorwegianFjords Fjords

FromFrom £229.00 £229.00 Per Person Per Person

GORDON GORDON BENNETT BENNETT ROUTE ROUTE

New NewYears YearsEve Eve

PicosdedeEuropa Europa & &Picos

MayMay & October & October

4 Days, 4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

BELGIAN BELGIAN DELIGHTS DELIGHTS to 30th 10 Days £1995.00THETHE 20th20th to 30th AprilApril - 10 -Days fromfrom £1995.00

NorthernSpain Spain Northern

AprilApril & September & September

ITALIAN LAKES TOUR ITALIAN LAKES TOUR

& September JuneJune & September

13 Days, 13 Days, 12 Nights 12 Nights

FromFrom £1099.00 £1099.00 Per Person Per Person

20162016 BRUGES BRUGES CLASSIC CLASSIC CARCAR FESTIVAL FESTIVAL 4 Days, 3 Nights 4 Days, 3 Nights

IRELAND’S WILD ATLANTIC IRELAND’S WILD ATLANTIC WAYWAY 8 Days, 7 Nights 8 Days, 7 Nights

ITALIAN RIVIERA & CINQUE TERRE ITALIAN RIVIERA & CINQUE TERRE 13 Days, 12 Nights 13 Days, 12 Nights

26th26th to 29th to 29th August August

£299.00 Per Person FromFrom £299.00 Per Person

& September14th June,June, JulyJuly & September 14th to 28th to 28th August August - 15- Days 15 Days From From £2199.00 £2199.00

Valkenburg Valkenburg

£699.00 Per Person FromFrom £699.00 Per Person

to 7th 26th26th MayMay to 7th JuneJune

£1099.00 Per Person FromFrom £1099.00 Per Person

GAME GAME OF THRONES OF THRONES ‘THE‘THE TOUR’ TOUR’ 26th26th to 30th to 30th September September 5 Days, 4 Nights 4 Nights FromFrom £399.00 £399.00 Per Person Per Person 29th/30th 29th/30th December December - 3/4- Days 3/4 Days fromfrom £449.00 £449.005 Days, ANGOULEME ANGOULEME ‘CIRCUIT ‘CIRCUIT DESDES REMPARTS’ REMPARTS’ 15th15th to 20th to 20th September September

LeLeMans MansClassic Classic

6 Days, 6 Days, 5 Nights 5 Nights

ChristmasMarket Market Christmas

FromFrom £489.00 £489.00 Per Person Per Person

LAKELAKE ANNECY ANNECY & THE & THE PASSES PASSES OF THE OF THE MAURIENNE MAURIENNE 9 Days, 9 Days, 8 Nights 8 Nights

Dates Dates & Prices & Prices to betoconfi be confi rmed rmed

GRAND IRELAND TOUR GRAND IRELAND TOUR

August to 3rd September 23rd23rd August to 3rd September 12 Days, 12 Days, 11 Nights 11 Nights FromFrom £999.00 £999.00 Per Person Per Person4th4th to 7th to 7th December December - 4 Days - 4 Days From From £299.00 £299.00 BRUSSELS BRUSSELS & THE & THE CARPET CARPET OF FLOWERS OF FLOWERS 12th12th to 15th to 15th August August

Canadian CanadianRockies Rockies

4 Days, 4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

FromFrom £199.00 £199.00 Per Person Per Person

EDINBURGH EDINBURGH & THE & THE SCOTTISH SCOTTISH BORDERS BORDERS 1st to 1st4th to 4th September September

& Optional & Optional Alaska Alaska Cruise Cruise

4 Days, 4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

FromFrom £249.00 £249.00 Per Person Per Person

7th 7th to 11th to 11th JulyJuly - 5 Days - 5 Days From From £199.00 £199.00MILLE MILLE MIGLIA MIGLIA 20162016

IN THE IN THE FOOTSTEPS FOOTSTEPS OF OF

10 Days, 10 Days, 9 Nights 9 Nights

FromFrom £999.00 £999.00 Per Person Per Person

ANTWERP ANTWERP & THE & THE TALLTALL SHIPS SHIPS 4 Days, 4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

Our New Our New 22 Day, 22 Day, 21 Night 21 Night TourTour DatesDates and Prices and Prices to betoconfi be confi rmedrmed

to 26th 16th16th to 26th MayMay 7th 7th to 10th to 10th JulyJuly

FromFrom £199.00 £199.00 Per Person Per Person

ICE ICE DRIVING DRIVING ININ NORWAY NORWAY

4 Days,4 Days, 3 Nights 3 Nights

by Airby - Departing Air - Departing Thursdays Thursdays & Sundays & Sundays in February in February

From From £1995.00 £1995.00 PerPer Person Person

6th6th to 25th to 25th June June - 20- Days 20 Days From From £3995.00 £3995.00

For Forfurther furtherdetails detailsofofour ourtours tourscall callususonon 01732 01732879153 879153 ororsee seeour ourwebsite website- www.sceniccartours.com - www.sceniccartours.com

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_03-51.indd 13 Untitled-1 Untitled-1 1 1

23/11/2015 14:59 25/09/2015 25/09/2015 12:25:02 12:25:02

PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

The Rover Group – Company and Cars 1986–2000

by Mike Gould ‘The Rover Group – Company and Cars’ is a comprehensive history of the company and a guide to its products. In the chapter called Home-Grown it covers the modern MGs, being the RV8, Zed range, F and TFs, and its motorsport and record breaking attempts, plus a potted history of MG at the time.

Centring on the period of the official existence of the Rover Group, the book also examines the events leading up to its formation in 1986 and its controversial aftermath, following its dismemberment in 2000. The book is backed by first-hand accounts from Rover employees, as well as a foreword by Jon Moulton, the man behind several bids to acquire elements of the company. It includes production histories and full specification guides to its cars.

The Rover Group is a compelling insider’s account of one of the most controversial periods in the British motor industry.

The book covers: the beginnings of Rover and its place in British Leyland; Land Rover’s expansion in the 1980s and how it led to

the foundation of the Rover Group; Rover under British Aerospace and the sell-off to BMW; Rover’s struggle under German management and BMW’s disposal of the Group and finally, the aftermath of Rover’s collapse – MG Rover, Land Rover and MINI. ISBN number 9781847979391

New From NTG Heavy duty super water pump for MG TB TC TD TF Y-TYPE. Completely re-engineered with superior internals. Sealed for life and inludes pulley. Doubles water flow to greatly improve cooling. £333.00 Inc VAT MGA & Magnette ZA ZB Catalogue – latest edition featuring many new items and detailed illustrations, backed up by very large stocks and helpful advice via telephone. £5.00 including post.

Contact NTG Motor Services Ltd, 282-284 Bramford Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 4AY Tel: 01473 406031 or 01473 406032

Meguiar’s Headlight and Clear Plastic Restoration Kit Meguiar’s Headlight and Clear Plastic Restoration Kit restores like-new clarity to cloudy, scratched, oxidised and yellowed, uncoated plastic surfaces.

Meguiar’s unique Plast-RX formula works in tandem with our unique buffing pad and your drill to safely deliver amazing results in just minutes! No extra steps, complicated solutions or sanding with abrasives that can damage plastic and surrounding paint and trim.

This Restoration Kit effectively removes fine scratches, surface contaminants, oxidation, cloudiness and yellowing, leaving plastics brilliantly clear and polished, from headlights, brake lights, plastic convertible windows, motorcycle windscreens, helmet face shields, boat windows and more!

Priced at £22.50 and is available from your local Meguiars stockist

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MGF/TF Heated Rear Window Switches With the supply of the original MG Rover HRW (heated rear window) switches YUG101570PMP finally drying up, MGFMania now have re-manufactured switches for sale at £20 with their HRW Panels and glass screened hoods. The picture shows the original switch on the top right and the repro on the left.

For further information or to place an order contact MGFMania on 01565 740288 or 07778 149632

www.mgcc.co.uk

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POSTBAG FEATURE

Glassfibre MGB Passenger Footrest Many, many years ago when I was running the BMC Special Tuning Department at Abingdon, alongside the Competitions Department I arranged to have a passenger footrest made in glassfibre by Danamos Developments. They did all the glassfibre work for us, including such high volume parts as the various Mini wing extensions, doors, bonnets, tailgates, fuel tank guards, seat buckets, dash panels and more. When both Abingdon departments closed, sale dropped to such an extent that Danamos moved into boat-building and disposed of all the crucial moulds.

My historic MGB that featured on the MG Stand at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show was a USA specification chromebumper car specially prepared by the MG Show Shop managed

by Tim Binnington using Minor Millionth Lilac Metallic paint.

It comprised a bare shell mounted on a rotating spit to draw maximum attention. At that time my role as BMC Sportscar Specialist Service Engineer was to travel wherever a sports car owner complained that his car was not as it should be. I then returned to Abingdon to tell the management what I found to be wrong. With me delivering nothing but criticism in was an unexpected tonic to be greeted on the stand by enthusiastic and well-satisfied owners.

Much later I bought that unique car without any VIN plate or credentials, to find on inspection at home that it was nothing but a shell. No internals to the engine, the gearbox, the back axle and even the wiring loom was cut away where it was not visible. Two vital aspects combined to help me in its restoration to be a runner. Alan Foster, who raced MGAs for Dick Jacobs, found a wrecked 1963 MGB in the compound at the premises of his London Sports Car Centre and negotiated a favourable price for it with the owner. Secondly, MGBs were popular cars for stage tuning and other special tuning modifications. The unwanted displaced parts were destined for the scrap pile, but Chief Accountant Norman Higgins sold me the necessary parts for my rebuild with all the requisite receipts.

Close examination of the unique paintwork revealed that as a result of many repaints between shows the finish had started to deteriorate to the extent that a complete strip and repaint in the original colour was required. This was undertaken by Dave Horseman in Witney whose professional care went to the extent of waiting for fine weather before doing the spraying in the booth.

Now that I have got this classic car back on the road the travelling comfort of my passengers would be much improved if I could trace an original glassfibre footrest.

Can you help, or do you know anyone who just might own such a part? Telephone me on 01865 863297 to give me any news that might help.

Basil Wales

Classic Car Insurance I enjoyed reading November’s SF!, particularly Edward Vandyk’s excellent report on the MGA Lands End-John o’Groats Tour on which I was fortunate enough to be a participant.

I was also very interested in the article about Classic Vehicle Insurance in which some very interesting points are raised.

Peter Best does advise everyone to check what you are getting for your money and this is really good advice, but I think that maybe he should have told everyone to really carefully read their policy’s small print.

I came across a problem with my cover about three years ago after reading a thread in one of the MG online forums.

This was that some insurance brokers have underwriters that have non-negotiable clauses in their terms and conditions that include some impossible conditions.

These are the ones that most concerned me: The car must be locked and the soft top must be erected whenever it is parked or left unattended at any time. This even included when the car is left unattended on a petrol station forecourt when the driver goes to the kiosk to pay for the fuel!

Bear in mind that the MGA roadster has no door locks and that if you are on your own, it can take you 10 minutes to fit the soft top Fitting the tonneau cover instead of the soft top was not considered secure enough and therefore not allowed. I did try to explain that it is no more difficult to ‘unlock’ a soft top than it is a tonneau cover if you have a sharp knife!

They were adamant that the car must be locked which meant that I would have to modify the car to fit door locks.

I found this out after I had been on a long trip abroad in the car and which made me realise that the car must have been uninsured for most of the trip. So I naturally switched to a new insurer at that point.

Then a year later, when I renewed my policy with this second insurer, I re-checked the policy and found that they also now had a new underwriter who also insisted that I had to fit locks again!

So, once again I had to contact quite a few providers to ask them about their policies’ conditions.

One insurer wouldn`t cover my car if I parked it outside on the street if I was away from home. In other words, it had to be garaged if I ever went away from home! Hopeless!

Another provider told me that I could only use the car for leisure and not for everyday use, specifically I would be insured for a drive out to the seaside for example, but if I called in at a supermarket on the way home to pick up some shopping, the car would not be covered for that as this was not leisure! I couldn`t believe it.

As you can imagine, I didn’t even ask either of them for a quote.

These companies are all very well known names in classic car insurance.

To be fair, most of the people with whom I spoke at their call centres understood my point of view, but they were obviously reading from their underwriters’ rule books and were unable to help me resolve this.

The company I am with at the moment actually laughed at me when I asked them if I would be covered in all these situations; they thought I was joking!

So for now I am more than happy with this broker as they do not have these unreasonable exclusions, but I will still be sure to check the small print when it comes to renewal day and I would advise everyone else to do the same.

Colyn Firth

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OUR MGS

On the road again…

W

hen I last reported on my BGT it wasn’t in the best of health and was almost 200 miles away,

in Devon.

With MGLive! fast approaching there was no chance of me being able to take any time off to sort the car so I took a different approach and begged a friend for help.

Thankfully back down in Devon, a friend of mine, Lee Baker, was willing to help me out. Lee works at Tipton Garage, in the tiny village of Tipton St John. Lee and I immediately set to work trying to get the B to run – his suggestion was to start at the back of the car – I had replaced the fuel pump with a genuine Burlen/SU item a little over 12 months ago, so we knew that was good, however Lee felt the whole system needed attention. His plan was to drop the tank and flush it out, clean the lines and then strip and rebuild the carbs.

With a shopping list in hand I contacted Moss Europe and a day later, Lee had all he needed. With the lines flushed, the carbs rebuilt and some fresh fuel, the B spluttered into life and the B was ready for an MoT – thankfully it passed and a few days later the B had arrived in the Cotswolds, thanks to my Father in law, who enjoyed a Grand Tour in the GT from Devon – taking in the likes of Bath city centre as he wound his way from Exeter to Fairford.

To say I was thrilled to have the B back on the road was something of an understatement and that first drive in to Abingdon was a genuinely moving experience – this was the first time the car had returned to Abingdon since it was dispatched to Pikes of Exeter back in 1973. I’d like to think my Dad would be proud to know I’d brought his B back to the place it was born.

Cars of course, need to be used and while the B now had an MoT the commute did through up a few issues – the temperature/ oil pressure gauge had stopped working, the indicators were erractic at best and the horn stopped working.

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A flasher unit and gauge was ordered again from Moss – however the horn switch however proved much, much harder – it’s often said that you could build a new B from spares off the shelf – well if you want to build a 1973 B you’ll be stuck when it comes to a horn switch.

Nobody has them new, or new old stock.

Not wanting to risk the drive to Silverstone without a horn, I contacted John Watson, Chairman of the B Register, who put me in touch with Steve at Abingdon Car Restorations (01235 833970) who carry a good range of second hand spares. Steve came up trumps and the following day John dropped into Kimber House with both a new horn push switch and an alternative option in the form of a stalk switch in case the original-spec item failed.

With spares in hand, all seemed like it was coming into place – a few hours happy tinkering and I’d be all set for Silverstone on Thursday. Fate, it seemed, had other ideas because on Tuesday evening I went down with a case of food poisoning. Wednesday was written off and I was due at Silverstone by noon – time was not on my side.

As soon as the sun came up I started work and it was probably the hardest work I’ve ever done to a car – none of it was challenging, quite the opposite, but the food poisoning had taken its toll – lifting the spanner to undo the temperature sender felt like lifting a ten-ton weight and I was forced to take regular breaks – I felt utterly pathetic, ignoring the advice of my wife to just take my ZS – I wanted the BGT there. By 11am I was shattered, but the car was ready!

The drive to Silverstone could not have gone better – with the sun shining and the roof open all of the effort had been worth it – it might not be the best B in the world but to me there’s nothing better

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 15:00

FEATURE

Adam Sloman’s

1973 MGB GT

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2015

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www.mgcc.co.uk

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FEATURE

H

ave you ever wondered what happened to the spares supply when MG Rover went into liquidation in 2005, and why there is a continuing supply of new parts still available for our beloved MG Rover cars to this day?

Well I’m pleased to say that XPart, originally part of Cat Logistics and acquired from MG Rover in 2004, are still in business and thriving. Since 2012 they have become part of Neovia Logistic.

Originally operating out of Desford, they now are based in Hinckley, having relocated there in June 2014.

XPart carry over 20,000 parts (£15 million worth) in stock for the MG Rover range of cars from the Rover Mini through to the SAIC TF, and are adding to this

by having parts re-manufactured. Their fastest moving parts, not surprisingly, are consumable service items such as plugs and oil filters. Their parts are sold through 98 UK Parts Wholesalers, 230 UK AutoService centres, 375 European dealers, and are selling in over 50 markets.

As parts go out of stock they look to re-source products locally; failing that they have to look worldwide for the most cost effective, but premium quality solution.

They have to be flexible when they see that a part is becoming NLA (no longer available), and prioritise getting critical parts back into supply at cost effective prices, over parts that are cosmetic or have an alternative that can be used. Steve George, General Manager of XPart, says that wherever possible they strive to have

Put the in your MG Part

Gear Selector Cables

parts reproduced to a higher specification than the original item. For example the MGF/TF gear-change cables which went out of stock, have been re-engineered by a local firm to a higher standard than original items. The main objective is to keep cars on the road and wherever possible parts will be reproduced to do this.

XPart’s delivery and distribution system is their jewel in the crown and continues to be a real competitive advantage for them, enabling them to offer a premium delivery service to their customers. XPart continue to offer back up support in the form of general Technical Support, an Electronic Parts Catalogue, RAVE workshop manual, T4 Diagnostic Support, strong web presence and marketing and PR. XPart AutoService centres have access to the diagnostic and technical support that was once only available through the MG Rover franchise network. Because a

by Colin Grant

Dispatch department

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2015

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FEATURE

growing number of AutoService centres are not hindered by the high overheads of a new car franchise, they are better able to deliver service and repair products that suit the needs of their MG/Rover customers. It is a balance between appropriate value for money servicing and the duty of care that you would expect from a trusted repairer.

XPart offer ‘Close Call’, which was launched in 2006 and is a write-off avoidance programme for MG Rover vehicles. The aim is to build a close working relationship between the XPart network and Insurance Companies, Bodyshops and Vehicle Repairers to ensure all MG Rover vehicles are kept on the road where possible with affordable parts. The objective of ‘Close Call’ is to review (on request from the XPart network) the prices of expensive body, electrical and mechanical parts, so that repair costs become economically viable. If the cost of the part(s) would ultimately mean that the car is not repaired, then there is a process in place to potentially approve special pricing, depending upon the nature of the part and the circumstances of the repair. ‘Close Call’ offers a response turnaround time of less than 24 hours Monday to Friday from receipt of the enquiry.

Vast warehouse houses XParts stock of parts

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A selection of re engineered parts

The procedure is to take your vehicle to a repairer who generates an estimate.

The Vehicle Owner receives the estimate from the Repairer. If the vehicle is deemed uneconomical to repair, then it’s a ‘Close Call’.

The Repairer contacts their XPart Wholesaler who will submit a request form to the ‘Close Call’

team with Pre-Accident Value of the vehicle and parts saving required.

The ‘Close Call’ team review and return revised pricing to the XPart Wholesaler.

The ‘Close Call’ team will keep the vehicle on the road where possible.

The Vehicle Owner decides whether the vehicle is now economical to repair.

The XPart Wholesaler contacts the ‘Close Call’ team with their decision.

The ‘Close Call’ team processes the parts order, with agreed pricing. Parts are then delivered to the XPart Wholesaler and then on to the repairer.

Over 5,000 call submissions have been made since its launch, which are normally processed the same day. It is estimated that over 75 per cent of claims have resulted in the revised offer being accepted and the car being returned to the road and thus saving it from being scrapped.

Next time you order a part for your MG, spare a thought to the great work the team at XPart are doing on our behalf.

My thanks go to Ian Spencer, Steve George, and Gary Hodgson of XPart for their assistance in producing this article.

Parts being picked

www.mgcc.co.uk

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FEATURE

MG management, messrs (A) Muzzell (B) Charles (C) Colegrove (D) Cousins (E) Kimber (F) Propert (G) Lord Nuffield (H) Maynard (J) Pennock.

Hubert Charles: engineer extraordinary

By Mike Allison

T

here are few engineers who are truly worthy of being honoured by such a title, indeed it is probably true to say that only a small number would so consider themselves other than fulfilling the job for which they were being paid.

Truly extraordinary, one would have to include James Watt, Richard Trevithick,

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Richard Arkwright, Thomas Telford, Joseph Whitworth, Isambard Brunel and Robert Stephenson from the previous centuries: men who made a mark on this world, far in excess of their nominal works. Then there were slightly lesser mortals, whose works are still admired, Abraham Darby and Henry Bessemer might be included in this list, which

would be too long to enumerate fully: people who made a significant contribution to the history of engineering products. In the motor industry, amongst the truly original thinkers connected with the motor industry were Karl Benz, Marc Birkigt, Frederick Lanchester, and Laurence Pomeroy senior, Georges Roesch, Hubert Charles, and Alec Issigonis might be in such a list. Hubert Charles is, perhaps a surprise in this exalted company, but I will make the case in what follows, basing my thesis not on Charles the designer of the most successful and famous British sports cars of the 1930s, but on Charles’ experience across a wide spectrum of engineering disciplines.

Charles was also one of the first to take a more modern outlook on their works, and gave credit to those who helped him achieve his ends, unlike many of his predecessors.

Where, for instance, would Brunel be without Gooch? Very few great men achieve their aims without others to assist, and in this Charles was possibly too generous.

Charles was born into a successful middle-class family on November 22 1893.

His father was a London solicitor, Thomas Charles, himself born in the tiny hamlet of Water End, near Hemel Hempstead, and his mother was born Constance Hope, who originated from Hastings. The Charles family settled in Totteridge, now part of the northern

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 15:00

FEATURE

MGs being worked on at the Edmund Road factory.

extremity of London, but in the late 19th century still a small country village, and so Hubert Noel was born in Barnet. There was an older sister, Marjory Hope, who was to marry Graham Dawson in 1916, a pilot in the RNAS who was destined to have a very distinguished career in the RAF, being an Air Vice Marshal at the time of his death as a result of an aircraft accident in 1944.

Hubert attended Sir Roger Chomeley’s School in Highgate, obtaining sufficient credit to enable him to study mechanical engineering at University College, London.

He obtained First Class Honours in his B.Sc. course, and immediately obtained work developing the engine of a Triumph motorcycle for racing, and installing a fuel injection system of his own design. Sadly, this work was ill timed, and the machine was never completed, as the Great War had started, and Charles found himself in the Royal Naval Air Service, gazetted as a sublieutenant (Engineer). It is not recorded that it was through Hubert that Marjory met her future husband, or whether this meeting was as a result of his being injured during the Gallipoli campaign.

Sub-lieutenant Charles was working on the primitive naval aeroplanes and airships, and was particularly concerned with the engine cut-out with aeroplanes which occurred during tight aerial turns, although these were not as serious with naval aircraft, at the time only used for reconnaissance work. He was transferred to the Royal Flying

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_03-51.indd 25

Corps of the army, where aeroplanes were becoming used in combat roles. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and was henceforth, from 1917, working in the crash investigation arm of that service, the 56th Squadron, and then promoted captain. He was called to find the cause of the crash of a SE5a plane which had caused the death of one of the most experienced pilots of the time, Captain James McCuddon, and was able to explain the crash on a carburetter fault, causing the engine to misfire and the aeroplane to stall, this leading to the development of the more famous SE5b, fitted

with the Wolseley Viper engine. By 1919, Charles was in the newly formed Royal Air Force, where he was promoted to the rank of squadron leader, which encouraged him to remain in the service for another year, before finding a niche as chief engineer in 1921 at the Leamington Spa works of the Zephyr Carburetter Co, and working on car and aircraft applications.

The owner and managing director of Zephyr was Denis Brock. Charles filed three patents during his time at Zephyr, always with Brock as joint applicant, no doubt as MD of the company, rather than actually contributing to the work. Over the next years, Brock had formed a working relationship with Edward Boughton and William Emmott, who were located nearby in their Automotive Products Company, working on applications of the Lockheed hydraulic brakes which had recently become available in the United States. These two took Brock into partnership in 1926, and there was no place for Charles and his carburetters, and he was apparently effectively demoted. Whether this was at the root of his future dislike of hydraulic brakes is not recorded, but it seems likely, although it has to be said that hydraulic application of any given lining area to any given drum does not secure a more efficient braking performance than that employing rods or cables.

Charles made it known that he was looking for a senior job, and as so often happened in the 1920s, he was snapped up by Sir William Morris, who appreciated good engineers in his burgeoning company.

Charles was put alongside William Woollard, Chief Engineer of Morris Engines Ltd, who was at the time designing a new engine for an 18hp Morris car, with overhead camshaft, to replace the six cylinder side valve units, which had been totally unsuccessful. Charles moved into rented rooms in Woodstock Road,

MG 18/80s and M Type Midgets head down the MG Abingdon factory line

DECEMBER 2015

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FEATURE

A selection of Triple M Cars having a final fettle in the Abingdon MG factory

HN Charles (tall suited gentleman) overlooks the work on the C Type Midgets

The R Type suspension working hard as Doreen Evans puts it through its paces.

Oxford, some five miles from the Cowley works, where he spent his working days, but more importantly a few doors from the home of Cecil Kimber, who was busy thinking about a new model MG based on the new Morris engine. Kimber naturally knew Charles, and quickly secured his (unpaid) help in getting the MG Six laid out. Charles sketched ideas, and Kimber expected his man Cousins to draw the details. Now Cecil Cousins was a good practical man, with no academic training; he had learnt his trade in the old-fashioned way of listening to and watching the skilled men, and proving a first-class mechanic had then risen to be foreman. He told Kimber that he needed a man to help with this detailing work, upon which the reputation of the nascent MG Car Co depended. A few people were interviewed, and in the end Cousins chose a young man from Maidenhead with the necessary background. This man was Reginald Jackson. Jackson, although himself not a draughtsman, knew enough about third-angle projection to make passable drawings from Charles’ sketches, but by the end of 1928, Charles had officially transferred to MG and his staff had been increased with

the addition of a qualified draughtsman, Keith Smith, and an apprentice, Jack Daniels, who went on to much higher things, although not in the whiskey industry, the sour-mash man being another of that name!

Jackson had been put in charge of the experimental workshop and his particular strength was that he was more than capable of translating drawings into the parts needed, and the car progressed well and was ready for launch at the 1928 Motor Show. A month or two beforehand, Jackson had seen a prototype Morris Minor, and talking this over with Cousins they reasoned that an MG based on this chassis would appeal to a wider clientele than the Six model, and that MG should build a car based on this to give opposition to the Austin Seven, which had been receiving wide reporting due to their success in trials and at Brooklands.

Cousins reported this to Charles, who passed the message to Kimber, who was not at all enthusiastic, as his ideal was a car to take on the Bentleys and Lagondas at less than half their price. Charles pressed the point that a small car would have a much wider potential customer attraction, and could be

The MG K3 with Howe at wheel and Hamilton alongside during fuel testing on the autostrada in readiness for the Mille Miglia

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more profitable than the large cars which so many manufacturers were trying to sell to a dwindling customer base, following the contracting economy in the post-war period.

Kimber was not totally convinced, but he took the idea to Morris who was fully supportive, and allowed Kimber two rolling chassis to be taken to Edmund Road, “to see what they could come up with!” The result was, of course, the MG Midget. Designed and built in four weeks may seem remarkable now, but it was the way of life in the late 1920s, when car manufacturers built cars in what Reg Jackson described to me in later life as “knife and fork methods”. Indeed, the rate of development accelerated to such a pitch that formal drawings of parts relating to vehicles were not completed until mid-1936, long after some of the models had passed into history!

The original Midget was, of course, in reality a Morris Minor fitted with a lightweight two-seat body, which in turn had started design life as a Wolseley model which never went into production, but was bought in 1926/7, with the assets of the Wolseley Company, by Sir William Morris out of receivership from Vickers Ltd, who no longer wanted to be involved with car manufacture. The price was £730,000, which may now appear a bargain, but at the time represented a great deal of money, possibly equating to £25 million now, and this from personal funds!

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FEATURE

The MG J4

Charles found the Midget a poor car, with brakes which could only be described as “adequate”, and handling which was reaching its limits at the top speed of 60mph of which the car was capable. He had already had a hand in developing the brakes for the larger cars, so it was easy to re-route the cables to effect a straight pull on the levers which actuated the brake-shoes, and to arrange for these to be operated from a cross shaft mounted centrally in the chassis. I don’t think Morris Motors adopted this system for the Minor, they turning to hydraulic operation from 1932.

The engine development was left to Jackson, who pointed out that there was no camshaft overlap at TDC, and he made a new camshaft from an unmachined blank. Camshaft timing was thus modified slightly, and this timing was adopted for the 1930 race Midgets entered in the Brooklands Double 12 race that year, and for subsequent production cars.

Meanwhile, Charles designed a “proper” camshaft, the timing of which was used in all subsequent MG models after 1932, and

The MG SA Tickford

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allowed engines to rev more freely, which in turn led to higher outputs.

In the handling department Charles was designing a completely new chassis, underslung at the rear, with improved axle location. There was little which was revolutionary about the layout, but spring location was taken care of with the front pivot, while at the rear the springs were not shackled in the manner of most cars, but slid in trunnions. Such location was being used by other manufacturers at the time, and there is no factual evidence that Charles cribbed the ideas from any one in particular: he was adapting currently known technology to suit his own ends, within the MG budget, which was far from generous.

This new chassis, coded EX120, formed the basis of a new racing car, although it was sold as the MG Midget Mark 2, with a chassis number prefix ‘C’. The prototype car had already taken the speed records for ‘baby’ cars, reaching 100mph at Montlhéry, so this name was attached to the model, which swept the board in the prestigious Brooklands Double 12 race, taking the first five places and the Team Prize.

This was the time for making the chassis the basis for the road sports cars, which the C-type nominally was. There followed a wonderful series of cars, using four and six cylinder engines, all low slung, and all fast for their small engine size, but, and this was the basis of their success, they were inherently safe cars to drive. Steering was taken care of with a direct and straight transverse push-pull movement from the steering box to the nearside steering arm, which at the same time allowed for the use of high-ratio gearing while giving tremendous ‘feel’ to the driver, and very responsive to steering wheel movement. However, Charles was not satisfied, and looked for a way to eliminate steering kickback on uneven roads. This was achieved in part with his centrally mounted slave steering arm, which fed movements of the wheel to each road wheel independently.

This steering gear was used on the Magnette K-series and J4 racing Midget, introduced at the end of 1932, but was expensive to produce and did not really give the full answer for which he was looking.

Spurred on by development of racing cars, the cylinder head was modified at the behest of Charles to a cross-flow layout, with inlet and exhaust ports on opposite sides.

Then the camshaft diameter was increased, initially for the six cylinder engines to increase its torsional rigidity. All this led to more powerful engines, no longer blighted by overheating problems.

Thoughts were turning towards independent wheel suspension and the elimination of heavy beam axles, so experiments were started on independent front suspension in 1933 on a J2 chassis, using a split front axle. Jackson and his assistant Syd Enever were carrying out this work, and it was at this time that Syd

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FEATURE

A Rotol advert that appeared in the April 1940 edition of The Aeroplane magazine

was taken under the wing of Charles as he was always coming up with suggestions for improvements, and keen to develop these new ideas. The modified J2 experiments only underlined the problem that the chassis was far too flexible. This was fine with the old beam axles mounted on stiff springs, where chassis flexing allowed a positive contribution to road holding. The J2 has wonderful handling on smooth roads equal to any other car, but once up and down movement of the axles due to road conditions came into play then things tended to get interesting, with each wheel on the axle trying to take charge!

