Safety Fast! July 2015

JULY 2015 £3.50

Volume 59

Number 07

inside this month MGCC_SF_July15_Covers.indd 1

THE MARQUE OF FRIENDSHIP In conversation with Steve Luscombe My 1949 MGY Type Saloon Part 1 Syd Enever’s Tuning Information Memos Out and About at MGLive!

23/06/2015 09:04

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

MGCC_SF_July15_Covers.indd 2

23/06/2015 09:04

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

CLASSIC MG INSURANCE WITH EXTRA SPARKLE getting your hands on this “littleFancy lot? Give Carole Nash a call, I’ve

EVEN MORE! NOW SAVE

SAVE

YOU COULD

41%

WITH A MULTI-CLASSIC CAR POLICY†

had all my classic cars insured with them for years, they’re great.

FUZZ TOWNSHEND

”

R.R.P £60

Quote AUTOGLYM when you call

0800 093 8860

Classic | Camper Van | Specialist | Military | Performance

Visit us online at cherished.carolenash.com

Opening hours in the UK: Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm. *Terms and conditions apply - cherished.carolenash.com/terms-and-conditions.aspx †Based on an average customer, saving 41% when compared to buying three separate Carole Nash policies. Average customer = 57 year old male with full 10 years plus NCB, driving a 1965 MG B, 1973 MG B and 1972 MG Midget. Previous multi-classic car savings from 7.2.2014 until 11.5.2015 were 28%. Up to 41% savings available from 11.5.2015. Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference no. 307243. Carole Nash is a trading style of Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd, registered in England and Wales no. 2600841.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 3

JULY 2015

3

23/06/2015 10:02

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

Hutson.qxd:Layout 2

24/3/10

Sussex Classic Car Parts, Unit 28, Huffwood Trading Estate, 14:38 Page 1 Partridge Green, West Sussex, RH13 8AU +44 (0)1403 711551 www.sussexclassiccar.co.uk

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

4

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 4

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:02

CONTENTS

Inside

this

issue

July 2015

Jim Andrews MG VA about to set off from Radley College on the 2015 Old Speckled Hen Run. Photo: Malcolm Bailey

16 ChipNTrac A self-monitoring GPS vehicle tracker

21 In conversation with...

Dennis Wharf chats to Steve Luscombe

28 BTCC 2015 Report from the Oulton Park round

30 My 1949 MGY Type Saloon Part one of Neil Wakeman YA Restoration

36 Syd Enever’s Tuning Information Memos Tuning Memos dealing with a whole range of subjects and cars, both MGs and other cars in the BMC stable

56 The ‘Epping Doctor’ A Tribute to Rod Longton

58 Donington Park, a super success

Regulars 7 9

Editor’s Welcome A summary from Andy Knott

From the Chair

Club Matters from Bill Silcock

10 News

New MG Dealer fills key open point, Zircotec and MG Car Club strengthen Abingdon connection and more

12 Kimber House News

A monthly round up from Kimber House

14 Products

The latest products in the world of MG

18 Postbag

Members have their say

62 MGs on Track

Martin Price reports on the Donington action

66 Events Calendar MGCC events taking place in July and August

68 Event Reports

Newsletters

Reports on the Old Speckled Hen Run and Welsh Rallye

38 MGA Newsletter

Safety Fast! keeps tabs on the overseas action

45 Magnette Newsletter

Update from the MG Car Club of France

51 MGF Newsletter

72 Overseas Review 73 Overseas News

74 Centre Updates

News from the MGCC Regional Centres

Simon J Robinson – 1953-2015, MGA Scrapbook 1955 Part 2 and more ZB restoration, Paddock Picnic – Canons Ashby and more MGF20 just a month away!, The Only Way is Essex and more

84 Register Updates

News from the MGCC Registers

92 Looking Back

Donington Park – A day for beginners!

A selection of snippets from the MGCC archives

Latest news from the MGCC Luffield Speed Championship

Cars and Spares offered for sale

63 Luffield Championship 93 Classifieds 64 Out and About

Photos from this year’s MGLive!

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 5

JULY 2015

5

23/06/2015 10:02

Classic Car Specialists Specialists focusing focusing on on Servicing, Servicing, Restoration, Restoration, Modification Modification Classic Car and bespoke refinishing work for a wide range of classic car marques. and bespoke refinishing work to a wide range of classic MG’s In House Body shop and Paint Facilities

For all enquiries, please contact Jason on 01376 569355

• All restoration work •undertaken All restoration work

undertaken

• Engine refurbishment lead-free •including Engine refurbishment conversions

including lead-free

conversions • Classic car sales including commission •sales Classic car sales including

• Insurance repair work commission sales approved • • UK collection UK&&Europe Europe and delivery and service collection

delivery service

MG PARTS

WE HAVE MG T-Series, MGA and MGB MOVED We stock parts TO for the: • Engine Unit 9,• • Braking System • • Exhaust System • Broadfi elds Farm, • Suspension • Dunmow Road, • Front & Rear Axle • • Interior • Rayne, • Body Panels • • Bright Work • Braintree, • Electrical • Essex.

CM77 6SA Call us 01279 877712

We stock a wide range of parts for the

ON LINE SHOP COMING SOON S E RV I C I N G | R E S T O R A T I O N | R A C E P R E P | B O DY R E F I N I S H I N G Unit 2 to 6 Woodside, High Easter Road, Leaden Roding, Essex CM6 1QQ. Email: info@classicandsportscarsessex.co.uk Web: www.classicandsportscarsessex.co.uk

Tel: 01279 Tel: 01376 877712 569355

MJS

CC12.11/MG5/pr

SITUATIONS VACANT

Due to expansion and our extensive Restoration work-load, we require a hardworking and conscientious car enthusiast to join our skilled team of engineers.

Whilst the successful applicant need not necessarily be technically trained, ‘assembling’ skills and a can-do attitude are essential.

• • Fixed price servicing Fixed price servicing

MG and Rover Specialists

AUTO & MARINE

PLEASE NOTE: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

THIS ARTWORK IS THE PROPERTY OF CLASSIC CARS FOR SALE MAGAZINE.

Service & repairs carried out a highOR standard for NO PART OF THIS ARTWORK MAY BE REPRODUCED, to STORED OTHERWISE

ALL MAKES IS & GIVEN MODELS USED BY ANY OTHER PUBLICATION UNLESS PRIOR PERMISSION BY Parts & Labour Guaranteed THE PUBLISHERS - © MS Publications (2001) Ltd. Services we offer: • Head gasket replacements from £300 • MOTs • Servicing Please check this proof carefully for errors in style, content and layout.and repairs • Welding • Cambelts/Camchain replacement Although every care is exercised in preparing your advert, we cannot hold including tensioners ourselves responsible for any inaccuracies you may overlook.

• Diagnostics/Fault SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THIS PROOF PLEASE finding • Winter checks TELEPHONE BEFORE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AND QUOTE ADVERT NO._ _ _ _ _

URGENT PROOF

Fully qualified motor vehicle technician with 22 years’ experience specialising in head gasket issues. We will travel to your home, work, or place of breakdown to carry out the work there or recover the vehicle for the repairs.

MJS Auto and Marine, Telephone 01206 500180 Manor Parade, Church Street, 01206 Littlehampton, WestFax Sussex, BN17 5AH Tel: 07956 575220 www.mjsautoandmarine.co.uk, email: repairs@mjsautoandmarine.co.uk We reserve the right to charge for any alteration to this proof which is a departure from the original copy

6

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 6

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:02

WELCOME

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 Regular Contributors: Alwyn Morgan

Andy Knott

Words from

Editor

PR and Communications: Lauran Gallacher 01235 849735, Adam Sloman 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: Bill Silcock Vice Chairman: Ian Quarrington.

Treasurer: Richard Colston Directors: Dave Saunders, Paul Plummer, William Ball, Peter Skipper, George Wilder, Richard Martin.

Company Secretary: Colin Grant Staff Members: Julian White (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), Adam Sloman (01235 849731) and Kim Oshea (Finance Officer 01235 849736) 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. 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

What an event MGLive! was, we’ve got a double page photo spread in this issue showing just a selection of cars and activities that were on display over the weekend, and we’ll have a full report in the next issue. The line up of ex Works cars organised by Bill Price and Peter Browning that were bought along to Silverstone to celebrate 60 years of the Competition Department were testament to how popular the MGLive! has become. The Competitions Department was established in 1955 with the appointment of Marcus Chambers as team manager who took a team of MG Magnettes on the Monte Carol Rally as his first challenge. It wasn’t just the Works MGs that were being displayed at Silverstone though, 15 Minis were on show.

This was the car that dominated rallies in the mid 1960s with Paddy Hopkirk, who really launched the Mini success story with victory on the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, probably one of most publicised rally wins of all time. Other marques on display were Triumph, Austin, Morris, Riley and Rover. We also had two period Transporters which really added to the ambience of the display. If you missed the event this year, rest assured the MG Car Club will do something equally impressive next year at Silverstone; keep an eye out in Safety Fast! later this year for the 2016 MGLive! dates.

Another anniversary this year is that of the MG Car Club; founded in October 1930, this year marks the 85th anniversary of the Club. To celebrate, the MGCC and Abingdon Works Centre have organised an event based around the Abingdon to Abingdon Trials of the 1930s, the concept of which is a non competitive event enjoying an Autumnal Run through beautiful Cotswold Countryside. The event will take place on October 4, so make a note in your diaries. More details will follow in the coming months.

For all you MGF and TF owners don’t forget that next month our own MGF Register are hosting their anniversary event at Gaydon to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the MGF. There are a lot more details within the MGF Newsletter published in this issue, or visit www.mgf20.info. In true MGF Register style it promises to be an action packed fun event. See you there?

Until next month, drive safely

@mgcarclub

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

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 7

JULY 2015

7

23/06/2015 10:02

JUST R IGHT AUTOS Oxfordshire’s MGF/TF Specialists We are now proud to announce that we are Xpart dealers and can supply PARTS to Trade or Retail % 5 2

s T O M off

We have a fully equipped workshop with our own MOT bay.

Over 15 years experience on MGF/MGTF. We can carry out all repairs , anything from an oil change to a full rebuild We are also approved hood and screen fitters for MG Mania

Call today on 01993 778060 e: info@justrightautos.co.uk www.justrightautos.co.uk

Unit 6, & 7 154 Newland, Witney Oxfordshire OX28 3JH 10% DISCOUNT FOR ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES, ARMED FORCES AND NHS WORKERS MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 8

23/06/2015 10:02

FROM

THE CHAIR

Bill Silcock

Club Matters from

MGLive! was as usual a gathering of the MG Faithful. We celebrated the 60th anniversary of the BMC/BL Competitions Department, marking the occasion with a timeline and marquee dedicated to these Works wonders. Their display marquee has been supported by British Motor Heritage. The competitions timeline was superbly organised by the Midget Register.

I need to thank our partners for the event, Peter Best Insurance Services. The well known Scottish firm Tunnock’s are supporting the California Cup this year.

A new sponsor to the Club, Patina, joined Meguiars in supporting the Concours and Pride of Ownership.

In the MGLive! Arena we were joined

by TV’s Wheeler Dealer, Mike Brewer – Mike is a huge fan of the marque and we thank him for opening the show.

This year the Registers were again asked to put on a show in the main marquee and to dress their stands. This was judged by one of the Club’s friends from the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu with a prize for the best stand.

This was won by the Caledonian Centre.

We were again privileged to be racing on the Grand Prix circuit two weeks before the F1 stars. This year we welcomed our well known friends from the Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli, who have joined us at other venues. Combined with an allcomers Pit Stop race this made for some varied and exciting racing to complement our own Club’s race programme. Our thanks go to the race organising team who as always delivered the professionally run meeting that we almost take for granted, but we should all realise the effort it takes to organise a major race meeting at a major international venue.

Over 110 competitors took part in the reinstated Sprint on the 1.2 mile Stowe circuit, with Andy Walker recording fastest time of day in an MG in his MGB V8.

California Cup was again competitive, and the cup was won by the Lincolnshire Centre.

The Concours and Pride of Ownership was a splendid sight, and the car of the day award in Concours and Pride of Ownership went to Mick Richardson with his MGC and John Newey with his SVR

respectively and the award for the best modified MG went to Jessica Harvey with her MGB GT. The Saturday evening Presidents Dinner was very well attended, and I was pleased to be able to present the Nuffield Gold Cup to the V8 Register; the member of the year award and Wilson McComb trophy was not presented as the recipients could not be present at the event.

Everyone enjoyed the MGLive! After Hours on Saturday night, featuring live music by Red and Gray, the Glo Car competition and a Hog Roast.

I must end by thanking the organising committee led by Julian, Lauran Gallacher our Event Manager, the staff of Kimber House and the volunteer unsung heroes who give their time so generously to make the whole event happen. As I said in previous years a lot of the volunteer force is now ‘getting on a bit’ and we could do with a few younger recruits so if you feel like helping us run a fabulous and successful event please let us know.

“Morning, madam! We’re judging the ‘best front garden’ contest and this is our unannounced visit!” www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 9

JULY 2015

9

23/06/2015 10:02

NEWS NEWSLETTER

Little Horwood Natter is on the Move The Abingdon Works Natter which is currently held at the Shoulder of Mutton in Little Horwood near Milton Keynes will be moving to the Bell at Beachampton MK19 6DX from Thursday August 13. The Natter will continue to be on second Thursday of each month starting at about 8.00pm. The June and July meetings will however still be at the Shoulder of Mutton.

In the meantime do not forget our annual Pride of Ownership and BBQ on Thursday July 9 which will be at the Shoulder of Mutton MK17 0PF starting at 7.00pm. This year we will be joined by the Morris Minor Club of Buckingham. All are welcome to join us on the night. For further information about the Natter, please contact David Storer on 07518 911172 or email david.storer@costain.com.

On Sunday September 20 the Natter will have a stand at the Milton Keynes museum Festival of Transport. If you would like to join us with your car, please contact Jim Kennedy on 07786 931936 or jim@jak-enterprises.co.uk.

MG Car Club Twin Cam Group Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting to be held on Saturday August 15 2015 at 10.30am in the MGCC Headquarters at Kimber House, Abingdon, Oxon. OX14 1AS. Agenda 1. Apologies for Absence.

2. Approval of previous AGM Minutes and matters arising.

3. Chairman’s Report.

4. Treasurer’s Report.

5. Secretary’s/Regalia Report.

6. Registrar’s Report.

7. SF! Scribe’s Report.

8. Election of Officers.

9. Nominations for Committee Members.

10. AOB. Summer Race Day Saturday August 8 2015 An MG themed race day at Castle Combe Race circuit that will see the following race championships battle it out: MG Trophy, Metro Cup, MGCC BCV8, MGCC Motoring Classic Thoroughbred Sports Cars, and the Peter Best Insurance MG Cup. Castle Combe are offering MG Car Club members two tickets for the price of one when booking online at www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk You will need to use the booking code mg8815.

MG parking has been arranged so all MGs will be situated in the same area. If you have any issue please contact mikeparker78@talktalk. net or 01235 525255.

10

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 10

NEWS

New MG Dealer fills key open point MG’s latest new dealer appointment fills one of the top ‘open points’ in an on-going major extension of the brand’s franchise network.

Roadworthy Bristol is the 33rd new MG dealer to be appointed within the past 18 months and almost completes the brand’s dealer map in the south west of England.

The new dealer, which is in one of MG’s top 15 open points, plans to go fully live within the next few weeks, but already has new MG6 and MG3 models in stock and available to view.

MG has the fastest growing dealer network in the UK and it is planned to increase the current number of 64 dealers to around 80 by the end of the year. The expansion of the network is reflected in a huge increase in sales of MG cars.

Roadworthy, a long-established family-run business, is now searching for a new specialist MG Sales Executive, and more new jobs could be created in the future as the MG business grows.

Steve Hoare, the firm’s Managing Director, is a fully trained technician who started as an apprentice working on MGs, Rovers and Triumph before setting up Roadworthy 32 years ago. He still has fond memories of servicing MGBs and Midgets. Steve’s brother, Chris, later joined the business and is the After Sales Director. Steve’s wife, Alison, and sister-in-law, Debbie, also work in the firm.

The company now has a staff of 18 and is based in Fishponds Road, Fishponds in north east Bristol, close to the M32. Roadworthy’s territory will cover the whole of Bristol and the surrounding towns and villages, including Clevedon, Nailsea, Portishead, Kingswood and Portbury.

MG continues to search for more dealers throughout the country to join the franchise.

Matthew Cheyne, MG’s Head of Marketing, said: “Roadworthy Bristol is a very welcome addition to our fast-growing network and Bristol was very high on our priority of key open points.

“But we are still seeking new dealers in cities and towns across the UK including Nottingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Swansea, Lisburn, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Southampton and Worcester.”

Zircotec and MG Car Club strengthen Abingdon connection

The MG Car Club has teamed up with Abingdon-based firm Zircotec to offer its members an impressive 15% discount on Zircotec coatings and Zircoflex flexible heat shields.

ZircoFlexZircotec are a long-time supporter of the MGCC, with the firm being based on the site of the old MG factory, close to the Car Club’s HQ. Over the years the company have worked closely with the Club, supporting a number of initiatives, including the MG garden in Abingdon, and further cementing their links with MG with their heat coatings being applied to Andrew Jordan’s MG6 Touring Car. Zircotec’s products have a range of classic car applications – the company’s plasma-sprayed finishes protect against heat, with applications such as turbos and exhausts. Zircoflex offers a flexible heatshield, ideal for protecting carburettors from fuel vaporisation, heat damage to paintwork and excess heat entering the cockpit. Its coatings for exhausts and turbos offer a permanent fix, unlike more traditional wraps, without detracting from the appearance of the engine bay.

The firm’s heatshields have also been proven as an excellent replacement for the original asbestos heatshield fitted to the MGB, providing vastly improved heat protection without the natural concerns associated with asbestos products.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:02

S

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 11

23/06/2015 10:02

NEWS NEWSLETTER

Social News Media Kimber House

Round Up

Open Day success at Kimber House On Saturday May 23 the Club held an open day as part of the celebrations marking 25 years since the opening of Kimber House.

Following a massive fund-raising drive through the Club’s membership, the property at number 12 Cemetery Road was purchased and renovated, resulting in the opening of Kimber House in July 1990.

Kimber House has undergone several changes since 1990, most notably with the addition of the garage block, and the John Thornley Suite, opened in 2010, and remains a favourite destination for MG fans from right across the globe.

Saturday saw visitors not only from the local area but also from as far north as Preston in the UK and from across the Channel, from Holland, all keen to come and see the Club’s collection, meet the staff, talk about their cars or try their hand at a power lap around Silverstone in the Club’s racing MGB GT. The sheer variety of MGs was impressive with everything from J2 Midgets through to 15-plate MG3s coming along on the day.

While the majority of visitors on the day drove an MG, many were not and were keen to know more about the Club, the factory and MG’s Abingdon history.

The Club would like to thank all those who visited on Saturday, as well as the members of the Abingdon Works Centre who came to support the Club on the day. We’d also like to say a big ‘Welcome’ to our new members who signed up for membership of the Club on the day.

A letter recently received from Lord Montagu of Beaulieu congratulating the Club on the 25th Anniversary of the opening of Kimber House in 1990.

We’ll bring you more photos from the opening of Kimber House in the next issue.

The preparations for MGLive! dominated much of the chatter on the Club’s social media networks.

On Facebook we shared period photos of those legendary works cars that attended MGLive! and they certainly proved popular as the Club’s page rocketed past the 10,000 ‘Likes’ mark, so thank you for all your support and making the page as good as it is – it wouldn’t work without your input. Mike Brewer’s brief promo video for MGLive! brought over 100,000 views, which just goes to demonstrate the power and reach of social media!

The Club’s Pinterest page continues to gain increasing interest – if you’re on there, look up the club so you can see the brilliant images being shared on our account.

Over on Twitter, the Club is nudging 5,000 followers and once again, MGLive! has been leading the conversation, particularly Jack Goff’s appearance at Silverstone with users using the hashtag #JG31 to talk about Jack both before and at the show.

Starting next month we’re going to be asking you ‘the big questions’ via our social media – it might be which MGs would you put in your collection, or what’s the one spare part you wish you could buy – either way we’ll be covering all sorts of topics, and we’ll be picking the best comments out and sharing them here in Safety Fast! – our favourites might even with a prize!

Keep your comments coming on Facebook and Twitter and the photos coming on Instagram and don’t forget to tag your images and posts with hashtag #MGCC.

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

12

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 12

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:03

Untitled

MG Safety 1Fast July15 03-48.indd 13 Untitled-1

23/06/2015 10:03 11/06/2015 12:16:20

PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

12V Jump Starter MultiFunction Car Emergency Start, and Back Up Battery Charger For Laptop, Mobile Phone, Digital Camera Features: Car Jump Starter and battery charger for laptops, smartphones, cameras, and gaming consoles • Great for the outdoors where running out of battery power may be an issue, such activities include travelling, camping, expeditions and more • Three lighting modes: strong light, strobe, SOS • Supports emergency starting a 12V vehicle, diesel or petrol But the Engine must not exceed 8 cylinders • After being fully charged, the item can start a vehicle. It can fully charge a mobile phone around 5 times, and only needs about 1 hour to fully charge the mobile phone. And it can support a laptop for about 30 minutes. Priced at £60 plus £5 P&P. Available from the MG Car Club.

Go to www.kimberstores.co.uk or phone 01235 555552.

High Quality Tyre Pressure Gauge from Laser Tools Keeping the recommended tyre pressure on all four wheels provides better safety and efficiency on the road. This new tyre pressure gauge from Laser Tools (part number 6055) will make sure that your tyre pressures are set accurately.

Having properly inflated tyres means better fuel consumption, tyres don’t wear out as quickly, and ensures your car handles as the manufacturer designed it to. The Laser tyre pressure gauge is cased in rubber for toughness and liquid filled for accuracy. The valve connector is angled and swivels for ease of access and the hose is a useful 550mm in length. Gauge diameter is 2.5 inches (63.5mm) and features a brightly coloured face for ease of reading.

Available now from your local Laser Tools supplier, this very high quality tyre gauge is typically priced at £40.52 (+ VAT), but remember to check for the best prices and special offers.

More details from www.lasertools.co.uk

News from NTG – Now back in stock Our own design of TA TB TC Luggage Rack in polished stainless steel featuring adjustable ‘legs’ to make rack horizontal, and simplified lugs for neater mounting. Special offer at £210 inc VAT. See also website www.mgbits.com. NTG Motor Services Limited, 282-4 Bramford Road, Ipswich, IP1 4AY. Phone: 01473 406031. Email: info@mgbits.com.

Have a New Product Are you a trader and have a product that would be of interest to our members, and would like us to incorporate it in the product pages of Safety fast! Why not contact Colin Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk and include details of the product you would like us to include, it’s free!

14

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 14

Last of the Line MG TF Hoods from Rimmer Brothers Some last of the line MG TF LE 500 Heated Rear Window Sportster Hoods (Part No. DSD500010PMAK) available priced at £450 inc VAT. These are the last of the line hoods with a fitting kit and fitting instructions to enable them to fit 1998-on MG F as well.

Unfortunately they can not be fitted to MG F to WD024604 (96-98) as the frame is different, unless the car has a later frame already fitted (i.e. with single and not double hood seam). If the car already has a hardtop then it probably already has a HRW switch and relay. If not, these can be purchased separately under VUB000090E or VUB000090L, which also include instructions and it is an easy job as plug is on car loom already. For more information see www.rimmerbros.co.uk, call 01522 56800 or email sales@rimmerbros.co.uk, these represent great value for money!

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:03

S

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 15

23/06/2015 10:03

FEATURE

ChipNTrac

– a self-monitoring GPS vehicle tracker

C

hipNTrac is a self-monitoring GPS tracker that will send you a text message alert to your mobile phone if your car is tampered with or stolen. It’s a small device, easy to install in your car and comes with the useful additional free Club Recovery support service. It’s supplied by a Kent based company, RBS Property Marking, run by Stan Ratcliffe. The benefit of the device is twofold: first it provides you with an alert of any tampering with your car, and secondly if the car is taken away by thieves then the tracker sends information on the location of the car to assist tracing the car so the police can recover it.

If your car is tampered with, or worse stolen, you will naturally contact the police to investigate the theft and then if the car is not recovered or has suffered damage, look to your motor insurers to cover the loss. Reporting a vehicle theft to the police presents them with a difficult task tracing it as they will not know where the thieves may have taken your car if you don’t have a tracker fitted. That’s made much more difficult if the car is broken for spares if you cannot give an ID on any of the parts on your car which could stand up in court. So it is likely to have ‘unsolvable’ marked against your incident report

number. An article on the Metropolitan Police in the London ‘Evening Standard’ by reporter Justin Davenport highlighted the way police ‘screen out’ crimes including over 75% of vehicle thefts because after an initial investigation these crimes are considered ‘unsolvable’.

Insurance claims involving vehicle theft take time to process should your car not be traced and returned to you.

Following your notifying the insurer of damage to the car or a theft they will ask for information on the progress made by the police on the reported car theft.

Without the advantage of being able to track and trace the vehicle there will be a lengthy delay before the case is accepted as unsolvable on the basis of the police response and then a pay-out can be processed and made by the insurer.

Self-monitoring GPS tracker ChipNTrac is a self-monitoring GPS tracker that will alert you if your car is tampered with or stolen. It’s about the size of a box of matches and can easily be fitted in your car and connected to your vehicle’s electrical system. Being fully insulated the polarity is not a concern. It has an internal battery which is kept fully charged and will take over running the tracker for up to seven days and send an alert when it drops. The voltage converter for powering the tracker from your vehicle will run on a power supply of 6 to 36 volts so is suitable for classic cars and motorcycles as well as modern cars, motorhomes, caravans and commercial vehicles.

Monitoring your car with ChipNTrac This is done using your mobile phone – even a basic mobile phone will do because there are no apps to be loaded. It’s all done with simple text messages. The reply from the tracker gives the grid location of the tracker so you can give this to the police to enable them to trace and retrieve a stolen car. If you have a smartphone with internet access then you can click on the web address at the foot of the

16

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 16

message to see the location of the car on Google maps. You can set alerts to detect someone messing about with the car when it is parked or in store or if it is has been stolen and is on the move. You will need a SIM card for the tracker – this can be a PAYG card, or if you have a mobile phone on contract then ask your provider for a second SIM card (with a different number) and then use part of your free text message allowance for the tracker.

Note: text message tariffs may apply.

Setting the tracker is controlled from your mobile phone which you use to turn the tracker on or off when you get into or leave the car. You can register up to five authorised mobile phones.

What is Club Recovery?

There are no annual fees or subscription for this service which provides a step by step guide to reporting a theft. With the distress most people will be in if their car is stolen, with the owner’s authorisation, the service can provide tracking support by assisting or taking over monitoring the tracker and liaising with the police. This is similar to a monitored tracker service but is free!

ChipNTrac with Club Recovery is available at a special price for MG Car Club members – see the advert for details and the special discount code. For more information contact RBS Property Marking on 01474 350883 or at www. rbs-propertymarking.co.uk.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:03

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 17

23/06/2015 10:03

POSTBAG

What constitutes a ‘real’ MG I refer to Geoff Enoch’s letter in Safety Fast! June 2015 on what constitutes a ‘real’ MG. I will quickly admit that I have a vested interest in the subject: not only is Geoff my cousin but I have a car that courts similar controversy.

To the question ‘What makes an MG an MG?’, Geoff points out that it’s not the design alone, or where the parts were made, or where the car was assembled. I agree with his conclusion that ‘each car should stand on its own merit’. To decide the merit in each case, we need to understand what is the essence of an MG. From the outset, Cecil Kimber and his successors at MG took existing parts and used them, sometimes modified, to create cars that put a smile on the faces of those who saw and drove them.

Generally it’s the ‘creation’ of the car that makes it an MG: the parts don’t have to have been designed or made by MG, but the result does have to be something that is recognisable as an MG. Geoff’s R-Type is certainly recognisable as an MG and it definitely puts a smile on the faces of most who see it. (I look forward to a time when the universal response to a project like this is to celebrate the recreation of such a remarkable piece of MG history and admire the skill of someone who made almost every component and panel himself. Because of Geoff’s skill and tenacity, we can now see a car here in the UK that was so astonishingly ahead of its time that it could have resulted in Britain leading the world in automotive technology had the engineers been allowed to develop it.)

Geoff’s R-Type is at one end of the scale: it is a recent creation but made with meticulous application of the original design and materials. For Geoff, it was important to get in the minds of the men who made the originals, to understand their thinking and their methods, so that wherever possible he could use the materials and manufacturing methods that they used. To Geoff’s credit he has done this even where no-one would ever have discovered a short-cut. This particular car may not have been made in an MG factory, but I contend that an MG has indeed been created due to its adherence to the original design, materials and manufacturing methods.

At the other end of the scale is my car: an MG LE50 built by Frontline. DVLA considers it a 1967 MG because it started life as such, but there are few major components or assemblies left with

18

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 18

the original specification. So is it a ‘real’ MG? Should I call it a Frontline LE50? Here’s the biggie: is it sacrilege to put a Japanese engine in an MG?!

The car raced by Cecil Kimber in 1923 had a Morris engine.

Subsequent MGs had American-designed engines developed by the French company Hotchkiss and built in London for the Scottish firm Gilchrist Cars. The M-Type, which made MG the success it became, had a Wolseley engine. Later we find that the engines in MGs came from the Austin stable: the A- and B-Series. More recent MGs had Honda engines. (Isn’t Honda Japanese?!) In fact, few mechanical components in MGs were designed from scratch

by MG or unique to MGs. So I suggest that Frontline is continuing the MG tradition of sourcing suitable components to create cars that are recognisable as MGs and put a (very big) smile on their driver’s face.

Most classic MGs are somewhere in between the two extremes of the recent but original-spec R-Type and sort-of-old but non-original-spec LE50. Few MGs have not been modified – even most concours winners have several non-original features. But in my book they are all MGs because they look and feel like MGs and they adhere to Cecil Kimber’s original goal of putting a smile on the faces of those who see and drive them.

The paradox of identity known as The Ship of Theseus dates back to the Greek historian Plutarch who questioned whether a ship that has all its wooden parts changed is still the same ship. Most of us remember Trigger boasting about an award from the council for keeping the same broom for 20 years: “This old broom has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time,” he said, producing a 20 year old photograph of the broom as proof of its originality! We might even ask whether individual people remain the same, as the human body restores and replaces itself regularly!

Not everyone will agree on these issues, but I hope all MG enthusiasts do all agree that diversity should be encouraged because it makes life colourful, and even when we disagree, we can enjoy our very different MGs in harmony.

Yours sincerely, Paul Darley Stamford

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:03

From performance to perfection, modern to masterpiece. A simple repair or a bespoke interior, make Ashley James your first port of call. With over 35 years of automotive trimming experience, our craftmanship is second to none.

Our products include seating retrims, carpeting, head liners, tonneau & hoods.

“We look forward to creating your bespoke interior�

Ashley James Autotrim Fleet House, Dark Lane, Blackrod, Lancashire, BL6 5LB Telephone 01257 476000 sales@ashleyjamesautotrim.co.uk www.ashleyjamesautotrim.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 19

JULY 2015

19

23/06/2015 10:03

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 20

23/06/2015 10:03

FEATURE

In conversation with.....

Dennis Wharf chats to

Steve Luscombe T here are some names which seem to have been around the MG competition scene for ever, and Steve Luscombe, the MGCC’s Midget Register Competition Car registrar, is one such. So I was surprised to learn when we met for lunch and a chat at his Wiltshire home, that in fact Steve has only been competing with MGs for 36 years, the previous ten being spent racing cars of a very different nature indeed, “but only”, Steve remarks, “because of the amount of

help I’ve had from so many people over those years which enabled me to attain something in motorsport that otherwise would have been completely beyond my means or skill.”

Steve, with wife Barbara, who incidentally prepared our lovely lunch, retired down to Wiltshire from their South London home of many years in 2007. Both believing Christians – Barbara is currently studying for a Theology degree at Bristol – they adjusted quickly to the slower pace of life in the West Country, and while church related affairs occupy much of their spare

time, to keep fit Steve enjoys competition of a different type, being a regular distance runner – “a plodder really” – who competes as often as possible in five and ten kilometre events. A normal academic background saw Steve develop an interest for mathematics, leading to a double in Maths and Physics at ‘A’ level and then onto Goldsmiths College, London, which in turn lead to a career teaching maths in the big Metropolis for about the next 30 years.

“I then took up the post of Area Secretary for one of the teaching unions, allowing me to spread discontent and subversion among the workers at every possible opportunity!” So how of all things then, did this rebel maths teacher get involved in motor racing?

“As a lad growing up in Poole, Dorset, I

Steve working on his Midget at Valence Hillclimb 1979

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 21

JULY 2015

21

23/06/2015 12:49

FEATURE

initially had no particular interest in cars or motorsport. My family owned a car, but they were not motoring enthusiasts and definitely not followers of motor racing.

But in 1954 when I was eight, I watched the British Grand Prix won by Gonzales on television. My grandfather had fallen terminally ill and bought one of those tiny little early television sets to enjoy while he could, and on a visit not long before he died, the Grand Prix was being broadcast.

For some unknown reason from then on I became hooked – possibly to the point of obsession – on motor racing. But why...?

I’ve no idea. However I was drawn totally to this world that was so very different to my own. This was further helped by a kindly, rather eccentric, elderly gentleman who lived nearby and owned a 1935 AstonMartin Ulster, which he raced two or three times a year. Realising my enthusiasm, he encouraged it greatly, and took me under his wing.” Finlay McNab-Meredith had been involved with motorsport all his life and would talk to young Steve about Donington pre-war, and his experiences with the MG Cream Cracker Team; he’d partnered Maurice Toulmin on occasions.

“He was a real character who had also competed in Speedway events pre-war, in fact I’ve found records for him in the Preston area, but a motorcycling accident put paid to his burgeoning two wheel career in about 1929. He had a wonderful mischievous influence upon me, and I’ll ever remember fondly those lovely days I enjoyed out with him and his wife at motor race meetings at Goodwood. It was however a distant relative who took me to my first race meeting in September 1957 at Goodwood. I can still remember clearly standing for the first time on the exit of Madgwick corner, and 50 years later, almost to the day, we stood at the same spot watching the 2007 Revival.”

It would have been around the late 1950s also when Steve developed a lifelong enjoyment of stock car racing and Speedway. “Speedway was especially strong in my home town of Poole. There was a massive following which attracted huge crowds to the many oval circuits that abounded all over the county back then, and half a century on, I truly regret not having done anything on two wheels.

I’m sure I’d have been absolutely useless in road racing, although I could have ridden around at the back, but even more I regret not having taken part in motorcycle grass-track racing – not brave enough for speedway – so yes, I should have done something on two wheels.”

But it was a four wheel career that Steve would pursue, starting on the stock car

22

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 22

Steve in conversation, July 1969 his first Meeting

ovals around London. “When I finished my higher education in the late 1960s it was the hey-day of stock car racing, and although popular all over the country, it was especially so in London, where as a competitor you would receive start money, so I decided to have a go thinking the start money would help pay my way.

Money was tight, very tight; my tow car for instance was a very early tired out split screen Morris Minor, which struggled to pull itself along, let alone a loaded trailer, so when I moved up to a Ford Anglia 1200 van it felt like being a professional, that’s how tight the money was! My race car was similar to what today are called SuperStocks, a single seater. It was fettled and re-welded many times by some guys in New Cross, and was very fast, but boy did it hurt when you hit something! Initially I ran a Morris Ten engine, then I had a lovely little BMC ‘A’ series engine, and finally a ‘B’ series engine which I think might have come from an MGA. It was quite powerful.” Steve hurt his leg quite badly in this final incarnation, and feeling it was time to move onto other things, decided, with a similar minded very good stock car driver and friend Derek Barker, to sell their outfits and buy a 750 Formula racing car to share. “Looking back, if I’d known more about cars, had more mechanical dexterity and a bit more money, I could have done far more in the crazy world of stock car racing, and in fact when I retired to the West Country did ponder making a return, but my age was against me, licences only being issued up to the age of 55. But it was a great experience, and very accessible.

At Aldershot Stadium just outside London there was a meeting every week. I also raced at White City, Ringwood, and my favourite track, Walthamstow. The crowds

were very large, and the racing tough and rough, but also very professional. In fact the cleverness of the top stock car boys was, and I think furthermore still is, seriously underestimated.

“Formula 750 I look back on with real nostalgia. Derek and I are still great mates and we enjoyed some fabulous racing where we met lots of nice people, but by the mid 1970s we needed to improve the car to remain competitive, and to do so required money I simply didn’t have. So I sold up and tried racing karts for a couple of years, but two stroke engines never really inspired me and I can’t say I ever took to the karts. I desperately missed car racing and wanted to get back to it, and a chance meeting with a very friendly, very kind MGCC member, Paul Bernal-Ryan, sent me in a direction I’ve never regretted.

In fact Paul has been a tremendous help and adviser to me over the years, even straightening out the car for token money after my big accident in 2013, but I’m jumping ahead. I quite liked the hill-climb scene, had in fact run the F750 at a couple of hill-climbs previously, but it was as a spectator that I got to talking initially with Paul. Explaining I wanted an inexpensive car with versatility, something I could race, hill-climb and sprint, but locally, without the need to charge up and down the country, or change to suit different events, Paul advised an MG Midget would be hard to beat.” Although by now married and with a young family, promotion had come along so finances weren’t quite so tight, and over the winter of 1978/79 Steve bought a car that he didn’t realise at the time came with some history. “It was a pretty tatty old thing, but one day in the paddock at Silverstone, Peter May came over and said, ‘This is my old car’, little

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:03

Untitled

MG Safety 1Fast July15 03-48.indd 23 Untitled-2

23/06/2015 10:03 11/06/2015 14:53:42

FEATURE

Steve hill climbing his Midget

realising what a pest I would become to him over the coming years. As I’ve said it was very tired, and mechanically gave a lot of trouble, but I ran it for three years and learned a lot, especially how to take an A series engine apart, and how to get one in and out of a Midget pretty quickly. I tidied the car up quite a bit, but was frustrated as I knew it could be improved, just didn’t have the confidence or know-how to tackle it. But now a rather delightful series of events took place, insomuch as Fred Boothby was racing a really nice Midget which was considerable better than the one I had, but being in the Army he was going to be posted overseas to Germany, so needed to sell it. It was about Easter of 1982 that Fred mentioned this to me, saying that if I wanted the car that was fine, providing he could continue using it – he entered a huge number of events, up to three races in a day – right up until he was about to leave the country. On that basis then we agreed, and I proceeded to sell my car. I’d like to say here that Fred did me a very generous deal indeed, so generous in fact he belongs in my thankyou list. Unfortunately he blew the engine as he crossed the line in his final event, but this was a good thing, for in those last days before leaving England he helped me build a new one which meant I started with a fresh engine. As soon as I drove the car I just knew I’d done the right thing, it was simply splendid.

“It wasn’t until later that I learned my first Midget had used the old shell from the famous Roger Enever car, the shell Peter May had re-built after it had been discarded in about 1969/70, and that my ex-Fred Boothby car could possibly be referred to as its sister. Let me explain: the way I understand it, while he was at Abingdon in 1970, Bob Neville built up a new lightweight Midget, the car I now own, using some of the parts from the Roger Enever car 138 DMO. Now it would be

24

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 24

quite wrong to say my car is the Enever car, but you could say it’s a daughter of the earlier one, although it certainly isn’t 138 DMO because the shell is different, and it has been much modified since then, but much of Bob’s expert detail he used putting it together remains. It only seems right at this point to give recognition and credit to Bob for building this car. I’ve owned it for 34 seasons and it’s given me such wonderful service and so much pleasure; it’s always been reliable, the exceptions being my fault rather than the car. He did such a good job originally, and despite the changes and bangs it’s received over time, the basis of the car remains fundamentally as he built it. From Bob it was sold around 1974 to Richard Gamble, who, after supercharging it, enjoyed a number of very successful seasons. The next owner was hill climber Mike Hartley who made further improvements before in turn passing on to John Songer in 1979. John lived near us in New Cross and also hill climbed the car, still supercharged, before he sold it to Fred Boothby in 1980/81. Fred removed the supercharger, and raced it extensively before selling it to me as I’ve mentioned at Easter 1982. So you can see the car has always been raced, and has been entered in hundreds of events over the years – I’ve driven it in more than 450 events – it gave me my most successful season in 1989, and many class wins at Lydden Hill between 1990 and 2007. Last year I achieved a lifetime ambition by winning my class at Shelsley Walsh, which was surprising as it was wet and I’m usually useless in the damp, but also probably

because long time mentor, good friend, and wonderful sporting rival John Hawley was possibly a little off form that day.”

Steve carries out all his race preparation from home, and until he recently passed away, long time friend and good mate Terry Joy helped with the more serious work. When Bill Richards started his engineering company in the 1980s Steve was one of his earliest customers.

