Safety Fast! December 2019

THE MARQUE OF FRIENDSHIP

December 2019 Volume 63 Number 12 £3.95

Merry

Christm

& Happy a s New Year

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ABINGDON-ON-THAMES FO U N D E D 193 0

B UNIQUE ● THE 2019 CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW ● ALDON AUTOMOTIVE SHOOT OUT Safety Fast_Cover December2019 V2.indd 1

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THE ORIGINAL AND THE BEST As the original equipment manufacturers to companies such as Rover, MG, Triumph, Jaguar and many others over the years, Tex has established an unsurpassed reputation for quality and service.

Today that quality remains evident in our Classic range of products, over 95% of which are manufactured in our factory in Oxfordshire on the original tooling.

Tex products range from wing and door mirrors, wiper arms and blades and accessories are all supplied as original accessories on most British cars in the 50s, 60s, 70s. Tex were ďŹ tted as original equipment to all British Leyland vehicles between 1974 to 1983.

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SH TI I BR 8 T A 94 E 1 GR CE A N I S

D N A R B

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WELCOME DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

MGS ON TRACK The last MGs on Track event of the season takes place at Brands Hatch on December 2, an ideal way to shake your MG down on the nice Brands Indy Circuit. A popular event, so visit www. mgs-on-track.com to check availability and register your interest.

W

hat a great show the Club had at the NEC, with the new gantry system and lighting highlighting the wonderful selection of MGs on display and tea, coffee and a seating area made available to members new and old. It certainly drew people on to the stand, all with wonderful stories to tell about their MG, or collection of MGs! All the cars we had on display were talked about, the 6R4s former mechanic came on to the stand as well as the first owner from the 80s that the mechanic used to spanner for, we managed to put them in touch with each other again. Richard and Gill’s Iris blue B and the red MG TF had people reminiscing, the unusual early Oxford blue MG RV8 of Marion Quarrington had people admiring and talking. Over the past few years it’s noticeable that the more modern classics are making more of an appearance at the NEC Classic Car Show, with 80s, 90s and 00s hot hatches being popular with Club stands. I think we could claim to have one of the brightest hot hatches on display, courtesy of MG Rover fanatic Scott Biddlecombe. His Biomorphic green MG ZS 180 certainly stood out, and Scott was kept busy talking all things MGCC and MG Rover with the smiling crowds that gathered around. The final car we had on the main MGCC stand was the Club’s new project Midget; more on this in next month’s Safety Fast!.

As we enter December, thoughts turn to Christmas. The MGCC are well prepared for the big day and the run-up to it with MGCC baubles and a selection of Christmas cards, and a variety of MG and MGCC-branded merchandise. From clothing to books, there’s plenty of presents for everyone on https://shop.mgcc.co.uk/ We might even have one or two of the fine Yema limited-edition watches (covered in the news section last month) available, phone Ineke on 01235 849737. Be quick, though, as they’re selling quickly!

Until next month, drive safely.

Andy Knott

Membership Type

MG635 AGM AND CHRISTMAS MEAL Why not join the MG635 Register in Abingdon on December 7 for their AGM at Kimber House, followed by a full-on Christmas meal and drinks at the Ock Mill, Abingdon Beefeater. Register your interest on www.facebook.com/groups/ mg635Register or email steve-haines@ live.co.uk

BOXING DAY RUN Direct Debit Rate

Standard Rate Online

Standard Rate Post

Single

£50

£55

£55

Joint

£54

£59

£59

Young Members 16-20

£15

£15

£15

Young Members 21-24

£30

£30

£30

Blow away the cobwebs with the annual Boxing Day Run organised by the Abingdon Works Centre, starting from Abingdon Market Square at 10.00am.

Always a popular event so please advise the organiser if you plan on attending.

Contact Richard Martin on 01235 529331.

For many more events during December please visit www.mgcc.co.uk

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

www.mgcc.co.uk

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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 Hutson.qxd:Layout 2 24/3/10 14:38 Page 1 Hutson.qxd:Layout 2 24/3/10 1 Unit 4, Woodfield Business 14:38 Units, Page Kidderminster

Call 01905 622166

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Comprehensive Comprehensive paint paint shop shop and and trim trim facilities. facilities.

Ash frame skeleton bodies.

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Individual Individual ash ash frame frame components components and steel panels. and steel panels.

•• Dashboards Dashboards •• Quarter Quarter Panels Panels T-Series ash frame sections & body panels T-Series ash frame sections & body panels •• Door are hand built in our Bradford factory.

Door Frames Frames are hand built in our Bradford factory.

•• Hood Hood Finishers Finishers Fully Fully assembled assembled complete complete panelled panelled bodies bodies for for TA TA to to TF. TF.

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www.mgcc.co.uk 4 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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

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WELCOME REGULARS 7

Club Matters and Kimber House News

8

News

10 Products 12 Young Members Branch 58 Out and About 63 Race Torque 64 MGs on Track 65 MGCC Speed Championship 69 Centre Updates 80 Register Updates 92 Classifieds 98 Looking Back

NEWSLETTERS 38 Y Type Newsletter 43 Twin Cam Newsletter 48 V8 Newsletter 54 ZRZSZT Newsletter

FEATURES The award-winning MG Car Club stand at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show held at the NEC. Photo: George Woodward

23

14 B UNIQUE The history of Martyn Lucas’ unique 1979 MGB Roadster

23 HEBRIDEAN DIARY Bury St Edmunds to Benbecula and back

by MGB

14

30 ALDON AUTOMOTIVE SHOOT OUT A series Midgets get power tested on the Aldon Rolling Road

35 THE 2019 CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW A round-up of the UKs biggest 2019 Classic Motor Show

60 BTCC ACTION All the MG British Touring Car action from the final round of the season

66 OVERSEAS NEWS The MG Car Club welcomes the MGCC of

54 www.mgcc.co.uk

Malta

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ABINGDON MG Parts for MG, Triumph & MX-5 Cars

Working with MG Owners to keep the Marques alive Special discount on parts & accessories for all official MG Car Club Members

0121 544 4444

e-mail: enquiries@davidmanners.co.uk visit: 991 Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, B69 4RJ

w w w. davidm anners. c o. uk

Parts for Classic Mini | Jaguar & Daimler | MG & Triumph | Morris Minor | MX-5

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www.mgcc.co.uk

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CHAIRMANS NEWS

A

s you will have gathered from Dave Tynan’s Chairman’s notes in last month’s Safety Fast! the Club has had a hiccup in its succession planning, and I have agreed to take on the role of Chairman of the Club for a year while the Club decides on a longer-term replacement for Dave, to be elected at a general meeting of the Club in due course.

I really didn’t anticipate being Chairman of the Club again when I retired from the Chair in 2015, but I will do my best to keep the Club moving forward over the next months.

At the recent AGM three new directors; Lorraine Noble-Thompson, Adele Rand and Colin Withers, were elected to join the board, and we also elected Keith Williams,

who has been co-opted onto the Executive Committee for most of this year, as our new Vice Chairman. They will all be introducing themselves to you through the pages of future editions of Safety Fast!.

It was extremely gratifying to have such a good response to the Club’s appeal for new directors to join the Executive Committee, and this reminds me that a number of Centres and Registers are trying to find new blood for their committees. If you would like to get more involved in the work of the Club please don’t hesitate to contact the Centre or Register that appeals to you, or if you’re not sure just contact a director or myself.

At Council it was announced that we will be returning to Silverstone for MGLive! in 2020 on June 13-14. If you have a look at the Council minutes, which are available on the members’ area of the Club website, you’ll understand more about why this decision was made.

I urge you to visit the members’ area, quite apart from looking at the Council minutes, as we have now enhanced the security sufficiently to be able to allow you to update the personal details that the Club holds for you, such as postal

and email addresses, online. In the near future you will also be able to update the information that the Club holds about your MGs. This new facility has been a long time in the planning, as a way had to be found to ensure that all your membership details were secure, and that the Club’s database was not vulnerable to hacking.

Those of you who visited the Club at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC could not fail to be impressed by the new stand, which made a real impact and made us stand out amongst the other Clubs. We were awarded the trophy for Best Themed Stand in the show, so it wasn’t just me that was impressed.

I’m sure you’ll join me in congratulating the team from Kimber House for their splendid efforts, and their stamina in lasting for three days of full-on commitment, and their smiles for everyone who visited the stand. My congratulations and thanks are also extended to all the volunteers who helped out, and to those who generously lent their cars to provide such a super display.

Bill Silcock

KIMBER HOUSE NEWS David Knowles Book Signing We welcomed well-known MG author David Knowles to Kimber House recently and he kindly agreed to sign copies of his new book ‘MGA: The Revolutionary MG’, together with his previous books ‘MGF and TF’, and ‘MGV8’. David mentioned that he is working on a new MG book that will be released in the spring next year. David’s signed books are available to buy from the Club shop and are the ideal Christmas present for the enthusiast.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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Presentations at MGCC Council Meeting At the Club’s recent Council meeting two awards were presented

by Club President, John Day. The first was the Geoff Coles Memorial Trophy for Member of the Year going to staff member Lauran Gallacher for all her hard work throughout the year, especially dealing with the cancellation of MGLive! and the reorganising of the event for next year. The second was the Nikki Saunders Trophy that went to Nigel May of our MGF Register for their sterling work in signing up 17 new members at events throughout the year.

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NEWS MEMBERS AREA NEW LOGIN GOES LIVE Over the last year, the Club’s IT committee and a small test group have been working on a more secure login for the Members Area, as well as creating a new look for the Members Area to allow members to access their contact details and vehicle data the Club holds.

Well we’re very pleased to say that it is now live for all members. What it allows you to do is: • see and modify the data the club holds on you, such as address, telephone number and email address • check which MG(s) the club thinks you own and modify the details To access the Members area, click the Members tab/button at the top right of the MGCC website screen and it will show you the new login page. Note that you now need three pieces of information to login - Membership number, email address and a password.

The instructions above the fields tell you what to do for an email address and a password and there is a step by step user guide available on the login page to help guide you through the process. The email address you use must be the same as the one the club holds for you. If you haven’t supplied the club with an email address, or it’s so ancient you can’t remember what it might be, please contact the club on 01235 555552 or email mgcc@mgcc.co.uk

RACE TO THE FINISH FOR WINNERS It was a race for the finish on Rally Round’s 2019 Paris-Biarritz Rally as the leader board changed in the final stages to determine the winners of the Classics and Vintage trophies. In the end it was the 1965 Mercedes Benz 230SL of Peter Trotter and Celia Djivanovic who won the overall Classic title, while novices Keith Hickling and Rebecca Butler won the overall Vintage section and the coveted Charles Jarrott trophy in their 1937 MG SA Tourer.

The MG SA’s Australian crew, who had stepped in at the last minute when Keith’s parents could no longer attend, were surprised to then find themselves in the top spot as neither had done this type of event before and had very little in the way of navigation equipment. When accepting the trophy, navigator Rebecca thanked all the other crews for their help, especially Ed Braclik and Tim Joslyn in the 1933 Lagonda 3 Litre who had ‘shown them the ropes’ and ‘been there with a smile and helping hand throughout.’

It was the Lagonda that came first in the Vintage class with brothers Stephen and John Ward coming second in the 1924 Bentley 3 litre Speed. The Lagonda crew of Ed and Tim were then revealed as winners of the Spirit of the Rally award, much to the agreement of the other crews who gave them a standing ovation as they accepted their trophies.

The 28 crews covered 1,230 miles as they journeyed from Versailles to Biarritz with each day packed with special tests and regularities. The route took them through the beautiful French valleys and historic cities before reaching the spectacular scenery and roads of the Pyrenees.

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CORRIE MCKEAGUE’S BROTHER BIDS TO RESTORE MISSING AIRMAN’S TF The brother of missing Corrie Mckeague has saved the airman’s “loved” first car, which has sat on an RAF base since he vanished more than three years ago.

The airman was last seen in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in September 2016.

Darroch Mckeague, 24, went to retrieve the moss-covered MG TF from nearby RAF Honington, intending to scrap it.

“But as soon as I sat in it I just knew I couldn’t do that,” said Mr Mckeague, who now plans to restore the car, which has “great sentimental value” to him. Darroch Mckeague said he wanted to get the car back to its original state. “Corrie had quite a big accident in it and got a new car. He never did want to sell it; he loved it. “My goal is to gradually renovate this car which I’m sure won’t be easy because it has been sat in the same spot outside for around four years. I’m hoping to raise enough funds to get this car back to its original state and I would love it if I could fix my brother’s first car.”

Darroch has been in contact with the MG Car Club, and the MGF Register have offered to support him where they can.

Midland Centre AGM Date: Monday January 20 2020 Venue: Somers Sports & Social Club, Halesowen Time: 8.00pm Agenda Welcome guests to meeting Apologies Minutes of previous AGM Matters arising from previous AGM minutes Approval of minutes Chairman’s report Secretary’s report Treasurer’s report Trials report Sprints report Chief marshal’s report Any other business Election of Centre officers Election of committee Close of meeting All nominations for election to committee and any other communications to the secretary, Paul Hollingworth, 92 Old Birmingham Road, Lickey End, Bromsgrove, B60 1DG by January 3 2020.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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NEWS

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

www.cambrianway.com

Explore some of the best roads and scenery in the UK

2020 / 21 Club Tour Packages Robin behind the wheel of his beloved MGB

A TRIBUTE TO ROBIN CLOKE Robin joined the MG Car Club in 2006. At the time, he had an MGB GT which rode high as it was a converted RB where the springs had never been changed. Robin was a lovely man and was always keen to help out at events.

If you asked him to be somewhere at 6.00am he would always be early.

He helped out on the wet MGB 50 event in 2012 as well as many local AWC, MGB and Midget events. He soon joined the Midget and MGB Register committees where he usually managed to make his ideas heard.

Although he was not a mechanic, nor had much knowledge of MGBs, he decided he wanted to build one.

He acquired a late roadster which he stripped down and had it professionally painted. He then rebuilt the car with help from his Midget and MGB friends; we think he must have been Moss Bristol’s best customer at the time. When completed, he loved to have the bonnet open and talk passionately about it, with his famous saying: “It’s a full nut-and-bolt rebuild”.

Robin had not been well for about 18 months after having a small stroke which left him with a small disability making it difficult to get into the MGB, but he still managed to get to quite a few events.

Earlier this year he was admitted to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford for treatment and was allowed home to Goring where he lived since his childhood. The last month he had help from the McMillian Nurses, and also the Sue Ryder Home in Nettlebed, where he passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday November 2.

Our condolences go to his son Adam, his daughter Olivia and their families.

Mike Parker Midget Register, John Watson MGB Register

HEATHROW TRANSMISSIONS The well-respected transmission specialist, Heathrow Transmissions have recently moved to a new premise. Their new contact details are Unit 9, Shopwhyke Industrial Centre, Shopwhyke Road, Chichester, PO20 2GD. Telephone: 01234 782671.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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Looking for a venue for your club or friends in 2020 or 2021 contact us to discuss packages and dates

We already have 24 clubs booked in 2020 & 4 Clubs Booked in 2021

Tours include dinner, bed & breakfast, drinks reception on 1st night, a welcome pack containing a memento of the weekend, rally plate, window sticker, ordnance survey Mid & South Wales road map, road books containing the route for each day & entry to a local attraction. Prices from £260.00 per person for a 3 night tour.

2020 ALL MAKE TOUR DATES Open to any Make & Age of Car 3rd to 5th July - 10 cars booked, 1 room left 3rd to 5th August - 2 cars booked, 11 rooms left

Adding class to your journey Well formed Classic MG Insurance

CALL NOW

0800 093 8860 carolenash.com/classic-car UK opening hours: Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat 9am - 5pm.

As with all insurances, terms and conditions apply. 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.

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 9

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PRODUCTS

This page is a free service so if you have a product that would be of interest to our members contact Colin Grant at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANER FROM MEGUIAR’S This specialized formula is a fast-acting foam that quickly penetrates and dissolves stains from the bottom up for deep down cleaning. An effective blend of cleaners and surface-active agents remove the toughest of stains and help to restore a like-new appearance on automotive carpet and Upholstery without leaving behind any unwanted residue. Meguiar’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner also implements Meguiar’s Re-Fresher Technology that permanently removes unwanted odours while leaving behind a refreshing New Car Scent. The newly redesigned canister comes equipped with a removable carpet scrubber top to maximize your results. Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner can quickly remove stains and odours while refreshing your car’s interior making it as fresh and clean as the day you drove it home!

Meguiar’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner comes in a 19 oz./ 539g aerosol foam Priced at £12.50. Available from Halfords and other Motor accessory outlets

M

INLINE THERMOSTAT KIT FOR THE MG ZT (DIESEL - ALL) FROM DISCOUNT MG ROVER SPARES

If your car is having trouble staying at 9 o’clock on the temperature gauge or is cooling off when travelling down long hills, chances are your thermostat is sticking open or opening prematurely. This is the ideal (and cost effective) solution – the famous Renault 5 thermostat modification. Simply pop this thermostat in the top radiator hose and you’ll be back up to full temperature in no time at all. The thermostat is supplied ready to fit from the box – no modification necessary.

The kit now includes 2x Genuine Jubilee clips of the correct size to re-attach the pipe after fitting.

Priced at £45 (OEM thermostat) 2-Year Warranty on this kit.

Available from www.dmgrs.co.uk or for more information email sales@dmgrs.co.uk

THE ENV 75 WORKSHOP MANUAL FOR THE WILSON PRESELECTOR GEARBOX

BY PETER MEYER Every now and again something quite unexpected comes through the door of Kimber House.

This occurred just recently and that ‘something’ on this occasion happens to be a Workshop Manual with a difference. And how! The subject for a start is quite overwhelming.

It’s the ENV 75 Wilson Preselector Gearbox.

Invented by British engineer Walter Gordon Wilson (who was also very much involved in the early development of the military tank) it was fitted to a number of British cars in the

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1920s and 1930s, among them of course the K Type MG Magnette; in particular the K3s, whilst also being specified for the infamous Q type racing cars.

This simply stunning manual, the result of eight years work by specialist Peter Meyer, offers the user a step-by-step, fully illustrated (in colour) guide to the rebuilding, adjusting, remanufacturing and repairing of these remarkable gearboxes.

Each A4 page is removable so that they may be used (housed in a suitable plastic sleeve) on the workbench.

The 700 photo illustrations are of excellent quality. There

is also a fully illustrated parts list included at the back of the manual. In addition, the manual comes with a DVD containing 238 ENV drawings (fully restored), 69 new parts drawings and 35 drawings from which special tools may be made.

This work is best summed up in the words of Mike Pilgrim from his fitting foreword: Delving into the internals of such a complicated mechanism can be a daunting prospect. But this manual demystifies its complexity, and should dispel any doubts. It will enable any enthusiast with a modicum of mechanical aptitude, even the inexperienced, to dismantle, assess, recondition, reassemble, set up, and adjust their own gearbox with confidence.

Priced at 88 Euros it is available directly from the publishers: pbm engineering, Freschenhausener Weg 34A, D-21220 Seevetal, Germany. Available only in English language.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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BROWN & GAMMONS FIRST FOR EVERYTHING MG! MGF/TF

Horn mount brackets, St/Steel YEB100800SS £7.15 Horn mount brackets, St/Steel, Black YEB100800SSB £7.80 Radiator Top Mount, St/ Steel ABU460310SS £8.35 Radiator Top Mount, St/ Steel, Black ABU460310SSB £9.55 Subframe Mounts, Solid Type. 2 bolt KGE000110 £23.95 ABS mount Bracket, St/ Steel SRU102100SS £40.75 ABS mount Bracket, St/Steel, Black SRU102100SSB £47.95 Clutch Alignment Tool BGF205 £16.75 Water Low Level Sensor Kit BGF1111 £167.95 Hood Modification Straps, pair DJE000010Z £25.98 Alloy Heater Knobs, set of 3, polished or Satin, For MGF or Late MGF (2000 on) and TF. Please state which you require.

BGF9021-24 £36.50

MG TA, TB, TC

Dynamo Adjuster Link Box Spanner, 6 sided rear hub Spring Starter Motor Bracket Fuel Gauge Fixing Strap Front Oil Thrower Heatshield, MG TC Hub Tool, 8 sided nut Rear axle Large Brass Core Plug

AAA5831 £23.95 GAC1052 £39.55 53683 £14.95 AJH5185 £9.55 AAA5278 £6.60 GAC1036 £47.95 GAC1502BG £59.95 AAA5561BRASS £3.00 Camshaft, XPAG/XPEG, Lock Tab AAA5593 £5.65 Electronic Distributor, neg earth, without gear 27H5183CSINE £330.00 Electronic Distributor, positive earth 27H5138CSIPE £330.00 Oil Filter Conversion-Spin on GAC8001 £142.26 Small Brass Core Plug CA1056BRASS £2.34 High Quality Oil Pressure Pipe AAA627HQ £17.95 Oil/Water Gauge Strap AJH5186 £9.55

MG TD AND TF

MGA

Alloy Radiator ARH120ALY £249.95 RH Horn Bracket AAA2088 £20.38 Heel Mat, Carpet CRM2001X £10.20 Oil Pressure Pipe, high quality AAA627HQ £17.95 Rear Axle Hub Tool GAC1500BG £59.95 Oil/Water Gauge Strap AJH5186 £9.55 Front Valance Stainless Steel Screw Kit MGA9022SS £10.75 Front Wing Stainless Steel Kit MGA9090SS £23.70 Floorboard Screw and washer set, st/steel MGA9103SS £59.95 Toyo 165/80 R15 87T TL330 Tyre T1R8000 £71.99

Exhaust to Gearbox Bracket 128742 £23.64 Dynamo Adjuster Link AAA5831 £23.95 Spring Starter Motor Bracket 53683 £14.95 Clutch Return Spring to Sump Bracket AAA5800 £10.20 Uprated Gear Lever Spring 11G3144 £12.90 Rear Spring Shackle Plate AAA854 £13.19 Steering Wheel Boss MLB8BG £91.20 Electronic Distributor, neg earth, without gear 27H5183CSINE £330.00 Electronic Distributor, positive earth 27H5138CSIPE £330.00 £47.95 Heatshield GAC1036

MG MOTOR UK

MG3 Mark One Interior Styling Kits - Consist of Dashboard Mats, Tambour Bin Surround, Side vents and radio surround Piano Black and Red BG3500 £59.95 Metallic Grey and Red BG3502 £54.95 Piano Black and Metallic Grey (no side vents BG3501 £49.95 Carousel 16inch Alloy wheel and Tyre MG3 Fabric Mats, set of four MG3 Spare Wheel and Tool kit MG ZS Spare Wheel and Tool Kit MG GS Fabric Mats, set of four MG ZS Manual Fabric Mats, set of 4 MG ZS Auto Fabric Mats, set of four MG3 Front Brake Pads, non OE MG6 Petrol Front Brake Pads, non OE

30064821T £75.00 30073783 £48.00 30092045 £144.00 10160897 £168.00 10394095 £66.00 10160896 £66.00 10508798 £66.00 10025315Z £30.00 10008675Z £43.00

GENERAL ACCESSORIES

SERVICE PACKS

MGB

Alloy radiator, 1976-80 (r/bumper) NRP115ALY £249.95 Alloy Radiator, Rear fill ARH260ALY £249.95 Alloy Radiator, MGB Centre Fill,68-76 NRP1142ALY £249.95 Fuel Gauge Fixing Strap AJH5185 £9.55 Steel Billet Crankshaft 8G2750STEEL£2,034.00 Rear Axle Hub Tool GAC1500BG £59.95 Oil/Water Gauge Strap AJH5186 £9.55 Toyo 165/80 R14T TL330 Tyre T1R2050 £71.95

All service packs consist of Genuine MG parts - Oil Filter and sump washer, Fuel Filter, Pollen filter and Air Filter MG3 MG3SERVICEK £63.25 MG6 Diesel MG6SERVICEDK £125.00 MG6 Petrol MG6SERVICEPK £58.74 MG GS GSSERVICEK £93.50 MG ZS Manual 2017 onwards ZSSERVICEK £79.80 MG ZS Auto 2017 onwards ZSAUTOSERVICEKIT £83.99

MG Morris Bear, Green Jumper MG Buster Bear, Red Jumper MG Cecil Bear, Green Jumper MG Buster Bear, Green jumper MG Badge Collection MG Mugs, Black or Red

BGR68B BGR68R BGR68C BGR68D MM001 MM061/84

£13.00 £13.00 £13.00 £13.00 £28.95 £6.95

All prices are correct at time of going to press but may be subject to change. PLEASE MENTION THIS ADVERT WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER TO OBTAIN THESE PRICES. All orders subject to availability. All prices include VAT @20%. CARRIAGE EXTRA

ORD ER ON -LI NE

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WORLDWI D E MAI L ORD ER AVAI L AB LE

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MG WORKSHOP v Service & MoT v Accident repair v All warranty & insurance work v Full Diagnostic Analysis v Performance Upgrades v Accessory Fitting v Bodywork v Paintshop v 4-wheel alignment v Tyre fitting on site

v Wheel Balancing (inc wire wheels) v Full or Part restorations v Competition Preparation v Air conditioning recharge v Car Storage v Also cater for BMW Mini & most classic cars

Car Sales, Parts Sales & Workshop Fax: 01462 896167 sales@ukmgparts.com 18 www.mgcc.co.uk High Street, Baldock, Herts, SG7 6AS Established 1977

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CAR SALES

MAIN DEALER

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YOUNG MEMBERS

Shaun Nelson shaunnelly@hotmail.com

MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT –

JAMES CROW I

’ve grown up with MG/Rover products, from my dad owning a couple of Rover 600s in the late nineties up until the collection of MGs we own at present. My first was at the age of 18, a 2.5 V6 ZT saloon in Trophy Blue – quite a leap from little 1.3 MK2 Polo I had at the time. I immediately caught the MG bug and have now owned over 30 MGs in the space of seven years!