In October 1932 Charles took time off his work schedule to marry May Margaret Fardon. They married at Woodstock, from whence she came. May had a three brothers

Hubert and May Charles, 1979

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and a sister. Colin, one of the brothers, had a family, and it is through the kindness and cooperation of his daughter, Hilary, that much of the family information has been included. Hubert and May Charles settled into their new home in Banbury Road, Oxford. There were no children in the family, but they enjoyed the company of the extended family.

1933 was the year the K3 Magnette made its mark in the world of motor racing. While now we only see the cars puttering around, we should take time out to remember that they were the cutting edge of motor sporting development, providing a basis from which amateur drivers could ‘have a go’ in international as well as national events, and win races or at least their class in motor races. The K3 was, by the standards of its day, very fast, a match for many cars with much bigger engines and costing hundreds of pounds more. Supported by the older Midgets and the newer J4 model, the Abingdon marque more or less had its classes in racing sewn up for the next few years. The Midgets became faster, and their road holding deficiencies became more noticeable. With over 100bhp available from both 750cc and 1100cc capacities, engine outputs were not a problem, but keeping the car on the road certainly was.

With the workload of keeping the cars going, developing new models for the road and all the normal pressures of keeping production running, it was nearly two years before Charles finalised the design of the chassis stiffness problem, which was to specify an ultra-stiff, but light, frame, and using a wishbone suspension in each corner. Charles used torsion bars as the springing medium, then a novel although not completely revolutionary design. It was decided that the best way to test these new ideas was in a racing car, and the result was the R-type Midget, announced in April 1935.

This car was programmed as ‘EX147’ in the Factory records. While there was also a larger road going version of the car under ‘EX150’, sadly this car was never completed, however Cowley resurrected this larger saloon which later became the MG SA, albeit with conventional suspension.

At Morris Motors a number of important changes were happening. Leonard Lord was a rising star, having been responsible previously for getting the Wolseley Company back into profitability, and in 1934 was appointed in operational control of all Morris’s companies. Sir William was ennobled, became a baron, mainly in recognition of his charitable works, and became Lord Nuffield. He was approaching 60 years of

age, and with no family heirs to take control, he desired the establishment of order within his companies, and sold all his enterprises to a public holding company with the title of Morris Motors Ltd. This meant that Wolseley, MG and the SU Carburetter Company all came under Leonard Lord’s direct control, as well as Morris Motors itself, and Morris Commercial Cars, the light truck wing of the Morris Empire.

What exactly followed we cannot be sure, but as subsequently reported to me by some of those present at the time, Lord was emphatic that he alone was in charge, and that each manufacturing unit would have to become profitable, and that the best way of achieving this was by centralising financial and design control. All development work was hitherto to be conducted at Cowley. Lord rather sneered at the work on EX147/150, stating to a group which included Cousins and Jackson, “We don’t want none of this suspension nonsense on any of our cars, leaf springs will serve us for many years to come!” While at Abingdon, he told Kimber, Propert and Cousins that the experimental department had to be disbanded, and jobs would be found at Cowley for all technically qualified staff. This included Charles and Enever, Charles being given the post of ‘Designer, MG cars’, alongside Gerald Palmer, who was responsible for Morris and Wolseley models. Enever was to be liaison officer with the Abingdon works, but now based at Cowley, which suited him as he lived closer to Cowley than to Abingdon! Jackson suffered rather worse initially, being given a job as itinerant works engineer visiting customers suffering problems with their MG cars.

Charles had patented 10 original ideas while at MG, giving credit to co-workers where appropriate, as well as contributing so much support to the activities of the Company and its customers.

That Palmer and Charles did not get on is not really surprising. The former regarded the latter as a “loose cannon”, no doubt information fed him by Len Lord, who regarded the motor car as a means of getting to places and nothing more, and Charles left during 1937 to move back into the aircraft industry. Sir Roy Fedden was the engine designer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company near Bristol, and had been an enthusiastic customer of MG cars, using them in rallies and trials. When Kimber decided that it was time to equip the MG factory for military work, he contacted Fedden, who ensured that Reg Jackson was placed at the Gloster Aeroplane Company’s works to look into the ways of setting up a proper inspection department within MG to meet the required standards.

It is likely that Fedden got wind of the fact than Hubert Charles was unhappy at Cowley,

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FEATURE

Standing behind the R-Type’s complex rear suspension are (L to R) Kimber, Malcolm Campbell and George Eyston.

because a consortium of companies headed

by Rolls Royce and Bristol were setting up a joint company, called Rotol Ltd (‘Ro’ from Rolls Royce, ‘tol’ from Bristol!) to produce and improve designs for variable pitch aircraft propellers, which were previously regarded by the Ministry as an unnecessary complication as they were not inherently reliable, having tried both electrical and hydraulic power to make them work. It was Rotol who perfected designs, and Charles was involved with this work, which was in time for reliable variable pitch propellers to be used in the Battle of Britain fighters, and all subsequent British war ’planes.

Lord himself left Morris Industries in 1937, making the mistake of asking Lord Nuffield for a rise, which was turned down taking the view that he made financial rewards; they were not something staff should ask for. Lord left, very upset, and went on a world cruise, returning to work initially for the Nuffield Benevolent Association, before moving to Austin Motor Company in 1938.

Charles’ work in the aircraft industry on war work took him in 1941 to one of Herbert Austin’s shadow factories at Cofton Hackett, where he worked on the operational problems associated with the four-engine bomber aeroplanes, initially Stirlings and later, Halifaxes and Lancasters.

With Leonard Lord in charge, this brought

the two men together again, and Lord got Charles involved in thinking about post-war car design, it seems on the engine design of the small A-series unit of 800cc, and slightly larger B-series of 1200cc. Engineer in charge of this work was Bill Appleby, and while it was very much secondary to the war work, time was found to patent various items of original thinking from Charles.

With the war over, Charles continued to work on the new engine range, the larger of which was eventually put into production with the A40 Devon model, introduced in 1947, but shortly before this Charles again found himself at odds with Lord’s dictatorial mode of management and resigned in 1946, turning to consultancy and obtaining work with both Cam Gears Ltd, who supplied steering gears to, amongst others, the Nuffield Group, and Norton Motors Ltd, manufacturers of quality motor cycles.

During this time he met Gilbert Manley, probably through Norton Motors, for whom Manley was also working, and in 1953 they formed a partnership, Manley & Charles, which sought contracts from the engineering industry and which was apparently successful at first. However, this was wound up in 1956, following a mutual agreement, and Charles went to work as an engineer for Humphrey & Glasgow Ltd, contracted in the oil and gas industries, and just getting involved with North Sea gas and oil fields.

Diagram from patent application for modified rear suspension for EX150

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In 1962, Charles moved to Associated Octel Ltd, who were endeavouring to solve problems in the automotive emissions field from the point of view of fuels, and Charles was designated Chief Engineer until his retirement in 1968, at the age of 71, living happily and contented until 1982, when he died on 18 January at the age of 88 years.

It was at the Bletchley, Buckinghamshire site, operated at the time by Octel, that I was able to meet Charles, thanks to an introduction from Syd Enever. Although reluctant to talk about his time at MG, I was able to elicit a little from him, but it was obvious that, while he respected Enever and Jackson, and asked after Cousins and others, he had nothing to say about Lord or Thomas. He felt that the R-type MG was a wasted opportunity, which inspired me to research the model, and even to try to buy one at one stage.

The man was an imposing figure and spoke fluently and authoritatively on engineering matters, and after my week with him I felt that I would have been able to work for him, but that never happened, although in studying his works at Abingdon and his contribution to the overall picture at MG, I have grown to admire him immensely. During his working life he patented no fewer than 53 of his works, a remarkable number. I believe he was not always well served by colleagues he trusted, which probably did not fit him for the highest levels of management, where one needed to be ruthless. Charles was an honourable man, some others were not.

He was undoubtedly the brains behind the MG operation and its many successes between 1929 and 1937. His works are to be found even in the SVW and T-series cars of pre-war times. There was little inspiring about the Morris or Wolseley cars of that period: drive any of them and you will quickly see what I mean! Yet the cars produced at Abingdon 1936-39 from the same basic parts are worthy of the ideal of the original MG cars, those of the so-called vintage era, pre-1929, offering as they did good value for money. Even the TA with its plodding engine has good handling, and the extra cubic capacity does provide a more relaxing drive that the Triple-M cars, which needed to be “rowed along with the gear-lever to get their best”, as Reg Jackson once said to me. However, from a pure engineering perspective, the making of a world beating racing car from the Morris Minor was something few others could have achieved.

This, coupled with his works in aeronautical engineering and industrial engineering, surely puts Hubert Noel Charles amongst the all-time great engineers: truly an engineer extraordinary.

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EVENTS

REPORT

The Yorkshire Centre alternative to a 5p bag being sold at the start of the run.

Yorkshire Centre

‘MG Car Club 85’ Run

By Ken and Julie Cothliff

O

n Saturday October 10, 28 cars turned out at the Star Inn in Roberttown, near Liversedge, West Yorkshire for a run organised by David and Carol Copeman to celebrate the 85th birthday of the MG Car Club, founded on October 12 1930. Eighteen were MGs; there was also an E-Type Jaguar, a Mini Cooper S, and a selection of ‘everyday cars’, for those members had ‘retired’ their beloved vehicles for the winter.

We were fortunate to have a dry day, initially with light cloud which slowly cleared during the afternoon to give a wonderful colourful autumn day for the trip to the western end of West Yorkshire.

The participants included seven cars from

the North Yorkshire Natter, Richard and Jill Coates from the Tiger Natter in East Yorkshire, and we were particularly pleased to see Sue and Terry Hartley from the 24/39 Group, albeit in the ‘day car’. Paul and Rosemary Croft took the opportunity to sell some more of the North Yorkshire carrier bags – don’t get caught for 5p when you can have one of these lovely souvenirs!

The route took us through the edge of Brighouse and over the hills at the ‘back’ of Bradford to the Raggalds Inn, where an awkward left turn took us down Perseverance Lane towards the little villages around Midgley. This is an area your ‘scribe’ does not know well and it was a wonderful introduction to an almost hidden area of Yorkshire. After passing through Mytholmroyd, we ended up at the picturesque Hebden Bridge nestled in its valley. Julie and I took the opportunity for a browse around the shops and a ‘cuppa’.

After a U-turn we headed up the hills past Hardcastle Crags, a National Trust

Yorkshire Centre Presidents Magnette

site, and over the moors towards Colne, and Trawden, before turning east again to Haworth, finally ending the trip driving back across Bradford via the Raggalds and Heptonstall again, returning to the Star.

Some 42 members stayed for the excellent carvery at the Star, after which our Yorkshire Area President, Alan Dakeyne, cut the special cake for the 85th Birthday of the MG Car Club, decorated in due style, with a model of an MG RV8.

A great autumn afternoon out, and congratulations to David and Carol for organising this run at relatively short notice – good idea, son!

Well earned refreshments at the end of the run.

Birthday Cake Four MGs ready for the off.

Red ZR and MGB GT parked ready for the start of the run.

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EVENTS

REPORT

F

or five spectacular years from 1950 the Tourist Trophy Race for motor cars was held on the Dundrod Circuit in Northern Ireland.

On September 17 1955 three MGA EX182 race cars took part in the RAC Golden Jubilee Tourist Trophy Race, which at that time was Round 5 of the World Sports Car Championship.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the MGA and of the last Tourist Trophy Race held in Northern Ireland on that day, we made a return visit there and to Dundrod over the weekend September 18-21 2015. Below are two reports of the event from Roger Anderson and Bill McMahon.

Return to Dundrod 2015 – Roger Anderson It is normal practice to thank the organisers of the event at the end of the report but I would like to do it now. Mervyn Gillespie and his team worked very hard in organising this fabulous event, so on behalf of all 90+ entrants I would like to thank you all very much for putting together this very special event.

The event was based at the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim, which was an excellent hotel.

Most entrants stayed for three or four nights.

The main day was Sunday at the Dundrod Circuit, with tours on Saturday and Monday for those taking part in the full event.

Saturday’s tour offered Carrickfergus Castle, the challenging Cairncastle Hill Climb course (apparently the longest in the British

Isles) with a splendid view from the top. Then some interesting back roads (just one flock of sheep) and down to the Antrim Coast Road, considered to be one of the world’s great drives. It does not disappoint. Another challenging drive out to Tor Head and then on to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and, of course, the Giant’s Causeway. Those who did manage to fit in The Dark Hedges (known to fans of ‘Game of Thrones’ as The Kings Road) reported that it is impressive.

Monday dawned bright and clear and offered a visit to National Trust Mount Stewart House and gardens, voted one of the world’s top ten gardens. On down the Ards Peninsula and across Strangford Lough on the little ferry, then following the Mournes Coastal route through the other Newcastle to where the Mountains of Mourne really do sweep down. Beth Corbett, yes she really did drive from Lands End to John o’ Groats and then straight on to Northern Ireland to join us, reports that the Mournes ‘wept on us’ as we drove through a downpour, but she loved them anyway.

Our group had arrived on the Friday and stayed there for five nights so we were able to visit the Titanic Exhibition and Belfast’s famous old pub, The Crown Bar, which has a wonderful atmospheric setting, with period gas lighting and cosy snugs. Of course we had to sample the mandatory pint of Guinness; it always tastes better in Ireland.

The Dundrod race circuit is steeped in motor sport history as we all know, so to have the opportunity to drive my MGA around the

Alan and Diana Sheridan from Liverpool out on the Dundrod circuit

course with other MGs was something I was looking forward to very much. The two laps we did lived up to my expectations, my wife Pat was constantly reminding me to slow down as it was a public road that we had to share with other road users.

Our Dundrod day started with all the cars leaving the hotel car park at 10 o’clock being waved off by the Mayor of Antrim and making our way to the paddock at Dundrod where we were all parked in our allotted spaces. The local MG Clubs turned up with a fine selection of most types of MGs. Invited cars included a D-type, XK120 and XK140 Jaguars, Austin Healeys and an Aston Martin DB7, but I think pride of place was taken by the BMC Transporter with ex-works MGA race car LBL 301 and the ex-works John Gott rally twin-cam coupe and the ex-works, ex Sid Enever prototype coupe, owned and brought by Ronnie White We must thank him,

MGA Register 60th Anniversary

Return to Dundrod Photos by Raymondy Brown, Lorraine Noble-Thompson

Some of the entrants at the top of the Cairn Castle hill climb.

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www.mgcc.co.uk

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REPORT

CALENDAR EVENTS

Gathered at the Dundrod paddock

BMC Transporter with Ex works LBL301

and Douglas Samuels and helpers, and Bob West for making the effort in taking the cars there; it did enhance the overall atmosphere of the day. We had a marquee and food, thanks to the organisers. There was a self judge award for best MG, the trophy donated by the MGOC NI, won by Derek Gaw’s beautiful Mark II MGA. Conn Williamson for the major sponsors CIP Insurance awarded the trophy, which they had donated, for the car he as judge would most like to take home to Michael Roy’s ex Ronnie Adams race car, a popular choice as Ronnie Adams won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1956. Tribute was paid to the three drivers who were killed at the Tourist Trophy Race in 1955 and a memorial plaque was presented by Gordon Buckley, Chairman of the MGCC Ulster Centre, to the Dundrod and District Motor Cycle Club to commemorate all drivers and riders who lost their lives there.

In the evening there was a Gala dinner, attended by over 80 people, who were entertained after it by the guest speaker Ronnie Trouton, MBE, Vice President of

the MSA. We were also joined by Wilson and Sharon Carson, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Ulster Automobile Club, who honoured us by bringing along the priceless Ulster Trophy, last awarded in 1955.

It is always hard to recreate something that happened 60 years ago but from my perspective it gave me an insight to an event that I could otherwise have only imagined.

Mervyn’s brain child, The Return to Dundrod was an experience that all of us there will remember with fond memories for a long time to come.

Return to Dundrod 2015 – Bill McMahon The Dundrod Circuit was the place to be if you were a motorsport enthusiast on Sunday September 20 2015 The Dundrod and District Motorcycle Club, who lease the Paddock area from Lisburn City Council, very kindly opened their facilities and were delighted to welcome the MGA Register, the MGCC Ulster Centre and their friends to sample the Circuit. Mervyn

Gillespie did a fantastic job in attracting over 90 entrants from all over the UK to the event, which included members of the MG Owners Club NI and the MG Enthusiasts Club from the Republic of Ireland.

Everyone assembled in the paddock before setting off on parade laps of the Circuit. The road was not closed, so Noel Cochrane from the Ulster Centre arranged for marshals to be in place to ensure everyone was able to circulate with a degree of comfort knowing the road was clear and they could proceed at their own pace within the law.

This was a wonderful sight, to see the circuit come to life with cars of the 1950s TT era circulating at pace! The Secretary of the Motorcycle Club, Ken Stewart, was heard to say, “It was wonderful to see the event as nothing like it ever takes place except for the Ulster Grand Prix Bike Week, once a year.’’

The reports on the 60th anniversary of the Dundrod 1955 Tourist Trophy appears above.

The final part of George Dutton’s scrapbook, containing pictures of the 1955 event, will be in the March 2016 issue of Safety Fast!.

Prototype Coupe resplendent in Gold Metallic flake and white top, next to John Gotts rally car RMO 101

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DECEMBER 2015

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REPORT

The Classic

Motor Show A

s the Classic Car World descended on the NEC once again in November for the Classic Motor Show, MGs and the MGCC were well represented.

The main Club stand in hall four had a wonderful selection of machinery on display and embraced the theme of the show ‘She’s a beauty’. As well as the beautiful cars such as Pete Neal’s low mileage original 1.8i MGF and the 1946 racing TC of Nick Ashman that had many a visitor saying “She’s a Beauty”, we also had the stunning 1935 racing N Type Magnette of Jane Metcalfe, Jazz Cainey’s 1979 Midget affectionately known as ‘Percy’ that was an 18th birthday present and still used every day, and the MGB Register’s MGB that was driven by Jean Denton in the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon.

The final car we had on display was Nigel Bursnol’s 1979 Brooklands green MGB GT, helping celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MGB GT. Interestingly, Silverstone Auctions, who were running an auction over the weekend, had several MGs. We happened to be passing by when a 1,500 mile from new, garaged, original and un-restored Brooklands Green 1980 MGB GT went under the hammer for £12,800 plus buyer’s premium. A sign that maybe people are seeing the not so fashionable rubber bumper MGBs in a new light?

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On entering hall four, show goers were greeted by an MGB GT V8, an indication that there were to be plenty of MGs and MG related paraphernalia throughout the large five halls the show covered. With MGs on Track attending for the first time they were overwhelmed by enquiries and people who wanted to know more. It was great to see the rejuvenated MGCC FWD Register with three ‘black beauties’ and an immaculate white 1300 on display. There were plenty of the MGCC Trade members and Safety Fast! advertisers selling their wares and MGs as well ensuring the MG Enthusiast was well catered for.

The Meguiars showcase looked spectacular in hall one, as Meguiars celebrated 10 years of their sponsorship of the Classic Motorshow. It was pleasing to see that two MGs featured on the premier Meguiars showcase, with Ian Kimpton representing the MGCC with his popular MG Maestro after winning the MGLive! Pride of Ownership and a TC that was the judged the overall showcase winner on the Sunday of the show.

A highlight for many was lunchtime on the MGCC stand over all three days when TV presenter Ant Antstead, from the popular TV series ‘For the Love of Cars’ kindly cut our 85th Birthday cakes and spread the word of the Club to a large and cake-hungry audience.

Extra words came from MGCC General Manager Adam Sloman, President John Day, and ‘Wheeler Dealers’ presenter Edd China.

The show was a great success for the Club and as always it was wonderful to meet so many enthusiastic members, old and new.

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23/11/2015 15:48

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Message inside the card reads ‘With Best Wishes for Christmas and New Year’

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A Kevin Walsh design Christmas card measuring 12.5cm x 17.5cm featuring an MG YA

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£1.50 each + 50p P&P each

We also stock a wide variety of cards for any occasion

To order any of the cards please visit www.mgcc.co.uk/shop/ category/cards/ or phone 01235 555552 www.mgcc.co.uk

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TECH TORQUE

MG Midget Crankshaft

T

he other day I picked up yet another ‘pigs tail’ from the gutter as I walked into town. A ‘pigs tail’ is the end of the coil spring found on the majority of modern car suspension. It is the end that ‘locates’ the spring into its seat, the spring-pan, both on the front and rear suspension. I later mentioned my find to a mate who does car MOTs. He told me it was one of the most common areas he failed cars for today. The cause is all these poorly maintained roads, pot holes and sleeping policemen traffic calming.

The severe buffeting stress the springs get eventually breaks off the end bit, the ‘pigs tail’.

Now that is on modern cars, but where does your ancient MG stand as far as stress is concerned? Many of us are driving about in cars that are well past their sell-by-date. By that I mean they were designed to last perhaps ten years,

Leaf Spring

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Stress

By Neil Cairns

(What bit of your MG is about to break?)

or even as low as five in some cases; and here we are belting about in them when they should have been retired long ago.

Some of you will have already suffered things breaking unexpectedly, and been transported home on the recovery truck.

So what is liable to break and why? Well, there are many parts of your car that are under stress, and many of them get that stress ‘reversed’ many time a minute, other at a much slower pace, perhaps a dozen times an hour. Whilst the original design and specification ensured the item lasted the life it was expected to have, no one thought the rear springs on a 1952 MG YB would still be bouncing away in 2015. Nor would anyone back in 1960

think the little MG Midget steering arms would still be in use in 2015, or those halfshafts in a 1963 MGB. Early ‘T Series’ cars are already suffering from bent or broken steering stub-axles.

You can relax, I replaced the rear springs in my 1952 YB last year. When I inspected the top leaves there were many ‘stress raisers’ present. Where the spring clips were located, they had worn into the leaf deeply, and this is an ideal place for a crack to start, called a ‘stress-raiser’.

Again, between the leaves there was a lot of rust and some corrosion was quite deep.

The most common place for any leaf spring

Early Midget stub axle

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TECH TORQUE

to break is at the centre bolt hole or just in front of the axle. An awful lot of MGs use leaf springs, early ones on the front axle as well. If a leaf spring breaks whilst you are driving, it can be almost impossible to control the car. Again, a steering arm or stub-axle breaking would be catastrophic, but breaking a half-shaft is often just inconvenient and a pain to renew.

Why do they break? Well, you can only alternate a stress so often. If you take a bit of thin mild steel wire, now bend it back and forth many times, and eventually it will break. If you study its surface around the break, you can see that it gives signs it is getting tired; tiny surface cracks appear.

The primary-safety bits of your car are made of much stronger steel, but even they will eventually break.

XPAG and ‘B’Series camshaft

BMC Midget steering arms, for example, last for centuries and are very over-engineered. Camshafts are probably one of the most stressed bits of your engine and XPAG camshafts do break often aft of the centre bearing. Then there is a BMC Midget crankshaft, known to break around the centre webs. The Nuffield half-shaft from the later T series is much stronger than the earlier ‘Morris’ shaft that was famous for breaking just at the splines inside the differential Front suspension dampers will eventually crack around the centre bolt hole that holds the arms together. Early con-rods with the little-end pinch-bolt are not good for racing with. The crankshaft has to contain all that stress and the conrod hang onto the piston. Oddly enough the con-rod copes very well, until a piston seizes. If a con-rod lets go, it usually wrecks the engine. The BMC half-shaft is again a good design, few break unless you over-tune a Midget! Then there is the rack-and-pinion steering track rod. These break at the inner end where the cross section changes into the ball, inside the rack gaiter. Rockers usually survive well

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MGB and Midget pistons

but will suffer if you fit extra strong valve springs. They also get a hammering and usually break around the neck before the valve pad.

Of course the bits that break from stress are often old. The most likely place for any cracks to appear is where a change in the cross-section of the steel occurs. The last photo shows the splined end of a half-shaft. These break where the splines end and the plain section begins.

An over-stressed shaft will show up as a slight ‘twist’ at this point, the splines ‘bending’ very slightly. A crankshaft that has an incorrect radius on each journal is fated the break. It is important to ‘feed’ stress carefully in any design crosssection, 90-degree corners are a no-no.

How do you cope today with such ancient engineering no sane person would dare to drive around in? Well, you can sit there and worry yourself to death, or you can renew primary-safety bits if there is any doubt about their integrity. Crack checking can be carried out as a Non-DestructiveTest (NDT) using dyes and developers (follow the instructions carefully). Most engineering firms who regrind crankshafts can crack check them for you. Otherwise ensure you clean parts very thoroughly and inspect prior to re-assembling them.

XPAG pistons and con rods

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NEWSLETTER Y TYPE

Jerry Birkbeck jerrybirkbeck@btinternet.com Tel: 01926 258691 Mob: 07855 566325

Y Type Newsletter

Welcome to the

I have received several useful articles and photographs from you and whilst most are on our website www.mgccyregister.co.uk I have selected a few for inclusion in our half yearly spread.

Reflections on 2015

For the Y Register we arranged two specific Y events – the Spring Weekend, which this year was held in Staffordshire and Cheshire in May, and the Loire Trip in early September. Both were a great success and credit must be given to Chris and Annette Callaghan for organising the former and Peter and Gillie Sharp the latter. A report on the French excursion and photographs is included. Victor and Evelyn Rodrigues, who as you may be aware live in Switzerland, have sent a note on their last journey in the YA they own before laying her up for the winter.

John Harris advises on a simple carburettor bowl which will be of interest to not only Y owners but other MG owners.

There was also a Y presence at the Stoneleigh MG Day in March, the Practical Classics Show also in March and held at the NEC, the MGCC MGLive! weekend in June where Neil Coombes (after an horrendous journey) arrived with his under restoration YT which drew many favourable comments, and the Harrogate MG Event with ten cars on the stand and ably organised by Chris Pick. A special thanks to both Chris and Neil for the great efforts which were much appreciated by all.

All in all a few great events complemented by many shows that you may have attended.

Looking ahead to 2016

Aside from MGLive! we have two Y events pencilled in – both of which are organised with one already full up, Spring Weekend Return to the Cotswolds Saturday May 7 – Sunday May 8 2016 After a break of several years we return to the wonderful Cotswolds, and will be based in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. We will be holding our traditional weekend with a dinner on the Saturday and a road run on the Sunday.

Chris and Annette have already arranged all the details for the weekend and these are included on the website. I have

A simple carburettor bowl repair This article is a re-write of one I prepared in 1999 for the MMM Register ‘Info letter’, which I edited for about six years before it was superseded by the rather excellent MMM Bulletin. The carburettor was on my MG PA but this repair would be applicable to any similar SU carburettor and an appropriate small screw selected.

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though included a brief outline of the arrangements and which hotel you need to book up with.

The Dinner The Dinner will be held at the Hatherley Manor, GL2 9QA (www. hatherleymanor.com), and the cost will be £25 a head for a three course meal. Menus will be forwarded nearer to the date. Please include payment for the dinner by cheque along with your entrance fee for the road run made out to the ‘MGCC Y Type Register’. Any wine/drinks/extras that you order will be paid for by you to the hotel on the day. The start time for the dinner will be 7.00pm for 7.30pm. If you are intending to attend the dinner then please let me know by March 25 2016 at the latest. For those wishing to stay overnight, a special rate of £44 per person with two people sharing a double room, single supplement of £25 per room has been arranged. Please quote: MG Y TYPE. The Run On our traditional Y Type Spring Run as always, we try to find a place of interest for everyone to enjoy. This year is no exception as we shall be starting at the Jet Age Museum, Meteor Business Park, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester GL2 9QL (www. jetagemuseum.org) and finishing at Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, near Cheltenham, Glos GL54 5UG (www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk). The entry fee per car for the run is £4.00. Entry fee for the Museum is FREE but we will have a bucket collection, and The Cotswold Farm is £9.25 Adult, £8.65 seniors but a group rate will be agreed. (Please check their website for all up to date information.) All correspondence will be by email. Road books and rally plaques will be available on the day Summer Break Llanerchindda Farm – Mid Wales Friday July 7 – Monday July 11 2016 In July 2014 Chairman Peter Veilvoye organised a marvellous weekend in Mid-Wales. Before it was over many were clamouring for another visit. We have therefore arranged a return in July next year. Such has been the interest we have booked the whole hotel and every room has been taken up. If you are still interested and would like to attend then I suggest that you contact me and I will include your names on a reserve list.

It was whilst out on one of my “let’s take Lucky Eddie (my PA) out for half an hour’s run to give him some exercise” excursions that I noticed that he was not climbing hills too well, certainly not as well as I’ve been accustomed to him doing.

The symptoms were similar to running with the choke half out.

A quick look under the bonnet revealed a loose bowl lid on one of the carburettors. A quick gentle tightening with my old 5/16” spanner seemed to do the trick and he went well again so we continued on our way for about an hour and then home. These

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Jerry Birkbeck jerrybirkbeck@btinternet.com Tel: 01926 258691 Mob: 07855 566325

Y TYPE NEWSLETTER

sorts of things you take in your stride don’t you? All part of the fun (at least I think so as long as it isn’t chucking it down with rain at the time although I’ve got soaked on many an occasion).

Nothing more happened for quite a while until one day coming back from a good day out the same thing happened again, only this time it wasn’t possible to tighten the bolt that holds the lid on. Needless to say, we got home safely but not as quickly as we usually do.

This time off came the bowl for closer examination, which showed that the ¼” thread at the bottom of the bowl had stripped. There was sufficient thread to re-secure the central rod, even when tapped out further with a blinded tap. There was sufficient to ‘locate’ it so I drilled a small hole right through the bottom of the bowl from the inside Stage 1. To do this I put a small drill into a pin vice and the pin vice into my drill which enabled me to reach the bottom of the bowl. It is vital to get this drilled hole central, as you will see later.

Having drilled the pilot hole I screwed the central rod back into the bowl without damaging the remaining thread. I then turned the bowl, with the central rod in position, and marked the end of the rod using the pilot to position it centrally (Stage 2).

I then took the central rod out and drilled and tapped out a hole 4BA (or M4) 3/8” (10mm) deep in the centre of the rod. The pilot hole in the bottom of the bowl was then opened up to take the screw and countersunk so that the head of the screw was flush with the bottom of the bowl (Stage 3).

Having thoroughly degreased all parts I screwed the central rod back in position with a little ‘Araldite’ as well as the small countersunk screw (Stage 4). Needless to say it’s now 2015 and still sound.

The diagrams right show the steps.

John Harris

Y Types Out and About The Loire MGCC Y Register – September 12-18 2015 This excellent event was wonderfully well organised by an unflappable Peter Sharp. Peter has written a worthy read which is now on the internet. At nearly 7,000 words it is far too detailed for me to include in this Newsletter. Please do have a look on our website, www. mgccyregister.co.uk/events The highlights are that 24 of us travelled from Portsmouth on Saturday September 12 to St Malo on the overnight ferry: 10 Ys, 1 TD and Chris and Annette Callaghan in their modern Ford, carrying a lot of spares! (Chris’ YB had not been completed following a major part restoration).

We reached Dinan for lunch on the Sunday and stayed at an Ibis Hotel in Vitre that evening. Travelling south the following day to Villandry on the Loire and to Le Haut des Lys where we were staying for the next three nights. On arrival it looked great – neither a chateau nor a mansion but a substantial house in its own grounds with ample parking and two hot tubs. The owner, Pascal, welcomed us and showed us to our room. The place was spotless and had been lovingly restored and tastefully modernised not long ago; there was even a lift.