“Bill was very kind to me, always being extremely reasonable with his rates, giving me masses of advice, aftercare, and superb engines. Likewise Peter May, who I think now hides under the counter if he hears it’s me on the phone, has been and continues to be a great help. In fact I found it was cheaper to use these professional services than to charge about all over the place to get parts or work done, and then put it together at home. My reliability wasn’t too bad before, but it certainly improved once Bill took care of my engines, which he still does. I found out the hard way that it pays to repair things thoroughly and not to do part repairs using old items mixed with new, gears for example, and clutches too. In fact my most frightening incident in motorsport was when a clutch exploded at Lydden Hill.

The force actually smashed the gearbox off the engine leaving it spread all over the road, so much so that the race had to be stopped. Fitting a 7.5” competition

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:03

FEATURE

Steve at the Aldershot Stadium, March 1971

clutch and lightweight flywheel has cured all those worries, but still I welded a steel plate around the transmission tunnel just in case, remembering how at the time, I looked down to see if both my feet were still attached! Talking of Bill and Peter May, I should also mention Peter Coombs – not an MG man – for the hours and hours spent doing welding and metalwork on the chassis when required, and making a myriad of small parts for me. All these people, including James and Matty Thacker for their unlimited help and

constant encouragement, deserve a medal for their help to me over such a long period.

“Until I retired and left London, I mixed sprinting and hill climbing with circuit racing. Lydden was probably my favourite track, but I also enjoyed enormously those most basic of racing events held for a number of years on the Stowe circuit at Silverstone. Three races for £99, no frills, just a great day’s racing with all manner of cars, 2CVs you name it. When I retired and

we moved to Wiltshire my intention was to carry on with perhaps one or two Lydden events, the Stowe races, and compete for the remaining time on the hills – which we are geographically very well placed for. Sadly however racing at Lydden went into decline, and they stopped running the Stowe events – I took part in the final Stowe race just two weeks after moving here. So since early 2008 I’ve been mostly concentrating on hill climbing, which I love. You meet lots of nice people who are always very helpful, and entry fees are reasonable, plus it has the same atmosphere as grass roots racing had back in the 70s. I’d still like to do a couple of races now and then, but accept club racing has changed, and with no more meetings like the Eight Clubs at Silverstone for example, it’s doubtful it will return to the simpler ways we once all took for granted. That said I have many fabulous hill climb courses on the doorstep, Wiscombe is stunning with scenery to match, Castle Hill in Cornwall, despite trying to kill myself there 18

Steve pushing his Midget MBT 80 hard at Brands Hatch

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 25

JULY 2015

25

23/06/2015 10:04

FEATURE

months ago, is my favourite with its perfect setting and easy going organisation, then of course there is Shelsley Walsh with all its history – a lovely place to take part – and with Prescott and Gurston too, I’m spoilt for choice.”

When asked about successes, Steve replies, “I was probably driving at my best during the late 1980s, but my biggest problem has always been that because I enjoy it so much, I never get annoyed or upset if I don’t perform too well – don’t suffer the ‘red mist’ syndrome. Taking part is enough, there is rarely anything at stake, so I simply enjoy myself against the clock. When I first started racing it was very different.

My first stock car race for instance saw me on the front row of a reverse order grid, now that was proper exciting. Later, when circuit racing, with my sprint and hill climb experience I would always pass the first few cars in front of me off the line, hugely satisfying, but now as I’ve said, I probably enjoy my motorsport too much. That’s not to say I simply enter to make up the numbers, which is why I don’t do track days, but I never get upset if others are quicker, because I know I’ve done my best. The only really annoying thing I’ve noticed as I’ve got older is my inconsistency; one day by my standards I’ll be quick, the following day, not so, and I don’t have an explanation for why. It doesn’t seem to affect others, Paul Bernal-Ryan for example, or Ted Reeve, another driver who was very helpful to me in my early days, but it certainly does me.”

Inevitably our conversation turns to the future, something over which Steve has real concern about, and not just the future of motor racing itself but indeed all forms of motoring. “Long term I think motor racing will change enormously, we don’t know what the future of motoring is and I wonder what personal transportation will even be like – not next year you understand, but in the

future. Will the trailering of club type racing cars remain easy, or even be allowed? Cars are changing quickly, and so is everything around them. We are already losing the type of high street car accessory shops we took for granted, car owners no longer carry out maintenance like they used to, the cars themselves don’t even lend themselves to home servicing, and independent garages are disappearing, so it’s interesting to speculate if the infrastructure will even be there to support club motorsport in the years ahead. And something else, over my time teaching I noticed how the interest in cars and motorcycles by 15 and 16 year old boys, once so popular, dropped away significantly to the point of being the exception. The interest is no longer there to the same extent, so where will the next enthusiasts come from? I sometimes look around me at a drivers briefing prior to a day’s motorsport, and wonder if we are all going to be bussed back to our care homes once the racing is finished…! The West Country hill-climbing scene for example is populated by competitors who are mostly well into their 50s. Now I’m not saying they shouldn’t be out there enjoying themselves, of course they should, but what young blood there is usually comes from the families of those already taking part; and while this is lovely to see, we need far more young people taking part for the general good of the sport overall. So yes, the future of club racing is very much open to question. Also we can’t get away from the increasingly important environmental questions. How the world resolves these, if ever it does, will probably also have a long term impact on motorsport.”

Steves Kids working on his Midget in the 1970s

As for his own future, Steve intends to carry on enjoying the hills for as long as possible, but has recently considered swapping the Midget for something more modern like a single seater 1100cc OMS or Jedi, “but then the Midget has been part of the family for so long, I would feel terribly guilty about selling her, although changing the diff before each event has become a bit of a chore as I’ve get older. But team manager Barbara helps, her organisational and wheel changing skills being second to none! Above all though, I’ve only been able to enjoy my motorsport due to those mentioned, and inevitably the many I’ve left out, our two sons for example who loved helping and being part of the scene when they were young. So much so they always preferred money being spent on the car rather than feeding them, hence we had two children who knew much about racing, but were somewhat thin!”

Steve heading round Woodcote at Silverstone, September 1972

26

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 26

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:04

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 27

23/06/2015 10:04

BTCC FEATURE

Oulton Park

By Paul Goodman Photos by Aaron Lupton

T

he Dunlop MSA British Touring Car event at Oulton Park has grown into a huge annual party.

The combination of the parkland, the trackside camping and the off track attractions result in an atmosphere not seen at any other round. Stag parties are common and there is partisan support for the different teams. The 2014 experiment of using the full international circuit was not considered to be a success, so the 2015 races would take place on a revised version of the ‘Island’ Circuit.

There are no significant straights at Oulton Park and the drivers have no time to relax. After the special tyres at Thruxton, Dunlop announced a new medium tyre to be used at all the other circuits with improved braking and turning characteristics. There would still be a requirement to use the softer tyre in one of the three races. This year would also be the first time that the higher levels of success ballast would have to be used on an undulating circuit. The qualifying session on Saturday would be critical. Overtaking

isn’t easy at Oulton and the drivers would have to try to set quick times early in race one to secure good grid positions for race two. Not easy in the middle of a high speed traffic jam.

The MG6 cars have always performed well at Oulton, and so Jack Goff and Andrew Jordan were confident about getting good finishes to improve their places in the points standing and close the gap in the manufacturer’s championship to the Honda Yuasa Team. The 888 Team were celebrating their one hundredth race with the MG6.

With part of the circuit being new to all the drivers, and the new compound tyres, the two testing sessions on Saturday would be critical in bedding in the cars and getting the handling tuned for the twists, turns and elevation changes of the circuit.

A sprinkling of rain met the drivers as they went on track for the first 40 minute session. The conditions soon cleared up although the wind was very strong.

The teams worked through their set-up programmes with some stunning record lap

Andrew Jordan lifts his Trophy at Oulton Park

28

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 28

times being set. Jason Plato was quickest in the VW CC with Andrew third and Jack sixth.

Jack pulled off on his final lap with a failed front wheel nut.

For the second session, the track was warmer and the times were even quicker.

Andrew and Jack thundered round scrubbing in tyres and testing their consistency over long runs. Plato was quickest again with Andrew second and Jack fifth.

It was clear that the qualification times were going to be very close. The cars were unleashed onto a dry track with just 30 minutes to set their best times. Jason Plato secured pole position and returned to the pits with his front brakes on fire. Matt Neal in the Yuasa Honda Civic and Andy Priaulx in the BMW took second and third by tiny margins, with Andrew securing fourth. Jack had a serious problem when his MG6 failed the ‘ride height’ test as it entered the pit lane about half way through the session.

His times were deleted and he had to have the car adjusted and retested. That left only a few minutes to set a time. In the circumstances, position eight on the grid was a fine performance.

The conditions were perfect for race one (Round Ten) with a warm track and blue sky. Jason Plato made a perfect start, pulled out a lead and was declared the winner when the red flags were flown slightly before the scheduled race distance.

Matt Neal in the Yuasa Honda and Andy Priaulx squabbled over second and third place. Andrew Jordan experienced a slightly lonely race in the Pirtek MG6 to take

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:04

BTCC

Country Lane Tours TARGA SICILIA MAY 5th – 18th 2016

Country Lane Tours is arranging Targa Sicilia, a fabulous tour of this breathtakingly beautiful island and in conjunction with Automobile Club Palermo participating in the celebrations of the 110th anniversary of the first Targa Florio.

fourth and some solid points. Jack Goff got away from his grid placing and made up one place when Colin Turkington in his VW CC suffered brake problems and fell to the back of the field.

Jason Plato converted his pole position, gained by making the fastest lap in race one, to a second race win in race two. In so doing, he became the first driver this season to win carrying maximum ballast. Jason was chased to the line by Matt Neal with Andrew Jordan finishing on the podium, in third, just unable to catch the front two. It looked as if Jack was going to finish outside the points, but two of the BMWs collided allowing him to finish ninth.

Former MG driver Sam Tordoff secured pole position for race three after Alan Gow drew his number from the bowl.

Matt Neal got the lead early on, but some fluid on the track caused his car to twitch and Sam swept by to take his first BMW win. Andrew then put pressure on Matt and got by to finish second. Jack spent the whole race behind three of the VWs finally finishing in eighth place.

Jason’s performances over the weekend have given him a slim championship lead, but Andrew is still in touch in fourth place, only 13 points behind after his consistent weekend.

Jack has fallen back to eighth place. In the manufacturer’s championship Honda Yuasa have drawn ahead of 888 MG with the gap being 28 points.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 29

Starting with the overnight ferry from Genoa the tour starts with four nights in Villa Igiea, a stunning hotel overlooking the bay of Palermo and originally owned by the Florio family. This allows plenty of time to relax as well as taking in the sights of the ancient city, joining the activities arranged by Automobile Club Palermo, and, of course, driving the famous forty-seven mile Targa Florio route circuit, last used in anger in 1973.

From Palermo the tour skirts the coast to halts in Mazara del Vallo, Agrigento, Ragusa (Montalbano country!), Siracusa and Taomina before skirting Mount Etna and calling in at Autodromo di Pegusa on the way back to Palermo and the ferry.

Ragusa & Siracusa are two night halts and daily mileage is low, allowing for plenty of time to sightsee, view the local ceramics, and take in the fabulous Greek temples and other amazing attractions along the way.

Sadly both German and Dutch motorail have now ceased so the 750 miles from Calais to Genoa has to be driven. However, optional overnight halts at 250 mile intervals will allow leisurely progress across Europe and enable the faster cars to skip and join the group at will.

On May 15th the red Rover, pictured at the old pits at Cerda, was driven from Genoa to Calais in ten and a half hours so it is quite feasible to drive the whole distance in a day.

The usual Country Lane Tours detailed road book, back up support vehicle and crew, plus accompanying tour director ensure participants have a leisurely and relaxing holiday.

For full information email your name and postal address to countrylanetours@aol.com or call Ian on 01824 790280.

JULY 2015

29

23/06/2015 10:04

FEATURE Shown clearly in this photograph of the front end under re-assembly is the double acting brake system used on the Y. The next model, the YB, employed a twin leading shoe arrangement, each shoe having its own wheel cylinder, providing a much improved braking performance.

My 1949

MG Y Type O

Saloon

ne of the problems for the owner of an MGY is to explain to people what a Y is – it seems that everybody is familiar with the open sports MGs, which is quite understandable, given the immense popularity of these lively little sporting cars over many years, but very few people can recall having ever seen a ‘closed’ MG, even though the company has made many very stylish saloon models since 1924.

Motor historian Anders Ditlev Clausager writes, in the introduction to his book ‘MG Saloon Cars’: “If there is a common bond between the very different (ie saloon) cars described in this book, it is that they have always had more scorn than praise heaped upon them. They have often been misunderstood, misjudged, or unfairly maligned. And why? Simply because they have stood accused of not being ‘real’ MGs.”

30

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 30

The MG Car Company was formally established in 1928 but its origins go back to 1902 when William Morris, a young cycle mechanic, set up a business called both The Oxford Garage, and Morris Cycleworks. Morris’s business grew and in 1913, he produced his first motor car, and re-named his business The Morris Garages to reflect its new role as a distributor of Morris Cars. In 1922, Cecil Kimber was appointed general manager of the The Morris Garages business, which was still owned by William Morris.

In addition to selling standard Morris cars, Kimber began to offer modified versions of the base Morris. The first of these, in 1922, was a Chummy model on a shortened Morris Cowley chassis, and the first ‘special’ saloon was produced in 1924. It was an upmarket version of the standard contemporary Morris Oxford saloon and offered buyers extra creature

Part 1By Neil Wakeman comforts including silk curtains on the windows, luxurious upholstery, thick pile carpets, a parcel net, a ventilator in the roof and an interior light. Clausager notes that the year 1924 is generally thought of as the year when MG was born, and the year when the MG company name and distinctive octagonal badge was first used.

MG saloons were built during the 1920s and 1930s, along with open cars.

In the years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, MG continued to offer their popular range of ‘Midget’ sports cars, supplemented with three larger saloons and drophead versions, the S, V and W models. The WA had an engine capacity of 2,561cc, the SA 2,288cc and the smallest of the range, the VA, had an engine of 1,548cc.

The next development to the range was to include one more saloon, of smaller engine capacity than the VA, and this is

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:04

FEATURE

where the MGY makes its appearance.

The Cowley design office turned to Morris’s 10/4 Series M saloon, which was introduced during 1938, and the smaller Eight Series E as the design base for this new model, which was called the MG One and a Quarter Litre (Series Y).

A prototype Y Type was constructed in 1939 with an intended launch at the Earls Court Motor show the following year.

However, due to the onset of the War, the company had to wait a further eight years before production could commence. The new car would feature an independent front suspension layout designed by Alec Issigonis (later to become famous for designing the Mini, in 1959) and Jack Daniels (an MG draughtsman).

Independent front suspension was very much the latest technology at the time and the Y Type became the first Nuffield product, and one of the first British production cars, with this feature.

Gerald Palmer was responsible for body styling and he took a Morris Eight Series E four-door body shell in pressed steel, added a swept tail and rear wings and a characteristic MG bonnet with an upright grille. The MG 1¼ Litre Saloon retained separately mounted headlights at a time when the Morris Series E had its headlamps inset into the front wings, and the Y had a separate chassis under its pressed-steel bodywork, even though the trend in the industry at that time was towards ‘unitary construction’. A tourer version of the Y was introduced at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show.

In keeping with MG tradition, the MG Y Type had a high standard of interior finish, featuring seats faced in leather and extensive use of wood trim, including a full width burr walnut veneered dash.

In 1952, the MG Car Company updated the Y Type and an improved model, designated the YB, was launched.

(The first version of the Y is now often unofficially referred to as the YA, to differentiate it from the YB.) The YB had a new Lockheed braking system and a more modern type of back axle. The road holding was also improved by the introduction of 15 inch wheels – the Y and Y/T had 16 inch wheels. The YB also had an anti-roll bar fitted to the front of the car and better dampers were fitted. Externally both models looked much the same, the main difference being the depth of the rear guards on the YB to accommodate its smaller wheels. A new range of colour schemes was also offered to YB buyers.

When production ceased in 1953, a total of 8,336 Y Types had been produced – 6,151 Y models, 1,301 YBs and 884 Y Tourers.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 31

The Story of Y3498 Our featured example is a Y model, built in approximately 1948. After a three year ground up restoration, it is now in a condition very close to original, including the colour (Autumn Red).

Despite the current owner’s best attempts, the history of this car is largely unknown. It was purchased through a well-known internet auction site in 2009, but the vendor knew very little about the car’s history, as he had only purchased it a matter of weeks before selling it on. Contact with the prior owner wasn’t very helpful in tracing the car’s history either – he had purchased the car from a used car yard in Geelong some years previously, but that yard no longer exists.

In 1988, UK enthusiast John Lawson published an excellent reference book called ‘MG Y Type Saloons and Tourers’, and this book shows that Y3498 was in Victoria at that time. Mr Lawson subsequently advised the car’s current owner that his records showed that it was owned by a Mr C K Curtis, but finding this gentleman somewhere in Victoria some 20 years later proved to be a futile task.

A windscreen came with the dismantled car and it still had a registration sticker on it which showed the engine number (XPAG SC133500), which matched the car’s engine and brass plate. The registered number was shown as OH841 and the registration expired on November 11 1970. Victorian motor car registration details were destroyed by the authorities in Victoria some years ago, so these details were of no value at all, other than as academic interest.

Restoration story When purchased, Y3498 had undergone some restoration. The body and chassis had been separated and the chassis had been sand blasted, painted and rebuilt to a high standard. A sheaf of old invoices dated 2003 documented the purchase of many chassis and brake parts – wheel bearings, swivel pins, wheel cylinders, rubbers, bushes, machining of brake drums and shoes and the like. Fortunately, the braking system had not been filled with fluid and everything was well protected with rubber grease, so sitting for six years had not affected these components in any way.

Just to be on the safe side, the chassis was dismantled for inspection

and then reassembled. At the same time, the old brake lines were removed and discarded, and were replaced with brand new ones. About $50 for a roll of material, and a couple of hours work to bend up and double flare the ends, was considered cheap insurance.

The independent front end was also removed, dismantled, checked, repainted and reassembled. As noted in the introduction, this was an Alec Issigonis design providing independent front suspension and rack and pinion steering that was used in MGs, basically unchanged, for 30 years until 1980 when the production of MGBs ceased.

New floor welded in place

JULY 2015

31

23/06/2015 10:04

FEATURE

The spare wheel aperture

The new outer skirt temporarily ‘pinned’ into place to check for fit and alignment.

Body Shell Although the chassis did not require a great deal of work, the body was a different story altogether.

Some work had been done but it appeared that the total job proved to be beyond the skills of the previous owner/s.

The shell appeared to have been stripped and cleaned, and painted in acrylic primer surfacer some years previously. This material, being porous, did not protect the base metal very well – it was removed very easily, with paint stripper and a wash with paint thinners, to reveal a healthy rust bloom over the whole surface.

Removing the primer also exposed quite a lot of body filler, some of which was quite thick where a double skinned panel thwarted amateur panel repairer attempts to fix some deep dents, particularly in the roof, which appeared to have been damaged by a low hanging tree branch at some time in the past. All this filler was removed in order to repair whatever perils existed beneath it. And there were plenty!

By far the worst problems were in the rear where the spare wheel compartment floor had completely rusted out and was

missing. It is easy to see how this area could have become so badly affected by rust. The sunroof has a drain channel around the frame, and water is taken from this channel by four flexible hoses in the roof space, hidden by the head lining – at the front, these tubes are threaded down the windscreen pillar, emerging through a hole in the sill near the rear of the front guard, to discharge collected water onto the ground under the car. The rear tubes are also routed along the roof line, above the rear quarter light, down the rearmost pillar and through a hole in the body above the back wheel. The hoses appear to have been made originally from a thin walled rubber or similar material which, over the years, became brittle and eventually cracked and broke – instead of discharging water onto the road, it finished up in the car’s spare wheel compartment or the floor under the back seat.

Y3498 required extensive work to rebuild the back section of the body.

We called on the services of Andrew Hitchcock, a skilled panel man with years of experience on British classics,

and he amputated what remained of the lower 40 cm of the tail of the car. With nothing original to reproduce, careful measurements were made of the floor and rear end of a friend’s Y, a mock-up was made from 3mm MDF board, and Andrew fabricated a completely new boot floor panel using the mock up as a guide.

Once the floor was welded into place, Andrew was able to fabricate the new outer skirt which was skilfully gas welded to the body after temporarily ‘pinning’ it into place and fitting up the rear guards to check for fit and alignment.

The final task of this part of the job was to make the spare wheel aperture.

We simplified this task by acquiring a hole surround from a wreck, to avoid the need to replicate the complicated small channel around the hole itself.

Needless to say, after all this work, great care was taken to ensure the correct placement of the spare wheel aperture, using another MDF pattern as a guide – never has the old adage ‘Measure twice and cut once’ been more rigorously adhered to!

The aperture surround is held in place temporarily before being gas welded into place.

After the welds were dressed and finished, the metal was de-rusted, de-contaminated, etch primed, filled, undercoated etc and made ready for primer and final coats.

The rest of the body was treated with the same level of care and attention over several months. Space limits the amount

Care was taken to ensure the correct placement of the spare wheel aperture, using an MDF pattern as a guide

Here, Andrew gets to work on the nerve-wracking task of cutting to the exact shape of the aperture frame, which will be butt welded to the new rear skirt.

32

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 32

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 12:51

Rimmer A5 LANDSCAPE ad_Layout 1 18/07/2013 16:00 Page 11

MGF / TF MGB & Midget MGZT / Rover 75 MGZS / Rover 45 MGZR / Rover 25 Rover SD1 Rover 200/400 Rover 600/800 Metro Maestro & Montego Mini & City Rover P5 & P6

Visit our website for prices and availability:

www.rimmerbros.co.uk tel: 01522 568000

All the parts and accessories you will ever need

fax: 01522 567600 email:

Free Catalogues

Parts service for Land Rover, Triumph and Jaguar also available

sales@rimmerbros.co.uk

L AN D ROVER

Triumph House, Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2NA. England

from 1998 to 2011

NEW WEBSITE

moss-europe.co.uk

keeping the great marques alive

Greater than the sum of its parts Over 45,000 parts for classic British cars, available online, on mobile and in branch

LONDON

BRADFORD

BRISTOL

MANCHESTER

PARIS

020 8867 2020

01274 539 999

0117 923 2523

0161 480 6402

+33 (0) 1 30 80 20 30

websites moss-europe.co.uk / moss-europe.fr facebook facebook.com/mosseurope twitter twitter.com/mosseurope ebay stores.ebay.co.uk/moss-europe-ltd Approved Trade member for British Motor Heritage, MG Car Club, TR Register & FBHVC. ©Moss Europe Ltd, E&OE 2015

Custom-blended for Classics Dynolite Stockist: Moss Europe Ltd

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 33

Free* parts catalogues available for MG T-Type, MGA, MGB, Sprite & Midget, Morris Minor, Classic Mini, TR2-4A, TR5-6 and Restoration Tools. Order by phone: 0800 281 182, email: catalogues@moss-europe.co.uk or online: moss-europe.co.uk (*Catalogue P&P per item: UK Free, EU £5.83 (+ country VAT), ROW £7.00) JULY 2015

33

23/06/2015 10:04

FEATURE

This is the semi-finished primed repair section which looks just like it grew there!

The new spare wheel aperture gas welded into place

of detail on an explanation of minor repairs taken on door panels, running boards, guards and other components that make up the whole.

The boot lid, for example, was rusty and necessitated the removal of the skin from the frame, to repair rust holes along the bottom edge of both parts (the bottom 75mm of the boot lid skin was cut off and a new section welded in – the spare wheel locker cover also received the same treatment).

One task that is worth examining in detail, is a repair to the body shell where two panels were roughly lap joined in the factory. This joint was filled and levelled with lead, also factory finish, in places about 10mm thick. Lead filling has become something of a lost art with the development of modern fillers, and a brief explanation of this process may be of interest to readers.

Andrew very helpfully pointed out that it’s a bit difficult to weld to lead, so proceeded to remove the filler with heat from a small propane torch, to expose the rusted steel underneath, which extended over the top of the inner guard. Small repair sections were made up and MIG welded into place.

After physically and chemically cleaning the repaired area, it was time to replace the lead filler. My Mum used to tell me that ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’, a saying which is most appropriate when

preparing an area for lead filling.

The first blobs of lead are pushed in to place directly from a stick of filler material. Careful application of heat softens the lead to a consistency that is similar to plasticine.

Once the repaired area had been roughly filled, it needed to be smoothed and shaped to match the original contour of the body. This was done using a wooden paddle lubricated with beeswax. Again the amount of heat to be applied was critical, especially on a vertical surface like this – we needed the lead in the repaired area, not in a puddle on the floor!

After dressing with a body file, the filled area was now ready for ‘normal’ paint preparation and finishing.

Like many of its contemporaries, the MGY body is made up of many pieces – there are, in total, 23 parts that need to be individually repaired and painted. If that seems a bit over the top, check my arithmetic … one body shell, four doors, two running boards, four wings, four bonnet panels, one boot lid, one spare wheel cover, one front valance panel, one sunroof, four wheels.

At times during the project, one wondered if/when it would ever be finished, especially with a car like Y3498 which required some work to just about every one of those 23 parts.

Lots of space is required for a restoration project of this type especially when the body is separated from the chassis. After working for days on a component part, the semi-finished or finished part needs to be stored carefully – there’s little worse that damaging a nicely finished panel and scratching or denting it, and having to start again.

Having a tolerant partner is an essential – my long-suffering wife has given up objecting to the storage of painted components on the dining room table!

Perseverance is an essential in a project of this nature. Rather than taking on the project as a whole, it’s best to view it as a series of smaller projects – my advice is to nibble away at the project one panel at a time … a mudguard this week, a door next week.

The final challenge was to reassemble all the freshly painted bits that make up a car. It sounds trite to say that if it all came to bits, it should all go back together easily enough. Fine, if that’s the way it was, but some of the bits may have been replaced, others have been repaired and bolt holes that once lined up may now miss by a millimetre or so. It pays to do a trial assembly before parts are painted – that way, if there are any re-alignment problems, it’s much easier to fix when the parts are only primed. It’s extra work that may save a lot of time.

Next month we tackle the engine, interior and Jackall system.

Lead loading and dressing the bodywork

34

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 34

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:05

12123_

THE NEW MG6 The new MG6 really is an MG to shout about. It is our best MG6 yet, at just a fraction of the price. Starting from just £13,995, the all-new MG6 comes equipped with incredible value, LED daytime running lights, 16” Alloys, easy air conditioning and one of the largest interiors in its class as standard. There has never been a better time to go large, so why not test drive the new MG6 today?

Or from £8,399, the MG3 has lots of exciting extras including distinctive LED daytime running lights and USB/AUX input. With over one million personalised combinations to discover, you really will get more MG for your money.

MG3 From £8,399

DRIVE IT NOW FROM ONLY

GET MORE MG FOR YOUR MONEY.

£13,995

Go find your dealer at mg.co.uk

NEW MG6 Fuel Consumption mpg (l/100km): Urban: 52.3 (5.4), Extra Urban: 68.8 (4.1), Combined: 61.4 (4.6) CO2 Emissions 119 g/km. MG3 Fuel consumption mpg (1/100km): Urban: 37.7 (7.5), Extra Urban 57.6 (4.9), Combined: 48.7 (5.8), CO2 Emissions 136 g/km.

Models shown – NEW MG6 DTi-TECH TL in Passion Red at £17,995. MG3 3FORM SPORT in Stuck on Blue with White Trophy Stripe at £10,203. Metallic paint an optional extra at £395. On the road price of £8,399 applies to the MG3 3TIME with no optional extras.

On the road price of £13,995 applies to the MG6 S. On the road (OTR) prices include VAT where applicable, vehicle first registration fee, delivery, number plates and 12 months’ Vehicle Excise Duty. “From” prices shown exclude optional metallic paint, accessories and graphics packages. Fuel consumption: values shown are based on official EU test figures and are to be used as a guide for comparative purposes and may not be representative of actual driving results. For more information on MG3 and MG6 please visit mg.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 35 12123_MG_Campaign_National_[GO_ENJOY]_Ad_Safety_Fast_FP_297x210_v1.indd 1

23/06/2015 23/04/2015 10:05 14:01

FEATURE

Syd Enever’s

Tuning Information Memos

By Edward Vandyk

A

lbert Sydney (Syd) Enever was MG’s Chief Engineer from 1954 to 1971. He was based at the works in Abingdon and throughout that time was supported by his secretary Isla Watts. Between them they produced 48 Tuning Information Memos, or TIMs, over those 17 years dealing with a whole range of subjects and cars both MGs and other cars in the BMC stable.

The TIMs were internal documents typed by Isla and produced in a Roneo format. They were clearly, by their very presentation, not for circulation outside of BMC and their internal circulation was hardly ever formalised on the TIMs themselves.

Some, but not all, were certainly sent to Basil Wales at Special Tuning at Cowley. In certain cases Basil used the information to develop products offered generally by Special Tuning.

Basil’s predecessor Glyn Evans produced Special Tuning booklets starting with XPAG engines, the MGA 1500 and 1600 (but not the 1600 MkII or Twin Cam), the Frog Eye Sprite and the MGB. These booklets were given part numbers and went through numerous reprints, identified by advancing alphabetic suffixes, as the tuning available became more refined, in each case retaining the same basic serial number with an AKD

prefix. This system was clearly inefficient and Basil switched to a Loose Leaf Binder entitled Special Tuning. Details of the tuning equipment available generally for the Mini, Midget/Sprite, MGA 1500/1600, MGB, Austin/Morris 1800, Wolseley 18/85 and the 1100/1300 range were included in this binder which was updated as appropriate. After Basil’s departure the booklet format was resumed with the MGB with the production of C-AKD 4034L, the ‘C-’ prefix being the Special Tuning Department’s identifier.

Some TIMs are dated, some not. Their numbering, where dated, generally but not invariably follows the date order, the exception being TIM#26 preceding TIM#25.

Some TIMs are referenced ASE/IW, some are unreferenced, and one, TIM#8 dated 3 September 1958, is referenced ASE/MS. Some TIMs were revised a number of times over a period.

John McNaught in the Records Section was responsible for the TIMs’ production and distribution, and whether he or Isla held the master list is not known.

That these TIMs were Syd’s cannot, I believe, reasonable be doubted; they did not precede him nor were they produced after he retired.

Title Special Tuning for Trials Cars (T.A. Model) P Midget, PB Midget and N Magnette J Type Midget, Special Tuning Information Supercharging the PA and PB Type Engines Special Tuning for MG Midget Engine – Type XPAG

Pages 5 3 4 2 15

Why Syd Enever produced the TIMs must be conjectural but he had a persistent love of competition and tuning.

The common theme in all the TIMs is either general or specific performance enhancement. Syd was said to be often pestered about performing enhancing modifications and the TIMs served not only as a way of formalising and recording the modifications but also, by being made available to those whom Syd favoured, as a way of communicating the tuning information requested.

The TIMs from #1 to #48, with the exception of TIM#11, have now been located although there can be no certainty TIM#48 was the final TIM. How many TIMs, or parts of TIMs, translated into Special Tuning Booklets or into the Special Tuning Binder can be judged by the titles of the TIMs. The relationship was patchy and inconsistent.

However some documents which seem to be the precursors of the TIMs and the Special Tuning publications, produced in the same Roneoed format but on foolscap paper, also survive. These can be viewed by going to the members area on www.mgcc.com.

Date Original copy dated 9.9.38 Undated 13.4.39 Undated Undated but seems a typed copy of the Special Tuning booklet L/8 Issue 1 dated June 1949

A list of the TIMs appears below: Date

36

TIM#1

Ref

Subject 1466cc Competition Engines

TIM#2

XPAG/TD Engines

TIM#3 TIM#4

Special Tuning for Engine XPAG/TF List of Parts required to tune Magnette JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 36

Revisions

Comments Handwritten note to Miss Watts / Mrs Lay. “Don’t give anybody TIM1 Give them 2” (That have been bored and wet sleeved oversize to increase capacity to 1500cc) Dated ‘1964’

Sheets 4 4 14 1 www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:05

FEATURE Date TIM#5

Ref

Subject Austin A30

TIM#6 TIM#7

Tuning Instructions for A90 Westminster 28/8/56 ASE/IW Revised Magnette Engine

TIM#8

3/9/56

TIM#9

Revisions

(As at Motor Show October 1956) Type B.P. 15. H.G.C. General Data – Engine & Gearbox

ASE/MS Austin A30 & A35

TIM#10

Parts difference early Magnette engine (15 G.A.) and the new parts necessary to modify engine to the MGA type 15 G.B. Austin A50 and A55

TIM#11

-unknown-

TIM#13 21/5/58 ASE/IW Comments on enquiries in the building of a Sports/Racing car, using A35 components TIM#14 Current Gear Ratios TIM#15 Provisional Notes covering – Conversion of Austin Healey 100/6 to Dunlop Disc Brakes TIM#16 Austin Healey 100 Six – Special equipment as supplied by Healey Motors, Warwick TIM#17 6/1/59 ASE/IW Twin Cam – parts to convert to roll bar TIM#18 13/1/59 ASE/IW Twin Cam – racing settings for hydraulic dampers TIM#19 27/8/59 Healey Sprite – increase rev limit to 6,800 TIM#20 17/2/59 ASE/IW Preliminary List EX 186 Le Mans Twin Cam Engine 1959 TIM#21 14/4/59 ASE/IW MGA Twin Cam competition Disc Brake pads TIM#22 22/5/59 MGA Twin Cam – Attention to Cylinder Head for performance Revision 6/11//59 improvement TIM#23 22/5/59 As TIM#22 but with confidential and provisional note Revision 6/11/59 TIM#24 1/7/59 Weber Carbs TIM#25 5/11/59 ASE/IW MGA Twin Cam – valve springs TIM#26 27/8/59 ASE/IW 1600cc Twin Camshaft Engine Vibration TIM#27 6/10/59 MGA Twin Cam – Larger Carburettors Revision 6/11/59 TIM#28 6/11/59 MGA Twin Cam – Distributor and ignition timing TIM#29 Parts required when fitting Wolseley 1500 front brakes to Morris Minor 1000 TIM#30 Healey 3000 Performance Tuning TIM#31 4/1/60 ASE/IW MGA Twin Cam – suggested improvements TIM#32 15/3/60 ASE/IW Parts required to fit A40 front brakes 8” to Austin Healey Sprite TIM#33 MGA Twin Cam, General data, Tuning the engine for more power, checking and rebuilding the engine for racing use, adjusting suspension for track use TIM#34 20/1/61 ASE/IW MGA 1588cc – Reshaping combustion space to increase power TIM#35 2 1/8” (sic) bore Twin Cam TIM#36 Additions to the MGA Special Tuning booklet AKD 819B TIM#37 3/3/61 ASE/IW Rebuild Magnette Mk III engine as 1622cc TIM#38 Provisional Tuning for Austin Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper MGB Uprated Engines (January 1964) MG 1100 (1963)

TIM#41

(1964) Sprite Mk III and MG Midget Mk II (1100cc) – Stage 1 Tune Austin Healey ‘3000’ BJ8 (1964)

TIM#42 TIM#43 TIM#44 TIM#45 5/7/66 TIM#46 13/11/68 TIM#47 9/12/68 TIM#48 11/6/70 www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 37

Sheets 4 2 4 5 3

TIM#12 28/4/58 ASE/IW Tuning Information for Healey Sprite Engine

TIM#39 TIM#40

Comments Standard General Data – Engine and Gearbox

Revised 18/12/63, 6/1/64, 28/1/64, 18/2/64 and 24/2/64

General Data – Engine and 5 Gearbox Could be Foreword to TIM#11 which has no TIM# number but TIM 12 written on it This TIM and its Foreword 2 match some of the Special Tuning booklet AKD1021 2 1 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Presumably for MGA Twin Cam 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 24 Had drawing attached

1

Should be 3 1/8”

1 4 1 2

Had 6 page Mini Cooper General Data attached Not to be publicised, handwritten note “Copy to A S Enever, D Watts, J Cox, Mr Thornley (4)” Copy to A Hounslow, J Cox, G C Healey Copy to A Hounslow, J Cox, G C Healey

Mini-Cooper S Brakes Mini Cooper S MGB Prepare for Long Distance High Speed Test Engine specification (London to Sydney Rally) 1968. Morris and Austin 1800cc Transverse Engine List of parts and information required to fully tune 1275cc engine (Sprite / Midget) Turbo charged FI Mini Engine

16 1

1 1 2 1 3 3 3 2

JULY 2015

37

23/06/2015 10:05

NEWSLETTER MGA

Edward Vandyk Tel : 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk

MGA Newsletter

Welcome to the

This edition of the Newsletter has turned into five pages, instead of the usual four, due to the inclusion of an appreciation of Simon Robinson’s life after his premature death in April. Simon was a colourful character who tended to generate strong opinions and who was deeply involved with MGAs his whole life. This edition also includes the second part of the MGA Scrap Book from George Dutton, which he started in the March edition.

We hope to see as many of you as possible at MGA Day Sunday August 2 2015. It will begin at 9.30am at the Gaydon Motor Heritage Centre, and end at Upton House, a National Trust property 15 minutes drive from Gaydon. MGA drivers and passengers are welcome to look around the Gaydon Motor Heritage Centre at the reduced rate of £8.00 per person. Those who do not wish to enter the museum can use the Coffee Shop/restaurant without entry charge. At 11.45 there will be an MGA Group Procession drive to Upton House. The afternoon will provide an opportunity to wander around Upton House and Gardens; the whole will be represented in a ‘wartime’ theme.

Whilst at Gaydon, a selection of MGAs will be invited by the Committee to form a special display in front of Upton House; these cars will be chosen from all visitors to Gaydon, and will

Simon J Robinson 1953-2015 Simon Robinson’s untimely death in April 2015 at the age of 61 after a short illness has robbed the MGA Community of one of its more colourful characters.

Simon was no stranger to controversy within the MGA community, yet I believe there was rather more to Simon than the somewhat polarised views I have become aware of. I only met Simon once and corresponded with him over an 18 month period about one particular car which had passed through his hands in 1984 / 85.

Given his involvement with the MGA over many years, I felt his story had to be told so that whether MGA owners’ personal experiences with Simon were good or otherwise, they could at least have some insight into what made Simon the man he was.

Simon was the eldest of three brothers born into a successful farming family who had their own farm at Heighington, near Darlington.

His parents’ wish was that Simon follow them into farming but it was not to be. In fact it was his youngest brother, Matthew, who became the farmer and it is now to Matthew that ownership of Simon’s business has passed. I believe the MGA community will find Matthew’s intentions for the business encouraging but more of that later.

Simon was educated privately at Bowes School and provided sales and maintenance support initially from the MGA Centre in Cleveland Street, Darlington which he opened in April 1980 and latterly, for the last 33 years from Ketton Garage at Coatham Mundeville, Darlington.

Simon’s role in being one of the pioneers in the remanufacture of MGA parts is little known and poorly documented. Simon recognised that if the marque was to be kept alive and healthy there had to be a

38

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 38

represent the different MGA models and specifications over the full production run.

There will be a display of one ‘typical example’ of each of the 14 variants of MGA production directly in front of Upton House. The cars being looked for should, as far as possible, simply be standard cars in standard paint and trim colours: 1500 bodied Roadster and Coupe; 1500 bodied Twin Cam Roadster and Coupe; 1600 bodied Roadster and Coupe; 1600 bodied Twin Cam Roadster and Coupe; 1600 bodied De Luxe Roadster and Coupe; 1600 MkII Roadster and Coupe; 1600 MkII bodied De Luxe Roadster and Coupe.

If you would like your car to be in the display or if you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Pollard on jonknutsford@ gmail.com or telephone 07881 300061. Any vacant places in the display will be identified and invited earlier at Gaydon. There is no need to book, please just turn up on the day.

This year is also the 40th anniversary of the MGA Register Championship which has now become the MGCC Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship, open to all sports cars from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Six MGAs were represented at Brands Hatch in early May and perhaps we will see a revival of MGAs racing in an appropriate MGA class or classes in 2016. supply of parts other than those obtained from scrapping cars. In the days before the internet, obtaining parts was essentially from scrap yards, by word of mouth or Exchange and Mart although the MGCC and Safety Fast! were also helpful, as was Peter Wood as spares secretary of the MGA Twin Cam Group. Mervyn Gillespie recalls his first meeting with Simon in the 1970s at Richardsons near Heathrow which specialised in scrapping MGs. Several years later Richardsons were under threat of closure at short notice, with the risk of all their stock being scrapped. Simon came to the rescue and bought it from them. Mervyn has a record of Simon’s progress from the original

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:05

Edward Vandyk Tel : 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk

MGA NEWSLETTER

One of Simon’s other passions were triathlons and he competed in six in 2014

Simon was the eldest of three brothers born into a successful farming family who had their own farm at Heighington, near Darlington.

Simon was proud of his exploits as a jockey even if they did not always turn out quite as he might have wished.