I currently own quite a selection of MGs, including a ZS, number 5 of 5 in Monogram ‘Glacier white’. The car had been neglected in the past, but given its rarity I took on restoring it back to original condition. The project began in March of 2017, and in March of this year the now near-completed car went on display on the Young Members Branch stand at the NEC Restoration show – and was well received!

Along with my many other smaller projects, I have just purchased a supercharged MK2 MG ZT in Xpower Grey. It’ll be requiring some light recommissioning, despite having only done 28,000 miles from new, and includes a fully forged V8 engine and 6-speed Tremic gearbox among other goodies! I have provided an engine shot with the article.

James and his Glacier ZS

The MGCC is a great club to be in, and we aim to build our Young Members branch with more merchandise and attendance at shows whenever possible.

Supercharged V8 engine

James’ first MG, a V6 Zt

The Glacier White ZS on the Young Members stand earlier this year

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www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:23

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A room without a book, is like a car without an engine!

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

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FEATURE

B UNIQUE

By Andy Knott Photos Colin Grant and Andy Knott

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www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:23

FEATURE

In September 1979, John Butler along with 499 hopefuls were readying their Abingdon-built cars, which not only included MGs but Austin Healeys and Rileys as well, for the Golden Jubilee Concours celebration in Abingdon.

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T

he Golden Jubilee Concours was held during the week-long celebrations in Abingdon marking the 50th Anniversary of the iconic MG marque being in the town. John, a staunch MG Car Club member, drove down in his Green TF to enter.

During the celebrations John got to meet and talk to lots of the MG employees, including Chris Peacock who was at that time the Manufacturing Manager. They were soon to correspond with each other on a regular basis about the unique MGB featured in this article.

As the celebrations drew to a close, the winner of the concours was announced, with John taking the overall win with CJK 5, his stunning Green TF. Understandably, this was an extremely proud moment for John and something that he decided he would like to commemorate. He approached Chris Peacock and mentioned that he would like to purchase a new MGB, but would like it be somewhat different to a standard MG to commemorate his prestigious win. Chris decided to give it some thought. During October John wrote to Chris with a few questions and suggestions, asking if there were any special edition MGs planned for the UK market, similar to the USmarketed cars. Chris replied on October 25 stating that he had no knowledge of a planned special edition, particularly in MGCC colours, although if the company’s proposals are implemented it is conceivable that a limited or special edition may be built for the UK. Chris then went on to say: “We do not build a UK version of the USA limited edition. However, if you bought a black tourer with the optional alloy road wheels we could supply a set of silver transfers. The boot rack and alloy wheels should not give you too much trouble. If you confirm with me in, say, one month I may also be able to assist with a spoiler.”

The USA special edition was limited to 1,000 cars built in 1979. They were all black roadsters with alloy wheels, side stripes, chin spoiler, boot rack and with commemorative plaque on the dashboard.

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FEATURE

They were built to celebrate 30 years of MG sports cars being sold in the USA. John decided this was the route he wanted to take and set about trying to obtain a black Roadster from several dealers, including Wadham Stringer (Southsea) Limited with whom he placed an order with the factory’s assistance in November 1979. This wasn’t to be, though. As black was normally a special order colour, the car would not have been built until 1980 and as John specifically wanted a car built in the Jubilee year, the whole project looked in trouble. It wasn’t to be until early 1980 that John managed to finally find a black roadster, built on December 18 1979. Chris Peacock, now Director of A Plant, had a brainwave and contacted John Simmonds of the Piccadilly showroom, who was due to display a Black MGB tourer. Being the premier Piccadilly showroom, the cars that were built to display there were of a higher specification than the normal cars, known as the Piccadilly finish. Chris wrote to John Simmonds on January 16 saying: “John Butler, a very keen MG enthusiast, has contacted me to try and assist in locating a Black Tourer for him. I would appreciate if you or Graham Powell, Regional Manager, could keep me in touch with the situation so that I can advise John as to the likelihood of him being able to buy this car.”

The rotation of cars in showrooms was fairly regular, so it was agreed that when the Piccadilly showroom was due to change cars after the eight-week period John could purchase the Black 1979 MGB Tourer, and it would be shipped to an appointed University Motors dealer to have some of the US specification extras fitted.

John wrote to University Motors as he was keen to have a few items fitted that would improve the MGB and personalise it for him. He insisted that the car be fully rustproofed and undersealed, but making 16 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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www.mgcc.co.uk

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FEATURE

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 17

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FEATURE

sure that the underseal is kept off as many component parts as possible, and there was to be absolutely no underseal in the engine compartment or under the bonnet as he was keen to prepare the car for concours events.

John also insisted that a suspension lowering kit, supplied by Brown and Gammons, and a Moto-Lita 14� flat polished steering wheel, supplied directly

by Moto-Lita, be fitted.

On February 18 John Simmonds sent a letter to Chris Peacock at the Abingdon Factory to say that the MGB would be released to University Motors, Hanwell, on March 11 1980. When it arrived at University Motors it was fitted with the parts that John had specified in his letter. In addition to those parts, the North American specification wheels (not varnished like the UK LE wheels, and a black centre not red) were fitted to the MGB before it was taken to Abingdon to be fitted with rest of the parts to complete the North American spec conversion. These included the chin spoiler, side stripes, boot rack (of which Leyland imported

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Being the premier Piccadilly showroom, the cars that were built to display there were of a higher specification than the normal cars, known as the Piccadilly finish

approximately 20) and a set of Collinburn custom-built black leather seats.

John finally got to pick up his new unique acquisition from Abingdon in some secrecy, as by this time British Leyland did not approve of either special cars being built or the public going into the works. John was in fact nearly thrown off the site by a director who gave him quite a stern lecture.

As a last finishing touch to the MGB, John decided to take it to a local printing company and had the Jubilee badges silk screened on to the top of the doors just below the mirrors. And the unique MGB was almost complete, but not quite, as in September 1980 John received a letter from Chris Peacock asking him if he’d like an American spec boot carpet as the Abingdon factory had made a few sets from an American Sample. Finally the unique MGB was finished and John was happy with his car. Sadly, though, John had to part with the car in 1981, as when he purchased it he did so through his company which he later sold to an American concern, so the MGB had to go as well.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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20/11/2019 10:18:47 22/11/2019 16:24

FEATURE

Martyn Lucas with his unique MGB

After John Butler parted with the car, it enjoyed three further owners before being bought by another MG enthusiast, Geoff Pearson, in September 1986.

Geoff knew none of the history of the car when he purchased it, but from the look of the car and the graphics, he knew he’d purchased something special. After contacting the MG Clubs and not having much joy, he decided to take the car to the MG Car Club’s annual Silverstone event, getting there early and parking it by the MGB Register marquee. It just so happened that John Butler was attending that event in his TF and passed by the MGB leaving a note on the windscreen that read: “I was the original owner of this car and it has a special history, contact me on….” Subsequently Geoff Pearson met John Butler, who gave him all the MG correspondence and photographs of the car being collected from Abingdon.

Geoff used the MGB on a regular basis,

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John finally got to pick up his new unique acquisition from Abingdon in some secrecy, as by this time British Leyland did not approve of either special cars being built or the public going into the works. keeping it to John’s original specification, apart from an engine rebuild to stage two

by MG Motorsport, before selling it to a lady owner in 2000. Subsequently she advertised it through Bonhams auction house in 2011, but it failed to sell so she decided to advertise it in the Classic Car press. This is where the current owner, Martyn Lucas, saw it advertised, and after looking at other MGBs including an LE which weren’t what he was looking for, Martyn decided to make the trip to Witney in Oxfordshire to have a look at the unique black roadster. This was to be his first foray into the world of MG

ownership after joining the MG Car Club at the NEC a couple of weeks previously.

A deal was soon struck with the lady owner and the MGB was accompanying him home to Wiltshire shortly afterwards.

Since 2011 Martyn and the B have been regulars on the show scene, having the car displayed twice at the NEC on the J.U.L.E. Club stand, as well as taking the car back to Silverstone for the MG Car Club’s event.

The MGB now also shares the garage with an MG Rover TF Spark, but that doesn’t mean it’s used any less, as this unique MGB is still attending local and national events on a regular basis for all to see and admire.

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:24

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All MPG and CO2 figures quoted are sourced from official EU regulated laboratory test results. These vehicles are WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure) type approved vehicles. However, in-line with Government guidance, to facilitate direct

MG3 fuel consumption: 38.9different mpg | 7.3 l/100km,and EXTRA URBAN 53.8 | 5.3 l/100km, COMBINED 47.1 | 6.0 l/100km, CO 140 g/km.

2 Emissions: comparison between differentURBAN models from manufacturers to accommodate the mpg full transition to this new testing regime, we mpg have displayed the NEDC figures.

These NEDC figures are the values for this vehicle used in all registration and taxation until further notice from the UK authorities. consumption and efficiency figures are EU provided for comparative purposes only and may not reflect “real(Worldwide world” driving results. Model shown: Vehicles MG3 Exclusive with Hello Yellow paint at £12,795 onHowever, the road (OTR). prices include VAT where applicable, All MPG and CO2 Fuel figures quoted are sourced from official regulated laboratory test results.

These vehicles are WLTP Harmonised Light-Duty Test Procedure) type approved vehicles. in-lineOTR with Government guidance, to facilitatevehicle direct first registration fee, delivery, and 12 months’ Vehicleand Excise Duty. “From” price is based on OTR price £9,495regime, for MG3we Explore. £1,250 deposit contribution applies to 4figures year 5.0% APR . Representative on used Personal Purchase and is available at participating comparison between differentnumber models plates from different manufacturers to accommodate the full transition to this newoftesting have displayed the NEDC figures. These NEDC are the values for this vehicle in allContract registration and taxation until further notice from dealers until 30th November 2019. Finance by MG Financial Services CF15 7YT. Subject to satus, availability and terms and conditions. Applicants must be 19 or over.Prices are correct at time of being published and are subject to change without notice. Please see your local dealer or

the UK authorities. Fuel consumption and efficiency figures are provided for comparative purposes only and may not reflect “real world” driving results. Model shown: MG3 Exclusive with Hello Yellow paint at £12,795 on the road (OTR). OTR prices include VAT where applicable, vehicle visit MG.CO.UK for details. * Not available on Explore.

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22/11/2019 16:24

FEATURE

I

was taken by the Lewis Trilogy by Peter May that I’d read, a trio of novels set on the Outer Hebridean Islands of Lewis, Harris, Benbecula and North and South Uist. I was so taken by the descriptions of the islands that I decided that one day I would like to visit them. I mentioned this to my wife Mary who, having also read the books, said: “No thanks, it sounds too bleak and cold for me.” The idea went on the back burner.

Later in the year I told my daughter, Louise, of my intention and that I might go in the MGB GT. “What, on your own?” she said.

“Well Mum doesn’t want to go, so yes.”

“You can’t go alone, I’ll come with you.”

Over the next couple of months plans were made, Louise booked leave from work, I bought maps and planned routes and booked accommodation and ferries.

SPF 958M had its MOT in February, including a service and new oil filter and oil change. I did a couple of minor jobs like

making sure that the driver’s seat could be adjusted to accommodate Louise’s shorter legs and that the heating and ventilating all opened and closed correctly ,then, at the last minute, I realised that a couple of new tyres were in order.

And so at 9.00am on Saturday May 13 we left home near Bury St Edmunds and headed north via Thetford and King’s Lynn to Boston in Lincolnshire and our first stop at the Bubble Car Museum just to the north of the town on the B1192.

An interesting place to spend an hour or two with Messerschmitt’s, Heinkels, a Trojan and lots of Bond Bugs including a prototype four-wheeled version. Then north again over the Humber Bridge to Scarborough for our first night’s stop.

Sunday morning saw us on the road again to Whitby and round Middlesbrough to Hartlepool to visit the National Museum of the Royal Navy and HMS Trincomalee, a three-masted, square-rigged frigate with 38 guns built in what was then Bombay,

now Mumbai, in 1817. Apparently, there was a shortage of oak in England for ship building at that time so she was built

HM Yatch Tricomallee in Royal Navy Museum Hartlepool

BURY ST EDMUNDS TO BENBECULA AND BACK BY B

By Paul Purnell

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The Bridge to Nowhere, the unfinished road in the background

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k

www.mgcc.co.uk

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Bridge over River Gairn A939 in Cairngorms National Park

Boarding the ferry at Ullapool to Stornaway

in India from teak. This coincidentally proved to be a better material as it was more resistant to rot. When she was completed she was sailed to Portsmouth, but by this time Britain was no longer at war with France and she was surplus to requirements. She had her masts removed and the deck roofed over and was kept in Portsmouth Harbour for the next 25 years, eventually being commissioned and sent to North America and the West Indies in 1847.

From Hartlepool we circumnavigated Durham and took the A68 to Edinburgh for a three-night stop during which the B sat in the Hotel car park while we used the bus. A ÂŁ4 day ticket allowed unlimited travel on buses and trams throughout the city area, a real bargain to get about with.

We visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace, among other places.

After a two-day break the MGB was fired up again and we set off over the Forth Road Bridge and north to Balmoral on the A93. Here we took a walk through the gardens and visited the ballroom, the only room open to the public, this being a private residence. After lunch in the tearoom we headed north again through the Cairngorms National Park on the A939. In some sections this is quite a hairy ride with blind rises, hairpin bends and narrow roads with passing places. At Speybridge we headed west to join the A9 into Inverness.

After a pleasant night at the Riverside Hotel, we set off again to Ullapool via the

Near Bonnar Bridge on the A837 looking out to Dornoch Firth 24 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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BGT surrounded by lochs and mountains

The monument to those lost at sea on the wreck of HM Yacht Iolaire on January 1 1919

A836 long route over Bonnar Bridge, Oykel Bridge and Ledmore. More narrow roads with passing places and blind rises through magnificent views across open gorse land with the mountains in the background and lochs of all shapes and sizes everywhere.

This gave an approach to Ullapool from the North East. Louise had been examining the map and had discovered the Corrieshalloch Gorge and the Falls of Measach a dozen miles south of Ullapool on the A845, so we did a bypass and paid them a visit. This was certainly a good move; after a short walk down from the car park there is a pedestrian suspension bridge over the Gorge with the river 197 feet below, the falls are to your right and

www.mgcc.co.uk

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below the bridge. Walk on another 300 yards to a viewing platform for a look back at the falls with the bridge over them. On returning to the car we retraced our route back to Ullapool for the night.

Next morning after breakfast we checked in at the Ferry Terminal and boarding started at 9.45am. The Loch Seaforth sailed exactly on time at 10.30am and docked in Stornoway at 1.00pm after an uneventful trip on a beautifully calm sea.

We were not due to check in to our hotel until later in the day so we decided to drive out to the extreme end of the Eye Peninsula to the Tiumpan Head Lighthouse, a distance of about 14 miles from Stornoway. On the way, we stopped off at the memorial to those lost by the wreck of HM Yacht Iolaire. This ship had run aground in bad weather at 1.55am on the morning of January 1 1919 when bringing sailors home after serving in Royal Navy ships during World War L. Of the 284 passengers and crew on board only 79 survived, despite the ship being, at one time, only 20 feet from the shore. This, together with almost a thousand men lost

fighting during the war, effectively caused the loss of an entire generation of young men on Lewis.

After checking in to our hotel, there was still plenty of daylight left so we headed north east on the B895 to the Bridge to Nowhere. When Lord Leverhulme owned the Island of Lewis between 1918 and 1923 he had big ideas for developing the Island, including building a road from the settlement of Tolsta on the east coast to the northernmost point of the Island at Port Nis. The local population weren’t in favour of the road being built as they wanted the land to remain as crofts rather than the Laird using it for his road. Work stopped in 1921 and has never been completed, hence the Bridge to Nowhere.

Saturday May 20, a windscreen-wiper day all day with the skies overcast and a fine drizzle. After breakfast we set off across the Island on the A857 to the west coast at Barvas and then north to Port Nis and the Butt of Lewis, the northernmost point, where there is a lighthouse. This area features in the novels by Peter May as the hero’s hometown and is the site of the murder on which the story is based. The countryside is very much as described in the books and is very sparse and windswept.

From here you can do no more than retrace your route back to Barvas where a right turn onto the A858 continues down the west coast. At Arnol we visited the Blackhouse Museum, an example of the type of dwelling common throughout the islands a century ago, stone-built tworoomed buildings roofed with gorse, the last of which was still occupied in 1974.

Electricity arrived in the 1950s followed by running water a few years later. Heating

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The Blackhouse Village at Garenin

Brilliant blue waters of the Sound of Harris

and cooking were done by burning the local peat and, on talking to the young lady at the Museum, this is still a common form of heating on the Island today. A number of places in this area feature in the Peter May books.

Heading further south we came to Callanish where there is a group of standing stones and stone circles dating back to 2,900 BC. From here, still on the A858, there is a fork in the road, both ways signposted to Stornoway. The navigator was busy not watching the road at this point, so I took the left fork which proved to be the narrowest back road we had encountered the whole trip so far. An early night tonight, we need to be on the road by 6.00am tomorrow morning in order to get to the ferry to Berneray by 9.00am.

Six thirty saw us on the road on another overcast day, not wet enough for single speed windscreen wipers, but a trained navigator with one thumb on the wiper switch worked just as well as an intermittent wiper. We headed south from Stornoway down the A859 to Harris.

The landscape here changed dramatically, being more mountainous and the roads more twisting and turning, still single track in places with passing points. The scenery is tremendous – vast, unsettled expanses of gorse and sheer rock faces, with lochs of every imaginable shape and size everywhere you look and views across

a changing sea to adjacent islands.

We arrived at Leverburgh, the ferry terminal, with almost an hour to spare so carried on to the end of the road at Rodel to see the church of St Clements. This is a stone church dating from the 1520s, built by the Clan McLeod and allowed to fall into a state of disrepair in the 1800s until being renovated by the Duchess of Dunmore in the 1870s.

The ferry to Berneray was uneventful, despite the weather, and so south on the A865 through North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist to our final stop on the islands at Lochboisdale. I had been warned that the Islands were likely to be very quiet on a Sunday but I didn’t expect that there would be nothing operating at all. On arriving at our destination, we approached the hotel at the quay side to see if we could get lunch only to be told that they didn’t do meals on Sunday! We were able to convince them to supply us with a couple of toasted sandwiches and suddenly they had some very good leek and potato soup available as well. We had received an email from CalMac Ferries advising that tomorrow’s ferry to the mainland had been delayed due to adverse weather and would not be sailing until 9.00am instead of 7.00am. This allowed us another two hours lie in.

We left our farmhouse at 7.45am and made our way to the ferry terminal just after eight. After checking in we waited

View over Loch Linnie from our B&B balcony

The Church of St Peter and St Finnan at Glenfinnan

to board at 8.45am. There were not many vehicles, a handful of cars and a single seven tonner, and we wondered why we were all parked at the stern of the car deck. Once we were beyond the breakwater and at sea we realised that by putting all the weight at the stern the bow was higher and took the rough seas better.

Arriving at Mallaig at 12.30pm we drove off the ferry and past the railway station, where the Jacobite steam train had just arrived, and headed off down the A830 towards Fort William. Lunch was had in the railway carriage restaurant at Glenfinnan Station where we saw the returning Jacobite and the afternoon Royal Highlander passing

Open countryside in the centre of Lewis with Beinn Bharabhais on the horizon 26 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:25

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FEATURE

Ex Police MGA Twincam in the Lakeland Motor Museum

on the short length of double track. Near here is the viaduct that featured in the Harry Potter films when Harry flew over the train in Ron’s dad’s stolen flying Ford Anglia on their way to Hogwarts. We pressed on through pouring rain to find our accommodation at Port Appin, south of Fort William.

The following morning, after a superb traditional Scottish breakfast, we headed back to Glenfinnan Station to take the hill walk to the view point overlooking the viaduct. We had been told the previous day that it was about a 40-minute walk with one or two steep bits. We missed the train on the viaduct but did manage to photograph it passing just below us. We continued the circular walk to the visitor centre and the Church of St Mary and St Finnan.

On completing the walk back to Glenfinnan we drove back to Fort William to catch the afternoon run of the Royal Highlander steam train to Mallaig. We had been allocated seats on the left of the train and so had a good view of the scenery to the south, this also put us on the inside of the curve of the viaduct. There is an hour to spend in Mallaig before returning to Fort

William. We then had a 45-minute drive from here to our accommodation. This meant we arrived at the Road Closed barrier 15 minutes too late. The main road leading to our B&B was being resurfaced in night closures. The fellow at the closure was helpful as our accommodation was halfway through the closed section and he arranged for us to be escorted to our turn-off.