Initially unknown to us and Peter, a slight hiccup had arisen. In his detailed report Peter noted: We had agreed menus, and worked out a package that included an aperitif and wine during the meals. I went down and asked Pascal

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what time dinner was, so we could all get ready in time. He said, “We have no evening meals for you.” When we were in Brittany in 2012, we stopped for three nights in the hotel Au Relais du Porhoët in Guilliers. David Pelham asked the chef/owner’s son what we were having for dinner, and he had said exactly the same thing; it was a little joke. So I thought Pascal was joking too and went along with it, “But I have 26 hungry tired people here who have been promised a wonderful meal, what can I tell them?” You know that expression, ‘beads of sweat broke out on his forehead’? Well until that moment I had never actually seen it happen but as I watched, big teardrops of sweat slowly formed one by one on Pascal’s brow. He wasn’t joking, there was no dinner, either this night or the next or the next. Someone later told me that they came into reception just then and could tell by my face that something had gone badly wrong. “You looked,” he said, “….quite cross.”

Although we had agreed to menus and prices, this fact had somehow not got to Pascal and so he had done nothing about meals.

It wasn’t his fault but he instantly made a phone call and after a few minutes of conversation on the lines of, “I have a hotel full of hungry English people who are going to kick off alarmingly if they don’t get fed soon, please help me”, he said we could go to a restaurant a few metres down the road, the meal would cost the same as our agreement but that night we had to eat what we were given as they had no time to prepare anything else. I agreed; there wasn’t any

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NEWSLETTER Y TYPE

Jerry Birkbeck jerrybirkbeck@btinternet.com Tel: 01926 258691 Mob: 07855 566325

choice really. When I told everyone they all accepted readily, Pascal’s brow dried and I was much less cross, but still worried about what the restaurant and food would be like. We strolled up the hill, some went by car, and it was only a short walk. Pascal advised us to take torches; there was no light along the road, he said, and it would be very dark coming back.

The restaurant, L’Etape Gourmande, was in what had been a farmhouse. We had one room to ourselves and the rest of the place was full of diners. It was comfortable and warm and welcoming.

Someone behind me said, “Bonjour. Monsieur Le President?” I turned to find a pretty old lady with her grey hair in a bun, sparkly twinkling blue eyes and a radiant smile. All the worries and anxieties I had had about this trip vanished completely. “I am Beatrice”, she said, “welcome to you and your friends.”

It all turned out really well, and as befits the character and quality of the Y participants we were very pleased with the outcome, and Peter and Gillie were both relieved whilst Pascal was no doubt so very pleased that everything went well.

The arrangements for the Tuesday – a visit to the wonderful Chateau at Villandry and a boat trip along the Loire – fitted the weather in timely fashion. Moreover we all enjoyed a champagne reception and a photo call under the guidance of our host Pascal. In complete contrast on the next day we `enjoyed’ some serious rain – so it was a View from Hotel to Car Park

Ready for the off

tour either to an underground cellarage or a rather unusual transport museum.

We travelled back to Caen on the Thursday, seeing the Museum and track at Le Mans whilst staying overnight at an Ibis (after a slight detour around the city) before setting out on our last stage to the port on Friday morning.

We arrived in Portsmouth at 7.30pm after a lively exchange over Peter’s Quiz which was won by Sue Silk.

We could all look back on a wonderful time, well organised by Peter and Gillie to whom we extend our thanks. Here are the closing words to his report: So: 10 Y Types, one TD (and an MGC in France) for a week, covering an average of 900 miles each, then how many of those spares did we use? Only one, a generator replaced on Andrew’s YT because its bearing was getting noisy. It was replaced at Ibis Le Mans with no problems (imagine the audience though, with all those classics in the car park!). Mike and Sue had a puncture on the way to Le Haut des Lys but Pascal found someone nearby to fix it. That’s nearly 10,000 miles motoring in 60+ year old cars with only one worn bearing and a flat tyre, not bad I’d say.

Switzerland – October 2015 Victor, Evelyne and Eric travel to rural Switzerland.

Recently Eric Pfändler, Evelyne and myself drove with our lovely YAs, enjoying the fabulous landscape and autumn sunny day, to the historical Convent of Kartausen / Ittingen, just before bringing the cars back to our garages for there due ‘wintersleep’ indeed.! Eric always takes good care of his YA, formerly owned by our good friend the late David Pelham.

Dave Jones YA and Mike Silk’s YT

Peter Sharp

MGCC Lincolnshire Poachers Concours – August 16 2015 Only two Y types at MGCC Lincolnshire Poachers Concours on August 16 2015. Both cars won prizes in their class. Although I am sure Chris Pick would be too modest to admit it, his superb YA was the worthy winner of the Peter Best Insurance Premier Award for best in show. There were many MGs of all classes dating back to the 1930s so this was a very creditable result. My own YB came third in the Elite Class as previous class winners are upgraded to this higher level. Both these Ys attracted lots of interest, it always amazes me the number of people that say that their father, uncle, vicar, grandad etc owned one back in the day when you consider how few were built between 1947 and 1953!

Y’s parked outside Hotel

Our transport down the Loire

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Mick Bath’s YB

Chris Pick’s YA

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23/11/2015 15:02 03/02/2015 16:20:50

NEWSLETTER MGA TWIN CAM

Colin Manley • manley.colin@talk21.com

Welcome to the

MGA Twin Cam Newsletter Welcome to the fourth four-page spread of the Twin Cam Group.

In this end-of-year spread we take a quick look back at the year’s events before moving on to give a few technical topics an airing.

Look out for the final part of the Bob Olthoff story in next month’s issue of Safety Fast!.

Berkshire in August

Brooklands in April A sunny Sunday in April for MG Era Day. Almost 80 MGAs were present, with eight different models of MGA parked around the octagonal MG badge that was laid out. Parked in front of the Clubhouse, many enjoyed the mellow tunes coming from the balcony of Barnes Wallis’s old office as Bob Webb’s Saxophony drifted across the parked cars, and others enjoyed seeing much evidence of Britain’s past aviation and car racing excellence and expertise. I have to say that I enjoyed the Bus Museum.

Frighteningly though, I recall working on some of those very exhibits as a young Apprentice when these machines were on the road in daily use.

In August, we joined up with ‘Stockfest’; an annual event organised

by Stockcross village in Berkshire, to organise a ‘Rare Breeds’ car event. It commenced with a Treasure Hunt, then other Classic Cars joined to make an interesting display. BBQ, beer and gardens to visit. A fun day.

At some point in the proceedings, Barry Davies tried to stop the Motorbike, which was built around two Pratt and Whitney aero engine cylinders, from taking off. He thought better of it and handed out the winning MGA prize instead!

Looking up towards the Clubhouse Octagonal Dome (itself to the right of Barnes Wallis’ Office)

MGA Parking in front of the Clubhouse

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Colin Manley • manley.colin@talk21.com

Clutch slave cylinder This item covers a reasonably well-known, but not much publicised, problem with replacement Twin Cam clutch slave cylinders. The replacement cylinders being sold are too long; they are nominally 98mm long end to end, and, as a result, they foul against the flange of the gearbox bellhousing. The original cylinders were some 15mm shorter than those currently being sold as Twin Cam items (which are really for the Austin Healey). There are variants being sold, but they are all too long.

See www. http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/twincam/tc220.htm for the background and further information.

The ideal solution would be for the aftermarket manufacturers to make a cylinder of the correct length, but numbers are too small to cause this to happen.

I originally came across this problem when replacing my totally seized, badly corroded and unusable cylinder whilst completing my restoration in 2009. Back then, I was not concerned about relieving some of the metal from the rear of the cylinder and from the bellhousing flange of a 50 plus year old gearbox. However, I was a bit concerned at having to do this to the new Hi-Gear five speed gearbox bellhousing I was about to fit, especially as the Hi-Gear casting has a better engineered, and thicker, flange than the original BMC casting.

I tried to shop around to find a suitable 7/8” diameter, 60mm between fixing bolt centres replacement, the nearest being P/No GSY 110 (for Classic Mini, Healey Sprite, Midget, Rover P6 etc) but this item is still a shade too long at 90mm.

Talking of Five Speed …

On the five-speed gearbox conversion topic, some people think that it will alter the car’s acceleration and response etc.

I can say with absolute clarity that this is not the case – overall, it improves it!. The gear ratios are very similar, although I do find, pleasingly, that I can now ‘go further’ in the slightly higher second gear whilst

MGA original Type 9

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MGA TWIN CAM NEWSLETTER

Posing the question to the Supplier along the lines of: “This slave cylinder came from you, and this bell housing came from you, but, together, they don’t fit” led to them asking around the trade, only to find that most restorers replacing the slave cylinder on an original MGA gearbox or indeed, fitting a five speed gearbox, just simply remove metal to give the clearance.

The most elegant solution that came to mind was to cut off the base end of the cylinder, above the bleed valve and pipe connection, reduce the length of the cylinder by, say 10mm, then weld the base end back on. I discounted this as it was only going to fix the problem on that particular slave cylinder, and I wanted a fix for life.

After getting confirmation from the supplier that they were in agreement with the solution of reducing the thickness of the bellhousing flange, I was content to remove the metal to provide the clearance.

Others have packed washers under the cylinder mounting flanges, but I was not happy with this arrangement as it places a side load on the piston due to the centre lines of the pushrod and the cylinder bore then being out of line.

I removed sufficient metal from the bellhousing flange and the result is shown in the photo. Apologies for lack of clarity – it’s difficult to photograph clearly; should you ever fit a replacement slave cylinder, the clarity of the problem will reveal itself!

So, be warned. If you have an original (short) slave cylinder, and it starts to leak, get it re-sleeved before you even think about a replacement!

third and fourth are, effectively, the same ratios. The reduced RPM in fifth gear when cruising is welcome. I certainly don’t miss the growling from the old gearbox when slow crawling in first gear. The table shows the different gear ratios.

In fact, the smoothness of ride has improved as well, and this is evidenced by the fact that on bumpy roads, you can now see the gearstick moving as a result of the gearbox flexing on its new mounting.

The original MGA gearbox mount was via the, quite hard, central bush connected to the ‘ears’ welded on the chassis. I do not recall seeing the gearstick move on the original installation, so all of the energy from the ‘bump’ was directly transferred into the chassis. With the flexing of the five-speed mount, this energy does not get passed into the chassis and the ride is definitely smoother. All I need to do now is to recalibrate the speedo!

Comparison of MGA original and T9 gear ratios 1st gear 2nd gear 3rd gear 4th gear 3.636:1 2.214:1 1.374:1 1.00:1 3.650:1 1.970:1 1.370:1 1.00:1

5th gear n/a 0.82:1

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NEWSLETTER MGA TWIN CAM

Built-in Oven

Colin Manley • manley.colin@talk21.com

Another ‘Out of the ordinary breakdown’ item One of our members has made us aware of a brake system item.

On seeing a weep around the brake pipe where it enters the cylinder, tightening of the union did not stop the weep. On removal of the union and pipe (he was lucky there then!) it was evident that the tapered face of the union had cracked, where it closes over the pipe flare and mates the pipe against the taper of the cylinder. Age, stress, misalignment; we don’t know, but it’s certainly something worth checking on older installations. In principle, this applies to pushrod MGAs too.

Parts sales scam Quite often you hear owners commenting on the amount of heat retained under the bonnet of their MGAs. One advantage of this, and the ‘trough’ in the Twin Cam cylinder head with the ends closed off by the raised timing cover and the bulkhead respectively, is that it offers a very secure place to warm your pasty up whilst driving to an early morning event. Worked fine for me this year; my pasty never moved an inch! If you are worried about the silver foil around the spark plug leads, just use greaseproof paper instead!

Of note on the Twin Cam Yahoo email group recently was the topic of the false sale of Twin Cam parts. Thankfully when someone posted about the item, others in the Group flagged up that they were the same images as had been used elsewhere in connection with other false sales. In this instance no one suffered a loss, but sadly, some before have. Be very careful if buying ‘sight unseen’ especially online.

The Long and Short of it

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Colin Manley • manley.colin@talk21.com

MGA TWIN CAM NEWSLETTER

We had some good outings and shows this year, not least the LeJoG tour to mark the 60th Anniversary of the MGA. Superbly organised by Stuart Mumby, our Registrar, this trip was featured in last month’s edition of Safety Fast!.

Some events we just attended, but an early outing in the year was the Bagshot Village Day, in Surrey, that I helped organise. The theme this year was to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of VE Day. We closed the High Street and filled it with a variety of classics, military vehicles, scooters, bikes, rides and stalls.

This event is only its second year but is proving popular and is already set for June 25 2016.

I thought I was reasonably tall, but I was put in the shade at a local show where Ed China appeared (you know Ed, he is the one that does the value adding work in the Wheeler Dealers TV programme).

In closing, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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Wishing all MG Car Club members B ARRY W ALKER .......for the very best in vintage MGs.....

Estd. 1968

Cynghordy www.barrywalker.com

Llandovery Carmarthenshire, SA20 0NB Tel: 01550 750274 e-mail: info@cambrianway.com

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www.mgv8parts.com www.chertseyminors.com

WATERLESS ENGINE COOLANTS

www.evanscoolants.co.uk www.crownclassiccars.co.uk

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www.hallsgarage.co.uk

Thanks for your DECEMBER 2015

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The MG MMM Engineering Specialist Tel: 07850 507572 Engine rebuilds for Racing or Touring All engines bench run and tested on completion Fully machined replacement cylinder blocks Big camshaft cylinder head conversion ‘C’ or ‘J’ types Oil filter conversions Supercharger drives, and Volumex www.johnwoodsmotorcare.net supercharger rebuilds www.maplegarage.co.uk Steering boxes overhauled: Marles Weller, MARTIN Bishop Cam and Adament SMITH Back axle rebuilds strengthening for racing www.usedmgtfspares.co.uk Quality New and Used and modern oil seal conversions www.mggarage.co.uk MGF & MGTF Spares Covering all models from 1995 > 2006 Front axle bushing and king pin replacement Full machine shop facilities including grinding, www.mikerolls.co.uk milling, turning and precision engineering www.mgmecca.co.uk

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

www.usedmg spares.co.uk

All items Supplied - from body panels, interiors & engines to headlights & wheel nuts

Tel: 07722 175473 East Lydford, Somerset Email: usedmgspares@hotmail.co.uk

Slough Grinding Services

email:kenrobinson1943@googlemail.com kenrobinson1943@googlemail.com

XPAG ENGINEERING

www.classicinsurance.co.uk

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Lead-Free Cylinder Head Conversions

£385 We carry out all work to your cylinder head in-house.

Conversions include Hardened Valve Seats; Bronze Guides; Larger Valves made from 21/4N. Heads are Skimmed & Ports are opened out for better breathing.

www.hinemarketing.co.uk

Damaged threads repaired.

We are specialists in the complete rebuild of all TÐ Type & Y-Type Gearboxes.

S Stteeeerriinngg B Booxx R Reebbuuiilldd Including New Worm, Pin & Sector Shaft

Differential rebuild; Ratio Change & Limited Slip Conversions Front Axles Straightened

M MG G TTC C S Shhoocckk A Abbssoorrbbeerrss We now offer a fast complete overhaul service.

Laystall Lucas Aluminium Cylinder Heads Manufactured From £1,250

Call or e-mail to discuss your requirements

www.mgcc.co.uk

custom in 2015

From £3,850 Includes full engine balance; lead-free conversion; solid skirt pistons & our

Sports Camshaft.

All engines can be seen tested on our Test Stand 1500+cc Engines Built using your existing 1250cc block.

Mob +44 (0) 7936 194 105 or +44 (0) 7710 471 864

Tel +44 (0) 1279 730951

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e-mail info@xpagengineering.co.uk

DECEMBER 2015

Fax +44 (0) 1279 730941

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NEWSLETTER V8

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

V8 Newsletter

Welcome to the

RV8 coolant bleed insert

Coolant bleed insert in the coolant hose

Anyone who has done the job will know what a pain it is to refill the RV8 cooling system when changing the coolant or following work on the system. Here Stuart McGuigan describes a modification he has made which makes the job far easier.

With the original RV8 cooling system, filling has to be done very slowly and, in the final stages, you are as likely to fill the valley gasket as the cooling system, when trapped air coughs back through the filler pipe. No amount of squeezing of the top radiator hose will fully purge air locks from the system, and entrapped air will accumulate in the arch of the hose when the engine is running – leading to reduced coolant flow and possible engine overheating.

I have devised a solution in the form of a coolant bleed insert fitted in the top radiator hose. A prototype fitted to my car is shown alongside.

My company has now made a small batch of the bleed inserts and these should be available shortly through Clive Wheatley at MGV8 Parts.

New coolant bleed procedure The procedure to fit the bleed insert and fill the cooling system is as follows: 1. Partially drain down the system so that the top hose is emptied.

Cut the top hose in the centre of the arched portion. Fit the bleed insert, secure with two 45mm hose clips (preferably stainless steel) and remove the bleed screw.

2. Set the car heater control to ‘hot’ in order to fill the heater matrix with coolant.

3. Remove the coolant filler plug located to the right (offside) of the inlet plenum chamber. You will probably already have replaced the original unreliable plastic filler plug with a metal brass one. If not, standard flanged brass plugs are readily and cheaply available from the MGV8 spares specialists, plumbers merchants or on eBay: the size is 1/2 BSP.

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4. Remove the expansion tank cap.

5. Fill with the correct type and strength of coolant via the filler pipe until the correct level in the expansion tank is reached. It is necessary to fill fairly slowly to avoid spillage from the filler pipe. A plastic funnel screwed into the pipe is helpful, as is wrapping a piece of absorbent rag or kitchen roll round the pipe to catch any spills. There should be minimal coughing back into the funnel when pouring the coolant in, and selfpurging of entrapped air in the system via the bleed screw hole as the system fills up.

6. Refit the expansion tank cap when the level is correct and then continue to fill until coolant starts to issue from the bleed screw hole in the bleed insert. A rag placed under the insert will catch any small spillage.

7. Refit the bleed screw, with its sealing washer, and tighten.

Continue to fill until the fluid reaches the top of the filler pipe.

8. After a trial run – and after allowing the system to cool, of course – depressurise the system by removing the expansion tank cap and top up the tank to the correct level, if necessary. Replace the expansion tank cap. Then remove the filler plug, check the coolant level in the filler pipe and purge any remaining entrapped air by simply ‘cracking’ the bleed screw. Top up the filler pipe after purging and replace the plug.

9. You should also check the heater is working on your trial run, which of course it should be, since the heater valve will still be open!

10. Recheck for entrapped air after a few more runs, as at point 8 above. The above ten point procedure still appears fairly involved when written down step by step, but it is quick and easy to carry out in practice and – as Clive Wheatley says – it works a treat!

Coolant bleed insert

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23/11/2015 15:03

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

V8 NEWSLETTER

Check the age of your tyres

Date mark on the tyre wall

Tyre safety is a topic we have highlighted on many occasions, not least the age effect on tyre rubber and the consequent reduced braking and roadholding performance. Over time the suppleness of tyre rubber reduces so that by around seven to eight years old the ageing effect will have reduced the flexibility of the rubber as it hardens and begins to take on the characteristics of wood.

For most classic car enthusiasts doing modest annual mileages this will inevitably mean the tyres age well before they wear out. For many it will feel wrong to throw away tyres which appear to have plenty of tread remaining, but with a sportscar with a suspension package from an earlier age, it is essential to have good dry and wet grip, handling and braking performance together with supple rubber for a comfortable ride.

You can check the age of your tyres very easily by reading the date mark on the wall of the tyre. You will see an elongated circle containing two numbers, for example 0508 which dates the tyres as week 5 in 2008. So those tyres will be coming up to 8 years old in February 2016. – see our guide note on tyre wall marking via our ‘more’ link below.

The popular Classic Car Weekly newspaper undertook tyre tests on an MGB GT a couple of years ago in a controlled environment and the results highlighted the substantial difference between the braking performance using fresh rubber when compared with old tyres which despite having legal amounts of tread were more than five years old. In braking tests from 50mph in dry conditions, new tyres reduced the braking distance by a third when compared with the older tyres. That was a staggering difference of just over 60ft (18.6m) – the braking distance for the old tyres was 183ft (56.45m) and the new 122ft (37.55m).

Choosing replacement tyres This has been made easier to some extent by the compulsory performance labelling on tyres but if you want useful comparative performance information on the top tyre choices then you need to see the results of recent tyre tests. With regular improvements in

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tyre technology and new rubber compounds being introduced all the time, new tyres can give better grip, roadholding and comfort.

In our review of replacement tyres for MG V8s last year we looked at independent comparative tyre tests carried out by Auto Express magazine. Their top tyre was the Dunlop Sport BluResponse which eased out the long-time favourite with many V8 enthusiasts, the Continental Premium Contact5. You can see our replacement tyre review via the ‘more’ link at www.v8register.net/more.htm

V8 Technical Day 2016

Following the successful V8 Technical Days in 2014 and 2015, Roger Aldridge is planning another for Saturday May 21 2016 in the John Thornley Suite at Club Office with three speakers in the morning, lunch and then a move over to Frontline Developments in Abingdon for presentations on their activities and a tour of their new factory. There will also be a chance to look at their new MGBs. Booking will be available on the V8 website from January 2016.

Autumn V8 meeting near Zurich Victor Rodrigues, who runs the Swiss V8 group in Switzerland (SWISS-MGV8/IG), reports that they held the traditional Autumn gathering at his attractive garage near Zurich on Saturday October 24. Victor’s garage is a remarkable place, full of MG memorabilia on the walls, and an ideal place for the group’s traditional PortoApéro where they enjoy beautiful wines from Portugal. It was followed by a short country drive and lunch. They were very lucky with the weather – a beautiful sunny and dry Autumn day. Victor Rodrigues says, “This time we welcomed a new member, Hermann Russ with his wife Anja and son Max, with an outstanding LHDconverted RV8, now here in Switzerland.”

DECEMBER 2015

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NEWSLETTER V8

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

Check your antiroll bar drop links

of the car. The top end, a forked metal pressing is attached to the end of the antiroll bar with a bolt that passes through another bonded rubber to metal bush inserted into an eye in the end of the roll bar.

What to look for The drop links are items that are inspected by the MOT Tester, usually a visual inspection for the condition of the rubber bonded parts and by using a pry bar to check its security and integrity. See Photo 2. They will apply significant force to do this. If you do this, take care not to rock that car off the axle stands. Do not do this check with the car on a jack, neither the one that came with the car nor any other.

The drop link failures seen recently (Photo 4) have occurred where the steel tube is welded to the forked end. Photo 3. Rust or corrosion in this area should be scraped or wire brushed away, if there is any sign of a crack or gap, the link is suspect and is best replaced, as they are not expensive. It is important to source good quality replacements. Buying replacements from a reputable source is a good idea, although there are some which seem to have a rather spotty weld quality where the steel tube is welded to the forked end. In Photo 5 you can see the forked end of two new drop links, obtained from B&G, the one on the left is for an RV8, Part Number ZKC5754, DROP LINK LH, (RH is ZKC 5755) while the one on the right is for an MGB, Part Number AHH6544A, DROP LINK LH ANTI-ROLL BAR (RH is AAH6543A).

Close inspection of these parts reveals some differences, not the least of which is the thickness of the material used for the fork and the depth of same, Photo 5. In other respects the parts are the same dimensionally except the diameter of the holes in the RV8 fork, which are 11mm dia. More on this later

Photo 1 – front suspension with the drop link

Recently there have been some failures of the front antiroll drop links. These connect the outer ends of the antiroll bar to their respective lower suspension arm. The antiroll bar, as its name implies, stiffens the car’s tendency to roll, by simply acting as a strong spring when one side of the car moves differentially to the other. It does not affect the overall stiffness of the front suspension, but does make a significant difference to the handling. It will be clear that the forces involved in preventing body roll of 1,200kg vehicle cornering at speed are high, and the stress on these links is considerable. As some of our V8s are now over 40 years old, and its successor, the RV8 around half of that, Nic Houslip feels it is probably worth spending time checking the condition of the drop links. Failure of the link will affect handling, by allowing much more body roll in corners.

The general arrangement of the suspension is shown in Photo 1 taken of my MG BGT, but the V8 is similar, as is the RV8. The MGC has a different arrangement of links and is not covered here.

The ball ended part of the drop link is a bonded rubber to metal bush that allows some compliance as the movement of the lower suspension arm and the antiroll bar are not in the same plane and also minimises the transmission of noise into the structure

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How to do the inspection You will need to jack up car and put an axle stand or other support under the frame rail or the cross member before you get underneath the car. You will also need to remove the front wheel on each side to be able to see the links. Or if you are lucky enough to have access to a car lift, put the car on the lift. The replacement is relatively simple, but is best done with the weight off both wheels for best access, although it can be done with car with its weight on the wheels, so raising the car with a trolley jack under the centre cross member and then arranging axle stands to support the body is the best way; it allows both wheels to be removed, when access to the top bolt is easier. The nut on the threaded portion of the ball joint (3/4” AF) will be tight, so a longish ring or combination

Photo 4 - failure

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

Photo 2– checking security of the link with a pry bar

spanner will make this easier, as will a spray of penetrating fluid on the night before.

Having removed the nut, move to the upper end and remove the nut (5/8”AF) on the bolt that goes through the formed end and through the eye of the antiroll bar. The link can then be replaced.

Inspect the bush in the antiroll bar eye for obvious signs of rot; some slight surface cracking might be seen, but this is usual. If you have any doubt, or find that the bush can be moved with the fingers then replace, or have them replaced.

Bush replacement will probably require removal of the antiroll bar and the use of a workshop press.

Important note, do not attempt to remove a drop link with the car lifted on one side only. In this situation the antiroll bar will be doing its job and the links will be under tension or compression by a significant amount and attempting removal might lead to personal injury.

Photo 3 – rust should be removed from the weld area

Tax class changes to ‘Historic’

As very nearly all MGB GT V8 models are now eligible for road tax exemption, most owners will want to arrange for the tax class change from PLG to Historic as soon as the opportunity arises in April as the eligibility for the 40 year rolling VED exemption arrives. So if your car is approaching that point it is worth noting a clarification the FBHVC has received from the DVLA – “A change of tax class can only be carried out when a licensing application is made, not when a SORN declaration is made. However the Post Office can re-license a vehicle in the Historic tax class if it has previously been under a SORN.” Before a successful tax class change from PLG to Historic is made, the DVLA records will show the ‘date of the vehicle’ as the date of first registration and not the build date because their records did not hold the build date, only the date of first registration.

This is an important matter because a car might have been built in December 1973 but not registered until June 1974 for example. It was not unusual in 1973/74 for sales of MGB GT V8s to be slow because at that time there was a fuel crisis in the Middle East. So a key part of a tax class change application is submitting evidence of the ‘build date’ of your car, particularly in cases where the build date and date of first registration straddle the year end which determines eligibility as in the example noted above.

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V8 NEWSLETTER

Check for residual stress. When you come to replace the links, there may be a slight difference in the length of the link that is needed. If it is so much that moving the link or the roll bar end by hand it is not possible to get the bolts to enter, suspect a twisted antiroll bar or a sagging front spring.

It appears to be possible to replace an MGB drop link with a later and stronger RV8 part, but not vice versa, so to prove this I fitted an RV8 part to the left side of my MGB. The diameter of the hole in the fork needs slight modification to allow the bolt pass through, on the B the hole is 7/16” (0.43750”) while the RV8 Part is drilled 11mm (0.43307”).

To prove this modification works I have run the car for an extended period under hard cornering. In Photo 6 you can see me placing the LH link under extreme Photo 5 – MGB and RV8 links compression load and the RH link under tension; the opposite occurs when taking left hand corners. Note: this MGB is fitted with a thicker than normal antiroll bar so the test will be arduous.

The BGT and the BGTV8 weights are very similar, the V8 motor in fact weighs a little less than the iron block B series, but the V8 is shod with wider tyres and higher cornering loads may be generated.

Photo 6 – drop links working hard

Changes to vehicle tax rule

When the paper tax disc ended some changes to the vehicle tax rules appeared – but there was confusion. After some delay a clarification has been released on the GOV.UK website which says: “When you buy a vehicle, the tax or SORN doesn’t come with it. The tax or SORN isn’t passed on when you sell a vehicle or transfer ownership to someone else. This includes giving a vehicle to a member of your family. You must tell the DVLA when you sell or give away a vehicle. A new logbook (V5C) will be sent to the new owner and as the seller you’ll get a vehicle tax refund from DVLA by cheque for any remaining months, usually within 4 to 6 weeks”. But that explanation is still not quite right.

Actually any existing tax continues until the notification of change of keeper reaches the DVLA. But clearly a practical implication remains – if you travel to buy a car that is currently taxed, do you tax it yourself before you drive it home as the DVLA says you should, or do you drive home with the tax still valid because until the V5C (sent by mail to the DVLA by the Registered Keeper as the seller) physically reaches the DVLA, they will not have received notification of the sale which legally cancels the existing VED? This is only likely to arise on a purchase from a private individual as dealers are unlikely to have current tax on a car they sell because as a matter of routine they will cash in the residue of any remaining whole months of the VED.

DECEMBER 2015

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NEWSLETTER ZRZSZT

John Thompson Tel: 07854 275541 johnt5@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/zedregister

ZR/ZS/ZT Newsletter

Welcome to the

I

t’s hard to believe we are at the end of another year so welcome to our second Newsletter of 2015. The year seems to have raced past with indecent haste.

It’s been a busy time for the Register with some changes in the backroom too. We have been to some memorable events since our last newsletter in the summer. After a very successful MGLive! we headed to the Victorian splendor of Burghley House in July for the increasingly popular MG Saloon Day. The rain we experienced early in the day soon moved on, leaving us with a glorious sunny day.

Throughout the year we have continued

to support the main Club at race days by organising the lunchtime parade laps.

Oulton Park and Snetterton in particular produced a high number of MG owners all wanting to experience the racing driver’seye view. Many enthusiasts have been present on each occasion supporting the Trophy races and the ZS drivers in the Cockshoot Cup. We have enjoyed another exciting year of racing which was brought to a close at Snetterton in October. Bringing the events up-to-date, regrettably we decided to pull out of the Classic Motor Show which was held at the NEC over the weekend of November 13-

15. Hopefully circumstances in the future will allow us to attend once again.

Our events calendar for next year is still in the planning stage. Although a number of dates have now been confirmed some still need to be finalised.

A provisional list will be published next month, but look out for any updates on our Facebook page and in future Register updates.

We’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And to thank all of you for supporting your Register during 2015.

See you all next year.

MG saloon Day at Burghley House. Photo: Kelvin Fagan

LIVING LONG & PROSPERING The Story of the Vulcan Racing Team Vulcan Racing was formed in May 2010 by a group of friends and club racers who had competed together with in the MG Car Club for a number of years. I can recall the seeds of this starting after the 2009 season in which I had campaigned for the first time my pre-production MG ZS V6 in the Peter Best Insurance Championship alongside Dan Ludlow in his Metro 190.

It was decided that we would form our own team and after some debate it was agreed that we would use an iconic name Vulcan, as we all appreciate the superb cold war engineering that went into the Vulcan Bombers. The Domain was purchased and

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the business registered and we were ready: Peter Burchill Owner, Dan Ludlow Driver/Engineer, Tony Stiles Mechanic.

With our combined experience and knowledge base the business was set up to offer value in motorsport to fellow club racers, as we all race on a budget and we like to get our monies worth. Having built various cars over the last 14 years we decided to review suppliers within the UK motorsport industry that offered products that worked well but did not require you to spend exorbitant amounts of money. We are club racers at heart with experience from Club to GT cars and wanted to ensure we used parts that were affordable from key UK suppliers.