Simon’s passion for the last 30 years was riding in point to point races

Simon’s role in being one of the pioneers in the remanufacture of MGA parts is little known and poorly documented.

handwritten parts list through the typed lists and printed booklets to the final illustrated catalogue.

Simon pioneered his parts business at Cleveland Street and opened separate premises over the road from the MGA Centre simply to handle that business, which he sold, and which formed the nucleus of the Moss Europe operation.

Many of the parts sourced back then in Darlington are still produced there. The final move to Ketton Garage was in 1987 where he traded under the ‘Simon J Robinson’ banner although his focus remained MGs, particularly the MGA. Simon was blessed with very loyal and long serving staff and they remember him with affection.

Simon’s various passions drove him throughout his life to the very end. Principal of these were his love of life, his love of classic cars (particularly the MGA) and his love of point to pointing. In particular Simon loved his horses and was proud of his exploits as a jockey even if they did not always turn out quite as he might have wished.

Simon grew up with horses. His father hunted and his mother made him go to pony club where he was the only boy, a situation that may well have suited him. Simon rode with the Zetland and South Durham hunts and this was one of his principal forms of relaxation.

There were no fences too big for Simon!

However, even more than hunting, Simon’s passion for the last 30 years was riding in point to point races. He was nearly the oldest jockey in the weighing room and had some success with ‘Ben from Ketton’ and more recently had a popular win on ‘Killmacallogue Bay’ at Easingwold in May last year. Simon always cut a prominent figure in his green and white racing colours.

Amongst Simon’s other passions were triathlons, and he competed in six in 2014 before becoming ill. Triathlons involve swimming and by

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 39

Simon’s own admission he was just about the worst swimmer in the world, nevertheless he was invariably nowhere near last.

Without doubt the greatest of Simon’s passions was always his love of life. Even after his skin cancer had been diagnosed in late 2014 he pressed on, determined to continue enjoying life, and thus it was to the end.

Loving life meant for Simon essentially doing what Simon wanted to do. Whether this was working, running, riding or partying he always approached each activity with a degree of determination and commitment bordering on an obsession.

Simon was only briefly married and had no children and, whilst not a selfish or ungenerous man, his principal focus was invariably himself and whatever he was doing at the time.

Women found Simon attractive and the attraction seemed mutual and multiple. Simon’s inability to miss any photo opportunity involving women and cars speaks for itself. When partying, Baileys was Simon’s favourite tipple!

Simon also managed to acquire his very own Christine Keeler story. Simon was in London with a friend on a buying trip and one of the cars he was looking at belonged to John Profumo, by then an exMP. Simon was taken for a test drive by an extremely attractive young lady – none other than Christine Keeler. The way Simon told it, Christine made a play for him and he, not realising the media storm surrounding her, unsurprisingly did not find the attention unwelcome.

Simon bought the car and when he did so Christine gave Simon a bracelet as a gift. Simon, still seemingly oblivious of Christine’s true occupation, took this gift as a sign of encouragement but luckily before he could try to take the matter forward a friend enlightened him!

Simon gave the bracelet to his mother and now some 40 years later Matthew has inherited it along with the story.

JULY 2015

39

23/06/2015 10:05

NEWSLETTER MGA

Edward Vandyk Tel : 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk

Simon waits with the white MGA whilst filming a Cigar advert.

Simon with MGAs in the early days.

Simon at Goodwood

Both Adrian and Mervyn recall the famous cigar advert, as will Mike Peters who now owns the car in question. Twenty white MGAs were hired with their drivers, all of them dressed in tweed jackets and flat caps. One car out of the twenty broke down in the middle of a deep ford and there was Simon, trousers rolled up to his knees, scratching his head again.

However there is no doubt that Simon’s character led him to some difficult places, if only because he invariably believed he would ‘get away with it’ and chose to prioritise achieving his personal objectives, whatever they were from time to time, over a more balanced view of his affairs. Money due to clients and suppliers really cannot be spent on horses or other passions!

Simon’s passion for classic cars led to a successful business but his personality undermined that success on occasion.

Simon latterly also had his brushes with the law about which he adopted the same approach with somewhat challenging results.

This then was Simon the man, but what will be his legacy, especially as regards the MGA community?

That Simon generated strong views in the MGA community is not in doubt. That Simon was no stranger to litigation and that there were unhappy customers is not in question. Doubtless those involved will continue to hold strong views about Simon, and whilst knowing him better may explain his behaviour, it cannot excuse it. There are also many happy owners of MGAs which went through Simon’s hands. I suspect they form the silent majority of those Simon dealt with and whom his business still deals with.

Simon’s early passion for MGAs placed him in the vanguard of those who kept the marque alive by not only buying, restoring and selling cars but also by providing knowledge, encouragement and maintenance to exsiting owners. Simon was also one of the first to remanufacture hitherto unobtainable parts and it was ultimately the ability to move from foraging in the scrap yard to ordering a part on the phone (before the internet) that, I like to think, helped ensure the marque’s survival and strength. Adrian Wood, already a parts man in a local motor factors, was restoring his Midget, and through his many visits to Simon for parts they became friends. Adrian eventually joined the business as Parts Manager in 1979. On the sale of the business to Moss, Adrian became its first UK director. He recalls that when Simon brought in the first shipment of MGAs from America they were in two tiers in the container, causing much head scratching as to how to get them out. Eventually a truck was commandeered from the nearby industrial estate.

Whilst Bob West had the Le Mans MGA, SRX 210, Simon never managed to become associated with a car of that calibre. The nearest he came to it was his acquisition of Bob Olthoff’s YRX 310 in 1984 – the car I was in communication with him about. When Simon bought

40

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 40

this car in February 1984 it is clear from his notes that he had some idea that it had a works related provenance. He spent the next few months researching the car and uncovered some, but by no means all, of its history.

Essentially he uncovered that part of the story which Bob Olthoff, with whom he was in contact, wanted him to discover and Bob, for reasons we now possibly have some insight into, was not keen to disclose his entry into the 1962 Nurburgring 1000km race. Had Simon looked further afield he would have seen that in Chris Harvey’s book, The A, B & C, published some four years previously, there was a picture on page 102 of the car in the 1962 race. Simon might then have come to the conclusions I came to some 30 years later and made more of the car.

As it was he sold it into the US for what was then a pretty attractive sum for an MGA, being about twice the going rate, and the story goes that Simon never wanted to sell the car but that Adrian Wood, his long time manager and friend, sold it whilst Simon was away. Possibly needs must?

Simon made some attempts to buy the car back in the 1990s and, I believe, went to see it in the US, but it only made it back to these shores earlier this year.

What of the future?

Matthew and his team intend to continue the business which will trade in classic cars and service the needs of their owners with a strong emphasis on MGs. The business will trade under the name of Junction 59 Classics with an acknowledgement of the Simon J Robinson brand that Simon created and built through the years. Matthew is keen that any issues that accompanied Simon should lie to rest with him and is resolving those that survived his demise. Matthew and his staff are also determined that the brand and customer following Simon created should continue to be serviced for the benefit of classic car owners and in particular the MGA community.

I am sure the MGA community wishes Matthew every success.

Matthew and his staff

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:05

Edward Vandyk Tel : 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk

MGA NEWSLETTER

MGA Scrapbook 1955 Part 2

Ca rs an d tra nsport er e up out sid e Ch ateau Ch en e de Th e sm all boy is Al ainlinde Coeu r. owne r la Co mt ess e de Va utiVa utiba ult, son of the chatea u’s ba ult.

age in llin g stop at Ha ywa rds garone .

Sun da y Jun e 5 1955. Re fue est Folk tel Ho n gto rlin As hfo rd, Kent, en rout e to the Bu

Th e M G tea m sm oking an d wa itin g ne rvous ly for sta rt. Th e race nu mb scruti ne eri 40 be ca me 41 an d 41ers we re lat er ch an ged by th e org an ise rs.ngCato be ca me 42. r No.

Th e entry list

Dou g Watts and Jim Cox at the pit wea ring bran d new overalls. The MG Car CompanMG y issu ed team clot hing for the first tim e.

e EX182 cars get Sat urd ay 12 Jun e 1955 4p m.64Thwa s pro moted from away in formation. Car No the rese rve list.

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 41

JULY 2015

41

23/06/2015 10:05

NEWSLETTER MGA

Edward Vandyk Tel : 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk

Th e ope nin g lap. Ted Lu nd in car

No 64

Dick Jacobs lead s the works Coo of Edg ar Wa dsworth and John Brown, folloper wed in No 41. The Cooper fini shed 21st over by Ken Miles all, Miles and Lockett fini shed 12th com plet ing 248 laps, ave rage speed 86.17mp h.

s Car No 42 crashed and Lap 27, after almost six hours of racing, Dick Jacob and flown back to caught fire at Mais on Blanche. He was seriou sly injured until October.

Oxford tal, Hospi hill Churc the in Engla nd where he remai ned

Ted Lun d presses on in wet con ns des pite a six min ute pit stop for repa irs to theditio ma ged front end afte r run ning into a brok en downdaJag Wit h co-d rive r Ha ns Wa effler he comuar at Mu lsan ne. plet ed 234 laps to fini sh 17th, ave rage speed 81.97mp h.

ction. On the back he wrot e This phot o com es from Ted Lun d’s persohenalintocolle Tetre Rou ge Le Ma ns 1955’ ‘Lea ding a Triu mph T R 2 and a Porsc

42

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 42

Su nd ay Jun e 13 1955 4p m.

Ca r No 64 is first to tak e the che que red fla g foll ow M art in DB3S of Pet er lins ed by the Ast on an d Pa ul Fre re, wh o fin ish ed second behCol ind the of Mike Ha wt horn an d Ivo r Jag ua r D-Type Bu eb.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:05

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 43

23/06/2015 10:05

Policies from

£74

****

**

Classic insurance redefined.

Tailor your classic car policy to suit your needs.

Wider eligibility cover now available for members of the MG Car Club: • Young enthusiasts from aged 18 • MGs covered from 15 years old • Mileage limits extended up to 10,000 miles To discover the Footman James difference, call our friendly UK team for a quote today.

0333 207 6074 or visit footmanjames.co.uk

Classic benefits included*: Salvage retention Shows and events Spare parts (up to a limit of £250) European motoring (up to 35 days per trip)

Cover options*: Breakdown with options to include European cover and Homestart Agreed value Driving other classics Drive to work Track day cover Wedding hire cover and many more

Specialist rates for club members follow us @Footman_James

Classic Car | Classic Bike | Modern Car | Modern Bike | Kit Car | Collectors | Classic Motor Trade | Household *All cover is subject to insurers terms and conditions, which is available upon request. **Premium example based on: 1978 MG Midget. Value: £2000.

Value: £2800. Main policy only and does not include any FJ+ cover options. All premiums assume the vehicle is not the main car and includes Insurance Premium Tax. Male driver aged over 25 years old, 2000 annual limited mileage, and full clean driving licence with no claims or convictions. Member of associated club. Postcode OX10, vehicle garaged with no modifications. Includes a £10 arrangement fee.

Footman James is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Registered in England No.4043759. Registered Address: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Telephone calls may be recorded. FP ADCLC205.11.14

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 44

23/06/2015 10:05

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

MAGNETTE NEWSLETTER

Magnette Newsletter

Welcome to the

Farewell to Lou Shorten The funeral of Register President Lou Shorten took place on Monday May 11, starting with an assembly of Magnettes at the home of Lou and John in Lenwade. The 12 or so cars formed into a procession behind the hearse, and Lou’s family in her beloved YPG 136 (driven by Peter Martin), for the journey of about 10 miles to the crematorium near Norwich, where many others had already gathered.

The small chapel was absolutely packed, with well over 100 people, most of them familiar faces from Register events. We heard moving tributes to Lou from her daughter Judy and other family members, and from Peter on behalf of the Magnette community.

Most of us knew something of how Lou came to start her Magnette parts business, but there were also fascinating details of her earlier life and career in farming, including driving a lorry – she was never restricted by the ‘normal’ occupations for a woman of the time. She was eccentric in the best possible way, always threw herself completely into everything she did, and expected those around her to do the same!

After the funeral nearly everyone returned to Lenwade for refreshment at a hotel, where Peter Martin and John Shorten recounted further stories of Lou’s life and many glasses were raised in her memory. Although a sad occasion, the day was also an uplifting celebration of a remarkable woman.

As well as recent and upcoming events, this newsletter features a couple of restorations. Steve Hanegan’s ZB ‘step by step’ web photo albums have attracted praise on Magnette forums and are well worth a look. And Anthony White is still perfecting his tin-top dashboard ZA – having got the car back on the road a couple of years ago, he’s recently had a professional overhaul of the gearbox which makes an interesting read. Given the price and scarcity of original gearbox components there’s obviously some advantage in entrusting the job to someone who knows where to find spares, what faults to look for and what actually needs replacing, even if it’s feasible as a DIY job.

Lou’s ZA took pride of place

Procession from Lenwade

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 45

JULY 2015

45

23/06/2015 10:05

NEWSLETTER MAGNETTE

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

Paddock Picnic – Canons Ashby May 17 was a fine, dry spring day, but tempered by a cool breeze.

The turnout of cars was disappointingly low but it was a case of ‘the right crowd and no crowding’. So what did the attendees enjoy during the day?

As the faithful gathered at Canons Ashby, a National Trust property, an early topic of conversation was the picturesque scenery enjoyed while travelling along the byways of Northamptonshire.

Many had only seen the county on a dash to nearby Silverstone.

We were fortunate enough to observe a red kite soaring effortlessly at a great height on the thermal currents, whilst listening to bird song in the trees and hedges – a perfect British spring day. Just to keep the little grey cells exercised, each party was issued with the ‘Paddock Picnic Brain Teasers’, a list of 25 questions in five different categories. The winner was John Hall together with his wife and two sons who scored a total of 15 points.

Canons Ashby house is small but has a fascinating history.

Much too long for this report but those who did visit it and the ancient priory, now the village church, found it was time well spent in the tranquil surroundings. At the same time as our own picnic, a jazz picnic was being held in the gardens. This was far enough away from our Register parking to cause no inconvenience to nonjazz lovers.

During the afternoon the main car park was full and the NT asked if they could use the vacant space in our paddock. This turned to our advantage when two beautiful MGs arrived – a black J2 Magna and a red TF. In the best tradition of the Marque of Friendship they joined us for a chat before going off to the tea rooms for a cream tea. We were also joined by a young couple who are actively looking for a Magnette and we were able to demonstrate the various differences and point out the pitfalls to be avoided.

ZB restoration photos

Whether you’re contemplating a complete nut-and-bolt restoration, or just overhauling a worn-out part, it’s always useful to see how someone else has tackled the job. Logically then we should all be trying to document our efforts for the benefit of others, but I’m afraid I’m often guilty of diving straight in and only remembering at the end to take a photo. Fortunate then that Steve Hanegan has been recording his ongoing work in minute detail over the last five or six years, and made it available on the web as a collection of photo albums.

Refitting the clips that hold the spring leaves together

46

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 46

Speaking of pitfalls, we all learnt a lesson which could prove invaluable – how not to lock a Magnette. Nobody had realised that if you lock all four doors using the handle on the inside before shutting the doors from the outside, the car’s key will not unlock the driver’s door. The only way in is to use a wire coat hanger (time taken – 23mins). If you lock the driver’s door using the key, the inside door handle remains vertical, instead of being inclined towards the front of the car. So the moral is, use the key and don’t get locked out. Alternatively, never go anywhere without a wire coat hanger!

John and Cynthia Harris

Picnic at Canons Ashby

Based in Seattle USA and with long experience of different MGs, Steve started a 1957 ZB restoration project in 2009. In the process he’s dismantled the car completely, even reducing the rear springs to their individual leaves for cleaning and painting. Actually there’s good engineering reasons for this painstaking treatment of the springs, because new interleaf pads and lubrication enable the leaves to slide relative to each other and react better to small movements, improving ride comfort. I particularly liked this album because it shows in detail how to adapt available rubber parts to fit, but don’t miss dashboard re-veneering, and a great guide to removing and overhauling the steering-wheel stator – one of the beautifully over-engineered features that distinguishes the Magnette from other cars of the period.

Dismantled indicator switch showing cancelling springs

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:05

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

Dashboard stripped back to plywood and repaired ready for new veneer

As well as the excellent close-ups of each step, Steve has added helpful captions for important points and to explain what you’re looking at. Do have a look at the full albums, which are linked from magnette.org (Steve is currently working on his own website to showcase the albums). And if you’ve got your own photos of a procedure then please consider making them available to others.

This could be by posting on one of the Magnette forums or other social media, or adding them to our website Tech Tips collection – Gunter and I are always happy to receive text and pictures if you don’t want to create your own pages.

Gearbox rebuild The gearbox on my 1955 ZA was sounding tired last year. When attending meetings or shows all the other cars sounded quieter than mine, and on the way to one show I approached a roundabout and could not get any gears for about four attempts: time for a rebuild then, I thought. So I took a week off to do some work on her in October, and having googled without success for someone to repair a Magnette gearbox in Oxfordshire, I came across The Classic Gearbox Company. I gave them a call and Pete Cavanagh, the owner of the company, diagnosed the faults over the phone.

From the conversation I felt confident in him doing the work so arranged to take it to him on the Friday.

I left it to Thursday to remove the gearbox, and as I didn’t have an engine hoist the gearbox had to come out come out with the engine in. This operation is very difficult but I managed it somehow. I then read the manual where it states that you remove the engine with the gear box – I now know why!

Friday morning – off to the gearbox specialist, which is in Stockport, just up the road from Oxford (by about 150 mile

Wear on second gear

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 47

MAGNETTE NEWSLETTER

away each way). When I got there Pete looked over the gearbox, confirmed what he’d said over the phone and set about getting the new parts from his stock. Well I say new – they were new in the 1960s but still wrapped in the original packages with the oil soaked paper. Pete already had two boxes on the go, so mine had to wait until after Christmas to be done.

Now for the technical bit: he stripped the box, cleaned it and sprayed the casing in an anti-corrosion clear coat and all of the bolts and set-screws. Inside the box the layshaft had worn and needed replacing along with first gear, second gear and reverse gear. One of the baulk rings had worn badly and needed replacing, and the front and rear main bearings. Well she is 60 years old and had done at least 94,000 miles as showing on the speedo.

On reassembly it was found that my front cover was very worn and had a good 50 thou clearance around the input shaft, so the scroll oil seal would not be doing much in keeping the oil in. Peter Martin got me a replacement front cover which I then sent up to Pete in Stockport, who said it fitted great with 20 thou clearance.

I arranged to pick the box up on a Saturday, which was very good of him as he came in specially for me.

Gearbox front cover wear

On seeing the gearbox, which looked like new, Pete explained that my gear stick had been held in by a jubilee clip and a cut-up bolt, and the brass bush on the stick was worn. He had made two new pins to hold it in place correctly and a new bush on the gear stick. Pete also advised to replace the brass spigot bearing in the flywheel, which makes sense for an extra £3.50 – as he’d replaced all of the bearings in the gearbox the old spigot would have worn to the play in the old bearings and damaged the new bearings.

For putting the gearbox back in, I followed the manual this time and took out the engine and attached the box to it. With the help of my brother-in-law Graham we got it back it with no problems, although it is tight with the radiator front plate still bolted in the car even if the radiator is not fitted. The engine and gearbox goes in at quite an angle and it did scratch the cover of the heater fan. Then it was just a case of connecting up the prop shaft, where I also put in new universal joints as I had a bit of wear on them – another job I have never done before, but I did read the manual first before starting. All that was left was to connect up the electrics and fuel, fill the engine with water and not forget to fill the gearbox with oil!

Driving the car is now so much nicer and quieter and I can get into all of the gears every time. Money well spent on a rebuild.

Only thing is, I can now hear other noises that I couldn’t before.

More work then...

Anthony White

JULY 2015

47

23/06/2015 10:06

NEWSLETTER MAGNETTE

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

Future events

Just a reminder about the Harrogate weekend, August 8-9.

On the Saturday there’s a scenic road-run from Pateley Bridge which will take in Oatlands Mount social club, the regular meeting venue of Harrogate MGOC and where we plan to hold the Register AGM (at about 2pm if everyone has made it by then). In the evening there’ll be dinner at the Wellington Inn, Darley – Alan Cleobury is organising this and needs to know numbers in advance. He can also advise you about accommodation options.

Sunday is the main day of the MGOC show at Bewerley Park, during which we hope to award the NTG Magnette Concours trophy. There are certainly enough really good recent restorations to make for a decent competition, and as long as your car is there you’ll be in with a chance.

The next event is an informal gathering at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, near Aylesbury, on July 12. John Harris has negotiated parking and an entry discount, and even better there’s no need to book. Just turn up at Quainton Road station from about 10.30am.

On the railway theme – I didn’t have room for a photo of Magnettes & Steam (Hollycombe) in earlier reports, so here’s one of the more unusual cars on display, with an interesting race history.

Unrestored racer attracted interest at Hollycombe

48

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 03-48.indd 48

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:06

THE MGF & TF SPECIALIST PARTS • ACCESSORIES • SERVICING • TUNING • REPAIRS BOXER ROLL HOOPS

Transform your MGF or TF with a Boxer Roll Hoop & Windbreak – the original and best!

Fits all models: 1995 – 2010+ Choice of styles and finishes inc. black, silver and polished chrome See website for full range

FROM ONLY

£215 + VAT

DAYTONA SS EXHAUSTS

Vehicle Restorers & Spares

OUR BRANDING & LOGO MAYBE NEW! BUT REST ASSURED THAT THE QUALITY, DEDICATION & PRECISION OF OUR WORK REMAINS UNCHANGED! AS DOES THE FACT THAT WE STILL SELL SPARES! DRIVE OVER, MEET THE TEAM & SEE OUR 1960’S WORKSHOP TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE

FROM ONLY

£335 + VAT

VOTED ‘BEST EXHAUST’

BY MG ENTHUSIAST

WINDBREAKS

ONLY

£117 + VAT

Choice of QUAD, ROUND or OVAL tail pipes

SLICK SHIFT IV

FROM ONLY

ALI RADIATORS

£165 + VAT

COOLANT PIPES

ONLY

£+61 VAT

ONLY

£+59 VAT

ALI HEATER KNOBS

RADIATOR BLEED SCREW SUNMATE

ONLY

£8.75 + VAT

WIPER LINKAGE

ONLY

£36 .75 + VAT

ONLY

£+46 VAT ONLY

www.colingroomclassiccars.co.uk 01803 813668 Unit 2 Crosspark | Marldon Rd Ipplepen | Devon TQ12 5TY

FISHER SERVICES...

£+30 VAT

SEATBELT ACCESSORIES

CLUTCH LEVER AIR DUCT KIT SPAX KITS MGF & TF ONLY

£29 .95 + VAT

FROM

£+21 VAT

Order online:

PARTS MAIL ORDER WORLDWIDE

ONLY

£+35 VAT

FROM

Order by phone:

£250 + VAT

www.mikesatur.com ✆ 01709 890555 Experts in MG Restoration, Servicing and Diagnostics

THE BEST SELECTION OF MG PARTS

10%

Discount off labour to MG CC members

As the SE London and Kent premier MG specialist, we offer a comprehensive range of services including: full workshop facilities and extensive stock of parts for all your MG requirements. Specialising in all MG models from pre-war to present.

Handcrafted bespoke bodywork

Call:

We have staff with over 50 years MG experience to care for your MG

020 8776 7695 Please quote MG Car Club when phoning

NOW!

Established 1989

Crown Classic Cars Ltd is a small family run business with over 30 years hands on experience of British Saloon & Sports cars. We offer a quality service, and ensure that the standard of personal care that we provide is the same for all

customers whether your car is valued at £2,000 or £100,000.

We have a rare expertise and a passionate enthusiasm that translates into high quality workmanship for our customers, whether servicing, repairing or fully restoring.

Crown Yard, Crown Road, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 3EE Telephone: +44 (0)20 8891 6101 Email: info@crownclassiccars.co.uk www.crownclassiccars.co.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8.00am - 5.30pm, Saturday 9.00am – Midday

Email: info@fisher-services.co.uk

www.fisher-services.co.uk

TRADE DE MEM MEMBER MEMB

Unit 11, Abbey Trading Estate, Bellgreen Lane, Lower Sydeham SE26 5TW

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 49

MG OWNERS’ CLUB

MEMBER RECOMMENDED SUPPLIER

JULY 2015

49

23/06/2015 09:58

MGA • MGB • MGC • MG Midget MGF and MGTF Specialists Prestige MG is a specialist company dedicated to looking after MG sports cars from MGA to MG TF – and everything in between. With over 30 years in the automotive business, we have the experience to provide a total service and repair solution for your MG. Our modern workshop is fully equipped to service, repair or renovate your MG. • Re-commissioning • MOT Preparation • Scheduled Servicing • Body Repairs • Performance Upgrades • Diagnostic Services

• K-series Head Gasket Replacement • MGF Steering Sensor Reset • Collection and Recovery Services • Four wheel alignment

Bourne Brook Farm, Sutton Road, Mile Oak, Tamworth, B78 3DX 01827 259340, 07790 912241 info@prestigemg.co.uk, http://www.prestigemg.co.uk

50

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 50

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:58

Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org

MGF NEWSLETTER

MGF Newsletter

Welcome to the

MGF20 just a month away!

The main event looking forward is MGF20, and tickets have been selling at an unprecedented rate with around 200 cars already booked in and destined for the Heritage Motor Centre on Saturday August 1.

You can still take advantage of the advance rates at the moment but don’t leave it too late – however if you prefer to leave it until the day itself then we won’t be turning you away from Gaydon, just charging a little bit more for entry!

It is looking like a brilliant weekend to add to the canon of MGF Birthday Parties and making this the fifth one to be held at Gaydon. We can now confirm some details of what will be happening: Saturday August 1 Daytime MGF20 – Full show from 10am featuring colour coded F/TF parking on the aprons, Fun Driving Tests, Loudest Exhaust competition, demonstrations and interviews with F/TF owners, special displays including Monogram Cars, the Supersports II, 1995 Cars, Project Shed and more, Region displays, Pride of Ownership, talks from Roger Parker and Ian Pogson, traders including our show partners Martin Smith and Church Square Autos amongst many others.

Saturday August 1 Evening MGF20 Party featuring the music of the 90s with the invigorating seven piece live band ‘Rhythm of the 90s’, Glo Car Competition and Hog Roast. So bring your flashing lights for the cars (ProGlo and ImproGlo classes as usual) and dancing shoes for a night of great 90s dance anthems all in the Heritage Motor Centre itself.

Join us for a Fantastic party night from 7pm.

Sunday August 2 MGF20 Road Run from Gaydon to Longbridge finishing at the MG Sales Centre.

You can pre-enter the PoO and Glo Car competitions by downloading the form from the www.mgf20.info website. Entries will

The hotly fought Pride of Ownership competition will be a feature at MGF20

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 51

We will be looking back and forwards in this four pager. Back to the Chairman’s Weekend which took place in April and also to the MGFIM which took place in May. The events were on different scales with just under 80 cars heading to Essex from all over Europe for a full weekend of Euro style fun, whilst the Chairman’s Run in the West Midlands was more modest but also encompassed a full triple layer weekend.

Our Regions have all geared up for the Summer season now and there are plenty of shows to go to, pubs to meet at and local scenic runs to take part in all around the country with the MGF Register. Just take a look at our internet forum at www. mgfregister.org/forum to find out what is happening with your local group, take the plunge and join in. I know taking that first step can be hard sometimes but all our groups really are friendly and will make you feel welcome.

also be accepted on the day and there is no charge to enter either. Entries for the Fun Driving Tests and Loudest Exhaust will be on the day only.

What does it cost? – Just £15 per car and driver for the show itself, evening entertainment and road run to include show sticker and programme.

Additional persons at £7 each in advance. Entry on the day will be £20 per car for MGF20 and £8 per person for Museum tickets.

The Saturday Evening Hog Roast will be an additional £12.50 per person payable in advance. The entertainment/party is included in your MGF20 ticket. If you have already booked your show ticket you can add the Hog Roast from our online shop.

All competitions and the MGF20 Road Run are free to enter.

Camping onsite on Friday and Saturday night is available and bookable direct from the Heritage Motor Centre in advance at £25 for one night or £34 for two, per unit.

All the details and latest updates are on the dedicated website at www.mgf20.info and the Register internet forum at www/mgfregister. org/forum The bottom line is that this will be the biggest gathering of MGF and TF cars since …..well the last one, at MGF15 in 2010, and you really wouldn’t want to miss it would you?

ProGlo and ImproGlo classes will brighten the dark skies at the MGF20 party – why not join in yourself?

JULY 2015

51

23/06/2015 09:58

NEWSLETTER MGF

Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org

Black Country Chairman’s Run Watch out for those Peaky Blinders! They could be found loitering on the corner down by the cut in their flat caps and long grey coats. Best walk on the other side of the street or maybe pop in to the ironmonger’s or take refuge in the pie shop. Not a bad place with tasty pies for sale and next door the sweet shop or how about genuine fish & chips albeit not served in inky newspaper – health and safety must take its place even at a Museum re-creating the tastes, smells and lives of the past.

The Black Country Living Museum was the destination of the Chairman’s Run which followed the Register awards dinner the night before. Based on the edge of the Lickey Hills and a mere carburettor’s throw from the Longbridge factory itself, the Rose & Crown was an ideal venue for our night of a thousand stars. OK our surprise guest speaker turned out to be no surprise as it was actually me giving a talk about MGFs and Brooklands, my other pet subject! But the great and good were present and duly adorned with silverware, as you will see from the box somewhere near this article. Congratulations to our new Members of the Year, David and Andrea Koskela, who also happen to be one of our partners for MGF20 – that’s not why they won though, as they are stalwarts of the South East region and not only support virtually every event in their own area but also support the Register National events on a regular basis.

The following days run also started at the Rose & Crown and wended its way through some very scenic countryside, a surprise to many of us southerners who thought the Birmingham outskirts would be full of mills and factories, but no, the countryside was beautiful and included a stop at Ironbridge Gorge, again known for its industry but in reality very scenic. Many thanks to Keith and his Region and Simon Davies for organising the weekend.

David and Andrea Koskela receiving the Members of the Year Trophy from Vice Chairman Tim Morris

Nigel and Helen Scutt won the Dee Walker MGF of the Year Trophy for their multi concours and PoO award winning TF Spark.

Those Peaky Blinders (or is it the new F Reg committee?) at the Black Country Living Museum

The outskirts of Birmingham proved to be very scenic on the Chairman’s Run

The Only Way is Essex The MGF International Event of the Year 2015 Words and photos Adrian Clifford

There is an international committee that keeps the ethos of the MGF International Meeting alive using the same initials but a different guise – MG Friends in Motion. They consist of enthusiastic MG Car Club members Adrian Clifford and Colin Murrell from the UK, Michael Benecke and Klaus Weis from Germany and Marina Gourdin from Belgium.

The first MGFIM was held in Holland in 2009, then Germany in 2011 and 2013. Because of the MGF 20th anniversary this year it was decided to hold it for the first time in the UK, and

52

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 52

the Essex Region of the MGF Register offered to host it in their county. Unusually it was kept as somewhat of a secret from the International Members of the team with the Essex Region arranging everything in the UK, but the team still operated as translators and running the website (operated flawlessly by Michael) which took care of entries and regalia orders.

Andrew Philips, my co representative in Essex, takes everything in his stride and both he and the regional members were very interested in helping out. As the weeks moved on and

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:58

Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org

MGF NEWSLETTER

The only thing we had no say in was the weather, but we were lucky: the forecast for the whole weekend was warm and dry. Various MGFIM posters and welcome signs were allocated places around the ground floor of the hotel to make our guests feel welcome. Thursday finally arrived and so did the first cars, with 17 people arriving two days before the event.

VÄLKOMMEN Friday afternoon saw the hotel car park decorated with MGFs and TFs from VELKOMMEN nine countries, and the evening buffet was served with a slide show of recent MG events to keep everyone amused. The TO TILL evening was spent talking, laughing and BIJ HET ZUM AU getting to know each other ready for the launch of the MGFIM itself in the morning.

A challenge was set to all crews on the Saturday; they had to find all of the post boxes, wooden bus shelters and pubs beginning with “The” on the first four runs. Strangely enough the European crews did very well, as if they didn’t have enough to do.

Lovely dry weather arrived on Saturday and everybody checked in, signed in, collected their bags and read their 55 page Roadbooks. People were now realising the scale of the event with over 240 miles of driving on local roads, no motorways. After coffee in the marquee the guests grouped by the cars for a quick briefing with 12 year old Amelie Benecke saying in perfect English, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please start your engines”.

The MGFIM Welcome poster from the Holiday Inn Southend Run one took the cars around Hanningfield Reservoir along quiet country roads to Stow Maries the skeleton of the event was built, the ‘crew’ got more and more Aerodrome, where the ‘crew’ were ready to park the cars and help involved. Base camp would be the new four star Holiday Inn hotel with directions round the airfield before a talk about the aims of at Southend Airport and the main Event HQ would be our own local the owner to rebuild the site to its 1919 condition. Several WW1 meeting venue, The Lodge, in nearby Battlesbridge. Sponsorship aircraft are housed there, and the buildings are exactly as they came from long term supporter Nick Daldry of E Car parts in Sandy, were nearly 100 years ago when it closed.

Mark Stacey of Z&F tuning came in too, then two of our own group Run two took the cars along our lovely small roads to The members, Steve Tyler of British Legends in Southend and Ashley Lodge for a hot buffet lunch and the purchase of raffle tickets.

Cross of Kestrel Printing, completed the necessary funding to keep During this time we had our first breakdown, an MGF with a the event free to enter. seizing alternator, and the car was dispatched to Steve’s garage Many of the crew by now had taken areas of responsibility for repairs later. While this was going on, the crew had transformed themselves and the whole operation became very efficient. Brian the marquee to its evening condition with prizes, awards and had collected a huge amount of items from local businesses raffle/auction items all laid out. and regional members for the raffle in aid of the MGF Register’s Run three took the cars out to one of Britain’s oldest towns, chosen charity Dementia UK. Tony took on ownership of visit one Colchester, via the Abberton reservoir, but there was heavy traffic to the Great War Aerodrome at Stow Maries. Michael took on the so we went straight to the football stadium where the ‘crew’ had driving challenges at Colchester United FC stadium, visit two, laid out the huge car park with cones and a course to be driven, Peter took on visit three on Sunday to Kelvedon Hatch. Andrew including parking their cars in a ‘garage of cones’ with a bucket created wonderful graphics and information in the Roadbook. Mike on their heads. To help the drivers, members of the ‘crew’ replaced and Jacqui looked after everything at Event HQ and the Sunday the passengers for safety. picnic lunch delivered to Kelvedon for the guests to eat out in Run four saw the cars return to The Lodge for the evening the sunshine. Malcolm and Chris were everywhere (even in fancy dinner, awards, raffle and charity auction. A mile from The dress on Sunday). Jackie dressed up at Stow Maries on Saturday Lodge we had another breakdown, with another F having a in a flying suit and aviator’s goggles. Steve, Pam, Martin, Daralyn, dead alternator and flat battery; this was right in the middle of Graham and Alma looked after the parking at The Lodge to make a roundabout. Luckily Ray and Trish in the following car had a sure we could always get to our reserved car parks. Marion made tow rope and towed the car to safety, protected by a squadron a beautiful job of the MGFIM blanket and Gerry the Bear, both of of Fs and TFs. Another car destined for British Legends. £500 which were auctioned for charity.

WELCOME

BIENVENUE WILLKOMMEN

15 Ð 17 May 2015

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 53

JULY 2015

53

23/06/2015 09:58

NEWSLETTER MGF

Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org

Marina’s Vintage Racing MGTF meets a van in similar stripes!

Tony and Jacqui had a penchant for dressing up as… er, bananas?

was raised in the auction and £252 in the raffle, thank you all so much. The star of the auction was Gerry the Bear (named after Gerry McGovern); he finally went to Steve and Angela Tyler. Robert Ingham wasn’t going to let a unique (and never commissioned) 85th anniversary door kick plate go, John Ponting had his eyes on the crystal cut whisky tumblers, and Martin Lunn, a crew member, was very generous in his bids, picking up several items. The awards for the Saturday observation challenge went to Clive and Catherine Skelhorn of Belgium and the driving challenge went to Steffi Broch of Germany (now resident in the UK). The overall winner, adding the two events together, was Lars Steinke also of Germany – well done to all of them. The furthest travelled award, somewhere in the region of 989 miles, went to Bjoern-Erik Johannessen and Liv Aanensen who had driven from Kristiansand in Norway; the 100th entry saw a bottle of champagne go to Brigitte Wijnen from Holland.

After this the cars were back on the road for run five, taking them along Southend Sea Front and its many varied attractions, back to the hotel where the chef had laid on a table of food for everybody courtesy of the hotel. Everybody retired to their rooms later, but not before Steve and Angela from British Legends suddenly appeared just before 11pm, having repaired the brokendown cars because “they would be needed for the Sunday” – you just don’t get that service everywhere.

Now just drive into the garage sir – with a bucket on your head!

Daphne and Hajo Witzel in the Essex countryside

Run six began on Sunday morning with a drive around the airport’s own Avro Vulcan and through the ancient hamlet of Battlesbridge (now a world famous antiques centre).

Run seven took us through the countryside to a really secret location – The Secret Nuclear Bunker in Kelvedon Hatch, where a self guided tour of the underground facility took place followed by lunch in our own parking area, on the grass in the sun. Once again Mike and Jacqui were brilliant with the lunch preparations, and everything was handed out along with Union Jack plates and napkins. Tony and Jackie again dressed up, this time with nuclear bunny ears!

Run eight started shortly after lunch – 50 miles through the pretty villages of north Essex, stopping for a walk round Saffron Walden before getting back in the cars to follow the Tour de France routes of 2014 and the Olympic Torch relay of 2012. Several of these places have won the awards for Britain’s prettiest village.

Most cars returned to The Lodge for the farewell dinner before heading for home or back to the hotel for another evening in the ground floor bar. I think we put Essex on the map and dispelled the stereotypical myths created by those ‘TOWIE’ types seen on TV. I cannot thank enough the crew from the Essex Region who made it all work, they planned and practised meticulously and carried everything off so well, they are proud of what they have done. In fact, they’re looking for the next challenge and the opportunity to welcome people back to Essex again.

Colin and Steffi lead the way to Stow Marie

The Essex ‘Crew’ of helpers

54

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 54

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:58

ROBIN LACKFORD MOTOR ENGINEERS

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS

FULL WORKSHOP FACILITIES FOR ALL AGES OF MG

CLASSIC AND SPORTS CAR SPECIALISTS We cover all MGs and Classic Sports Cars & Historic Race Cars SERVICING • REPAIRS Sponsors for FULL IN HOUSE RESTORATION AND Lackford Engineering Midget and Sprite FABRICATION INCLUDING: Challenge 2015 PAINTBOOTH WITH LOWBAKE OVEN RACE DAY & TRACK DAY PREPARATION & CIRCUIT SUPPORT FULL MECHANICAL WORKSHOPS

2014

UNITS 1-7, FOWLERS BUSINESS CENTRE, HENFIELD ROAD, COWFOLD, SUSSEX, RH13 8BS

Telephone: 01403 864600 Mobile: 07836 720507

www.robinlackford.co.uk

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 55

JULY 2015

55

23/06/2015 09:58

TRIBUTE COMPETITIONS

The ‘Epping Doctor’-

Rod Longton

by Brian Halford

D

octor Roderick Hunt (Rod) Longton passed away on May 15 aged 89 after a long illness. A memorial service celebrating his life held on June 3 was well attended by family, friends and fellow competitors. Rod was a long standing member of the MGCC and had an incredible competition career of over 50 years, spanning six decades.

With such a long career it is only possible to scratch the surface of Rod’s achievements and experiences, and a full appreciation of the first 40 years of his motorsport appeared in the May 1998 edition of Safety Fast!.

A west-countryman by birth, Rod first moved to the Wirral, then to Leatherhead and finally London, where he studied medicine and began his professional life as a doctor. He eventually moved to Epping where he met his future wife, Marie, and decided to become a GP. He remained in Epping for the rest of his life.

Rod’s interest in all things motoring was undoubtedly influenced by his uncle Walter, who had not only raced motorcycles in the Isle of Man in 1913 and 1914, finishing 25th in the arduous event at the first attempt, but also became a WW1 air ace and continued racing aeroplanes in the 1920s. However, Rod largely ‘blamed’ his elder brother, Mike, who encouraged him to assist in the rebuild of an old Alvis, advised him in his purchase of his first car (a 1933 MG L type Magna Coupe) and took him to Goodwood and Silverstone in the early post WW2 years. The MG was written off in 1948 and Rod ‘invested’ the insurance money to buy a 1922 Mercedes Benz 28/96, which he

56

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 56

used extensively until selling it in 1965.

The car, a prime example of the model, led Rod to meeting both Rudi Carraciola and Juan Manuel Fangio when he was invited to the Mercedes Benz 50th Anniversary in Stuttgart.