After another of those breakfasts we set off south again towards Glasgow, stopping on the way to photograph Castle Stalker, a part-ruined tower on a small island off the east bank of Loch Linnhe, Kilchurn Castle, another semi-ruin at the north end of Loch Awe, and to visit Hill House, a National Trust of Scotland property designed for the publishing magnate Walter Blackie by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald in 1902. To anyone interested in the Arts and Crafts design period this is a must-see place.

Our next overnight stop was to be in Ambleside, still some distance away, so we found our way round Glasgow and onto the M74/M6 heading south as far as Penrith where we turned onto the A66 and A591, arriving in Ambleside just in time to wash up for dinner.

Thursday the 25th, the MGB had another day off while we took the Windermere lake cruise from Ambleside at the north end of the lake to Lakeside at the south end, a pleasant 10 miles in glorious sunshine. Having purchased combined cruise and Lakeland Motor Museum tickets, we were met at Lakeside by the museum’s bus for the short journey to the museum itself. This has a variety of vehicles, cars and motorcycles from all eras and including a 1954 TF, a 1929 M type Midget and an MGA Twincam roadster in shiny black complete with blue police lights and sirens and a constable at the wheel with what used to be known as a WPC seated beside him. From here we returned to the dock at Lakeside in time to see the Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam train return from its latest run and to catch the return cruise to Ambleside. A very pleasant day off from driving.

Friday was getting home day so, after killing some time walking round Bowness, we headed for Blackwell, another arts and crafts house a couple of miles south. It was built as a holiday home overlooking Windermere for Sir Edward Holt, a Manchester brewery owner, his wife and five children.

From here we took the A590 to the M6 and A14 to home in Bury St Edmunds, a distance of 280 miles, 260 of them on motorway or dual carriageway at about 3,000 revs in fourth overdrive for about five hours.

Altogether we travelled 1,738 miles at an average of 35 miles per gallon, the oil pressure remained constant at 65 psi and the temperature occasionally went over normal, but with the help of the Kenton fan this was soon brought under control. This run has been a good test of the state of an engine that has just gone over 113,000 miles and I am very pleased with the performance.

Finally the sun breaks through over Harris 28 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_3-46.indd 28

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:25

A78 - ALDON_CLASSIC 22/11/2019 12:21 Page 1

J&C Classic Restorations

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Safety Fast_December2019_3-46.indd 29

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 29

22/11/2019 16:25

FEATURE

D

espite truly awful weather, six of the nine who entered the annual Midget Register October shoot out at Aldon arrived, plus a whole host of other folks who have either attended before or knew someone who was this year, along with a couple of ex-racers and two automotive engineers. There was, of course, a lovely atmosphere with the usual banter as everyone swapped stories and compared notes.

Word must be spreading that this day is not to be missed, for among the

spectators was renowned (although now retired) engine guru Peter May, current class A Championship contender, and the only driver to win outright all three Championship classes, Richard Wildman, and hill climb expert and prolific engineer Kim Johnson. Indeed, given that James and I always wondered if anyone would attend the first time, and were sure it would just be a one-off, we gathered here in October for the 12th year on the trot!

James and I always look forward to the day for it is so thoroughly absorbing, the

perfect mix of technical with social, and a privilege in fact to meet such interesting people from all walks of life while discussing the technical aspects of their cars. It is a rare and special day.

Unlike previous years, all the cars were exclusively Spridgets, and furthermore all A series-engined cars in various levels of tune, with no K Series or Zetec-powered cars. Also, excepting the first year of course, all the entrants were new people who had not joined us previously, proving how popular the event remains.

ALDON AUTOMOTIVE SHOOT OUT

By Dennis Wharf and James Thacker

Jago Hurley and Andy discuss what might happen next on Jago’s Mk1 Sprite!

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www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:25

FEATURE It’s fair to say everybody gained something from the day, with improved timing, fuelling, and better running, or a better idea of what is required, for as always Roger, Andy, and Jake were on hand to set the cars up as enthusiastically as ever, conscientious and open about the whole process. It never ceases to surprise just how much can be learnt, be it from your own car’s session or from another, so a huge thanks as always to them and Alan Goodwin for opening up on an exceptionally wet and miserable Saturday morning for our members.

James has produced his usual detailed report of how the cars performed below, which makes for some interesting reading, for as you will see most of the cars have greater potential which could be realised with just a few detailed improvements.

Saturday October 24 2020 is the date for next year’s Aldon shoot out, when hopefully the weather will be better (could hardly be any worse) so if you fancy coming along give me a ring on 01296 714232 or email dennis@loisweedon.net to book your slot.

Owner’s name: Jago Hurley, lives in central London and works as an aircraft engineer on airworthiness at Heathrow.

Car type/reg number: 1959 Black MK1 AH Sprite, YJW 899; which he has owned for a year.

Engine type/capacity Believed to be 1330cc.

Modifications (cam, head, carbs etc): LCB, Single HIF 44, plus RamAir filter, Type 9 Ford 5 speed gear box.

Owner’s expected power output: About 70bhp.

Actual power output: 62bhp@ 5420rpm, 72lbs/ft @ 3075rpm. (Power at wheels 42bhp).

Owner’s comments: Slightly less than I was expecting, some work to do.

R/R operative’s comments: 17 degrees advance at 1000rpm, 33 at 4000.

Throttle opening needs adjusting and realigning, fuelling OK at full throttle while part throttle area is not ideal.

Writer’s comments: Jago deserves the endurance award, leaving London 5am and driving with no side screens on one of the wettest days of the year.

John Cobley, Jago Hurley and Mike Authers study Jago’s figures.

The office in Mike’s rally car.

Owner’s name: Cêdric Hamon, from Paris but now living in London. Cêdric is a manufacturing engineer working for Johnson Matthey, involved with making catalytic converters.

Car type/reg number: 1972 Bronze yellow MG Midget, GNR 499L, owned since April 2019 and bought from Kevin Stobart in Milton Keynes.

Engine type/capacity: 1275cc.

Modifications (cam, head, carbs etc): Lucas sports coil, K&N filter with stub stacks, (see later), LCB, Lumenition electronic ignition, Minilite wheels.

Owner’s expected power output: Initially laughed saying 20, but then, “anything more than 50bhp”.

Actual power output: 56bhp @ 4940rpm, 68lbs/ft @ 3260rpm. (Power at wheels 38bhp).

Owner’s comments: A good event, having discussions with fellow owners and for the professionals to look at my car. I feel more confident now, seeing what they did.

Nice to have a diagnosis about the status of my engine.

R/R operative’s comments: 27 degrees advance at idle, 44 at 4500rpm, retarded to 12 at idle and 31 max. Stub stack was fitted the wrong way up on the back carb, and on the front carb the back plate was the wrong way around! (In both cases the small air balance apertures on the carbs were obstructed). Carbs slightly out of balance requiring further tuning.

Writer’s comments: A very friendly and enthusiastic young Frenchman. Cêdric’s Owner’s comments above were by far the longest and most articulate to date, and this from a person for whom English is a second language. Correcting the sub stacks and back plate surprisingly did not produce any more power, but the torque went up from an initial 61lbs/ft at 3260 to 68lbs/ft at 3260rpm.

James Thacker and Cêdric Hamon looking on as Roger shifts up the gears of Cêdric’s 1973 Midget www.mgcc.co.uk

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22/11/2019 16:26

FEATURE

Roger checks the timing of John Cobley’s MG Midget

Owner’s name: John Cobley, lives in Stourport-on-Severn and is a civil engineer working for the Baynham Meikle Partnership (consultant structural and civil engineers) on commercial and industrial schemes.

Car type/reg number: 1970 Flame Red MG Midget, ABW 156H, owned since May 2019 as John always wanted a classic car and this was affordable. An alternative was an MGB, but John

Owner’s name: Phil Mayne who lives in Rothwell, near Kettering, and is a store manager for BOC. Car type/reg number: 1965 British Racing Green MG Midget, LYT 612D, owned since 1981. Phil raced this car in Class C in the MGCC Midget Championship, and also competed in Class B with another Midget.

Phil Mayne’s once Class C race car

32 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_3-46.indd 32

drove this Midget and liked it very much. It came from Beech Hill Garage, Reading, where the vendors were both helpful and honourable when he had some initial teething problems. John takes part in auto tests in the car.

Engine type/capacity: 1380cc.

Modifications (cam, head, carbs etc): Engine built by Peter May Engineering (this company now run by Dominic Mooney of Midland Classic Restorations Ltd since Peter retired in 2017), Piper 270 cam, modified head, electronic ignition, hydraulic hand brake, Panhard rod, tramp bars, Minifin rear drums, roll cage, wire wheels.

Owner’s expected power output: Around 85bhp.

Actual power output: 72bhp @ 6185rpm and 76lbs/ft @ 3420rpm. (Power at wheels 47bhp).

Owner’s comments: A bit disappointed.

R/R operative’s comments: 31 max advance. Dashpots were filled with some over-thick oil. Feels much smoother now, but could probably benefit with some K&N filters instead of the standard filters, plus a needle change.

Writer’s comment: The first three people today, all new and enthusiastic Spridget owners, and each employed in different forms of engineering.

Engine type/capacity: 1330cc.

Modifications (cam, head, carbs etc): BL Special tuning 544/643 rally/FJ cam, 29/27mm valves in full race cylinder head, 10.75 to 1 C/R, 1 1/4” carbs with stub stacks and cold air box with K& N filter, LCB, Seat Ibiza 9” discs and four pot callipers, Ford type E four-speed gearbox,

LSD made by 3J’s Driveline with 3.9 CWP, Revolution 5 1/2” wheels, works hard top.

Owner’s expected power output: If I see 70bhp will be happy.

Actual power output: 86bhp @ 6720rpm, 76lbs/ft @ 5245rpm. (Power at wheels 59bhp).

Owner’s comments: Absolutely surprised, pleased at how it has turned out.

R/R operative’s comments: Phil’s additional TDC timing marks, moved by him to be visible from the top of the engine, were six degrees out. Timing 33 max at 5000rpm, running rich, needs reneedling. 9.5% CO, and 8% with the air box removed. Ideal readings are between 5.5% and 6%.

Writer’s comments: Good to meet a fellow MGCC Midget Challenge competitor from nearly 40 years ago, when he was in C and B and I was in A, (and very briefly in C). I think that Phil’s engine would produce significantly more power once the fuelling is corrected with different needles. Even so, it turned out to be the most powerful A series engine on the day. The 643 cam is often overlooked.

My son John’s 1342cc Mini, which has the same cam and 1.5 rockers and a Weber, gave 111bhp and 99lbs/ft on the Aldon rollers at this event last year.

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:26

FEATURE Owner’s name: Mike Authers, lives in Oxford and runs a business in his name (Mike Authers Classics Ltd) buying and selling very good quality AH Sprites and MG Midgets, appropriately in Abingdon. Trading for 38 years, Mike has developed a very wellestablished business with a good reputation. He started life as a trainee Chartered Accountant, but after a few years felt far too interested in sports cars to be office-based for the rest of his life!

Car type/reg number: 1967 British Racing Green MG Midget, MDG 105F, owned for 18 months by Mike and his son Max who take part in Targa type off road rally events. With the previous owner the car was used in the HRCR championship, which it won in 1998.

Engine type/capacity: 1275cc.

Modifications (cam, head, carbs etc). Kent MD 286 scatter cam, Brian Slark stage three head, Aldon dizzy on points, 1 1/2” carbs (from an MGA), K&N filters, oil cooler, sump guard, electric fan, LCB, Special tuning Salisbury LSD on 4.2 CWP, full roll cage, 1500 Midget, (longer), front springs and an extra leaf in the rear springs to raise the ride height for rallying, uprated dampers all round, Minilite wheels, full harness belts.

Owner’s expected power output: 75bhp plus. It was showing 80bhp on another R/R from figures produced by the previous owner.

Actual power output: 79bhp @ 6135rpm, 74lbs/ft @ 4885rpm.

(Power at wheels 54bhp).

Owner’s comments: Pleased it produced the power I hoped for, need to sort out or change the carbs and bring it back here.

R/R operative’s comments: Carbs out of balance but it was not possible to gain access to adjusting screw on back carb which is hidden by the float chamber. There appears to be some leakage at Owner’s name: John Lister, lives in Colwyn Bay and is a civil engineer (second one today) working for Gwynedd Council.

John has driven the Midget in MGCC sprints and hill climbs up to 1999, and from 2006 onwards, driven it at track days with MGs on Track, and he has done most of the modifications, rebuild and maintenance work on the car himself.

Car type/reg number: 1972 Harvest Gold MG Midget, AUN 633L. John has owned this car since April 11 1986 when it had covered just 14,000 miles, the mileage now reading over 166,000.

Mike Authers very tidy historic rally MG Midget

the manifold to carb joint. Timing 33 max advance and 17 at idle.

Fuelling lean at 6500, rich at 5000. Needs carbs sorting out and a full set up on rollers.

Writer’s comments: Young Max Authers brought a 1969 Midget to this R/R day two years ago. I have been aware of his father’s name in connection with his MG business for many years, as I have been involved with Spridgets (as an amateur) for five decades. It was good to meet Mike as we have a strong common interest in these great, now classic, sports cars.

Certainly the 1 1/2” carbs need sorting out. As the car is used for Targa type historic rallying mainly on very tight off-road venues in low gears, it may be an idea to do a back to back power plot with a pair of 1 1/4” (which the previous owner used to run) or even a single HIFF 44 1 3/4” carb, either of which could possibly produce more torque while not prejudicing power at the top. I feel there is potentially more power and torque to be gained with this engine when it is set up correctly.

Engine type/capacity: 1293cc rebuilt by Oselli in June 1997.

Modifications (cam, head, carbs etc): A600 Kent cam 278/274 degrees duration, gas flowed cylinder head with 28/36mm valves, recently changed to Rimflow inlet valves, 9.5 to 1 C/R, lightened flywheel, strengthened bottom end, HIF 44 carb, LCB, stainless steel exhaust with two silencers. Frontline front suspension kit, uprated and lowered suspension, 11/16” front anti roll bar, rear anti-tramp bars, 165/70 Yokohama tyres on Minator alloy wheels.

Owner’s expected John Lister’s car is prepared and checked, while in the background Kim Johnson is talking with Alan Goodwin by the door. power output: Over 90bhp.

Actual power output: 83bhp @ 6395rpm 71lbs/ft @ 5805rpm. (Power at wheels 54bhp).

Owner’s comments: A bit disappointed, lower than before.

www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_3-46.indd 33

R/R operative’s comments: 32 degrees advance, fuelling fine at between 5.5 and 6% CO. Writer’s comment: I would like to thank John for providing a typed full data sheet and history of his ownership of the car. He is the first person to do this and it was much appreciated John Lister’s power reading was a bit lower than six years ago on the same rollers. Looking at today’s power at the wheels, there was only a drop of 3.4bhp from six years ago on John’s car.

He has changed tyres since then and that could be a factor together with the atmospheric conditions and minor calibration differences. The rollers are re-calibrated and certified twice a year

by Maha UK Ltd for use with a BMW Championship. Therefore the Aldon Automotive read-out figures are pretty accurate, unlike some speculative high figures that I have heard quoted on other rollers.

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 33

22/11/2019 16:26

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17/10/2019 14:41:14 22/11/2019 16:26

EVENT

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14:41:14

THE 2019 CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW Photos George Woodward, Colin Grant and Andy Knott

Over 71,000 attendees headed for Birmingham’s NEC over the weekend for the world’s biggest gathering of classic motoring clubs

T

he main Club stand had a complete makeover this year with an illuminated aluminium gantry giving a visual impact to those visiting the stand in hall 3. We were flattered by the positive remarks made, not only by the many visitors to our stand and on social media, but also by Classic and Sportscar magazine which awarded the MGCC stand ‘best themed stand of the show’.

This year the theme for the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery was ‘Top Trumps’, the wellknown card game, and we selected cars from our bespoke pictured packs and were pleased to welcome Club member Dennis Jellott with his amazing MG 6R4 which attracted a lot of attention. Also on the stand was Club Vice President, Ian Quarrington, with his wife’s Oxford Blue MG RV8. The Zed Register was represented

by Scott Biddlecombe’s eye catching Biomorphic Green MG ZS180, which was featured in the July edition of Safety Fast!

A lovely red 1950s TF that was loaned by

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 35

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EVENT

MG Specialist Former Glory, together with Richard Martin’s 1963 Iris Blue MGB that adorns the front of the MGCC Top Trumps Pack. The Club’s new 1966 one-owner project Midget completed the line-up.

This year we were accompanied by MGs on Track having the adjacent stand to ours, and the Young Members Branch displaying three cars, a Midget, MGB and an MGA Coupe. The MGF Register was also there, situated in Hall eight with a wonderful trio of cars on display, all promoting the big MGF25 Anniversary event taking place next year. Keeping the MGF Register company in hall eight was the FWD Register. Ben Hatton had pulled out all the stops to create a wonderful display of FWD cars, including a 1300, MG Metro, MG Maestro, MG Montego and MG Montego Turbo.

These were flanked by a trio of 6R4s displayed by 6R4.net. All the stands were kept busy over the weekend.

It was great to see such a selection of MGs spread throughout the show. On entering hall three last year people were greeted by Paul Clappison’s 1972 stunning white MGB GT, this year the car appeared on the prestigious Meguiar’s stand. Corgi, the model car maker, was displaying Don Hayter’s MGB, which is now owned by Edward Vandyk, as they have launched a model of the car. Club Director Colin Withers had his MG Maestro Turbo displayed on the Lancaster Insurance stand and long-standing Club Member James Thacker had his ex-Alec Poole Mk 1 Sprite displayed on the MAC stand.

36 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_3-46.indd 36

The MGB Register had Jean Denton’s Marathon MGB on The British Women Racing Drivers Club, which drew many a favorable comment over the three days.

One stand that caused controversy was A-Plan Insurance, as they had a tank driving over the rear end of an MGF! But they were at pains to point out that the car had been written off due to a rear-end smash before the display was arranged and was therefore beyond economical repair. They were offering parts free from the car to those interested!

MGCC Member, Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer, hosted a wealth of motoring talent on the Discovery Live Stage with Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars’ Drew Pritchard and Paul Cowland, and the Goblin Works Garage team Jimmy De Ville, Helen Stanley and Ant Partridge appearing over the weekend. They were joined by BTCC driver Jason Plato and Shed and Buried star Henry Cole, as well as fantastic car parades and the three-day restoration of a Jaguar E-Type.

There was something for everyone at this show that was spread across a large area, with plenty of Safety Fast! advertisers and MG Car Club supporters selling their wares and MGs as well, ensuring that MG enthusiasts were well catered for.

The show was a great success for the Club and as always it was wonderful to meet so many enthusiastic members, old and new. We’re ready to do it all again on November 13-15 2020.

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:26

EVENT

www.mgcc.co.uk

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 37

22/11/2019 16:27

NEWSLETTER

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

WELCOME TO THE

Y TYPE NEWSLETTER Welcome to our December Newsletter. There are two items of interest which I hope you will all find useful.

Peter Sharp tells of the restoration of his YB, which he acquired in 1993 and is now finished and on the road. The tale is a very handy guide to anyone undertaking or considering attempting a total rebuild. It’s not just the time involved but also the commitment and of course the cost. I often meet folk who are restoring a classic. Some are completed in a remarkably short time frame, whilst others are ongoing and are still in the same state few years on. (Which may explain why ads appear on a regular basis offering for sale a partly completed restoration...!).

Nonetheless, any restoration requires several factors to be in place. These, I would suggest, include: • Technical and practical skills and knowledge • Time (Family support and consideration is crucial) • Storage and space availability • Enthusiasm • Financial resources Of course, there are plenty of folk who achieve perfection without many of these factors and in that instance the completion of such a project is remarkable.

Peter’s tale is well worth a good read. He and Gillie have a wellused Y that is loved by both and a regular attendee at Y events. His work on the YB has been tempered through work, bringing up a family, and a lack of storage. Despite this he has persevered. The outcome is a YB that he can be fully proud of. Well done, Peter.

Our technical contribution comes from Peter Vielvoye who describes how he has restored his pedal box through the use of 3D printing.

38 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_3-46.indd 38

This technique may enable unobtainable parts to be created at a sensible price. If any of you have used this technique on parts you may have needed, then please do let us know.

Great vision, Peter, and thank you for sharing your experiences.

We have included a selection of photos below from the highly successful trip to the Isle of Man. Thanks to all the contributors and to Peter and Gillie for arranging the break.

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:27

NEWSLETTER LDA 506. AN MG YB RESTORED TO LIFE.

Being dragged out of a lock-up in 1993

I wrote a while ago about the rebuild of LDA 506, my MG YB. The article got a bit curtailed and the tiny thumbnail pictures told no story at all. This is a bit extra with some before-and-after photographs.

When I used to read the phrase ‘bare metal restoration’, I innocently thought you just took the paint off and resprayed it. Now I know that the amount of time required to take a car apart is great, especially when every last screw and bolt and bit of trim needs to be labelled and stored. I wasn’t prepared either for the shock of seeing how much needed repairing when everything came back from the blasters, no matter how careful he’s been with the media or how gentle the air pressure was. What was a solid wing, apparently, is now a delicate piece of lacework. The wheel arch that looked like it had been expertly repaired was a hole

covered with a pop-rivetted fridge door panel; the rear wing was held together with an old number plate.

After a lot of filling and fettling and try fits that showed how badly replacement parts often match the old, came the most difficult work of all. Deciding the colour. I went through every combination I could think of and looked at pictures of virtually every Y Type still on the planet.

I bought a battered Lansdowne model of one, stripped it and painted it in all colours I thought might fit. The result isn’t an original colour scheme but is in the contrasting body and wings style that some were finished in. The photographs make it look a lot brighter than it actually is; in real life it’s a much deeper cherry red.

And then there’s all the bits to put back on. One thinks of restoration as being the stripping off of paint, filling and

XPAG engine as purchased

smoothing and spraying new paint on. I forgot how many boxes of chrome bits, lights, wiring and sundries there were.

It is long and tedious but it gets done.

Then there’s the seats and the cards and the headlining. I did start to clean and fill the seats and bought matching leather colouring. I cleaned the cards which had been in the car when everyone smoked and then stored in barns and garages for 40 years. It was harder than I’d thought and when offered up to the gleaming new car it was obvious that I was spoiling the ship for a ha’porth of tar (for our younger readers a

Rotten A pillar

The YB as purchased in 2008 with the engine out www.mgcc.co.uk

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More rot to sort out DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 39

22/11/2019 16:27

NEWSLETTER ha’porth is short for a halfpenny-worth and, no, I wasn’t putting tar on the car, it’s just an old expression).

I decided to get new leather seat coverings and cards from NTG Motor Services Limited. The seats were covered for me

by Dudley at Bailey Trim and Upholstery in Suffolk. I fitted the cards but I didn’t trust myself to cover the wooden trim mouldings with vinyl to a high enough standard. The king of trimmers in my area of Bedfordshire was Tony Baldassare but he had retired. He came out of retirement, though, to fit my headlining and cover the mouldings. He also fitted the carpet and recut pieces to suit the replacement five-speed gearbox.

So now after being out of action since 1973, the car is complete and running, taxed and insured, and registered as an historic vehicle. It seems a shame to have to take it out and get it dirty on the road but that’s what this was all about, after all.

A couple of musings to end with.