In 2010 Dan and I shared the MG ZS V6 in the Peter Best Insurance Championship (PBIC) and won our class; the car still holds several lap records today thanks to Dan’s driving skills. This

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23/11/2015 14:50

John Thompson Tel: 07854 275541 johnt5@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/zedregister

ZRZSZT NEWSLETTER

Vulcan racing, the early years with the MGCC ZR/ZS/ZT Register banner in the background.

allowed time to build the MG ZR 190 which Dan would campaign alongside the ZS in 2011. The highlight of the year was The Castle Combe Super Car Saturday, at which I met BTCC and MG Legend Anthony Reid who had been let down by Porsche UK, and it would be rude not to lend him my car. I can honestly say it’s never been driven so hard…

As a small self-funded team running owner-drivers it became apparent that the MG ZS was a more than capable car and we started to meet more owners and offer advice and supply parts to get more cars out on track, and we are all still friends today, which is key in club motorsport.

In 2011 we ran in the PBIC again and Dan secured the Championship in the freshly built ZR190 and won class C; I was able to secure second in class B, which was a great year’s racing.

We had added two more Cars that season after reshelling and rebuilding an MG ZR Trophy car for Dave Brown who finished third in class and hiring our team MGF VVC out during the season. For the club and for ourselves the highlight was getting Anthony Reid to co-drive the team ZS at MGLive! which was spectacular and really showed us club racers what a ZS could do.

Dan’s talents had not gone amiss and he was invited to drive for the Honda Works team in Britcar, and from this it was decided that the ZR was to be sold so Dan could purchase the ex works Civic which he now campaigns. Ironic really that we now have two cars with underlying Honda DNA. As a team we decided to switch to the Cockshoot Cup for 2012 as I had moved north, and we have been running the ZS in that championship since. It has been my personal aim to get as many ZS race cars out as possible and we have ground the grids from two to eight cars, and we are aware of at least three more that should be breaking cover in 2016.

I hope through the Club, Register and from racing that we can see more MG ZS V6s come out and that they truly are appreciated as one of the best cars from the MG Rover era; the chassis and power plant are just fabulous. I believe that the car will get cult status in a few years’ time. I am old enough to remember the 2.8i Capris being sold for under £500 quid and thrashed to death which is something none of us want for this future classic, these Capris now change hands for £10K plus! I hope that owners appreciate what good cars they have and that they are worth keeping.

The Vulcan team of Peter Burchill - MG ZS, David Brown - MG ZR and Dan Ludlow -MG ZR.

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DECEMBER 2015

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NEWSLETTER ZRZSZT

John Thompson Tel: 07854 275541 johnt5@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/zedregister

The Vulcan cars at Oulton Park

The pre-production ZS being put to the test in 2009

We do a lot of track days, the highlight being two days at SPA and the satisfaction you get when retuning to the paddock to be asked ‘what’ and ‘how’, by owners of much more exotic cars. Not bad for an old MG! The highlight of 2015 season was winning our class in the scratch race in the Six Hour Birkett on the Silverstone GP Circuit recently with a team of four MG ZS race cars with six drivers

Anthony Reid tries the Vulcan ZS for size

Peter Burchill and Anthony Reid with the black Vulcan ZS.

We decided to enter the team of MG ZS race cars from the MGCC under the team name ‘The Cockshoot Cup Team’ to promote the clubs series and the ZS as being a more than capable race car.

The Birkett is a six hour relay race at Silverstone, which 67 teams entered. Our team was in Class B alongside others such as BMW E36 M3s, Integra Type Rs, Morgan V8s, etc. With the ZSs

The six hour Birkett race, Class winning ‘Cockshoot Team’

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23/11/2015 14:50

NEWSLETTER ZRZSZT

John Thompson Tel: 07854 275541 johnt5@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/zedregister

The ZS leads the pack

averaging 210bhp, and weighing over 1100kg with the driver, on paper we were going to struggle. Nothing like a challenge, but on the day which was wet we knew that we were going to have some fun.

We started 45th of 67 cars, and finished the race 18th thanks to sterling efforts from our drivers, which resulted in first in class in the scratch result. On the handicap system this put us 6th overall out of 67 teams but 2nd in class on handicap by 1 lap.

My car is 15 years old now and she has been raced all of her life, and will be for many years to come – they are simply addictive. This makes running Vulcan Racing a pleasure as I am pleased to see other cars getting used and raced. As a team and MGCC members we look forward to celebrating ‘Zed 15’ next year and meeting more owners and enjoying our cars, after all that’s what it is all about.

Peter Burchill

Peter enjoying the sweeping lines of Spa in the ZS.

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www.mgcc.co.uk

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H1 - CLIVE WHEATLEY_H7 - CLIVE WHEATLEY 26/03/2015 11:29 Page 1

New Replacement MG RV8 Heatshield Fits above catalysts on the underside of the car. Stops heat ingress and paint burning on underside of car £119.50 NEW All Alloy 15 inch Replacement Wheels for the GTV8 £384 With an alloy centre and a highly polished alloy rim. Weighs approx 2kg lighter.

No further rusting.

Tel: +44 (0)1746 710810 Fax: 01746 710999 email: sales@mgv8parts.com (between Bridgnorth & Wolverhampton)

Full workshop facilities: servicing, repairs, MoT and prep.

RV8 wood refurbishment & mail order services worldwide.

RV8 Main header rail and filler. £59.95

Catering for all MGB, V8, V8 conversions & RV8 vehicles.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT

www.mgv8parts.com

RV8 Front brake caliper clips & pins. £15.95

HERITAGE APPROVED

RV8 cars available for sale - please call

RV8 New Polyurethane rear anti-roll bar bushes. £16.70 for the pair

V8 Engine Steady Bar This is the best you can buy for the money! £50.60

BRAND NEW high torque starter motor.

British made £252

RV8 Spax Krypton filled dampers

Adjustable on car through 28 different stages £129.00 each (front) £142.25 each (rear) full set £522 - save £20.50

CM05.15/H1/kk

OVERSEAS MAIL ORDER AVAILABLE

RV8 Petrol Tank Sender with Seal & Locking Ring. £59.95

RV8 boot stays. £30.20 each

RV8 Bespoke Smoked Perspex Windstop. £234

Highgrosvenor, Worfield, WV15 5PN

Genuine RV8 heater valve (ZKC 5119 - the correct one) £54.95 RV8 Brake Servo. Made by the original manufacturer £118.80

RV8 front radiator cover Black £199.50 Part Carbon Fibre £227.80

genuine & conversion parts

New, better quality, harder wearing replacement overmats. Original patterns, colour & embroidered with MG logo. Pair RV8 mats £99.50

Oselli ltd, Greenway Business Park, Winslow Road, Great Horwood, MK17 0NY 01993 849610 or 07831 597424

URGENT PROOF

MGB

Midget/ A Series

Please check this proof carefully for errors in style, content and layout.

Engines Although every care is exercised in preparing your advert, we cannot hold Engines Standard lead free £1905 ourselves responsible for any inaccuracies you may overlook.

1800cc lead free £1905 Standard fast road balanced £2125 1800cc fast road balanced £2125 SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ALTERATIONS Current Stock TO THIS PROOF PLEASEStage 2 fast road balanced £2565 1840cc balanced stage 2 £2565 1293cc fast road stage 2 £2755 1950cc standard lead free £2185 1958 _MGA finished in NO. _ _ _ _ _1380cc fast road stage 2 £2885 TELEPHONE BEFORE _ _ _ _ Roadster _ _ AND QUOTE ADVERT 1950cc fast road stage 2 £2815 1400cc fast road stage 2 £3395 Midnight blue with Burgundy trim

Heads Standard lead free Stage 2 lead free Stage 3 lead free Stage 3a lead free Stage 4 comp head

and carpets. Fully restored in 2000 Heads £465 Standard lead free and little used since £34,000.00 £545 Stage 2 lead free £675 Stage 3 lead free 1972 MGB Roadster restored some £755 Stage 3a lead free £2545Telephone years ago on a heritage shell and little 01206 Fax 01206 500180 Stage 4 comp head

£465 £545 £675 £755 £2545

used since. £17,995.00 Other We reserve the right to charge for any alteration to this proof which Other Tubular long branch large bore exhaust 1959 Roaster nished Dove Tubular long branch exhaust is a MGA departure from fi the originalincopy Oselli cast rocker cover £175 Oselli cast rocker cover £175 grey with burgundy trim restored in Weber carb kit £695 Weber carb kit £695 Performance distributor £195 2012 little history £36,995.00 Performance distributor £195 Head and engines supplied on an exchange basis Prices subject to VAT

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 57

www.oselli.com

Head and engines supplied on an exchange basis Prices subject to VAT

DECEMBER 2015

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RACE TORQUE MGCC Race Retro stand 2015. The Club will be back at Stoneleigh for Race Retro 2016 held on February 26-28

Race Torque

by Ron Gammons

T

he Club’s annual meeting with our Championships coordinators took place towards the end of October, where aspects of the 2015 calendar were discussed along with the 2016 proposed calendar. On the back of one of the most successful years of motor racing the Club has run, it’s fair to say that one and all were bullish for the prospects in 2016 with hopes of, at the very least, maintaining the grids, if not increasing them.

While increasing the grids is not the be all and end all, if we do, it does help keep the entry fees to as low a level as possible! Now, in reality against the costs of the car, engine rebuilds, tyres, travel etc one might say the entry fees are some way down the list in terms of size, but if there is one thing that the competitors do latch onto it’s the entry fees!

The fees are of course driven by the circuit hire costs, and all the ancillary costs such as breakdowns, ambulance, doctors etc etc add their bit! However the Club manages to run its comprehensive programme of events with sufficient numbers on the grids to maintain the racing at break even, or better, and enables the Club to have major focus events around which to build other activities such as MGLive!.

Mentioning the calendar above and referring back to the 2016 dates given last month in this column of Donington April 3, Brands April 30-May 1, MGLive! June 4-5, Mallory July 3, Oulton September 3 and Snetterton October 1-2, it’s good to report that these have not changed... yet! The facts are that the F1 calendar is still being chewed over, but hopefully will finally be confirmed in December when the FIA meet to rubber-stamp it. It’s a case of watch this space and the Club’s website I am afraid!

The Club has not exhibited at the major Autosport Show for many years now. After much debate we have taken the decision to have a small stand at the 2016 show scheduled for January 1417 at the NEC Birmingham. While we will of course be pleased to see Club members on the stand, the major thrust is to showcase the Club’s race and motorsport credentials to another audience, specifically with the aim of introducing the younger drivers to the fun that can be had in our very cost effective motorsport.

The fact that there is a major kart part of the show is of specific interest and hopefully will lead to more drivers being aware of our Club and just what we can offer. We plan to have a MG ZR on the

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stand for the four days, but all of the Championships are being encouraged to use the event to set out what their Championship can offer together with the likely associated costs, with poster, handouts and presence on the stand. Is there a guarantee of success, no of course not but if we don’t try we won’t stand a chance! Our motor racing has perhaps, for too long, been one of the better kept secrets in the motorsport calendar. We need to change that.

While on the subject of shows, perhaps an early mention of our regular slot at the Race Retro show at Stoneleigh in February on 26-28. If all works out correctly we should be in our traditional spot just inside the main entrance. All Club members are very welcome to come and say hello and to catch up on the latest news on the motorsport side of the Club.

Since the next magazine may well be after Christmas when it arrives, may we end by wishing one and all the very best for the festive season and for next year’s motorsport competition. By the time you read these words there will be only 18 weeks to go to the first race meeting of 2016. Better get back out to the garage!

John Gil’s MG Trophy Championship winning MG ZR 160, come and see it at the Autosport Show

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:50

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MGs ON TRACK

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MGs on Track are proud to unveil our provisional calendar for 2016 Looking forward to yet another exciting year with MGoT and you will notice there have been a few changes for 2016 which include an exciting new circuit, Blyton Park, and a revisit by popular demand to Oulton Park and Hethel. Our regular tracks Goodwood, Castle Combe and Brands Hatch feature as always, along with Cadwell Park and Snetterton.

Donington Park, which over recent years has become our dedicated First Timers and Novices day, has been brought forward to March, allowing our newer members the opportunity to gain early track day experience for the year ahead.

As you all know, MGs on Track is a notfor-profit track day club which endeavours to bring you, the MGoT members, the very

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best circuits at the very best prices.

Sadly, Silverstone GP had indicated a large proposed increase in charges for 2016 over previous years. With this in mind we believe the cost for Silverstone next year makes this a very high risk for us and we reluctantly took the decision to drop it from the calendar for next year… However, although we do not have the circuit costs for the remaining 2016 calendar as yet, we believe there will be little or no change to prices for the fifth year running due to strong circuit negotiations.

We look forward to seeing our members, Old and New, on track with us in 2016!

MGs on Track A first at the NEC Classic Car Show!

Our track day club, MGoT, has moved on quite a bit in recent years. To grow our club and increase our membership, which in return will offer you even more and varied track day venues, we have consciously attempted to raise our awareness to the many MG owners that have never experienced or heard of track days!

In 2015, MGoT were on show and exhibiting at MGLive!, Stoneleigh, MG Era, MGF20, Pride of Longbridge and most recently the prestigious Classic Car Show at the NEC. A reported 69,000 classic car enthusiasts visited the NEC which was spread over three days and a number of halls, displaying an incredible number of classic cars and various clubs.

It was a very busy weekend with visitors to our new stand. The MGoT committee members present at the NEC were overwhelmed by the number of serious enquiries as to what MG track days are all about? We are expecting to see a large number of new member registrations to MGs on Track, over the coming weeks.

On display at our stand was the very rare MG SVR along with an MGB V8 and a ZR. The colourful combination of vehicles drew some real attention and was designed to show the visitors that any road-going MG can be used on track and without any special equipment.

A big thank you goes, not only to our regular tracksters that gave our stand a visit, but also to Chairman, Dave Pearce and Doug Bond for the incredible amount of work put in prior to running this event, ably assisted on the day by Martin Holmes, Andy Ayriss, Peter Purcell, James Mumford and Nigel Silman.

And on behalf of MGoT, a special thank you to Keith Allen, Alan Byram, Quinton Armitage, Ian Thompson, Joanna Ayris and father Stuart, for assisting on this incredibly busy weekend .

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:50

Steve Brand steveb@mgs-on-track.co.uk www.mgs-on-track.com

MG on track

2016 Calendar *Goodwood – February 20 Blow off the cobwebs with our first visit of the year to this fabulous, historic, very popular, 50s, iconic circuit set in Sussex. *Donington Park – March 14 Our dedicated first timers and novices event to introduce you to MG track days, including mentoring and novice instruction. This event, as always, is also open to more experienced drivers from MGAs to MG V8s… One not to be missed! *Cadwell Park – April 18 The UK’s mini Nurburgring. An exciting and undulating circuit set in scenic Lincolnshire countryside. *Snetterton – May 23 A chance to experience the ‘Snetterton 300’ circuit with its fast and technical layout ensuring there is something for everyone. *N Weald – Date TBA Not a track day but a fun day allowing you the opportunity to discover more about the handling characteristics of your car prior to doing a full track day.

An excellent opportunity for beginners! *Castle Combe – June 20 The first visit of two regular annual visits to this very friendly circuit in Wiltshire. *Croft – July 1 A shared day with Lotus on Track on a great circuit, set between the Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors! *Blyton Park – July 16 A first time visit for MGoT to this circuit that has been given some great reviews. A variety of track layouts makes this an interesting venue! *Hethel – July 30 Another opportunity to experience the Lotus test track in Norfolk. This will be our second visit due to the popularity in 2015. A great track for all types of MG! *Brands Hatch GP – August 25 A must do! A rare opportunity to try the GP circuit which has imposed limited use during the year. It’s a privilege for MGoT to be invited back for a third year running. *Castle Coombe – September 12 A second opportunity to enjoy the thrills of this ever popular track which includes a couple of chicanes and technical corners! *Goodwood – October 31 A second visit in case you missed the first due to popularity! *Oulton Park – November 18th Back on the calendar due to demand by members, a circuit that has a bit of everything for everyone! *Brands Hatch ‘Indy’ – December 5 Our last event of 2016. Don’t miss the chance to experience this undulating circuit including Paddock Hill Bend! * To book places you need to be registered with MGoT on our website www.mgs-on-track.com ** All registered members will receive an email about a week prior to the event opening for sale. *** If an event says ‘Status: Provisional’ it is not open for booking yet. **** If all places are ‘Sold Out’ contact the ‘Event Manager’ highlighted on the booking page for a reserve place.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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LUFFIELD

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

Another season splashes to a close with our final meeting at Castle Combe. I am not casting aspersions at the weather in that area but we always seem to experience, at least, a degree of dampness. In the case of this year’s event I understand it was very wet.

Prior to that meeting there were quite few Championship positions up for grabs. However, due to the aforementioned conditions nothing much changed from the previous meeting at Eelmoor.

We have a clear National champion in Ian Beningfield in his Group 1 1500 Midget with a score of 797.11. Second place was taken by Steve Collier in his race modified Midget with 795.44 points and third was Marc Hanson in the mighty MG SV with 794.21. A nice close finish which could have gone either way depending on the circumstances.

In the North we have the Norwester going to Keith Egar in the K series engine Midget with 594.38. Second is Tim Kirkham in the ZS 180 with 590.93 and third place went to Paul Drake with 589.7. A good mix of models, showing that our scoring system gives everyone a decent chance.

The Windmill and Lewis award for the first in the Southern series goes to Steve Collier with 600.99. Second in the South was Ian Beningfield with 599.4 and third was Marc Hanson with 598.21.

A really close spread of points covering all three which attests to the standard of competition.

All the class positions are available on the website www.mgspeed. net and congratulations on some very creditable performances. I particularly enjoyed the close competition between the road modified MGBs of Rob Orford, Mike Cole, Richard Withers, Terry Pigott and Paul Drake. These cars embody the Luffield Championship ethos of the recent past more than any other. Inevitably, as the newer models are more in evidence the identity of the series changes slightly, as do many other championships, and I suppose this can be seen as a natural progression.

However, due to the enthusiastic involvement of our T series members we can boast that ours is the only series that can field cars from the 1930s up to the present day. One cannot help wondering where the next five or ten years will take us, but of this I am sure, there will be competition to be had for all MGs no matter their age or type.

Ian Beningfield making running adjustments to his Midget during the Harewood Hillclimb, report in last month’s issue.

DECEMBER 2015

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OUT & ABOUT FEATURE

Out & About Spotted whilst holidaying in Cuba, this MGA has been quite heavily modified to keep in on the road over there. Photo: Sue Heath

MG Club China flag and Mr. Shen’s MG7, in the driveway of MG Club China’s former headquarters. Photo: Lynne Quayle Eduardo Lambiasi’s 1974 MGB GT. Eduardo is the Diretor Esportivo (Sporting Director) of the MG Club Brasil and recently visited Kimber House with his wife Vera Lambiasi.

The 1971 MGB Roadster of Martin & Sarah Waters next to an ex-Elizabeth Taylor Cadillac at the Chateau du Bois-Guy during an Autumn tour of Brittany.

Ann and Simon Young’s MG TF which was the first British car to attend the MGF Iberian Rally; this was the 8th Iberian meeting held in September.

GS SUV on display in foyer, SAIC Plant in Shanghai. Photo: Lynne Quayle

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www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:51

OUTFEATURE & ABOUT

Richard Wilson at Angouleme en route to a class win in the GT Final in September, the walls there get mighty close at times! Photo: Hugues Mallet 18 year old Oliver Brett going through the splash at Kersey, Suffolk earlier this year in his ZR. Oliver also owns a 1967 MGB GT which is currently undergoing a restoration. Photo: Paul Brett

Richard Exton’s stunning New South Wales registered 1972 MGB gleaming in the Australian sunlight. Photo: Richard Exton A wintry photo of Mike Johnson’s 1950 MG TD taken in the Franschhoek mountain pass just outside Cape Town. Photo: Mike Johnson

The MG3 of Mrs Haughton, pictured in North Wales last winter. Photo: Mike Haughton

www.mgcc.co.uk

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OVERSEAS

NEWS

Japanese

Journey

By Paul Plummer

T

he objective of this visit was to attend and support two events and journey to meet with the four affiliated clubs that are active in Japan.

The first was a meeting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ‘The 1100 Club of Japan’, which caters for both 1100 and 1300 types and all badged versions of the marque, including MG. ‘MG Tweed’ was hosted by the MGCC of Nagoya as their final meeting of the season.

Upon arrival in Tokyo I was met by two members of the Japan Centre who had agreed to drive me to Hamanako where the 1100 event was being held. The following morning we left Tokyo early for the long drive south, taking turns to travel in a 1967 1100 Vanden Plas Princess and a 1966 MGB. The weather was dull and overcast but dry, and including comfort and lunch breaks the journey took about five hours.

This, the 25th anniversary meeting of The 1100 Club Japan, which is open to all British marques, was held in the

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grounds of Villa Hamanako which proved to be an excellent venue. Lake Hamanako, which is the 10th largest in Japan, is very attractively set amongst the mountains and is a major tourist resort.

Cars arrived throughout the afternoon and early evening, being marshalled and parked by marque and type, with more expected to arrive on the Sunday morning.

The Gala Dinner took place that

evening where I made an introductory presentation on the MGCC UK, our activities, and its world-wide family of enthusiasts. Later in the evening entertainment was provided by a rock band comprised of 1100 club members who specialised in Beatles songs. Your correspondent was coerced into singing ‘Yellow Submarine’, the words of which he had changed into ‘Yellow MGB’!

A good time was had by all.

However, by this time it was pouring with rain which continued all night and until about 3.00pm on Sunday afternoon.

Despite the weather, participants continued to arrive and by lunchtime there were almost 60 cars, with many umbrellas to be seen.

There were 28 1100/1300s of various types, which amazingly

The Yellow MGB!

The 1100 Club meeting in the rain!

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:51

NEWS

Rocker box racers including a Double Decker London bus

included 13 Vanden Plas Princesses!

[9944] The MG contingent totalled 18, from a 1932 J2 and 1935 PA, through various MGBs and a ZB Magnette up to more modern MGFs. The oldest car was a 1919 GN, with others being a 1931 Riley Gamecock special, a 1936 Austin Seven special, various Minis, a Lotus Super Seven, a Morgan 4/4 and a Triumph GT6.

The afternoon continued (in the rain!) with the judging of various classes, an exciting Rocker Box race, a Bingo style raffle, followed by the presentation of awards.

Despite the weather, an excellent and well run event.

By 4pm we headed back to Tokyo.

The following day I boarded the Shinkansen Bullet Train and headed north for the three hour journey to the city of Sendai, which was at the centre of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami where large areas of the surrounding towns were devastated.

I met the President and other members of the Tohoku MG Car Club, where I made a presentation on behalf of the MGCC UK, and we discussed many related matters.

Returning to Tokyo, I attended the Japan Centre’s Monthly ‘Natter’ Meeting and dinner held at The International House, an educational and cultural centre.

OVERSEAS

MG’s at Meiji-Mura

The Shinkansen – 187mph!

Presentations were made from both sides and they described activities and events that had taken place this year and the plans and preparations for the 2016 MG Day at Karuizawa, the major event in Japan’s MG calendar.

Kobe was my next destination, another three hour train journey, where I was met by the President of the Kobe MG Car Club, Kenji Matsuoka, and together we went to see Hiro Nishio, who is a long time member of the MGCC UK, the doyen of all things MG in Japan and has restored and rebuilt many cars over the years. Sadly he has suffered a debilitating illness and can no longer pursue his passion. A message of sympathy from John Day together with a gift from the MGCC UK was passed to him.

Kenji and I then collected his 1930 M type, loaded it onto a trailer and drove the four hours to Inuyama where the ‘MG Tweed’ event was being held. The Saturday

Harris Tweed Boots!

morning dawned bright and sunny and during the day the temperature climbed to 29°C, a contrast to the previous weekend!

The MG Tweed meeting, so called as an expression of Britishness, was hosted by the Nagoya MG Car Club, where every participant was clothed in some item of Tweed, and was held at the Museum Meiji-Mura.

This is a collection of reconstructed buildings (along the lines of Beamish) exhibiting the works of Japanese architecture from the Meiji period, 1862– 1912. Over 60 remarkable buildings have been bought together and rebuilt here in a beautiful hillside setting overlooking lake Iruka.

Participants at the 1100 Club Meeting

www.mgcc.co.uk

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OVERSEAS

NEWS

M type Midget at Meiji - Mura

Three MG guys on a bench

The Nagoya club had negotiated special dispensation to allow the cars to enter the site and be parked in strategic positions adjacent to some of the buildings.

A total of 26 MGs took part, from a 1930 M type Midget, through J2, PA,

Immaculate Farina Magnette

T types, MGA, MGB and Midgets up to MGFs. Ample time was allowed to study the cars, kick tyres and talk about camshafts, and indeed to view the wonderful buildings and scenery, giving many photo opportunities.

The meeting’s dinner took place that evening with the presentation of prizes etc and I gave a speech on the origins of Tweed!

The following day we visited the Tea House and Castle of Inyuama before I headed back to Tokyo, Narita and the UK. All in all a very successful visit with an enormous amount of goodwill being generated and potentially six new members of the MGCC UK being recruited.

The enthusiasm for and the commitment to MG is second to none and the ‘Marque of Friendship’ is very much alive and well in Japan!

Tweed Dinner presentation

Participants at the MG Tweed Meeting

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www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:51

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OVERSEAS

Magnettes at Albstadt

NEWS

European Magnette Event 2015

One open bonnet and several specialists with helpful hints

T

by Dietrich Krahn Photos Günter Grasskamp

his year’s Magnette Day took place in the Swabian Alps, south of Stuttgart.

Ten crews from three countries ie Luxembourg, Austria and Germany, travelled with their Magnettes to southern Germany, with the longest distance travelled about 800km. Two owners had just finished their restoration.

Our hotel was on the top of the mountains at nearly 800m above sea level, and the temperatures were more like autumn than summer. But a Magnette is mostly dry and cosy, even in rain and fog!

Renate and Wolf-Dieter organised very nice tours along B and C roads to the

excavation of a Celtic village and also to a restoration shop for Porsches – but none of the Magneteers wanted to exchange their cars for a 911!

During the event three cars had some minor technical problems: a leaky clutch slave cylinder, a faulty ignition coil and a cylinder head that needed retorquing. All the problems were solved with the help of at least ten experts, and it’s astonishing what spare parts Magnette owners carry on board. The Ray Cain trophy went to Tom Cordes for his recently finished restoration of a car which had been off the road for 35 years.

Nice view through a Varitone window

Along the Danube valley

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www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:51

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BMC 100 and 1300 Enthusiasts Guide

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DECEMBER 2015

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OVERSEAS

REVIEW

A monthly look through a few of the overseas magazines we receive at Kimber House Reviewed by Richard Martin

Overseas Review

A

as well as the nniversaries were the 10th anniversary subject of much of the copy of the Darling in the magazines which Downs Chapter. provided this month’s MG reading Both are celebrated material. Most prominent was the with articles and 60th birthday of the MGA, but the accompanying TC’s 70th, the BGT’s 50th and photos. Away from the MGF’s 20th were also widely anniversaries, the celebrated and reported upon. magazine also New Zealand’s Otago contains part 1 of a Southland Centre magazine report on the intrepid covered all except that of the TC, Dave Godwin’s but also carried an article which An eye-catching advert (Peking to Paris, Cape will ring bells in a lot of MG circles; to Cairo) troupe as it their AGM was attended by six travels along the Pan America Highway. committee members and three guests. The As well as articles on identifying article poses the question, not unique to NZ, Australian built MGAs and the development of whether there is a need to change the way and build history of the model, Opposite in which the MG Car Club is delivered to the Lock from Sydney diversifies with a trivia 21st century membership? quiz, a picture puzzle and a recipe for Wheel Spin from Australia (Victoria) Pineapple Coconut slice! has a report of the T Register’s Springtime Moving continents to North America, Rally which attracted a ‘massive’ number The Spark from Washington has a report of first-timers. Amongst these were the of a visit to Kyoto in Japan full of praise Abingdon Works Centre’s Greg (proudly for the MG hospitality the author enjoyed. sporting his AWC cap) and Angela Smith – There’s also a paragraph on the two types did you mention the cricket Greg? There’s of toilet experienced! The New England T also an article chronicling a group of Register’s Sacred Octagon has a report of Australian MGAs on their 60th Anniversary GoF Central in Carmel which features some Tour of Europe and the UK. glorious colour photos.

Also in Victoria, (Geelong) G-Torque Across the border in Canada, Toronto’s wishes the TC a happy 70th Birthday which The Octagon advises of a rejuvenation of is being celebrated by holding a Square MG sports cars in the country reporting that Rigger Run. It reports that there are over 300 they have nine MGFs and two RV8s in the TCs listed on the MGCC Victoria Register club; something which they suspect makes with 20 members from the Geelong club. their US friends jealous.

In MG Motoring (South Australia) the In Europe, the magazine of the Danish C Register’s Registrar praises the standard MG Car Club devotes a number of inside of driving experienced during travels in pages to the MGA plus having a red one Germany compared with that experienced on its front cover. Belgium’s MG Nieuws, on home territory. however, has a black one on its cover whilst Remaining in Australia, Queensland’s including coverage of MGF Kempenrit, the The Octagon tells us of a couple of Revival, inside. The only model to get an anniversaries of their own. It’s the 10th article to itself in Holland’s MG Nieuws is birthday of the purchase of their Clubrooms

The complete Dutch MGA touring kit

Have boat will travel in Wellington

the BGT, with the V8 and Frontline’s LE50 included in the piece.

Finally with the festive season fast approaching, here’s wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our overseas clubs and their members from all of us here in the UK. Wings and Wheels US style

Intrepid Australian travellers

Cover Girl from New England’s T Register

MGA celebrations in NZ’s North Island

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Cover Boy from South Australia

AWC members went to Australia to get their photo in a magazine.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:52

NATIONAL L RALLY

2016 MG NATIONAL MEETING

TAU P O - N Z S

9 - Sun 10 - Mon 11 - Tues 12 Apr

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA March 25-29, 2016

2016

Welcome to the West!

Greetings

The MG Car Club of Western Australia, the TC Owners Club and the MG Owners’ Club Western Australia are delighted to be jointly hosting the 2016 MG National Meeting over the Easter weekend, in the picturesque city of Perth.

Here is the latest information on the wonderful opportunity for you to participate with fellow MGCC members in this major event in April 2016. This National Rally will combine traditional events with MG comradeship, set against the unique background of Lake Taupo amongst the wonderful atmosphere of the Central North Island.

The Rally dates are Saturday 9th April, Sunday 10th April, Monday 11th April and Tuesday 12th April inclusive, with an option to extend your stay to include pre and post rally tours/activities.

Information about these tours will be circulated next month.

MG owners worldwide are invited to journey ‘Down Under’ to take part in this Natmeet and enjoy a vacation in our lovely State.

Programme Thursday 7 April and Friday 8 April - Optional Pre-Rally Tours/Activities Saturday 9 April

You will be warmly welcomed to join in our MaGic weekend of activities and camaraderie. You may also wish to join a motoring tour of the beautiful southwest of the State, being organised to follow the Natmeet.

- Registration and Scrutineering (2:00pm start) - Welcome Dinner (evening)

Sunday 10 April

- Concours (morning) - Trial (afternoon - a scenic run and a time to enjoy the unique wonders of the areas that the route will take you)

Monday 11 April

- Speed Event (Taupo Motorsport Park)

Tuesday 12 April

- Motorkhana

Register your interest in the 2016 Natmeet by sending an email to our Natmeet Director Doug Bush at dougmgwa@msn.com, to ensure that you are kept updated with Bulletins and advice.

- Awards Dinner (evening) Wednesday 13 April and Thursday 14 April - Optional Post-Rally Tours/Activities

Full information on the Perth 2016 National Meeting can be found on our website at www.mg2016natmeet.com.au.

Mark the dates in your diary and book your accommodation today, if you haven’t already done so!