With money from his national service in the Royal Navy, Rod took up motor racing in 1954 after acquiring a modified Healey saloon that had been fitted with a BMW 328 body. His first two races were at Goodwood and Brands Hatch on the same weekend where he secured two fifth places. The die was cast.

Rod married Marie in 1955 and they went on to have three daughters Anne, Jackie and Erica.

As ever in motor racing, the Riley became outpaced and was replaced with a Wolseley 1500 saloon in 1958, a canny buy for Rod as it met both his family and competition needs! It was quickly replaced with a similar but sportier Riley before he was offered a more modified version to drive by his local garage owner, Frank Brown, who had used it to do the Monte Carlo rally. Rod would recall watching the TV one Saturday and seeing ‘his’ car being raced by Alan Hutchison at Oulton Park to try to retain the British Saloon Car Championship (his own car was damaged), only to find out that it had gone into the lake after a tyre blew on the final lap off the TV screen. This was particularly upsetting as Rod was due to race it at Brands Hatch the following day.

As an aside, Rod competed in the 1962 Monte Carlo Rally with Frank Brown and Graham Arnold (of Lotus fame) in an ex works Ford Zephyr. Despite arriving at Monte Carlo

without penalty having navigated through deep snow in the Alps at seemingly lunatic speeds, they were hugely disappointed to learn all their efforts had earned them 175th place!

With the Riley becoming less successful, the now highly modified 1.8 MGB engine was transferred first into an Elva Courier coupe and then into the much lighter ex Paddy Gaston TVR Grantura ‘XPG 1’. Rod tied with Roger Enever in the 1968 Amasco Modsports Championship, both sharing the class win and second overall. The following year a supercharger was fitted to enable Rod to go up a class and take on John Gott, who ruled the 3 litre class. However, following a protest, a resulting peculiar judgement that ignored the regulation that superchargers multiplied engine capacity by 1.7 relegated Rod back into the sub 2 litre category! Undaunted and now with some financial support, Rod obtained a new 3 litre TVR Tuscan for 1970 and promptly beat Gott and also won the STP Championship outright. 1971 was harder as Brian Hough’s similar car proved faster in his Broadspeed powered version. With wanting to spend more time with his family, frustrations with an experimental DOHC V6 Ford engine, the death of two of his rivals (one racing) and changes to the regulations, Rod felt it was time to call it a day.

Between 1960 and 1973 Rod had competed in 150 races with 33 wins and 34 second places.

The sabbatical was short lived as he was drawn back when, having bought a Lotus Elan Sprint, Rod returned to his roots and began sprinting again. In 1977 Rod acquired a MGB GT V8. The prime reason was to tow the Elan to the events but never being one to miss an opportunity, he soon realised he could enter the two in different classes. Rod kept the V8, using it as his everyday car for a further 13 years.

The bug had bitten! Sprinting was better than both skiing and sailing which he had tried, and after going to Brands Hatch in 1978 and seeing the MGCC BCV8 race, Rod was hooked to go racing again.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:58

COMPETITIONS TRIBUTE

For 1979 a fully race prepared car that originally raced in Northern Ireland in the hands of Archie Phillips and Norman Conn was acquired. Rod retained the stunning yellow and black livery and took many class wins and six outright victories. In 1984 the car was later modified with the fitting of a full race V8 motor so Rod could compete in the top class of the BCV8 Championship.

After 106 races together Rod decided on a change and sold the car to Bill Beadnell for Bob Berridge to drive.

The change was to go back to ‘historic FIA’ specification and having discounted converting the V8 car, Rod acquired a second ex Archie Phillips MGB from Northern Ireland which was restored and raced over the next two seasons in BCV8 and also at Spa and Nurburgring, which Rod found very appealing. Rod had previously acquired a GT bodyshell originally prepared for auto crossing, and now found an ex works full race 3.5 V8 engine. Built by Malcolm Beer, the green GTV8 was immaculately turned out due in the most part to the efforts of his long time friend and mechanic Jack Palmer.

Although very competitive and enormously enjoyable to driv,e with Rod taking several podiums, he never won a race with the car and as retirement as a GP loomed, the GT was sold to Derek Stewart in 1990.

However, Rod soon had a change of heart and an American import MGB was quickly obtained and built by Jack’s son John Palmer to FIA specification. They shared the car for two years until it was sold to Mark Ashworth. During this time a further project was taking shape in the form of a full race 1950 Class C car (‘AVU’ – dubbed ‘Déjà

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 57

vu’) as Rod thoroughly enjoyed racing on the grippy slick tyres. For the following 1993 season a V8 was installed, this time of a controlled tune, when it was adopted by BCV8 in an attempt to offset the high running costs of the full race four cylinder engines. Things did not stay the same with Rod for very long, and he was already making plans for the next race car.

A further US import (‘VFO’) was acquired and prepared to FIA specification in order to compete in BCV8 and Europe in 1994.

Forty years on from starting Rod, at the age of 70, decided to contest the 1995 FIA European Historic GT Cup, which covered several rounds all over the continent. However, Rod, typically, in deciding that long time friend and fellow competitor Barry Sidery Smith would be quicker, offered him the car. Together they travelled all over Europe with Barry winning the class and fifth overall – an amazing achievement.

Between 1978 and 1995 Rod contested another 150 races, winning 10 plus 37 podium finishes.

From 1996 onwards Rod decided to ‘wind down’ and concentrate on his favourite events and new opportunities driving ‘VFO’ (aka ‘verified flying object’!), frequently sharing the driving of long distance events (over an hour) with Bob Luff.

A trip with fellow competitor Anthony Binnington in 2000 to do the Modena Cento Ore Classic Rally in Italy saw them scoop sixth overall and the class win in the four day event.

One race on his list he ticked off in 2002 was the Le Mans Classic, in which

Rod, at age 76 years and in his 50th year of competition, shared VFO with Ray Ingman (long time friend who sold him the ex works engine) and Bob Luff, supported by Peter Sullivan. Rod was invited back again in 2004 and 2006.

The loss of Marie, in 2003, was a serious blow to Rod but he kept himself busy, including importing a derelict Model T Ford from Australia and restoring her – he called her ‘Sheila’ – to her former glory and making her the focus of a garden party celebrating the history of motor sport at his home in Epping in 2005. This was attended by some 36 historic cars, including Mike Hawthorn’s old D Type.

Also in 2005, Rod raced in the Trofeo Florio in Sicily, Magny Cours in France, Oporto in Portugal and of course Spa. Rod always relished a challenge so it was of no great surprise that in 2006 Rod was ‘persuaded’ to act as travelling medic on the Himalayan Rally covering 5,000 kilometres of mainly rough terrain in four weeks.

Eventually in May 2007 Rod, having reached 81 years, finally decided to hang up his helmet, closing the book on 50 years of competition with a final race at Zolder with Barry Sidery Smith.

Rod achieved another ambition when he undertook a World Cruise in 2008 on the Queen Elizabeth Two (QE2), her final year of service with the Cunard line.

Rod was your typical GP (although not many drive around in a MGB GTV8 let alone a Jaguar E type – the latter being a superb example in black). Off track, Rod was unassuming, quiet even, and having a superb sense of humour was universally liked by his fellow competitors, even when the mild mannered doctor got behind the wheel and became his alter ego! Rod was once described at Brands Hatch by the legendary commentator, Brian Jones, as the ‘Epping Doctor’ but this somehow was misheard by some, creating a great deal of hilarity in the paddock.

Rod was an incredible gentleman with a list of incredible achievements, but above all he was a joy and privilege to know, and will be sadly missed but very fondly remembered by all who knew him.

JULY 2015

57

23/06/2015 09:58

COMPETITIONS

T

he Club’s racing action moved to the 1.98 mile Donington Park circuit in late May, and the wet weather qualifying, experienced at our opening meetings this season, decided to accompany us yet again as it dawned chilly and wet on the Sunday morning. However, most drivers were well behaved and racing was underway before lunch. First onto the grid was the first of two races in the MG Trophy Championship and Paul Luti stole pole position by over a second, in his ZR 170, from the 190 of Ross Makar. Two more 170s were on row two, those of Paul Savage and Andrew Ashton, who were ahead of Jason Burgess and Doug Cole in 190s.

Unfortunately, both Cole and Savage were non-starters and as this slightly depleted pack surged off the line on a fairly dry track, Makar and Luti vied for the lead into Redgate, but contact further back caused a couple to take to the gravel, but rejoined down the order. We lost Walker second time round at McLeans, whilst Burgess had caught Makar and Jake Fraser-Burns had carved his way through the pack from 15th to third. Makar was beginning to put daylight between himself and the rest, but a mistake on lap four saw him fall to third, with Burgess now

in the lead and Fraser-Burns a close third. By the close of lap eight, Makar had pulled back to second spot and he began putting great pressure on Burgess for the lead, cutting the deficit to a couple of tenths. On the final tour, Burgess then had a moment at Coppice, gifting the win to Makar, but maintaining second place ahead of Fraser-Burns. The battle of the 170s was fierce throughout and Daniel Molloy, who finished fourth overall, took the Class C victory from Andrew Ashton and Paul Luti. John Gil beat Paul Bryson for the 160 win.

Their second encounter saw another great start from Makar, as he just managed to hold off the early challenge from Burgess, with Fraser-Burns in third place. An incident involving Walker and Rushforth stopped the racing, following a fairly spectacular roll from Walker. The action restarted and on lap four, Rob Perkins edged out Fraser-Burns to take third place but he, in turn, was now being pushed hard by a flying Cody Hill, who had stared on the 14th row of the grid and by lap five was in third place, a couple of hundredths

off Perkins. Their battle, however, was short lived, because they both went off into the Old Hairpin kitty litter. The chequered flag was shown and Makar claimed his second victory of the day. Jason Burgess hung onto second place, ahead of Fraser-Burns. The 170s scrap finished in Andrew Ashton’s favour, ahead of Daniel Molloy and Fergus Campbell. The Class D fight again went to Gil, this time beating Tim Martin.

Next on track was a round of the MGCC Avalanche Motorsport BCV8 Championship and Simon Cripps took pole from James Wheeler, with Rob Spencer and Russell McCarthy on row two and Neil Fowler alongside Spencer McCarthy on row three. When the lights went out, it was Cripps who made the best getaway and he headed the pack through Redgate and down through the Craner Curves for the first time. However, Spencer was pushing him hard, and what appeared to be a slight mistake, but was actually the start of a serious gearbox problem, cost Cripps dearly at the Roberts Chicane, allowing Spencer to begin their second lap in front. Nevertheless, Cripps began to fight back and, at times, got quite close, but his problems were obviously becoming greater and on lap six, Fowler stole second place from him, as Cripps was forced to retire, by which time we had also lost Russell McCarthy with mechanical gremlins.

The leading duo began pulling away from the rest, but a great scrap was going on for third

Great racing action and sizable grids make

Donington Park a super success

Report Martin Price Photos Dickon Siddall

58

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 58

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:58

COMPETITIONS

place between Spencer McCarthy and Ollie Neaves and by lap nine, they were joined

by James Wheeler. Indeed, Wheeler and Neaves passed McCarthy on lap 11 and then these two began a super late scrap and swapped places a number of times, Wheeler getting the better of Neaves just before they took the flag. Ian Prior finished fifth, in front of Spencer McCarthy. Ken Deamer headed the Class C battle, beating Jonnie Wheeler and Mark Scott stayed in front of Howard Grundon to take the Class B honours; Simon Tinkler won Class AB in his trusty MGB GT, ahead of John Wreight and Bob Luff.

The MGCC Cockshoot Cup was out next and, in another wet session, Ashley Woodward put his MG ZS on pole, with Gary Wetton’s ZR190 alongside him. Ian Winstanley and Paul Clackett were on row two. When the lights went out Woodward and Standish scrapped into Redgate on the opening lap, but a grassy excursion caused Standish to drop down the order.

As they started their second tour, Wetton was in second place, following a very brief spell in front. However, Woodward was flying and he had pulled out a five second advantage before Howard Hunt’s trip into the Old Hairpin kitty litter brought out the safety car on lap four. With Woodward’s advantage wiped out, Wetton saw his chance for glory and made his move stick at Hollywood on lap seven. Ian Whitt had been going well and had climbed to third place in his Midget, but was forced to pit with windscreen damage.

Someone who was really carving his way through the field was red Midget driver, David Morrison, who had started on the eighth row of the grid. He had fought his way up the order and took third place following Whitt’s retirement. Woodward had a moment at McLeans and fell down the order, allowing Clackett to briefly inherit second place, with Morrison still in third. However, Clackett lost it at Redgate, which put Morrison up to second place. Clackett managed to hold onto third place by the time he took the flag. Standish finished fourth in his TF LE 500, ahead of Bramble’s faithful MGB. Morrison’s second place overall also earned him the Class B victory, a country mile ahead of Winstanley

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 59

and Collier. Jeremy Toes beat Andrew Wolf and Ian Staines for the Class A spoils.

It was the turn of the MGCC Peter Best Insurance MG Cup next and Oliver Coles had narrowly claimed pole position in his ZR170 from the similar machine of Tom Diment, in another wet qualifying. David Thompson and Ed Davies were on row two, both also driving ZRs. Tom Diment made a great start and headed Davies, Eales and Coles on their opening tour. The leading duo began to pull away from the rest, as they enjoyed a fine battle for almost half the race.

However, a mistake on lap seven, resulting in a grassy moment, cost Diment the lead; undeterred, he fought back, but lost it on lap 12 at the Old Hairpin, dropping to fifth.

Having a fantastic race was championship debut driver and third row starter, Richard Buckley, who tried, unsuccessfully, to pass a few at the Craner Curves on the opening tour and ended up on the grass, rejoining close to last. He powered back through the field, consistently putting in superb lap times and was up to fifth place at the halfway mark.

With four laps to go, he passed White at Redgate and when Diment went off, he was lying second with only Ed Davies between himself and victory. Next time round, Buckley pulled off a great move at the chicane to take the lead, maintaining it to the flag, which came out early, following White’s spin into the McLeans gravel. James Darby finished in a great third place, a couple of seconds clear of Diment. Paul Eales took the Class A victory well ahead of Clive Jones. But this was Buckley’s race and with a performance like that, I don’t think it will be his last win this year.

The MGCC Lackford Engineering MG Midget/Sprite Challenge was next and Paul Sibley dominated a wet qualifying session, taking pole by 2.8 seconds from the rapid Andy Southcott from Class B. Richard Wildman and Stephen Watkins were on row two, ahead of Dominic Mooney and Chris Southcott. As they surged off the line on a dry track, this race had Sibley’s name already on the trophy. Despite Southcott taking the early lead, Sibley took control and went to the front, followed by Southcott, Wildman, Dunkley, Morris and Mooney and by the time they began their second tour, he was already nearly two seconds clear. Sibley continued to pile on the pressure, with Dunkley now in second spot, having passed Andy Southcott at Coppice. On lap three, Martin Morris used his Class A grunt to pass Southcott for third and this leading order remained all the way to the flag. Whilst the leading group pulled

JULY 2015

59

23/06/2015 09:58

COMPETITIONS

away, there was a brilliant scrap for seventh place between Chris Southcott, Dominic Mooney, Richard Perry, Richard Watkins and Pippa Cow, Southcott finally getting the better of Mooney and Perry. In Class E, Richard Perry beat Pippa Cow and Robin Lackford.

We all know that the MGCC Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup puts on a superb display and today was possibly the exception. Several of the usual suspects made a great stab at a damp qualifying session, with Ben Rushworth grabbing pole by just 0.46 seconds from Mike Williams; Tom Sanderson and Jim Webb were on row two. However, it was Williams and Sanderson who shot off the line, with Rushworth in hot pursuit, but William faltered coming out of the Old Hairpin and approaching Schwantz Curve, seemingly having lost power, allowing Sanderson and Rushworth past. These two began to edge clear of Williams, Davies, Webb and Hood. After a couple of laps, the leading duo were ten seconds ahead, but Williams’ mechanical woes of previous rounds this season had clearly stuck again when his engine packed up and he spun on his own oil at Redgate, bringing out the safety car. Just as we thought that things would get back to normal, Andrew Jolly went off on the same oil causing more safety car involvement. There was just enough time for a couple of laps dash to the flag but, try as he might, Rushworth was unable to get the better of Sanderson, who took the flag and the victory by just 0.56 seconds. Oliver Hood took third place, ahead of Jack Ashton and the trio of Turbos driven by Garrard, Howe and Trevett. Philip Gough beat Justin Marsden, Mark Eales and Daren Angood for the Class B victory.

60

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 60

The Equipe GTS always provides a mouth-watering array of sports cars and 24 went out to qualify on a drying track.

Tom Smith put his familiar red MGB on pole and had Rod Begbie for company in the TVR Grantura; the Allen/Green TR4 was on row two with the Lotus Elite of Robin Ellis. As the lights went out, Smith headed Begbie through Redgate, down the Craner Curves and up to McLeans for the first time, as these two pulled clear of the next group consisting of Ellis, Foster, Arculus and Hulett.

On lap two, Begbie pulled off a great move to capture the lead and he and Smith enjoyed a superb battle until Begbie went in for his compulsory pit stop. The order constantly changes, as cars pit and it is not for some laps that it is clear who is leading. However, by lap 16, Smith was in front of Begbie by 5.5 seconds, but the TVR pilot began to reduce that deficit in the second half. Smith finally took the flag at the end of 40 minutes to claim a great victory from Begbie by just 1.4 seconds. Arculus finished a fairly distant third, ahead of Foster, Richardson and Ellis.

We were now treated to a round of the MGCC Motoring Classics Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship and Simon Cripps took pole position from Spencer McCarthy by 0.8 seconds. Row two found Ian Prior and Neil Fowler; who were in front of Russell McCarthy and Rob Spencer. It was good to see both Simon Cripps and Russell McCarthy on the starting grid, following their earlier mechanical problems in the BCV8 race. An aborted first start, following a couple of V8s off in the Hollywood gravel, caused a restart and it was Cripps who headed the rest off the line and down to Redgate for the first time, followed by Spencer McCarthy,

Ian Prior, Rob Spencer and Jordan Spencer.

However, it was clear that Spencer McCarthy was not giving up easily, as he pressurised Cripps for the opening three laps, taking the lead on lap four at Redgate. Cripps continued to fight back but could not match the leader’s pace. In fact, with three laps to go, Simon Cripps had now been hunted down by Rob Spencer and on lap eight Spencer moved up into second spot as the luckless Cripps beached himself deep in the McLeans gravel trap. Spencer McCarthy took a very well deserved win by 2.6 seconds from Ron Spencer, with Ian Prior in third place and Class D winner, Ken Deamer, in fourth.

Paul Khouri kept his BV8 in front of Bob lines Jaguar D Type replica and Phil Lambe’s TR6, to win Class C. Next on track was a round of the Iconic 50s Sports Cars and FISCAR series, which brought a beautiful 20 cars out onto the track for their wet qualifying session. Mark Ellis took pole position in his super MGA Twin Cam and he had Robin Ellis in a Lotus Elite alongside him. Row two found the ‘rapid in the wet’ MG TC of Andrew Cox and the MGA Twin Cam of Alan Kyson. On a dry track in bright conditions, Mark Ellis took the immediate lead when the lights went out and he headed Begbie, Kyson, Coles, Cox and Marsden.

The order remained unaltered to the flag. Smare moved up to finish fourth in his Elite, ahead of the Lotus Mk IX of Arculus; Tim Patchett took the T Type class ahead of Chris Owen.

The action moved to Silverstone for our annual MGLive! extravaganza in late June, we’ll have a full report in the next issue.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:58

New From Webcon Multi throttle EFI system for MGB Webcon are delighted to announce the introduction of a range of new Alpha PRO5 kits to suit the MGB. The Alpha Gold kit includes a full Multi Throttle Engine Management system together with our MSX crossflow aluminium cylinder head to provide the power of a pair of twin 45DCOE carburettors along with the torque, driveability and refinement of a modern, powerful EFI system.

This is truly the ultimate induction for your ‘B’ The Alpha Silver kit combines the legendary power of a perfectly jetted Weber 45 DCOE matched to the reliability and torque of our PRO5 3D Mapped ignition system. The result is a smooth, powerful engine that completely transforms the MGB driving experience.

The Bronze Ignition Only kit is an expertly Mapped, OEM quality ECU, Wiring Loom, Crank Trigger set and Wasted spark coil which offers a complete Turnkey ignition solution to transform the reliability and driveability of your ‘B’. Our Bronze kit can be used with Weber or SU carburettors.

All Alpha PRO5 kits are supplied with our new Alphacal mapping software For more details, please contact:

Webcon UK Ltd

Dolphin Road, Sunbury, Middlesex. TW16 7HE. UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1932 787100 Fax: +44 (0) 1932 782725 Email: sales@webcon.co.uk Web: www.webcon.co.uk

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 61

JULY 2015

61

23/06/2015 09:58

MGs ON TRACK

Sponsored by

MGs track on

Donington Park

– A day for beginners!

Words by James Mumford

M

Gs on Track return to the national circuit at Donington Park on October 5 for our next visit to this great circuit. Seen once as a challenger to Silverstone, Donington is an unmissable day out for the dedicated track day enthusiast and novice alike. This interesting and attractive track offers an opportunity to experience one of the best circuits in the country.

I visited Donington for the first time last year and I will certainly be returning in October 2015. As an inveterate southerner, I always saw Donington as a bit too far away but was eventually tempted by the great reports and an opportunity to drive one of the country’s historic circuits. For those less familiar with our motoring history, Donington Park is the oldest permanent and still functioning race circuit in the country and was the scene of the epic clashes in the late 1930s between the German Silver Arrows and the Bugattis, Alfa Romeos and ERAs. Of course, all this history would be for nothing if it were not still a great venue;

62

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 62

it nearly made it to host the 2009 British Grand Prix and is the current UK venue for the World Touring Car Championship.

Those of you who have previously visited the circuit, either on one of our previous track days or as a spectator at one of the many race days, will need no further encouragement. You will already appreciate the setting; this is not a flat

airfield perimeter track but one that offers a combination of flowing curves through undulating grassland and fast straights past the familiar circuit landmarks of the Dunlop Bridge and the stone arches, thankfully no longer spanning the circuit, of Starkey’s Bridge.

For those of you who have not visited the circuit before, the two mile national circuit that we will be using includes the famous Craner Curves leading down through the Old Hairpin, up through McLeans to the blind right-hander at Coppice; as interesting a section of track as you will find anywhere in the country.

The day will be arranged into three 20 minute sessions in the hour, every hour.

Grouping drivers of similar cars and ability together so that everyone will have a great day and no-one should feel uncomfortable.

Numbers are limited to 25 cars per session allowing plenty of space for all and minimising bunching which can be frustrating. Firsttimers will be particularly welcome and are offered special instruction together with one-to-one support from an experienced member throughout the day. Each driver will have seven sessions throughout the day giving up to two hours 20 minutes on track assuming no interruptions.

Registration and booking for this event is as usual on our website, www.mgs-ontrack.com

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:08

MG MG Steve Brand track track steveb@mgs-on-track.co.uk onon www.mgs-on-track.com •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 of our website for a reserve place.

•‘Experienced only’ means you will have done at least one Track day with MGoT. ** New circuits for 2015

July 03 – Croft – Open Pit Lane, experienced only (via Lotus on Track) July 13 – Pembray ** July 25 – Hethel** – Sold Out August 13 – Brands Hatch – GP (single LoT session) September 14 – Castle Combe October 05 – Donington October 26 – Goodwood

LUFFIELD

Luffield Luffield Championship Championship

John Wilman, Beechfield, Fern Bank, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak. SK23 0JJ. Tel: 07778 165186 • www.mgspeed.net John Wilman, Beechfield, Fern Bank, Chapel-en-le-Frith, By the time you read this thePeak. premier event of the namely MGLive!

High SK23 OJJ. Tel:year, 07778 165186 weekend at Silverstone, will be over.

At the time of writing the Sunday sprint meeting was well subscribed. This was held on the Stowe Circuit and a report will no doubt be forthcoming in the next edition.

Meanwhile, here is a report by David Coulthard on the Scammonden Hillclimb.

Scammonden Hillclimb

December 07 – Brands Hatch Indy

Open to all MG enthusiasts…

A very big thank you to all those that visited our MGs on Track stand and made MGLive! an overwhelming success yet again. The MGoT team were amazed by the number of enquiries from fellow MG owners asking, “What is a track day and how do I join?”

Quite simply, it is about enjoying your car the way it was designed to be enjoyed! It is not about racing but an opportunity to drive your car up to its or your limits in a safe environment, without speed cameras and all the cars going in the same direction.

The camaraderie amongst like-minded MG owners of all models, on and off the track, is second to none.

Track days with MGoT are open to ALL MG enthusiasts, whether you are affiliated to a club or not (although being an MGCC member will give you a discount on booking). We also allow on occasions (subject to T&C), cars of a similar marque to join us on track. To find out more, visit us at www.mgs-on-track.com. It is free to register, and by registering with MGoT, allows us to keep you up to date with the latest news and offers!

For those that are considering a Track day for the first time, our event at Donington Park is the ideal venue for you.

We organise this event with beginners and novices in mind and ‘Dony’ regularly has the highest number of first timers to track days. It is the perfect place to start!

Read about James Mumford’s first time at Donington Park…

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 63

Scammonden Dam seems to have undergone a bit of a renaissance recently. Not only has the lower holding paddock been surfaced, but the venue now provides bargain priced catering, a time display on the finish line and computer screens showing splits and sector times. However, one thing that doesn’t change is the weather! Whilst it stayed dry, a bitter wind blew all day for the North Western Centre’s event.

This was possibly the first time a Q-Type has ever graced Scammonden! Les Proctor’s supercharged car set remarkably consistent times, the best of which was 38.23. As usual, the Group 1, 1501 to 2400cc class was the largest on the day. Helen Waddington in the ZR 160 and Michael Marsland in his TF 160 slugged it out, resulting in a minor off for Michael as the competition intensified. Michael’s best was a 30.70 and Helen a quarter of a second quicker on 30.45. Ian Howlett in the MGF slipped under to 30 second barrier, to set a new MGF/TF record of 29.72, whilst I took the class win and a new record, on the ZR 160, on a 29.45.

A number of cars ran as singleton entries in various classes, but the inter-car competition was just as keen. Robbie Pritchard got bragging rights down the pub over Graham Collyer. Driving the ex-Darren Porter Championship winning MGF, Robbie beat Graham’s Midget by over a second, with a new Group 2 MGF record of 29.78. Tim Kirkham’s ZS 180 split the pair, on a 30.06, which also broke the previous Group 2 ZS 180 record. Jimmie Johnson went home happy in his Cockshoot Cup MG ZR 170 race car, having posted a 29.11 on his final run.

A couple of K-Series Midgets made up the Road Going Specials class. Danny Cusworth’s car was too much for Alasdair Scoobie’s version.

Danny’s last run of the day was his best – 28.35 versus Alasdair’s 32.24.

Richard Watkinson’s Midget set a 27.28 for the smaller Racing Specials Class, just 0.05 slower than Nick Walker in the now repaired MGB V8 from the larger Racing Specials Class. Brother Andy set the MG Fastest time of the Day with a blistering 26.23, to pick up the Kimber Trophy.

JULY 2015

63

23/06/2015 09:58

OUT & ABOUT AT MGLIVE! 2015

The MG Car Club would like to thank all visitors and volunteers who made MGLive! such a memorable event. The August issue will carry a full MGLive! report , but for now please enjoy a selection of photos from the event.

Photos: George Woodward, Mick Edwards, Colin Grant, Dickon Siddall and Andy Knott

64

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 64

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

AT MGLIVE! 2015 OUT & ABOUT

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 65

JULY 2015

65

23/06/2015 09:59

CALENDAR

JULY Friday 3 MGCC MGs on Track Croft Circuit Contact: NigelS@mgs-on-track.co.uk Sunday 5 July MGCC Tyne Tees Centre MG Northumbria Corbridge Classic Car Show Contact: Bob Heslop 0191 268 4863 bob@heslopnet. com Sunday 5 July MGCC Anglia Centre Anglia Summer Picnic Blickling Hall, Blickling, Aylsham, Norfolk, NR11 6NF Contact: Roger Latham 01702 580472 Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 MGCC Caledonian Centre Glamis Castle Extravaganza Angus, Scotland Contact: Bob MacGillvary 07870 407111 Sunday 12 MGCC Abingdon Works Centre Summer Day Out Start Abingdon to Atwell Museum Calne Contact: Tony Cotter 01235 861605 Sunday 12 MGCC Lincolnshire Centre Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby Rover and MG Display Day Contact: Kevin 01529 460169 www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk Sunday 12 MGCC Anglia Centre Queen Vic Classic and Sports Car Show, Billericay Summer Fest, Billericay, Essex Contact: Tony Batson 07958 381470 or Michael Murkin 01702 478476 Wednesday 15 MGCC Lincolnshire Centre Luncheon Club Contact: Richard & Vicki Withington r.withington@ btinternet.com www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk

Wednesday 15 MGCC Midland Centre Joint Natter – West Midlands Members meet up with the Wye Valley Crowd Malvern/Upton on Severn area – Venue TBA Contact: Janet 01684 833337 Saturday 18 MGCC Triple M Register Pre-War Prescott Garden Party and Hill Climb Day Gotherington, Cheltenham, Glos. GL52 9RD Contact: Ian Grace vintageminor@gmail.com Tuesday 28 MGCC Anglia Centre Gayton Natter Pride of Ownership The Gayton Crowd, Gayton, Kings Lynn, PE32 1PA Contact: Steve & Alison Kemp 01553 840245 or Peter Thompson 01362 668101

AUGUST Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 MGCC MGF Register MGF20 Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon Main Show Day on the Saturday with evening entertainment included.

Sunday will incorporate a road run from Gaydon to the MG factory at Longbridge.

For discounted tickets book via the MGF Register online shop – http://www.mgfregister.org/shop/ www.mgf20.info Sunday 2 MGCC MGA Register MGA day starting at Motor Heritage Centre, Gaydon Full details available from www.mgcc.co.uk/mga-register Sunday 2 MGCC Midland Centre Curborough Summer Sprint A round of the Luffield Speed Championship. National B Speed event. Free to spectators.

Contact: Simon Morris 07788 168488 (Marshalling) Sunday 2 MGCC Abingdon Works Centre Wyevale Bicester MG open day Contact: Mike Gething 01295 254498

Sunday 2 MGCC Anglia Centre Helmingham Hall Festival of Classic & Sports Cars Helmingham Hall, Suffolk, IP14 6EF Contact: John Cumming 01359 259717 or Mike Petting 01366 386944 Tuesday 4 MGCC Anglia Centre Longham Natter Pride of Ownership The White Horse, Longham, Norfolk, NR19 2RD Contact: William Ball 01508 471506 Friday 7 – Sunday 9 MGCC SVW Register Register weekend away Chicester Park Hotel, West Sussex Contact: paulandsharman@gmail.com Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 MGCC Magnette Register Harrogate Northern National & AGM Road run and AGM Contact: Alan Cleobury a.j.cleobury@btinternet.com Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 MGCC Tyne Tees Centre Croft Motor Racing Circuit Croft Nostalgia Weekend (Pre-1974 cars only) Contact: Noel Lindford 0191 587 0753 noel.lindford@ btinternet.com or Dennis Hope 0191 517 2804 denhope@hotmail.co.uk Sunday 9 – Sunday 16 MGCC Caledonian Centre Orkney Tour (FULL) Contact: Douglas Arthur 01360 550535 Thursday 13 MGCC MGs on Track Brands Hatch Circuit Contact: NigelS@mgs-on-track.co.uk Sunday 16 MGCC Lincolnshire Centre Doddington Hall Lincolnshire Poachers Concours Show Contact: Geoff & Vicki 01205 871973 www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk Sunday 16 MGCC MGB Register MGB GT 50th Anniversary Shelsley Walsh Contact: Richard Horner 01785 811722 www.mgb-register.org Sunday 16 MGCC Anglia Centre Anglia Mid-Summer Run A run in Suffolk Contact: Margaret Beresford 01394 382096 or Barbara Pratley 01384 385135 Tuesday 18 – Friday 21 MGCC Triple M Register Annual Touring event Lincolnshire Wolds Contact: Elizabeth Taylor 01628 665055 e.taylor@ oakend.net

66

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 66

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 67

23/06/2015 09:59

EVENT

REPORT

Old Speckled Hen Run May 24 2015

By Greg Smith Photos Malcolm Bailey

T

he 23rd Old Speckled Hen run started as it has for the past few years from Radley College and was supported by 80 cars reflecting the wide and diverse range of models that make up the MG family.

After signing on, and refreshed with tea, coffee and biscuits, the cars were waved off by Club Chairman Bill Silcock on the run of approximately 48 miles to the lunch stop at the Cotswold Water Park and beach. The weather was co-operating nicely and after a leisurely break for lunch the return to Radley, a run of approximately 45 miles, enabled everyone to enjoy the cream tea that is such a welcome part of the day and based in the Victorian cricket pavilion overlooking the magnificent Radley College grounds.

We are grateful to Greene King for their continued support which will enable us to help two very worthy charities, CMTUK and Vale House Oxford as well as the Abingdon Works Centre.

With so many events available it is good to know that support for this long standing run continues to be strong, and we look forward to next year when we will welcome back so many old and new friends.

68

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 68

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

phase4_

What you should expect from your classic car insurer A business you can trust

Independent and family owned since 1965

Speak to the same person everytime Your own personal client manager

All the features & benefits

You would expect from a classic car policy

‘We believe that this is expert personal service at its best’ Mark Wilkinson Managing Partner Chris Wilkinson Senior Partner

To speak to your personal client manager call now on

0121 248 9223

www.h erit ag ecarin su ran ce.co. u k Heritage Classic Car Insurance, part of Norton Insurance is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

MG Safety Fast1July15 49-98.indd 69 phase4_a4.indd

23/06/2015 09:59 03/02/2015 16:20:50

EVENT

REPORT

T

he Midland Centre’s annual Welsh Rallye took place over the weekend of May 8-10, based at the Lion Quays Hotel & Spa, near Oswestry, and with some 47 cars and their crews in attendance.

Setting up on Friday afternoon was a wet affair, and it didn’t stop raining until late in the evening, with bets being laid as to whether or not the small brook in front of the hotel would flood the car park before morning! Several of us got very wet, but everything was put into place, with guests arriving throughout the Friday afternoon and evening.

Saturday morning dawned reasonably dry but cloudy, and it didn’t take long for the rain to set in again. Our Flag Marshal this year was Roy Crosier, Natter leader at The Peacock in Shrewsbury. Roy though we’d invited him solely to flag off the cars, little knowing that it was also an excuse to get him there so we could award him and his group the ‘Natter of the Year’ plaque!

The first car away, Ron Warr’s 1934 PA, was flagged off at 8.30am with the remainder leaving at one minute intervals in age sequence. There was a good variety of cars on the Rallye this year, with the usual mix of older and newer MGs being joined by an Austin-Healey 3000, Rover Vitesse SD1, Riley RME, Smart Roadster, and a TR6, plus our first MG6 saloon. The morning run took the cars out to the Conwy Falls cafe for coffee, and then on to Anglesey for lunch at Plas Newydd, a National Trust property nestled alongside the Menai Straits, where we were given use of the cricket pavilion.

We have used National Trust properties in the past, and always find their staff to be unfailingly helpful. After an hour’s rest there, the weather brightened up a bit and the cars did a short tour of the island, and then they were back onto the A5 and a little ‘off piste’ single track driving, then into the hills at the back of Betws-y-Coed before the afternoon

‘Natter of the Year’ leader Roy Crossier starting Geoff St John Mitchell’s MGA

Lech and Pam Zakrzewski in their Midget

Scott and Kerry Munton pose with their MGB GT

tea stop in Llanrwst. Once refreshed, it was up and over the Horseshoe Pass via the back lanes, and down around the back of Llangollen before arriving back the Lion Quays Hotel in the late afternoon. A run of approximately 170 miles in all.

After an excellent dinner in the hotel’s large conservatory, with many electing to join in with the Fancy Dress theme of ‘Movie Stars’, guests were entertained by Novak & Goode (say it carefully!), a trio led by one of our Rallye guests, Paul Carpenter, and we were treated to sing-a-long numbers with light comedy in the intervals between. It was good to see everyone stay behind to join in, rather than heading off to the bar, and it all seemed to go down very well.

After a hearty breakfast on Sunday morning, we departed the Lion Quays and headed to the Hawkstone Park hotel, near Wem, for lunch. Older readers may remember that Hawkstone Park was the venue for motorcycle scrambling that featured on ‘Grandstand’ during the 1960s, with commentator Murray Walker. Guests were offered the opportunity to visit The Follies, ‘an historic woodland fantasy with cliffs, crags, caves, deep woods and a series of extraordinary monuments built over 200 years ago’ (it says here!). After lunch, prizes were awarded for a variety of subjects, see listing at the end of this article for details. Luckily the weather stayed dry, if dull, for much of the morning, but brightened up during the afternoon, just in time for

Midland Centre

‘Welsh Rallye’

everyone to make their farewells and head for home.

So, another enjoyable and successful Rallye came to an end. The Midland Centre Committee would like to thank both hotels for their hospitality and good service, to Novak & Goode for entertaining us on Saturday evening, and, last but most importantly, all our guests for retaining faith in our event for yet another year. This year’s Rallye sold out in record time which, added to fewer rooms being available than normal, meant that some regular guests sadly missed out. So, if anyone is interested in signing up for next year’s Rallye, which we are hoping will be in South Wales, please keep an eye on our website for further news. We will hope to see you in 2016!

2015 Welsh Rallye Prize Winners: Best pre-1960 MG – Roger & Lynda Muir for their 1937 MG TA Best post-1960 MG – Richard & Susie Homer for their 1969 MGB V8 roadster Best male Fancy Dress – John Spon-Smith for ‘Charlie Chaplin’ Best female Fancy Dress – Janet Chapman for ‘Mary Poppins’ Best couple Fancy Dress – Michael Port & Mary Medhurst for ‘Genevieve’ PJ Evans Trophy for Committee Member of the Year – Paul Hollingworth, Centre Secretary Wilf Hale Trophy for biggest contribution to Centre by a non-Committee member – David Whale for his work as Clerk of Course with our Sprint events Natter of the Year – The Peacock in Shrewsbury.

We have posted a large number of photos taken on the Rallye on our Facebook page. To access, either look for ‘Midland Centre’ in Facebook, or visit out website – http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/ mgccmidlandcentre/ and use the Facebook link in the main Menu.

By Andy Robson

Brian Osborn’s TF in Nant Frrancon.

70

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 70

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

O/S/E/L/L/I ltd

Car sales, service, restoration, exchange engines, performance tuning.

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

MGB Engines 1800cc lead free 1800cc fast road balanced 1840cc balanced stage 2 1950cc standard lead free 1950cc fast road stage 2

Midget/ A Series £1905 £2125 £2565 £2185 £2815

TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS

Oselli is over 50 years old In celebration we Heads Standard lead free £465 moved in 2012 to Stage 2 lead free £545 Stage 3 lead free £675 Stage 3a lead free £755 brand new premises of Stage 4 comp head £2545 9000+ sq ft.

Other Tubular long branch large bore exhaust Visit our website for MG16 - BUCKS SPORTS CLASSICS_BUCKS Oselli cast rocker cover £175SPORTS CLASSICS 26/09/2012 14:24 Page 1 Weber carb kit £695 more pictures Performance distributor £195 Head and engines supplied on an exchange basis Prices subject to VAT

and details:

Summit:Layout 1 www.oselli.com

WE HAVE MOVED TO NEWB, PREMISES Specialist in MGA, C, V8, 10 RABANS CLOSE, AYLESBURY. HP19 8RS RV8, Midgets, and MGF. Specialists in MGA, B, C, V8, Also Midgets specialists in RV8, and MGF. early Minis Also specialists in early Minis

ELECTRONIC IGNITION SPECIALISTS Breakerless ignition for ANY classic vehicle.

6v 12v 24v pos or neg earth Eliminate unreliable points and condenser.

Available as an easy-to-fit kit, or send us your distributor.

We will design a system for your vehicle if we do not already have an off-the-shelf system available.

Full instructions included. 2 year guarantee

JOLLEY ENGINEERING www.classicheads.com Unit 4 Millbank, Storridge, Nr Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 5EN

01886 880101 email: sales@classicheads.com www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 71

£465 £545 £675 £755 £2545

Other Tubular long branch exhaust Oselli cast rocker cover £175 Weber carb kit £695 Performance distributor £195 Head and engines supplied on an exchange basis Prices subject to VAT 17:51 Page 1

24/8/12

The MG Specialists W g c

X-Part Auto Service Centre Car sales CC10.12/MG16/p

10STREET Rabans Aylesbury.