Firstly, how did I end up with so much stuff left over? I think that, knowing some parts and spares will never be made again, I swooped like a magpie on any relevant bit I came across over the years. That would explain why I’ve got three sunroofs left over and four sets of doors, not to mention bonnets and glass, three sets of door cards and three sets of seats. This does not include the new stuff I bought at the beginning of the restoration, put away safely, forgot I’d got them and bought more; rubber sets, sidelights and lots else.

Secondly, I have been helped by a great number of very skilled, committed people who have gone out of their way to get my

The YB completed in 2019

Y Type back on the road. All of them are small traders who have developed skills over years and were quick to understand exactly what I wanted doing and even quicker to point out what I really needed. These people all have one thing in common with each other, XPAG now installed in the engine bay and with me. They aren’t young men anymore and neither are these tradesmen and engineers give up and the workers they employ. With very few take well-earned rests? Are there enough exceptions there were no young people younger skilled persons coming along to in the workshops I visited. A few times continue putting classic vehicles back on people came out of retirement to do work the road. I don’t know, but I suspect not for me, for which I was very grateful. What and that worries me. will happen in a very few years when all Peter Sharp

THE MG Y TYPE PEDAL BOX Next time you open the driver’s door of your Y, stretch down and check to see how much side play there is on your clutch pedal. Mine was well over 1/2 inch at the top and was causing problems. When I put my feet down on the clutch and brake pedals together then let up only the brake foot, the brake pedal remained down. A possible MoT failure! The friendly MoT mechanic in my garage either didn’t

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notice it, or had overlooked it. All efforts to lubricate with the magic WD40 and liberal squirts of oil all failed to solve the problem, so I decided to remove the pedal shaft and sort the problem out.

My first stop was to check the manual, only to find that this is one of the few operations that it does not cover. The only literature I could find was Y Sheet five “Y Type Pedal Box” by Neil Cairns, a

free download on the MGCC Y Register website. This was a great help as Neil had worked on his pedal box back in the 90s and recorded the process. What I am writing is an extension of his publication.

If you are about to tackle your pedal box read it first.

The pedal shaft goes through the chassis via a welded-in tube and rotates in two bushes. The brake pedal is attached to

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NEWSLETTER

Neil’s diagram

the splined end of the shaft on the outside of the chassis with a pinch bolt and the clutch pedal rotates on a spigot at the other end using another bush. The brake master cylinder is operated by a lever clamped to a splined section in the middle of the shaft.

This can be seen clearly in Neil’s diagram.

On investigation, the play at the top end of the clutch pedal was caused by the wear on the spigot and the bush at the bottom end. The brake pedal was not returning because when the clutch pedal was depressed there was a sideways pressure on the shaft and it was binding in the bushes. This meant that the brake pedal could not return and was over riding the tension from the return spring. I had bought a replacement much stronger spring from NTG and it would probably have overcome the problem, but to really solve the cause of the problem the shaft needed to come out and either be replaced or repaired and then refitted with new bushes.

Removing the pedal shaft is not an easy task; it will need some resourcefulness and the maximum access you can provide for yourself. Neil’s worksheet gives a guide to removal. I found I had to force open the pinch bolt gaps with a flat screwdriver blade before the pedal and lever would knock off. I was mindful that going too far with the blade wedge might crack the casting. You will need the exact type spanners for working in the box and cranked thin-nose pliers to remove the split pins from the clevis pins. A helpful tip for refitting is to scratch a line on the end

The pedal assembly www.mgcc.co.uk

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New stronger spring

Worn shaft with new bush

Repaired spigot with new bush

of the clevis pins in line with the split pin hole so that you will know where the hole is. I also had to file away a small arch from the pedal box case for the shaft to come out, as it was probably inserted during manufacture from the other side of the chassis before the body was fitted.

Once the shaft was removed the spigot could be seen to be worn unevenly.

NTG supply a replacement shaft for about £120. However, I found a local engineering company that specialised in reclaiming worn parts using a metal spraying technique. They offered to build up the worn spigot and re-machine it to size for a very welcome £25. For them to get the correct spigot diameter I needed to press the new bush into the clutch pedal so that the spigot could be turned down to fit. It was surprising how much its internal diameter shrank when fitted.

I couldn’t feel any wear as I rotated the pedal shaft in the chassis so I didn’t replace the two chassis bushes.

The new Oilite sintered brass/bronze bush was soaked in hot oil for 24 hours before fitting. Whether this was necessary is debatable, as when Googled some say yes and others say it’s a waste of time as the oil is already built in during manufacture. I also gave all three bushes a good greasing for

good measure when re-fitting the pedal shaft.

Refitting the brake operating lever requires the pinch bolt gap to be well open as it needs to be free to be positioned exactly to line up with the groove in the pedal shaft.

I used a cut-off end of a flat screwdriver blade as a wedge. Again, be careful as over use could crack the casting. Next insert the pinch bolt. Mine was tight and as I didn’t want to damage the start of the 5/16th BSF pinch bolt thread I turned a taper on the end of a short length of 5/16 inch rod to tap through the bolt hole. This brought the lever exactly into line and allowed the pinch bolt to fit through cleanly. The brake return spring and the clutch pedal have to be fitted at the same time. I also fitted two new brass washers, one either side of the clutch pedal.

I found a pack of 10 x M16 on eBay. They allowed the circlip to fit on the end of the spigot nicely.

The bottom of the brake pedal where it is clamped to the shaft on the outside of the chassis should be covered with a metal cover to keep out the dirt. Mine was missing on the YT. This part is not available in the UK but as there was one on my YB, I borrowed it and had a duplicate 3D printed using abs plastic.

With everything re-fitted and brakes bled, the brake pedal returned with the clutch held down but was still a little sluggish and I wondered if I shouldn’t have fitted new bushes in the chassis, but checking my YB the return is also sluggish.

Peter Vielvoye

New shaft from NTG

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22/11/2019 16:28

Colin Manley mgatcgscribe@gmail.com

NEWSLETTER

WELCOME TO THE

TWIN CAM NEWSLETTER

WINTER PROJECTS ANYONE?

It’s that time of year when we start thinking about those few little jobs or mods we might want to do over winter. Okay, here’s one to think about… How many of you have petered out along the road with a dodgy fuel pump? Oh yes, there’s been many a “thump of the fuel pump” to get people home in those last few miles.

How many of us don’t carry a spare fuel pump, or worse, have a spare, but it’s at home!

I have a spare pump. It was in the garage, now it’s in with the spares that I carry in the car!

This got me thinking. The old points-type pump was less reliable than the modern electronic types, but usually, when an electronic type pump dies on the road, it is normally a bench job to fix it. OK, so now I carry the spare pump, but am I really going to get under

BROOKLANDS – APRIL

the car and swap pumps on the busy A303, with cars speeding by at 70mph, just a few inches away?

I then thought further that it might be quite easy to actually mount the spare pump on the car, alter the fuel plumbing before and after the pumps with a couple of “three-ways” or suchlike, a bit of wiring work and hey presto, dual fuel pumps. I could wire the electrical feed to each pump via a selector switch, change which pump is used at the flick of a switch and if one pump goes defective, simply switch the electrical feed over, carry on and sort things out at home.

Let’s see what winter brings…

Anyone got any other idea and photos they want to send in for consideration?

BRITISH GP – JULY

Believe it or not, I encountered a bit of sleet on the way to MG Era at Brooklands this year.

Parking up in a ‘timeline’ on the finishing straight sort of worked, although marshals were sending cars to other areas before each model’s timeline parking lane was full.

I think it made it more interesting for the visitors, though. Had a chance to ‘fly’ our relatively new TCG Sail, too.

Let’s see what next year brings: April 12 2020. We should have Twin Cam parking in front of the railings outside the clubhouse compound.

The MG Car Club was asked by F1 and Silverstone to organise a range of MG models to drive the F1 drivers on a Parade Lap before the full race. This was covered in the September issue of Safety Fast! and 20 cars –, MGAs (one Twin Cam), MGBs and MGCs – had a whale of a time. Seeing and hearing so many people cheering and sounding off fog horns was great fun.

There was some excellent footage of the parade on YouTube, but sadly this has been taken down.

The Twin Cam Register at Brooklands

MGs in the Paddock ready for the GP Parade

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NEWSLETTER CASTLE COMBE – SEPTEMBER

No Twin Cams took up the chance of driving round the Castle Combe track in September. Twin Cam Committee member Dave Pearce had arranged with MGoT for us to take part in one of their track days. Clearly this wasn’t of interest to members.

2020 AND BEYOND

As a Committee we work hard to think of things of interest for members so, if you have some ideas of what owners may be interested in, please let me know.

2020 marks 60 years since the cessation of Twin Cam production – any ideas on how to mark this occasion?

YOUR INPUT

This newsletter and our other communication, the Twin-CaMGazette, are only as good as the input I get from you, the membership. I will be quite frank and say that I need material. If Twin Cam owners still want to see both these publications continue I will need some articles or topics, and some high-resolution images.

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

MGA - ALFA TWIN CAM CONVERSION Jonny Pollard sent me details of Doug Bennett’s interesting “Twin-Cam”. Doug’s own words follow.

I bought the car around 47 years ago; it was my first sports car for which I paid £120. I used the car extensively in the early years as a daily runabout and for holidays

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up to the Yorkshire Dales and down to Cornwall.

One morning back in the late 70s while driving the MG locally, I saw coming towards me on the other side of the road a Ford Anglia with the registration 287 DUG. I did a quick U-turn, caught him

up and asked the driver if he might be thinking of selling the car. To my surprise he said he had been considering selling it. We agreed a price of £45 (yes, £45 for the whole car, those were the days!). I transferred the registration onto the MGA and sold the Anglia for £40. The plates I

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NEWSLETTER

had made up at the time are still on the car today.

It was then put aside around 30 years ago as rust was becoming a problem. I then became more involved with other makes, mainly Jaguar and Lotus. However, as retirement approached, I decided it was time to get the MGA back on the road, encouraged by the acquisition of a mid70s two litre Alfa Romeo twin cam engine and five-speed gearbox provided by a friend for £125.

The rebuild was spread over five years, the work being done by myself, my son and a friend. Starting with a complete strip-down and sandblasting, the bodywork entailed repair of the A posts, new B posts, new inner and outer sills, repair to the boot floor and four replacement wings. The door catches had always been a problem; on several occasions the driver’s door had swung open whilst driving. Determined to fix this, I did a search on YouTube and found that someone in America had used a different type of catch. I managed to acquire a pair and worked out a way of using wires and rollers to operate them. I also adapted an internal door lock for the passenger door.

We rebuilt the Alfa engine with new liners and pistons. To be able to fit the engine we had to cut the bulkhead, re-

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brace with steel box section and do away with the heater. The diff was changed to one from an MGB, the rear shocks replaced with telescopic dampers and a front anti-roll bar was fitted. My son and I prepared the bodywork, then a friend painted the car in Austin Healey Blue with the roof in Old English White. The seats and door panels that had been stored in my loft for 30 years were refitted and the car was MOT’d.

The Alfa engine is everything I expected it to be, providing low end torque and strong pulling power which continues as the revs increase. The 5-speed

gearbox is better than I expected it to be, as it is quick and positive.

I left the gearstick as it came with the Alfa box and have not cut it down. This puts the gear knob close to the steering wheel which looks rather odd, but I have found this to be very good for quick changes.

There are still things to do on the car.

The twin Delautos need tuning and there is some noise from the gearbox bearings so I shall pull out the engine and box over the winter to fit new bearings and also fit a new alloy radiator. But for now, it is good to be using and enjoying the car again.

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22/11/2019 16:35

NEWSLETTER CLASSIC REMISE – BERLIN

A Twin Cam being prepared for sale. We do not have any further information on the sale

Not Twin Cam-specific, but of interest to some members. Classic Remise was opened in 2003, formerly a historic tram depot, now a centre for classic cars and motorbikes. You can view cars for sale, cars in glass garages, have your car serviced or restored.

There’s even a restaurant and event location. No charge for entry and well worth a visit. http://remise.de/Classic-Remise-Berlin-english-summary.php

NEW IO MESSAGE GROUP

We have moved to a totally new online messaging facility, replacing the original Yahoo group. Many members of the Yahoo group were continually finding problems with viewing images in emails sent through Yahoo and generally having all sorts of problems.

The moderators of the group had previously tried all sorts of fixes, but with the relative ‘crankiness’ of Yahoo in today’s environment and the plethora of devices and setups that members had, it proved impossible to improve.

As a result, we now have a very good system of communication.

Thanks to the moderators, in particular Mick Anderson, for the effort put into this move and thanks to Robin Barker for his years of effort in the Yahoo setup.

I have added a couple of new names to the Twin-CaMGazette mailgroup arising from new messages on the io group. If you are not on the io group, go to MGATWINCAM@groups.io to register.

OUT AND ABOUT

Committee member Adrian Malthouse sent in this photo of his Twin Cam on the South East Centre stand, outside the Motoring Village, at the 12/12 event at Brooklands in June.

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www.mgcc.co.uk

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22/11/2019 16:14

NEWSLETTER

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

WELCOME TO THE

V8 NEWSLETTER

MGB GT V8 SOLD AT NEC AUCTION

would be £31,500. The sale of this V8 listed as in exceptional condition followed several MGB GT V8 auction sales at record prices during 2019.

Richard Hudson-Evans, the auction guru with Classic Car Weekly, commenting on the high prices achieved at auction says: “It’s what happens at the top end of the market when two or more people decide that they want a car – the money is irrelevant, they are prepared to pay whatever it takes for it.” The consequent cost for an owner of a high-priced classic with a low or modest mileage is that if they then enjoy the car clocking up two to three thousand miles a year, the reduction in value from the additional mileage can be a substantial increase in the annual costs of the car.

For a report on the NEC auction see our ‘More’ web page at www.v8register.net/more.htm Ahead of Silverstone Auctions’ sale at the NEC Classic Car Show in November, their auction listing highlighted an MGB GT V8 in Tundra as “an incredibly original V8 that has covered only 4,425 miles”. The listing mentioned an estimate of £30,000 to £35,000 and that “in May 2014 it was purchased by its most recent owner who has a penchant for totally original, low-mileage classics and added it to his collection, storing it correctly and using it only occasionally. Although in lovely original condition, a little fettling and detailing to the engine bay would bring the car to the next level and, given that top examples of this model are now making substantially more than the estimate suggested here, this lowmileage, well-historied, four-owner V8 should amply reward the remedial tidying-up now required.” The car was sold at the auction with a lower than expected hammer price of £28,000 which with the buyer’s premium of 12.5% but not including VAT

“Remedial tidying-up now required” in the engine bay

HIGH PRICED V8s SOLD IN 2019 In May this year an exceptional fully restored early V8 in Damask sold at the Historics auction at Brooklands for £33,600 including buyer’s commission and VAT. It was described in the auction listing as a “recent nut and bolt restoration

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of a genuine Factory built MGB GT V8”.

Historics is reported as saying “this was a classic case of quality is king. It’s a truly exceptional car, the skills lavished to maintain utter authenticity during restoration have paid dividends through a

sale price that has shattered its estimate” in the auction brochure. That estimate was a surprisingly low £13,000 to £18,000.

One enthusiast commented: “It’s a pity that given the high level of restoration undertaken on this car to ‘maintain

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NEWSLETTER

authenticity‘ a number of aspects were not original – for example the random placing of the nearside wing badges, non-original offside wing badges, and leather seats, trim and steering wheel.” But puritanical views on originality are no longer assumed as underlying exceptional V8 prices as we have seen a growing attraction for tastefully upgraded V8s has become an established

feature of the market with the development of two parallel markets for Condition one cars – original and upgraded examples.

In October another exceptional MGB GT V8 in Damask was sold at an SWVA auction for a total of £35,524 including buyer’s commission and VAT, again shattering its estimate in the auction brochure – a surprisingly low £18,000 to

UPDATED MG V8 MARKET REVIEW AND PRICE GUIDE

Our six-monthly updated MGV8 market reviews and price guides were released in early November 2019.

MGB GT V8s: the market has become more active with Condition 1 chrome bumper prices continuing a recovery from May 2018 with the number on offer up by a third compared with November 2018. The premium for Condition 1 chrome over rubber bumpered V8s appears to be around 13% although far fewer rubber bumper cars have been seen on offer than chrome models. The sustained growth in prices seen over the three-year period May 2014 to May 2017, with demand from a combination of enthusiasts seeking V8s and from “alternative investment activity” seen more generally in the classic car market, had lifted Condition 1 chrome bumper prices to a peak of around £21,330 in the six months to May 2017. Prices then fell back in both the six months to November 2017 and May 2018 by around 8.5% to £19,520. However since May 2018 Condition 1 chrome bumper prices have seen a sustained recovery over the last three six-month periods

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£19,900. With 49,666 miles it was another early Factory built V8, first registered at the end of August 1973, the month when the model was launched.

This V8 has been registered with the V8 Database for many years and from the set of good quality photos included with the auction listing an assessment of the bodywork, original trim, engine bay and Dunlop composite wheels indicated it was in a very good condition with original cord trim seats, original carpets (Blue as used on early cars) and with only minor modifications. The badging was not misplaced as we often see where V8s have been restored.

A copy of the production records shows this early production MGB GT V8 was built on June 15 1973 and despatched from the MG Plant to Mann-Egerton in High Wycombe on July 23 1973 as dealership stock ahead of the launch of the model on August 17 1973. The car has a detailed maintenance and history file which mentions that the first owner was a member of the Kenlowe (cooling fans) family.

In 2018 a stunning early MGB GT V8 in Teal Blue was advertised for sale at £40,000 and sold. It was truly an exceptional car, carefully maintained and in concours condition.

reaching £21,752 by November 2019, which is just above the peak seen in May 2017.

MG RV8s: since a period of sustained price growth with Condition 1 RV8s peaking at around £20,000 in the six months to November 2017, Condition 1 RV8 prices have seen a slightly erratic path, effectively flat-lining for 24 months. But an interesting feature over the six months to November 2019 is prices for Woodcote Green and Other Colours have converged at around £19,500 as the premium for Other Colours continues to reduce from 9% in November 2018 to zero in November 2019. It suggests buyers seem more concerned about condition and mileage as the cars become older rather than what many view as the earlier simplistic disdain for Woodcote Green because 79% of production was finished in that colour.

Low mileages, for example around 20,000 to 30,000 miles, continue to be a feature of the RV8 market, with many RV8s reimported from Japan arriving with low mileages. The effect on the UK market is higher mileage RV8s tend to be seen as less attractive, which in many ways is odd as 60,000 miles and more is not high for a 25 year old classic car.

See the full updated market reviews via a link on the ‘More’ web page.

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NEWSLETTER NEWS FROM RETRONICS Andy Winters at Retronics, an innovative auto electronics company formed by two classic car enthusiasts with over 40 years of experience in electronics, has been in touch with details of new or improved products in their range of useful devices for classic cars: All-new Version 2 RWTM windscreen timer module Many classic cars have windscreen wipers that are either on or off, so driving in drizzle or moderate rainfall means constantly reaching for that wiper switch. Retronics has solved that problem with an economical and simple to install wiper timer module or RWTM. Andy Winters at Retronics says: “Our RWTM is a simple to install module which gives you multiple sweep intervals for your classic vehicle’s one speed (or dual coil two speed) wiper motor without removing or replacing any original parts. With only four wires to connect, a retro style control switch and an easy to hide control box, the RWTM gives you control over variable delay wiper sweeps in intervals of two, three, four, eight or 16 seconds. Your wiper motor’s original function is unaffected. The RWTM works on

positive and negative earth vehicles and comes will full instructions and everything you need to connect it to your vehicle.”

As an update Andy reports: “The all-new Version two of the RWTM is now available and is a device that connects differently to the vehicle and is a very different unit inside the box. It circumvents some occasional issues we have found with vehicles with more complex wiring. Next on our hit list is what we think will be an industry first – the RWTM (NSP) – a Wiper Timer Module for Non Self-Parking wipers”.

Hazard light kit Retronics are also launching their own hazard light kit (the RHLM) which uses their own PCB technology for complete reliability and accuracy. An upgrade that improves the reliability of lights alerting fellow road users of a car hazard has to be a wise investment.

Press coverage will be appearing over the coming weeks.

Further information on these Retronics upgrades will be released via our ‘More’ web page as it becomes available.

A DAY WITH PRU

Keith Belcher had a call from a longtime petrol-head friend in 2016 asking his opinion on an MGB GT V8 that had appeared for sale on the V8 Register website. Keith replied that he had seen it at MGLive! 2016 and felt it was probably the best he had ever seen. It was Howard Guiney’s multi award-winning concours Factory V8 Teal Blue 0528. The next day his friend called and said: “I have provisionally bought it. You know your MGs, would you go and check it over?” Keith agreed to go and inspect the car and drive it back from Northumberland. He recalls the day.

Meeting the owner Howard Guiney at Morpeth station, Keith soon realised

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he suffered from recurring severe knee pain which had prompted the sale of his pride and joy. Talking over his restoration and seeing the paperwork, it was clear Howard had undertaken an incredible project involving a meticulous restoration.

He had spent many hours sourcing new old stock items for the car including those priceless exhaust manifolds; and the correct badging including the curved rear V8 badge. Such was his attention to detail.

The inspection and test drive followed.

Keith recalls: “Howard pushed the car out and beamed with pride as he popped the bonnet to reveal that spectacular engine bay. For a moment I was back in an

MG showroom in 1973. No over-restored polished bling here, just that ultra-clean, Buick-derived V8 in standard tune +20 thou over bore with new internals and new old stock cast iron exhaust manifolds.

A check of oil and fluids and a hand on the radiator to make sure it was cold, then a little choke and it sprang into life at the first touch of the starter and settled to a fast, even tick over.

With an enjoyable 20-odd mile test drive over, I was satisfied with the performance; the only thing of note was a blown N/S indicator warning lamp. All the inspection checks came next: the magnet in the cloth, feeling here and there, lifting the carpets

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NEWSLETTER and the rest, ticking off the items on my checklist. All done, a call to the buyer and a wait for the funds transfer to take place.

We shook hands and I started the best part of the whole day as I set off to return home – I was driving perhaps the most original carefully built V8 around today. It was just like driving a new 1973 V8.

Once away from the rush hour in Newcastle, I headed out onto the A1 and started to really test its legs. At speed the car was absolutely stable, the corners were dispensed with aplomb and the suspension was almost totally devoid of the usual harshness. The gearbox was slick and positive, very quiet and the overdrive in third and fourth slipped in and out instantly.

At 70mph the temperature reduced to around seven thirty on the gauge and stayed

MGB GT V8 REPLACEMENT ALTERNATORS

What are your options if your alternator on an MGB GT V8 is faulty or needs replacing?

This is a question that is increasingly raised by fellow members. Peter Beadle, former parts manager with University Motors in Epsom at the time the model was launched and then in production and later with Moss, recalls: “The AC DELCO was shorter in the body than the Lucas ACR alternator, which was then the standard unit used for the BL range of cars, and was used because MG had originally hoped to sell the V8 in the USA where AC DELCO was a US product.

The AC DELCO was fitted to TR6s supplied to the US market but not fitted to home market TR6s.”