Rally HQ - Suncourt Motel 14 Northcroft St, Taupo Ph: 0800 786268 – and quote booking reference 64973

We look forward to welcoming all registrants in Perth on Friday March 25, 2016. Come and join us for an ample serving of West Aussie hospitality and MG fun!

$160 for twin room (2 people) includes breakfast $40 extra per person per night includes breakfast

What to do next Please email Peter Stanes saents@xtra.co.nz if you haven’t already been added to the list for receiving Rally registration information. (Registration forms will be available in October) Your MG National Rally Committee, Sue Martin Tony Simmons Peter Stanes Paul Walbran Michael Wood

Ph Ph Ph Ph Ph

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mg.martin@clear.net.nz tonysi@orcon.net.nz saents@xtra.co.nz paul@mgparts.co.nz mgmike@ihug.co.nz

NORFOLK RIVIERA RUN 2015 Wednesday December 30 2015

Start: The Crown Inn, Lynn Road, Gayton, Kings Lynn PE32 1PA Meeting from 9.00 am with cars away between 10.00 and 10.30am.

Coffee and bacon butties available from 9.00am - Please advise if required.

Entry Form I would like to attend the Norfolk Riviera Run on Wednesday December 30 2015

Name................................................................................................................................

Finish: Fakenham Norfolk Lunches will be available at the finish please advise if required.

Address:........................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................Postcode...........................

Telephone.......................................................email........................................................

Entry: Voluntary contribution of £2.00 will be collected on the day of which at least 50% will be donated to a local charity.

Please return details on the entry form to help us with catering arrangements at start and finish. All food to be paid for by you on the day.

Forms can be downloaded from www.mgcc.co.uk/anglia

Car make......................................Reg no.............................. Colour..............................

Total number of people in car..............................

I/we would like.............................bacon butties at The crown Inn I/we would like.............................lunches at Pensthorpe Fakenham

Entries to Steve Atkinson, Longcroft Cottage, Station Road, Foulsham, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 5RD. or emailed to rivierarun@hotmail.com

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 71

Please return this form by December 6 2015 Any enquiries email: rivierarun@hotmail.co.uk

DECEMBER 2015

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CENTRES

ABINGDON WORKS Gill Martin sfscribe@mgabingdon.org.uk www.mgabingdon.co.uk

Can you believe it? Here we are in December again. Where did 2015 go? Well I hope it was a wonderful year for you and your family and, of course, your beloved MG car(s).

The Abingdon Works Centre has tried its best to make it an enjoyable year for you all, with trips to The Haynes Motor Museum; joined in with the Chiltern Hills Rally; held the ever-popular annual Old Speckled Hen Run; joined in with the Burford Collectors’ Club; manned a stand at MGLive!; attended the Summer Day Out at the Atwell Motor Museum; had a wonderful day at Chavenage House; and last but no means least, organised a ‘party’ and a 120 mile run from The Westwood Hotel to celebrate the MG Car Club’s 85th birthday. The interest was overwhelming.

We closed the entrants at 85 cars (appropriately!) and we still had a waiting list. Who would have believed there was so much interest for an October event? Entrants came from 25 counties not just from the AWC. The run was closely copied from an original one from the 1930s with obvious changes due to new roads and the ‘ford’ now being a full-blown river. (We thought it prudent not to try to cross there in our precious cars!)

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the day and the ‘thank you’ emails (much appreciated) were still coming in over a month later. (I do hope that didn’t mean the entrants had only just got home from the run!) With such a great response to the event, we are looking into another October event

for 2016. Let’s hope the support is just as good.

We were asked to provide cars for a ‘Night at the Museum’ celebrating 70 years of the United Nations. The Abingdon Museum was open all evening and provided us all with music, courtesy of a three-piece brass band and then an Oompah Band. May I just thank all those that turned up for this, some coming many miles to do so. I suppose I’d better also thank the Kebab Van that was in the Market Place too, as without his lights, no one would have been able to see our lovely MGs! And we’ve still not finished… As always, our Boxing Day Run will go ahead from The Market Place in Abingdon as usual, meeting up at about 10am. This year it is being organised

by The Abingdon Natter from the Prince of Wales Pub, Shippon.

The run finishes there but please note, they will NOT be doing food that day. Please contact Mike Parker on 01235 525255 if you have a query, otherwise just turn up and blow away all the Christmas cobwebs in pleasant MG company.

As that will be our

ANGLIA Rob Muir 01206 862619 Rob.Muir@hotmail.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk/anglia

Riviera Run This year the very popular Christmas time Riviera Run is being organised by Gayton Pub Meet member, Steve Atkinson. The Touring Assembly run will start from Gayton and finish near Fakenham and will take place on Wednesday December 30.

There should be an entry form within these pages, you can also find information on the Anglia website or contact Steve via rivierarun@ hotmail.co.uk.

The places usually fill up fast so if you would like to join the fun, best get your skates on.

When Steve is not organising The Riviera Run he can be found racing his Historic MG 1300 Saloon in HRDC saloon car races. These are endurance events entailing pit stops. His MG, David Strike’s MGB GT at Mallory Park

affectionately known as Madge, has a long racing history and is usually up with the front runners.

The photo shows Steve at one of the driver change pit stops. As you can see, the preparation of Madge is second to none.

The amount of work and effort that goes into preparing these historic race cars by members is incredible, often on a very tight budget too.

Just in the same way that members burn the midnight oil, building their MGs to show at the MGLive! Concours or The Queen Vic Pride of Ownership, so many racers spend just as much time with their projects. Our second photo shows David Strike’s MGB GT. David races his car in the MGCC Peter Best Insurance Challenge.

If you would like to see just how much effort is put into building these cars, Tim Martin, our own Anglia Centre webmaster, who races an MG ZR in the MG Car Club Trophy championship, has an incredibly interesting website called, techtrader-racing.com. Why not logon and see just what is involved.

Anglia Centre Clothing With Christmas just round the corner, don’t forget to visit the Anglia website and have a look at the

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CENTRE last event this year, may I just remind you that our Natters go on all through the year and are a perfect way to keep in touch with your fellow MG enthusiasts. Do look on the website: www. mgabingdon.co.uk to find one local to you.

Just turn up and you’ll be made to feel very welcome. Isn’t that what sets MGs apart from most other marques; we really are the Marque of Friendship.

Last, but certainly not least, on behalf of your Committee may we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and we look forward to meeting up with you all again at our 2016 events.

CENTRE merchandise on offer. It is all very high quality and reasonably priced. You can even personalise the garments by having your name or car model and registration number embroidered onto the garment. If you feel too guilty to spend the money on yourself, you still have plenty of time to leave some hints and requests to Father Christmas.

Don’t forget to visit your local Pub Meet over Christmas, it’s free to attend and supports your Anglia Centre.

Steve Atkinson in the pits in his Historic Race MG 1300 ‘Madge’

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:52

CENTRES

CALEDONIAN Bob MacGillivray 07870 407111 mgcarsscotland@gmail.com www.mgcaledonian.com

Well just one month to go and the shortest day will be gone and we can just about smell Spring!

Don’t forget the Chilly Willy on January 1. The location has moved to Stirling which is probably more central than most so we look forward to seeing many of you there.

The Annual Newsletter will be out towards the end of this month with a copy of the 2016 Centre Calendar. However your committee have been trying to come up with some new events and here are some details.

We may hold a film night in January, possibly in Kirkintilloch. If any of you have MG or Centre related films, preferably in DVD format although that’s not essential, and would be prepared to lend them could you let me know please.

And in February we have planned a couple of nights away on the 26-27 to Pitlochry for a Rod Stewart Tribute Night! And the MG connection is… well I’m sure he owned an MGB at one time!

It’s just a bit of fun at a good price. Bookings must be made by December 10 and details are on the website.

We still need suggestions for topics for our February Technical Day at Dreadnought and for the Masterclasses. Let me know if you have any topics.

Details of the Three Day Tour in May based in Aviemore were published last month and are on the website. Places are filling fast so if you

would like to come please now book through the website.

Bookings for the August Five Day Tour based in the Borders are now available on the website and bookings are being taken. These tours are usually a bit smaller in number than the Three Day but give good opportunities to get to know everyone.

And something that I don’t think has ever been done before… An MG Cook Book! Some of our ladies are keen to do this and would like offers of your (or your wife’s) favourite recipes. Please email details to our secretary Nancy Crichton on mgcalsec@yahoo.com The show subcommittee will be deciding shortly on what our theme may be for next year,but if any of you would like to suggest shows that we might attend in addition to our usual ones then please The world famous Car BQ contact me.

DEVON & CORNWALL Granny Janner www.allegropeter@aol.com www.mgcc.co.uk/devon-cornwall-centre/

Several members made the 1,100 mile round trip to Angoulême Rally and the Historic Race Meeting in France and enjoyed it immensely. Although booking late they were able to acquire Grand Stand tickets. An old Allard car that Alan Davis repaired, took part although its bonnet flew off in the race so he did not get to see it. On the Sunday the town was filled with all marques of Classic Cars.

Our Tamar Trial section was difficult to find as we tramped the woods to find the section we were

marshalling at. The bikers were eager to get on and all cleared the tests, eight cars did not make it in Section 11. The MGs of Bill Bennet and Steve Kinstone cleared 10 but not 11. In Section 11 the cars had a stop and restart and this proved difficult; only two made it to the top and a cheer went up.

One car caught its spring on a tree stump and was suspended in the air so this took some time to lever the car away, in the end several of the competitors helped, thanks guys. Colin Bird was marshalling at

Bill Bennett at the start of Section 11. Photo: Alan Davis

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 73

CENTRE In 2016 we would like to push MGCC memberships in Scotland. With 5m population there must still be many who own MGs and don’t know what they are missing by not being part of the best MG club. If any of you would like a supply of membership forms or magazines to give to prospective new members let me know and we will accommodate you.

That’s all for now! Anything else you need to know drop me an email!

CENTRE Angel Steps and found it very slippery, falling down as it got more treacherous with the cars stopping and starting. He would like to thank all the marshals who turned out because without them there would be no Trial.

Congratulations to Peter Cook on becoming the Overseas Director; enjoy the travel.

Dates For the Diary Natter Christmas Dinners – more details from your Natter leader, booking essential!

Torbay: Wednesday December 16 2015, Churston Court, 10.30am South Hams: Friday December 18, Furzeleigh Mill, 7pm West Cornwall: Thursday December 3 2015, Norway Inn East Devon: Thursday December 17 2015, New Inn January 8-9 2016 – MCC Exeter Trial May 28 – June 4 – Janner Week (the very last) People are booking for this event at Watermouth Cove Holiday Park, Berrynarbor in North Devon: Camping, caravanning or lodges available.

Book now to avoid disappointment: www. watermouthcoveholiday.co.uk or telephone 01271 862504. More info from Pete Heath 01752 775708.

DECEMBER 2015

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CENTRES

LINCOLNSHIRE John Hebb tel 01522 683541jhebb38@virginmedia.com www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk

December Natters: Swallow – please see below; Lincolnshire Poacher Friday 4 (Christmas meal); Wishing Well Wednesday 9 (Christmas meal); Abbey Lodge Monday 14 (Christmas meal); Three Horseshoes Thursday 17 (Christmas meal).

Luncheon Club: Wednesday 16.

Early January Event: Friday 1 New Year’s Day Run Abbey Lodge. To book lunch please contact the pub direct tel 01526 352538. (No Lincolnshire Poacher Natter in the evening.)

At lunchtime on the day of their November Natter, Natter Leader Keith was informed that the Swallow Inn had closed. After checking that this was indeed the case, heroic efforts succeeded in finding a temporary venue at the Salutation Inn at Nettleton for that evening and all regular attendees informed. The Salutation (on the A46 at the bottom of Caistor Hill) will be the venue for the December meeting on Wednesday the second, but no Christmas meal. Meanwhile the search is on to find a new permanent home, when this happens members will be informed,

but please keep an eye on the webpage also.

On October 11 eight teams gathered at the Lincolnshire Poacher to plot the map references and plan their strategy for the Jubilee Trophy Naviscat. After a sunny morning in lesser known Lincolnshire the crews reassembled at the Abbey Lodge for lunch and the results, the winners being Kevin Pateman and Ian Mackenzie. The following evening the Abbey

MIDLANDS Simon Morris simonmorrisbmmcmgcc@gmail.com

By chance it falls to me to yet again wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year on behalf of the Midlands Centre Committee.

When I last wrote, back in May, I had just had a promotion and started training as deputy Clerk of the Course for sprints, alongside training as a Post Chief for race meetings. Well I’m now settled in my new job, and I am ready for final assessment to be race track Post Chief. I am over 60% through the Clerk of the Course training and hope to complete in 2016.

My European road trip through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Czech Republic went well, with a fair bit of sight-seeing and marshalling at Zandvoort, Brno, and Nurburgring.

2015 has been a mixed year for the success of the Centre organised events. The Spring Trial ran well, but for the Spring Sprint at Curborough we were short on marshals and many of the committee had to be roped in to help. The entry was healthy though and all enjoyed the event. The Summer Sprint at Curborough was well supported by marshals but we did have the lowest entry we have seen for some time and as a result the club made a small loss. The Burton Dassett trial followed the trend of recent years and was again a great success with wonderful weather.

I was unable to attend our non-competitive event, the Welsh Rallye, but by all accounts it was a great weekend with a challenging run followed by a good evening’s meal and entertainment.

We still have a few 2015 events organised by Natters in our region outstanding.

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For full details of all events please see the Midland Centre club website.

The Morgan Three Wheeler Club have again invited us to join them for their Holly Run on Sunday December 13. Start and finish will be at ‘The Island Pool’ on the A449 north of Kidderminster.

Many Natters will be organising Christmas meals – please see our website for details of your nearest one.

On December 28 we will be holding our Christmas Walk starting and finishing at Hopwood House on the A441 just north of junction 2 of the M42. The route will be around the Bittell Reservoirs.

The walk will start approx 10am. If you require more detail please contact Paul Hollingworth paul_irene@ btinternet.com.

Looking into 2016 there are a few more upcoming events.

On January 1 the Arden Natter will be organising the Chilly Willy run starting from the Golden Cross at 11am for bacon rolls and coffee/tea, destination tbc but approx 30 miles drive, setting off at around 11.30. For more details please contact Paul Dunster paul.dunster@talktalk.net.

On Monday January 18 we will be holding our AGM at Somers Sports & Social Club in Halesowen.

The event will start at 8.00pm and all MGCC fully paid members are welcome. We are currently short staffed on the committee and would like to get new faces and ideas on the team.

On Sunday January 23 the MAC’s Clee Hills Trial returns to the calendar after a sabbatical. The

CENTRE Lodge Natter members were tested by one of Jane Hermite’s picture quizzes, where our knowledge of royal babies, national flags and stage musicals, among other things, was really tested. The Luncheon Club paid a return visit to the Hare & Hounds at Fulbeck for another excellent meal. The picture shows some of the happy eaters, maybe a suitable point to wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

CENTRE Midland Centre committee have been asked if we can help by running the four sections along Wenlock Edge. If you would like to assist by marshalling, please contact me simonmorrisbmmcmgcc@ gmail.com.

Our 2016 Spring Trial near Ledbury has a provisional date of March 20. However after many years of successfully running this event and setting up the course, Brian Osborn has reluctantly resigned from the role of Clerk of the Course. We are therefore searching for a replacement. No experience as Clerk of the Course is needed but a good understanding of Trials is required.

If anyone is interested, contact Brian Osborn brianosbornmg@gmail.com. If we do not fill this role the event cannot run.

Our Spring Sprint will be at Curborough on April 3, as always we are looking for competitors and marshals for this event. See website for details.

We have now started taking orders for the 2016 Welsh Rallye on May 13–15. Please contact Andy Robson (0121 453 1595) ASAP if you wish to attend.

After the poor turnout for competitors for our 2015 Summer Sprint at Curborough, we are currently reviewing the event. The provisional date is August 7 which is likely to go ahead this year providing we can attract more marshals and competitors. If unsuccessful we need to consider alternatives.

The date for our Autumn Trial at Burton Dassett Country Park will be Sunday September 25.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:52

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CENTRES

CENTRE

NORTH WEST Paul Goodman 01625 876300

This year has flown by and it is once again time to wish all the North West Centre Members a Merry Christmas. The main club and the Centre have had great success during 2015 and the Council Meeting held in October was packed with new initiatives ranging from the physical (Kimber House extension) to thought provoking for example, the recruitment of more young members.

There is only one social event taking place this month and that is the Christmas meal at the Plough and Flail being held on Tuesday December 15. George Dutton will be circulating the regulars with a menu, but if you are not on his list, then please get in touch. New members will be made very welcome.

Back in October, the Cockshoot Cup Championship entered a team in the four hour relay race at Snetterton. The result was a class win for Peter Bramble driving his MGB and Ian Wright and Carl Chadwick in their Midgets. All three cars ran perfectly at what was a brilliant meeting to end the racing season. We were also represented in the Birkett Six Hour Relay at Silverstone with a team of MG ZS drivers, captained by Peter Burchill, who won their class in a very wet race. Congratulations also to Keith Egar, Tim Kirkham and Paul Drake who are the first three in the Norwester part of the Luffield Speed Championship.

Looking ahead to 2016, would you please note that the Annual General Meeting of the Centre will be held on February 11. More details to follow next month. We are putting together another great year of events for you to be involved in, although there are going to be some unfortunate date clashes. The Luffield Speed Championship will get underway in March with a sprint at Rockingham and the Cockshoot drivers are likely to be in action for the first time at Donington Park on April 3. The Centre will be organising two sprint weekends at Anglesey Circuit, the Scammonden Dam Hillclimb and the

The Club Stand at EventCity in September. Photo: Paul Goodman

SOUTH EAST John Bennett 01227 637813, johndotbennett@tiscali.co.uk www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccse/

Recently the East Kent Wanderers, spurred on

by Chris Leigh, wandered further than usual and crossed the Swale to the exotic paradise island of Sheppy! Here we had lunch in the ‘Aviator’ pub, aptly named, given that the island was the cradle of British aviation before the much more accessible Brooklands took over. These days, Eastchurch Airfield is no more but is home to several housing developments where the occupants have their rent paid by HM The Queen! Joking aside, all 27 of us had a great day out following a route so improbable that

special ‘MG’ signposting was required to ensure we all made it to a very convivial lunch. After this, we all returned safely to the mainland, none the worse for our experience of ‘foreign parts’.

From the Club website, I now have full details of the Gribble and Black Horse Treasure Hunt on December 6 being run by Steve Cherry, 07940 593015. The start is from 10.00 at Botley Hill Farmhouse, Limpsfield Rd, Warlingham, CR6 9QH. Entrants (£5/car) then follow a 41 mile route to the Black Horse pub in Nuthurst, RH13

Spot the MG models behind the Happy EK Wanderers on Sheppy

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sprint on the Stowe Circuit as part of MGLive!.

The Cheshire Candles run will be taking place for a second year, the date being May 22.

During 2016 the Centre Committee wants to create more regular meetings around the region. Progress is being made with the first announcement due in the New Year. We are particularly keen to have regular meetings in North Manchester, Liverpool and the Preston/ Blackpool area. We know that there already some MG meetings in these areas and if you attend one of them then it would help us if you could let us know about where and when it happens.

CENTRE 6LH to arrive from 2.15 onwards. OS map 187, a pencil and your Club Card are required and the clues are mostly drive by. Enjoy!

I can’t say I’ve been inundated with contributions from readers on the subject of non concours cars. In fact one owner of a ‘warts an’ all’ TC claimed that he had had absolutely no adverse experiences at MGCC events. So, good for him! On the other hand another contributor reported that he too had witnessed poor behaviour from Members commenting adversely on the condition of cars in their owners’ hearing. I guess what we all have to remember is that MGs have never been more than mildly sporting cars that have offered good value when new by being closely related to more mundane machinery from the same manufacturer. What ought to matter is not that the cars should all be restored to better than new condition but that they should be used and enjoyed as their designers intended, irrespective of their cosmetic condition. If we care about the marque, this principle should be applied to all models as well, from Farina Magnettes to Q type racers. Above all, we should respect the feelings of our fellow members by not denigrating their cars at all, and particularly not in their hearing. ’Nuff said!

A shame to end in ‘grumpy old man’ mode so, a Happy Christmas to everyone!

www.mgcc.co.uk

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CENTRES

CENTRE

SOUTH WEST

John Delafield 01453 544497 competition@mgccsw.com www.mgccsw.com www.facebook.com/MGCCSW

The Kimber Production Car Trial, our last competitive event of the year, was recently held; a report next month. Meanwhile, the Centre committee are busy planning for next year, so let Jim Lott or me know if you have any burning desire to help organise an event in 2016, we always live in hope.

This year we revamped the rules for the Centre championship to make them a bit simpler; the previous rules have served us well for 30+ years, thanks to Bruce Morgan for dreaming them up. The provisional results for 2015 indicate Neil Lock has taken the top prize, more details next month and on our website.

As part of the championship, there is a very impressive silver cup to present to the best young member (under 25). The cup was donated by the Hawke family; Mike was always keen to encourage younger members of the club to take part. Last year my son Ben won the cup, the photo shows him at an autosolo trying his very best to wear out the tyres on my Midget! This brings me to one of those important questions in life – why don’t more MGs compete in autosolos? The Silverstone event this year was cancelled due to lack of entries, shame.

So to 2016, the Centre’s annual Dinner and Awards evening will take place on Saturday February 27 2016 at Limpley Stoke near Bath, so make a note in your diaries, details will be on our

website. If you don’t have access to the web, give me a call or no doubt more details will be in next month’s Safety Fast!.

Two final thoughts: even in the winter months, occasionally try driving your old MG to work (hood down, clearly compulsory for softtops); it will brighten up your day. I arrive at

Ben Delafield in dad’s Midget

TYNE TEES Noel Lindford noel.lindford@btinternet.com

The 2015 Autumn Leaves Run: October 18 An excellent mix of 28 cars descended on Dobbies Garden Centre near Ponteland, on a very nice late Autumn Sunday morning, for the start of this final road run of our season.

Many people chose to partake of the excellent breakfast menu on offer at Dobbies, before setting off from about 11.00am to follow a pleasant 45 mile tour around southern Northumberland, over very good driving roads, many of which, especially on the latter part of the route, near Bolam Wood, were covered by a canopy of golden leafy trees; which is what this run is all about! Joining the MGs on the route were a couple of Austin Healey 3000s, a Triumph TR3A, a couple of BMWs and the lovely Riley 1.5 owned and driven by our good friend John Brown.

The cars set off west via Tranwell Woods, then north towards Morpeth, Longhorsley and Netherwitton, before heading out towards Longwitton and Scots Gap. The route book then had the cars heading south via Bolam Wood to Belsay, and on down the A696 to the finish at the Highlander Inn, where we sat down to an excellent Sunday lunch. Our guest judge Lyn

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work with a smile on my face and ready to take on the world – ok, slight poetic licence here.

Secondly, a safety tip: do you look and allow time to act on what you ‘see’ when driving?

“Looked but failed to see” is a significant contributor to road accidents, so drive safely and Happy Christmas.

CENTRE

Ebdon, chose Ed Harvey’s MG TF135 as the winner of the Autumn Leaves Trophy, whilst the Spirit of the Event award went to Ian Graham, for entering his MG TC, on its first outing since completion of a comprehensive restoration, running perfectly… well done Ian. Events coming up: Saturday December 5: Tyne-Tees Awards Dinner to be held at the Gibside Hotel Wickham.

Arrive 7.30pm for 8.00pm. Bookings now closed.

Thursday February 4 at 8.00pm: AGM at the Old Mill, Metal Bridge.

The formal AGM Notice (with agenda) will be in the January issue of Safety Fast!. However in the meantime, please give some thought to whether you might like to join the Committee and help shape the events and direction the Centre takes going forward. We welcome your ideas, and it is your chance to make them a reality. Please call me to discuss, if you’re interested.

Finally I would just like to thank all who attended our Events and Natters this year and to wish all of our Tyne-Tees Centre members and their families a very Merry Christmas, and all good wishes for the New Year.

Ed Harvey presented with Autumn Leaves Trophy for his MG TF135

Ian Graham presented with Spirit of the Event award

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CENTRES

YORKSHIRE David Copeman 07920 064585 www.mgccyorkshire.co.uk

North – Ken Cothliff October’s meeting had a job to do. With the reorganisation of the annual Yorkshire Area InterNatter quiz, our group had to take part in the quiz placed by Centre treasurer, John Milner. There had been difficulty in getting members from all Natters to one location for a quiz night, so the Centre committee set the quiz, to be sent round to each Natter for the members to do. Our group broke down into five groups of four, and whichever group did best – that was the entry. Mike, Val, Ken and Julie won, so theirs is the entry.

The sales of our Natter’s canvas bags, promoted

by Mike Payne and eagerly snapped up at recent runs, has been so popular, Mike has been contacted by Howard Quayle, who was at the Dales Run, and he has bought a further supply that he took to the MGCC China on a recent trip.

The end of season run attracted 19 entries and £255 was raised for our Cancer Charities.

Finally a week after the meeting, seven North Yorkshire Cars and their drivers supported the West Yorkshire Natter’s MGCC 85th birthday run around the western parts of the county on a fine sunny afternoon South – Kathryn Twiby As always a number of members from South Yorkshire supported the Edinburgh Trial on October 3, sustained nutritionally with bacon butties.

Julian and Marjorie were our only representation at the MGCC 85th birthday run.

Two of our group visited the Samsung motor museum in the suburbs of Seoul.

Sadly no MGs, but a very early Austin 7; see photo The inter-natter Quiz took a different format this time and the results are keenly anticipated.

East – Brian Rylance The highlight of October Natter was the new style Inter-Natter Quiz. A cross twixt University challenge. Mastermind and the Chase, the tension rose and the atmosphere reached fever pitch as we progressed through the sections, a quick look about revealed a level of bewilderment amidst the rival teams and we detected that once again the Carey, Render, Mills and Rylance team were in with a chance? So it transpired and our score is forwarded to the Centre as we await the Result. We calculate this new decentralised quiz has saved 12 Kg of CO2?

Christmas Run and Lunch. December 13, we will be starting the run from The Cave Castle this year and they will be laying on tea, coffee and biscuits in the room where we eat later, from about 10.30am

CENTRE West – David Copeman We celebrated the MGCC 85th Birthday on October 10 with an afternoon run. Twenty-eight cars took part, returning to the start venue for an evening meal followed by a cutting of the birthday cake and speech by our Yorkshire president Alan Dakeyne. A full review in this month’s Safety Fast!. Members took part in a revised version of the Inter-Natter quiz and we await the announcement of the winning Natter.

The Christmas Lunch will be held at Gomersal Park Hotel on Sunday December 6.

Our Faith Supper will be on Tuesday December 18.

Finally, Carol and I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

A very early Austin 7 spotted in the the Samsung motor museum in the suburbs of Seoul.

CENTRE

ULSTER

Carol Willis Tel: (028) 9079 9997 or 07831 345560 Email: carol.mgulster@hotmail.co.uk Website: www.mgcculstercentre.co.uk

Well, what a wonderful find the fields at Harrisons of Greyabbey were! Absolutely super, and we only had to use one of the fields which held three PCTs and a great Grass Slalom. It had rained during the few days preceding the event which made the tests a little slippery and more challenging.

The winner of the PCT was Wallace McKee who cleaned all tests, in spite of having a migraine and looking somewhat drained, with Will Corry coming second overall with a score of two, closely followed by Will Thompson. The Grass Slalom was won overall by Wallace McKee with 80.5 secs then Harry Barr with 81.3 secs and our new member Brian Ballantine third overall with 83.2 secs in a Fiat Seicento.

Two weeks later we arrived at Dundrod Pitts for our AutoSOLO when we had an entry of 40 competitors with 39 finishers. Colin Earney was

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CoC and his son Richard had drawn the tests.

It was pouring out of the heavens when we got there and we had planned to run four tests three times each. Thankfully the rain eased off when we started at midday and stayed off until we had finished. Congratulations to Andrew Earney who took the honours in the Mini with 654.0 secs closely followed by Raymond Wilson, Starlet, with 659.7 secs and Michael Reid, Midget, third overall with 662.5 secs.

What has now become an annual event is our Mince Pie Night on Tuesday, December 8, being held in Shandon Park Golf Club. We look forward to seeing you there.

Our very sincere thanks to all those who have helped marshal, time-keep and generally helped run our events both competitive and social. Thank you also to the land-owners without

whose generosity we would have great difficulty finding sites to run our various driving tests.

Now is the time to start preparing your car for The Derek Walker Classic Trial on Saturday February 6 which will start and finish again at Delamont Country Park, Killyleagh. Regulations will be forwarded early in the New Year and remember to get your entry in early to be assured of a place.

The Ulster Centre Committee wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.

Dates for your Diary Mince Pie Night December 8 – Shandon Park Golf Club, Belfast Treasure Hunt January 1 – Whatever the weather Film Night January 13 – Tudor Cinema, Comber

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REGISTERS

VINTAGE John Venables 01865 862573 johnandtriciav@gmail.com

It is the time of year to wish all the VR members and wives, partners a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Perhaps it is time to reflect on 2015. A successful AGM was held on March 8 at the Shillingford Bridge Hotel near Wallingford, where we enjoyed a reasonably brief meeting with me being appointed as the Chairman in place of Patrick Gardner who stood down. I must say he has been a great help to me this year. We followed this with an excellent lunch and a most interesting talk on the future of Brooklands by Alan Winn.

This was followed by our excellent spring run ‘Hop into Kent’ which was organised by Ian Quarrington and Debbie Brading at a lovely

private hotel in Tenterden, the Silver Springs, with some lovely visits out. I unfortunately had to attend in a modern for medical reasons, but was very amused to see a plaque on our bed stating the Archbishop of Canterbury had slept in our bed at some time, quite amusing as my brotherin-law is a bishop.

Our next event was MGLive!; we had a successful event and raised a few coppers for the Register. I did feel the event packed up quite early on Sunday, maybe it needs looking at.

Prescott is normally a good event for Register attendance, I go on the Saturday, and we enjoyed a great day and met up with other members. The racing was good.

I do recall that both Patrick and John Cooper had

John Day’s 18/80 at MGlive 2015

TRIPLE M Jeremy Hawke +44 (0)1225 863934 mgk3007@supanet.com www.triple-mregister.org

Another Year Comes Around 2015 seems to have flown by and as you read this, Christmas is upon us, so Happy Christmas to all our readers (as they say) from myself and your MMM Committee. You have but a month to think about resolutions for next year – yes the rebuild will be finished etc etc. For myself: the No 10 Powerplus has been a conversation piece (sitting in the living room since earlier this year...), so I’d best get around to fitting it. As is fitting for the December issue, I’ve trawled the files for a ‚snow scene’ and so for our photo this month we have Philip Flower doing his stuff on Cokson Stopper, way back in 1938 (they seemed to be less fussy about passengers’ backsides staying in theIr seats back then!

As for things to look forward to in 2016, here are a couple of early reminders for MMM events that should not be missed, either spectating or participating:

The 2016 Ulster Tour June 7-12: Entries for the Ulster Tour will be opening in January on the Register website. Those of you who have contacted Simon Johnston (ulstermmmtour@ gmail.com) to register your interest will get advance notice of the exact date later in December. With over 80 expressions of interest so far we could well be over-subscribed but we’ll do our best to fit everyone in. We’re delighted to say that we are optimistic that we’ll have four or five genuine TT

REGISTER clutch problems, the cars that is, on other events.

Other members have attended various events around the country; the older MG always attracts great attention.