HP19 BUCKS 8RS HP20 1EB UNIT 18, PARK IND Close, ESTATE, OSIER WAY, AYLESBURY,

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

Summit

Bucks Sports & Classic Car Centre

For friendly advice contact Pete Giles on Tel: 01296 433550 or Mob: 07831 404968 www.mgsonthenet.co.uk www.mgsonthenet.co.uk email: peter.giles@mgsonthenet.co.uk

Engines Standard lead free £1905 Standard fast road balanced £2125 Stage 2 fast road balanced £2565 1293cc fast road stage 2 £2755 1380cc fast road stage 2 £2885 1400cc fast road stage 2 £3395

Free courtesy cars Family owned/run business Full workshop facilities Service & repairs Located on the outskirts of Maidenhead town centre, Berkshire, we are second to none when it comes to MG cars.

w

Opening Hours Mon-Fri 8am–6.30pm Sat + Sun Closed – but our Web Site is open!

Unit 2, Furze Platt Industrial Estate Off St. Peters Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7QU Parts +44(0)1628 629707 Workshop +44(0)1628 636001 Website www.summitmg.co.uk Facsimile +44(0)1628 580291 E-mail enquiries@summitmg.co.uk JULY 2015

71

23/06/2015 09:59

OVERSEAS

REVIEW

A monthly look through a few of the overseas magazines we receive at Kimber House. Reviewed by William Ball.

Overseas Review MGAs at the 2015 National Meeting in the Yarra Valley, featured in Opposite Lock.

I

was reminded as I flicked through the magazines being reviewed this month that we don’t all live in the Northern Hemisphere. Just see the prices of MGF/ TFs in Australia and New Zealand! As I look forward to a summer of MG events here in the UK, I read reviews of some fantastic events that have taken place ‘down under’; most notably the MG Car Club Sydney’s report in ‘Opposite Lock’ of the 2015 National Meeting in the Yarra Valley, written by first-timer Allen Gower. In the same magazine, I enjoyed the article on the MG RV8 story, the final ‘Zig’s Zany Crossword’ and also reading the recipes in the ‘Members’ Culinery Creations’ feature – Aji sauce is a new one on me!

Over in New Zealand, ‘The Canterbury MaG’ features, at the opposite ends of the MG time-line, the MG GS pre-launch press release and a six page review of the pre-56 National Rally, whilst in the ‘Bulletin’, there is a

Members Culinery Creations

72

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 72

reproduction of a 1961 MGA 1600 MkII road test from ‘Motor Trend’, describing it as “an outstanding automobile for the money”. Sadly, there are two stories of rear-end prangs, but with different outcomes. One is the President’s MG3 with minor damage, despite the Mazda that hit it being written off, and the other is the Editor’s 1100/1300 which is beyond repair.

Does anyone have a new body shell?

In Denmark, the MGA, in its 60th year, f e a t u r e s prominently in their May edition and I notice that Speckled Hen is not the only MG alcoholic beverage, evidenced by the wine and ‘champagnebrus’ for sale in the Klubshop. There is also an attractive wooden clock in typical Scandinavian style.

In North America, the Southeastern MG T Register are going back to Woodstock 1969 for their ‘Fall GOF’, as featured in mgTalk. ‘Peace, Love and MG’ is the theme and it seems bell-bottoms and beads will be the order of the day. Sounds like my sort of thing!

The Sacred Octagon of the New England MG T Register carries an ad for their GOF in Saratoga Springs, New York, in

early June 2015. I trust the event went well – it looks to me to have a great programme.

The MG Driver – journal of the North American MGB Register – caught my eye in a couple of respects: from a technical point of view, it’s a mine of useful information. It also carries articles entitled ‘The Rubber Bumper MGB. What’s Up with that?’ and ‘MGB Limited Edition & Other Unique MGB Cars’, both of which I read with interest.

They also provide us MG 1100/1300 which is beyond repair. with the sign-off to this month’s Overseas Review. The following is an extract from an amusing six-verse poem

by Tez Watson, called ‘an MGB’, in which he describes some of the challenges of running his MGB. However, he finishes by saying: “Exhaust note is sweet music to every owner’s ears. Burbles, purrs and roars along – it’s played that song for years. Wouldn’t drive another make no matter what we see. We’re sticking to our guns – just love the MGB!” Look the full poem up on Facebook.

Some of the merchandise available from the MG Denmark Klubshop

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

NEWS

OVERSEAS

MGAs enjoying an MGCF organised Run

MG Club

MGA MRX 42 Chateau Savigny les Beaune

of France

T

he MG Club of France continues to succeed in providing events and social contacts for MG enthusiasts in France and neighbouring countries. The membership is growing and the events are well supported. Rallies, track days, classic car shows and courses in MG mechanical skills are all very popular.

The MGA celebrated its 60th anniversary in France with a very successful celebration in the historic town of Beaune. 100 MGs participated, of which 70 were MGAs. They made quite a spectacle in the vineyards around the towns of Beaune, Nuits Saint Georges, Pommard and parking in front of the splendid château of Clos Vougeot. The event attracted MGs from England, Germany, Switzerland and all over France.

A warm welcome was given to Philippe Douchet from Switzerland who brought his very exceptional MGA MRX 42, which was one of the five factory MGAs built for rallies and racing in 1956.

They competed as a team in the most prestigious events of that era, including

the Coupe des Alpes when MRX 42 was driven by Jack Sears. It was a pleasure to see the car participating in this special 60th anniversary event and being appreciated by everyone there. Philippe Douchet bought the car in 1992. It still has a works engine and runs as sweet as a nut, as I found out when I tried to keep up with it in the lanes of Burgundy! He is a passionate, knowledgeable collector of MGs of all eras, from a Vintage 18/80 MKII to an MG Sport and Racing SV-R prototype, who regularly competes in classic and historic events.

MG Club of France will be represented at this year’s European Event of the Year in Holland. Our preparations are well underway for next year’s Event of the Year here in France, which will be held in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage from June 8-12 2016. The event offers four days of rallies and activities to MG owners and to European MG clubs affiliated to the MG car club.

MGCF Rally le Petit Solognot in the Sologne region

The Great European MG Festival Discover a beautiful, little known region, which offers a wide variety of landscapes, picturesque country roads and a coastline with breathtaking cliffs.

We have reserved places for all models of MG from Triple M, T Series, MGA, MGB to modern MGs and this will be the largest exhibition of MGs in France.

Registration for the European Event of the Year 2016 via our website www.mgevent2016.mgclubdefrance.com will be open from October 1 2015.

We look forward to welcoming you to this big event. Le Touquet is the place to be next year with your MG! Wendy Packer Overseas coordinator MG Club of France wendy.packer@mgclubdefrance.com

MGAs at Clos Vougeot

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 73

JULY 2015

73

23/06/2015 09:59

CENTRES

ABINGDON WORKS Mike Gething sfscribe@mgabingdon.org.uk www.mgabingdon.co.uk

The downside of belonging to such an active club is that with so many events and so much happening, time goes so quickly. The other problem is that with so many events there is inevitably a clash and very often it’s so hard to make a choice. The Centres, Registers and Natters all have full programmes, all set within a vibrant classic car scene. Even the smallest village fair seems to have a bevy of classic cars on parade. The end of May saw our premier event, the Old Speckled Hen Run. From the traditional start at the stately Radley College, not all that far from Kimber House, we wended our way along the narrow, leafy lanes of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, lanes that were surely designed with the MG in mind, to our lunch spot at the Cotswold Water Park before wending along those leafy lanes back to Radley College for our traditional cream tea.

Looking back to our AGM, we were fortunate to have Stuart Turner as our guest speaker, a real treat to listen to. While Stuart is a most entertaining speaker he is an equally entertaining writer and if you haven’t already read his book ‘Twice Lucky’ you should do so, you won’t be

disappointed.

Now, to look ahead. July 12 sees our Summer Day Out, this time heading to the Atwell Motor Museum in Calne, Wiltshire to take part in the museum’s annual classic vehicle show. Tony Cotter, 01235 861605, has all the details.

On our patch we have fifteen Natters spread over the four counties and there is a full contact list on our website. At the moment the 50-strong Chesam Natter, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, is looking for a new home. Before heading off to the Natter, contact Richard Colston 01494 728253 for details. Monday, July 6 sees the Aylesbury Natter’s annual PoO, this time at the magnificent Waddesdon Manor, a superb venue and a great opportunity for the photographer. Don’t have your dinner before attending as bangers and mash will be available at the nearby Five Arrows pub. Adrian Bennett 01869 246457 has all the details. Another PoO takes place a few days later, on July 9, at the Shoulder of Mutton at Little Horwood. Our newest Natter is at Shippon, just a few minutes from the centre of Abingdon, and meets in the Prince of Wales on the fourth

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

Anglia Centre Autotest Championship A good entry turned out for the first Anglia Centres Autotest of the season at Great Massingham.

Warm jackets were the order of the day, however with the weather staying dry, track conditions were very good.

MGBs, Midgets and Fs made up the majority of the entry with a lone Renault Clio bringing up the rear.

Fastest time of the day went to Steve Atkinson driving a Midget, with Geoff Hirst also in a Midget, in second place; third overall went to Bryan Pack in his MGF. Details of the next event can be found on the Centre website. Why not give this ever more popular discipline of motor sport a try.

Anglia Run Despite the appalling weather and a slightly lower than expected turnout, The Village Run, organised by Paul Bloomfield and Janet Voutt from The Gayton Natter, was a great success.

A route of 56 miles took participants from Stanhoe, to the finish at St. Mary’s Church, East Raynham.

Using mostly B and C class roads, the run culminated with the cars on display along the drive of Raynham Hall, by kind permission of Marquess Townshend.

A grand total of £750.00 was raised, which will be donated to St. Mary’s Church.

74

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 74

Janner Week Janner week was a fantastic success in May with river trips and car runs organised each day.

Photos are already on the website as well as in Safety Fast!.

Events Queen Vic The Queen Vic Classic Car show is on July 12. This year it has its own website at www. mgccqueenvic.org.uk. You can download an entry form and see pictures and details of this very popular show, held at Billericay each year.

The website has been put together by Josh Batson, the son of our events co-ordinator.

CENTRE Thursday of each month. Contact Mike Parker 01235 525255. The two lunchtime Natters, the Works Centre Wanderers and the New Forest Lunchtime Natter, continue on their nomadic way.

Neither Natter has a fixed venue but each month visits different pubs and other interesting places, once again, contact details are on our website.

Finally, last month, one of our newer Natters, the North Oxfordshire Natter, slipped down to the Bicester Heritage Centre for breakfast organised by the Prescott Breakfast Club. This is Britain’s first dedicated business park for the restoration and preservation of classic cars. Located on a former RAF bomber base it should be on everyone’s must visit list. The North Oxfordshire Natter (NONG) meet at the Pickled Ploughman in Adderbury on the first Tuesday of each month.

Finally, on behalf of the Works Centre a very warm welcome to all new members. We look forward to catching up with you at our various Natters and events. Anything you need to know about the Centre or the club, or anything MG, just contact any committee member, contact details are on our web page.

CENTRE I for one cannot praise Josh too highly for the work he has done putting this very professional site together, but don’t take my word for it, have a look and see what a fantastic job he has done.

Anglia Summer Picnic If you would like to attend The Anglia Picnic on July 5 at Blickling Hall then please note that the date for advance bookings has passed, but if you see Roger Latham on the day, he will get you in.

Natters Note that The Royal Fusilier Natter now meets at The White Hart, Weeley, CO16 9ED, on Sunday lunchtimes. Contact Max Collier on 01206 250869.

Steve Atkinson in his Midget in the Massingham Autotest

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

CENTRES

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

By the time you read this, our first two shows of the season will have passed. We put on a small display at Stirling and came away with a Best Car Club Stand Award (the pic shows ‘Oor Nancy’ picking up the award), and as I write we are putting the last minute touches to our Thirlestane plans.

We will be at Glamis on July 11-12 and if you would like a last minute entry then call me and I’ll see what can be done. We had a token seven cars at Stirling but three of them were Twin Cams and one was a De Luxe! The same cars plus two other MGAs will be with us at Thirlestane so can we manage eight or more at Glamis as we mark the 60th birthday of the MGA? Can’t recall the last time so many Twin Cams were out in force.

We are also at Muirkirk on August 2 for the East Ayrshire Classic Show. Details on the website.

You may have seen mention of the Ingliston Revival weekend (check http://www.ingliston. co.uk/) on September 11-13. The organisers have reduced the entry fee for cars to £10 each and the Centre will be present. This is yet another attempt to establish a Scottish Goodwood and looks like being a lavish affair with track time available, so if you had a previous Ingliston connection and want to relive this, enter through our website. It would be good to have some MG competition cars there (and also at Bo’ness in September) so what do you have lurking in your garage?

The July Jolly on July 26 is being ably organised by Barclay and Allison and is based in Ayrshire. Check the website for details and sign up!

Looking further ahead, don’t forget the ever popular September two day affair (sorry event!), this time organised by Anne Howitt who pedals a TD remarkably well. Based in Pitlochry, details are on the website and this will be an excellent event in

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

The South Hams Natter went for a Sunday drive for a pub lunch. Twelve cars entered, leaving from Totnes to drive some narrow lanes to Buckfastleigh, a ferry crossing to Dartmouth and along Slapton Sands by the sea, through Kingsbridge and Dartington to end up at Furzland Mill for a carvery.

A few of us from D&C went to Norfolk for the Anglia Centre Janner Week on Tour. A great week thanks to the huge effort of Peter Skipper and Lesley. On Saturday, arrived at Breydon Water Holiday Park after a long tow from Plymouth. The first evening, at The Fishermans Arms for a pub meal, was enjoyable with superb views overlooking the water with the sun setting behind a windmill. Sunday started with a leisurely short drive to the Thurton Car Show and Autojumble. After some purchases and a look at the cars, it decided to rain so everybody departed including the exhibitors, well we can’t get the car wet!

Bank Holiday saw us as guests of the Power Boat Club on Oulton Broads to watch the Racing, something not many people have seen but excellent.

It was thrilling to see 9-16 year olds racing in 350cc GT15 boats at up to 40mph, lying on the floor, steering with one hand and the throttle in the other. “So what did you do at half term?” “Well I became Power Boat Champion on Oulton Broad!” There were many class races for youngsters and adults, with the fastest boats travelling at up to 120mph, only barely in the water!

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 75

Next a free day, so we went into Great Yarmouth by bus (free pass you know!) and walked the front and came back to visit the Norman remains of Burgh Castle, within walking distance of the holiday park. For the evening pub meal we left the cars in the car park on one side and used a chain ferry to get to the pub.

A trip on the Southern Comfort Mississippi Paddle Boat along the Broads from Horning followed. Along the way we saw an otter and marsh harrier, very peaceful.

Thursday already, and a drive to Southwold, a Saxon fishing port and seaside town with a pier, and fishing huts selling fresh fish. We visited a 117-yearold, restored lifeboat to learn that they used to rescue stricken sailors by rowing in the rough and squally seas. The evening curry was at the Fox, an Anglia Centre Natter, on the way back.

MGs arrive to watch the powerboat racing

CENTRE a beautiful area. It will be booked up quickly – you have been warned!

And finally, anyone looking for a gazebo or some 2013 European Event memorabilia? David Reid has some items to dispose of for not a lot of money! It will be worth fortunes in years to come, so get in touch with him soon!

CENTRE The last day’s drive was back to Great Yarmouth and free parking at the American Diner on the front. It rained, so off to Caister Castle, a 15th Century ruin with a 100 foot tower to climb. After getting one’s breath back, we visited the Car Museum with a terrific range of vehicles to get nostalgic over. The final event was the eagerly awaited D&C versus the Rest of the World. Because of the rain this was changed to Bar Skittles, won by the Rest of the World!

Dates For The Diary August 9 – Devon Day – contact Bob Slatter: bobslatter@hotmail.com September 13 – Cornish Riviera Run – anybody like to marshal please: Sue Heath allegropeter@aol.com Photos Peter Heath

MGs stop at an Anglia Natter on the way back from Janners Week.

JULY 2015

75

23/06/2015 10:34

CENTRES

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

July Natters: Swallow Wednesday 1 (Social Drive); Lincolnshire Poacher Friday 3; Wishing Well Wednesday 8 (Landlords Choice); Abbey Lodge Monday 13; Three Horseshoes Thursday 16; Admiral Nelson Thursday 23 (Landlords Choice).

July Events: Sunday 5 Allington Car Show MG Display (Richard/Vicki 01949 844066); Sunday 12 Rover Day & MG Display East Kirkby (Kevin 01529 460169).

Luncheon Club: Wednesday 15 (Richard/Vicki 01949 844066).

Early August Natters: Swallow Wednesday 5; Lincolnshire Poacher Friday 7.

Early August Events: Sunday 2 Revesby Show (David 01790 754774).

A lot of activity in the Centre in May, starting with the Lincoln Natter hosting the first of the year’s Landlord’s Choice (in this case Member’s

Choice) Pride of Ownership events. A close call this one, requiring a recount (thanks Steve B), with the BGTV8 of Andy Rake in 5th place, Jeff Patterson’s Montego Turbo 4th, the ZT 260 belonging to Ian and Sue Mackenzie coming 3rd, 2nd was the MGC Roadster of Steve Wilkingson and 1st was Dave Stonehouse’s MGBGT V8.

The first of the year’s Autotests took place on the 10th, first in the swb class and overall winner was Robert Welch (Midget), first in the lwb class and second overall was Robert Taylor (MGA), Jordan Fox (Midget) was third overall. The following evening the Abbey Lodge Natter held a sausage & mash supper and its Landlord Choice event. This proved to something of a triumph for BGTV8s, taking three of the first five places. Andy Rake’s BGTV8 was 5th (again), Peter Hermite’s B was 4th, the BGTV8 of David Stonehouse was 3rd, another B (Kirk Fields) came 2nd and the BGTV8 of Peter Ellis was voted into the top spot – certainly a ‘B’ night. Our touring season continued on the 17th with a Bomber County tour arranged by Eleanor and Keith Robinson which began, appropriately, at the Lancaster Hotel in Woodhall Spa, where 23 cars and crews gathered for coffee and bacon butties before

MIDLANDS Brian Osborn 0121 445 4889 brianosbornmg@gmail.com

Summer is here, hooray! Or at least it is as I write, and was for those on The Arden MG Heritage Run on Sunday June 7 when a good turnout of MGs headed through the country lanes from Evesham to Eastnor Castle.

Andy Robson mentioned our Welsh Rallye on May 8-10 in the last notes, so all I need to say as Treasurer is that we run a tight ship on this event and as the Centre generates enough funds from our competitive events (sprints and trials) to cover the running expenses of the Centre, for this social event that is taxable, we try and give value for money. This year the vatman got £60 and the Centre got £13 net! Very good value methinks.

The organising committee are already planning next year’s event and are looking at heading to South Wales for a change. The consensus at this year’s event was for a two nighter again and we are currently checking hotel availability for May 6-8 and 13-15 next. More on this later, but rest assured it will be good value once again.

Next on the agenda is MGLive! on June 2021 and our camp marshals will be busy again. It will all be over by the time you get this, so I hope it went well. This year it clashes with my holiday so I shall miss it for the first time in over 25 years, poor organisation? No – just that the holiday we wanted was only available on that date.

76

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 76

In July there will be the Annual Joint Natter when the Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Hereford Natters all meet up. This year we gather at The Rose and Crown, Severn Stoke, WR8 9LQ (Map Ref (150) 856441). Just off the A38 just by the church – easy to miss the turning. See you there – 7.30pm on Wednesday evening July 15.

The Centre’s Summer Picnic will be at Shelsley Walsh once again when we join in with the MAC’s Nostalgia Weekend on July 18-19. The Nuffield boys will be there on the Saturday but this year we are picnicking on Sunday 19. Hopefully we will have a dedicated MGCC parking area, if coming you might do well to get tickets in advance for £12 (or £22 for both days). See you there, or some are meeting up and going in together as a group, phone Paul on 0121 550 4280 for details.

Then we will be into August and our Summer Sprint on Sunday August 2. For those speed merchants out there, the Regs and Entry Forms are already on our website – look under ‘Events’.

Using the figure-of-eight course again as we did in April should make for a competitive day again.

Last April saw the most spectators for many a year, it must be getting around that it’s free admission for our event.

Jumping ahead, our Autumn Trial at Burton Dassett is scheduled for Sunday September 27, so put it in your diary.

CENTRE setting off on a trip that visited some of the WW2 airfield memorials and museums, finishing at the RAF Metheringham museum. The Luncheon Club visited the Kings Head in the picturesque village of Tealby, where the diners enjoyed another excellent meal. Another tour at the end of the month when 16 cars headed north to Northumberland for a four night visit, organised again by the Swallow Natter, Keith Robinson looking after the hotel bookings while David Moir and Jimmy Falconer used their local knowledge to prepare eight suggested tours that took in the dramatic coast, stately homes, castles, border villages and wild landscapes. Cragside House seemed to be the most popular destination together with Bamburgh and the coastal villages.

An enjoyable break with the weather playing its part (until the journey home, the A1 in a monsoon is not enjoyable!).

Congratulations to Tom Sanderson after winning both Metro races at Brands Hatch and again at Donington Park.

By the time you are reading this there will have been another tour, so please keep a watch on our web page – new events can appear (or existing ones be cancelled).

CENTRE

Andy Robson stops for a photo opportunity during the Welsh Rallye

Paul Hipkiss in his Maestro Turbo on the 2015 Welsh Rallye

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

The future is CLEAR.....the future is GLASS! Specialists in heated rear screens & BIG brake kits

www.mgfmania.co.uk Our heated glass panels fold without unzipping

Upgrade Screen panels for ALL MGF & TF models, from £185 Complete Hoods from £385 all with Heated Glass Screens!

New for 2014: BIG 280mm Front and Rear Brake Kits from £175 fit under all 15” or 16” wheels!

With EASY panel fitting, no drilling or sewing involved : Manufactured using the original MG fitting kit kit and and CD CD video Videoshowing showingfitting fittingincluded included MGRover Roverglass style style glass and and zip. zip. Full fitting

For next day delivery and further information Special Offer:

Black Mohair Hoods £400 fitted! www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 77

www.MGFMANIA.co.uk

Watch MGF Mania videos on YouTube.com JULY 2015

77

23/06/2015 09:59

CENTRES

CENTRE

NORTH WEST Paul Goodman 01625 876300

Our main event this month is the New Members Evening which will be held at the Plough and Flail on the evening of Tuesday July 21. There will be a great line up of cars courtesy of our regulars. If you have joined the Club during the past 12 months, are thinking of joining, or know somebody who owns an MG but isn’t a member, then please come along and meet us. There will some free refreshments during the course of the evening and our committee members and Register experts will be on hand to answer any questions that you may have about our cars. We will be open for business from seven o’clock.

Our second social event of the month is our lunchtime meeting which will be held on Wednesday July 29. The venue is The Hanging Gate Inn, Sandy Lane, Weaverham, CW8 3HG. Arrival is in time to eat at around one o’clock.

We are getting a really good turn out of MGs and other classic cars at these meetings.

Looking further ahead, the Cockshoot Cup drivers are returning to the Anglesey Circuit after

a break of several years. They will be racing on August 8 and 9. If there is sufficient interest, there will be an MG only parking area over the weekend and the possibility of a circuit parade at lunchtime on Sunday. Please email me if you are interested. After that, there is the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park on Sunday August 30 and Monday August 31. If you wish to display your car on either day, then another email to me is needed.

Our planned events in May were all run with our members having great experiences. The Cheshire Candles run raised a significant sum for charity and had around 80 entries and the Lancs and Lakes Tour was completed in dry weather.

The improvements at Scammonden Dam were completed in time for our event and more than 40 drivers took part. It was cold and windy, but stayed dry, allowing several class records to be broken. Fastest MG was Nick Walker driving his fearsome MGB V8. Fastest time of the day was achieved by Glyn Sketchley who flew his

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

The Tour of the South East was ably organised

by Dianne Opie (with occasional assistance from William). Chartwell was an attractive destination and the success of the event, with nearly 50 cars attending, made the logistical problems involved worthwhile, at least in retrospect. That’s what I thought anyway. I hope Dianne agrees!

The latest addition to our list of weekday lunchtime runs is the ‘Ashdown Adventurers’, organised by Richard Clark, 07818 420921. Their catchment area will be East Sussex and they plan to meet each first Wednesday between March and November.

With glorious country roads to choose from in every direction, I’m sure they will be hugely successful.

The latest bi-monthly Newsletter from Peter Haynes fell on my electronic doormat just the other day. Packed full of useful information, it explained

how I could have saved loads of money had I taken John Morgan’s route to fitting a 5 speed box in a Midget instead of simply buying a complete kit. Peter makes the point that he relies heavily on contributors for his material so if you have anything useful to share, get contributing! Also, if you have not added your name to the distribution list, get on the Centre website and follow the link. If you’re not web enabled, then I’m afraid you’re stuck with me!

Whilst ingratiating myself with Peter, I must mention the Summer BBQ he is organising on July 5 at The Inn on the Park, Golden Cross, just West of Hailsham. I don’t know who’s doing the cooking or what the rules are but call Peter on 07890 943489 to find out more.

Mentioned last month, our Summer Gathering at Fishbourne Roman Villa draws closer. A full page ad

MGs in the sunshine at Chartwell.

78

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 78

David and Sandra Grant-Wilkie’s MGF on the Lancs & Lakes Tour Photo: Russell Hudson

motorbike-engined single seater up the hill in an amazing 24 seconds. Thanks to all the marshals and officials who helped before and on the day.

Finally Gary Wetton won the Cockshoot Cup race at Donington Park with David Morrison and Jeremy Toes taking class wins.

CENTRE appears on page 79 of your June Safety Fast!, handily placed right opposite the South East Centre notes.

I was about to make a tongue in cheek suggestion that the gymkhana should feature MGs verses chariots when I read the ad only to discover that this is indeed planned! That should be quite a spectacle.

Finally, to the May Caption Competition. This was won by Jon Glover to whom the Scribe’s Prize is awarded for his entry, below.

‘Lady in Green who’s dancing with me, ’fraid because of my age, I must go for a pee!’

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 09:59

PETER BEST www.classicinsurance.co.uk

The best policies for either classic or modern MGs

NEW MGB

At last now available after extensive testing we are satisfied these will cure your synchro problems.

CNC machined in the UK to our specifications £59.95 + VAT £49.50 + VAT

Suitable for Road & Race cars DENIS WELCH MOTORSPORT • YOXALL • BURTON ON TRENT • STAFFS • DE13 8NA • ENGLAND Tel: +44(0)1543 472214 • E-mail: sales@bighealey.co.uk • www.bighealey.co.uk

Hindsight

Restored Vision for Convertibles Treat your screen before it splits

• Restores clarity by removing scuffs and opacities • Lubricates & protects from frost • Reduces risk of splitting • Avoids replacing rear screen • Particularly effective on SLs • Restores milky acrylic head/tail lights • Renovo Fabric Hood restoration products also in stock

Tel: 01780 749449 www.morethanpolish.com/ hindsight.asp world-wide shipping

“Hindsight miraculously removes scratches and opacity, and is environmentally friendly” Mercedes Gazette

01621 840400

Gearbox Overdrive Axle Specialists

Baulk Rings

Brass 2nd and 3rd/4th Steel 4 Synchro

Call for a quote today

“By far the best screen cleaning product I’ve tried”

Editor - Classic & Sportscar

Restoring the beauty of the past

www. heathrowtransmissions.co.uk

All our units are remanufactured to the highest engineering standards, using quality bearings and parts and carry a 2 year guarantee.

TD/TF higher ratio axle/V8 axle conversions MGC overdrive conversion Full workshop fitting service. Free courtesy car available Mail order service transmission parts Competition units built

Heathrow Transmssions Est. 1990 Unit 20c Hanworth Road, Hounslow TW3 1VA Tel 0208 577 1505 | Email heathrowtransmissions@gmail.com

BANBURY, OXFORDSHIRE Situated right in the middle of classic car country with easy access to Silverstone, Gaydon (Heritage Motor Centre) Abingdon, Prescott, Longbridge and only an hour from London KIMBERS ARK B&B is the home away from home for the classic car enthusiast.

For comfortable rooms, off street parking and a traditional English breakfast contact club members Mike and Jan

01295 254498, kimbers.ark@gmail.com. www.kimbers-ark.co.uk.

Comfortable and friendly B&B near Gorron, France run by MG car Club Members. La Bureliere is a few minutes from Gorron with its bars and restaurants, near Fougeres and Mayenne and 80 minutes from Le Mans.

Undercover parking available.

La Bureliere is 2 hours from Caen and 3 hours from Dieppe For further information and availability please contact Anne on 07814 449203 or bushva38@ btinternet.com

Manor Garage & Sons!

Tel: 01235 767751

Restoration, Parts Servicing, Tuning, MOT’s, Bodywork, Mechanical

Tel: 01483 223830 We have many cars for sale Why not visit our website to see the full range

www.mgspares.co.uk

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Portsmouth Road, Ripley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6EL

Aaron Radiators...............................77 Adrian Flux ....................................... 83 Airflow...............................................55 Ashley James.....................................19 B&B near Gorron ........................... 79 Barrie Carter.................................... 97 Barry Walker.....................................93 Beech Hill Garage ........................... 94 Brian Brown Classics....................... 96 British Motor Heritage...................IFC Brown and Gammons ....................11 Bucks Sports & Classic Car Centre 71 Calver Special Tuning Ltd ............... 50 Carole Nash Insurance......................3 Church Square Autos ..................... 87 Classic & Sports Cars (Essex)............6 Colin Groom Vehicle Storage.........49 Colne Classics...................................81 Country Lane Tours ........................29 Crown Classic Cars .........................49 Dennis Welch.................................. 79 Distributor Doctor..........................77 Don Trimming..................................81 Evans Division of Hydratech ...........19 Fishers Services.................................49

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 79

Footman James ...............................44 Frontline ............................................27 Get Patina......................................... 20 Halls Garage..................................... 50 Heathrow Transmission................. 79 Hindsight .......................................... 79 Hoyle Suspension ............................61 Jolley Engineering..............................71 Just Right Autos Ltd ............................8 Kimbers Ark B&B............................ 79 Kimble Engineering Ltd....................81 Luffield ....................................OBC,81 Manor Garage ................................. 79 Martin Smith Used MGTF Spares 87 Meguiars............................................17 MG Garage (EMGC)...................... 83 MG Mecca ....................................... 84 MG Motorsport .............................. 87 MG Sales Centre..............................35 MGF Mania......................................77 Midland Classic Restoration ..............3 Midland Wheel Ltd ..........................81 Mike Authurs Classics ..................... 96 Mike Rolls ..........................................95 Mike Satur .........................................49

MJS Auto and Marine.........................6 Moss Europe Ltd ..............................33 Naylor Brothers .............................. 98 Norton Insurance ............................69 NTG Services...................................43 Oselli Ltd ...........................................71 Peter Best............................ IBC,79,81 Prestige MG ..................................... 50 Rees Bros ..........................................55 Retro Lifestyle .................................. 48 Rimmer Bros Ltd..............................33 RJJ Car Shipping and Transportation81 Robin Lackford Motor Engineering55 Scenic Car Tours ........................13,23 SMR ...................................................95 Sports and Vintage .......................... 84 Steve McKie Sports Cars.................81 Summit MG......................................71 Surrey Sports & Classics ................. 79 Sussex Classic Car Parts ....................4 The Hutson Motor Co Ltd ...............4 Waimak Classic Cars....................... 83 Webcon ............................................61 Correct at time of going of to press

Failing 6v batteries?

Fit Manor Garages twin 12v conversion.

Still 12v but with double the capacity.

Fits existing battery boxes, with minimal extra wiring. Reliable starting power after your MG has been parked up. KIT £150 +vat.

Visit our website: www.manorgaragewantage.co.uk JULY 2015

79

23/06/2015 10:00

CENTRES

CENTRE

SOUTH WEST

Jim Lott 07773 491953 chairman@mgccsw.com www.mgccsw.com www.facebook.com/MGCCSW @mgccsw

I have three events organised by the Centre to report on this month.

On Sunday May 10 the annual Wye Valley Social Run was held. It started in the car park opposite the Old Court Hotel in Symonds Yat and around 40 cars took part. It was a lovely day and a scenic route of around 40 miles was planned to the lunch stop at Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire, South East Wales. After lunch another route was set, again around 40 miles ending back at the Old Court Hotel for a light meal with a noggin and a natter before setting off back home. The picture shows some of the MGs parked in front of the

Castle and the occupants enjoying a picnic lunch On Saturday May 16, MGs On Grass 1 (MGOG1), an autotest on grass was held at Charmy Down near Bath. Eighteen entrants took part in a variety of MGs: a PA, two TCs, two Midgets, two MGBs, an MGZR, three MGF and three MGTFs. The overall winner was John Delafield in his Midget with his son Ben double driving the Midget in second place and Midget/MGB class winner.

Peter Jones in his TC took the ‘Oldtimers’ class.

Dave Mothersdill in the ZR took the ‘Modern’ class with Tony Pope in an MGTF in second place. Tony and two other MGF/TF Register members used this event as a practice for the California Cup on 20th June at Silverstone. The photo shows some

of the competitors queuing up to start one of the tests.

On May 25, Bank Holiday Monday, the Wessex Sprint (a joint promotion with the MG, Bristol Pegasus and Bristol Car Clubs) took place at Hullavington airfield. This was the first time this venue had been used and was a great success.

There were 71 competitors signed on, and two practice runs were held in the morning and three timed runs in the afternoon. Neil Lock, driving his MG TF160, took the Nuffield Trophy (Best MGCC Member on Class Index) and Rob Orford took the MGCC Wessex Trophy for fastest MG driven by an MGCC member.

Future events planned: Sunday July 26: MGs On Grass 2 (MGOG2), in a field near Yatton, North Somerset.

Sunday August 16: Mendip Car Trial, on a hill near Chew Stoke, Somerset.

Saturday September 12: Wiscombe Hill Climb, near Honiton in Devon. A great day out for some grass roots motor sport, in a very picturesque setting. Why not volunteer to marshal? There is a free lunch if you do.

Details of contacts for these and our other events can be found on the Centre website www. mgccsw.com.

CENTRE

TYNE TEES Noel Lindford noel.lindford@btinternet.com

The 2015 Prince Bishops & St. Cuthbert’s Run took place on Sunday June 7, and once again we had fine weather for the respective starts at Stokesley and on the harbour front at Seahouses.

A superb mix of 58 cars (spanning nine decades) entered in total, including excellent support from our friends at Austin Healey Club Northumbria.

The lunch halt for the Prince Bishops Run this year was in Richmond, and the St. Cuthbert’s Run stopped at Kirkharle, near Wallington.

All cars arrived safely (and on time) at Palace Green in Durham where TTC marshals managed some creative parking to display the cars at their

best in front of the Cathedral. Paul Plummer (MGCC Overseas Director) took part in the event and also kindly agreed to be our guest judge. The Prince Bishops Trophy for pre-1981 cars was awarded to Maurice Standish for his splendid 1939 MG WA Drop-head Coupe with Midnight Blue Keller bodywork, currently the only one running in the UK. The Prebends Trophy for post 1981 cars was awarded to Richard Wood from Lancashire who entered a Caribbean Blue MG RV8. Steve Owens was awarded a ‘Spirit of the Event’ whiskey tumbler for his Austin Healey 3000 in red over black, which is a local car. My grateful thanks to all the TTC marshals for a superb effort, and especially to Ian Whyte for the excellent route he devised for the St. Cuthbert’s Run.

Maurice Standish’s MG WA Coupe alongside an XK150 on Palace Green

80

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 80

Events coming up: Sunday July 5 ‘Classics in Corbridge’ at Tynedale Park: We have an MGCC stand at this event, so if you have not registered

for this superb event, why not come along anyway and visit us at our new TTC Event Shelter.

Saturday August 8 & Sunday 9 ‘Croft Nostalgia Weekend’: Tyne-Tees Centre will have a stand. If you wish to display your car (pre-1977), go to the website at www.croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/ nostalgia and download a booking form. Be quick before they close the entry list! Please annotate the top of the form with ‘MG Car Club Tyne-Tees Centre’… and let me know too please.

Sunday August 30 Hamsterley Hoppings: The Centre will have a stand at this village show which supports local charities. It is an excellent day out, so if you would like to display your car, then please contact Dennis Hope on 0191 517 2804 or email denhope@hotmail.co.uk.

St. Cuthbert’s Run start at Seahouses

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:00

PETER BEST www.classicinsurance.co.uk

DONHOODS-SFAug07.QXD:Layout 1

23/9/09

The best policies for either classic 16:22 Pageor1 modern MGs

DON HOODS UNBEATABLE QUALITY – UNBEATABLE VALUE! DIRECT FROM THE MAKERS – WITH OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Choice of heavy duty PVC, ICI Vynide, Everflex, Duc k and Mohair

•BETTER THAN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT QUALITY •STITCHED AND WELDED FOR MAXIMUM LIFE •WIDEST CHOICE OF COLOURS AVAILABLE •ALL FASTENERS & FITTINGS INCLUDED D PRICE FOR LEAFLET AN LIST CONTACT Ltd Don Trimming Co. 7JJ ingham B23

13 Tel: 0121 373 13ICE CARPET SETS FOR MOST

MODELS

•

DERBYSHIRE

Suppliers of parts for • MGA • MGB • MGC • Midget • T Type • MGF/TF

Albert Street North, Chesterfield, S41 8NP

w w

The Great British

26/10/09

13:0

Steering Wheel

Steve McKie Sports Cars Hi-Res.indd 1

23/06/2010 13:46

Mid w.

The Brooklands We manufacture the BROOKLANDS

landwheels.c o

m

* 24/7 Online Shop * Secure Checkout * Sale Offers * Alloy Wheels * Tyres * Seats * And Other Car Accessories

Tel: +44(0)1926 817444

Email: sales@midlandwheels.com - Fax: 01926 817784

Colne Classics

MG Power Steering and restoration specialists

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

01255 432693, 07714 675319

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 81

CHESTERFIELD

Specialists in the repair and restoration of MG cars

Tel 01246 454527 • Fax 01246 Kimble-SF_Nov-09.qxd:Kimble MGE453681 1_8 col 3.3

www.donhoods.com

www.mgcc.co.uk

STEVE McKIE SPORTSCARS

www.stevemckiesportscars.co.uk

OFF

00 Tel: 01202 7422

01621 840400

AL MAKES & L incl: MG, MODELS Tr Escort, Giumph, olf etc.

Hampton Road, Birm

SOUTHERN SALES

Call for a quote today

Steering Wheel from the original BLUEMEL tooling. It is not a Far Eastern copy and is made using the original methods and traditional materials. The CENTRE BOSS fixing kit, again from the original tooling, not only fits the MG TC and pre-war MGs, but the TD, TF and MGA. There are boss kits for other makes and kit cars too.

Ww14” ENo Nalso in NOW ABLE Ivo AILry AV

Now also 15½ inch wheel

BROOKLANDS AEROSCREENS are made using laminated glass to original specification to suit all vintage and sports cars.

john@johnkimble.co.uk

K KIMBLE

EST 1969

Tel: 01803 835757 Fax: 01803 834567

Unit 5, Old Mill Creek, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 0HN.

SPECIALISTS IN CAR SHIPPING AND TRANSPORTATION

Worldwide export and import services

• Customs clearance • UK & European collection & delivery • SAFE • SECURE • COMPETITIVE t: 01394 695566 f: 01394 673031 kevin.lewis@rjjfreight.co.uk

chinita@rjjfreight.co.uk

www.rjjfreight.co.uk

JULY 2015

81

23/06/2015 10:00

CENTRES

CENTRE

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

North – Ken Cothliff The ‘Drive it Day’ idea of joining the 24/39 Group on their run to the Yorkshire Gliding centre was a great success.

This month’s theme was our annual Pride of Ownership. A good turn out on a cold but dry evening at The Tempest. As usual standards were high, and choosing the best was no easy task. In the end the results were; 1st Jeff and Kate Marsden MGA Coupe, 2nd Nick Mann MG Magnette Farina, 3rd Ken Cothliff MG Midget. Congratulations to them all.

The Natter has decided to purchase some canvas bags to use promoting the MGCC Yorkshire at various events we attend. The colours will reflect the longstanding colour schemes of the Club.

South – Kathryn Twiby Four members and two MGs went to the North West 200 in Ireland and returned happy but windswept.

The Wolds Way Run on the 10th was enjoyed by those attending.

Congratulations to Pete and Cliff for their successes at the annual autotest.

Nick Mann’s restored Magnette ready for his daughter’s wedding Photo: David Copeman

We had two theatre trips this month; thanks to Denise for organising.

Next Natter on June 24 is also Pride of Ownership.

East – Brian Rylance A very successful Wolds Way Run, ably managed by Chris Moore and team. Our thanks to Maple Garage and staff who sponsored the Start location and the supply of plaques.

The first Evening Run of the Season by Jan and Barry Tomlinson featured an invasion of the South Bank with 14 cars having a fine run into Lincolnshire afore returning to the North for Repast.

West – David Copeman A circular evening run from The Star to Haworth, returning for a light supper and birthday celebrations for David Chapman, was enjoyed by the 32 members who took part.