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rock steady. The oil pressure was 25 psi at idle and above 40 at over 1,200rpm. The exhaust note was almost subdued, but “to die for” with a gentle burble at tick over, an unmistakable dull growl on acceleration and at speed it quietened down to a comfortable hum. A perfect long-distance grand tourer.

With the light fading I turned on the H4 Lucas headlights which easily lit the way on the sweeping bends of the natural habitat of this rare breed. I was Rossano Brazzi in “The Italian Job” Alps, humming to myself “On days like these”. On reaching my friend’s drive I switched off and was surprised at the lack of the usual “tick, tick” of an exhaust system cooling. But then I thought PRU has new manifolds and they were fitted correctly by people who know what they are doing, no metal tension.

By any conservative estimate this restoration cost in excess of £40,000 and that is not including Howard’s own labour doing much of the fitting-up and sourcing and collecting rare parts. The rebuild started in March 2013 and was completed in August 2014. The restoration work was carried out

by Halls, the well-regarded MG specialist in Lincolnshire, and Howard completed the work in August 2014. He then won concours classes at the Club’s MGLive! events in 2015 and 2016 and elsewhere.”

Keith recalls the “V8 was advertised on the V8 website in August 2016 at £31,750 and was purchased within nine days. The mileage shown then was 39,000 (believed genuine). It was advertised for sale in August 2018 for £40,000 and sold not long after for an undisclosed sum”.

Fitting alternative replacement alternators A frequent question is: “If I fit a replacement alternator, possibly larger both in size and in terms of its generating output, will I need to source different brackets?” Peter Beadle says: “There are two brackets: the lower bracket or cradle (part number 602369) is used to stop the alternator hitting the front of the offside rocker cover, and an adjusting bracket (part number BHH997) is used to adjust the tension of the alternator drive belt. Most larger replacement alternators will fit under the bonnet of an MGB GT V8 as clearance is not an issue.” Peter adds “the part number 602369 is the original part number”.

DELCO via a link on our ‘More’ web page.

Specialist repairs of AC DELCO alternators Often a fault with an alternator can be repaired by a specialist. See our note on three specialists who can service an AC

Uprated 75amp alternator for a V8 Colin Goodey decided to go for an uprated 75 amp alternator which delivers about 10% more power at tick over, which in real terms meant that the cooling fans on his car were spinning at over 200rpm higher than with the standard AC DELCO (45 amp) unit. In real terms, on the road, he noted: “I have noticed that the fans now cool the engine sufficiently well enough so they cycle rather than being permanently on. The unit I chose was brand new and looks very similar to the old Lucas 18ACR unit and to my mind it is totally in keeping with the MGB GT V8’s engine bay. It is also a perfect fit without any need for any alteration to the fixings and has the standard three-pin euro plug as the AC DELCO unit, so is totally plug and play.”

See a full illustrated article via a link on the ‘More’ web page.

SEASON SPECIALS Clive Wheatley has launched his season specials on his website with useful replacement parts that include V8 and RV8 rocker covers, a new RV8 expansion tank, V8 top and bottom silicon cooling hoses, V8 alternator cradle and EZ PAS kits, all at attractive prices at https://www.mgv8parts.com/ The V8 Register has also launched some attractive seasonal offers. See our ‘More’ page for details.

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 51

22/11/2019 16:15

NEWSLETTER REPRINT OF AN RV8 BOOK

V8 CURRY AT KNOWLE Arrangements are being made for our annual V8 Curry on Saturday February 8, the evening before the Stoneleigh show, at the Lloyds Indian Restaurant in Knowle which is a few miles to the west of Stoneleigh and just east of the M40.

It’s proved a popular venue for our annual V8 Curry held in February and intended to coincide with the annual Stoneleigh Spares show weekend.

We were able to go snap on the arrangements for the V8 Curry night following our receiving confirmation from the event organisers of the annual MGTriumph Spares Show at Stoneleigh in

Warwickshire, Live Promotions, that the date for 2020 at Stoneleigh is Sunday February 9.

Further information on the restaurant and the Stoneleigh show is available via links on our ‘More’ web page.

EARLY RV8 AT THE NEC With continuing interest from RV8 owners wanting to get a copy of the book “MG RV8 – The RV8 Manufacturing Story”, the V8 Register has commissioned another reprint which is on offer now at a discounted rate for fellow members.

The 113-page book provides a detailed factual description of the RV8 manufacturing process together with an outline of the staff involved. The content is based on material in the Club’s archives, interviews with the management and production staff involved with the RV8 production and ensures that this fascinating detail of RV8 history is not lost to posterity. The book begins with an interesting outline of the formation of the 16-strong production team involved in RV8 manufacture and their duties. It then covers the manufacturing process from body shell build, painting, to vehicle assembly. Further chapters describe the assembly facility layout, build documentation and vehicle production dates. A later chapter on anecdotes told to the authors by the various production team members adds further human interest to the story. The book contains many quality photos of the production process and staff.

Visit the ‘More’ web page for a book review and a link to the online V8 Shop.

52 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 52

An early RV8 in Oxford Blue (VIN 0024) was on display on the Club’s stand at the endof-season NEC Classic Car Show in November. It drew many visitors to the stand to look over the Connolly leather seats and Elm Burr trim which give the model such a luxury appearance and feel.

The car had been carefully restored by Brown & Gammons and was then sold to an RV8 enthusiast, Marion Quarrington, who says: “It was built on April 2 1993, registered as K70 MGR on May 14 1993 and sold to Rover Group Company Sales at Canley in Coventry where it was a press and dealer demonstration car. The car then passed through three female and two male owners.”

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:15

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 53

22/11/2019 16:15

NEWSLETTER

John Thompson 01702 298866 johnt5@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/zedregister www.facebook.com/zrzsztregister

WELCOME TO THE

ZRZSZT NEWSLETTER Following on from our last newsletter in June, the second half of this year proved to be as busy as the first, despite the absence of MGLive! We’ve had some great events and taken the Zeds to new places. We’d like to welcome all the new

members who have joined us in 2019. Next year is shaping up to be busy, too, with some new events thrown into the mix.

In the background we will hopefully see some developments come to fruition.

A selection of MGs at Zeds in the West

A YEAR IN THE LIFE – PART 2 We continue our events review by returning to ‘Zeds in the West’ which took place on Saturday May 12. We headed down to Somerset and the Haynes Motor Museum for this year’s event. The 30 assembled Zeds were joined by two lovely Rover 75s and an immaculate Tomcat. We chose a location near the main entrance in a small area of the car park, allowing the public to view the assembled cars, too.

We had organised discounted entry to the museum and also a guided tour for those wishing to view the exhibits at a more leisurely pace. We were also blessed with one of the warmest days of the year so far.

On Sunday July 28 we returned to the Shuttleworth Museum at Old Warden for MG Saloon Day. Despite the awful Zeds at a rather damp Shuttleworth for the 2019 Saloon Day 54 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 54

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:15

NEWSLETTER

Tin top MGs braved the wet weather for the 2019 Saloon Day

‘summer’ weather, around 70 cars were present. It was great to see some of the older MG types which were in complete contrast to the latest MG Motor UK examples. We were expecting to cater for more visitors; however, the weather may have deterred them. A ‘show will go on’ mindset was employed to make the best of a very wet day. Those hardy enthusiasts who did venture out enjoyed their day at the museum and collection.

We teamed up with the MGF Register for Monogram Sunday on August 18 which took place at Burghley House in Lincolnshire. Despite some light rain first thing, the day was mostly sunny and warm. In the end around 30 cars attended our gathering. These included some rare monogram colours and some one-offs, including the only ZR produced in Moody Blue. Some of our visitors took the opportunity to tour the magnificent Elizabethan house and landscaped gardens. Judging the Show and Shine

competition was difficult with so many stunning cars to choose from.

On Sunday October 6 we held our second Open Day at Kimber House. The day began quietly, but by midday around 15 or so Zeds had assembled. The idea of having an open day was to encourage members to visit Kimber House if they hadn’t done so before. Visitors were

treated to the full tour including the archive. Our guest speaker was Mark Stacey from Kmaps who gave us all a fascinating presentation about his career with MG Rover, his post-Longbridge work and the remapping upgrades for the K-series engine. After the buffet lunch Mark remapped some of the visiting Zeds, which left with a little more performance than when they arrived!

A mention should be made of the Lancing Motor Show which took place on October 13. We headed to the south coast after an invitation from the Austin Rover and MGOC – Sussex Register. We’d visited Lancing two years before so we kind of knew what the show would be like. Between us we had around 15-20 cars altogether, which made an impressive display. Despite the cold, the cloud and the strong southwesterly wind, the deckchairs came out for a civilised breakfast and cup of tea. By late morning, however, it began to rain hard and in the end the organisers cut the day short before the field became too waterlogged.

Mark Stacey giving a presentation at the open day

A good array of Monogram MGs at Burghley House www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 55

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 55

22/11/2019 16:15

NEWSLETTER We returned to Castle Combe for Super Car Saturday on October 26. This charity event has been running for many years with all monies raised donated to the Stroke Association – our chosen charity for this year. Unfortunately, the autumn weather did its worst with heavy rain forecast for most of the day. Despite this, there was still a reasonable turnout of cars which gave rides around the circuit to the visitors.

The year concluded with the Classic Motor Show at the NEC over the

A good selection of cars filling the Kimber House car park for the open day

weekend of July 8-10. Although we didn’t have our own stand, the Zeds were represented by Scott Biddlecombe’s

stunning Biomorphic ZS 180 on the main MGCC stand and a couple of ZRs on the MGs on Track stand.

Scott’s stunning ZS on display at the NEC

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020 So, what’s in store for the year ahead?

Well, here are some highlights…

We kick the year off by returning to Stoneleigh on February 11 for the MG & Triumph Spares Day. This is a great show that has become a traditional season opener for us now. It’s good to catch up with people again after the winter hiatus. The following month we make our return to the NEC for the Practical Classics Restoration Show over the weekend of

56 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 56

March 27-29. We always have a good time at the NEC and it’s great to take the Zeds back to their home city. There is always a lot of local interest in our cars and we’ve met many interesting people with fascinating stories to tell. We return to Birmingham the following month for Pride of Longbridge. In May we head to East Sussex to take up an invitation from our friends the Austin Rover and MGOC – Sussex Register at Bodiam Castle for their BL Cars at the Castle event on May 16.

We will be at all the racing rounds again next year to support the Zed teams and organise the lunchtime parade laps.

MG SALOON DAY & MGF25

We have been invited to the MGF Register’s 25th Anniversary celebrations at the BMM Gaydon, which takes place over the weekend of July 25-26. Both Registers agreed that having MG Saloon Day there the same weekend would be a great idea and create one big MG extravaganza. MG Saloon Day will take place on Saturday July 25 adjacent to the main event. Camping will be available, so why not make a weekend of it. Further details of both these events will follow in due course.

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:15

NEWSLETTER ZEDS AT THE LAKES AND ZEDS IN THE NORTH Our flagship event for 2020 will be the four-day road trip “Zeds at the Lakes” in September which takes us to the beautiful Lake District and will be held over the weekend of September 11-14. This is something the Register hasn’t done for quite a few years and we are delighted to return a tour to our events calendar. We have jointly organised the trip with Scenic Car Tours. This weekend also includes our nowtraditional regional event “Zeds in the North” which will take place on the Sunday (13th) at the Lakeland Motor Museum. For those on the road trip admission to the museum is included in the price of the weekend. Those just wishing to attend the museum will receive discounted entry on the day. If you would like to join us for the road trip please contact the Scenic Car Tours sales team on 01732 879153 and register your interest. They have suggested that this is done sooner rather than later, as the hotels they use are popular and can get booked up well in advance with other guests. This will help them ascertain the number of reservations required. The full advert for Zed’s at the Lakes will be published in the next issue of Safety Fast!

Our full events calendar will also appear in the next issue.. like to thank you all1 for supporting thePage Register Rimmer adWe’d A5 landscape .qxp_Layout 05/02/2019 17:06 MGF2over the past year, and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 57

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 57

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OUT&ABOUT

1

2

3

+4

S

4

5

6 58 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 58

1. Robin White’s 1958 1500 in ‘Iris’ blue on the Swanage seafront in August 2019. Photo: Robin White 2. The 1953 TD belonging to Moreno Fortunato and Cinzia Luchak, and the 2004 TF belonging to Massimiliano Rizzetto and Tania Fortunato pictured in their home country of Italy. Both couples recently visited Kimber House on a visit to the UK 3. A study in red of old and new together. Peter Taylor’s MGB GT pictured next to Pete Opie’s MG ZS. Photo: Pete Opie 4. Lorraine Noble-Thompson’s MG TF 1500 pictured in stunning Scottish surroundings. Photo: Lorraine NobleThompson 5. Richard and Gill Martin in their MK1 MGB, heading out on the Wallingford parade with Penny and Lois White in the back. Photo: Tony White 6. The black MG3 of Alon Shalev from Israel, ready to take to the track. Alon enjoys using his MG3 for track days. Photo: Alon Shalev

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:15

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22/11/2019 16:15

BTCC

R

ob Smith enjoyed a positive conclusion to his maiden season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at a rain-hit Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent, with the MG6 racer taking his sixth Independents’ Trophy points hat-trick of 2019.

Racing to a best finish of 12th in class during Round 28, the Telford driver went on to add 13th in the Independents’ in Rounds 29 and 30 later in the day and also posted a pair of top 20 overall results.

Ending his debut season in the UK’s biggest motor racing series 16th in the Independent Drivers’ standings, the Excelr8 Motorsport driver also ended his rookie BTCC campaign fifth in the Jack Sears Trophy – a battle contested by drivers yet to finish on the podium prior to the start of the campaign.

In addition, Excelr8 concluded its maiden season in the championship inside the top ten in the Independent Teams’ classification.

“It’s difficult not to feel a bit frustrated as you always want to win in whatever you’re doing, but this has been our first year in the BTCC – all of us have come into it completely green and so we have to be happy with what we’ve achieved,” said Smith. “The team has done a mega job all year, it’s all been a huge learning curve and the car has been pretty much faultless, mechanically, all season.

“Operationally, and from a presentation point of view, everything has been fantastic and Excelr8 won the award for ‘Best Garage’ which is something we’re all very proud of.

Our aim was to do the very best we could on the commercial side for our sponsors, and I think we achieved that by looking like a team that’s been in the BTCC for three or four years – not just our first season.”

60 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 60

EXCELR8 END SEASON ON POSITIVE NOTE Photo: Dickon Siddall

Both practice sessions at Brands Hatch were impacted by interim wet conditions and so not much useful information could be gleaned from either of the runs.

Qualifying later in the day was wet with Smith 24th and the Sam Osborne, the other Excer8 MG6 driver, 29th overall.

An almost dry track awaited competitors for the first of the championship finale’s three races and, at the start, Smith got away safely through the first couple of corners.

Into Graham Hill Bend, though, the MG6 racer was put wide onto the grass and so dropped to the tail of the field in 30th position. By the start of lap three, Smith had zeroed in on the rear of team-mate Sam Osborne’s MG6 and the next time around he made his move to take 29th and 19th in class before the Safety Car was deployed.

During the lengthy cessation, the rain returned and half the grid opted to change to wet-weather tyres, Smith included.

Climbing up the order after the re-start on lap 11, he went on to finish the race inside the overall top 20 and a strong 12th in class, sadly Osborne didn’t finish.

Beginning the penultimate race from 20th on the grid, Smith ran with treaded Dunlops on a wet-but-drying track and had to avoid multi-car contact on the run up

to Druids to emerge in 19th. Following a brief safety car period, the action got back underway on lap six.

Another safety car was required between laps 11 and 13, after which Smith was edged back to an eventual finish of 20th overall. Osborne drove well, making up places and finishing 22nd.

For the last race of Smith’s maiden season in the BTCC, he started on the soft compound option tyres from row ten of the grid and, although shuffled back several places on a busy first lap to 27th overall.

By lap five the Excelr8 driver was into 24th overall, and as the race neared its conclusion, he had moved into 23rd and also 13th in the Independents’. With just two laps to go, an excursion into the barriers for Dan Cammish’s manufacturerbacked Honda Civic – a result of brake problems – elevated Smith into 22nd overall and he retained 13th in the Independents, Osborne ran into difficulties and had to end his race two laps early.

“It’s been a great year and I must say a huge thank you to all of my sponsors,” said Smith. “They are the ones who made the season possible. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been able to step into the BTCC.”

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:15

H1 - CLIVE WHEATLEY_H7 - CLIVE WHEATLEY 09/10/2018 14:41 Page 1

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The only independent RAC Approved MGF & MGTF dealer in the country Please check this proof carefully for errors in style, content and layout.

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Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 61

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 61

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Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 62

22/11/2019 16:16

RACE TORQUE

RACE TORQUE

by Mark Baulch

So, where did 2019 go? It occurred to me the other day that we spend so much time planning for future events, as well as ensuring that our race meetings run smoothly on the days, that the year has a habit of passing by very quickly indeed. So many people are involved in this planning and delivery that I could not possibly list them all here. They know who they are, from Marshals and Officials to Championship Co-ordinators and, of course, the competitors themselves and their families and friends. I have introduced some of them to you during the year and will continue to do so next year. But for now, from all of the MG racing family, a heartfelt thanks for all that you do.

We are busy planning at the moment as well, for the two early appearances of the MG Car Club at exhibitions next year,

Photo: Dickon Siddall www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 63

organising cars to display and people to work on the stands each day. Our stands at both the Autosport International show and Race Retro have been confirmed.

These shows are on January 9-12 and February 21–23 respectively. These are your opportunities to meet with us and the drivers to discuss your own potential racing future and to discover just how easy it is to become involved. You may be surprised by just how little it can cost to buy and race an MG. Like a number of competitors in the paddock, this may be the beginning of a long association with MG racing. Many of them have raced with us for years and, in some cases, even decades! Or, it may be the opportunity to showcase your skills and then move on to other things, with a number of people using MG to launch careers in

Photo: Damien Jennings

Motorsport. This is not just true of the drivers.

If you are a young and aspiring mechanic, or you have a future Team Manager or strategist in your family, MG Car Club racing is a great place to learn the requirements of a massive industry. Just look back at the October edition of Safety Fast! to re-read the way in which Josh Bacon from the MG Car Club Trophy Championship has been able to use his racing as part of a College course.

Beyond the shows, we will be back in 2020 with lots more exciting racing and we look forward to seeing you and to sharing the friendliest paddock in motorsport as well as some of the closest racing on track. Do also come along to the MG Welcome Centre to enjoy the award presentations as well as a cup of tea and a biscuit! I had hoped to bring you a calendar of racing on this page this month and we are very close to a confirmed one, with the season looking set to start on the last Saturday in March. So, it really is not too long until we fire up those race engines once again. Points will be reset, Champions will have to defend their titles and I have no doubt that it will be another fantastic year. Which just leaves me to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and an exciting 2020.

Photo: Dickon Siddall DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 63

22/11/2019 16:16

MGs ON TRACK

MG on track

Duncan Wood duncanw@mgs-on-track.co.uk

MGOT XMAS QUIZ

I

t’s December, so time again for the everpopular MGs on Track Christmas Quiz!

Question: Which of helmets A, B, C or D are suitable for use on a track day?

Those that chose Helmet A are incorrect, as this is actually the second prototype of a papier-mâché diving helmet intended to make deep-sea exploration affordable for all. Regrettably testing of the first prototype was tragically cut short and is currently the subject of an ongoing HSE investigation, but it can be assumed for now that this helmet is unsuited to track day use and may eventually also prove inadequate for use underwater in anything but shallow puddles. If this was your answer, please seek appropriate medical advice and refrain from operating heavy machinery in the interim.

Helmet B may appear more promising as an answer but, perhaps surprising to

64 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 64

some of you, is also incorrect. Rigorously tested and approved for use by Village People tribute acts it will protect the wearer against glancing blows from hurled pickled eggs, although not abuse, but has no place on track. Again, “nul points”!

If you answered Helmet C you are partly right and partly wrong. Currently Blyton Park, Castle Combe and Goodwood allow the wearing of open face helmets in all vehicles, whilst Anglesey and MSV circuits restrict their use to cars with solid roofs only, and not in convertibles or those fitted with sunroofs. For additional protection in an open car you are advised to fit a visor, or wear goggles perhaps with a back-up pair worn around the neck for that complete 60s Grand Prix image. Half a point!

Helmet D will always be the correct choice, whatever car you ride in. As

Variety of MGs enjoying a day at Donington with MGs on Track

mentioned, Anglesey and the MSV circuits insist upon a full-face helmet in any open or soft top vehicle whether you are driver or passenger, and you could be grateful for the extra protection that they offer even in a closed car. Full points!

Obviously, the requirements for a track day helmet are less stringent than those for motor racing, so motorcycle helmets conforming to ECE22-05 standards or BSI Kitemarked are acceptable, although off-road style helmets and those with flipup chin guards will be rejected. Suitable ECE approved helmets can be bought for less than £ 100.00 but, if the budget will stretch and you only plan to use the helmet on track, you might consider one primarily designed for competitive motorsport or karting use. These helmets will normally conform to one of the Snell standards which are currently SA2015 for car use and K2015 for karting, but provided the helmet is in serviceable condition earlier versions will be fine. SA2015 helmets are priced from around £ 200.00 for a budget model to ten times as much for the top end but, as they all conform to the same testing standard, it may be that you are paying extra for fit, finish and kudos, rather than ultimate safety.

The obvious differences between the car and the karting helmets is that the former will be fireproof and, if of recent

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:16

MGS ON TRACK – 2020 CALENDAR We are in the final stages of negotiations with track operators but hope to be able to publish a more definitive schedule for 2020 in the next Safety Fast!. Currently the coming year’s events look like this: Goodwood: Provisionally February 22 Bedford: March date TBA Cadwell and Snetterton: May dates TBA Castle Combe: Provisionally June 22 Blyton Park: July date TBA Anglesey: Provisionally August 10 Castle Combe: Provisionally September 7 Donington: Provisionally October 5 Goodwood: Provisionally October 26 Brands Indy: Provisionally December 7 Please visit www.mgs-on-track.com to register, check availability, or to book a track day.

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

manufacture, will make provision for the fitting of a Hans/ FHR device to further protect against neck or head injury in the event of an accident. MGoT members can decide for themselves how important these features are in the track day setting, but they are worth bearing in mind should there be a possibility of some competitive driving in the future. Whatever model of helmet you choose it will be of little use if it doesn’t stay on your head when needed the most so, when trying a helmet for size, secure it correctly and then test to see if you can pull it off again without undoing the strap. Clearly if you can remove the helmet in this way it is not the right size for you.

As rules do sometimes change, always double check the event information beforehand and contact us if in doubt. MGs on Track has its own supply of helmets for rent so newcomers do not need to invest in their own straight away and, lest the talk of accidents alarms potential new recruits, let me assure them that due to the non-competitive and friendly nature of our events damage to vehicles is very, very rare, and serious personal injury unknown.

Have a very Happy Christmas!

MGCC MGCCSPEED SPEEDCHAMPIONSHIPS CHAMPIONSHIP John Wilman, Beechfield, Fern Bank, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak. SK23 0JJ Tel: 07778 165186 www.mgspeed.net The ultimate honours this year have gone South with the overall Speed Championship trophy going to Rob Bell driving his Group 3 MGF. Rob has been competing for a number of years with this car which he happily admits is something of a confection, being made up of parts from a number of cars. It shows that ultimate success can be achieved without spending a small fortune. A bit of ingenuity and consistency can reap dividends.