We shall have held our VR committee meeting by the time you read this. I don’t anticipate anything controversial, but we shall of course welcome the new Club Chairman Ian Quarrington who is our director in charge, a post he is retaining, I am very pleased to say, as he has been a fantastic supporter of our Register, and we wish him well in his new post.

We are organising another Spring event, April 18-22 at Dumbleton Hall, near Broadway. This will be named ‘Spring to the Cotswolds’. The hotel costs are TBC £140 for two persons for DBB per night. I have 15 crews interested and can cope with one or two more. You will be hearing from me when I have finalised details.

Please note the AGM date has changed to March 6 due to a clash with the Club Council meeting on the weekend of the 12th. You won’t want to miss our AGM which is again held at the Shillingford Bridge, 10.30 for 11.00 am.

You are encouraged to bring your vintage car and there will be a prize to be judged by our speaker. A raffle prize will be very acceptable.

Finally get the car out on New Year’s Day, there are plenty of events on round the country.

REGISTER MGs joining us as well as another five or six cars that competed at Craigantlet and elsewhere in Ulster in the 1930s. Amongst the latter we hope to have the L2 that featured in an article by George Eagle in the August Bulletin. Having not been heard of since the 1940s it turned up alive and well in Dublin earlier this year.

And of course: The provisional MGLive! date, June 4-5. Now, dare I mention the AGM? Happy Christmas one and all.

The Kimber Classic Trial April 9: This MGCC event, attracting a strong MMM entry, has been run since the 1930s, still using many of those historic hills, and will again next year be organised by the SW Centre of the Club. Further details will be available on the Centre website at: http://www.mgccsw.com , based from The Lanes Hotes at East Coker, near Yeovil.

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REGISTERS

SVW Anne Bush svw.safety.fast@gmail.com www.svwregister.co.uk

I am writing these notes ready for publication in December, so I expect that many people are planning for Christmas. If anyone is looking for that last minute present, there are items for sale in the regalia section of the Register website (address above).

John Bannister has provided the following concerning the Annual ‘MG Car Club SVW Register’ Event next year, which will be held mid-week on June 14-16 2016 near Liege in the beautiful Ardennes Region of SE Belgium.

More details of this event will be included next month, but please write these dates into your 2016 Diaries NOW, as places are limited.

The Rally HQ will be at The Chateau Bleu in Trooz, but due to the small size of hotels in the area (typically less than 15 rooms), the Chateau in Harze about 15-20 minutes distant has also been fully reserved. (A free coach will be available between hotels after breakfast on both days and again in the evenings.)

The price of 600 Euros includes a Double Room, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on both days for two people. Also included is entry to The Chateau de Modave for lunch on Wednesday, the very interesting and award-winning ‘Historical Centre Museum 44’ in Baugnez covering the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ and the Barrage de Gileppe where the

event will close after lunch on June 16.

For anyone wishing to extend their stay, rooms will be available before and after the event at 90 Euros per couple B&B. (Single rooms are also available at both hotels and this price will be confirmed soon.)

An Official Entry Form for Booking will be available shortly including details of the Deposit payment and any special eating requirements.

The MG European Event of the Year 2016 is being held from June 8-12 at Le Touquet near Calais, so it will be possible for those interested to attend both events.

The Ardennes area is really attractive with rolling wooded hills, deep river valleys and ancient farms and sandstone villages. The historic towns of Maastrict, Spa, Monchau and La Roche are all within 30 miles, so there are many places of interest for anyone wishing to extend their stay.

T TYPE John Ward 01621 773606 johnw.ward@yahoo.co.uk www.tregister.org

The October edition of T Register News is out now and available for free download on the website at www.tregister.org.. At the last meeting, after some debate, your committee reached the decision to continue with this publication in the same format for the coming year. For those that seek a printed copy sent to them, there is a form in this issue to be completed and returned to the treasurer with a remittance of £12.00 per year as last time.

As mentioned in the News page of this edition of Safety Fast!,, our Specials Registrar, Stewart Penfound’s book, ‘Harry Lester, his cars and The Monkey Stable’ has been voted book of the year by The Society of Automotive Historians, and he was presented with the prestigious Michael Sedgwick Award at their recent AGM. The book has had excellent reviews (from the BRDC bulletin – “a truly excellent book… it cannot be recommended too highly”) so if you are still wondering what to get for Christmas, look no further. See www.lester-mg.co.uk for details.

A word from the MGCC ‘T’ Register Historian, Clive Manser Firstly I would like to acknowledge the dedicated and superbly catalogued work carried out by our previous historian Roy Miller over many years; I will strive to follow his splendid example.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 83

REGISTER

REGISTER The role of Historian closely links with the ‘T’ Registrars in maintaining records for the benefit of current as well as future owners of our cars. Information gathered over the years includes as much history of the life of the car as possible, such as participation in sporting events, rallies, modifications, ownership history in the UK as well as the rest of the world.

I would like to continue to build as complete an historical and photographic record as possible of each ‘T’ type car known to have survived, whether currently in use or undergoing restoration. With this in mind I would be grateful if those of you who are unsure whether or not your car’s details are held would please send me an email stating the model and chassis number to clivemanser@hotmail.com so that I can check the records. If the car is not recorded I have prepared a short questionnaire which I will forward and ask you to complete. At the same time it would help if you can also send by email a current photograph and any other photographs which will form part of our records.

For anyone without the use of a computer I will be more than happy to correspond by traditional post; my address is: Purdues Cottage, Fair Oak Green, Stratfield Saye, Reading RG7 2DL. I look forward to hearing from you.

Clive

DECEMBER 2015

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REGISTERS

MAGNETTE Stephen Tickell 01737 760330 stephen.tickell@gmail.com www.magnette.org

This report on the Lou Shorten weekend concludes our 2015 events for the UK, but of course elsewhere in the world they continue. You’ll find Brian Woolmer’s write-up of the Wagga Wagga ‘Gathering of the Faithful’ on magnette.org, where there’s also lots more photos from Norwich.

Lou Shorten Tribute weekend (by John Harris and Grant Howlett) This event followed the format of the Norwich weekend hosted by John and Lou Shorten over many years. On Saturday, at John’s house in Lenwade, the tables groaned under the weight of food provided by John and Jenny (Lou’s daughter).

There were 11 Z Magnettes plus two other MGs, and Mike Laflin’s MkII Lotus Cortina which he had recently completed restoring. One car disgraced itself by leaking coolant from the bottom hose, but a new hose was quickly produced from the stores and fitted in about 15 minutes.

The weather was perfect and most spent the day outside, the gazebo on John’s lawn providing some folk with welcome shade, whilst others enjoyed the bright sunshine. There was a raffle with many prizes, and finally John organised an ‘identification quiz’ of Magnette parts. This was

convincingly won by Alan Slack amidst cries of ‘get out and get a life you anorak’. In the evening a meal was held at the nearby Kings Arms in Reepham, attended by 20 people.

Sunday morning started off dry and sunny for our trip to the Aviation Museum, four miles north of Norwich on the A140 Cromer road. Although located on the edge of the airport, the museum entrance was quite difficult to spot as it’s not well signposted, but eventually we all found our way there by about noon. We had 12 Magnettes and two other MGs attend the event, everyone was surprised just how much there was to see.

The museum houses, in two small buildings, a very extensive collection of information, photos, objects, models, documentation and static displays about the heroic pilots and crews based at Norfolk RAF bases during WWII. There were also two new exhibitions on the history of Norwich airport (formerly RAF Horsham St Faith) and a special exhibit on the top secret RAF ‘100’ group and the history of electronic warfare.

Outside around the old airfield site there was a collection of military and civil aircraft to look at, and the highlight was definitely a guided tour of two British aviation greats, the large Nimrod patrol

MGA Edward Vandyk Tel: 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk

Winter has arrived, the clocks have gone back and soon we will be getting through the Christmas and New Year festivities and looking forward to what 2016 has in store for us and our cars.

The MGA Register Website is the place to visit as all the information, which is updated regularly, on next year’s events is there including how to participate. Also, if you are not already on the circulation list for the MGA Register eNewsletter, just email mga@live.co.uk.

If you are doing all the necessary winter jobs to your MGA be aware of another ‘Out of the ordinary breakdown’ item concerning cracked brake pipes which is described in this edition’s Twin Cam Supplement.

Call It MGA’ would make a wonderful Christmas present so drop the hints and go to www.mgcc.co.uk/mga-register/merchandiseshop/ to ensure it arrives in good time.

Following the report of the Land’s End to John o’Groats Tour in November’s Safety Fast!

Stuart Mumby received the following from Dave Godwin, President – Gold Coast MG Car Club: “G’day Stuart, On behalf of the Gold Coast MG Car Club, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for organising the MGA60 LEJoG Tour.

I am very aware how much time and planning goes into organising major events. This event was many times more involved than any of the trips I have organised in the past!

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Your attention to detail in the road book, and whilst on the Tour, was inspiring - and you still found time to have a beer in the bar every evening!

Quite amazing...

Judging by the permanent smiles on the faces of the other members of the Gold Coast MG Car Club present you can be justifiably proud of your success – with Irene’s assistance. Long may the MGA Register put on such wonderful events...

I hope you are enjoying a well-earned rest and we look forward to catching up with you and Irene sometime in the near future.

Safety Fast, Beth Corbett’s uncanny experience about meeting David Proctor, the previous owner but one, of her MGA Coupe, 734 LJ, and his wife Christine is yet another story from the Tour. This incredibly strange encounter occurred at 6pm on a Sunday September 13 at the Yew Tree at Fortingall. David sped up in a big black pick up, screeched to a halt and accosted Beth stating he had seen the car and the number plate and had once been the owner of it. He was from Scotland, by chance just popping out to pick up a tree root which his wife thought would enhance their new garden, and Beth all the way from Devon travelling that road because she wanted to photograph the yew tree, even though she knew it was rather late in the day! David took Beth for tea with Christine and swapped tales and photos.

REGISTER aircraft, and the sleek Vulcan bomber. Going inside both was an education which we all enjoyed, although Julia made an unexpectedly rapid exit from the Vulcan!

The other highlight of the day was being given permission by the museum staff to drive our Magnettes onto the airfield and park them all lined up under the delta wing of the Vulcan.

This made a great photo opportunity, although the actual task of manoeuvring all the cars into position was quite a challenge. The museum was certainly a hidden gem well worth returning to, and a great way to finish the Tribute weekend.

Vulcan bomber at Norwich aviation museum

REGISTER Beth learnt the car was called ‘Mavis’ rather than the ‘Lady Jane’ she had inherited from the previous owner – much more appropriate. There is a photo of ‘Mavis’ with her previous owner.

There is another one taken on Sunday September 13 with Christine (in a blue top) wearing the same hat she wore all those years ago! Certainly MG friendship and possibly Divine Intervention or something like that? Spooky!!

Christine in the Hat 2015

The Hat back then

DECEMBER 2015

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REGISTERS

MIDGET Neil Thomas 07891 684435 ns.tenby@hotmail.com www.midgetregister.com

December is usually a quiet time of year for most Spridgeteers, albeit a small group of us once again descended upon Aldon Automotive, in Brierley Hill, for the annual Rolling Road Day organised by Dennis Wharf and assisted by James Thacker. This is always a fun day and intended to reveal the idiosyncrasies of our cars. It didn’t disappoint. Unusually this year, every car taking part was either a Midget or a Sprite. Not only that, but it included all variations of the model which made for a very interesting day. Owners ranged from 19 year old Will with his rubber bumpered Midget to old codgers like

Midget Register Committee member Jazz Cainey with her 1500 Midget

myself with my 1964 Midget. I don’t want to steal Den’s thunder as I’m sure a full report on the day will appear in Safety Fast! soon.

Then, the following day, the Midget Register committee held their meeting at Kimber House.

Always an opportunity to share views and opinions, it provided an ideal opportunity for your committee to debate and decide. The next meeting will be on March 20 and the same date as our AGM. So if you would like to make a contribution on how the Register is run, stick your hat in the ring when requests for nominations are announced.

With Christmas upon us, the Midget Register is offering a small gift pack for sale of a Midget Register leather key ring, a pen and a lapel badge for £7.50 including postage. Just email Mike Parker at ‘mikeparker78@talktalk.net’ and he’ll sort you out.

The Racing Championship has gone well again this year with the frantic action going down to the wire, and just one point separating the two leaders. Demonstrating how the point scoring system caters for all classes, Richard Perry, with his class E car took the title by a single point from current champion, Paul Sibley, who drives a class A car. John Bridge (D Class) came third. Class winners were A) Paul Sibley; B) Andy Southcott;

MGB Neil Hyett 01869 241180 neilhyett54@btinternet.com www.mgb-register.org

I have just returned from the Register’s Maintenance Day at BMH in Witney which was well received again this year. We had presentations on MGB Fault Finding and Servicing by Graham Dix, and MGB Electrics by Geoff Edwards. Everyone who took part was very pleased with the day and said they got a lot from it. It’s something I have never really thought about before, I am old enough to have owned cars which were fitted for example with points, condensers and rotor arms as standard, just like the MGB, so I am used to fitting and adjusting these basic service items. However when you think about it electronic components have been standard for more years than I care to remember. In the main the hobby mechanic can’t play with and adjust these electronic parts, it’s a job for the garage.

As a result there must be many who are now into classic cars who don’t have the experience of points, condensers etc. Hopefully now though after Graham’s and Geoff’s presentations we have a few more suitably trained.

We should again thank everyone at BMH for opening up their factory for us and their continued support of the Register.

Don’t forget the Register still has copies available of ‘Barrie’s Notes’ which details tips on the maintenance of the B. This is an ideal companion for a workshop manual and ideal as a

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DECEMBER 2015

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stocking filler for Christmas!

Whilst on the subject of maintenance and fault finding it was disappointing to read in recent Classic Car magazine that there are still a lot of sub standard replacement parts on the market, especially electrical items. I have had experience of this in the past when you diagnose a problem, buy the part, and after a short period the problem occurs again. Once I fitted the same part from two suppliers and both parts were sub standard.

In the end I fitted a ‘genuine’ second hand part which is still working OK today, years later!

As John Watson mentioned in last month’s Newsletter he will be standing down as Chairman at next year’s AGM. There will also be a few other changes in the committee from this time. As I have said many times, if you are interested in joining the committee please get in touch. If you don’t fancy being on the committee we always need supporters and volunteers to help out with things, which is a good way of breaking the ice and getting more involved.

The last big event of the year was the Classic Car Show at the NEC which a group from the Register attended. The Jean Denton MGB was on display, so hopefully some of you saw it and appreciated the work done so far. It’s a long haul but things are moving in the right direction.

Finally just one last plug for Christmas. The

REGISTER C) Kim Dear; D) John Bridge; E) Richard Perry.

As your scribe, I am always willing to accept any photos or articles on Midget related items for inclusion in the magazine. As an owner of a Frogeye, a 1275 and a modified Midget, I would love to hear from any of you. You’re a member the same as me.

And finally, all of us on the MR Committee would like to wish you all “Seasons Greetings” and see you next year.

The Aldon Rolling Road Day

REGISTER new Register Grille Badge would make an ideal stocking filler.

All that remains for me to say is, have a great Christmas and Best Wishes for 2016.

Some dates for your diary in 2016.

MGB Register AGM – Sunday March 13 at Kimber House.

MGB Register Spring Run – Sunday April 10 Full details to follow and of course full details will be on the website.

Jean Denton’s 1968 London to Sydney Marathon MGB at the NEC with Peter Smith, the man that originally helped build the car back in 1968, alongside his wife Sharon.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:54

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www.stevemckiesportscars.co.uk Tel 01246 454527 • Fax 01246 453681 Albert Street North, Chesterfield, S41 8NP DECEMBER 2015

www.mgcc.co.uk Steve McKie Sports Cars Hi-Res.indd 1 MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 87

87 23/06/2010 13:46 23/11/2015 14:54

REGISTERS

MGC Ginny Cartmell 01208 821552 ginnycartmell@btinternet.com

Suddenly it’s December again and we are progressing swiftly toward Christmas. Not sure what has happened to this year, it seems to have flown by. It must be all the fun we have had...

Thanks to all that have supported the C Register this year, it is much appreciated. May I also take this opportunity to thank the C Register Committee and all those that have helped throughout the year, in one way or another?

Anyway, on to 2016 – We already have a good idea with regards to C Day next year. It will take place on July 3 and will more than likely be at Mallory Park Racing Circuit, Kirby, Leicestershire.

As Shelsley Walsh was such a great success in 2014, we thought another day at the races was in order. Although Track Racing is very different to a Hill Climb. More information will be available in the New Year, so keep your eyes peeled for more postings in the New Year...

You might remember I asked you all to send in photographs of your beloved MGCs, earlier this year, with the possibility of us putting a Calendar up together for 2016. Well lots of you did just that and we had a real job on our hands trying to select each month, from the vast amount of pictures received. As you can see below, we did manage it and it is available for sale. Those of you

wishing to purchase a calendar or two, or even more (multiple purchases and internet banking etc check with me), please send full payment to me and I will dispatch on receipt of your cheque.

We have a limited print run of only 150, so don’t delay in placing your order.

Inland £6.50 + £1.50 postage & packaging = £8.00 Europe £6.50 + £4.00 postage & packaging = £10.50 International customers, I will need check with regards to postage, please email me in the first instance.

Please send your order and full payment to.... Lower Carblake Manor, Cardinham, Bodmin, Cornwall. PL30 4BX. Making your cheque payable to MG Car Club C Register.

FWD Tanya Field 07929 868284 tanyafield123@sky.com

I’m writing the FWD Register notes with achy legs, sore feet and a somewhat hoarse voice, having just returned from the Lancaster Classic Motor Show at the NEC. While I could sleep for a week, the show was great and hugely positive for the FWD Register cars. Sadly we didn’t managed to find a black MG Metro Turbo to join Jeff Patterson’s black MG Montego Turbo and Phil Pope’s black MG Maestro; however, we were very fortunate to have Alan Webb-Moore’s Freddie, a beautiful black MG Metro. The three black cars looked superb on the stand and received many compliments. Our fourth car on the stand was Graham Saunders’ freshly restored MG 1300 in white which looked fantastic and worked well with the three black cars. I can’t thank the owners of these cars enough for bringing them to the NEC and making the stand the success it was. I could not have put the stand on without the help and support of Ben Hatton, the FWD Register’s ViceChair who was both instrumental in the behindthe-scenes work for the stand before the show, and manning the stand at the show.

Looking around the show, I spotted several other cars which would fall under the remit of the FWD Register, all beautiful examples. There was a 1988 MG Metro on the MG Owners Club stand, an MG 1300 on the 1100 Club stand and a 6R4 on the Metro Owners Club stand. It is really heartening to see these cars on other stands within the

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REGISTER Any further information needed, please do not hesitate in contacting me. ginnycartmell@ btinternet.com With this year coming to its conclusion, may I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year.

REGISTER

show. However, the highlight of the show for Chick and Kevin Jones along with him. Denis was ‘our’ cars was the inclusion of Ian Kimpton’s responsible for launching a number of Austin stunning MG Maestro EFi on the Meguiar’s Club Rover models including the Montego, and Kevin Showcase! Yes, an MG Maestro in the Showcase! worked with Denis. Russ, Denis and Kevin spent This is one of the highest profile stands within many hours working with each other back in the the show so has given both the MG FWD Register 1980s and 1990s so it was great to see them and the MG Maestro invaluable exposure. Ian and reunited to help celebrate Montego Turbo’s 30th. a small team of his friends worked tirelessly in the six weeks before the show to prepare ‘Joe the ’Stro’ for his appearance and he was gleaming by the time he arrived at the NEC. Sadly Ian and Joe the ’Stro didn’t win the Meguiar’s Club Showcase, however it was a huge achievement to have him on the stand. Well done Ian and Team Joe the ’Stro.

You may remember in last month’s notes, I was hoping that Russ Swift might be able to join us at the NEC to help celebrate the MG Montego Turbo’s 30th Birthday and cut our cake.

I am delighted to be able Left to right - Jeff Patterson, Kevin to report that Russ did join Jones, Denis Chick and Russ Swift us and also bought Denis cutting the birthday cake

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:54

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MGOC Recommended Workshop and Power Steering Installer MoT & Failures Repaired Servicing, Welding, Restoration M.G.A. – B – C – V8, Midget Rear of Langley Garage London Road, Langley, Nr Hitchin, Herts SG4 7PJ

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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Adrian Flux ........................................ 87 Airflow ............................................... 79 Barrie Carter ......................................91 Barry Walker .................................... 95 Beech Hill Garage............................. 96 Brian Brown Classics ........................89 British Motor Heritage ....................IFC Brown and Gammons......................11 Carole Nash Insurance .......................3 Chertsey Minors ..............................84 Chisbon Restorations ........................81 Church Square Autos....................... 93 Clive Wheatley.................................. 57 Colin Groom Vehicle Storage ........77 Colne Classics ...................................84 County Classics................................. 93 Crown Classic Cars..........................77 Dennis Welch ...................................84 Distributor Doctor ........................... 87 Don Trimming .................................. 87 EJW Classic and Sports ....................64 Fishers Services ................................. 59 Footman James................................. 67 Former Glory ...................................89 Frontline ............................................ 55 Get Patina ..........................................23 Halls Garage...................................... 69 Heathrow Transmission...................84 Hindsight............................................ 87 Hoyle Suspension.............................20 Just Right Autos Ltd ..............................8 Kimble Engineering Ltd .................... 87 Luffield Cars Limited..........................81 Manor Garage .................................. 69 Martin Smith ..................................... 93 MG Garage (EMGC) ....................... 79

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 89

MG Mecca .........................................91 MG Sales Centre ...............................15 MGF Mania ....................................... 75 Midland Classic Restoration ................3 Midland Wheel Ltd...........................84 Mike Authurs Classics( MG Midgets)89 Mike Rolls ...........................................91 Mike Satur..........................................77 Moss Europe Ltd ...........................6,31 Motor Wheel Services..................... 59 Naylor Brothers ...............................98 Norton Insurance .............................41 NTG Services .............................. OBC Oselli Ltd............................................ 57 Paul Depper MGs ............................ 79 Peter Best ............................IBC, 84,89 Prestige MG .......................................81 Rees Bros .......................................... 59 Retro Lifestyle ...................................20 Rimmer Bros Ltd ...............................31 RJJ Car Shipping and Transportation 89 Robin Lackford Motor Engineering 77 Scenic Car Tours................................13 Scenic Car Tours China Tour ...........17 SMR ..................................................94 South Coast MG Rover .................. 75 Sports and Vintage............................84 Steve McKie Sports Cars ................. 87 Superspoke ........................................81 Surrey Sports & Classics...................84 Sussex Classic Car Parts ......................4 The Hutson Motor Co Ltd.................4 The Tool Bag Co – AD....................94 TMS Storage ........................................6

MGC ROADSTER 1968, mineral blue,chrome wires, nut and bolt restoration just completed, please call for spec. £...

MIDGET 1972, round wheel arch, Bare metal respray in 2014 to show standard, new interior, drives superbly. £6,950

MGB HERITAGE SHELL,1972, Metallic blue with cream leather and walnut trim. £12,450 MGC GT 1969, Mineral blue with full sunroof, older restoration in excellent condition throughout. £16,950

MGC ROADSTER 1969,UK Car with history, snowberry white with detailed engine bay and new interior.[due in] £23,950 MGC ROADSTER 1968, Auto, BRG with chrome wires, older total restoration in superb condition. £20,950

MGB 1972,Tartan red, new alloys and tyres, motobuild engine,older restoration in good order throughout. £7,950 MGB HERITAGE SHELL,1972, Primrose, 20k miles since built, just arrived, £12,950

MGS URGENTLY WANTED TO PURCHASE. MGOC Recommended

MG Car club trade member DECEMBER 2015

89

23/11/2015 14:54

REGISTERS

MGF Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org

The Zip Files was a popular feature in last month’s Safety Fast!, but we did forget to mention that we had already followed this car when it was part of the Church Square Autos ‘Racing Red’ team.

At one point David Koskela was racing this car alongside his usual ‘number 65’ and it even sported MGF Register logos on it. It was later sold on until Jane and Rob Parry purchased it looking a little bit sorry for itself. It was great to see the car restored and looking good once again and a total coincidence that it was also on the front cover of that issue of SF! just behind the blue TF on the Abingdon to Abingdon run.

We also mentioned data collection in the last issue and we now have a new Registrar in the form of Adrian Clifford. He takes over from Dave Tynan whom we thank for his past work with the Register and congratulate him on becoming a Director of the MGCC. Adrian is already making an appeal for more information from owners relating to their cars with the aim of gathering the best data possible for the official MGF Register. We already hold extensive information on thousands of cars but there is always room for more. Take a look at our Internet Forum General section under ‘Car Data for Register’ to see how you can help by providing information on your cars – it’s not just

the VIN number that we need. You can also order your own ‘MGF Register Heritage Certificate’ from Adrian by emailing him at registrar@mgfregister. org giving your VIN and Reg No. At the last Register committee meeting we also welcomed two more new members – Michael Murkin who takes over as our secretary and Martin Rees who is tackling Register Events.

Martin is also taking a look at our social media strategy as that is becoming an increasing focus of the Register’s communications.

Whilst on the subject of life in the ether we have been experiencing some major problems with our Website, Internet Forum and Online Shop. James Curgenven has been beavering away pulling worms from the server for many weeks and we are in the process of rebuilding the whole shebang. The Forum was first to be rescued and that is now joined by the Online Shop. The Website is an ongoing process and Pete Opie is diligently working to get all the pages back in place again. Perhaps I should detail our online presence as it seems to be getting a bit complicated so here goes: www.mgfregister.org Main Website currently being rebuilt www.mgfregister.org/shop New Online shop for all your Register needs

REGISTER www.mgfregister.org/forum Our main Internet Forum includes all the regional boards plus general chit chat and technical advice www.mgcc.co.uk/mgf-register/ The Register’s micro site within the MGCC umbrella www.facebook.com/groups/mgfregister/ The main MGF Register Public Group on Facebook for general MGF and club chat, post pics of your car, tech advice from Members – in fact all the usual Facebook stuff!

We also have numerous Facebook pages which our Regions run themselves in conjunction with the main one – all you need do is search for the following: South East MGF; Herts & North London MGF TF Register; Kent MGF and TF Group; Thames Valley MGF; MGF South West; South Wales MG; East Midlands MGF/TF Owners; Anglia MGF. An Ideal Xmas Present – The 2016 MGF Register calendar is now for sale and you can order a printed one through the online shop or download a free one from the Register website.

It features the 12 winning photos from our 2015 photo competition and you can see who the winners were on our Internet Forum.

It’s December and that means it is just left for me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a great MGF/TF New Year!

REGISTER

MG6.3.5

Steve Haines Steve-haines@live.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/MG635Register twitter.com/635register

So, a busy 2015 is coming to an end and thoughts are turning to Christmas.

There has been a big rise in social media traffic again and particular in global interest in the Register Facebook page, with new members joining from all corners of the globe… We even sold a grille badge to someone in Mexico through the eBay sales page!

Don’t forget you can purchase any Christmas regalia from our eBay page: www. ebay.co.uk/usr/mg63_uk2015, and clothing from Top signs: www.mgcc.co.uk/shop/product/ topsigns/ Sales have gone well this year, which has

The new MG3 Style Lux belonging to Stu and Bev Forbes

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MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 90

allowed us to purchase a new feather banner and some pull up banners. If there’s anything that you would like us to stock, please do let us know.

We have also raised a lot of money for Prostate Cancer UK through eBay sales, raffles and sponsorships in 2015, which looks like beating our £500 target that was set. It’s still not too late to Sponsor the Chairman’s leg wax, which is taking place on December 10!

There have been lots of existing MG owners joining the MG6 and 3 ranks over the last few months, partly due to the very warm welcome received in both the Regions and Registers for the latest MGs.

Stu and Bev Forbes picked up their new MG3 Style Lux from Normandy garage in November. They are long time MG owners and took part in the MGF Somerset and Dorset run from Rich’s Cider Farm to Shepton Mallet. It took us a while, but we knew we’d assimilate them eventually!

There has also been a lot of interest in modifications for the MG3 recently, with now a choice of stainless steel exhausts, lowering springs and various other accessories. There are some very enthusiastic owners out there who are very keen to squeeze some more power, torque and speed out of the standard MG3, as well as more personalisation.

MG Motor have been busy, they have announced a £2,000 trade in discount on new MG3s and 6s, as well as announcing a revised MG3 offering customers better fuel consumption, lower tax and an updated personalisation range; which includes the launch of new combinations and roof colours. The supermini, which now benefits from a more economical 124g/km of CO2 and a stop-start engine EU6 engine, also comes with a new chrome grille to complement the MG family face. Hopefully we’ll see some more cars on the roads and new members in the Register.

Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year and thanks you to everyone that has supported the MG 635 Register in 2015!

6O 3NJOY

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:54

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

www.mgmecca.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1953 717618 Fax: (0) 1953 717850

201< 2015

TRADE MEMBER

MIKE ROLLS SERVICES FOR MGs Specialising in all MG’s

TEL/FAX: 01258 820337

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am-6pm, Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm

1939 MGVA. Green, red trim, sunroof. Genuine car, only 3 owners, first was an RAF Officer! MOT’d and taxed. In original condition with lots of lovely patina. Would be a shame to over restore. Will be having new tyres and brake overhaul before sale. £19,950.00

1971 MGB ROADSTER BRG, black/green leather trim, w/w, o/drive. Reshelled 10 years ago and still superb condition. Fast road engine.

Elm dash, magnolia clocks. S/S boot rack. Inertia belts. Polished screen frame. Totally restored car, better than new. Everything replaced or new, done less than 5,000 miles since rebuild.

Fantastic value @ £18,995.00

MG TD 1950, this car was originally a righthand drive US export and then MGF back to the UK in 2002 and re-registered in 2004, it has since returned undergone a full body off restoration with photographic and invoice history, COPPERLEAF it now looks stunning in its gleaming red body work complimented with beige -leather 2001interior and matching mohair hood and side screens, not only does this car look beautiful, MGF, 2001, 1.8 but it drives superbly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£23,995

Injection finished MGB GT, 1969, British racing green, Chrome Bumper, Tax exempt, Overdrive, Wire wheels, in Copperleaf Red, Full sunroof, Autumn leaf interior with new front seat covers, Electronic ignition, Stainless steel exhaust system, Restored by us MOT’d March in 2000, Service history, In excellent order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£6,500 2016. It comes with

MG TF 135, 2003, Dark green, Biscuit leather interior. MOT March 2013, Tax Black Feb. 2013.cloth Radio seats, C/D player, hood cover. Recent head gasket, coolant pipe, Heated and rear glass cambelt clutch.

Good service history. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£3,650

1971 MGB ROADSTER Teal Blue, Autumn Leaf trim.

Moto Lita wheel. Nice trim. Body excellent, some age related marks and usual minor bumping on seams.

Structure excellent. Very well maintained and reliable car. Recent carpets and seats. Alloy r-cover, Kenlowe fan, refurbished wheels, new s/s rims. £7,995.00

1979 MG MIDGET Pageant blue, black trim, superb little car, body is in excellent condition, recent respray, all new chrome conversion, new hood, new carpets, new dashboard, recovered seats.