Twenty-two MGs plus a Mini and a Rover were all well presented for our Pride of Ownership. Steve Poutney was voted the winner with his SV, Geoff Morris came a close second in his MGF, with David and Carol Copeman third

in their RV8. A Pie and Pea supper finished off a very nice evening.

The Clubman autotest held at the John Smith Stadium finished off the month’s activities.

Photographs and details of all three events can be found on www.mgccyorkshire.co.uk.

Tiger – Pete Welbourn Our first two luncheon runs were repeats of earlier outings, as will be our third on June 13 when we are going back to the White Horse Farm Inn. The good news is that in July we are going to a new venue, the St. Vincent Arms in Sutton upon Derwent. They are car club friendly and recently hosted the Aston Martin owners club.

Mel thinks we could investigate a good number of new venues, if I wrote the name of the village as well as the pub on the scrap of paper that I was going to misplace.

Finely opening an MGA bonnet without the aid of a working latch, spend days on internet forums, make countless ‘special’ tools, skin your knuckles and then come to your senses, cut four slats out of the grille, put your hand through and belt it with a hammer head, easy.

West Yorkshire ready for an evening run to Haworth Photo: Dorothy French

CENTRE

ULSTER

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

The Dowey Sunday Runs are proving to be extremely popular, with 30 members and friends appearing at some stage during the day. Mike had again excelled himself in co-ordinating the run which started at Patterson’s Spade Mill and almost every car was an MG which is very encouraging. The weather stayed fair for our picnic lunch although the wind was very cold.

After some time people chatting away we drifted off to start our scenic tour to The Dark Hedges.

Boy was it crowded, even a tour bus was there and so many were taking photos not just of the Hedges but our MGs. Our boys drove in a cortege down to the other end of the trees and slowly came up the avenue while being shot on video and stills. Boys and their toys! Next necessary stop was in Armoy for the inevitable ice cream, especially for Wallace McKee who just can’t resist it, and then we headed over beautiful Orra

82

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 82

Lodge on our way to dinner. Even though cold there was lots of sunshine and the light over the moors and through the Dark Hedges was just beautiful. Some photos have been put onto our Facebook page. Thank you Mike for organising a terrific day out, it’ll be hard to beat that for an August outing!

Unfortunately we have had to change the date of our next social run on July 26 to August 9, similar format so do please keep your eyes peeled for details of where and when to meet, after which we will have a short run and a treasure hunt which will take us to a National Trust Open Garden and then have our evening meal in The Poacher’s Pocket (previously Lisbarnet House). It will probably also be a byo picnic day too.

Please contact Carol if you wish to go along to any of the social outings as we need to give numbers to the eateries.

Dates for your Diary: Sunday Run August 9 Ulster Classic Trial September 4 PCTs September 19, October 3, October 24 Autotest October 18 AutoSOLO November 7

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:12

WAIMAK CLASSIC CARS

PO Box 373 Rangiora 7440 North Canterbury New Zealand Tel: +64 (0) 3 310-6485 / 0274990020 www.waimakclassiccars.co.nz Email: info@waimakclassiccars.co.nz Please Note: Viewing of vehicles STRICTLY by appointment only. Should you wish to call us, you may do so Monday to Friday between 9:00am till 6:00pm (NZ StandardTime). Alternatively, you may email us anytime.

1932 MG J2 The Car With The Racing Pedigree!

850cc – 4 owners – 3598 miles - NZ New – fully restored to Concours condition – Comes with purpose built trailer – very collectable classic – this car is number J2571 - History is available from BRAND NEW that is FROM 1932 - This car was chosen by the MG Car Club ib Bew Zealand to represent its type at the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours February 2008 - This J2 is ABSOLUTELY IMMACULATE. There’s nothing to fault here. No other car has had such a meteoric rise to popularity.

From modest beginnings, built to an ideal by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, this car proudly boasts of a list of successes in the competition, racing and record breaking fields that was never equalled before in the history of motoring. £39K

1980 MG Midget Heavy On The Fun... Light On The Budget! 65217 Miles, Convertible, 1493, Petrol, Manual £8K

1958 MG MGA THE GETAWAY CAR! 86078, Convertible, 1500, Petrol, Manual £20K

1955 MG TF Style & Performance!

Convertible, 1500, Petrol, Manual £23K

1977 MG B GT A Very Original, Low Mileage Example! 45454, Coupe, 1798, Petrol, Manual £12K

Please note, all prices are in GBP and include shipping to UK port (FOB)

We are MG enthusiasts with over 30 years experience, offering an extensive range of services. Our modern, fully equipped workshop is easily found just off the A22/A26 Uckfield by-pass with good road, rail and bus links.

Classic MG Services

• MOT, servicing and tuning • Repairs, modification/ upgrading • Panel/paint work and structural jig alignment • Welding and fabrication • All restoration work • Pre-purchase inspections and reports We are looking for Skilled & Semi-Skilled Workshop Staff.

Please visit our website or email for further details

Modern MG/Rover

• MG/Rover fixed price servicing • MOT testing & repairs • Genuine MG/Rover parts used, all work guaranteed • T4 diagnostics • Suspension pump-up • 4-wheel alignment • Glass rear screens • Head gasket conversions • Loan car by arrangement

Call Graham Stevens

01825 762040

www.mggarage.co.uk Unit 2, 70 Bell Lane, Bellbrook Industrial Estate, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1QL Mob: 07703 646798 graham@mggarage.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 83

JULY 2015

83

23/06/2015 10:00

REGISTERS

REGISTER

VINTAGE John Venables 01865 862573 johnandtriciav@gmail.com

Silverstone has again taken place. I am sure we all had a good time meeting up with people, and making new friends.

The next event which is being supported by the Register is Pre-War Prescott on July 18-19. I have been receiving bulletins from the organisers, and it really looks a good day.

Saturday late afternoon features a fly past by a WW11 Hurricane which I am particularly keen to see as I know the owner. The entry includes all passengers in the car and a run up the hill, no crash helmets or overalls needed, but it is not a race.

The weekend of August 1 and 2 is the annual

VSCC Prescott hill climb. One of our members, Geoff Radford, and his son Andrew will be competing in the 18/100 Tigress, so come and give them encouragement. Don’t forget our usual picnics in the lunch break.

Following on from these events, a very social event takes place in an Oxford college on August 30. It is a concours d’état plus a very nice lunch in the college. Last year 10 per cent of the cars were 18/80s, but you do need to be a VSCC member.

Finally I am hoping we can support Kop Hill Climb on September 19, and I would be glad to know if there is any support for this. It is based

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

Brands Hatch Tail-Piece: Last month’s SF! contained plenty of exposure for ‘our‘ cars at Brands Hatch. To the fore were a couple of pictures of Chas Jones and the family L Type leading the field home in the MMM races. A few days later I recieved an email from former owner Chris Ashworth who bought the car in the 1960s, sporting of all things a Singer body (pictured) which he describes as ‘ill fitting’!

During his ownership, he did the decent thing and sourced the correct body (Ex J2), longer bonnet and decent wings, before passing the car on, and it eventually ended up with Bob Jones in the 1970s.

Current and former owners are now in touch, Chris is please to see his old car has survived and Chas

has a few more pictures to add to the car’s file.

Wessex Sprint Held on the early May Bank Holiday at Hullavington in Wiltshire, stalwarts Barry Foster and Phil Coombs kept the MMM flag flying whilst your scribe and Jonathan Toulmin (he of Cream Cracker fame) entered in slightly more modern non-MG machinery (enough said…). With few reference points and long grass bounding the edge of the track, this infrequently used course presents a bit of a challenge, most competitors’ times improving by a big margin every run. Had it been wet, Foz would no doubt have embarrassed a significant percentage of the entry!

near Thame Oxon, details are on the internet.

Our very enthusiastic member Mike Heins has recently had a triple bypass operation; we wish him well for a speedy recovery. I have spoken with him, still Mike, very enthusiastic, but had to turn the supercharger down a bit for a few weeks.

Finally I have had a problem with the 18/80’s starter motor which I thought would probably need a rewind. I took it off expecting a hefty bill but the problem turned out to be a faulty solenoid which cost £18 to replace. I think the old one came off of Noah’s Ark, it certainly looked very old.

REGISTER Forthcoming Events MMM Summer Gathering (July 19 2015) – only a few weeks away, there may just be time to enter our annual bash (informal bbq, chin-wag and the odd non-serious test or two) at Peter Green’s in Farnham Royal near Slough. If you haven’t already entered and wish to go along, Peter can be contacted on: p.green@mgk3.co.uk Register Touring Event (August 18-21 2015) – Fully booked as I write these notes, there may be a few places available due to late cancellations for this event based in Lincolnshire Wolds at the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa (the WW2 HQ of 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron). Further details from Elizabeth on: e.taylor@oakend.net or phone +44 (0)1628 665055.

Chas Jones’ L Type when owned by Chris Ashworth in the mid 1960s

Barry Foster and Phil Coombs prepare to take on the moderns at the Wessex Sprint

Covering Models 1929 - 1939 Upper Upper Battlefield Battlefield Shrewsbury Shrewsbury SY4 SY4 3DB. 3DB. Tel: Tel: 01939 01939 210458.

210458. Fax Fax 01939 01939 210644 210644

sales@sportsandvintage.co.uk sales@sportsandvintage.co.uk Fully Fully updateable updateable 10th 10th edition edition catalogues, catalogues, £10 £10 plus plus postage postage

MOTORS Sports and Vintage.indd 1

84

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 84

www.SporTSanDvinTage.co.Uk www.SporTSanDvinTage.co.Uk

BRITISH MOTOR HERITAGE APPROVED

19/1/07 11:22:06

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:39

REGISTERS

SVW Charlie Plain-Jones cplainjones@gmail.com www.svwregister.co.uk/

As a relatively small Register, in terms of numbers of surviving cars, it is a real pleasure to welcome new members and wish them many years of enjoying the unique pleasures of SVW ownership. I nearly said ‘motoring’ but I am afraid I don’t know if these cars are on the road or not; perhaps their owners might like to let us know a little bit about them?

John Raine SA Saloon Cyprus Mike Simonds VA Tickford Sussex Tony Wilder VA Saloon Yorkshire By the time you read this, those of you who are coming to Chichester in August will have booked up? Please remember to bring with you any MG spares you have (for the informal autojumble), swimming togs and towels if you wish to use the pool, and your Bus Pass (if you have one).

Also, please ensure that you have informed Paul and Sharman that you are coming, and given them your car registration number; their email address is paulandsharman@gmail.com.

Maybe Mike Symonds from Sussex will be able to bring his VA Tickford along?

Our picture this month is from Maciek Peda and his WA Tickford in Poland and is something of a curtain raiser for the annual SVW Review which will be published in time for the August

weekend. Maciek and his car are supporters of Revival meetings, hence the USAF flying suit, and even track days(!).

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

The T Register and Competition Celebrated at MGLive! last month was the 60th anniversary of the BMC Competitions Department which was formed early in 1955 and was based in the MG Works in Abingdon, a most fitting location being the home of the Morris Motors sporting legend since the 1920s.

Ironically as far as the T Register is concerned, it was also the end of the line for the beloved T Types which had maintained their sporting tradition since 1936, the last TF 1500 being produced in April 1955.

Up to the time of the formation of the Comps Dept, the racing scene after the war had been dominated by the ‘T’s almost worldwide, and with the backing and support from Abingdon they were a very successful force to be reckoned with. At the same time there was a revival in competitive rallying, the most famous being the Monte Carlo starting in Northern Europe and ending in the South of France in wintry conditions proving a formidable task for cars and drivers. Also close to home was the ever popular RAC Rally, and in all these events private teams of MGs and Works Team sponsored cars were always in the fray, a tough test for any T Type, but success was never far away.

The Competition Department was finally closed down in 1969 by British Leyland, the

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 85

then seemingly custodian of the UK car market, but by this time the T Register had become well established, having been primarily formed to promote and continue the competitive spirit and fun of T Type racing.

And so it continues to this day; a nucleus of dedicated racers are to be seen at all the MG race days throughout the year, just look at

REGISTER Sorry but I don’t have the young lady’s name….

REGISTER the reports in Safety Fast! from Brands Hatch, Donington and of course Silverstone last month in June.

And also do not forget that if racing seems a little too competitive and expensive, there is always the Luffield Championship, sprints, hill climbs and much more, get out there and give it a go, it is what your car was made for...

JULY 2015

85

23/06/2015 10:39

REGISTERS

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

The 18th MG Y Register Spring Weekend The second weekend of May (9-10) marked the 18th Y Register Spring Weekend. It was held in Stone Staffordshire where 35 of us enjoyed a good meal and an entertaining evening. This was followed on the Sunday with a run to Little Moreton Hall, a fascinating 16th Century property owned by the National Trust, and located on the south Cheshire border.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the presence of Paul and Maggie Grafham, who formed the first Y Type Register in 1979. It then gained its independence from the T Register, having been formed to encourage awareness of the Y Type and discourage T owners from acquiring Ys for their XPAG engines. Very different times from now when the Y model has the status that it deserves in both saloon and tourer form as a well appointed and stylish saloon. They kept the Register going for around four years during what were very difficult times for the MGCC, with the company closing in 1980. Both owners of Y saloons for many years and a number of other interesting vehicles, they moved to Lincolnshire and then west to Herefordshire. A remarkable couple, both of whom gave a unique flavour to the evening, and our thanks for their wonderful

contribution; we very much look forward to seeing them at future Y events.

Organisers Chris and Annette Callaghan provided a fine morning run through to Little Moreton Hall, and at the end of the day an award session was undertaken as is the tradition. Whilst our numbers were reduced to only 13 cars, there were four YTs, five YAs and four YBs; a number were missing owing to repair issues.

The Awards At the Dinner, Neil Cairns was awarded the `Dennis Doubtfire Shield’ for the individual who with his/her Y attends the most events in a year. Well done Neil!

Spring Run Weekend – Winner of the Broken Piston Trophy – Peter Sharp

MGB Neil Hyett 01869 241180 neilhyett54@btinternet.com www.mgb-register.org

The picture this month shows the Jean Denton MGB on display at the Historic Marathon Rally Show at Gaydon.

The show takes place every few years and displays both historic rally cars which have taken part in the marathon type rallies together with other historic cars of all makes. Obviously there were many cars from the British Leyland stable, in particular Triumphs, Land Crabs and of course the Mini, with ours being the only MG on display.

All the other cars were restored, part restored or in good original condition but even though the B is, shall we say, not in the best of health we were

86

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 86

amazed that we had a continual stream of people throughout the day showing great interest in it.

Hopefully many of you saw it at MGLive! so can appreciate the historical importance of the car, which will become a great asset for the club. We will keep you posted on how its rebuild proceeds.

The difficult bit will be to get the car structurally sound and roadworthy but not to over restore it, so we maintain its patina and character.

The Shelsley Walsh gathering is fast approaching so if you are interested, get your entry in soon. It should be a great day at an historic motor sport venue and there are still some places available for the MGB Weekend. Full details for both below.

Vulcan XH558. For those who are interested in aircraft, you will no doubt know this is the last year that the Vulcan XH 558 will be flying. It will be doing a display at the Fairford Air Tattoo on Sunday July 19 where we have a reserved parking area for the Register. The area is close to where the Vulcan will be parked so you will get viewing. The cost is £36.00 person so if you are interested contact John Watson whose contact details are on the website.

MGB Register, Shelsley Walsh Gathering, August 16. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the MGB GT, why not join us at Shelsley for picnic. As always all models of MG

REGISTER The Piston Broke Award was awarded to Peter Sharp, who had a problem with his Y and couldn’t make it to the event (though was present in his modern). This award must have been closely contested by Bill Bennett!

On the day participants are invited to judge which car they would like to take home with them.

Cars were considered in each of the vehicle types and there were separate awards for each.

The YA Award was won by Chris Pick in his lovely two tone saloon.

The YB Award was picked up by Neil Cairns for his super efficient YB. The YT Award was deservedly won by Richard Knight.

Spring Run Weekend – Winner of the YA Trophy – Chris Pick

REGISTER are welcome. You can pay on the day at the gate or you can book in advance and get a reduced entry price. A number of lucky owners selected from the advance entries will be invited to join in a parade up the hill during the lunch break so get your entry in now. I have been lucky enough to drive the hill and can certainly recommend it.

MGB Weekend, September 25-28. This year the weekend is going to Wales and will be based at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells. As usual it will be a social weekend with scenic runs on the Saturday and Sunday. If you haven’t been on a weekend before I can guarantee you will have a great time. Numbers are restricted to 40 cars so if you are thinking of joining us, don’t leave it too late so not to be disappointed because places normally go quickly.

MGB Register Lecture, October 15. Why not join us for our sixth presentation which this year will feature the story of the SS Great Britain, the iconic ship designed by the brilliant Isambard Brunel in 1843. This is a unique opportunity to hear the inside story and ask questions of the people who passionately believe it should be renovated as part of our engineering heritage. All the previous Lectures have had great reviews so I’m sure this one will continue the success.

All details and booking forms for all events are on the website.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 13:26

MARTIN SMITH www.usedmg spares.co.uk

Quality New and Used MGF & MGTF Spares

MGC Sebrings for Sale

Covering all models from 1995 > 2006 All items Supplied - from body panels, interiors & engines to headlights & wheel nuts

Complete restoration of MGBs & Cs TEL: 01442 832019

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

PARTS - SERVICE - SALES MGB/C’s BUILT TO ORDER. CALL FOR COMPLETE LIST

MG SALES

FAX: 01442 832029

Hempstead Road, Bovingdon, Herts HP3 0HE

65_871_MG_MOTORSPORT_ADVURN33760.pgs 10.02.2015 12:15

FMG-Advent

SHEPPERTON, MIDDLESEX TEL: 01932 241843 / 07836 281493 WWW.CHURCHSQUAREAUTOS.COM EMAIL: MGSALES@CHURCHSQUAREAUTOS.COM

MG TF 135 Style pack. (just 32,000 miles)

MG TF 80TH ANNIVERSARY 135 (22,000 miles)

MG TF 135 Spark+Hardtop (just45,000 miles)

MG TF 135 Face lift (just 39,000 miles)

February 2011 ”60” Reg. Finished in Radiant Red/ full black leather. One of the very last MG TF’s made 2011 model with folding mirrors (58th from last). Style pack car so full leather, silver interior trim, Twisted pepper alloys, heated glass rear screen, engine water level sensor. Full service history.

Superb. 12 MONTHS WARRANTY. £6,995

April 2004 ”04” Reg. Finished in Silver/Black leather grenadine inserts. Previously supplied by us a very low mileage TF135 80th ltd edition. Having covered just 22,000 miles. Black leather sport seats with grenadine alcantara inserts, grenadine hood, sports pack 2, chrome packs, due in soon. £4,995

September 2004”54” Reg. Finished in Xpower Grey/ black half leather grey inserts A superb ltd edition Spark fitted with a removable colour coded hardtop.

These were very high spec TF’s. Spec included chrome packs, bright interior pack,fog lights, sports pack 2 (with unmarked) 16” alloys. Black leather with grey alcantara inserts plus MG logo. Full service history, recent cambelt just moted. 12 months warranty. £4,695

September 2007”57” Reg. Finished in Ignition Blue/ black half leather Previously supplied by us ,a late facelift TF135. Fitted with a glass heated rear screen, soft ride suspension, half leather sport seats, hairpin style alloys. F.S.H due in later this week. £4,495

MG TF 135 High spec (Just 28,000 miles)

MG TF 135 Rare colour (just 26,000 miles)

MG TF 135 + Hardtop (just 31,000 miles)

MG TF 135 Sprint, 1 owner (just 28,000 miles)

November 2004” 54” Reg. 28,000 MilesFinished in Black/Grenadine interior Here we offer a very low mileage high spec TF135, having covered just 28000 miles with full service history and just 2 owners. Finished in metallic black with Grenadine cockpit black leather sport seats with grenadine alcantara inserts. Black hood with a heated glass rear screen. 16” 11 spoked alloys. Sold with a new Headgasket/water pump /cambelt and mot. Superb condition. £4,495

November 2002”52” Reg. Finished in Celestial blue/Full Black leather Pre reg plus one private owner from new. Very low mileage having covered just 26,000 miles. High spec TF135 fitted with Full black leather sport seats, sports pack 2 with 11 spoke 16” alloys, chrome packs, front fog lights, etc. Finished in very rare Monogram Celestial Blue (code IAI), Superb condition. To be Sold with a new headgasket/cambelt/water pump and mot. £4,295

May 2004 ”04” Reg. Finished in Solar Red/Full Black leather Previously supplied by us some 8 years ago @10,000miles. Having covered now just 31,000 miles with full service history.

Finished in Solar Red with a colour coded removable hardtop Black soft top and full Black leather sport seats. Chrome packs engine water level sensor, abs braking etc. £4,295

November 2002 ”52” Reg. Finished in Silver/ Black half leather grey inserts. 1 owner. Ltd edition model with just 500 made. Full service history 9 services. Fitted with sports pack 2 with unmarked 16” alloys, light smokestone cockpit, chrome packs, front fog lights, grey hood with a Glass heated rear screen. Immaculate condition. Fitted with a new Headgasket/cambelt and water pump 22/5/15 £4,295

VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT PLEASE

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 87

This is just a small selection from our stock

FAMILY BUSINESS ESTABLISHED 1981 OUR OFFICE/ SHOWROOM IS AT 62B HIGH STREET SHEPPERTON TW17 9AU

www.churchsquareautos.com JULY 2015

87

23/06/2015 10:01

REGISTERS

MIDGET Neil Thomas 07891 684435 ns.tenby@hotmail.com www.midgetregister.com

Well, MGLive! is over again for another year. It was great meeting all of you who made themselves known over the weekend. We hope you enjoyed the Midget display in the marquee. Dave Storer takes the credit for his ingenuity there. Thank you Dave. Thanks must also go to British Heritage who kindly loaned their Midget for the display. You may well have recognised the car from various hillclimbs and Sprints that it takes part in. Dave Savage kindly facilitated getting it to and from the show, so thanks Dave. Finally thanks also go to the MR Committee volunteers who gave up their spare time to help at the event. It is appreciated.

Now, news. We would like to congratulate MGCC member John Ross on winning this year’s MR Car of the Year award. The photo in this write up shows John receiving his shield from MR chairman Mike Parker and accompanied by John Hutchison, MGCC Competitions Secretary.

I have also been informed that MGCC member Nick Day has joined the ranks of the Midget & Sprite Challenge and we look forward to seeing him racing in this season’s events. Good luck Nick.

I know some of you have seen the Midget Register advert for this year’s September Run in last month’s Safety Fast!. The reason I know? Well entries have started to come in already. Don’t forget it’s on Sunday September 6 and centres on the glorious

Eastnor Castle on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire/ Gloucestershire border area, and includes a tour into the Forest of Dean, which according to the actor Richard Wilson (I don’t believe it) was the birthplace of British Tourism. Go to You Tube at http://youtu. be/8BAISfaZ8Bs to see a glimpse of his programme.

We would love to see you there.

MGC Ginny Cartmell 01208 821552 ginnycartmell@btinternet.com

May 16 and 17 saw our Annual MGC Register event, in lovely sunshine at times this year, but more importantly no rain. Another great turn out of MGCs, with many other marques attending too. Thanks to all for joining us once again and to those that came along for the first time, of which we had a record amount this year.

I will be doing a larger pictorial spread in September of MGC weekend 2015, with a write up, but for now, just a short story about the now famous Rocker Cover donated at 2014’s MGC Register event at Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb.

The story starts with Vic Young very kindly donating an MGC Rocker Cover, for us to auction at our Dinner 2014 MGC Register weekend. The auction duly took place after we had all eaten and had a little liquid refreshment too. The Rocker Cover was won by Barry and Victoria Hennicker, with a very generous bid, and we thought that was the end of it. However the story didn’t finish there. Our MGC Weekend that year was at Shelsley Walsh and it just so happened that Sir Stirling Moss was going to be attending the Hill Climb on Sunday and not only be attending, but will be coming across to the C Register area to meet with the committee and all our members.

Barry and Victoria very cleverly spoke to Sir Stirling Moss during that afternoon and managed to get him to sign the Rocker Cover and got the

88

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 88

photographic evidence.... Taking our rusty Rocker Cover to new heights, Barry and Victoria hatched another plan.

Rocker cover signing, Sir Stirling Moss To our amazement, they came along to our event this year and donated the Rocker Cover back to the C Register, to be auctioned off once again over the Saturday night’s dinner. Now with its very prestigious signature, we had high hopes and we were not disappointed.

The item was won, once again late into the evening and the new owners Mike and Angie

REGISTER There may also be limited space left for the Isle of Wight weekend on October 2-5 this year.

Contact me direct for details.

Well, that’s it for me this month. If any of you would like to send me any news or pics for these notes, such as you with your car, please do so.

I’m always happy to receive items.

REGISTER Haughton, below, are now looking very proud with their new purchase.

Mike and Angie tell me their mission is to get another significant signing and return it to the C Register for next year’s dinner auction. Watch this space, you could be the proud owner next year and what would your challenge be...!

Thanks to both Barry and Victoria and Mike and Angie for your continued support of the C Register, it is much appreciated.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:01

MIDGET REGISTER ROAD RUN

EASTNOR CASTLE AND THE FOREST OF DEAN RUN SEPTEMBER 6 2015

This Year’s MGCC Midget Register’s September Run’ is open to all types of MG’s and derivatives and to both MGCC members and non members. It will take place on Sunday September 6, entitled 'Eastnor Castle and the Forest of Dean'.

The event will be centred on the beautiful country residence of Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. Close to the Malvern Hills and surrounded by a Deer Park, Arboretum and Lake, it provides an idyllic setting and perfect backdrop for our Cars.

With this Year’s event it is planned to start and finish at Eastnor Castle. Entrants will assemble in the Courtyard of the Castle, being able to take advantage of the Café which will be open early to welcome participants, before following a route through the nearby Forest of Dean, an historic area of ancient Woodland, quaint villages and beautiful views.

Having followed a circular route, Cars will arrive back at the Castle to provide an opportunity to visit the attractions there www.eastnorcastle.com .

The entry fee is £26 and includes Route Book, Plaque, entry to the Gardens for two people. Joining instructions will be sent to you prior to the start date.

As well as being able to enter via the form below, participants can also enter and pay on line via the Midget Register website

Name

Reg No

Address

MGCC membership No Entries to: Neil Thomas, The Hollies, Gumfreston, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, SA70 8RA

Telephone No I enclose a cheque for £ Email MG model

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 89

made payable to: MGCC Midget Register, ENCLOSING A STAMPED ADDRESSED ENVELOPE

23/06/2015 10:01

REGISTERS

V8 Victor Smith 0208 392 9434 victorsmith@v8register.net www.v8register.net

V8 Technical Day This year’s V8 Technical Day in June was held in the John Thornley Suite at Club Office in Abingdon. Thirty-five members attended the day, which comprised a series of presentations from speakers on the technical side of owning V8 MGs. The event was organised by Roger Aldridge with the support of Nic Houslip.

Mike Macartney – Building a V8 Roadster. First up was Mike Macartney, well known to members for his excellent series of articles posted on the V8 website which talked through his previous restoration. However at the seminar he focused on an MGB GTV8 including his planning, budgeting and management of the rebuild, as well as more detailed stories of the challenges involved! The car’s owner, Dougald MacNeill, a longstanding V8 member, was present with the car, and members were able to examine it and see the quality of Mike’s work.

Mark Wanstall – Hoyle Suspension upgrades. Next up was Mark Wanstall, a long term MGV8 enthusiast who runs a very successful specialist servicing and restoration business, Fisher Services. In 2014 he bought John Hoyle’s engineering business supplying high quality independent rear suspension, front suspension and brake upgrades for MGs. Mark brought along

examples of the Hoyle upgrades and one of his customers, Richard Martin, brought along his V8 Roadster which has all the Hoyle parts fitted, so members were able to examine it in detail.

Nic Houslip – update on V8 cooling issues. Nic Houslip finished off the morning with a short update on cooling issues for V8s, always a hot topic! It prompted a varied discussion of members’ own cooling problems.

George Wilder and Chris Allan – ‘MG RV8 The Manufacturing Story’. In the afternoon George Wilder and Chris Allan gave a fascinating presentation of the story behind their popular book which has been a runaway success with the sale of over 500 copies. They are now working on another book covering the ‘Development Story’ of the RV8. They finished with video clips of the RV8 crash testing, never before seen in public.

The day concluded with some updates from Nic Houslip and Victor Smith on V8 prices, VED exemption and the move to ethanol petrol plus the launch of our Tax Paid Discs for members.

Debbie Brading provided a first rate spread for lunch and refreshments throughout. We were blessed with excellent weather which enabled a leisurely examination of members’ cars in the summer sunshine during lunch and the tea breaks. Reports of the presentations are available

FWD Tanya Field 07929 868284 tanyafield123@sky.com

The past month has been quieter on the events front for the FWD Register, although by the time you read this we will have attended MGLive! and very much looking forward to the BMC & Leyland Show at Gaydon on Sunday July 5, and MG Saloon Day at Stamford on Sunday July 19. If you would like to join us on our stands at either of these shows but haven’t let me know, please do get in touch. Likewise, if you would like any information on the convoys involved with the BMC & Leyland Show, one from Cowley and the other from Longbridge, please give me a shout.

Ken Armstrong has been helping to get an end of season run together which will be in the Tyne Tees area. I’m aware that most of the events involving the FWD Register are in the Midlands or South so it’s great that Ken is helping to get a Northern run together. The run is on Sunday September 13 hosted by the Tyne Tees Centre who have kindly offered to open the run to FWD Register members. I will keep you up to date with details of the run as and when I get them.

Talking of Ken, I thought that you might like to see his lovely original and unrestored Mk2 MG 1300. As you can see, it is in remarkably good condition and I’m hoping to see it in the metal very soon. With a bit of luck I might have seen it by the time you read this as Ken’s plan is to bring it to MGLive!. Ken tells me that he’s done

90

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 90

his very best to make certain it is ‘Silverstone capable’, including ensuring the cooling system is as effective as possible and refurbishing both front hubs. However, as we all know, our very best may not be appropriately appreciated by our cars, who often have their own ideas about what they should and shouldn’t do!

I am very pleased to have been contacted

by MGCC members Graham Saunders and Roger Martin this past month. Graham is restoring an MG 1300 and it is lovely to see the progress as he brings it back to life. The most recent photos show that it has come back from the paint shop

REGISTER

via the ‘more’ webpage at www.v8register.net/ more.htm.

V8 Summer BBQ Bob and Carolyn Owen are hosting a V8 Summer BBQ on Sunday July 19 from 11am at their home in Mortimer, SW of Reading in Berkshire.

Full details from Bob on 0118 933 2533 or the ‘more’ webpage.

REGISTER and I look forward to seeing its progress as the rebuild starts, progress that I hope to be able to share with you though Safety Fast!. Roger sent me photos of Sid Starling’s MG 1100 which he had spotted at a show in North Essex. This is an unrestored car, Sid is the third owner and it has covered less than 35,000 miles. Roger reported that Sid also had a 1300 GT, but always felt it should be badged an MG! One of the best parts of my role is hearing from the members. Whether it is news of your own FWD cars or ones which you have seen on your travels, please do tell me about them.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:01

REGISTERS

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

News in brief A full account of MGLive! will appear in next month’s notes. But during the weekend we held our postponed AGM and Committee meeting. We reviewed our latest events, continued with the final preparations for the MG Saloon Day and began initial planning for the Classic Motor Show in November. There will be more information next month.

Our immediate thoughts now turn to this year’s MG Saloon Day which takes place at the 16th century Burghley House in Lincolnshire. The Elizabethan country house is located one mile south of Stamford, and approximately two miles from the A1.

Directions: From the South – Leave the A1 at the Carpenters Lodge junction which is signposted Burghley House. Turn left onto the B1081 towards Stamford.

Turn right just past the Bull & Swan Pub on to the B1443 (Barnack Road). Continue along here until you see the Visitors’ Entrance on the right.

From the North – Leave the A1 at the A43 junction towards Stamford. Turn left just before the town centre on to the B1443 (Barnack Road) just past the Bull & Swan Pub and continue along here until you see the Visitors’ Entrance.

For those of you with Sat Nav the postcode for

Burghley House is PE9 3JY. This postcode takes you to the main gated entrance to the house. If you continue slightly further up the B1443 you will see the Visitors’ Entrance (Queen Elizabeth Ave). Follow signs for the coach park entrance which is past the public parking area, then through the gate to where the event area will be. Stewards will be on hand to guide you through.

• Entry to the event will be from 10am • Entrance fee £10 per car • This includes a 2 for 1 admission to the house (vouchers available on the day) • Admission price also includes ‘Show & Shine’ entry for all cars • The house will be open 11am until 5pm • The Parkland will be open 8am until 6pm • The Orangery Restaurant and Garden Cafe’ will be open for refreshments and can be accessed free of charge without having to visit the house or gardens.

Any additional information regarding this event will be posted on the Register Facebook page. Further information regarding Burghley House can be found at www.burghley.co.uk Rear cluster Pride of Longbridge - Update Since last month’s four-page newsletter was

REGISTER

published the Register has been made aware of further information regarding the organisation of the amazing Monogram display at the 10th Pride of Longbridge gathering. The idea for the Monogram display at Longbridge was that of Carla Craine and Alan Amos of The MG-R Monogram Appreciation Group, together with Jonathan Brickell who designed the colourful flow of the display, and former Register Chairman Justin Smith who helped promote the event through the Register and Car Club. It should be noted that the Register played no part in the organising of this display, even though we were present at the event. Many thanks from all Zed enthusiasts to those involved in creating such a stunning display.

Programme of Events 2015 Sunday July 19 MG Saloon Day Burghley House, Lincs Saturday September 12Oulton Park Race Round Oulton Park, Cheshire Sat/Sun October 10-11 Snetterton race Round Snetterton, Norfolk Fri/Sat/Sun November 13-15 Classic Motor Show NEC, Birmingham For further information on forthcoming events and Register information please visit our Register Facebook page.

REGISTER

MG6.3.5

Steve Haines Steve-haines@live.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/MG635Register twitter.com/635register

BTCC Thruxton owners cars and MG Motor BTCC Thruxton in May was a big weekend for 635 Register fans of the BTCC and MG3 owners. MG Motor once again had three MG3s and their owners on their stand on both the Saturday and Sunday to assist with enquiries from the public. This was once again a hugely successful event, with lots of questions and interest. Of course the owners were doing what they enjoy best, talking about their great MG3s! There’s been a lot of positive feedback from all those involved in the weekend and MG Motor certainly looked after the owners with garage tours, freebies, VIP hospitality in the Jack Goff and Pirtek suites and driver Q&As and autograph signings.

There may be another opportunity to do this at a

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 91

later BTCC event, so watch the Facebook page for more details…

Sam Glover was at his first BTCC event and was lucky to meet Andrew Jordan and also have a close up view of the race cars in the paddock area.

The Register had its usual hospitality box opposite the start / finish straight where 30 of us enjoyed a cracking day’s racing on the Sunday.

The raffle raised £125 for our charity Prostate Cancer UK and also some funds for the Register coffers. Huge thanks to everyone that bought a ticket and came along. Looks like we’ll have to do it again next year….

Dealers are starting to take delivery of their demonstrator MG6s, so if you fancy seeing what they are all about, get yourself booked in.

Given the great reviews, increased TV and media advertising, it looks like our best kept secret in the car world will be out there and we may be seeing quite a few more 6s on the roads soon.

There are lots of events going on all over the country and we hope that you can all take part in your 6, 3 or 5 where possible. Please do send in your photos and reports on any events that you attend or interesting places you visit throughout the year.

Keep it Fun and Large and Go Enjoy!

JULY 2015

91

23/06/2015 10:01

LOOKING BACK

This publicity photo of the van-like ‘MG Express’ version of the ZR is shown ready to transport a small but beautifully formed trials bike. We wonder whether the young man, suitably kitted out, actually rode the machine in question or was he simply posing for the photographer?

We have no details regarding this Anthony Bugbird photo other than that the gent in the heavy trenchcoat doing a spot of judging in the rain is Tim Binnington, who as boss of the Abingdon Show Shop was well qualified for the job in hand.

Looking

Back

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.

This photo from the Gordon Cobban collection shows car number 48, a Twin Cam complete with aerodynamic? spoiler, showing MGA no. 38 the way around MGCC Silverstone in 1959. It would be interesting to know whether either car (VXT 280 and SLN 4) still exists.

92

JULY 2015

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 92

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:01

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

MGBGT 1978

CARS FOR SALE

Back to metal respray in British racing Green, new sills jacking points & lower wings, full restoration of runemail Colin Grant at ning gear over 2 years, too many colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details new parts to list here, new carpets of your car, around 60 words, togethand door cards back to original 1978 spec with sunroof and er with an attached picture, your radiomobile radio, 4 speed & overEstd.1968 contact information, price of your British Motor .....for the very best in vintage MGs.....

How to Advertise Heritage approved drive, everything works, very good car, the area where you live, and Members can advertise their cars condition, drives great, 15,000 mls A BABY membership K3 IF EVER THERE WAS ONE! number. Cost for nonspeedometer and 1 year MOT. free of charge in Safety Fast. The This Q bodied s/charged P type is built to K3 replica on standards & members to advertise is £20. All £4000. with Telephone: 07525077402 performance and is race and rally prepared. Superbly restored advert will also be posted on the 01506 advertsPhoenix shouldrods be &submitted by the Crank, forged pistons, this is driven thru632135 an Club website in due course. This Phoenix is MGBGT 1978 MGB 1972 Roadster (Bathgate ENV preselect nose mounted car, withWest Lothian) 15th g’box of theandmonth for the supercharger. A proper Back respray British red, black leather seats. for one insertion only. To place numerous an eventstotometal date, VSCC buffin form.

Race,racrally or fast Tartan road use…. following months issue. ing Green, new sills jacking points & £89,500 Good condition, many extras, elecit’s your choice...................................................... or v.close advert or for additional insertions lower wings, full restoration of runtronis ignition, K&N filters, convertemail Colin Grant at ning gear over 2 years, too many ed to 12v battery, includes tools, How to Advertise colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details new parts to list here, new carpets manuals. 14k miles on fully rebuilt of your car,can around 60 words, togethMembers advertise their cars and door cards back to original engine, full restoration 1992 with 1978 spec with sunroof and photo records. Record of all work er an attached picture, freewith of charge in Safety Fast. your The radiomobile radio, 4 speed & overcompleted during the last 12 years. contact information, price ofonyour advert will also be posted the drive, everything works, very good For sale £8,750, car, the area where you live, and Club website in due course. This is condition, Contact John Murrer 01908 MGBGTdrives 1978great, 15,000 mls MGB 1972 Roadster membership number. Cost for nonon speedometer and 1inyear MOT. 217434 Back to metal respray British racTartan or red,07436 black018769 leather seats. for one insertion only. To place an members to advertise 1937 MG T/Q 2-SEAT SPORTS 1933 MG SUPERCHARGED J4 rep is £20. All 1935 MG P TYPE SPECIAL SPORTS 1933 email S/CHARGED J3/J4 £4000.

Telephone: 07525077402 john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk ing Green, new sills jacking points & Good condition, many extras, elecadvert forto additional Surely one of the best value cars on the market, this is The best oneor to come the open market insertions in years. Phoenix This was built with heavy c/b crank, cycle wings, water Diffcult to describe this other than concours, meant 01506 632135 (Newport adverts should by thes/c. pump How to Advertise in stunning condition, the highest std. of the 5 I’ve sold. crank, lightened clutch,be ENVsubmitted manual box, Marshall etc for trials190 & rallies.

NowV6 in full road of trimrunbut still correctly when Iignition, say it!Pagnell) J4 spec engine, ENV box, Volumex lower wings, full2.5 restoration tronis K&N filters, convertMG ZT email Colin Grant at allthe TA chassis/ Q body work/tuned XPAG engine & TC box, It’s a proper rebuild.

Ready for MGCC/VSCC events. with(Bathgate the superior specifcation, it is one of the best - built s/c, 12” brakes -it’s really fantastic. Numerous prizes - 2 West Lothian) 15th ofcondition, the month Members canBRG….... advertise their cars ning over years, many tone red, edCollingburn toMGB 12vtrim. battery, includes tools, 90 mph, 80bhp, all this, and built for..£55,000 Fabulous Black withfor blue hide.............£75,000 carsOnly we’ve gear had.

Come &Miles see2what I meantoo ..........£39,750 No offers at ............... £69,500 40,000 MoT to March 1981 GT. colingrant@mgcc.co.uk following months issue. with details free of charge in Safety Fast. The new parts list here, newreceipts carpets manuals. 14k milesVery on original fully rebuilt 2016.

AlltoDocuments, Snapdragon Yellow. and of your car, around 60 words, togethMoTs and Tax disksback from to new.original New in very good condition. 31992 owners. and door cards engine, full restoration with advert will also be posted on the exhaust.