Throughout the season Rob has been swapping places with Nick Walker in his V8 MGB and past winner Ian Benningfield in his 1500 Midget. It went down to the wire between Nick and Rob, with Rob clinching the victory at the two final meetings. This left Nick in second place overall and Ian in third.

The Southern regional section for the Windmill & Lewis trophy was taken

by Alan Fairbrother in his MG3. This is probably a first for this model and again illustrates the benefits of a consistent performance. As these cars are now becoming very affordable I expect to see more entries, particularly as target times are now established and there is something to aim for.

Second in the Southern region was Ben Rolls in his Race modified Sprite. This car is at the opposite end of the scale to the MG3 and illustrates the soundness of our target time system in relating results

to individual performance rather than outright power.

Andrew Till put in his usual spirited performance, taking third place in his wellcampaigned ZR 105.

The Northern region competing for the coveted Norwester trophy was again won by Nick Walker in his V8 and should be compensation for narrowly missing out on the overall. Second place was taken

by Tim Kirkham in his Group 3 ZR160.

Tim was making a welcome return to the Championship after a couple of years away.

It is always good to see people return, particularly when they bring an ever-cheerful and positive presence to the paddock as Tim does. Third place was taken by last year’s champion Ian Howlett, having elevated his MGF VVC to Group 3 status. Ian and Tim both scored 600 points but by applying our countback procedure they finished in the positions as shown.

All the class awards and Register trophies are listed on our website www.mgspeed.net and congratulations to all the recipients.

Reference to the website around Christmastime will reveal the registration document for 2020. I look forward to seeing the familiar names appearing on my list and hopefully some new ones who feel that they would like to find out what competition is all about. Remember, very few win first time out, but it results in acquiring a taste for improvement against an established yardstick.

Triple M MGs ready themselves for an MGCC Sprint. Photo: Gary Thomas www.mgcc.co.uk

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OVERSEAS

THE MG CAR CLUB MALTA

By Peter Cook

S

hortly after becoming Overseas Director four years ago, I received a list of our Kimber House overseas members and noted that although we had three members in Malta, there was no club. I contacted all three about forming a club but there seemed to be zero interest. Some just like to enjoy their MGs and are not interested in committees, AGMs, and all the other aspects of getting an organisation off the ground. Over three years later we now have a fully organised affiliate Club in Malta with 72 paid-up members, and probably – given there are over 600 MGs on Malta – that membership will rise. This will mean that there will be another MG community which will wish to attend MG events in both the UK and the rest of Europe.

So how did this initial lack of interest turn into a fully organised Club? It is a familiar and inspiring story. Joe Casapinta, Kris Scicuna, Frank Malia and Robert Muscat used to meet casually for the occasional weekend drive in their MGs. Robert’s occupation as a notary public was later important for Maltese registration purposes. One weekend they thought that maybe forming a club would be a good idea, but without knowing that there was sufficient support. So they put an advert in a local newspaper (shades of 1930 and the Roebuck Hotel here) stating that there would be a gathering at the

local Hilton hotel on a Sunday morning.

From 8.00am the cars started arriving.

The organisers thought they might get 15, but the TDs, ‘A’s, ‘B’s, and ‘F’s kept coming. Soon the Hilton car park was full, so MGs parked in the road outside, and then eventually had to park away from the hotel. A drive followed to the southern part of the island – Zongor point. The organising enthusiasts now knew that they had the numerical basis for starting to build a club, and although they had enough people to put in the time, there would be a need for subscriptions – as it turned out, an annual €25. Even so, eventually 72 subs-paying members signed up. With this the organisers set up an EGM, a legal status with the Maltese authorities, a bank account and all the rest involved in a club of volunteers and enthusiasts.

Having created the basis for a club the Committee then sought guidance from our European Manager, Vivian, and myself on what was needed to affiliate to Kimber House. We have a template already prepared for establishing a new club. It contains the basic principles which govern the UK Club. These were agreed and implemented and the formal affiliation event took place on October 12 2019.

Based purely on personal observation, the Maltese Club appears to have a younger age profile than many other MG Clubs I am familiar with. If so, that augurs a good future, along with the 500 or so MG owners who are presently not members of MGCC Malta. The Club has a professionallooking website and

will no doubt build upon this as they hold events, have members’ cars for sale, and the rest.

The affiliation of the Malta Club was planned to take place over the annual Malta Classic Car Event. This involves classic car racing, concours, and simply getting together to talk classic cars. This year’s was the 12th such event and provided much publicity for MGs as well as for classics in general. There were some MG successes in racing, but it will not surprise most SF! readers when I say that, although there were a couple powerful GT V8s competing, their denial of winning places was not due to Italian or German exotica, but to Cowleyand Longbridge-produced old-school Minis.

The MG Malta Club is now part of the European community of affiliated clubs, and given the number of MGs on the island looks as if it is likely to grow in the near future. While Malta suffers the disadvantages of any small island in terms of relying upon ferry links to a mainland, the members now have the knowledge that if they were to venture into mainland Europe for an event, or to Kimber House and to MG Live! they will be fully welcomed as part of the global MG community.

Maltese members enjoy a Sunday run out 66 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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CENTRES ABINGDON WORKS Sarah Davies sfscribe@mgabingdon.org.uk www.mgabingdon.co.uk Sitting here whiling the time away in sunny Doha, thinking where have the weeks gone with already several weeks passing since 32 cars on our Autumn Leaves Run wound their way from Notcutts Garden Centre through the Cotswolds finishing at Batsford Arboretum, home to the country’s largest private collection of trees and shrubs. The Arboretum is where you know autumn has truly arrived, with a spectacular burst of autumnal colours adorning an array of maples and cherries, to name but a few. Cars parked up to form an admirable display as colourful as the arboretum. First to arrive was John Ross with his grandson, 14-year-old Fraser. I would like to say that Fraser must be congratulated for not using his phone or satnav once for the return journey home but instead out came the OS map. A report plus photos are on our website.

Trees are an important part of our environment but unfortunately they are in a decline. So with this in mind, tying in nicely to our

ANGLIA Rob Muir 01206 862619 scribe@mgccanglia.com www.mgccanglia.com Club Meet Success Although one of the smaller Club Meets, The White Hart at Weeley punches well above its weight as this report from host Max Collier shows.

We had three members of our Club Meet competing in The MGCC Speed Championship this year.

Alan Fairbrother, driving a road-going MG3, was defending his second place from last season, but went one better this year by winning The Windmill

run, the AWC decided to contribute £100 from the run to The Woodland Trust, the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK concerned with the creation, protection and restoration of native woodland heritage, which since 1972 has planted over 43 million trees. A worthwhile cause.

A Red MG with a Poppy biker outrider helped launch this year’s Poppy Appeal in Abingdon. The two set off from Kimber House with MG owner Bill Morris delivering a giant poppy to the town’s Market Place. They were greeted at the entrance to the square by the raised standards of the Army and Sea cadets who lined the route, applauding as they arrived. The giant poppy was then delivered to the Army cadets who marched it into the Market Place and presented it to the town’s Mayor.

Last year, the centenary of the end of World War I, Abingdon raised £53,500 for the Poppy Appeal with seven red MGs taking part in the launch of that year’s Poppy Appeal. Some owners decorated their cars for the event.

Clare Oldfield, Abingdon Poppy Appeal organiser, said: “Abingdon is a town which has very much taken the

poppy to heart. As the home of MG, it is only fitting the car takes centre-stage in such a fitting tribute.

The town raised an amazing amount for the Poppy Appeal last year and we are on target to do the same again this year. Abingdon may not be the biggest town on the Thames but it surely has the biggest heart – and the poppy and the MG go hand in hand as much-loved examples of that.”

So autumn is almost behind us and Christmas is looming! With this in mind, don’t forget the Boxing Day gathering and run in Abingdon’s Market Place from 10.00am. Please get in touch with Richard Martin 01235-529331 for more info.

and Lewis Cup as southern championship and so gets his name engraved on this historic trophy.

Our other success goes to Richard Farrow and Phil Thompson. Phil will be remembered by many of you as being an enthusiastic and successful BCV8 racer in the 1980s and being a founding member of this Natter. He was also competition secretary for the Centre responsible for the conception of, and coordinator for, The Phoenix Petroleum Challenge (now The MG Cup sponsored by Peter Best) – currently in its 31st year. Phil bought a 1962 pull door handle MGB specifically to come out of retirement and re-kindle his love of motorsport.

He shared the car with son-in-law Richard Farrow,

ably supported by grandson Stanley throughout the season. I am delighted to report that Richard, in his first year in motorsport, won the Southern Championship class for Group 2 1501-2400 cars with a score of 577.57. Phil, not to be outdone, was thrilled to come second in class with a score of 556.25.

The icing on the cake for Richard, he was also awarded a trophy for best southern newcomer.

Needless to say, they are all looking forward to the forthcoming awards dinner and are already making plans for next year.

The photograph shows Alan and Phil outside The White Hart along with their cars and some of our Natter members Max Collier Riviera Run 2019 Update Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond the control of committee, The Riviera Run planned for this December will not take place.

Always a popular event, we know that many members will be disappointed; however we hope to return the event to the calendar for 2020, so watch this space for details.

www.mgcc.co.uk

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JIM CLARK TRAIL 2nd - 4th May 2020  The MG Car Club has a well kept secret…. A link with the late, great Jim Clark!  Next May the Caledonian Centre are offering you the opportunity to explore that connection, on their annual 3 Day Tour.  Based at the 4 star Marine Hotel & Spa in North Berwick the event offers;  3 Days Touring in East Lothian and the Scottish Borders  Two start points, one on either side of the Border  Two nights DB&B in the Marine Hotel  A choice of routes on the Sunday run  A 1960s/Jim Clark themed evening  A guest speaker, Doug Niven, cousin of Jim Clark  The presentation to the Jim Clark Trust of two MGCC Scottish Centre trophies won by Jim Clark  And much, much more!

No matter whether you are a petrol head or not, you will not want to miss this!

The entry fee per car, to include two lunches, museum entry, wine on two nights, souvenir Route book and Rally Plate is £95 (£65 for single entries) Hotel bookings are only available once you have received confirmation of your entry.

The rate is £398 for two nights dinner, bed and breakfast. £330 for single entries.

Entries open on December 1st. Book through our website; www.mgcaledonian.com/

Any questions contact Nancy Crichton on 07510 225102 or Bob MacGillivray on 07870 407111 or email; mgcarsscotland@gmail.com

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CENTRES CALEDONIAN Bob MacGillivray 07870 407111 mgcarsscotland@gmail.com www.mgcaledonian.com No events in December, but you can now book for the Chilly Willy lunch on January 1 at the Radstones, near Larkhall, adjacent to the M74, so easy access! Hopefully the weather will not be too bad and a good number of you will be able to attend. Please book through the website.

But you can now also book for our 2020 Three-Day Tour, based at the 4-star Marine Hotel in North Berwick. With a choice of starts on either side of the Border you will be driving mostly in scenic East Lothian and Borders region areas. The focus is on the Jim Clark connection with the MG Car Club and while there will be a choice of routes on the Sunday, we expect most will head for the new Jim Clark Motorsport Museum in Duns. Dates are May 2-4 and there is a full-page ad in this issue. There will be no Caledonian Five-Day Tour in 2020 so if you want to enjoy the Caledonian experience next year this is your only opportunity!

Please book through our website, any questions let me know.

DEVON & CORNWALL Young Janner II bobslatter@hotmail.com www.mgcc.co.uk/devon-cornwall-centre As the end of the year is rushing towards us, we are preparing for 2020 and the 90th birthday of the MG Car Club on Monday October 12. The Club is planning a global event and timeline similar to 1990 on Sunday October 11 and we as a Centre aim to be part of this magnificent occasion. We have some ideas but are open to suggestions from Centre members as to how we could celebrate with something different and attention-grabbing for the Club.

Back to past events, and I would like to thank all the participants on the Exmoor Rut, considering the atrocious storm we had that weekend to start the run in. Luckily the weather improved throughout the day and eventually everybody made it to the finish in bright sunshine but a bitterly cold wind. As has previously happened with this event, when organised by the Healey Drivers Club, there has always been a donation to Charity from it, and I am pleased

www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 71

Our annual Film night with alternative entertainment for nonpetrolheads is on January 30 at Kirkintilloch Golf Club. These are always well attended and for a modest £10 you can enjoy a meal and a night of motorsport and related films. Again, check the website.

Further ahead, our February Technical Day at Dreadnought Garage will be slightly different as Brian is hoping to have an expert car detailer on hand to show you how your car should be cleaned. Details are on the website.

We are planning a Satellite Run in April.

Would anyone like to assist with a start and route from somewhere north of the Central belt?

And there is still a possibility of a trip to Race Retro at Stoneleigh, in February. An excellent retro motorsport show with some live action. Let me know if you are interested.

to say that we have made two gifts this year. The recipients were both the Devon and Cornwall Air Ambulances.

The Tamar Classic Trial held at the end of October was very successful for both the joint organisers of the Centre and Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club with a good entry which ran in perfect weather conditions. Again, bad weather before the event and glorious sunshine on the day, so both marshals and competitors had a great day. Thank you to all who helped before the event and during the day.

Whilst we are still in the planning stage of events for 2020, one very important meeting that will be held in March is the Centre’s AGM. The exact date and venue have not been finalised as I write this, but I do ask that all members bear this in mind and attend. It is your chance to see how we, as a Committee, have run the Centre over the past twelve months and also to make any suggestions of what you would like to see organised for the coming year. It would be very helpful to the Committee if you were willing to help organise some of these events so as to spread the workload.

Coming next year?

The annual Newsletter will be issued later this month and will have details of the proposed programme for next year. There may be one or three extra events to be slotted in, so keep your eye on the website and my emails for more info.

In the meantime, on behalf of your Committee, may I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year… Lang may yer lum reek!

The other item that has recently been brought to my attention is the sharing of information from the Natters to all members wherever they reside. At present, most Natters circulate the regular attendees, but it would be to everybody’s advantage if this information was generally circulated to all Centre members. Several have commented that they would like to have attended certain meetings or trips organised at Natter level.

If the information is sent to me in plenty of time, I can circulate it to all the email addresses I hold for members, complying as always with GDPR rules about sending blind carbon copies so no addresses are made public.

Congratulations to D&C Member Fiona Smith, seen here taking part in a wing walk to raise over £2000 for her chosen charity DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 71

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LINCOLNSHIRE Ian Mackenzie 01529 497849 MaccaV8@aol.com www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk December Natters: Wolds Wednesday 4 (Christmas Meal); Abbey Lodge Monday 9 (Christmas Meal); Wishing Well Wednesday 11 (Christmas Meal); Three Horseshoes Thursday 19 (Christmas Meal).

Luncheon Club: Wednesday 18.

Next year will be the 40th Anniversary of the Lincolnshire Centre (and also the 90th Anniversary of the MG Car Club). To celebrate, we have special events planned, starting with the 40th Anniversary Annual Awards Dinner and Dance at the Olde Barn, Marston, near Grantham, on Saturday 11th January. Full details, including an application form, can be found on our website: www.mgcclincolnshire.co.uk To commemorate the Centre’s Anniversary, your Committee has decided to commission a new Anniversary logo for the Centre, and you, dear reader, are invited to submit your suggested design

MIDLANDS Brian Osborn brianosbornmg@gmail.com www.mgccmidlandcentre.co.uk You may have realised by now that the Midland Committee take it in turns to act as scribe for these notes. If you fancy having a go why not join us – our AGM is coming up on January 20 and we could do with more help. We are one short now and there may be one standing down, so there may be one or two opportunities to join us. Martin Price will be standing down from Chairman after his tenure, but hopefully staying on the committee for now to oversee any volunteers to take over his role as Sprint organiser. Hence we could do with assistance from local sprinters or racers who are familiar with motorsport. Also, can Natter Leaders advise Andy Robson of any events that you wish to go in our 2020 calendar, due out after the AGM. Our Autumn Trial in early October was covered in the previous notes; suffice for me to add that with 20 entrants we could have done with more, especially MGs. With that number of entrants we only just managed to exceed break even financially

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Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 73

Visiting V8s nestle under the wings of ‘Just Jane’ September 2019

(in JPEG format) to your Centre Secretary Sue at: MaccaV8@gmail.com by December 11. The winner, to be chosen by the Committee, will receive the first sweatshirt to carry the logo, along with bragging rights for the entire year!

By now, you should have received your copy of our Winter 2019/20 Newsletter produced by Robert Taylor, which incorporates an outline of our events calendar for the coming year. If not, please contact either your local Natter leader, or Robert on: rh.taylor260@tiscali.co.uk and we will get a copy to you.

As you will see from the mini calendar above, December is full of opportunities for you to fill with Octagonal Festive Cheer at your local Natters.

Please contact your Natter leaders to book your places. Their details can be found both in the Newsletter and on our website.

Looking further forward, New Year’s Day Run and Pride of Ownership will take place on its anniversary date of... January 1 (it hasn’t always been the case, has it Mike Taylor!) at the usual spot, The Abbey Lodge, Kirkstead near Woodall Spa. The event opens with a Pride of Ownership judged by the Landlord (or one of his team), followed by a meandering run round the surrounding countryside, ending for coffee and mince pies at another nearby hostelry.

We aim to be there by noon for lunch – if you want to book a table, please contact the Abbey direct on: 01526 352538 as it does get very busy.

The Pride of Ownership should be judged as close to 2.00pm as possible, with the run commencing straight after. You don’t have to enter both elements, or either, but please do come along and meet up with friends old and new. If you want any further details, please use our contacts above.

and we considered it a success. Well done and thanks to all that helped or entered.

Although this might be the quiet season as far as your MG is concerned, there is still plenty going on.

• Coming up are the Natters’ Christmas meals – contact your local one for details.

• We have our usual invite from the Morgan 3 Wheeler Club to participate in their Holly Run. This year on Sunday morning December 15, starting and finishing at The Old Wagon & Horses, DY10 3NX. Will be about 20 miles of ‘country’ roads for any ‘interesting’ vehicle.

• To end the year it will be the Centre’s Xmas Walk on Friday December 27, being organised by John Fry and may be somewhere in the Severn Valley. More later or check our website.

• The New Year is traditionally started with The Chilly Willy Run on January 1.

This has been a Centre event since the early 90s when we cribbed it from the Caledonian Centre. However, the committee have recently decided that this should now be a Natter event(s).

We know of at least two planning to do their own thing, so come on all you other Natters – get cracking. No need for a CoE permit, just run it as

a Social Run as per Blue Book section B p62. It doesn’t even have to be on New Year’s Day, could be early January sometime.

• The MAC’s 40th Clee Hills Classic Trial takes place on Sunday January 19 and we have offered to marshal the sections at Easthope Wood on Wenlock Edge again. Any that can help and/or just like a day out in the countryside please let Simon Morris know on 07788 168488.

• Even though our two Curborough Sprints struggled for entries this year, we plan to continue in the short term on Sunday April 5 and August 2 2020. These speed events are heavily dependent upon support from the MGCC Speed Championship for which we are very grateful.

But –we need more entries and championships. So why not have a go? Or if you know of any likeminded car club with a championship that would like to join us, then please let us know.

• Then there is our annual Welsh Touring Rallye over the weekend of May 15-17 based in a 4-star hotel in Coalport. There were details in last month’s notes, but I can now inform you that entries will open on December 1. There is a lot of interest already.

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CENTRES NORTH WEST Paul Goodman 01625 876300 As it is the end of the year, the North West Centre Committee would like to wish all the members a Happy Christmas. Only two events on the calendar this month, these being the seasonal gatherings at our regular pub meetings. On Tuesday December 10 the venue will be The Trophy Room, Cheshire County Sports Club, Plas Newton Lane, Chester, CH2 1PR. Then one week later, we will be eating our Christmas meal at the Plough and Flail on Tuesday December 17.

The Speed Championship reached a nail-biting conclusion in October with Rob Bell clinching the national championship, driving his MGF “Project Shed”. The northern championship winner was Nick Walker making the most of his MGB GT V8. Runner up in the north went to Tim Kirkham driving his MG ZR 160. Completing the podium was Ian Howlett in his MGF. Many of the award winners used very standard cars. This is possible because the scoring system sets each driver’s time against a “bogey” time with the highest score winning. It would be

SOUTH EAST Ray Ruffels and William Opie raywillmg@gmail.com www.mgccse.co.uk What an excellent year 2019 has been for MG motoring.

great to have lots of new drivers competing in 2020. Please make contact for advice on how you can become a competitor.

As a Centre we were able to raise our profile during 2019 by making an official appearance at many more events. The intention is to have even more displays in 2020. We now have Centre flags and a gazebo which, along with several cars, produces a great advert for the Club. There is going to be a big drive to increase membership as the Club celebrates 90 years since being founded. The Centre will also need to plan an event for the birthday in October as part of the world-wide celebrations.

Nick Walker at Speed in his MGB GT V8. Photo: David Coulthard

The Autumn Naviscat in October was a great success with 10 cars/teams competing.

There was a warm welcome with bacon butties and hot drinks at the Bo Peep PH near Chelsfield. The cars were a mix of veteran to modern MGs and others from the Inter Register Club. After the competitors had planned their routes they set off in all directions using the small country lanes and steep hills in this little-known part of Kent. After three and a half hours everyone was back at the Bo Peep for a well-deserved meal and the Rosette presentations.

The results were closer than ever, with congratulations to Philip and Rosemary Bayne-Powell in their Allingham-bodied

The Bayne-Powells and friends searching for clues on the Naviscat.

Photo: Chris Leigh www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 75

Planning is well advanced for a full calendar of Cockshoot Cup Championship race meetings and Speed Championship events in 2020. There is going to be a shake-up of dates and circuits for both which will add extra variety. The racers are particularly looking forward to being able to race on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit at MGLive!.

There are 600 Club members resident in the North West. Quite a few of you support our events in some way, but many of you and your cars are never seen. Please make it a New Year’s resolution to make more of your MG in 2020 and try to attend at least one Centre event.

NA who beat Steve and Denise Cherry in their beautiful Sabre Royale by just three minutes with the same score! Full results are on www.mgccse. co.uk/2019/10/15/autumn-naviscat-results/ Make this your New Year’s resolution, to take part in the next Naviscat event planned for Sunday March 8 2020.

The Brooklands Motor Sport day, although blighted by rain, produced an eclectic mix of cars as can be seen in the photographs: www. mgccse.co.uk/2019/10/22/brooklands-motorsport-day-13-10-19-report/ For safety reasons it was decided not to open the Test Hill but the Mercedes World track was available and the high-performance Nascars and single seaters found the circuit very interesting! There was a good selection of MGs on the SE Club Stand and good interest from the public and potential new members.

Other events are featured in the Newsletter, which can be downloaded via the MGCC SE website at www.mgccse.co.uk/category/news/ Information on our AGM in November will be in the next issue, so finally may we wish all members a Happy Christmas and New Year.