Exceptionally pretty car in excellent order. Ready for lots of summer fun. £5,995.00

window, MG Midget,Radio/CD 1980, Flamenco Red, much money spent including up-rated suspension back, K & N Filters, Various new mechanical parts, Full player withfront ipodand jack, tonneau,and Motolita steering wheel, It comes with a very good service stainless steel sports history, Bootrack, Kenwood radio/CD player and Black vinyl seats. The car is exhaust and under MOT'd up to September 2013 and taxed until end of July 2013. . . . . .£3,500 floorTF coolant pipes.Silver, MOT July 2013. New head gasket, coolant pipes, MG 135, 2002, Veryand tidyservice car with cambelt carried out by ourselves. Navy hood, black cloth seats. . . . . . . .history . . . . . . . . etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£2,995 some

MG TF 115, 2003, X Power Grey with grey hood, Has recently had a new £1,500 headgasket, bottom engine rail, Stainless steel coolant pipes and full service, MOT to May 2013, Taxed to Feb 2013, 71835 Miles, comes with Radio/CD player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£2,750

We would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas

1980 MGB GT LE Pewter. Rare last of production special spec. LE, alloys, webasto roof. Has had total body renovation 7 years ago. One lady owner for many years. £5,495.00

1968 Morris Mini Volcane orange, tan/cream trim.

Excellent order, body renovated 4 years ago, had been stored since the 1980’s when it was reshelled and never completed. Excellent body, nice trim (from a picadilly) new revolution alloys. Great little car. £4,495.00

From all @ Mike Rolls Services for MGs.

MGF 1.8i, 1996, British Racing Green, cloth interior. MOT Maarch 2013. Tax end of January 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£950 Units 9/10 Fifehead Business Park, Manor Farm, Fifehead Magdalen, near Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5RR

E-mail:mail@mikerolls4mgs.co.uk mail@mikerolls.4mgs.co.uk • www.mikerolls.co.uk E-mail: • www.mikerolls.co.uk Mail Order “Friendly Quality Service”

CM02.13/B32/d

B11 - Barrie Carter_D MIDDLETON 22/10/2015 11:47 Page 1

MGF, 2000, Alumina Green, 62,000mls, Green hood, Green leather seats, and Prosperous New Year.Taxed Jan 2013, MOT Chrome roll hoops, Recent headgasket replacement, March 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1,950

C a e i r ter r r a B

MG TA fitted with an TC XPAG engine and box, Thomkins steering conversion and later TC wheels.

It is a local car and being sold for its owner. I sold this about 4 years ago and it is used regularly at local shows. Nicely pattinated, [I hate that word] and with excellent weather equipment including a full tonneau. Essentially a TB in spec. Not expensive £25,995

MG TA trials car fitted with highly attractive trials body work, a fun and purposeful TA. I’ve owned before and used it. Its body is beautifully crafted in aluminium including the body, wings and doors.

The engine is a TD XPAG and it is fitted with a 5 speed box and VW steering upgrade. All the sensible improvements that make its price very attractive. The weather equipment includes a full tonneau and is in good condition.

The car carries many attendance plaques of past events and it has been used for fun and trials. You could do the same. £24,250

1939 TB with a lovely cycle winged body. This car was built many years ago in Australia and is well known tom the TB register. I bought it for me, but I’ve too many toys. It sits in my garage at home while I play with it. The car that is.... It is a lovely TB fitted with a mildly modified XPAG engine and steering upgrade, it drove fast and well when I last used it. Our local auction house valued it at £35K which is par for the course for athis TB, proof and thiscarefully is unique. for errors in style, content a Please check I’m not fussed if it goes, but ring if you are interested.

URGENT PROO

Although every care is exercised in preparing your advert, we ourselves responsible for any inaccuracies you may overlook

SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THIS PR TELEPHONE BEFORE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AND QUOTE ADVERT

As previously said my Ashley Cleave special,as raced at Brooklands in 37, is still for sale. It can be bought as is or I can complete it. It is a recognised Brooklands competitor. Shelley Special, dominant in trials, circuits sprints, h/c and with over 500 awards. Reviewed by Bill Boddy in Motor Sport. It is eligible for many varied and coveted races and events. It starts at 35k as is with the rolling chassis restored and the rest negotiable. I've had it for 23 years. Or you could be a real anorak and buy ano telligible for anything pointy tail pub car for 50k.

Price according to spec when finished, starting at £35k but make me an offer

We reserve the right to charge for any alteration to th Built in the 30s by Corsica, body for is amakers departure from the original copy Bentley, Mercedes, Sunbeam, etc. Thistime warp 4 seater touring body is authentic and not a re creation. It is complete with seats, hood,hood bag, wings. Superb fold flat screen all origi-nal. Not a collection of bits. To have it made now would be 40k ish. Be authentic for £8,250.

MGTD/C. This is one of the very rare competition models, with bigger valves, carbs, and twin shocks. About 1200 of these were built. This one is LHD, easy to change, its interior is good and correct, the paint has a few chips and scrapes, and it drives very well. These are very sought after cars and |’m not asking the usual top dollar. £22,995.

My Porsche 924 turbo has a new interior, lovely body, new tank, and a nice story. Runs but needs further work. £2,250 MG T-Types and complete collections purchased in any condition. Garage clearouts. Many parts for sale. Collection and delivery arranged world-wide. Advice free, and I hope, correct. If not, try someone else.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 91

DECEMBER 2015

CM11.15/B11/pd

1936/7 Ashley Cleave Brooklands/Shelsey Special

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FEATUREBACK LOOKING

Looking

Back

The K3 featured in the October ‘Looking Back’ feature currently resides in Australia and I have seen it several times over the past few years, the last time being at the 2015 National Meeting in Melbourne. It is now owned by John Gillet of the MG Car Club of Victoria. The photo shows it in the Concours at the National Meeting held in Hobart, Tasmania over the Easter weekend 2012.

Best wishes Paul Plummer

If you can tell us more about any of these cars or the events, we are always keen to hear from you at Kimber House; contact the MGCC Archivist Pete Neal on peterneal@mgcc.co.uk.

Our first photo dates back to 1966 and shows Colin Youle competing at Lydden Hill in an early B GT. Colin tells us that “On the day I had already entered several races with my Mini when a friend arrived in his very new road going ‘MGB GT’ and suggested we enter it in the GT and sports car races to see how it went. We entered two races along with some regular well-known MG drivers, managing a win and a fourth”. He also posted three race wins that day in his Mini Cooper S. Colin thinks his success on that occasion in the ‘B’ may have been the first recorded race win for the MGB GT.

M G Hogg was responsible for our next picture showing an MGB passing through Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, something that at that time only buses and organised processions/cavalcades were permitted to do. Can you tell us what the event was and when it took place?

The then Lincolnshire Centre Chairman, Steve Hall (left) and Doug Samual (pre-55 class winner) are the subject of our third photograph by John Lawrence. This event was held at the Moores Arms, September Natter. Can you remind us what year this was?

All My Yesterdays in the November issue of Safety Fast!. The MG Maestro Turbo featured in ‘Looking Back’ was my company car when I worked for an advertising agency in Covent Garden.

When it arrived from MG dealer P J Green of Flore in Northamptonshire I took it over to my old friend Paddy Willmer when he lived at Buckden, which is where the photo was taken. And yes, I did a piece on the car for SF!. The car succeeded an MG Maestro Efi, and how the Turbo came about is that I managed to save a major account from moving and during a celebration lunch with my MD he said that it was time to change my car, which is how I came to get behind the wheel of this very hot MG at someone else’s expense.

The story doesn’t have an entirely happy ending, for the agency ultimately failed and I was one of the early casualties, and sadly my 1954 TF had to go to fund my start-up. That was 1990 and I went freelance, a decision I never regretted with a whole host of great experiences as a result. Does G80 ERP survive I wonder?

Best wishes Andrew Roberts

92

DECEMBER 2015

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 92

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:55

County Classics Gloucestershire

MARTIN SMITH www.usedmg spares.co.uk

Quality New and Used MGF & MGTF Spares Covering all models from 1995 > 2006

MGB Roadster

1974 one former keeper, only 54,806 miles, Superb, original, RHD, chrome bumper model Original Rostyle wheels with recent tyres and stainless steel exhaust. Rare Tundra Green, new black vinyl roof, tonneau and hood bag.

4-speed with o/drive, large history file, exceptional condition, very collectable,

All items Supplied - from body panels, interiors & engines to headlights & wheel nuts

Tel: 07722 175473 East Lydford, Somerset Email: usedmgspares@hotmail.co.uk

MG SALES

£15,995

Contact 01452 731289 or 07595 218406 www.countyclassics.net

SHEPPERTON, MIDDLESEX TEL: 01932 241843 / 07836 281493 WWW.CHURCHSQUAREAUTOS.COM EMAIL: MGSALES@CHURCHSQUAREAUTOS.COM

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

MG MGB roadster (RHD) Pull handle GHN3 model.

MG TF LE500 #354/500 (Just 8,500 miles)

MG TF 135 Full leather (just 25,400 miles)

A superb 1964 MGB pull handle Roadster (GHN3).

Tartan red with black leather/red piping and wire wheels. Documented history file, Thousands of pounds spent with Richard Lackford Engineering including 1988cc Fast road engine polished/ balanced 714 camshaft and a Overdrive gearbox @ 53000miles now just 61,000 miles. Over £18000 spent from 2010 todate on re-commissioning work and restoration work. Heritage certificate. £15,995

A very very low mileage LE500 having covered just 8,500 miles. Number 354 of 500 made. Finished in Intense blue with Black leather, fitted with air conditioning, soft ride suspension, park sensor, heated glass rear screen, 16” 11 spoked alloys with sports pack 2, engine water level sensor, etc. Supplied with our CSA Heritage certificate. Outstanding condition throughout. £7,895

Pre Production LE500 ex press car. One owner from new . Finished in Graphite grey with black leather sport seats, Air conditioning, sports pack 2 with 16” 11 spoke alloys, Heated glass rear screen, rear park sensor, soft ride suspension, engine water level sensor.

Just been through our workshop serviced disc’s/pads plus a new cambelt and mot. Supplied with our CSA Heritage certificate. A rare pre production car one owner MG Motor UK. £6,795

to all our friends and customers

MG MGB GT Fast Road Tourer (Outstanding)

MG 6 ‘SE’ GT (just 27,000 miles)

MG TF 135 Air condition (Just 4,800 miles)

MG TF 135 facelift model (just 53,000miles)

This car has massive history files + original stamped service book + all mots since 1988, a hand written dairy from 1991 to 2010 detailing all works undertaken on the car. Engine rebuilt to 1868cc stage 2 lead free head piper 270cam, duplex timing gear, uprated suspension, stainless exhaust. Under 1,000miles since 2010. The interior fitted with light grey leather seats and grey carpets, LE front spoiler, Minilite alloys.

MGCC members car. £4,695

MG6 ‘SE’ with low mileage having covered just 27,000 miles. High spec ‘SE’ with Sat/nav, 17” alloys, air conditioning, cruise control etc, Superb condition.

Outstanding condition. £6,495

A one owner TF135 having covered just 4,800 miles repeat 4,800 miles only. Fitted with Air conditioning and a passenger airbag, 16” alloys. Just being serviced plus a new cambelt and moted . This car has been owned by MG from new, supplied with our CSA Heritage certificate. Immaculate. £5,795

Facelift model TF135 having covered just 53,000 miles with full service history. Heated glass rear screen, soft ride suspension, engine water level censor, full black leather sport seats, Silver interior trim, fog lights, boot rack. We offer a choice of either black or silver alloys and with or without the boot rack.

Superb condition throughout. Colour coded hard top available @ £350+vat £4,295

This is just a small selection from our stock

FAMILY BUSINESS ESTABLISHED 1981 OUR OFFICE/ SHOWROOM IS AT 62B HIGH STREET SHEPPERTON TW17 9AU VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT PLEASE

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 93

www.churchsquareautos.com DECEMBER 2015

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23/11/2015 14:57

CARS FOR SALE

ANY MG WANTED ANY CONDITION

07774 484497 • 01923 840236 ejwhitescars@aol.com www.mgandporsche.com Northwood, Middlesex

www.mgandporsche.com

CARS FOR SALE How to Advertise Members can advertise their cars free of charge in Safety Fast. The advert will also be posted on the Club website in due course. This is

1959 for oneMGA insertion only. To place an Built to 1980’s MGCCinsertions MGA advert or for additional Modified championship regs. Body email Colin Grant at & chassis steel as original, ally colingrant@mgcc.co.uk withetc.details doors, boot, bonnet floors Full of your car, 60 words, togethwidth lowaround perspex windscreen, steel roll an over cage bolted to chaser with attached picture, your sis, all removable. Race proven contact information, price of your engine, steel crank/flywheel, modicar, area where live,lightand fied the pistons/rods race you cam all membership number. nonened balanced etc, Cost Weberforcarb, close ratioto straight cut gears. members advertise is £20. All Modifiedshould brakes, shocks etc, adverts be submitted by 6’’ the steel wheels with little use. Avon 15th of the month for the road tyres plus set of wheels with following months issue. old racers etc. All standard lights etc fitted road legal, no MOT or tax required WANTED because of age. Last rebuilt/raced 1996, stored since Retired club member would like to withan a little use. useable Owned condiby me buy MGAroad in good sinceI 1977 tion. intend'ish. to Various use the spares car foravailclasabl.rallies £19,000 Contact mewant Eric sic andono. tours so don't Hoult on condition.

07872521382 or one in show An imported ejhoult@googlemail.com one would be ideal as long as it was (Cornwall) and structurally sound complete with little or no rust. Private sale preferred. Tel. Michael on 02893 038909 or 0784 388 9609.

2005 MGZT-T 190 2.5 v6 In black, and in excellent condition. Very low mileage 44,000 miles. 4 nearly new tyres plus full size alloy spare. All the belts were renewed along with water pump, thermostat & housings in July 2013 (21,593 miles) New clutch, dual 2002 mass flywheel & MGTF135 slave cylinder fittedfor Nov Very good condition year2014 with (33,629 miles) New discs, 64000 miles.

MOT until Aprilpads and & shoesHead fitted at full handbrake service history. gasket same time above.

New replaced at as 58000 miles and upper recent inlet airjoints. intake new ball Themanifold hood is infitted good along with exhaust Feb condition withrear a new rear screen.

2015 (37,073 miles) 16inch alloys with two new New tyres. engine Lots of mounting paperwork (lower . £1550 tie bar) fitted Oct 2015 (43,587 miles) Tel 07773798647 This car is a real gem to drive, Email: Ady.hill@ntlworld.com the only reason I'm selling is a (Cambridge) brand new car is coming.

Registration no PUI 4441 is included in the price £3450 Contact Mick 07775 860450 (Whitstable, Kent)

01707 876089

www.mgsforsale.com

07831 556666 MGB Roadster, 1965, chrome bumpers, original pressed steel wheels with chrome hubcaps, overdrive, unleaded engine, late 90’s comprehensive restoration still maintaining a very impressive fresh appearance, Tartan Red coachwork, detailed engine compartment, beautiful interior with Black leather original style seats uniquely engineered to provide reclining operation and easily removable headrests, walnut fascia, Moto-Lita steering wheel, carpeted boot compartment with organised storage bags, very heavy history file, drives absolutely delightfully, just arrived, £13,750.00 MGB Roadster, 1974, chrome bumpers, chrome wire wheels, overdrive, last owner 29 years, older restoration utilising a new Heritage Shell supplied by Ron Hopkinson in 1992, very good condition light British Racing Green coachwork with Black leather interior trim, Moto-Lita leather steering wheel, mechanically sound with engine producing good oil pressure, history file, very nice drive, just arrived, £11,750.00

Austin Healey Sprite Mk1, 1959, fully restored utilising a Wheeler & Davies new complete steel bodyshell, stunning Red coachwork with as new Red interior trim, correct 948 engine and smooth case gearbox, delightfully detailed engine compartment with body coloured underside, little miles completed since rebuild, drives absolutely delightfully, unique opportunity, £20,995.00

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF OUR STOCK

www.mgsforsale.com Do not confuse the above vehicles with cheaper inferior quality models offered elsewhere. Part exchange any make of Motor Car with generous allowances. Discounted cash purchases. Viewing by appointment only please (available evenings & weekends) no obligation to purchase. All our vehicles carry a warranty, have an MOT and are fully serviced prior to collection/delivery.

94

DECEMBER 2015

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 94

1988 MG Metro.

Three owners from new and only 50200 miles. Currently fitted with a full set of MG Metro Turbo alloys and brand-new Falken 165/65 x 13 tyres.ZR Original (metric) steel MG 105 2003 wheels, asmiles, pictured, alsoMOT included in 66,800 FSH, until sale. MoT March 2016.sale.

This is 1/8/16.

NewtoMG3 forces The onehas of the best MGownership Metros around ZR been in my since – there’s less Ithan 100it with currently early July 2012. bought only taxed according to DVLA. 29,100 miles on the clock, at VGC nine throughout. £3500 years old. It had oneovno owner for its Moreeight pictures first years.atThe second owner http://metro.tmhmail.net. had barely used it for the next year Contact: or so. Therod@tmhmail.net paintwork gleams and (Northare Dorset. ) there no dents or scratches countless coats of wax. The interior is also very tidy - no tears to the seat borders.

Peter Jones Engineering took over servicing, repairs from the registered dealer, Windsors Of Wallasey. The car has remained in Peter's care ever since.

Tel; mobile 0772 9183 724 (Prenton,Wirral)

MGC ROADSTER 1970

BRG o/d owned 39 years. Bills for £21,000+. Engine rebuild 1979. Full SELLING YOUR2005.

CAR?Cream body restoration As a member the soft MG tops Car Club bermuda hardofand plus you can advertise your car in Safety tonnau. MOT Garaged. Condition Fast for free.ono.

Just email your car 2/3. £18995 details, max 60 words, together Tel: 01297792538 with a cogstewart@aol.com JPEG picture to Colin or Email: Grant (Devon)at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk.

Non member fee is £20

MOT March 201 runs well, always g exchange cyclinde Hood in good con neau cover in 200 cover. Waxoyl 20 Lady owner for £2,750.

Email: DianeK99@ (Hampshire)

MGTF 1954 MGBGT 1971 4.6L

Guards Red, Full cage, Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 months M.O.T, Historic Tax. Some tidying needed hence £10,950.

Telephone 07887 878455.

(Kings Lynn)

MGB V8 ROADSTER 1977

enquiries@mgsforsale.com

1977 MG Midg

In white gold proffesionally restored and converted to include rover/buick v8, 167 bhp, 5 speed R380 gearbox, uprated suspension and brakes. The car has done 36k miles since restoration and is in perfect condition. It comes with 12 months To bulid this car today MGTFmot.

85th Anniversary to the same cost Intense Cassisspec. withwould Aubergine approx. £30k.

Yours for £15500. leather seats, matching hard top, Tel. Mike Taylor, 0776 9902 187 very low 15000mls. Special Bilstein (South Lincolnshire) suspension and handling package.

Chrome roll hoops with windstop,11months MOT. Fantastic history file, reverse parking sensors, front fog lights A/C always garaged. £7500.

Phone 07950963939.

1963 MGB ROADSTER British racing green, in good original condition must be viewed to appreciate. Wire 2003 MG wheels all ZS round with spare.

Diesel in hatchback an 03 plate for Roof good on condition with spares stow or repair.

Snapped cambelt, split away frame.

Has but to A many usable on it for MOT. lovely carbits to drive andit to be crushed.

130k miles enjoy.

Low mileage.

Car (25k in miles since cam belt!) I'd just like to Hemel Hempstead. get a bit ono. of cash back to Pete go some £10,000 Contact on way towards07975550001 the 2 new Avon ZZ5 mobile: to tyres and the Digimafam. James arrange viewing 07980 656262 (Brighton)

Original RHD Ho Ivory with black xpag engine with (original available album and history the cars history from the 80’s.

Stainless Steel e Steel wheel cylind rack and full wea Resent works in tioned radiator pump, recondition track rod ends an Replaced brakes a der, renewed sus and front wheel minor paint blemis ning car. Second and heritage certif £25,000 ono. Te Email: js_early@ho (Sussex)

MG TF 135 20

Solar Red Leather/Alcantara tonnau and grey T Bar. Front fog lig water pump, and with stainless stee service history an MOT at time of miles. Ideal Chris present. £265 Telephone: 01993 Mobile 07527 465 (Oxfordshire)

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:57

n only. To place an dditional insertions

nt at .co.uk with details d 60 words, togethched picture, your ion, price of your here you live, and mber. Cost for nonOR SALE vertise is £20. All

e submitted by the Advertise

MGTF135 2002

Very good condition for year with 64000 miles. MOT until April and full service history. Head gasket replaced at 58000 miles and recent new ball joints. The hood is in good condition with a new rear screen.

16inch alloys with two new tyres.

Lots of paperwork . £1550 Tel 07773798647 Email: Ady.hill@ntlworld.com (Cambridge)

dvertise h for the their cars n Safety Fast. The

issue.

be posted on the due course. This is

1977 MG Midget 1500

MOT March 2016. 66,000 miles, runs well, always garaged. Lead free exchange cyclinder head in 2003.

Hood in good condition. New tonneau cover in 2002. Hood storage cover. Waxoyl 2004. 2 sets keys.

Lady owner for last 12 years. £2,750.

Email: DianeK99@gmail.com (Hampshire)

MGA Coupe, 1960 1600cc

Recent major rebuild (photos) Red body work with red interior and beige carpets, New headlining. Wire wheels and 5 speed gearbox. New brakes throughout in early 2015 and Mot to May 2016. Part of the MGA Tour of Holland 2015 and a very sound, lovely and reliable car.

Reluctantly for sale due to loss of garage at the bargain price of WHY NOT BEAT NEXT YEAR’S PRICES...? £14750. Please phone David MG K3/N 2-seat SPORTS RACING CAR Skinner on 01255675358 or One of very few K3 reconstructions built to the Wilkie Wilkinson/ Bellevue 07740636158 Garage 1930s modifcation using an N Magnette chassis to take K3 axles (NE Essex.) & brakes.1400cc engine, pre-select g’box, divided track rod steering, Marshall

CARS FOR SALE

supercharger and full K3 dashboard. Total ground-up restoration that has been thoroughly sorted. Finished in Monza Red with black leather, this awesome 100mph machine is fully MG CC & VSCC eligible for home & International n only. To place an NTED MGTF135 2002 1977 MG Midget 1500 Coupe, 1600cc events, or just exhilarating touring. AnyMGA test but change1960 of underwear Very good condition for year with MOT March.......................................................................................

2016. 66,000 miles, dditional insertions mber would like to recommended £129,500 Recent major rebuild (photos) Red 64000 miles. MOT until April and runs well, always garaged. Lead free nt body work with red interior and oodatuseable condifull service history. Head gasket exchange cyclinder head in 2003. beige carpets, New headlining. Wire .co.uk with se the car fordetails clasreplaced at 58000 miles and recent Hood in good condition. New tonwheels and 5 speed gearbox. New d 60 words, togethMGTF 1954 new ball joints. The hood is in good neau cover in 2002. Hood storage urs so don't want brakes throughout in early 2015 How to Advertise ched picture, your condition with new rear screen. cover.

2004. 2Market sets keys.

OriginalWaxoyl RHD Home Car. How toaAdvertise and Mot to May 2016. Part of the dition. An imported MGBGT 1971 4.6L Members can advertise their cars 16inch alloys with two new tyres.

Lady owner for last 12 years. ion, price of your MGA Tour of Holland 2015 and a Members can advertise their cars Ivory with black interior. 1250cc al as long as it was Lots . £1550 £2,750. free of paperwork charge The Guards Red,in Safety Full Fast.cage, here you live, and very sound, lovely and reliable car. free of charge in Safety Fast.

The xpag engine with 5 speed gearbox.

Tel 07773798647 Email: DianeK99@gmail.com tructurally sound advert will also be ona J4 the 1933 S/CHARGED MG J2 to J4 Spec Unlike the 1933 MG J2 DE-LUXE SPORTS in Australia by a topof 1936 MG NB TOURER The 6cyl. NB is simply very 1933 S/CHARGED J3/J4posted Everything can Reluctantly for saleBuiltdue to loss Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 mber.

Cost for nonadvert will also beover posted onPhoenix the rare. Powerful 1300cc engine, roomy, comfortable, MG engineer. Original UK registration secured - a stunning truly magnifcent J4 spec roadLarge car above,photo this has offer without climbing the sides.

Email: Ady.hill@ntlworld.com (Hampshire) (original available) garage at the pricebaysof rust. Private Club website inHistoric due s/c, course.

This is and perfect for touring, be it friends, golf clubs, rebuild with c/balanced crank,bargain deluxe dash, detailed been race & rally prepared. A 70bhp engine with rare heavy crank, Volumex ENV g’box, 12” vertise is £20.sale All months M.O.T, Tax. Some 1962 MGB Race Car (Cambridge) Club website in due- 2 course.

This is dogs or the wife & her luggage. Total restoration, and period accessories.

Raven Black, Apple GreenDavid interior high geared ENV g’box, offers a truly competitive brakes.

Mint condition red hide. £14750.

Please phone album and history file documenting for one needed insertion only.tone Tored,place anIt original, 2-tone green with green leather & full black &1977 all w/gear. MG Totally correct car. At barely restoration cost MG, or highly exciting road car. VSCC buff form, full Michael on 02893 MGTF135 2002 Midget 1500 e submitted by the is a stunning car. No hence offers at .............. £65,000 tidying MGA Coupe, 1960 for one insertion only. To£10,950. place an Full FIAMG Appendix K papers.

Thisoris £65,000! weather equipment.

Try restoring this for ...1600cc .................................................................................£46,500 history. Ocean Blue2002 with black leather .........£65,000 Skinner onMidget 01255675358 MGTF135 1977 1500 the cars history and restoration MGA Coupe, 1960 1600cc Very good condition for year with MOT March 2016. 66,000 miles, advert or for additional insertions 388 h for9609. the Recent major rebuild (photos) Red Telephone 07887 878455. insertions 07740636158 Very good condition for year with MOTof March 2016.

66,000 miles, advert or for additional one the earliest MGBs with a full Recent major rebuild (photos) Red 64000 the miles. MOT Fitted until April runs well, always garaged. Lead free from withand a email Colin Grant at body work with red interior and issue.

(NE 64000 miles.80’s.

MOT until April and runs Essex.) well, always garaged. Lead free email (Kings Colin Lynn) Grant at body work with red interior and full service history. Head gasket exchangeLHD. cyclinder head in condi2003. history.

In immaculate beige carpets, New headlining. Wire colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details Stainless Steel exhaust, full service history.

HeadStainless gasket exchange cyclinder head in 2003. beige carpets, New headlining. Wire replaced at 58000 miles and recent Hood Current in good UK condition.

Newregistoncolingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details wheels and 5 speed gearbox. New tion.

MOT and replaced at 58000 miles and recent Hood in good condition. New tonof your car, around 60 words, togethSteel wheel cylinders, chrome boot NTED wheels and 5 speed gearbox. New new ball joints.

The hood is in good neau cover in 2002. Hood storage of your car, around 60 words, togethbrakes throughout in early 2015 new ball joints.

The hood is in good neau cover in 2002.

Hood storage tration applied for.

Only for sale due er with an attached picture, your mber would like to brakes throughout in early 2015 condition withweather a new rear screen. cover. Waxoyl 2004. 2 sets keys. rack and full equipment. and Mot to May 2016. Part of the er with an attached picture, your condition with a new rear screen. cover.

Waxoyl 2004.

2 sets keys. ood useable condiand Mot to May 2016. Part of the to change of plans.

For more pics, 16inch alloys with two new tyres.

Lady owner for last 12 years. contact information, price of your MGA Tour of Holland 2015 and a Resent workswith include re-condi16inch alloys two new tyres.

Lady owner for last 12 years. contact information, price of your se the car for clasMGA Tour of Holland 2015 and a Lots of paperwork . £1550 £2,750. car,1935 theMGarea you and information and price contact very lovely reliable PA where SPORTS A totallive, chassis-up 1949 MG TC Wow! What a driver. A lovely all1937 MG with XPAG-reliability Fully overhauled can and nobody want ancar.

1954 MG sound, TF 1250 How Lots of TA paperwork . £1550 £2,750.

MGTF 1954 tioned radiator and new water car,restoration the area whereforemost. you Engineer live, and urs so don't want veryengined, sound,lowlovely and reliable car.

Tel 07773798647 Email: DianeK99@gmail.com with originality built, round example with nice patina.

Deep red, beige original TF with by us, this lovely early TA with ftted TC eng, & Reluctantly formileage sale due tofactory loss of membership number.

Cost for450nonTel 07773798647 Email: DianeK99@gmail.com it drives superbly.

New fitted Blockley tyres.

Robert on 07870 407111 or email Original RHD Home Market Car. dition. An imported leather, one of the nicest TCs I’ve had... £29,750 wireReluctantly wheels. Some TLCfor required but good....... box eliminates the TA engine problems andnew offers sale due to£19.750 loss of Email: Ady.hill@ntlworld.com (Hampshire) membership number.

Cost for and nonpump, reconditioned dynamo, MGBGT 1971 4.6L Deep red with Collingburn red leather full at would the bargain price of reliabilitywith &Ady.hill@ntlworld.com qualityblack at a sensible price ............£29,950 Be garage nice if someone least look at it!

Email: (Hampshire) members is £20.

All Ivory interior.

1250cc black leatherto gear.advertise More like this please… £45,000 al as long as it was mgcarsscotland@gmail.co m garage at the atbargain price of (Cambridge) Guards toRed, Fullis £20. cage, members advertise All We carry £14750. phone David track rod ends gators, (Cambridge) DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE thousands ofand spares for the type of cars we sell • COMMISSION SALES: Our highly regraded service is Please always available to you. xpag engine with 5 steering speed gearbox.

• FULL • adverts should be submitted by the tructurally sound £14750.

Please phone David Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 Skinner on 01255675358 or adverts should be submitted by the Email: barry@barrywalker.com Web: www.barrywalker.com Tel: 01789 400 181. Fax: 01789 400230.Skinner Mob: on 0783601255675358 244103 (original available) Replaced brakes and Large master photo cylinrust. Private sale or 15th of the month for theTax. Some months M.O.T, Historic 1962 MGB Race Car 07740636158 15th of the month for the album and history file documenting Michael on 02893 07740636158 der, renewed suspension rubbers tidying needed hence £10,950. following months issue.

Full FIA Appendix K papers. This is (NE Essex.) the cars history and restoration following 388 9609.

(NE Essex.)

Telephonemonths 07887issue.

878455. and front A fewa one of the earliest MGBs with a full from the wheel 80’s. bearings.

Fitted with (Kings history.

LHD. In immaculate condiMGTFLynn)85th Anniversary 003 minor paintSteel blemishes but Stainless a stunStainless exhaust, WANTED 22.10.2015 16:51 FMG-Advent WANTED tion. Current UK65_1200_BARRY_WALKER_ADVURN52724.pgs MOT and regisSteel wheel cylinders, chrome boot Retired club member would like to Intense Cassis with Aubergine FSH, MOT until ning car.

Second edition log book Retired club member would like to tration applied for. Only for sale due rack and full weather equipment. buy an MGA in good useable condileather seats,inmatching hardconditop, 3 forces sale. The and heritage certificate. buy an MGA good useable to change of plans. For more pics, Resent works include re-condition. I intend to use the car for clastion.

I intend to use the car for clasinformation very low 15000mls.

Special Bilstein my ownership since MGTF 1954and price contact Howand totours Advertise Advertise £25,000 radiator ono. Teland 01323 892305 tioned new water sic rallies so don't want MGTF RHD 1954 sic rallies and tours so don't want Robert 07870 407111 or email Originalon Home Market Car. pump, reconditioned dynamo, new one in show condition.

Antheir imported suspension handling package. dvertise cars bought it their with only Members canand advertise cars Email: js_early@hotmail.com MGBGT 1971 4.6L Original RHD Home Market Car. one in show condition. An imported mgcarsscotland@gmail.co m 1250cc Ivory with black interior.

MGBGT 1971 4.6L track rod ends and steering gators, one would be ideal as long as it was Guards Red, Full cage, nthe Safety Fast.