Lovelywith smooth V6 power Under 34000 miles.

1978 1972 spec sunroof and photo 1.8 records.

RecordMOT of all April work er with an1978 attached picture, your Club website in due course. This is MGBGT MGB Roadster MGF vvc 2001 Good Condition £2,000.

2016.

Current owner 6 years.

10 radiomobile radio, 4 speed & overcompleted during the last 12 Blue. years.

Back to metal respray inprice British Tartan red, black leather seats.

Only 56500 miles.

Metallic for one insertion only. To place an contact information, of racyour MGB GT V8 1974 Call Phil 07841 675712 years MOT certs & invoices. Sills drive, everything works, very good For sale £8,750, ing Green, new sills jacking points & Good condition, many extras, elecMOT April 2016.

2 new rear tyres. advert or for additional insertions ‘M’ reg.

Maroon.

One car, the area where you live, and 2012 (repair panels80K. + waxoyled). condition, drives mls Contact John Murrer 01908 lower wings, full restoration of runtronis ignition, K&Ngreat, filters,15,000 convertHeadgasket Replaced.

Well mainemail at owner from last tyresnew endand 2013.

Forrun Sale MG YTColin 4-SEATGrant OPEN TOURER 1934 EX LEICS POLICE MG PA Cost for non1937 MG TA with XPAG-reliability 1954Four MG TF new 1250 membership number. ning gear over 2 years, too many ed to 12v battery, tools, tained and in07436 Very Good condition. on speedometer andincludes 1 year MOT. 217434 or 018769 The rarest of the post – war MGs, this matching Nos. One of only 2 Leics.

P type patrol cars.

This has undergone Fully overhauled by us, this lovely early TA with ftted TC Ex. Channel Ils., low mileage, older rebuild in v orig.

How to Advertise due to relocation. £4000. in 1998.

This is a very original colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details parts to here, new manuals.

14k miles on fully rebuilt Good hood, fully waterproof.

Fitted tolistadvertise is carpets £20.andAllnow eng, example has been restored to pristine condition. Reg. new amembers complete refurbishment in our own workshops & box eliminates the TA eng. problems and offers cond., with wire wheels & all matching Nos. Orig.

RHD in £4000. Telephone: 07525077402 emailwhich john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk car has sound body advertise their cars Yes car, the number is real includedtogeth..........£35,000 Members offers real valuecan & investment .........................£33,500 reliability & quality at a sensible price...............£33,500 dark red with red leather ........abargain surely at £23,950 of 3YT. your around 60and words, and door cards back to original engine, full restoration 1992 with windbreak.

Garaged in Winter.

01506 632135 (Newport Pagnell) adverts should be submitted by the or 557835 (eves). andtel. is07966 ideal for restoration. free of spec chargewith inof Safety Fast.

Theof carsphoto OUR WEBSITE carry thousands spares for theand type we sell records.

SALES: Our highly regraded service is always available to you.

• COMMISSION • FULL 1978 sunroof Tonneau included.

Price £2750. er with anDETAILS attachedONpicture, your • We (Bathgate West Record Lothian)of all work (Norfolk) 15th of the month for the Can be viewed Stafford area.

Email: barry@barrywalker.com Web: www.barrywalker.com Tel: 01789 400 181 Mob: 07836 244103 radiomobile radio, 4 speed & overcompleted during the last 12 years.

Contact Steve Tel 07725 705919 advert will also be posted on the contact information, price of your Offers are invited over £7,500. drive, everything works, very This goodis For sale £8,750, (Northants) following issue.

Club due course.

MG website ZTmonths 190in 2.5 V6 MGBGT 1978 MGB 1972 Roadster car, the area where you live, and Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 condition, drives great, 15,000 mls Contact John Murrer 01908 Only Milesonly.

MoTTotoplace March 1981toMGB Back metalGT. respray in British racTartan red, black leather seats. for one40,000 insertion an membership number. Cost for nonon speedometer and 1 year receipts MOT. 217434 or 07436 018769 121384 2016.

All Documents, Snapdragon Yellow.

Very original and ing Green, new sills jacking points & Good condition, many extras, elecadvert Telephone: or for additional insertions MGTF1500 1954 (Sept) members to advertise is £20. All £4000. email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk 65_1048_BARRY_WALKER_ADVURN43615.pgs 18.06.2015 14:17 FMG-Advent MoTs and Tax disks07525077402 from new. New in very good 3 owners. lower wings, fullcondition. restoration of runtronis ignition, K&N filters, convertSuperbly specified, equipped and email Colin Grant at 01506 632135 (Newport Pagnell) adverts should be submitted by the MGB GTbattery, V81954 1974 MG exhaust.

Lovely smooth V6 power Under MOT April ning gear34000 over years, too during many ed toTF1250 12v includes tools, maintained with2miles. low milage (Bathgate West Lothian) colingrant@mgcc.co.uk 15th of the month for the Maroon.14k Restoration project.

Good Condition £2,000.with details 2016.

Current 6 years.

10 new parts to listowner here, new carpets manuals. miles on fully rebuilt my long ownership.

Comprehensive for one insertion only. To place an advert or for additional insertions

CARS FOR SALE

BARRY WALKER

CARS FOR SALE

CARS FOR SALE

CARS FOR SALE

CARS CARS FOR SALE FOR SALE CARS FOR SALE How How to toAdvertise Advertise

following months issue. their cars Members can advertise Members can to advertise their cars How Advertise free of charge in Safety free of charge Safety Fast.

Fast.

The Members can inadvertise theirThe cars advert will also be posted on advert also be postedFast. on the the free ofwillcharge in Safety The Club website Club website in due due course.

This is advert will in also becourse. postedThis on isthe for one insertion To an for onewebsite insertion only.course.

To place place anis Club in only. due This advert or for insertions advert or insertion for additional additional insertions for one only. To place an email Colin atat email Colin Grant advert or Grant for additional insertions colingrant@mgcc.co.uk colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with details details email Colin Grant at with of your car, around 60 words, togethofcolingrant@mgcc.co.uk your car, around 60 words, togethwith details er your erofwith with an attached attached60picture, picture, your your an car, around words, togethMG ZTinformation, 190 2.5 V6price of your contact contact information, price of your er with attached Only 40,000anMiles MoT picture, to Marchyour car, the area where live, car, theAll area where you you live, and contact information, price of and your 2016.

Documents, receipts membership number.

Cost nonmembership number.

Cost for nonMoTs disks from new.

New car, and the Tax area where youfor live, and members to isispower £20. exhaust.

Lovely smooth V6 members to advertise advertise £20.

All membership number.

Cost for All nonGood Condition £2,000. adverts should submitted adverts should be submitted by the theAll members to be advertise is by £20.

Call Phil 07841 675712 15th of the month for the 15th of the month for the adverts should be submitted by the following issue. following months issue.

15th of months the month for the following months issue.

ofCall your around 60 words, togethPhilcar, 07841 675712 er with an attached picture, your contact information, price of your car, the area where you live, and MGBGT MGBGT 1978 1978 membership number. Cost for nonBack to respray Back tometal metal1978 resprayininBritish BritishracracMGBGT members to advertise is points £20. All ing Green, new jacking && ing Green, newsills sills jacking pointsracBack to metal respray in British MG ZT 190 2.5 V6 ofbyrunadverts should be submitted the lower wings, full restoration lower wings, full restoration of runing Green, new sillsMoT jacking Only 40,000 Miles to points March& ning gear over 2 years, 15th of the month for thetoo ning gear over years, too many many lower wings, full2 restoration of run2016.

All Documents, receipts new parts to list here, new carpets new toover list issue. here, newtoo carpets following months ningparts gear 2 years, many MoTs and Tax disks from new.

New and door cards back to original MGTF1500 (Sept) and to newdoor partscards to 1954 list back here, neworiginal carpets 1978 spec with sunroof and Superbly specified, equipped and exhaust.

Lovely smooth V6topower 1978 spec with sunroof and and door cards back original maintained with low milage during radiomobile radio, 4 speed & overGood Condition £2,000. radiomobile radio, 4 speed & over1978 spec with sunroof and my long ownership.

Comprehensive 1981 MGB GT.675712 drive, everything works, very drive, everything works, very&good good Call Phil 07841 radiomobile radio, 4 speed overrecord of restoration and Snapdragon Yellow.

Very original and condition, drives 15,000 mls condition, drives great, great, 15,000 mls drive, everything works, very good subsequently.

Heritage docs.

Offers in very good condition.

3 owners. on speedometer and 11 year MOT. on speedometer and year MOT. condition, drives great, 15,000 mls close to34000 £32500miles.

Tel: 02075828547 Under MOT April £4000.

Telephone: 07525077402 £4000.

Telephone: 07525077402 (S.Central London) and on speedometer 1 year MOT. 2016.

Current owner 6 years. 10 01506 632135 01506 632135 £4000.

Telephone: 07525077402 years MOT certs & invoices. Sills (Bathgate West Lothian) (Bathgate West Lothian) 01506 632135 2012 (repair panels + waxoyled).

(Bathgate West Lothian) Four new tyres end 2013. For Sale due relocation. £4000.

MGtoZT 190 2.5 V6 alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk Only 40,000 Miles MoT to March or tel. 07966 (eves).receipts 2016.

All 557835 Documents, (Norfolk) MoTs and Tax disks from new. New

MGTF1500 1954 (Sept)

MGTF1500 1954 (Sept)

Superbly specified, equipped and maintained with low milage during my long ownership. Comprehensive MG MG ZT ZT 190 190 2.5 2.5V6 V6 record of restoration and Only 40,000 Heritage Miles MoT to March Only Miles toOffers March subsequently. docs.

MG40,000 ZT 190 2.5MoT V6 2016.

All Documents, receipts 2016.

All Documents, close to £32500 Tel: 02075828547 Only 40,000 Miles MoT receipts to March MoTs and Tax from New (S.Central MoTs Taxdisks disks fromnew. new.receipts New 2016.andLondon) All Documents, exhaust.

Lovely smooth V6 power exhaust.

Lovely smooth V6 new. power MoTs and Tax disks from New Good Condition £2,000.

Good Condition £2,000. V6 power exhaust.

Lovely smooth Call Phil 07841 Call PhilCondition 07841 675712 675712 Good £2,000. www.mgcc.co.uk Call Phil 07841 675712 MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 93

exhaust. smooth V6 powerand SuperblyLovely specified, equipped Good Condition £2,000. maintained with low milage during Call Phil 07841 675712 my long ownership.

Comprehensive

record of restoration and 1978 MGB Race Car 1785cc subsequently. Heritage docs. Offers Front runner, recent repaint in close to £32500 Tel: 02075828547 Works colours. Usual modifica(S.Central London)

tions. Spare GT. wheels and excellent 1981 1981 MGB MGB GT. tyres. Works hardtop.

Reluctant Snapdragon Yellow.

Very original and Snapdragon Yellow.

1981 MGB GT. Very original and sale. £7995. inin very good condition.

33 owners. very good condition. owners.

Snapdragon Yellow.

Very original and Telephone: 01460 73751 Under 34000 miles.

April Under miles. MOT MOT April in very34000 good condition.

3 owners.

2016.

Current owner 66 years.

10 2016.

Current owner years.

10 Under 34000 miles. MOT April MGA, SUPERB & RACE years MOT certs && invoices.

Sills MGTF1500 1954 (Sept) years MOT certs invoices.

Sills 2016. Current owner 6 years. 10 READY, ‘59 2012 (repair panels + waxoyled).

Superbly specified, 2012 panels years(repair MOT certs +equipped &waxoyled). invoices.and Sills Road legal, with end additional easi-fit Four new tyres 2013.

Sale maintained low milageFor during Four new tyres end 2013.

For Sale 2012 (repair panels + waxoyled). passenger seat and£4000. belts for track my long ownership.

Comprehensive due to due to relocation. relocation. £4000.

Four new end 2013. Forand Sale record oftyres restoration days.1950cc, 150bhp B engine, alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk due to relocation. £4000. subsequently.

Heritage docs.

Offers uprated everything, all work to the or tel.

557835 (eves). oralexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk tel.to07966 07966 557835 (eves). close £32500 Tel: 02075828547

record of restoration and yearsdoor MOT certs & invoices.

Sills and cards back to original subsequently.

Heritage docs. Offers 2012 (repair waxoyled).

1978 spec panels with +sunroof and close £32500 Tel: Four to new tyres end 2013. & ForoverSale radiomobile radio, 4 02075828547 speed (S.Central London) £4000. due toeverything relocation. drive, works, very good MGB GT V8Roadster 1974 alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk condition, drives great, 15,000 mls MGB 1972 MGB 1972 Roadster or speedometer tel. 07966 557835 on and 1(eves). year ‘Tartan M’ reg.

Maroon.

80K. OneMOT. red, black leather seats.

Tartan red, black leather seats.

MGBTelephone: 1972 Roadster (Norfolk) £4000.

07525077402 Good condition, many extras, elecowner from new and last run Good condition, manyleather extras, elecTartan red, black seats.

01506 632135 tronis ignition, K&N filters, convertin 1998.

This is a very original tronis ignition, K&N filters, convertGoodMGB condition, many extras, elec1981 GT. (Bathgate West ed to battery, includes tools, car which has aLothian) sound body edtronis to 12v 12v battery, includes tools, ignition, K&N filters, convertSnapdragon Very original and manuals.

14k miles on fully rebuilt manuals.

14kYellow. miles onincludes fully rebuilt and for restoration. edistoideal 12v battery, tools, engine, full restoration 1992 with in very good condition.

3area. owners. engine, full restoration 1992 with Can be viewed Stafford manuals. 14k miles on fully rebuilt photo records.

Record of all Under 34000 miles.

April photo records.

Record of£7,500. all work work Offers are invited overMOT engine, full restoration 1992 with completed during the last6 12 years.

2016.

Current owner years.

10 completed during the 12all years. photo records.

Record of work Tel: 01785 715777 orlast 07831 For sale £8,750, For sale £8,750, years MOT certs &theinvoices.

Sills completed during last 12 years.

121384 Contact John 01908 Contact John Murrer 01908 2012 (repair panelsMurrer + waxoyled).

For sale £8,750, 217434 or 018769 1978 MGB Race Car 1785cc 217434 or 07436 07436 018769 Contact John Murrer 01908 Four new tyres end 2013.

For Sale MG TF1250 email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk Front runner, 1954 recent repaint in email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk 217434 or 07436 018769 due to relocation. £4000.

Maroon.

Restoration (Newport Pagnell) Works colours. modifica(Newport Pagnell)Usualproject. email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk Engine runs but car and last excellent used in tions.

Spare wheels (Newport Pagnell) or tel.and 07966 557835 (eves).

2000 brakes semi-seized. tyres.

Works hardtop.

MGA, SUPERB & Reluctant RACE (Norfolk) sale. £7995.‘59 Last owner since 1969. Can be READY, Telephone: 01460 73751 viewed Stafford Offerseasi-fit Road legal, with area. additional passenger and01785 belts for track over £14,000.

Tel: 1981 MGBseat GT. MGB GT V8 1974 days.1950cc, B engine, Snapdragon Very original and 715777 or Yellow.

07831 121384.

MGB GT V8150bhp 1974 uprated everything, all work to the very condition.

3 owners. ‘in M’ reg.

Maroon.

80K. One MGB GT V8 1974 ‘M’ reg.good Maroon.

80K. One highest from standard.

All MOT steelrun body, Under 34000 miles.

April owner new last owner from new and and last run ‘M’ reg.

Maroon.

80K. One with correct wheels, raced for108 2016.

Current owner 6original years. in 1998.

This is a very in 1998.at This isLive, a very original owner from new and last seasons, MG 50'srun and years MOT certs & Iconic invoices.

Sills car has aaissound body car which has sound body in which 1998.

This a+very original Equipe GTS series for FIA type 2012 (repair panels waxoyled). and ideal for restoration. and ideal forend restoration. carisisnew which has a sound body cars.

A well known car, fast,For reliable Four tyres 2013.

Sale Can be viewed area.

Can be viewed Stafford area. and handles beautifully, it now needs and isrelocation. ideal forStafford restoration. due to £4000.

Offers are invited over Offers are invited over £7,500. £7,500. a Can braver driver. £25750. alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk be viewed Stafford area.

Tel: 01785 715777 07831 nickwilkinskirnan@btinternet.com Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 or tel.

07966 557835 (eves).

Offers are invitedor over £7,500.

121384 orTel: Telephone 07720416223.

(Norfolk) 121384 01785 715777 or 07831 (Northamptonshire ) 121384

MGA, SUPERB & RACE

MG TF1250 1954 MG TF1250 READY, ‘59 1954 Maroon.

Restoration project.

Maroon.

Restoration project.

MG TF1250 Road legal, with 1954 additional easi-fit Engine runs but car last used inin Engine runs but car last used Maroon.seat Restoration passenger and belts project. for track Midget 1968 2000 and brakes semi-seized.

2000 and brakes semi-seized.

Engine runs but car last used days.1950cc, 150bhp B Tartan engine,in Chrome Bumper.

Last owner since 1969.

Can be Last owner since1275cc, 1969.

Can 2000 and brakes semi-seized. uprated everything, all work to be the red, hardStafford top (immaculate condiviewed area.

Offers viewed Stafford area.

Offers Last owner since 1969.

Can be highest standard.

All steel body, tion) reconditioned engine (lead over £14,000.

Tel: 01785 over £14,000.

Tel: 01785 viewed Stafford area.

Offers with back correct raced for 8 free) axle,wheels, carbs, wire wheels.

715777 or 715777 or 07831 07831 121384. over £14,000.

Tel:121384.

01785

‘M’ reg. Maroon. 80K. One

Engine runs but in engine, restoration 1992 with owner full from newcar andlast lastused run photo Record of all work 2000 records. and brakes semi-seized. in 1998.

This is a very original completed during last 12 years.

Last owner sincethe1969.

Can be car sale which has a sound body MGZR160 vvc.

2004.Offers For £8,750, viewed Stafford area. and four is£14,000. ideal for restoration.

Rare door model with unusual Contact John Murrer 01908 MGF 1.8 vvc 2001 over Tel: 01785 MGF 1.8 vvc 2001 and distinctive colour (Firefrost 217434 orviewed 07436 018769 Can be Stafford area.

Only 56500 miles.

Metallic Blue.

Only 56500 miles.

Metallic MGA, SUPERB & RACE 715777 or 07831 121384.

MGF 1.838k vvcmiles.

2001 MOT Blue. red) Only to email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk MOT April 2016.

22 new rear tyres.

Offers are‘59 invited over £7,500.

MOT April 2016. new rear tyres.

READY, Only 56500 miles.

Metallic Blue.

August.

Taxed.

Full service plus (Newport Pagnell) Headgasket Replaced.

Well mainRoad legal, with additional easi-fit Headgasket Replaced.

Well mainTel: 01785 715777 or 07831 MOTwork April(ie 2016.

2 gasket, new rear tyres. major head tained and ininVery Good passenger and beltscondition. for belts, track tained and seat Very Good condition.

Headgasket Replaced.

Well main121384 tensioners, water pump, waxoiled) Good hood, fully waterproof.

Fitted days.1950cc, 150bhp B condition. engine, Good waterproof.

Fitted tainedhood, and fully in Very Good carried out by ZRall specialist in windbreak.

Garaged inin Winter. uprated everything, work to Fitted the windbreak.

Garaged Winter.

Good hood, fully waterproof.

August 2013. £2,300.

Please call MG TF1250 1954 Tonneau included.

Price £2750. highest standard.

All steel body, Tonneau included.

Price £2750. windbreak.

Garaged in Winter.

John on wheels, 01525875001 Contact Steve Tel 705919 Maroon.

Restoration project. with correct raced for 8 Contact Steve Tel 07725 07725 705919 Tonneau included.

Price £2750.

(Bedfordshire).

(Northants) MGB GT V8 1974 seasons, at MG Live, Iconic 50's and (Northants) Engine runs but car last used in Contact Steve Tel 07725 705919 GTS series forOne FIA type ‘Equipe M’ reg.and Maroon.

80K. (Northants) 2000 brakes semi-seized. cars. A from well known car, fast, reliable owner new and lastCan runbe Lasthandles ownerbeautifully, since 1969. and1998. it original now needs in This is a very Stafford area. Offers aviewed braver driver. car which has a£25750. sound body over £14,000. Tel: 01785 nickwilkinskirnan@btinternet.com and is ideal for restoration. or Telephone 07720416223.

715777 or 07831 121384.

Can be viewed Stafford area.

(Northamptonshire Midget 1968 )

MGB 1972 Roa

Tartan red, black Good condition, m tronis ignition, K&N ed to 12v battery manuals. 14k miles engine, full restora photo records. Re completed during t For sale £8,750, Contact John M 217434 or 07436 0 email john.murrer@ (Newport Pagnell)

MGF 1.8 vvc 20

Only 56500 miles.

MOT April 2016. 2 Headgasket Replac tained and in Very Good hood, fully w MGB GT V8 19 windbreak. Gara ‘Tonneau M’ reg. Maroon. included. 8 owner Contactfrom Stevenew Tel in 1998. This is a (Northants)

car which s MGF 1.8 has vvca20 and ideal for re Onlyis56500 miles Can viewed MOTbe April 2016. St2 Offers are Headgasket invited Replac Tel: 01785 tained and in715777 Very 121384 Good hood, fully w windbreak. Gara MG TF1250 195 Tonneau included.

MGZR160 vvc.

Maroon.

Contact Restorat Steve Tel Rare four door Engine runs butmoc (Northants) and distinctive 2000 and brakesco red) owner Only 38k Last sincem August. Taxed. Fu viewed Stafford a major work (ie he over £14,000. Tel: tensioners, water 715777 or 07831 carried out by Z August 2013.

£2

John 1.8 vvc on 20 MGF

(Bedfordshire).

Only 56500 miles.

MOT April 2016. 2 MGZR160Replac vvc.

Headgasket Rare four moG tained and door in Very Good hood, fully wa and distinctive co windbreak.

Garam red) Only 38k Tonneau August. included.

Taxed. FuP Contact Steve(ieTel major work he (Northants)

tensioners, water carried out by Z MG YB 2013.

1953 £2 August Midget 1968 Reg. John No. YMG on 184 Chrome May 1953.Bumper.

A rare (Bedfordshire).

red, hard a top (imm purchase late YB tion) reconditione istration number. free) axle, car from back new. Black wi New Soft top, tyres upholstery.

Total e MGZR160 dynamo, watervvc.

Peter Edney inpum Au Rare four mod tronic ignition, ther verted to door unleaded and distinctive co steel rack, and exha original Buff Log bo red) Only ms filter, kenlow Manual, plus 38k afan, fewre August.

Fu pletely restored with a Taxed. little TLC major work (ie Detailed history av Contact Paul on he 02 tensioners, water p plus original log boo (Pinner, Middlesex) carried out £6,500.

MG YBTelephone: 1953by Z August £2,(E or 01708 456595 Reg. No.2013.

YMG 184 Offers are invited over £7,500.

John on Chrome Bumper. 1275cc, Tartan May 1953. A rare Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 (Bedfordshire).

MGZR160 2004. red, hard topvvc. (immaculate MGZR160 vvc.

2004. condipurchase late YB 121384 MGB GTa Restor Rare four door model with unusual tion) reconditioned engine (lead Rare four door model with unusual MG YB 1953 MGZR160 vvc. 2004.

1972 Chrome bum istration number. and distinctive colour (Firefrost free) back axle, carbs, wire wheels. and distinctive (Firefrost Reg. No. YMG 184,colour First registered Rare four door model with unusual miles.new.

Complete ca from Black wi MG TF1250 1954 red) Only miles.

MOT to New1953.

Soft top, tyres, starter motor, red) 38k miles.

MOT to May A 38k rare opportunity to and Only distinctive colour (Firefrost since 1988. Total On SO upholstery. e Maroon.

Restoration project.

August.

Full service plus dynamo,Taxed. water pump, battery, elecAugust.

Taxed.

Full service plus purchase a late YB with a YMG regred) Only 38k miles. MOT to new parts included Peter Edney in Au Engine runs but car last used in major work (ie head gasket, belts, tronic ignition, thermostat, stainless major work (ie head gasket, belts, istration number.

Three owners and rear axle not t August.

Taxed.

Full service plus tensioners, water pump, waxoiled) steelnew. rack, and exhaust.

Modified oil verted to problem unleaded 2000 andBlack brakes semi-seized. tensioners, water pump, waxoiled) from with green leather any major major work (ie head gasket, belts, carried out by ZR specialist inin filter,owner kenlow fan, rechromed, comLast since 1969.

Can be original Buffuntil Log ta bo carried out by engine ZR specialist upholstery.

Total rebuild by regular use tensioners, water pump, waxoiled) August 2013. £2,300.

Please call pletely restored with photos. viewed Stafford area.

August 2013. £2,300.

Please callin Peter Edney in August 2008; conManual, plus(sills, a few bodywork. do carried out by ZR Offers specialist John on 01525875001 Detailed available bills, John on Tel: 01525875001 verted to history unleaded.

Lots ofwith patina, over £14,000.

01785 side done) Snowbe with a little TLC August 2013. £2,300.

Please call (Bedfordshire). plus original log book book.

1 years MOT. (Bedfordshire). original and Owners £800YB ono 715777 or Log 07831 121384.

Contact Paul on 02 John Buff on 01525875001 MG 1953 £6,500.plus Telephone: 07958Could 553003. email drw.gooch@ Manual, a few spares. do (Bedfordshire).

(Pinner, Reg. No.Middlesex) YMG 184, or 01708 456595 (Lowestoft) with a little TLC.(Essex) £10,500 ono May 1953. A rare Contact on 0208 429 1442 MidgetPaul 1968 purchase a late YB w (Pinner, Middlesex) istration number.

Chrome Bumper. 1275cc, Tartan from new. Black wit red, hard JULY top 2015 (immaculate condi-93 MGB GT Total Restor upholstery. en tion) reconditioned engine (lead 1972 Edney Chrome Peter in bum Au free) back axle, carbs, wire wheels. miles. to Complete ca verted unleaded MGB project.

New GT Soft Restoration top, tyres, starter motor, 23/06/2015 10:01 original Buff Log since 1988.

On bo SO 1972 Chrome bumper. 91000 dynamo, water pump, battery, elecManual, plusincluded a few s miles.

Complete MG YB 1953 car. - dry stored new parts

CARS FOR SALE www.mgmecca.co.uk

OR SALE OR SALE

Tel: +44 (0) 1953 717618 Fax: (0) 1953 717850

Advertise

Advertise dvertise their cars their cars ndvertise Safety Fast.

The nbeSafety Fast. posted on The the be posted due course. on Thisthe is

course.

This an is ndue only.

To place ndditional only. Toinsertions place an

dditional insertions nt at nt at with details .co.uk

with togethdetails d.co.uk 60 words, d 60 words, togethched picture, your ched picture, ion, price of your ion, price of your here you live, and

here Cost you live, and mber. for nonmber.

Cost vertise is for £20.nonAll vertise is £20.

All e submitted by the

eh for submitted by the the hissue. for the

MGBGT 1978 Back to metal respray in British racMGBGT 1978

ing Green, newrespray sills jacking points & Back to metal in British raclower wings, fullsills restoration of runing Green, new jacking points & ning over years, tooofmany lowergear wings, full 2restoration runnew parts to list2here, new ning gear over years, toocarpets many and parts door to cards back new to carpets original new list here, 1978 speccards withback sunroof and and door to original radiomobile & over1978 spec radio, with4 speed sunroof and drive, everything very good radiomobile radio,works, 4 speed & overcondition, drives works, great, 15,000 mls drive, everything very good on speedometer 1 year MOT. condition, drives and great, 15,000 mls £4000.

Telephone:and 07525077402 on speedometer 1 year MOT. 01506 £4000. 632135 Telephone: 07525077402 (Bathgate West Lothian) 01506 632135 (Bathgate West Lothian)

MGB 1972 Roadster Tartan 1972 red, black leather seats.

MGB Roadster

Good condition, many extras,seats. elecTartan red, black leather tronis ignition, K&N filters, convertGood condition, many extras, eleced to ignition, 12v battery, includes tools, tronis K&N filters, convertmanuals.

14kbattery, miles on fully rebuilt ed to 12v includes tools, engine, full 1992rebuilt with manuals.

14krestoration miles on fully photo Record of all work engine,records. full restoration 1992 with completed duringRecord the lastof12 photo records. all years. work For sale £8,750, completed during the last 12 years.

Contact John Murrer 01908 For sale £8,750, 217434 or 07436 Contact John 018769 Murrer 01908 email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk 217434 or 07436 018769 (Newport Pagnell) email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk (Newport Pagnell)

issue.

2.5 V6 es V6 MoT to March 2.5

cuments, es MoT toreceipts March ks from new.

New cuments, receipts mooth power ks fromV6 new.

New £2,000.V6 power mooth 75712 £2,000.

75712

954 (Sept)

ed, 954equipped (Sept) and low equipped milage during ed, and ip. lowComprehensive milage during restoration and ip. Comprehensive ritage docs. Offers restoration and Tel: 02075828547 ritage docs. Offers n) Tel: 02075828547 n)

ace Car 1785cc recent in ace Carrepaint 1785cc

Usual repaint modificarecent in eels and modificaexcellent Usual hardtop. eels and Reluctant excellent hardtop. Reluctant 0 73751 0 73751

1981 MGB GT. Snapdragon 1981 MGBYellow.

GT. Very original and in very good condition.

3 owners.

Snapdragon Yellow.

Very original and Under miles. MOT April in very 34000 good condition.

3 owners.

2016. Current 6 years.

10 Under 34000 owner miles. MOT April years certs & invoices.

2016. MOT Current owner 6 years.Sills 10 2012 (repair panels &+ waxoyled). years MOT certs invoices. Sills How toend Advertise Four new tyres For Sale 2012 (repair panels +2013. waxoyled). due tonew relocation. £4000.

Four tyres end 2013. their For Sale Members can advertise cars alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk due free toofrelocation. charge in £4000.

Safety Fast. The or tel. 07966 557835 (eves). alexander@krill.orangehome.co.uk advert will also be posted on the (Norfolk) or tel. 07966 557835 (eves).

Club website in due course. This is (Norfolk) 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 MGA, SUPERB & RACE adverts should by the READY, ‘59 be submitted MGA, SUPERB & RACE 15th of the month for the Road legal,‘59 with additional easi-fit READY, passenger seat belts foreasi-fit track following months issue.

Road legal, withand additional days.1950cc, passenger seat150bhp and beltsB forengine, track uprated everything, all work to the days.1950cc, 150bhp B engine, highest standard. steel tobody, uprated everything, All all work the with correct wheels, highest standard.

All raced steel for body,8 seasons, at MGwheels, Live, Iconic with correct raced50's forand8 Equipe GTS for FIA seasons, at MGseries Live, Iconic 50'stype and cars. reliable EquipeA well GTSknown seriescar, forfast, FIA type and handles nowreliable needs cars.

A well beautifully, known car,itfast, a braver driver. £25750. and handles beautifully, it now needs nickwilkinskirnan@btinternet.com a braver driver. £25750. or Telephone 07720416223. nickwilkinskirnan@btinternet.com MG ZT 190 2.5 )V6 (Northamptonshire or Telephone 07720416223.

Only 40,000 Miles )MoT to March (Northamptonshire 2016. All Documents, receipts MoTs and Tax disks from new. New 94exhaust. Lovely JULY 2015 smooth V6 power Good Condition £2,000.

Call Phil 07841 675712

CARS FOR SALE

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 94

MGB GT V8 1974 V8 1974 ‘MGB M’ reg.GT Maroon.

80K. One owner new80K. and One last run ‘M’ reg.from Maroon. in 1998.from This new is a very original owner and last run car which hasisaasound body in 1998.

This very original and which is idealhas forarestoration. car sound body Can isbeideal viewed Stafford area. and for restoration.

Offers invited over £7,500.

Can beare viewed Stafford area.

Tel: 01785 or 07831 Offers are 715777 invited over £7,500.

121384 Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 121384 MG TF1250 1954 Maroon.

Restoration MG TF1250 1954 project.

Engine runs but car last used in Maroon.

Restoration project.

2000 and brakes semi-seized.

Engine runs but car last used in Last owner since semi-seized.

1969. Can be 2000 and brakes viewed Stafford Offers Last owner sincearea.

1969.

Can be over £14,000.

Tel:area.

01785 viewed Stafford Offers 715777 or 07831 121384. over £14,000.

Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 MGBGT 1978 121384.

Back to metal respray in British racing Green, new sills jacking points & lower wings, full restoration of running gear over 2 years, too many new parts to list here, new carpets and door cards back to original 1978 spec with sunroof and radiomobile radio, 4 speed & overdrive, everything works, very good condition, drives great, 15,000 mls on speedometer and 1 year MOT. £4000. Telephone: 07525077402 01506 632135 Midget 1968 (Bathgate West Lothian) Chrome 1968 Bumper. 1275cc, Tartan Midget red, hard Bumper. top (immaculate condiChrome 1275cc, Tartan tion) hard reconditioned engine condi(lead red, top (immaculate free) back axle, carbs, engine wire wheels. tion) reconditioned (lead New Soft top, motor, free) back axle,tyres, carbs,starter wire wheels. dynamo, pump,starter battery, elecNew Softwater top, tyres, motor, tronic ignition, stainless dynamo, water thermostat, pump, battery, elecsteel and exhaust.

Modified oil tronicrack, ignition, thermostat, stainless filter, rack, kenlow rechromed, comsteel andfan, exhaust.

Modified oil pletelykenlow restored with photos. filter, fan, rechromed, comDetailed bills, pletely history restoredavailable with with photos. plus original log book.

1 years Detailed history available withMOT. bills, £6,500.

Telephone: 07958 553003. plus original log book.

1 years MOT. or 01708Telephone: 456595 (Essex) £6,500.

07958 553003.

1981 MGB GT. (Essex) or 01708 456595 Snapdragon Yellow.Very original and in very good condition. 3 owners.

Under 34000 miles. MOT April 2016. Current owner 6 years. 10 years MOT certs & invoices. Sills 2012 (repair panels + waxoyled).

Four new tyres end 2013. For Sale due to relocation. £4000.

MGF 1.8 vvc 2001 Only 56500 miles.

Metallic Blue.

MGF 1.8 vvc 2001 1965 MGB Roadster. BRG, black/white trim, MOT 2016.

2 new tyres. chromeApril wheels, rare o/drive.

Totalrear last nut and bolt Only 56500 miles.

Metallic Blue. renovation, with pictures. Car has matching numbers Headgasket Replaced.

Well MOT April 2016.

2 new rear tyres. (engine/box/axle) Heritage certifi cate, mainrestored to original show regardless of cost (would cost tained andstandard inReplaced.

Very Good immaculate condition.

Headgasket maineasily in excess of £35k). Car isWell inside/ £24,995.00 underside/outside.

A rare car indeed.

Good hood, waterproof.

Fitted tained and infully Very Good condition. windbreak.

Garaged in Winter.

Good hood, fully waterproof.

Fitted Tonneau included.

Price in £2750. windbreak.

Garaged Winter.

Contact included.

Steve Tel Price 07725 705919 Tonneau £2750.

(Northants) Contact Steve Tel 07725 705919 (Northants)

1963 MGB ROADSTER Tartan red, black trim, rare pull door handle car with 3 brg engine. Registered Feb 1963. Rare early car with overdrive. Trim in nice order, hood replaced. Polybushed front suspension. Body in nice order and ready to enjoy.

These early cars are getting very scarce, especially still with 3 brg engine. £7,495.00

1976 MGB ROADSTER Snowberry White, navy trim. New navy hood. Body excellent, Ziebarted from new. All new chrome. New tyres. Nice trim. A super car. £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

MGZR160 vvc. 2004.

Rare four door model with unusual MGZR160 vvc.

2004.

and distinctive colourwith (Firefrost Rare four door model unusual red) distinctive Only 38k colour miles. (Firefrost MOT to and August.

Taxed. service red) Only 38k Full miles.

MOTplus to major work (ie head gasket, belts, August.

Taxed.

Full service plus tensioners, pump, waxoiled) major workwater (ie head gasket, belts, carried out by ZR specialist 1974 NG TC Old English White, w/w, redintrim. tensioners, water pump, waxoiled) 2L Osselli engine, o/drive. All new or refurbed August 2013. £2,300.

Please call carried out byFull ZR specialist inwith MBG components. weather gear. Built no expense spared.

Superb car, fantastic John on £2,300.

01525875001 August 2013.

Please callfun.

Superb condition, only used in dry weather.

(Bedfordshire). £9,795.00 John on 01525875001 (Bedfordshire).

MG YB 1953 Reg. No.1972 YMG Roadster 184, First registered MG YB 1953 MGB May 1953.

A black rare to Reg. No. YMG 184, opportunity First registered Tartan red, leather seats. purchase a late YBmany with a YMG elecregMay A rare opportunity to Good1953. condition, extras, istration Three owners purchase anumber. late YB with a YMG regtronis ignition, K&N filters, convertfrom Black withThree green owners leather istration number. ed tonew.

12v battery, includes tools, upholstery.

Total engine rebuild by from new.14k Black with green leather manuals. miles on fully rebuilt Peter in August upholstery. engine 2008; rebuild by engine,Edney fullTotal restoration 1992 conwith verted to unleaded.

Lots2008; Peter in August conphotoEdney records.

Record ofofallpatina, work original Buff Log book andof12 Owners verted to unleaded.

Lots patina, completed during the last years.

Manual, aLog fewbook spares. do original Buff andCould Owners For saleplus £8,750, with a plus little TLC. £10,500 ono Manual, a few spares.

Could do Contact John Murrer 01908 Contact onTLC. 0208 429 1442ono with a Paul little £10,500 217434 or 07436 018769 (Pinner, Middlesex) Contact Paul on 0208 429 1442 email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk (Pinner, Middlesex) (Newport Pagnell)

MGB GT Restoration project.

1972 Chrome bumper. 91000 MGB GT Restoration project. miles.

Complete car. - dry stored 1972 Chrome bumper.

91000 since 1988.

On 1974 SORN. Several MGB GT V8 miles.

Complete car. - dry stored new parts included.

Engine, gearbox since 1988.

On SORN. Several ‘M’ reg.

Maroon.

80K. One and rear axle not thought togearbox have new partsfrom included. owner new Engine, and last run any problems.

Car was in and major rear axle not thought to have in 1998.

This istaken a very original regular use until off for some any major problems. Car was in car which has door ataken sound body bodywork. skins.(one regular use (sills, until off for some anddone) is ideal fordoor restoration. side Snowberry white. bodywork. (sills, skins.(one £800 ono Candone) be viewed Stafford area. side Snowberry white. email drw.gooch@talktalk.net.

Offers are invited over £7,500. £800 ono (Lowestoft) email drw.gooch@talktalk.net.

Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 (Lowestoft) 121384

MG TF1250 1954 Maroon. Restoration project.

Engine runs but car last used in 2000 and brakes semi-seized.

Last owner since 1969. Can be viewed Stafford area. Offers

1950 MG TD. Green with green trim. Very early MG TD, 2 owners from new. Really excellent original condition, underside, body and frame are excellent. Just had full brake overhaul. Rare opportunity. Paint OK but really needs a respray to reach its full glory.£16,995.00

MGF 1.8 vvc 2001

Only 56500 miles. Metallic Blue.

MOT April 2016. 2 new rear tyres.

Headgasket Replaced. Well maintained and in Very Good condition.

Good hood, fully waterproof. Fitted windbreak. Garaged in Winter.

Tonneau included. Price £2750.

Contact Steve Tel 07725 705919 (Northants)

MGZR160 vvc. 2004.

Rare four door model with unusual and distinctive colour (Firefrost red) Only 38k miles. MOT to August. Taxed. Full service plus major work (ie head gasket, belts, tensioners, water pump, waxoiled) carried out by ZR specialist in August 2013. £2,300. Please call John on 01525875001 (Bedfordshire).

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:01

CARS FOR SALE

enquiries@mgsforsale.com

www.mgsforsale.com

01707 876089 MGZR 2.0l Diesel

In metallic Green 2004 reg. only 44000 miles, 2 owners, 5 door superb interior condition, exterior is good with no rust. Spare wheel and jack never used. All alloy wheels are free of mechanical damage, but a couple are showing signs of laquer failing. Full mot with car recent new tyres. £2000. Contact Bob Welch on 01724 764144

MG Midget 1976

1500cc Blue, in very good condition. Just MOT’d, until May 2016, no advisories. Currently on SORN. Wire wheels, padded roll bar.

Recent service. Well maintained and dry stored with extensive history. £3450. Call Richard on 01531 820311 or 07802306176 (Gloucestershire

MGF 1.8i 1996

07831 556666 MGB GT 1978.

Brooklands Green with Webasto Only 56,500 miles very clean condisunroof. 89k recorded miles. MoT tion MOT to August. Only one preApril 2016.