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 75

22/11/2019 16:17

MERCHANDISE

Christmas Ideas From

KIMBER STORES

To order please visit shop.mgcc.co.uk email ineke@mgcc.co.uk or Phone 01235 849737 SAFETY FAST!XXXX DECEMBER 2019 276SAFETY FAST! 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 76 Merchandise Novemberv2.indd 2

www.mgcc.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 24/10/2019 15:19 16:17

CENTRES SOUTH WEST Bruce Weston brucemweston@gmail.com With winter approaching there are fewer events to encourage members to venture out and those that do will probably be entering in or marshalling for another club on a trial. The SW Centre lost its annual October venue, and without a replacement for the coming year another motoring event may be lost. So, if you have any ideas where a suitable site might be available for a single-site trial where four or five sections might be accommodated with reasonable access please get in touch. With fewer competitors entering competitive events it is even more important to maintain the opportunity to take part.

The next important event and first of the 2020 season will be the SW Annual Dinner which will again be held at the Limpley Stoke Hotel, near Bath, on Saturday February 22. Full details should be on the website by the time you read this.

Centre notes are written by all members of the committee and I note that my last effort in June was mainly taken up with the Kimber Classic Trial which is the oldest MG Car Club

event still running, as it has since 1937 with a few exceptions and has only been cancelled once in the last 32 years. However, the numbers of competitors are reducing to around 30 annually and this trial has only survived due to the marvellous support of mainly pre-war MGs. Now it may have escaped your notice that the organisers, cars, drivers and marshals are aging, albeit reluctantly, and as a result the current team of organisers and a few of the regular competitors have decided that the 2020 KCT to be held on Saturday May 2 will be their last. If any members wish to take over this great event, possibly in a different part of the SW area or beyond, then please let us know and we will give you every assistance.

I can well remember (along with several retired and current committee members ) in the early 1970s being asked if, as well as competing, we would like to join the committee and help organise and marshal the SW Centre events. We all jumped at the chance and over the next couple of years the retiring committee took a back seat and left us to it. Some of us are still at it!

Unfortunately, fewer younger members of the MGCC take an interest in Centre matters or possibly do not realise what the Centres actually do. So if you would like to find out what we do, or if you want something done by the Centre, get in touch.

Full details of what’s on in SW Centre at www.mgccsw.com/events

Photos form the popular 2019 South West Centre summer picnic event, this year held at the Avon Valley Railway.

TYNE-TEES Tony Wood anthony@scrutonvillage.co.uk Hand-wringing time, apologies for wrongly crediting last month’s photo. The real lens genius was Trevor Grugan, mea culpa, no offence intended or given, I hope!

I won’t say much about the Autumn Leaves run as it’s covered extensively elsewhere, other than to thank Andrew and Noel for their sterling efforts and to report that the shortcomings in the Breakfast resulted in the dismissal of and reprimand for the staff concerned. Overall a great day and a magnificent reception, especially from the staff and volunteers at Alnwick Castle who stayed open for us; a heartfelt thanks to all.

Significant on the day was the presentation of the MGCC Member of the Year award to Noel, a thoroughly deserved accolade for all he does for Tyne Tees and the MGCC generally, but even the most willing workhorse requires a rest and whilst Main Club have granted him a dispensation to remain Chairman for the coming year (subject to re-election) a succession plan needs to be in place.

www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 77

‘Wallace’ the TF and Lorraine receiving her award from David Henderson. Photos: Noel Lindford

Make sure you come along to the AGM on March 7 at Coulby Manor to have your say and ensure you don’t get the job in your absence.

At the last Committee meeting the 2020 Calendar was finalised, which should come with the January edition of Safety Fast!. If you don’t receive it let Noel know. It features all the old favourites as well as some new attractions, but the decision was made to streamline it to our events only. We will still be supporting other events like Hamsterley Hoppings, etc, and promoting them online in Tyne Tees Tidings as well as at the Natters, but it was felt

a simplified Calendar was the way to go.

Our Breakfast/Coffee and Cars meetings go from strength to strength. Recent venues in the South have included Fishburn Airfield and Locomotion at Shildon, whilst the Northern group took civilisation to Allenheads with a highly successful meeting which featured specially baked octagonal MG biscuits, definitely a first in this neck of the woods.

If you are able, come along and join in. There is always a great atmosphere and an excuse for a full English, how can you resist!

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 77

22/11/2019 16:17

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to try to make them easier for competitors. Yet, Bailie Thompson in the trusty Corsa managed a seemingly impossible series of penalty-free runs.

Will Thompson, too, managed clear runs against the odds and Zak Armstrong also drove superbly, keeping the FWD Rover moving when it looked like his run was all but over.

Jim Crozier brought along friends and family from SuperDrive/BADMC to support our PCT for the first time. Young Alex Agnew stole the show with a great first drive, taking BADMC honours and pipping rally master Jim! Finally, 1st was serial PCT champion Bailie Thompson. 2nd was son Will and 3rd, Zak Armstrong, ably accompanied by grandad Mike. Best MG/ derivative was Dermot Johnson, 4th in the Frogeye.

Unluckiest competitor was Chris Patterson whose Beach Buggy started once, spluttered, coughed, blew out white smoke and died before turning a wheel. Thanks to Chris for marshalling instead. Thanks must also go to the farmer who hauled three cars out the mire by tractor at the end of the day!

The Centre held some social events in October, including a trip to Raymond Walls’ private motoring

The Inter-Natter quiz was tackled by several of the Natters, and David Copeman reported: “A mastermind would struggle to answer the questions!” Other Natters had different plans, with Vale of York planning a late season run.

Unfortunately, this was thwarted by North Yorkshire Council arriving just before the date with major roadworks affecting two parts of the run. So the run was cancelled and has been rescheduled for an early spring run instead.

The South Yorkshire Natter was active again at the Edinburgh Trial, busy marshalling their section with over 200 entries, cars and bikes, passing through. This year they were blessed with good weather – not always the case.

Members from a couple of Yorkshire Natters attended the Tyne Tees Autumn run, around roads not normally selected in south Tyneside and Durham. It was a drizzly day, but interesting nevertheless, especially for your scribe, who was navigating and driving on his own.

December will see the Natter Christmas parties, and we here in “God’s Own County” wish all our fellow MGCC members a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year; hope to see some of you in 2020.

museum, a superb warren of vehicles, signage and memorabilia. We welcomed along land-owners and marshals who have contributed greatly to the Centre’s competitive events over 2019.

On October 19 at a ‘giving day’ at its station near Lisburn, Ulster Centre donated £1,600 to the NI Air Ambulance – our chosen charity over the past year.

Our stalwart Club Secretary, Carol, was whisked in for a scheduled knee op in early November. Hopefully by this time she will be up and about again, albeit with crutches. We wish her a speedy recovery – with the new bionic parts, Airport Security will never be a clear run again, Carol!

Ulster Centre wishes all Club Members a Happy Christmas and enjoyable Festive Season.

Stephen Dawson Dates for your diary:Mince Pie Night, Shandon Golf Club –December 10 New Year’s Day Treasure Hunt (more by ‘Facebook’ later) – January 1 2020 Provisional Dates:Ulster Centre AGM –January 16 2020 Derek Walker Trial, Ards Peninsula –January 25 2020

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 79

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REGISTERS VINTAGE Ian Quarrington IanQuarrington999@BTInternet.com A lot to get in, folks, so let’s get on with it!

Firstly, I hope you enjoyed the latest Bulletin which you should have received late October, so right on time. No doubt you will have spotted the little typo on the date for the AGM next year. It is Sunday March 15 2020, the day after the Club’s Council meeting and the weekend before Mothering Sunday, so please put this in your diaries now and please, let’s have a good turnout, whether you come in your Vintage car or your Volvo or whatever; it is your Register, please support it at the AGM. Debbie will confirm the venue asap.

On the subject of the Bulletin, it needs content, it needs interesting stuff to keep it filled up, so please don’t sit back and rely on the usual contributors again, please send in photos and even a few words – everyone enjoys reading the Bulletin and I promise you that you will enjoy putting a piece together. Get in touch with Debbie via debbiebradingvr@yahoo.com

TRIPLE M CATHELIJNE SPOELSTRA +31 (0)6 41216600 cathelijnespoelstra@outlook.com www.triple-mregister.org The Past …

I’m skipping the Car of the Month in favour of what’s to follow. Don’t worry, though, the Q will get its due in the next issue. So, here’s what I wanted to discuss with you: Why not see if you can investigate your car’s history during these dreary winter months? With the internet bringing the entire world within reach, it won’t ever get much easier than now. To some it might be disappointing when a car does not have either trials or racing history, but you might just find some 1950s or 60s owners who are dying (figuratively speaking!) to be reunited with their old bird-pullers, which could well be just as rewarding. Recently two such cases regarding M-Types were discussed on our forum, and through J2 Registrar, John Emmett, I was made aware of a similar happening with J2048 where seeing his 86-year-old car again after 66 years

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Next, the Spring Tour. Just as the November Bulletin was going to press we heard that Wroxall Abbey had gone into liquidation. Lots of people with weddings or meetings or conferences will be much more affected than we would have been BUT...Debbie has found a superb country housetype hotel very close by. Please save the dates for the 2020 tour – these are Monday April 27 to Friday May 1. There will be a full itinerary and more detail to come very soon. We are indebted to Paul and Maddie Plummer for helping out with local knowledge in the Warwickshire area.

What has been happening recently? The Club’s Council and AGM meetings took place in late October; John was re-elected as our President and Ron was re-elected as Vice President, your Scribe was appointed as a new VP too, so we retain a good strong presence in the Club’s structure. It was good to see Martin and Rob Constant at the meeting supporting the Register.

NEC. This was fun but hard work again, as your Scribe had Marion’s RV8 to look after on the stand and talk about to the visitors and your Secretary had a rather famous MGB under her care. If you went along you will have seen lots of pre-war cars on various Club stands and a lot for sale with the

brought tears to 93-year-old Albert Glover’s eyes.

Albert didn’t own it for long back in 1953, but as it was his first car, he was bound to hold it dear forever, wasn’t he? Looking at the old chap’s age, now really is the time to act!

The perk of being a sub-Registrar is that I can access factory data and when I looked up J2048, it transpired that the car competed in the 1933 Scottish Six Days’ Trial. Current owner Gordon Rhodes must have been thrilled to find both trials history and meet an earlier custodian.

Moreover, I noticed the car’s first owner was the Hon. A. Dalrymple, younger brother of my own J0577’s first owner, the Hon. H.N. Dalrymple.

Silly, perhaps, but I can get rather excited by these snippets. So, to work! And do let me know of any findings! … and the Future Just a quick heads-up of the Register’s Stilton and Pork Pie Tour which is to be held from September 20-24 2020 in the Leicestershire and Rutland area. If you wish to express interest and receive joining instructions when the time comes, please send an email to tony-ruth.richards@outlook.com

traders. Talking of a well-known MGB (Hamish), he will be undergoing some major surgery in Baldock soon. He is 50 years old next year, after all, but will be on duty at the Spring Tour.

To close the year and start the next, there will be gatherings on Boxing Day with the AWC in the Market Square in Abingdon; please check with Gill or Richard Martin for details (gm04fun@ gmail.com). Then the usual meeting Vintage Car gathering on New Year’s Day at Olney. The event is open from 9.30am to 2.00pm, it is at Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1BE, and you can check out more at https://vintagestony.co.uk Have a peaceful Christmas and every best wish for the New Year.

Merry Christmas from the Vintage Register

Gordon Rhodes and Albert Glover shaking hands over J2048. Photo: Ralph Brown

Miss Dickson in the 1933 Scottish Six Days’ Trial, winner of a Silver Cup and member of the winning team. Pete Thelander Collection www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:18

REGISTERS SVW Paul Campbell svw.safety.fast@gmail.com www.svwregister.co.uk Thoughts turn to preparing our cars for winter layup and the jobs to do during this period. In my case, I need to fix an oil leak that seems to be coming from the engine side panel, access the fuel tank to sort out the non-functioning sender unit and remove the front bumper to repaint the bumper support and the panel in front of the radiator grille.

We now have 158 SVW Register Facebook group members. Many of you will have also used the MGSVW Yahoo email group administered

by Gary Perry. Unfortunately, the providers are closing down this forum and Gary is working hard to migrate it elsewhere whilst retaining the useful archive of topics. If you’ve been using it you’ll be kept informed and I’ll do so here and on the Facebook group as well.

Plans are afoot to revamp our website. Although we still have 1,500 visitors a month, we feel it could have more appeal and removal of old/redundant information will go some way towards this. It would be good to hear your thoughts on all of our channels.

Hot off the press! You can now access your details online on the MGCC website. This enables you to update your details yourself, change of home/email address, etc. I’ve just used it myself and it works well as far as it goes, although you still need to send an email if you sell a car or complete a form initially if you acquire one. To access the members’ area you require your membership number, email address and password. It’s also

hugely useful if you buy or sell an SVW car that you let the Register know as well.

The photo is of my VA Tourer on a gathering of The Sussex Wanderers at Parham House in West Sussex in October. Please do send photos or stories to me if you’ve seen enough of my VA! Although you should receive this at the beginning of December, it’s timely enough to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and successful fettling in the garage!

Stella Alpina Rally This three-day rally took place in the Italian Dolomites and Adrian Martin and his wife Stella decided to enter their 1946 TC. There were 99 Regularity stages and a few average speed sections covering seven mountain passes, with temperatures always in the high 30s. Up against experienced Italian competitors driving more powerful modern machinery the TC coped with the challenging route of over 500km without a hitch!

Adrian commented: “We were rather proud of our TC, and this really was classic motoring at its very best!”

Additionally, he has agreed to write an account of their adventures, which will be published in a future edition. Watch this space!

T TYPE PAUL PLUMMER 01926 854574 scribe@tregister.org By the time you read this, Christmas will almost be upon us and now is the time to purchase some goodies from the Kimber House stores.

Hill Climbing Our intrepid Hill Climber, Keith Benningfield, has now completed his seventh and final climb of the season, which took place at Bo’ness in Scotland.

Go to our website and read all about how he posted a better time than a 300hp V8 Bentley!

Pre-war Prescott The Vintage Minor Register’s Pre-war Prescott is a very relaxed weekend event, which has been thrown open to other pre-war marques, of which MG was well represented. On Saturday participants were given an opportunity to drive the hill, which was followed on Sunday by a navigation rally and a non-competitive 70-mile scenic tour.

www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 81

A Date for your Diary Next year’s Rebuild Seminar will be held on Saturday March 14 at Gaydon, followed by the AGM. Full details to follow.

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 81

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REGISTERS MAGNETTE Stephen Tickell 01737 760330 stephen.tickell@gmail.com www.magnette.org It’s not too late to submit nominations for the David Johnson Challenge trophy, for a notable Magnette exploit in the last year or so. David himself took part in several long-distance events, so the award was inaugurated in 2018 to keep his memory alive by honouring similar journeys.

On the more general subject of awards, there have been some great new restorations recently, and ideally, we’d like to present Register trophies to different owners each year if there are deserving cars to judge. This has admittedly been a bit problematic when there’s no ‘flagship’ Register weekend that’s likely to attract more Magnettes than others during the year. In that case we have to pick an event where we expect a reasonable turnout, defaulting to the Lou Shorten Tribute (Norwich) weekend which usually marks the end of the season.

MGA Edward Vandyk 01488 608810 mgascribe@vandyk.co.uk The MGA Register Committee extends the Season’s Greetings to all Register members and looks forward to renewed MGA-ing in 2020.

MGA Register Reunion Lunch, Phoenix Inn The MGA Register celebrated the 50th Anniversary of what undoubtedly was the genesis of the MGA Register by holding a reunion lunch on October 26 at the Phoenix Inn, Hartley Wintney. In particular the lunch celebrated the efforts and persistence of MGA owners during 1969, continuing into 1970, to persuade the MG Car Club to establish an MGA Register. This ‘agitation’, as it was called, was based at the South East Centre Natter held at the Phoenix Inn, hence the venue. These efforts bore fruit when, in October 1970, MGCC formally established the MGA Register which preceded Dennis Ogborn’s opening piece as, what we would now call, MGA Register Scribe in the December 1970 edition of Safety Fast!. 49 years later, a hard act to follow!

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Given that we don’t have a large number of cars competing, there’s always a risk of one or two appearing to be unduly favoured, but this would only be down to who was there on the day. The committee will keep on trying to make sure the process is transparent and that the judging date is publicised in advance as far as possible. Hopefully owners who are in with a good chance will endeavour to make the particular event – if you’re finishing off a restoration over the winter then we’d really like you to enter for a trophy in 2020.

Finally this month, here’s a Farina front cover from the Nuffield Press magazine Motoring of 60 years ago, another from the archives of regular contributor Jeffrey Bridges. You can find the complete article on magnette. org, in our extensive collection of contemporary reviews and more recent buying guides.

Obviously you wouldn’t expect the in-house magazine to be totally unbiased, but interesting

that the MkIII Magnette is praised for its “notably precise and sensitive” cam and peg steering!

The reunion lunch celebrated the opening salvo in the battle but, of course, the 50th Anniversary of the MGA Register itself falls in 2020. However, given that the MGA Twin Cam Group had been established within MGCC some years earlier and had managed to transform itself into a de facto Register in the transfer of the Club, along with Safety Fast!, from being factory- to owner-supported, why the difficulty? The answer lay in entrenched attitudes about the gap between production of a model ceasing and the possible establishment of a Register, the Twin Cam Group seeming anomaly being occasioned by ‘need’.

Enough of the background; to the event as reported by Ian Wilson – MGA Register Chairman.

The turnout far exceeded the expectation for attendance and The Phoenix Inn catered for 73 for lunch. Anyone who has visited the Phoenix Inn will know that to seat this number for lunch, in an 18th century coaching inn with ceiling beams giving a head clearance of only 5ft 4 inches and small segregated rooms, would make a cosy ambiance.

Members of the initial committee of 1970 together with members who were involved in the agitation were invited guests of the present committee. It was satisfying that the following, original members, could take part in the lunch,

some having travelled long distances to be at the Phoenix Inn: George Ward, Yvonne Ward (now Rowe), Ian Andrew, Roger Martin, Geoff Barron and Peter Harmer.

Cars started arriving at 10.30am and Graham Eke did a great job in organising the parking in what was a rather full car park.

The day turned out to be wet, with rain starting just before lunch and not letting up for the remainder of the day. However the weather was dry as we started to congregate in the car park and a lot of reminiscing was exchanged and also many old acquaintances renewed with photographs and documents perused and their stories exchanged.

27 MGAs arrived braving the weather forecast, and hoods up for the day was the norm.

Whenever there is a gathering of MGAs there will inevitably be a bonnet up and a gathering of people looking into the void and expressing their opinion of a problem. This was the case for Ian Evans’ twin cam that arrived with an intermittent fuel pump issue, which was soon resolved.

The day was a great success with the happy gathering saying farewell before a very wet drive home, in confidence that the MGA Register will continue to serve the needs of the members and their MGAs for the next 50 years.

MkIII Magnette – Motori

ng 1959

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:18

Summit:Layout 1

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Summit

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Finished in Dark green metallic with black trim, repatriated from the US, converted to right hand drive and restored with a four speed gearbox etc in 2012. The car has had little use since and is in need of some TLC and a new hood, hence priced accordingly. £21,950.00.

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 83

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REGISTERS MGB David Broadhurst 01209 614704 newsletter-editor@mgb-register.org www.mgb-register.org Unfortunately, we have some sad news to start this month’s notes. Our MGB Register committee member Robin Cloke has passed away; a full obituary is on the SF! News Page.

It is not often that one’s home town hits the national news, but the reason mine has is why my MGB is tucked up in the garage and has been since September. Camborne had rain on every day bar two in October and it has hardly let up since. Included in this muddy misery has been the wind which produced peak gusts locally of 113 mph! Needless to say, my main concern has been my yard drains and keeping water out of the garage.

Enough of this! Looking for a Christmas present? Why not suggest an MGB Register Jacket for the winter or a Polo for the summer.

We also now have a range of Women’s clothes – visit our new MGB eShop.

Let’s look forward to Christmas and a bright New Year of activities with your MG. Presumably

MIDGET Mike Parker mikeparker78@btinternet.com www.midgetregister.com/ I’ll start this month’s notes with the sad news that friend and Midget Register committee member Robin Cloke passed away in November. John Watson and I have penned a tribute to Robin which can be found in the news section of this magazine.

As we rapidly approach Christmas, don’t forget you can purchase a range of Midget Register merchandise from the MGCC online shop https://shop.mgcc.co.uk/ I have to say the Register grille badge does look rather fetching embellishing the front of my car!

A Scottish challenge Last August I planned a long walk in Scotland with my son, David. Having done this walk twice, some years ago, it was a challenge to repeat it. The start is near Aviemore and the finish, if you make it, is Blair Atholl, 34 miles away. Leaving from Oxford, my first overnight was just south of Edinburgh and I picked up my son in the Midget at Edinburgh

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the 2020 Women’s Institute Calendar is already nailed to the kitchen wall (under the remnants of the 2019 edition) and rapidly filling with important dates and appointments so, to help you stake a claim or two, here are some suggestions you sneakily might insert.

February 9 at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

You could go to the International MG and Triumph Spares Day where the MGB Register will have a stand; come and say hello.

April 5 The MGB Register Spring Run is starting at Millett’s Farm, Abingdon and,

eventually, going to Stowe, outside Buckingham.

I used to live right next to Stowe and it is a stunning place to visit, if you have never been.

September 18-21 The MGB Register Weekend this year goes to Scotland. It will be based at the Barony Castle Hotel. This already has more than 15 places booked, so if you wish to do this trip you need to act soon and get a place booked.

All details for all the events, together with downloadable entry-booking forms, are on the MGB Register website at www.mgb-register.org Have a peaceful Christmas. Ho Ho Ho………from the MGB Register Committee.

Neil John and Roger relax after a day at the Classic Car show

airport as he had flown in from Ireland. It was a leisurely afternoon’s drive to Aviemore, for our next overnight stop. Then the hard walking began; starting at 8.00am and going up the Lairig Ghru to 2,600 feet, then branching south west down Glen Tilt, some of it over rough heather (where we had lost the path). Eventually, when darkness fell at 9.00pm, we had reached Forest Lodge at 26 miles, a few miles short of our target. This included two river crossings, without a bridge is sight.

So, while we didn’t quite make it all the way, the Midget really did all we could ask. The road mileage was 950 miles, 900 of which were hooddown; most of the Scottish roads are made for Midgets with plenty of bends and hills so it was great fun for both drivers. Very good value too, as the average came out as 52 miles per gallon of petrol, which compares quite well with our 50 miles per gallon of beer.

John Ross

A selection of Midgets on a previous Register run with John Ross’s blue 1275 to the fore

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:18

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Classic & modern MG Spares available in store & online via our website & ebay, plus; * Car Sales * Inspections & Reports * T4 Diagnostics * * Servicing * MOT * WE HAVE MOVED TO NEW PREMISES IN BRIDGTOWN Please visit us there or at our growing online store at;

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REGISTERS MGC Mike Haughton mgc_mike@btinternet.com www.mgcc.co.uk/mgc-register/ Hello fellow C-ers. By the time you read this the Register Christmas party will be in full swing, so if you missed it then here are a few dates for your diary in 2020.

Firstly, the Register AGM will be held on Saturday afternoon on May 2 at the Rose and Crown in Salisbury to which anyone in the Register is invited. This will be preceded by a visit to the Downton Engineering Show in the morning followed by a visit to the Cuckoo Fair.