The Chrome roll hoops with windIvory with black interior.

1250cc free of charge in Safety Fast.

The clock, at nine (Sussex) one would be ideal as long as it was xpag engine with 5 speed gearbox.

Guards Red, Full cage, Replaced brakes and master cylincomplete and structurally sound Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 xpag engine with 5 speed gearbox. be posted the complete and structurally sound advert will or alsono berust. posted on the stop,11months MOT. Fantastic hisone owner on for its (original available) Large photo Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 der, renewed rubbers with little Private sale months M.O.T,suspension Historic Tax. Some (original available) Large photo 1962 MGB Race Car with little or no rust.

Private sale due course.

This is album and history file documenting months M.O.T, Historic Tax.ASome Club website due course.

This is tory file, reverse parking The second owner and front wheel bearings. few 1962 MGB Race Car preferred.

Tel.in Michael onsensors, 02893 tidying needed hence £10,950. album and history fileMagnette. documenting Full FIA Appendix K papers. This is 1957 MG ZB preferred. 85th Tel. Michael on 02893 the cars history and restoration tidying needed hence £10,950. n003 only. To place an MGTF Anniversary minor paint blemishes but a stunMGTF135 2002 1977 MG 07887 Midget 1500 Full FIA Appendix K papers. This is 038909 orlights 0784 388 9609. for onefoginsertion only.

To place an Telephone 878455. front A/C always garaged. t for the next year MGTF135 2002 1977 MG Midget 1500 the cars history and restoration MGA Coupe, 1960 1600cc one of the earliest1960 MGBs with a full 038909 orCassis 0784 388 9609.

MGA Coupe, from the withbolta Telephone 07887 878455.

Intense with 15000 miles80’s. since Fitted nut and FSH, MOT until ning car.

Second edition log miles, book Very good condition forAubergine year with MOT March 2016.

66,000 one of the earliest MGBs 1600cc with a full dditional insertions (Kings Lynn) from March the 80’s. with Recent major rebuildFitted (photos) Reda Very good condition for year with MOT 2016.

66,000 miles, history.major LHD.rebuild In immaculate advert or for additional insertions £7500. twork gleams and Recent (photos)condiRed Stainless Steel exhaust, Stainless (Kings Lynn) leather miles. seats,MOT matching sale. The and heritage certificate.

64000 until hard April top, and runs well, always garaged. Lead free history. LHD. In immaculate condirestoration.

Upgrades include MGB nt3 forces at Stainless Steel exhaust, Stainless body work with red interior and tion.

Current UK MOT and regis64000 miles.

MOT until April and runs well, always garaged.

Lead free email Colin Grant atSpecial Steel wheel cylinders, chrome boot body work withUKred interior and very low 15000mls. my sincePhone 07950963939. ntsownership or scratches £25,000 ono.

Tel 01323 full service history.

Head Bilstein gasket exchange cyclinder head 892305 in 2003. tion.

Current MOT and regisSteel carpets, wheel cylinders, chrome boot beige New headlining.

Wire tration applied for. Only for sale due .co.uk with details engine andcyclinder gearbox, SS full service history. Head gasket exchange head in 2003. rack and fulloverdrive weather equipment. suspension and handling beige carpets, headlining.

Wire bought it with only colingrant@mgcc.co.uk details Email: js_early@hotmail.com replaced at 58000 mileswith andpackage. recent Hood in good condition. New tontration appliedNew for. Only for sale due fd wax.

The interior rack and full weather equipment. wheels and 5 speed gearbox.

New to change of plans.

For more pics, replaced at 58000 miles and recent Hood in good condition.

New ton60 clock, words,attogethResent works include re-condiexhaust, electronic ignition and Chrome roll hoops with windthe nine wheels and of 5 speed gearbox.

(Sussex) ball joints.

The is intogethgood neau cover in 2002. Hood storage to change plans. For moreNew pics, ofnew your car, around 60hood words, Resent works include re-condibrakes throughout in early 2015 information and price contact no tears to the new ball joints.

The hood is in good neau cover in 2002.

Hood storage tioned pump, radiatorservo and new ched picture, stop,11months hisone owner foryour its brakes throughout earlycontact 2015 condition with aMOT. new Fantastic rear screen. cover. Waxoyl 2004. 2 sets keys. information and in price petrol disc ofwater front tioned and2 new and Motradiator to May 2016.

Part the Robert on 07870 407111 or email ertory with anreverse attached picture, your condition with for a new cover.

2004. sets water keys. pump,Waxoyl reconditioned dynamo, new Jones sensors, The second owner 16inchfile, alloys with parking two new tyres.

Lady owner lastrear 12 screen. years.

Robert 407111 orofemail ion,Peter price of your and Mot on to 07870 May 2016.

Part the 1957 MG ZB Magnette. pump, reconditioned dynamo, new MGA Tour of Holland 2015 and a mgcarsscotland@gmail.co m brakes with copper pipes.

Won 16inch Lady 12 years. track owner rod endsfor andlast steering gators, contact information, price garaged. of your frontof fogpaperwork lights A/C. always tk for the Lots £1550 £2,750.alloys with two new tyres. m and a mgcarsscotland@gmail.co MGA Tour of Holland 2015 over servicing, here younext live,year and 15000 miles since nutreliable andgators, bolt track rod ends and steering very sound, lovely and car. many prizes.

Totallyandimmaculate and Replaced brakes master cylinLots of paperwork . £1550 £2,750. £7500. twork gleams and Tel 07773798647 Email: DianeK99@gmail.com car, the area where you live, and very sound, lovely and reliable car. restoration.

Upgrades include MGB Replaced brakes anddue master cylinReluctantly for sale to loss of ber.

Cost for nonregistered dealer, der, renewed suspension rubbers Tel 07773798647 Email: DianeK99@gmail.com Phone Ady.hill@ntlworld.com 07950963939. nts or scratches Email: (Hampshire) reliable.

The price reflects the Reluctantly for sale due to loss of membership number.

Cost for nonengine and overdrive gearbox, SS der, renewed suspension rubbers garage at the bargain price of vertise is interior £20.

All and front wheel bearings. A few allasey.

The car has f wax. The Email: Ady.hill@ntlworld.com (Hampshire) (Cambridge) garage at the bargain price of exhaust, ignitionADavid and and frontelectronic wheel few £14750.

Please phone condition. £18000.bearings. members to advertise is £20. All MGTF 85th Anniversary MG ZR 105 2003 minor paint blemishes but a stuner's by the - submitted no tears to the (Cambridge) care ever since.

MGTF 85th Anniversary MG ZRmiles, 105 2003 MG TF 135 2004 £14750. Please phone David petrol pump, servo but disca front minor paint stunSkinner onblemishes 01255675358 or Intense Cassis with Aubergine 66,800 FSH, MOT until Tel: 01328822199 ning car.

Second edition log book adverts should be submitted by the Jones h9183 forPeter the Intense Cassis with Aubergine 66,800 miles, FSH, MOT until brakes copper pipes. ning car.with Second edition log Won book 07740636158 724 Skinner on 01255675358 or Solar Red with Grey leather seats, matching hard top, 1/8/16.

New MG3 forces sale.

The and heritage certificate. kissue. over servicing, (Norfolk.)

15th of the month the sale. The leather seats, matching hard top, 1/8/16.

New MG3for forces many prizes. Totally immaculate and and heritage certificate.

(NE Essex.)

07740636158 very low 15000mls.trim, Special Bilstein ZR has been in my ownership since £25,000 ono. Tel 01323 892305 registered dealer, Leather/Alcantara Grey very low 15000mls. Special Bilstein ZR has been in my ownership since reliable. reflects the £25,000 The ono. price Tel 01323 892305 following issue.

(NE Essex.) suspension and handling package. early Julymonths 2012. I bought it with only Email: js_early@hotmail.com allasey. The car has tonnau androlland grey leather package. covered suspension handling early July 2012. I bought it with only condition. £18000.

Email: js_early@hotmail.com Chrome hoops with wind29,100 miles on the clock, at nine NTED (Sussex) r's care ever since.

MG TF 135 2004 Chrome roll hoops with wind29,100 miles on the clock, at nine Tel: 01328822199 (Sussex) 2003 MGIt ZS Tstop,11months Bar. Front fog MOT. lights. Fantastic Head gasket, hisyears old. had one owner for its mber 9183 would 724 like to Solar Red MOT. with stop,11months FantasticGrey hisyears old. WANTED It had one owner for its (Norfolk.) tory file, reverse parking sensors, first eight years.

The second owner ood useable condiDiesel hatchback on an 03 plate for water pump, and belts done.

Fitted Leather/Alcantara trim, Grey Retired clubyears. member would like to 1957 MG ZB Magnette. tory file, reverse parking sensors, first eight The second owner front fogand lights A/Cleather always garaged. had barely used itSnapped for the next year se theCAR? car for clas1957 MG ZB Magnette.

OUR SELLING YOUR CAR? tonnau grey covered spares or repair. cambelt, buy MGA in good condi15000 miles since nut and bolt with steel Has frontstainless fog 1954 lights A/Cwater alwayspipes. garaged. hadan barely used it foruseable the next year MGTF £7500. or so.

The paintwork gleams and urs so don't want 15000 miles since nut and bolt 2003 MG ZS T Bar. Front fog lights.

Head gasket, restoration.

Upgrades include MGB tion.

I intend to use the car for clasthe MG Car Club As a member of the MG Car Club £7500. or so.

The paintwork gleams and but to are many usable bits on it for itservice history and will have Car. new Original RHD Home Market Phone pump, 07950963939. there no dents or 03 scratches dition. An imported restoration. Upgrades include MGB MGBGT 1971 4.6L MGTF 1954 Diesel hatchback on an plate for water and belts done.

Fitted engine and overdrive gearbox, SS sic rallies want Phone with 07950963939. there areand no tours dents so or don't scratches Ivory black interior.

1250cc e your car in Safety you can advertise your car in Safety countless coats wax.

The interior to be or crushed.

130k miles (25k al as long as it was engine and overdrive gearbox, SS MOTstainless at timesteel of sale.

52000 OUR CAR? SELLING CAR? Car. Guards Red,of Full cage, spares repair. cambelt, Original RHDYOUR Home Market with waterLow pipes.

Has exhaust, electronic ignition and countless coats ofSnapped wax.

The interior one in show condition.

An imported xpag engine1971 with 5 speed gearbox.

MGBGT 4.6L is also verycam tidy - no to the sound exhaust, electronic ignition and sttructurally your car Fasta for free.

Justthe email your car theemail MG Car Club As member of MG Car Club Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 but tosince many usable bits on itit for miles belt!)

I'dtears just like toit service history and will haveYears new miles.

Ideal Christmas/New Ivory with black interior.

1250cc petrol pump, servo disc front is also very tidy - as no tears to the one would be ideal long as was (original available) Large photo Guards Red, Full cage, seatbe crushed. borders.

Peter Jones rust. car Private sale petrol pump, servo disc front e your in Safety you can advertise your car in Safety months M.O.T, Historic Tax. Some to 130k miles (25k MOT at time of sale.

Low 52000 1962 MGB Race Car brakes with copper pipes. Won xpag engine with 5 speed gearbox. words, together details, max 60 words, together seata bitborders.

Peter Jones get of cash back to go some present. £2650 complete and structurally sound album and history file documenting Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 Engineering took over servicing, Michael 02893 brakes with copper pipes. Won st emailonyour car Fast FIA forAppendix free.

JustKemail your car tidying needed hence £10,950. miles since cam belt!)

I'd just like to miles. Ideal Christmas/New Years Full papers.

This is many prizes. Totally immaculate and (original available) Large photo Engineering took over servicing, the cars history and restoration with little or no rust.

Private sale picture to Colin with a JPEG picture to Colin way the newtoAvon ZZ5 repairs the 2 registered Telephone: 01993 776945Tax. Some months M.O.T, Historic 388 9609. together many prizes.

Totally immaculate and 1962 MGB words, details, max 60 file words, together Telephone 878455. get atowards bitfrom of07887 cash back godealer, some present. £2650 one ofand the earliest MGBs with a full reliable.

The Race price Car reflects the album history documenting repairs from the registered dealer, from the 80’s. hence Fitted with a preferred.

Tel. Michael on car 02893 Windsors Of Wallasey. has reliable.

The price reflects tidying needed rant@mgcc.co.uk.

Grant colingrant@mgcc.co.uk. picture to Colin with aat JPEG picture to condiColin tyres and thethe Digimafam.

James (Kings Lynn) Full FIA Appendix K papers.

Thisthe is way towards 2 newThe Avon ZZ5 Mobile 07527 465366 Telephone: 01993 776945 £10,950. history.

LHD. In immaculate condition. £18000.

Windsors Of Wallasey.

The car has the cars history and restoration Stainless Steel exhaust, 038909 or in 0784 388 9609.ever since. remained Peter's care condition. £18000.

Telephone 07887 878455. Stainless MG TF 2004 rant@mgcc.co.uk.

Grant at 135 colingrant@mgcc.co.uk. tyres and Digimafam. one the earliest MGBs with a full Mobile 07527 465366 is £20 Non member fee isMOT £20 and tion.

Current UK regisTel: of 01328822199 07980 656262 (Brighton) remained in the Peter's care ever James since.

(Oxfordshire) from the 135 80’s.

Fitted with a MG TF 2004 Steel wheel cylinders, chrome boot Tel; mobile 0772 9183 724 Tel: 01328822199 Solarmember Redfee withfor saleGrey (Kings Lynn) is £20 Non isOnly £20 07980 656262 (Brighton) (Oxfordshire) history.

LHD. In immaculate conditration due (Norfolk.)

Tel; mobile 0772 9183 724 Solar applied Redfor. with Stainless Grey Stainless Steel exhaust, rack and full weather equipment.

(Prenton,Wirral) (Norfolk.)

Leather/Alcantara trim, Greypics, to change of plans.

For more tion.

Current UK MOT and regis(Prenton,Wirral) Leather/Alcantara trim, Grey Resent works include re-condiSteel wheel chrome boot tonnau andcylinders, grey information and leather price covered contact tration applied for. Only for sale due tonnau and grey leather covered tioned radiator and new water rack and full weather equipment.

2003 MG ZS T Bar. Front fog lights.

Head DECEMBER 2015For more pics,95 www.mgcc.co.uk Robert on 07870 407111 orgasket, email to change of plans.

2003 hatchback MG ZS on andynamo, T Bar. Front fog include lights.

Head gasket, pump, Resent works re-condiDiesel reconditioned 03 platenew for water pump, and belts done. mgcarsscotland@gmail.co m Fitted information and price contact Diesel hatchback on an 03 plate for water pump, and belts done.

Fitted track rod ends and steering gators, tioned radiator new water SELLING YOUR CAR? SELLING YOUR CAR? spares or repair. Snapped cambelt, with stainless steeland water pipes.

Has SELLING YOUR CAR? SELLING YOUR CAR? Robert on 07870 407111 or email spares or brakes repair. and Snapped cambelt, with stainless steel water pipes.new Has Replaced master As a member of the MG Car Club As a member of the MG Car Club pump, dynamo, but to many usable bits on it cylinfor it servicereconditioned history and will have new As a member of the MG Car Club As a member of the MGm Car Club but to many usable bits on rubbers it for it mgcarsscotland@gmail.co service history andsteering will have new der, renewed suspension you can advertise your car in Safety you can advertise your car in Safety to be crushed.

130k miles (25k track MOTrod at ends time and of sale.

Lowgators, 52000 MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 95 23/11/2015 14:57 you can advertise your car in Safety you can advertise your car in Safety to be crushed.

130k miles (25k MOT at time of sale. Low 52000 and bearings.

Fast for free. Just email your car Fast for free. Just email your car milesfront since wheel cam belt!)

I'd justAlikefew to Replaced brakes and master cylinmiles. Ideal Christmas/New Years Fast for free.

Just Anniversary email your car Fast for free. Just email your car MGTF 85th miles since belt!) I'd justa like to 003 miles. Ideal Christmas/New Years minor paint cam blemishes but stun-

OR SALE

CARS FOR SALE CARS FOR SALE

CARS FOR SALE

CARS FOR SALE

CARS FOR SALE How to Advertise Members can advertise their cars free of charge in Safety Fast. The advert will also be posted on the Club website in due course. This is for one insertion only. To place an advert or for additional insertions email Colin Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details of your car, around 60 words, together with an attached picture, your contact information, price of your car, the area where you live, and membership number. Cost for nonmembers to advertise is £20. All adverts should be submitted by the 15th of the month for the following months issue.

MGTF135 2002

Very good condition for year with 64000 miles. MOT until April and full service history. Head gasket replaced at 58000 miles and recent new ball joints. The hood is in good condition with a new rear screen.

16inch alloys with two new tyres.

Lots of paperwork . £1550 Tel 07773798647 Email: Ady.hill@ntlworld.com (Cambridge)

1977 MG Midget 1500

MOT March 2016. 66,000 miles, runs well, always garaged. Lead free exchange cyclinder head in 2003.

Hood in good condition. New tonneau cover in 2002. Hood storage cover. Waxoyl 2004. 2 sets keys.

Lady owner for last 12 years. £2,750.

Email: DianeK99@gmail.com (Hampshire)

WANTED

Retired club member would like to buy an MGA in good useable condition. I intend to use the car for classic rallies and tours so don't want one in show condition. An imported one would be ideal as long as it was complete and structurally sound with little or no rust. Private sale preferred. Tel. Michael on 02893 038909 or 0784 388 9609.

MG ZR 105 2003

66,800 miles, FSH, MOT until 1/8/16. New MG3 forces sale. The ZR has been in my ownership since early July 2012. I bought it with only 29,100 miles on the clock, at nine years old. It had one owner for its first eight years. The second owner had barely used it for the next year or so. The paintwork gleams and there are no dents or scratches countless coats of wax. The interior is also very tidy - no tears to the seat borders.

Peter Jones Engineering took over servicing, repairs from the registered dealer, Windsors Of Wallasey. The car has remained in Peter's care ever since.

Tel; mobile 0772 9183 724 (Prenton,Wirral)

MGTF 1954 MGBGT 1971 4.6L

Guards Red, Full cage, Road/Race/Sprint/Hillclimb.

12 months M.O.T, Historic Tax. Some tidying needed hence £10,950.

Telephone 07887 878455.

(Kings Lynn)

MGTF 85th Anniversary

Intense Cassis with Aubergine leather seats, matching hard top, very low 15000mls. Special Bilstein suspension and handling package.

Chrome roll hoops with windstop,11months MOT. Fantastic history file, reverse parking sensors, front fog lights A/C always garaged. £7500.

Phone 07950963939.

MG TF 135 2004

2003 MG ZS SELLING YOUR CAR?

As a member of the MG Car Club you can advertise your car in Safety Fast for free. Just email your car details, max 60 words, together with a JPEG picture to Colin Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk.

Non member fee is £20

96

DECEMBER 2015

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 96

Original RHD Home Market Car. Ivory with black interior. 1250cc xpag engine with 5 speed gearbox. (original available) Large photo album and history file documenting the cars history and restoration from the 80’s. Fitted with a Stainless Steel exhaust, Stainless Steel wheel cylinders, chrome boot rack and full weather equipment.

Resent works include re-conditioned radiator and new water pump, reconditioned dynamo, new track rod ends and steering gators, Replaced brakes and master cylinder, renewed suspension rubbers and front wheel bearings. A few minor paint blemishes but a stunning car. Second edition log book and heritage certificate. £25,000 ono. Tel 01323 892305 Email: js_early@hotmail.com (Sussex)

Diesel hatchback on an 03 plate for spares or repair. Snapped cambelt, but to many usable bits on it for it to be crushed. 130k miles (25k miles since cam belt!) I'd just like to get a bit of cash back to go some way towards the 2 new Avon ZZ5 tyres and the Digimafam. James 07980 656262 (Brighton)

Solar Red with Grey Leather/Alcantara trim, Grey tonnau and grey leather covered T Bar. Front fog lights. Head gasket, water pump, and belts done. Fitted with stainless steel water pipes. Has service history and will have new MOT at time of sale. Low 52000 miles. Ideal Christmas/New Years present. £2650 Telephone: 01993 776945 Mobile 07527 465366 (Oxfordshire)

1959 MGA MGA Coupe, 1960 1600cc Built to 1980’s MGCC MGA

Recent major rebuild (photos) Red Modified championship regs. Body body work with red interior and & chassis steel as original, ally beige New headlining. doors,carpets, boot, bonnet floors etc.Wire Full wheels and 5 speed New width low perspexgearbox. windscreen, brakes in early 2015 steel rollthroughout over cage bolted to chasand to May 2016.

Part proven of the sis, Mot all removable.

Race MGA Holland 2015 modiand a engine,Tour steelof crank/flywheel, very sound, lovelyrace andcam reliable car. fied pistons/rods all lightReluctantly for sale to loss of ened balanced etc,due Weber carb, garage at straight the bargain price of close ratio cut gears. £14750.

Please shocks phone etc, David Modified brakes, 6’’ Skinner on with 01255675358 or steel wheels little use. Avon 07740636158 road tyres plus set of wheels with (NE Essex.) etc. All standard lights old racers etc fitted road legal, no MOT or tax required because of age. Last rebuilt/raced 1996, stored since with a little road use. Owned by me since 1977 'ish. Various spares availabl. £19,000 ono. Contact me Eric Hoult on 07872521382 or ejhoult@googlemail.com (Cornwall)

2005 MGZT-T In black, and in e tion. Very low m miles. 4 nearly n full size alloy spa were renewed al pump, thermosta July 2013 (21,59 clutch, dual ma slave cylinder fit (33,629 miles) N & handbrake s same time as abo inlet air intake along with rear 2015 (37,073 engine mounting fitted Oct 2015 This car is a rea the only reason brand new ca Registration no included in the p Contact Mick (Whitstable, Ken

1962 MGB Race Car

Full FIA Appendix K papers. This is one of the earliest MGBs with a full history. LHD. In immaculate condition. Current UK MOT and registration applied for. Only for sale due to change of plans. For more pics, information and price contact Robert on 07870 407111 or email 1988 MG Metro. mgcarsscotland@gmail.co Three owners from new m and only 50200 miles. Currently fitted with a full set of MG Metro Turbo alloys and brand-new Falken 165/65 x 13 tyres.

Original (metric) steel wheels, as pictured, also included in sale. MoT to March 2016. This is one of the best MG Metros around – there’s less than 100 currently taxed according to DVLA. VGC throughout. £3500 ovno More pictures at 1957 MG ZB Magnette. http://metro.tmhmail.net.

15000 miles since nut and bolt Contact: rod@tmhmail.net restoration. Upgrades include MGB (North Dorset. ) engine and overdrive gearbox, SS exhaust, electronic ignition and petrol pump, servo disc front brakes with copper pipes. Won many prizes. Totally immaculate and reliable. The price reflects the condition. £18000.

Tel: 01328822199 (Norfolk.)

MGC ROADSTER 1970

BRG o/d owned 39 years. Bills for £21,000+. Engine rebuild 1979. Full SELLING YOUR CAR? body restoration 2005. Cream As a member of the MG Car Club bermuda hard and soft tops plus you can advertise your carCondition in Safety tonnau.

MOT Garaged.

Fast for free.ono.

Just email your car 2/3. £18995 details, max 60 words, together Tel: 01297792538 with a cogstewart@aol.com JPEG picture to Colin or Email: Grant (Devon)at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk.

Non member fee is £20

MGB V8 ROA

In white gold restored and conv rover/buick v8, 16 R380 gearbox, upr and brakes. The c miles since resto perfect condition. months mot. To bu to the same sp approx. £30k. Your Tel. Mike Taylor, (South Lincolnshire

1963 MGB British racing g original condit viewed to app wheels all roun Roof in good split stow awa MOT. A lovely c enjoy. Low mi Hemel Hempste £10,000 ono. Co mobile: 0797 arrange viewing

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/11/2015 14:57

CLASSIFIEDS

SPARES FOR SALE HOW TO ADVERTISE

Members can advertise their spares for sale/wanted free of charge for items up to £250.

Over £250, or for non-members to advertise, there is a charge of £20. To submit your advertisement email Colin Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk. Please remember to include your membership number in all correspondence

MGTD/TF Spares

TD/TF Steel Wheels TD Gear Box (early model), appears good condition, with Bell Housing TD/TF Remote Gear Change, good condition.

TD/TF Cylinder Head with valves and springs, good condition.

XPAG Rocker Box Cover, good condition.

Reasonable offers on all above please to 01255675358 or 07740 636158 (Essex) MG Midget/Sprite and MGB Spares

Midget/Sprite full width chrome rear bumper, new old stock £100. Buyer collects MGB Rubber bumper GT front wings, need some work £50 the pair buyer collects.

MG Midget wire wheel rear axle complete with brakes etc, clean unit. Also wire wheel front hubs, pans, king pins etc, Offers, buyer collects.

Tel; 01494 813903 (Bucks)

SU Carbs

1 .5" HIF and air cleaners,£65 o.n.o. Telephone:02083021739 (Kent)

Garage Clear Out

1 tonne folding engine crane .

Offers around £90 MGB stainless steel performance exhaust system Offers around £100. Both in excellent condition. Contact 07585 223292

MGBGT Spares

Front bumper £40 Inertia reel seat belts £20 Starter motor £20 Refurbished tow bar with new bolts and socket £65 Recon.rocker box £5 Recon air filters plus new filters £30 Recon heater fan and radiator £20 Underlay, tan carpets and map box £20 Radiator £30 Cast iron manifold £15 Or £200 for job lot Tel. 0172663414 or Email roypeterbrown@icloud.com.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 97

MGF/TF

Alloy Wheels from my 2004 TF135. I have for sale 4 off 11 Spoke 16 inch Alloys, newly refurbished in Gunmetal Grey, (almost X-power Grey). They have never been on a car since the refurbishment therefore they are absolutely unmarked and as good as new, but better, because they are cheaper! They cost me £52.50 per wheel to refurbish and I am looking to sell for £250. They could be collected or I could deliver within a 30 mile radius of Warwick, or if arranging your own collection, they can be boxed with rim protectors fitted. Photos or details available from me at aa.mclaren@outlook.com (Warwick)

MGB 1980 Roadster

Pair of S.U carbs £20. Rear cockpit black vinyl trim panels 3 piece set new £20. Pair of chrome torpedo style door mirrors Leyland fitting boxed new £20. Rostyle wheel £10. Set of plugs points condenser oil filter all new £15. Front disc brake shields new £10. Black rocker cover with new gasket £10.

Lucas sports coil new boxed £10. Buyer collects.

Tel: 07875116803.

(Weybridge Surrey)

MGC /MGB Parts

Stainless steel exhausts, front downpipes second hand and new, rear system second-hand all removed from race convertions in good condition.

OFFERS. Minator alloy wheel 6x15 fit to MGB stud pattern NEW. OFFERS MGC R.H. steering rack and pinion in very good condition with new housing bushes. removed from race conversation. OFFERS MGB/MGC early seats black with red piping, offers. Please collect, carriage extra if needed.

Home 01737551141 Mobile 07831701028 (Coulsdon Surrey)

MGA supercharger + Triple-M Seats

Moss Eaton supercharger installation for MGA. Hardly used and in virtually 'as new' condition.

Complete with all fittings inc. carb' and fitting instructions. £1,250 (cost £3K new).

Bench seat and cushions for P-type. Correct spec' with new maroon leather covering. £500.

Telephone: 07818 456511 or email: ajbhome@ntlworld.com (Cambridge)

1957 MG Magnette

Engine for sale, less accessories, £50. Believed fairly sound. View/ collect from Aylesbury area.

Crown wheel & pinion set, new old stock, MOWOG ATB 7147/ 9/41 (I think this is 4.55:1 ratio, and is interchangeable with MGA, etc) £70 Water pump (also un-used) 17132. £15 A box of Wipac etc lamps no charge!

Large quantity of steel bolts, nuts etc English threads. These are free to any caller who gets there before they go in the skip.

Triumph TR3a pistons and liners set, still in box, unused, £200.

I also have a bare head, which could be MGB or Magnette, in West London, for £20. I also have the original `57 Magnette air cleaner (£10) Barn find (under cover) Morris Minor split screen saloon available in Cornwall. Please phone me for details.

Tel: Will Horgan 020 8751 1931

MGF / TF

Hood Cover in Black new and unused. Cost £92.00 accept £60.00 ono Prestige cabrio shield in black twill. Protects and preserves soft tops from leakages & wear damage, opportunist theft of contents, tree sap, sun damage & dirt build up. New and unused. Cost £90.00 accept £60.00 ono.

Contact Stephen on 07762791595 (Rugby, Warwickshire)

CHERISHED REGISTRATION E7 MCC For sale on retention certificate with transfer fee paid. Best offer to 01993 776945 mobile 07527 465366 (Oxfordshire)

MGTD/TF Parts

Original complete gearbox, bell housing and propshaft.

Original Radiator XPEG original cylinder head Micellaneous other parts.

Offers invited on the above.

Call Mike on 02078528547 (SE London)

MGA gearbox in good condition. £100 or nearest offer.

MGB nearside front wing in

good condition. £80 or nearest offer. Mobile. 07713249726 Home. 01455289383

MG MAESTRO EFI

Alloy Wheels. Set of four, tyre size 195/55 R15 - £40 (see Safety Fast magazine Nov 2015, page 91) Telephone 01379 677866 or 07831 130005

MIDGET 1973.RWA.

Completely dismantled. The shell (stored outside for many years) is scrap, the remainder – less bumpers but with new sills - has been and is, in dry storage. Includes nice hardtop.

Wings/ doors/ bonnet seem in good condition. Must go, space needed. Offers are invited for this “car” either all or parts.

Telephone: 01205 290312 or malcolm.leafe.leafe@btinternet.com

MGTD

Alloy tappet plate cover with MG logo etched into it and retains the normal breather tube outlet so no pressurising the internals with added stress on the rear oil seal. £60 plus £8 p&p email jackmartin9@btinternet.co.uk for photo or just call 01280848529 (Buckingham)

MGB Factory Drivers Seat

Original factory driver's seat in black. This original seat has had very little use but has deteriorated in dry storage. It has black 'basket weave?' trim. The rubber diaphragm has deteriorated over the years so a brand new one is included. It is too heavy to post but is available for collection from Oxford or can be delivered after £75.00 payment by cleared cheque or PayPal for £0.30p/mile round trip.

Definitely worth seeing by arrangement on 01865 863297 (Oxford)

(S. Lincs/ Boston)

MG Book

The MG Companion by Kenneth Ullyett written 1960 £25.00 Call Paul on 07725 109589

WANTED WANTED

Black Carpet Tunnel wanted for MGB 1965. Tel: 07704026674

WANTED

MGA, three wire wheels 4.5 x 15, 60 spokes. Adrian Price Telephone; 01590 683120.

Email: ajrp44@tiscali.co.uk

WANTED

Red seat covers for 1954 MG TF - any condition considered.

Contact Brendan on 01507 600391

WANTED

MGB Roadster 1972 on, hood frame and header rail.

Tel 01494 813903

DECEMBER 2015

97

23/11/2015 14:57

1966 OVER

1966 OVER

45

45

YEARS

YEARS

2015

2015

45

Tel: +44 (0) 1274 585161 Fax: +44 (0) 1274 532772 Direct workshop line: +44 (0)7804 077 849 alastair@naylorbrothers.co.uk or craig@naylorbrothers.co.uk 1966 OVER

45 YEARS

2015

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_52-98.indd 98

1966 OVER

45 YEARS

2015

23/11/2015 14:57

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_Covers.indd 3

20/11/2015 16:47

MG_SafetyFast_Dec15_Covers.indd 4

20/11/2015 16:47