Recent 1977, 4 new tyres, SSE, MGB Roadster, chrome bumper vious owner. History with regular V8 conversion, good rear conditionwings red clutch, &unleaded head, service and all old MOT’s Two coachwork with nice black leather skins. and tone leather interior, interior trim, Good 15” GBinterior alloy wheels MG(green/cream) TD2, 1953, LHD, exported to the US fromand newdoor with Pirelli P6000virtually tyres, clean engine body. with every and and restored in the US 2010 and imported into the FSH hood tonneau in in good condidelightful drive from 3.5 UK that year to join an extensive collection of receipt MGs. compartment, from new and old MoTs tion with recent new window.

Recommissioned in 2014 and Well registered on UK litre engine coupled to 5 speed gearbox, last owner 11 years, arrived, since 1982.

Owned 12 just years and kept withplatesunderside number at the cost ofwaxoyled. £2,000 by noted marque £12,950.00 always garaged. Everything works, specialist Peter underside Edney to ensure all correct period Replacement cooler details.

A nice and well. £2650. 01883 343082 pipes fitted last example year andwith neworiginal bat- enginedrives gearbox still fitted from new, good condition maroon or lee.parry@mottmac.com for tery this year.

Extras include coachwork with beige interior trim, removable matching side details / photos. mudflaps allarmrest, round, good frontcondition splitter,mohair K& hood,more assemblies present but require (Caterham) N screen air filter, B&G low coolant alarm.refurbishment, small history file with ‘T’ Register dating letter &

brake cylinder ‘stiffener’, re- silvered correspondence, import documents including HMRC headlights a rming windbreak to paid, help registered UK paperworkand confi all duties car now and ready to improve further avoid ruffled hair (if you have any to or enjoy as is, selling on behalf of private vendor, just arrived loose!) £1,200 or ono. Phone £16,950.00 Geoff 07780 726222 (South Northampton) 85000 Miles. Garaged and summer use only. Owned since 2001.

Ziebart treated from new.

Underneath declared sound by garage, though cosmetic defects to body. New hood, carpets,, and leather seats fully refurbished.

Starts and runs beautifully. MOT until April 2016. Insurance valuation £5500, so realistically priced at £3800.

Contact Peter on 01622 671147 (Maidstone Kent)

1965 MGB Roadster

www.mgsforsale.com

BRG, in exceptional condition.

Reason for sale new MG6. I am 2nd owner since Feb 2005 (3334mls).

She has done 73728 trouble free miles. It has been the most reliable car I have owned, well known in club circles. All MG XPower accessories, starts first time and that beautiful V6 still purrs. £2999.

I am also looking for an RV8 so would accept PX. Contact Barry on 0117 949 6512. Or email bm.west@blueyonder.co.uk for lots more info & Pics.

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

www.mgcc.co.uk

MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 95

RHD. Matching numbers, very tidy and complete car. Recent professional refurbishment of engine, 1979 MGB Roadster gearbox and differential. Engine Body rebuilt in 2001 resprayed 201< 2015 sleeved to original bore diameter, Citron Yellow. Full service history unleaded head and crankshaft oil and MOT May16. Rebuilt engine Specialising inseals all conversion.

MG’s Just over 750 runTRADE MEMBER with fast road cam and balanced TEL/FAX: 01258 ning-in 820337 miles since restoration.

2003.

Fitted chrome bumpers and Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am-6pm, Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm Change in personal circumstances lowered. A pleasure to drive and to MG TD 1950, this car was originally a righthand drive US export and ono. then forces 1982 reluctant sale. £19,000 be seen in.back Recent returned to new the hood.

UK in MGB 2002ROADSTER, and re-registered in 2004, it has since Rubber bumper in Vermillion, this car has amazing original Call 01531 670 582.

Please, no Agreed valuation undergone a full £5k body off restoration with6,000 photographic and invoice history, paint work with recorded miles (believed to be genuine) “Trade” enquiries.

Must so £4000 it nowgolooks stunning in its gleaming redback body work complimented beige and old MOTs to the 80’s.

In the region of £3,000with on extras include: Chrome wheels, Stainless steel sports leather interior and matching mohair hood andwire side screens, not only does (Herefordshire) Contact Ian at 01284761215 orwhich exhaust, Stainless steel boot rack, Motolita steering wheel, 123 this car look beautiful, but it drives superbly. . . . it. has . . .the . .original . . . . .interior . . . . .which .£23,995 Ignition and K & N Filters. is hammond.bse@btinternet.com in very good order. This car has a near perfect body as close as MGB GT, 1969, British racing green, Chrome Bumper, Tax exempt, (Suffolk) you can get to a new B. Overdrive, Wire wheels, Full £10,995 sunroof, Autumn leaf interior with new front seat covers, Electronic ignition, Stainless steel exhaust system, Restored by us MG MIDGET, in 2000, Service history, In excellent order. 1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£6,500

MIKE ROLLS SERVICES FOR MGs

1973 MGB GT V8

MGZS 180

URGENTLY WANTED ANY MG

Wire wheels, O/D, Full photo restoration record with receipts.

Excellent rust free body. Detailed ANY YEAR, ANY CONDITION engine bay, new chrome, brakes, B32 - MIKE ROLLS SERVICES_MIKE ROLLS SERVICES 13/12/2012 09:50 Page 1 exhaust, tyres, radiator, hood etc.

MG TD 1951 Do not confuse the above vehicles with cheaper inferior quality models offered elsewhere. Part exchange New MOT, runs well. £8995ono. with beige interior, any make of Motor Car with generous allowances. Discounted cashRed purchases.

Viewing by appointment only full tonTel: 01619622972 please (available evenings & weekends) no obligation to purchase. All our vehicles carry a warranty, havethat an was reneau, “Export” model (South manchester) MOT and are fully serviced prior to collection/delivery. imported in 1954 and converted to

Built on herritage body shell.New 4600cc engine. Offenhhauser Manifold. Edelbrock 4 barrel. New R380 Gearbox.MGRV8 type front suspension. Leather upholstery.

Genuine Minilight wheels. 38000 since build. £20000 ono. Telephone 01435 864010 for Photos

Round wheel arch, finished in Brooklands Green, with black

1400cc Oselli engine with Weber andMarch Wire Wheels.

MG TF 135, 2003, Dark green,interior, Biscuit leather interior.

MOT 2013, Tax Restored in the Recent early 90’s head and stillgasket, in excellent condition, Feb. 2013. Radio C/D player, comes hood cover. coolant pipe, with roll bar and extensive history file with cambelt and clutch. Good service . . .clock. . . . .It. .has . . .been . . . .with . . . its. . current . .£3,650 84,000history. miles on .the owner for the last 11 years and under 1000mls done in

MGTD 1953

Dark Red body with matching red upholstery and faded black hood.

Engine rebuilt and lead free conversion with twin SU carburetters.

Some work required to interior with new carpets fitted. Bodywork restored and resprayed in 1999. £18800 o.v.n.o. Tel 01621 788488 or apbassociates@hotmail.co.uk (Essex)

MG Midget, 1980, FlamencothisRed, time. much money spent including up-rated is a very well sorted Midget with superb performance. suspension front and back, K & This N Filters, Various new mechanical parts, Full £8,995 tonneau,and Motolita steering wheel, It comes with a very good service history, Bootrack, Kenwood radio/CD player and1972 Black vinyl seats. The car is MGB ROADSTER, MOT'd up to September 2013Tax and taxed untilinend of July . . . .£3,500 exempt, Finished Glacier White.2013.

The car .comes with Overdrive, Recently fittedMGB Wire wheels, Walnut veneer dash, 1973 ROADSTER with MG TF 135, 2002, Silver, MOT July head coolant Wood rim 2013.

MotolitaNew steering wheel,gasket, Black interior, K &pipes, N O/D. Tax exempt in very good conFilters, Stainless steel exhaust, Windstop and Full Tonneau cambelt andTD. service carried out by ourselves. Navy hood, black cloth seats.

1951 MG 1250cc.

The car will have a new MOT upon purchase and is in very black . . . with . . . . . .black . . . . . interior. . . . . . . . .A. . .good . . .all. .round . . . condition. . dition. . . . . . . .Bronze . . . . . . .Yellow . . . . . . .with . . . .£2,995 Red very leather seats, tonneau cover, N £8,995 sound which been inGrey the with grey MG TFcar115, 2003,has X Power hood, Has recently had Ka &new filters, top pipes trunnions by headgasket, Stainless air steel coolant and replaced full service, family for 43 bottom years. engine Engine rail, rebuilt ROADSTER, 1972 roller bearings, new tyresRadio/CD last year, MOTfully to counter May 2013, Taxed Phoenix to MGB Feb 2013, Miles, comes with Mallard Green,71835 Tax exempt, Comes with overdrive, Alloy with balanced player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wheels, . . . . . Biscuit . . . . . leather . . . . . .interior, . . . . . Long . . . . MOT . . . . .and . . .Wood .£2,750 crank 2009, little mileage sinceveneer but dash. MOT Dec 2015, carpeted boot area, cut offleather fitted seats, and There are some paint battery blemishes this car is structurally MGF,beautifully.

2000, Alumina Green, 62,000mls, Green hood, but Green runs Not concours but sound, in excellent mechanical and Jan drives2013, very well. hoops, Recent headgasket replacement, Taxed MOT alarm.

Well order maintained and always aChrome perfect roll project for someone who March 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£5,995 . . . . . . . . . garaged. . . . . . . . .Period . . . . . .cassette . . . . . . . radio . . . .£1,950 with wants to use 2000. and enjoy veryhood, headgasket MGF,VVC, Silver this with a black done in 2010, half leather seats, rear pull off false front.

For more MGF 1.8i, 1996, British Racing Green, cloth interior.

MOT Maarch 2013.info Tax spoiler, radio/cdcar player,but Newwould MOT upon purchase. presentable like to Nice tidy car. £1,750 end of January 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .please . . . . . .telephone. . . . . . . . . .£6500.ono. . . . . . . . . . . .£950 fettle to improve it even more.

Units 9/10 Fifehead Business Park, Manor Farm, Fifehead near Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5RR TelMagdalen, 01613366982 or 07594368020. £16950.00. Call Tim 02392 462737 E-mail:mail@mikerolls4mgs.co.uk mail@mikerolls.4mgs.co.uk • www.mikerolls.co.uk E-mail: • www.mikerolls.co.uk Manchester.

(E Hants) Mail Order “Friendly Quality Service”

JULY 2015

CM02.13/B32/d

MGB LE Roadster 1981,

MGB Roadster, 1973, chrome bumpers, overdrive, one owner for last 34 years, genuine 83,000 miles, very good condition Aconite coachwork testament to older restoration that included new wings, complete sills, castle rails etc. etc., nice condition Black leather interior trim, new hood, small history file with original British Leyland ‘Passport to Service’ document, old mot’s, tax discs & invoices back to the early 80’s, very original example and drives delightfully, just arrived £8,495.00

95

23/06/2015 10:01

s & invoices. Sills els + waxoyled). nd 2013. For Sale . £4000. orangehome.co.uk 835 (eves).

Engine runs but car last used in 2000 and brakes semi-seized.

Last owner since 1969. Can be viewed Stafford area. Offers over £14,000. Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 121384.

CARS FOR SALE

RB & RACE

additional easi-fit nd belts for track 0bhp B engine, ng, all work to the All steel body, eels, raced for 8 ve, Iconic 50's and ies for FIA type wn car, fast, reliable ifully, it now needs 25750. @btinternet.com 20416223. re )

8

pray in British raclls jacking points & estoration of run2 years, too many here, new carpets back to original th sunroof and o, 4 speed & overworks, very good great, 15,000 mls and 1 year MOT. e: 07525077402

othian)

w. Very original and ndition. 3 owners. miles. MOT April wner 6 years. 10 s & invoices. Sills els + waxoyled). end 2013. For Sale . £4000. orangehome.co.uk 835 (eves).

RB & RACE

MG YB 1953 Reg. No. YMG 184, First registered May 1953. A rare opportunity to purchase a late YB with a YMG registration number. Three owners from new. Black with green leather upholstery. Total engine rebuild by Peter Edney in August 2008; converted to unleaded. Lots of patina, original Buff Log book and Owners Manual, plus a few spares. Could do with a little TLC. £10,500 ono Contact Paul on 0208 429 1442 (Pinner, Middlesex)

Midget 1968

MGZR 2.0l Diesel Chrome Bumper.

1275cc, Tartan red, hard top (immaculate condiIn metallic Green 2004 reg. only tion) engine5 (lead 44000reconditioned miles, 2 owners, door free) back axle, carbs, wire wheels. superb interior condition, exterior New Soft top, tyres, starter motor, is good water with no rust.battery, Spare wheel dynamo, pump, elecand jack never used. All alloy tronic ignition, thermostat, stainless steel rack, Modifieddamoil wheels areand freeexhaust. of mechanical filter, kenlow fan, rechromed, age, but a couple are showingcomsigns pletely restored with photos. of laquer failing. Full mot with car Detailed history available with bills, recent newlog tyres. £2000.

Contact plus original book.

1 years MOT. Bob Welch on 01724 764144 £6,500.

Telephone: 07958 553003. or 01708 456595 (Essex)

MGB GT Restoration project.by Car number 2087. Exported 1500cc Blue, in very good 1972 Chrome 91000condiAmerican GI bumper. to California late tion. Just MOT’d,car. until- May 2016, no miles.

Complete dry stored 1940's.

Purchased and used in the since 1988.

On SORN. Several advisories.

Currently on SORN. USA parts by aincluded.

British Engine, Architect until new gearbox Wire wheels, padded roll bar. and axlehenot to haveto 1998rear when andthought car returned Recent service.

Well maintained any major problems.

Car was in England. Aero screens, Bluemell and dry stored with extensive hisregular use until taken off for some steering wheel and skins.(one luggage rack. bodywork. (sills, tory. £3450.

Calldoor Richard on 01531 Dunlop tyres, tonneau,white. hood and side done) Snowberry 820311 or 07802306176 £800 ono side screens all excellent. The car (Gloucestershire email drw.gooch@talktalk.net. turns heads when it goes by!

(Lowestoft)

MGB 1972 Roadster

MGF 1.8 vvc 2001

MGB red, LE black Roadster Tartan leather 1981, seats.

Good many extras, elec85000condition, Miles. Garaged and summer tronis ignition, K&N filters, convertuse only.

Owned since 2001. ed to 12v battery, includes tools, Ziebart treated from new. manuals. 14k miles on fully rebuilt Underneath declared 1992 soundwith by engine, full restoration photo Record ofdefects all work garage,records. though cosmetic to completed during the carpets,, last 12 years. body. New hood, and For sale £8,750, leather seats fully refurbished.

Contact John Murrer 01908 Starts and runs 018769 beautifully. MOT 217434 or 07436 until April 2016. Insurance valuation email john.murrer@hotmail.co.uk (Newport £5500, soPagnell) realistically priced at £3800.

Contact Peter on 01622 671147 (Maidstone Kent)

M.G. in North Herts MGB GT V8 1974

MGOC Workshop ‘M’ reg. Recommended Maroon. 80K. One owner from new and Installer last run and Power Steering in 1998. is a very original MoTThis & Failures Repaired car which has a sound body Servicing, Welding, Restoration and is ideal for restoration.

Can be viewed Stafford area.

M.G.A. – B – C – V8, Midget Offers are invited over £7,500.

Tel: 01785 715777 or 07831 Rear of Langley Garage 121384

MGZSRoad, 180 Langley, Nr Hitchin, London BRG, in exceptional Herts1954 SG4condition.

7PJ MG TF1250

Reason for sale new MG6.

I am 2nd Maroon.

Restoration project.

01438 owner since Feb 2005 (3334mls).

Engine runs but729288 car last used in She has done 73728 trouble free 2000 and07860 brakes semi-seized.

473298 Last sincethe 1969.

Can be miles.owner It has been most reliable viewed Stafford area. www.mg-repairs-hertfordshire.com car I have owned, wellOffers known in over £14,000. club circles.

AllTel: MG01785 XPower acces715777 or 07831 121384.

MIDGETS! WANTED

sories, starts first time and that beautiful V6 still purrs. £2999.

I am also looking for an RV8 so would accept PX. Contact Barry on 0117 949 6512. Or email Contact the Midget Specialist bm.west@blueyonder.co.uk for lots MIKEinfo AUTHERS more & Pics. on Abingdon

07703 465 224 CHROME BUMPERED MIDGETS in excellent condition SELLING YOURbought CAR?up to As a member of current the MG stock Car Club £8,000.

View at you can advertise your car in Safety www.mgmidgets.com

Fast for 1968 free. Just email your car Midget

additional easi-fit Chrome Bumper.

1275cc,together Tartan details, max 60 words, nd belts for track red, (immaculate with hard a top JPEG picture tocondiColin 0bhp B engine, tion) reconditioned engine (lead Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk. ng, all work to the free) back axle, carbs, wire wheels.

Non Soft member fee is £20 All steel body, New top, tyres, starter motor, eels, raced for 8 dynamo, water pump, battery, elecve, Iconic 50's and tronic ignition, thermostat, stainless ies for FIA type steel rack, and exhaust.

Modified oil 96 JULY 2015 wn car, fast, reliable filter, kenlow fan, rechromed, comtifully, it now needs pletely restored with photos. £25750.

Detailed history available with bills, @btinternet.com plus original log book. 1 years MOT. 20416223. MG Safety Fast £6,500.

07958 553003.

July15 Telephone: 49-98.indd 96 re ) or 01708 456595 (Essex)

MGTC 1947 MG Midget 1976

£24750. Tel:01874731295 Email: rwchilcott@btinternet.com

MGF 1.8i 1996

Only 56,500 miles very clean condition MOT to August. Only one previous owner. History with regular service and all old MOT’s Two tone (green/cream) leather interior, hood and tonneau in good condition with recent new window. Well kept with underside waxoyled.

Replacement underside cooler pipes fitted last year and new battery this year.

Extras include mudflaps all round, front splitter, K& N air filter, B&G low coolant alarm. brake cylinder ‘stiffener’, re- silvered headlights and a windbreak to help avoid ruffled hair (if you have any to loose!) £1,200 or ono. Phone Geoff 07780 726222 (South Northampton)

196556500 MGBmiles.

Roadster Only Metallic Blue.

WireApril wheels, photo MOT 2016. O/D, 2 new Full rear tyres.

Headgasket Wellreceipts. mainrestoration Replaced. record with tained and in Very Good condition.

Excellent rust free body. Detailed Good hood, fully waterproof. Fitted engine bay, new chrome, brakes, windbreak.

Garaged in Winter. exhaust,included. tyres, radiator, hood etc.

Tonneau Price £2750.

Contact Steve 07725 705919 New MOT, runsTel well. £8995ono.

(Northants) Tel: 01619622972

MG YB 1953 Reg. No. YMG 184, First registered May 1953. A rare opportunity to purchase a late YB with a YMG registration number. Three owners from new. Black with green leather 2004 MGTotal ZR 105 upholstery. engine rebuild by Only 29,000 miles from2008; new. conFive Peter Edney in August MGTD 1953 verted to unleaded.

Lots Red of patina, door, three owner Solar ZR in Dark Red body with and matching red original Log book Owners excellentBuff standard condition with Manual, plus aand fewfaded spares.

Could do upholstery black hood. superb bodywork and interior.

The with a rebuilt little TLC. £10,500 ono Engine and lead free convercar has Paul just on been Contact 0208fully 429 serviced, 1442 sion with twin SU carburetters.

(Pinner, includingMiddlesex) cambelt and water pump

Some work required to interior and comes with a full year’s MoT with new carpets fitted. Bodywork with no advisories. Your chance to restored and resprayed in 1999. own a wonderful example of this £18800 Tel 01621 788488 MGB GTo.v.n.o.

Restoration project. hot hatch for only £1,795.

1972 Chrome bumper. 91000 or apbassociates@hotmail.co.uk 01235 849730 (Abingdon) miles. Complete car. - dry stored (Essex) since 1988. On SORN. Several new parts included. Engine, gearbox and rear axle not thought to have any major problems. Car was in regular use until taken off for some bodywork. (sills, door skins.(one side done) Snowberry white. £800 ono email drw.gooch@talktalk.net.

(Lowestoft)

Brooklands Green with Webasto sunroof. 89k recorded miles. MoT April 2016. Recent 4 new tyres, SSE, clutch, unleaded head, rear wings and door skins. Good interior and body. FSH with virtually every receipt from new and old MoTs since 1982. Owned 12 years and always garaged. Everything works, drives well. £2650. 01883 343082 or lee.parry@mottmac.com for more details / photos.

(Caterham)

MG TD 1951

1961 MGA 1600 Mk II 1622cc

(South manchester) LHD Old English White. Reluctant sale. Ours since 1989. Much cared for and enjoyed over the years on many outings and runs across the UK. Always kept covered in brick garage. Pristine body. Sierra gearbox MGZR160 vvc.

2004.

Phase 2 Head.

Electric fuel pump.

Rare fourcolumn door model with unusual Steering lock. Wire wheels. and distinctive colour (Firefrost Hood and tonneau. Side screens red) Only 38k miles. MOT to and pouches. rack. Only August.

Taxed.Luggage Full service plus driven April September. major (ieGT head belts, 1973work MGBto V8gasket, Headtensioners, water pump, waxoiled) turning carherritage that drives beautifully.

Built on body shell.New carried out

by ZR specialist in £24750 Tel:engine.

020 8866 6326 after 4600cc Offenhhauser August 2013. £2,300. Please call 7pm (London) Manifold. Edelbrock 4 barrel. New John on 01525875001 R380 Gearbox.MGRV8 type front (Bedfordshire). suspension. Leather upholstery.

Genuine Minilight wheels. 38000 since build. £20000 ono. Telephone 01435 864010 for Photos

MGB GT 1978.

1979 MGB Roadster

Body rebuilt in 2001 resprayed Citron Yellow. Full service history and MOT May16. Rebuilt engine with fast road cam and balanced 2003. Fitted chrome bumpers and lowered. A pleasure to drive and to be seen in. Recent new hood.

Agreed valuation £5k Must go so £4000 Contact Ian at 01284761215 or hammond.bse@btinternet.com (Suffolk)

1951 MG TD. 1250cc.

Red with black interior. A very sound car which has been in the family for 43 years. Engine rebuilt with fully counter balanced Phoenix crank 2009, little mileage since but runs beautifully. Not concours but a perfect project for someone who wants to use and enjoy this very presentable car but would like to fettle to improve it even more. £16950.00. Call Tim 02392 462737 (E Hants)

Red with beige interior, full tonneau, “Export” model that was reimported in 1954 and converted to RHD. Matching numbers, very tidy and complete car. Recent professional refurbishment of engine, gearbox and differential. Engine sleeved to original bore diameter, unleaded head and crankshaft oil seals conversion. Just over 750 running-in miles since restoration.

Change in personal circumstances forces reluctant sale. £19,000 ono.

Call 01531 670 582. Please, no “Trade” enquiries.

(Herefordshire)

1973 MGB ROADSTER with O/D. Tax exempt in very good condition. Bronze Yellow with black leather seats, tonneau cover, K & N air filters, top trunnions replaced by roller bearings, new tyres last year, MOT Dec 2015, carpeted boot area, battery cut off fitted and alarm. Well maintained and always garaged. Period cassette radio with pull off false front. For more info please telephone. £6500.ono.

Tel 01613366982 or 07594368020.

Manchester.

www.mgcc.co.uk

23/06/2015 10:01

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

Two Genuine Lucas

Dash lamps No. 56010A type DF41CP in box never used £40 each plus P&P Aero Screens One pair never used. £170 plus P&P. Phone 01925 262571

P&P. Phone 01925 262571

MGB Parts Differential MG Midget JVC Radio

MGA Spares unit Rostyle for Midget, 4Differential x refurbished wheels, With wheeled Preset stations.To include Steel standard rear Morris Minor, etc.and 2Sprite, with near new Nexen 2 axle, might suit an early B. The radio case, and full instruction Serviced, clean and ready to fit, with part used Pirelli. axle is less the crown wheel manual. Radio has also CD but no longer car.

Also further onehave withinthe legal tyre andI pinion, bought error, I MGA Spares player. For sale.£25.ono to wanted to fitapprox. it to my4.2:1.£100, MG TF to I Ratio 38:9, as spare.£110.

Buyer collects. include full postage.

Steel wheeled standard rear get the benefit of the Contact improved prefer collects, but can Contact: Roger Latham on Peter buyer Foreman on postage 01752 gearing. £150 plus axle, might suit an early B. The post it but it will be2104 costly due to 01702 580472 Phone 0121 779 847467 axle is less the crown wheel weight. £20 contribution towards (Essex) and pinion, bought in error, I postage B19 - Barrie Carter_D 03/06/2015 11:34required.

Page 1 Email for wanted to fit it MIDDLETON to my MG TF to MG TC XPAG engine.

MGA Parts information and photos. get the benefit of the improved MG Midget Differential pieces.

Excellent condition.

2Inrear wings need repair £60.00 roger.greeno@btinternet.com gearing. £150 plus postage each.

Complete but starter Differential unitmissing for area) Midget, (Guildford/Woking Phone 0121 779 2104 1and offside frontMinor, wing needs repair dynamo. £1000.

Please Sprite, Morris etc. to bottom £75.00 telephone 07779423847/ Serviced, clean and ready to fit, 1 offside roadster door no rust 02082442310.

Thank but I no£60.00 longer have theyou car.for holes MGA Parts 1looking. boot38:9, lidTim. not drilled4.2:1.£100, for rack Ratio approx.

I 2 rear wings need repair £60.00 £60.00buyer collects, but can prefer each.

2 door sills OK.£50.00. Repair post it they but itwill willfitbeand costly to Midget/Sprite them, lookdue right.

1 offside front wing needs repair weight. contribution towards IBodyshell. would £20 use Ex them but climate mine is to bottom £75.00 warm done. required. Email for postage 1 offside roadster door no rust (California). Square wheel arch, MMM year books 1976 to 1989 information and photos. holes £60.00 folding type, Thedog shell is for sale,hood excellent not eared roger.greeno@btinternet.com 1 boot lid not drilled for rack straight no accident damage £40.00 (Guildford/Woking £60.00 and01892 requires only area) a little welding Tel. 665106

2 door sills OK.£50.00. Repair them, they will fit and look right.

I would use them but mine is done.

MMM year books 1976 to 1989 for sale, excellent not dog eared £40.00 Tel. 01892 665106

to make an excellent shell.

For details call Ian Webb 07725 MGB Parts 957969 Bargain at £595 ono

4 x refurbished Rostyle wheels, 2 with near new Nexen and 2 with part used Pirelli.

Also further one with legal tyre as spare.£110. Buyer collects.

Contact: MG TF Roger Latham on 01702 580472 Wanted for 1954 TF restoration: (Essex)

WANTED

looking.

DF41CPTim. intobox neveryour used £40 remember include Peter Foreman 01752 memeach plus P&P on bership number in all corresponAero Screens 847467 dence One pair never used. £170 plus Midget/Sprite P&P. Phone 01925 262571

Bodyshell. Ex warm climate MG TC XPAG engine.

Two Genuine Lucas (California).

Square wheel arch, MGA Spares In pieces.

Excellent condition.

Dash lamps No. 56010A type folding hood type, The shell is Steel wheeled standard rear£40 DF41CP in never starter used Complete butbox missing straight no accident damage axle, might suit an early B. The each plus P&P and dynamo. £1000.

Please axle isScreens less the crown wheel and requires only a little welding Aero telephone 07779423847/ and pinion, bought in error, I One pairan never used. £170 plus to make excellent shell. wanted to fit it01925 to my 262571 MG TF to 02082442310.

Thank you for MGB P&P. Phone For call Ian Webb 07725 get details the benefit of the improved One Brand New and Boxed looking.

Tim. gearing. £150 plusatpostage 957969 Bargain £595 ono MGB Rubber Bumper Radiator.

Phone 0121 779 2104

MGA£130 Spares Cost - Yours for £70

including UK Postage orrear collect.

Steel wheeled standard Midget/Sprite axle, mightStephen suit an early B. The Telephone Foster

WANTED

MGA Parts

axle is952 less the crown wheel Bodyshell.

Ex warm climate 0208 1234.

(Middlesex) 2 rear wings need repair £60.00 and pinion, bought error,arch, I (California).

Square in wheel each. wanted to fit it to my MG TF to MG TFhood 1 offside front wing needs repair folding type, The shell is MGF getbottom the benefit of the improved to £75.00 Wanted for 1954 TF restoration: Repair Operation Times Manual straight accident damage gearing. £150 plus postage 1 offsideno roadster door no rust – Published bylittle Rover Phone 0121 1998 779 Pair of£60.00 original air 2104 3 and requires only acleaners; welding holes Technical Communication.

1 boot lid not drilled for rack pieces of sidescreen trim, 1Item X to make an excellent shell.

No. RCL 0084ENG-4th Edition. £60.00 20.5 ins and 2 x 10 ins.

Starting For details call Ian Webb 07725 Approx 115 OK.£50.00. pages A4 format.

MGA 2 door Parts sills Repair handle.

Please calland Neil on them, they will fit look right.

Also similar publications for 957969 Bargain at £595 ono 2 rear wings need repair £60.00 Ieach. wouldcars use–them butdates. mine is Rover similar 01403 891592 (Horsham) done.

Offers please 1 offside front to wing needs repair MMM year£75.00 books 1976 to 1989 malcolm.leafe.leafe@btinternet.com. to bottom for sale, excellent not dog 1 offside roadster door no eared rust or Tel: 01205 290312. £40.00 holes £60.00 Tel. 01892 665106 1 boot lid not drilled for rack MG TF £60.00 JVC Radio 2 door sills OK.£50.00.

Repair Wanted for 1954 TF restoration: With stations.To include MGB Parts them,Preset they will fit and look right.

Pair ofcase, original air cleaners; 3 radio full instruction 4 x refurbished Rostyle wheels, I would use and them but mine is manual. also CD pieces ofRadio sidescreen trim, 1 X2 2 with near newhas Nexen and done. player.

For sale.£25.ono with part used MMM year books toto1989 20.5 ins and 2 xPirelli.

101976 ins. Starting include full postage.

Contact Also further one with legal tyre for sale, excellent not dog eared handle.

Please call Neil on as spare.£110. collects.

Peter Foreman Buyer on 01752 £40.00 Contact: Roger Latham on 847467 Tel. 01892 665106 01403 891592 (Horsham)

WANTED

01702 580472 (Essex)

MG TC XPAG engine.

MGB Parts In pieces.

Excellent condition.

MG Midget Differential 4 x refurbished Rostylestarter wheels, Complete but missing Differential for Midget, 2 with near unit new Nexen and 2 and dynamo. £1000.

Please Sprite, Morris Minor, etc. with part used Pirelli. telephone 07779423847/ Serviced, clean to fit, Also further oneand withready legal tyre 02082442310. youcar. for but I no longer Thank have the as spare.£110. Buyer collects. looking.

Tim. Ratio 38:9, approx. 4.2:1.£100, I Contact: Roger Latham on prefer buyer collects, but can 01702 580472 post it but it will be costly due to (Essex) Midget/Sprite weight. £20 contribution towards

postage required.

Email for Bodyshell.

Ex warm climate information and photos.

MG Midget Differential (California).

Square wheel arch, roger.greeno@btinternet.com Differential forThe Midget, folding hoodunit type, shell is (Guildford/Woking area) Sprite, Morris Minor, etc. straight no accident damage Serviced, clean and ready to fit, and requires only a little welding butmake I no longer have the car. to an excellent shell.

Ratio 38:9, call approx.

4.2:1.£100, For details Ian Webb 07725I prefer buyer collects, can 957969 Bargain at but £595 ono post it but it will be costly due to weight. £20 contribution towards postage required. Email for information and photos. roger.greeno@btinternet.com MG TF (Guildford/Woking area) Wanted for 1954 TF restoration: Pair of original air cleaners; 3 pieces of sidescreen trim, 1 X 20.5 ins and 2 x 10 ins. Starting handle. Please call Neil on

WANTED

01403 891592 (Horsham)

1955 MGTF 1500

MGB MGC Parts GT With o/d. This

4 x isrefurbished Rostyle an exceptional C wheels, 2 with near new Nexen and 2 apparently never with part used Pirelli. having been Also further onewelded, with legal tyre re-trimmed asTotally spare.£110.

Buyerincollects. black with red Latham piping, on Contact: Roger 01702 580472 Fabulous wood dash, (Essex) unleaded head and

immaculate engine

MGcompartment.

Midget Differential Koni

Differential unit forreps, Midget, shocks, Minilite Sprite, Morris Minor, etc. new calipers and much Serviced, clean and ready to fit, more.

An outstanding but I no longer have the car.

C mot’d taxed.4.2:1.£100, I’ve Ratio 38:9,and approx.

I usedbuyer this this winterbut can prefer collects, post it willnice be costly andititbut is very and due to weight. £20 £15,995 contribution towards quick. postage required. Email for information and photos. roger.greeno@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk (Guildford/Woking area)

Pair of chassis original up air rebuild cleaners; 3 A superb in Australia, a very rare car as you are aware and pieces of of sidescreen trim, 1 X Not only a 1500 but with other modifications probably one the finest available.

MG Midget Differential 20.5 ins and 2it xa 10 ins.

Starting too Differential which makes quick and useable car. Its extras include luggage rack, unit forvery Midget, handle.

Please call deflectors Neil on and superb weather equipment. If you want a Sprite, Minor, etc. w/w, sun Morris visors, wind Serviced, clean 1500 and ready fit, anywhere else. £32,950 01403 891592 (Horsham) don’ttolook

– Published 1998 by Rover Technical Communication. Item No. RCL 0084ENG-4th Edition.

JVC Radio Approx 115 pages A4 format.

Also similar for With Preset publications stations.To include Rover cars similar dates. radio case, – and full instruction Offers please manual.

Radiotohas also CD malcolm.leafe.leafe@btinternet.com. player.

For sale.£25.ono to include full postage.

Contact or Tel: 01205 290312.

Peter Foreman on 01752 847467

CLASSIFIEDS

JVC Radio MG XPAG engine.

With TC Preset stations.To include radio case,Excellent and full instruction In pieces. condition.

Complete but missing starter manual. Radio has also CD and dynamo. £1000. Please player.

For sale.£25.ono to telephone 07779423847/ include full postage. Contact 02082442310.

Thank you Peter Foreman on 01752 for looking.

847467 Tim.

Midget/Sprite MG TC XPAG engine.

Bodyshell.

Ex warm condition. climate In pieces. Excellent (California).

Square wheel arch, Complete but missing starter folding hood type, The shell is and dynamo. £1000.

Please straight no 07779423847/ accident damage telephone and requires only a little welding 02082442310.

Thank you for to make Tim. an excellent shell. looking.

For details call Ian Webb 07725 957969 Bargain at £595 ono

Midget/Sprite

WANTED

Bodyshell. Ex warm climate (California). Square wheel arch, folding hood type, The shell is MG TF no accident damage straight Wanted for 1954 restoration: and requires onlyTF a little welding Pair of original air cleaners; to make an excellent shell. 3 pieces of sidescreen trim,07725 1X For details call Ian Webb 20.5 ins and 2 x 10atins.

Starting 957969 Bargain £595 ono handle. Please call Neil on 01403 891592 (Horsham)

WANTED SPARES FOR SALE

One Brand New a MGB Rubber Bum Cost £130 - Your including UK Post Telephone Stephe 0208 952 1234. (M

MGHOW TO ADVERTISE TF

Wanted for 1954 TF restoration: Members can advertise their Pair of for original air cleaners; 3 spares sale/wanted free of pieces of 1X charge forsidescreen items up totrim, £250.

20.5 ins andor2for x 10 ins. Starting Over £250, non-members handle.

Please callisNeil on to advertise, there a charge of 01403 (Horsham) £20.

To891592 submit your advertisement email Colin Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk. Please remember to include your membership number in all correspondence

MGF

Repair Operation – Published 1998 Technical Commu No. RCL 0084EN Approx 115 pages Also similar public Rover cars – simi Offers please to

Two Genuine Lucas

malcolm.leafe.leafe@

Dash lamps No. 56010A type DF41CP in box never used £40 each plus P&P Aero Screens One pair never used. £170 plus P&P. Phone 01925 262571

or Tel: 01205 290

JVC Radio

With Preset statio radio case, and fu manual. Radio ha player. For sale.£ include full postag Peter Foreman on 847467

MGA Spares Steel wheeled standard rear axle, might suit an early B. The axle is less the crown wheel and pinion, bought in error, I wanted to fit it to my MG TF to get the benefit of the improved gearing. £150 plus postage Phone 0121 779 2104

MG TC XPAG e

In pieces. Excelle Complete but mis and dynamo. £10 telephone 077794 02082442310. Th looking. Tim.

MGA Parts

2 rear wings need repair £60.00 each.

1 offside front wing needs repair to bottom £75.00 1 offside roadster door no rust holes £60.00 but I no longer have the car.

1 boot lid not drilled for rack Ratio 38:9, approx. 4.2:1.£100, I £60.00 prefer buyer collects, but can 2 door sills OK.£50.00. Repair post it but it will be costly due to It appears few people are interested in genuine Brooklands them, cars. they will fit and look right. weight. £20 contribution towards postage required. Email Only for pointy tail pub specials. This car is still available. I would use them but mine is done. information and photos.

Being restored to required specifications. Starts at £35,000 MMM year books 1976 to 1989 roger.greeno@btinternet.com for sale, excellent not dog eared (Guildford/Woking area) £40.00 Tel. 01892 665106

Midget/Sprite

Bodyshell. Ex war (California). Squa folding hood type, straight no accide and requires only to make an excell For details call Ian 957969 Bargain

Ashley Cleave Brooklands Competitor 1937

£32,000

WANT MG TF

MGB Parts 4 x refurbished Rostyle wheels, 2 with near new Nexen and 2 with part used Pirelli.

Also further one with legal tyre as spare.£110. Buyer collects.

Contact: Roger Latham on 01702 580472 97 (Essex) JULY 2015

MG Midget Differential MG Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 97

MGB

CM07.15/B19/rkb

SPARES FOR SALE

Steel wheeled standard rear 2 rearmight wingssuit need £60.00 axle, an repair early B. The each. axle is less the crown wheel 1 offside front wing in needs and pinion, bought error,repair I to bottom wanted to £75.00 fit it to my MG TF to 1 offside roadster doorimproved no rust get the benefit of the holes £60.00 gearing. £150 plus postage 1 boot lid not779 drilled for rack Phone 0121 2104 £60.00 2 door sills OK.£50.00. Repair SPARES FOR SALE MGBthey will fit them, and look right.

MGA Parts Brand New and Boxed I One would use them but mine is HOW TO ADVERTISE 2MGB rear wings need repairRadiator. £60.00 Rubber Bumper done.

Members can advertise their each.

Cost £130 - Yours for £70 MMM year sale/wanted books 1976 to 1989 free of 1spares offsideforfront wing needs repair including UK Postage or collect. charge items up £250. for sale,for excellent nottodog eared to bottom £75.00 Telephone Stephen Foster Over £250, or for non-members £40.00 1to0208 offside door no rust of 952roadster 1234. advertise, there(Middlesex) is a charge Tel. 01892 665106 £20. To submit your advertiseholes £60.00 Grant at 1ment boot email lid notColin drilled for rack MGF colingrant@mgcc.co.uk.

Please £60.00 remember to include yourManual memRepair Operation Times MGB Parts 2bership door sills OK.£50.00.

Repair number in all correspon– Published 1998

by Rover 4dence x refurbished wheels, them, they Communication. will fitRostyle and look right.

Technical Item 2 withRCL near new and I No. would use themNexen but mine is2 0084ENG-4th Edition. with part 115 usedpages Pirelli. done.

Approx A4 format.

Two Genuine Lucas Also one with legal tyre MMM year books 1976 to for 1989 Alsofurther similar publications Dash lamps No. 56010A type as spare.£110.

Buyer collects. for sale, excellent not dog eared Rover cars – similar dates.

DF41CP in box never used £40 Contact: RogertoLatham on £40.00 Offersplus please each P&P 01702 580472 malcolm.leafe.leafe@btinternet.com.

Tel. 01892 665106 Aero Screens (Essex) One pair never290312. used. £170 plus or Tel: 01205

Wanted for 1954 T Pair of original air pieces of sidescre 20.5 ins and 2 x 1 handle. Please ca

01403 891592 (H

Differential unit for Midget, 23/06/2015 10:01 Sprite, Morris Minor, etc.

Serviced, clean and ready to fit,

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 Safety Fast July15 49-98.indd 98

1966 OVER

45 YEARS

2015

23/06/2015 10:01

‘The Abingdon Policy’ the Home of classic insurance for your MG Exclusive to members of the MG Car Club.

- Peter Best Insurance Proudly supporting the MGCC and its members since 1985

Approved

TEL: 01621 840400 The Farriers, Bull Lane, Maldon, Essex CM9 4QB

WWW.PETERBESTINSURANCE.CO.UK Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Photograph courtesy of MG Car Club

MGCC_SF_July15_Covers.indd 3

23/06/2015 09:04

MGCC_SF_July15_Covers.indd 4

23/06/2015 09:04