Sunday May 3 will see the Downton DEWS Motor Club classic car run. From there several cars will be heading over to Jersey for the Liberation Day ceremony and joining the Jersey Weekender event. Should you require information on this please contact me.

As previously announced, MGLive! 2020 is going ahead at Silverstone and will be held on June 13-14.

MGC Day is now booked for June 28 when we will be meeting at the Haynes Motor Museum

FWD Ben Hatton ben2692@hotmail.co.uk www.mgcc.co.uk/fwd-register/ It’s safe to say that this year’s show season ended on a high for the MG FWD Register. We were fortunate enough to attend the classic car show at the NEC. Previous years when we have attended we have displayed between two and three cars. This year we displayed no less than five cars and once more we were able to have each model of FWD car

86 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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in Somerset. A guided tour of the museum should be available and entry to the museum will be available throughout the day.

There will be an optional extra for early birds/weekenders to visit the Fleet Air Arm Museum on the Saturday (June 27). This is likely to be restricted on the number of cars so it will definitely be first come, first served.

There are some stately homes nearby, too, that weekenders may be interested in if planes are not your thing.

Booking forms for MGC Day 2020 are available on the C Register micro website.

Colin Howes

A lovely lady from the Tyrol

Annie, the hotel manager posing with Mike and Angie’s car in the Dolomites

represented in one form or another. We were able to have a stunning MK2 MG1300 owned by Alex Mills, Ben Hatton’s restored MK1 MG Metro, standing in for Paul Thomson’s MG Metro that wasn’t feeling too well and wasn’t able to make it to the show due to running problems. Our final three cars on the stand were Andrew Stokell’s MG Maestro, John Crawford’s MG Montego and Michael Owen’s stunningly restored MG Montego turbo.

Although we were positioned a little bit out of the way in the “new” hall 8, which was sort of a branch off from the main show area, there was plenty of interest in our stand with many

commenting on the excellent condition of the cars and also how long it has been since anyone has seen any on the road.

The show was a real success for us and only shows how things have developed for the FWD Register. Being able to put together a five-car stand of cars that are all in stunning condition was quite an achievement and to see every model of the FWD cars represented was a first for us.

Hopefully it can be done again.

So as the show season draws to a close, it was great to end on such a high. Hopefully next year will be just as fantastic for the FWD Register.

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:18

Building engines and supplying cylinder heads for the Midget and MGB for over 35 years.

All engines are built in our own workshop and come complete with flywheel, clutch, water pump and front pulley and are ready to ‘drop in’.

We can also rebuild your existing engine.

We supply standard unleaded cylinder heads as well as our renowned Stage 2 fast road heads.

Please check website for full cylinder head specs.

Price Guides MIDGET 1275 Std Unleaded Engine £1995 1275 Balanced Engine £2295 1275 Balanced Engine With Cam £2450 1275 Stage 2 Engine £2950 1380cc Stage 2 £3250

MGB Std Unleaded Engine £1995 Balanced Engine £2295 Balanced Engine with Cam £2450 1860 Stage 2 Engine £2950 1950cc Balanced Engine with Cam £2900

Please check website for full engine specs.

All the above prices include VAT

Engines and Cylinder heads are sold on an exchange basis. If no exchange unit is available please add £750 to the price of a Midget engine £350 MGB. If you are looking to rebuild your own engine we also stock the full range of parts you will require from pistons to bearings, reconditioned rocker assemblies to genuine Payen Gasket Sets.

We now stock a wide range of road, performance and competition spares PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 87

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REGISTERS MGF Tim Morris 01932 882467 scribe@mgfregister.org www.mgfregister.org We had a great time at the NEC Lancaster Classic Car Show but it’s hard work covering four days in Birmingham. Our core team did an excellent job, as did the MGCC who won the best themed stand award at the show. Our own stand featured three cars ranging from one of the first with Jane and Rob Parry’s pre-production MGF to one of the last with Noel Lindford’s 85th Anniversary plus Mervyn Gillespie’s excellent MGF 75th to complete the trio.

There was plenty of interest in the Club and lots of people interested in MGF25 next year. In fact, the tickets were officially launched at the NEC and are now on sale via the British Motor Museum’s website at a special early-bird price as well!

Speaking of MGF25, we can now announce that the evening birthday party will be headlined by MGF/ TF favourites, Not the Hoople. The band has played at MGF20 and MGLive! and we welcome them

MG6.3.5 Steve Haines Steve-haines@live.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/MG635Register twitter.com/635register Well, that’s nearly 2019 done…. It’s that time of year again, where we are having our AGM and Christmas meal, this year at HQ in Kimber House, Abingdon. All of the details and photos of Christmas revelry will be in next month’s Safety Fast!

We’ve had a fairly quiet year for the Register with MGLive! cancelled and an opportunity to get

88 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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back for another rip-roaring evening to celebrate our Silver Anniversary. The features of the main show day are coming together and we will be featuring panel presentations by well-known MG figures Roger Parker and Ian Pogson, and we are delighted that the Editor-in-Chief of Autocar magazine and one of the very first journalists to review the MGF in 1995, Steve Cropley, will also be with us to mark the occasion. It’s certainly shaping up to be a great occasion and we see that tickets are already selling and hotels in the area being booked up. There will be camping on site as well for the hardier amongst us, so don’t worry too much about the accommodation!

Our Central Region gathered recently with other local Rover groups at Q Gate to mark the demise of the CABS at Longbridge. Demolition was due to start as I write and it was a poignant moment for our local group to visit the former factory as well as all fans of MG, Rover and Austin. The MGF is now confirmed as the last two-seater sports car to be made at Longbridge and assured of its place in history, but will it be the last two-seater roadster beneath the MG badge? Well, let us hope not, but I strongly

suspect the next sports car we see from China will not have liquid fuel either.

We had a real racing experience in the South East Region when two MGF Register teams were entered in the Brooklands Karting Trophy competition at Daytona Sandown Park.

The weather was atrocious – raining most of the time and a torrential downpour at one point, plus racing under floodlights for the last laps of the one-and-a-half-hour Endurance. All the teams did remarkably well and finished within a few laps of each other with the Register teams coming 7th and 11th overall.

We are heading towards the festive season so I will point you towards the Register Shop for those last-minute gifts, including the 2020 wall calendar featuring the winner of our annual Photo Competition. Look out for the range of MGF25 goodies coming online as well, including the new Silver Anniversary teddy bear in his natty logo T shirt.

Finally, the committee and I would like to wish all members a happy Christmas and a great Silver Anniversary new year – it’s going to be a belter!

together and promote the models unfortunately missed. Continued excellent sales of the MG3 and the launch of the facelifted model have given the model a boost in numbers. We have, though, attended several very successful events with huge numbers of vehicles on display and lots of new owners joining the Register once again this year.

After supporting the MG GS and the new ZS, the separate SUV Register is flourishing and we enjoy working closely with them, and also the ZR/ZS/ZT and FWD Registers, particularly over saloon car day.

We shall continue these close liaisons into 2020.

It’s been great to see the MG6 GTs still going in the 2019 BTCC season, but it looks as though

they may not run in 2020. Let’s hope we can save them for historical reasons! Excelr8 Motorsport will be running the Hyundai i30 in the 2020 BTCC season.

The Committee will be formulating the events list for 2020, so if you have any local events that you wish to promote and include on the Register’s list, please get in touch so we can support them.

These will be published on the Facebook page, in Safety Fast! and on our web page on the MGCC website.

This is my last Safety Fast! as scribe for the Register, so thanks for reading and have a fantastic Christmas and New Year!

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:18

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DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 89

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site Type b e w ed nd Tt a c a i ded e MG om com W c .

NE for th gmg. agmg y a ia l l .xp n@xp c w e sp ww ingdo b il: a a Em

PLEASE NOTE: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS ARTWORK IS THE PROPERTY OF CLASSIC CARS FOR SALE MAGAZINE. Fixed price servicing

NO PART OF THIS ARTWORK MAY BE REPRODUCED, STORED OR OTHERWISE All restoration work USED BY ANY OTHER PUBLICATION UNLESS PRIOR PERMISSION IS GIVEN BY undertaken THE PUBLISHERS - © MS Publications (2001) Ltd. Engine refurbishment including lead-free conversions

URGENT PROOF

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Classic car sales including Classic Car Specialists focusing

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on Servicing, Sales, Restoration, SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THIS PROOF PLEASE Insurance repair work Modifi cation and bespoke approved TELEPHONE BEFORE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AND QUOTE ADVERT NO. _ _ _ _ _ refinishing work to a wide range of UK & Europe collection classic MG’s and delivery service

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a departure from the original| copy 01376 569355 is | abingdon@xpagmg.com www.xpagmg.com

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22/11/2019 16:18

CLASSIFIEDS How to Advertise

enquiries@mgsforsale.com

www.mgsforsale.com

01707 876089

07831 556666

MGBCGT Roadster Older £10k Restoration MG 1968 AUTOMATIC Older Nut & Bolt(RRR101R) Restored pe Rubber Bumpers, previously sold by us,excellent prior owner last (RWD628G) MG CGT 1968, automatic, Mineral to MGCC. 24 years, comprehensive £10kmellowed restorationoriginal in theBlack 90’s Blue coachwork with nicely eral Blue with new sill sections, front wings, doors, bootbound etc. nicely leather interior trim, original genuine leather MGC of-the De Luxerange TL enquiries@mgsforsale.com evidencedwheel, with invoices photos within heavy history steering nicely and detailed engine compartment esel.

48,000 miles . Almost file alongthe with DVLA 3.0 ownership records, housing smooth litre engine idealprevious with themot’s, Borg age will increase) 18” odern tax discsautomatic etc. etc.gearbox Mechanical refurbishment of power Warner making this particularly rare llinserts. head, MoT’d until train including engine thanapparently 4k miles formed since, Black excellent model an ideal unleaded classic today, thisless vehicle part ofcoachwork a collectionstill of in a deceased ost discs and pads as well condition virtuallyone unmarked leatherofinterior trim, from recenta hood, refurbished original no. estate, onand inspection can seeblack the theAUTOMATIC rebuild number yearsRestored ago and ather interior, satMGquality CGT 1968 Older Nut &ofBolt Rostyle wheels with good tonneau covers, carpeted boot,£24,950.00 drives delightfully, om with likely little miles sincetyres, is stilltailored very fresh in appearance, just automatic, arrived nectivity. Full service (RWD628G) MG CGT 1968, excellent Mineral maintained and a credit to its custodians, just arrived, £9,450.00 y SAIC Motor 2016 UK Tech-MG6 fastidiously Blue coachwork with nicely mellowed original Black GT diesel MG BGT 1972 Last 37 Years (LLF951K) MG BGT, d condition. Spacious, interior trim,build, original genuine leather bound MGC Facelift model. Top-of-the range TL Owner MGB GT 1974 Older Restoration leather (GYJ923N) 1974 1972, last owner 37 years, chrome bumpers, overdrive, ng modern MG. £6500 steering wheel, nicely detailed engine compartment model.

1.9 turbogenuine diesel. 48,000 miles chrome bumper model, overdrive, older restored chrome Rostyle wheels, Aqua coachwork now requiring 07530734044(daily driver so mileage will increase) 18” housing the smooth 3.0 litre engine ideal with the Borg example with good structure and in rare Aconite coachwork, still in some improvement but a very solidWarner vehicleautomatic indeed with a gearbox making this particularly rare alloys, red bumper inserts.

MoT’d until good condition with only some age/mileage related imperfections, nice original feel and appearance, original style navy cloth June 2020. Recent discs and pads as well very nice tan leather interior trim with walnut effect pack and gold satseal engine fitted mid 80’s and drives as new tyres. Fullinterior leathertrim, interior, wood rim steering service wheel, Sony Digital Media player, reconditioned nav, Bluetooth connectivity. delightfully, Full good history file with original documentation original Rostyle wheels, engine has good oil pressure and vehicle history – servicedback

by SAIC Techto theMotor 80’s, aUK plethora of invoices from renowned specialists Brian Brown Classics & B performs well, smooth 4 synch gearbox and recent MGOC overdrive unit fitted, upgrades include gas nical Centre. In good Spacious, Hive,condition. original Unipart Gold Seal papers, old mot’s etc. etc. just arrived £5,950.00 strutsmodern fitted to both bonnet & tailgate for assisted operation and a LED lights conversion, heavy history economical engaging MG. £6500 file07530734044 with current style V5C registration document, a plethora of specialists invoices nicely documented on ono. Call Adam on 50 ever spreadsheet with circa £10k spent in recent years, old mot’s etc. etc., just arrived, £8,950.00 eated er alloy URGENTLY WANTED ull size toolkit every th ake this built 1961. On the ANY CONDITION duced. iles. It has EU approvis it was approved SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF OUR STOCK power of the motor kchanged to lead is black with a beige Do not confuse the above vehicles with cheaper inferior quality models offered elsewhere. Part exchange d condition. MG A 1600 any make of Motor Car with generous allowances. Discounted cash purchases. Viewing by appointment only left side of the car.

In good condition, built 1961.

On the please (available evenings & weekends) no obligation to purchase. All our vehicles carry a warranty, have an MOT and are areItfully fully serviced prior to to collection/delivery. collection/delivery. or £34’200 GBP. Theare 58’000 MOT and prior tacho miles. hasserviced EU approvd from France.alPhone papers (before this it was approved or Email: in Switzerland) The power of the motor .org is 79 PS and had be changed to lead Tel:+44 +44(0) (0)1953 1953717618 717618 Fax: Fax:(0) (0)1953 1953717850 717850 free petrol. The car is black with a beige Tel: interor. It’s in a good condition.

The wheel is on the left side of the car.

Price 38’000 Euro or £34’200 GBP. The car has to be picked from France. Phone 0033 389 89 40 56 or Email: L MG MODELS! francoise@bignens.org

GT diesel

01707 876089

Members can advertise their cars free of charge in Safety Fast! The cost for non members is £20. The advert will also be posted on the Club website in due course.

To place an advert in Safety Fast! please email colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with an attached photo of your car, details of your car, your contact details, price of your car, area where you live and membership number. Please keep your advert to 70 words, the editor reserves the right to www.mgsforsale.com edit longer adverts. This is for one insertion only, for additional insertions please email Colin at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk

07831 556666

URGENTLY WANTED

ANY ANY MG MG

ANY ANY YEAR YEAR ANY CONDITION

www.mgsforsale.com

2005 MG ZS 180

XPower Grey. Excellent condition. Only 42k miles with 2 owners. FSH. Enhancements include Janspeed exhaust, EBC discs/pads, Goodridge hoses, and an ITG Maxogen induction kit. New headlights and foglights. Refurbished alloys with recent Conti Sports all round. New VIS motors and Pektron relays. The interior has Gunsmoke Alcantara seats and comes with automatic climate control, 6 CD auto-changer and new mats. 12 months MOT. £3200ono. Tel: 07540 475251.

2006 MGTF SPARK 135

Genuine 21000 miles. Rebuilt engine with new cam belt and head gasket has covered 6000 trouble free miles in the last year. 'SPARK' pack with Alcantara/ leather seats, chrome trim and TF160 wheels and calipers. MOT till July 2020.

Fully undersealed and kept in a garage. £2995 Tel .07779392235 (Cornwall)

1950 MG TD

Early solid wheel model number TD0461(EXU) with engine XPAG 760 Exported to Canada and reimported by my father in 1994 in a dismantled state.

New Body Tub and wings in primer. Many parts rechromed and excellent black leather seats. The car needs painting and re-assembly. £7,500.00 ono. Tel: 07790 034288. (Near Fareham, Hants)

www.mgmecca.co.uk www.mgmecca.co.uk

1968 MGC Roadster

ANTED

ed, from barn finds to collections purchased. d. iscretion assured. h black itate to contact me if nd must 1972 MGB Roadster, Old English White, red trim.

1973 restored MGB Roadster, Oxford (RV8 iscolour), n selling your MG and Totally on dry state shell,blue everything new/ 750 Barley 2Ltrim, hood, Sports chrome w/w,seats. fully recon. fast mohair road engine. leather ompt hassle-free cash restored about 15W/Wheels. years ago, still like excellent, well WANTED ALL MODELS! Everfl exMG red hood.

Drives a new car, looked after car, excellent engine bay. Super example ee to contact me for a superb, S/S boot rack, sports wheel, painted dash.

All conditions wanted, from barn finds to co.uk £14,495.00 Hydraulic bonnet struts, K&N filters. Would cost in n friendly chat. concours. Complete collections purchased.

1

WANTED

excess of £35k to build. £27,995.00

Cash buyer. Discretion assured. rested in the following Please do not hesitate to contact me if GA, MGB, MGC, MGB e and Midget. you are interested in selling your MG and are looking for a prompt hassle-free cash RECT ON: buyer! Please feel free to contact me for a no obligation friendly chat.

528131

ed Buyer

First in Japan 19.10.95. Re regTel: +44 (0) 1953 717618 Fax: (0) registered 1953 717850

istered UK 6.6.2005. Total mileage 35878.

New MOT and short service. Only used since 2010 in dry conditions. It has 1972 MGB roadster British Racing Green, black trim, 1995 MGRV8, Woodcote Green, stone beige trim. been dry stored, covered in a garage. leather seats, antique red carpet, fast roadtonneau, engine, New beige mohair hood, new (original) Generally excellent condition with half balanced and stagecondition, 11 head,new 15” door minilite, carbon interior in excellent cards.

Re fibre dash, Moto-Lita, in super tonneau and full tonneau. Hood, tyres veneered dash console superb and doordriving caps. car 48,500 mls. condition, nice(refurbed). engine bay , superb shellupgraded fast fun Screen frame Power steering, and wheels all excellent condition Wood£13,795.00 toat Clive Wheatley Spax shocks. Suspension poly cote Green all original. Some Japanese/ bushed. New clutch and slave cylinder, new boot stayst. £22,995 English history. £16,750.00 Contact John 1972 MGB Roadster, Old English White, red trim. on 07867557983. (Wilts) Totally restored on dry state shell, everything is new/ 1995 MGRV8, Woodcote Green, stone beige trim. recon. 2L fast road engine. Sports leather seats.

Everflex red hood. W/Wheels. Drives like a new car, superb, S/S boot rack, sports wheel, painted dash.

Hydraulic bonnet struts, K&N filters. Would cost in excess of £35k to build. £27,995.00

I am especially interested in the following models: MG TC, MGA, MGB, MGC, MGB V8, Magnette and Midget.

1995 MGRV8, Woodcote Green, stone beige trim.

GETS! NTED MIDGETS! WANTED chrome

MG RV8 www.mgmecca.co.uk

New beige mohair hood, new (original) tonneau, interior inMK1 excellent new doorGreen cards.trim.

Re CALL MIDGET DIRECT ON:condition, Almond Green, Shadow veneered dash console andrestored door caps. mls.

Totally immaculate.

Totally car,48,500 probably Screen frame (refurbed).

Fitted with power 07787 528131 the best MK1excellent available!

Restored in 1992 and steering, Clive Wheatley shocks. still looksupgraded like it’s to just been done. Spax Immaculate UKunderside, Based Buyer Suspension poly bay, bushed.

New and slave engine interior trimclutch etc. Drives like cylinder, newopportunity. boot stays, £18,995 in fact all the usual RV8 new.

Unique (would cost well foibles all sorted out. Excellent example. £22,995.00 over £40-50k to restore now!) £18,995

New beige mohair hood, new (original) tonneau, interior in excellent condition, new door cards. Re veneered dash console and door caps. 48,500 mls.

Screen frame (refurbed). Power steering, upgraded to Clive Wheatley Spax shocks. Suspension poly bushed. New clutch and slave cylinder, new boot stayst. £22,995

1960 MGA 1600 Coupe Iris Blue, blue leather trim, arm rest. Fully restored car from bare shell, everything or replaced.

Fully 1972 MGB restored Flame Red, Tan leather trim.rechromed, Full bare all new trim,with barehistory shell repaint.

New wings.

Boot shell rebuild and photographic record. carpets, boot rack.

Unleaded rebuilt superbly. engine. 5 Some speed Minilites.

Lovely engine bay. Drives gearboxinconversion for effortless touring. car, marks paint. Superb summer fun Superb and great last owner since 1973! Would cost in excess of £60k £11,995.00 investment. to restore MGA Coupe like this. £32,995.00

Midget rim. Specialist 2000 MGF VVC MIDGET MK1 Almond Green, Shadow Green trim. 1972 MGB Flame Red, Tan leather trim. Full bare ration in Abingdon RS on Reluctantly selling my Wife’s much loved Totally immaculate. Totally restored car, probably shell rebuild with history and photographic record. rd, the the best MK1 available! Restored in 1992 and Minilites. Lovely engineMGF bay. Drives Somefull leather seats, VVC, superbly. year 2000, 224 CHROME still looks like it’s just been done.

Immaculate marks in paint.

Superb summer fun and great many underside, engine bay, interior trim etc. Drives like investment. £11,995.00hardtop, 57,000 miles, one owner, dealer Dwheel, MIDGETS in new. Unique opportunity. £18,995 (would cost well maintained from new. over £40-50k to restore now!) £18,995 ition bought up to running Two new tyres less than 3000 miles ago, Contact the Midget Specialist y file w current stock at New cam belt in June, MoT until June MIKE AUTHERS on Abingdon es. midgets.com 2020, I have all service details, MoTs etc.

07703 465 224 CHROME 1960 AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 MKI Fern Green, 1962 ROLLS ROYCE SILVER CLOUD Sand over Garaged all its life, this car is in excellent re) Sable,MGC tan trim.

TaxBlue, exempt. car with greenMG leather trim. Restored a few years ago, rebuilt 1969 BUMPERED MIDGETS in British Mineral greyMOT. leatherSuper trim. Chrome 1976 MIDGET 1500 Racing Green, condition - not concours but little work interesting history.Totally Unusual leather body, retrim, rebuilt and box. hardhas top! wires.

Overdrive. restored by trimmed ourselvesdash 10 Autumn Leaf trim.engine Everything onWorks this car excellent condition bought up to and cappings.

Non pleated seats.

Two owners.

Period works additions roof vent, air vent etc.

Superb to make it so. £1995. 01793 763364 been renewed or refurbished. All new trim. years ago. Superb car in superb condition. Lovely 136,000 miles.

Excellent newBespoke tyres, brake car and loads of fun! £49,500.00 bay.

Unleaded rebuiltorder, engine. grey Over £12,000 spent £8,000. View current stock aton parts alone, plus engine grahamarrondelle@yahoo.com overhaul, undersealed. Original tools. Graceful

AR?

ub you Fast for , max 60 cture to

1000’s of hours. Immaculate inside and out and

www.mgmidgets.com underneath! Fantastic value £12,995.00

92 SAFETY FAST!

trim, leather seats. A fine restored and very well looked motor and appreciating investment £27,995.00 £27,995.00 after carcar

Due to bereavement, the car is for sale from a private collection. Fitted with overdrive, Downton Stage 3 conversion, wire wheels, large history file. £10K spent in last few years including gearbox overhaul, new clutch, water pump, starter motor, servo, king pins, polybushes, tyres.

Excellent condition £30,000ono Tel 0191 2575712 (Tyneside).

Rare Monogram Posei Estate, 70k, excellent c extensive service histo MOT, SE with SE Extra Special order Leather/ Heated Power seats m Chrome Alloys, new ty acquire. £13995 ono.

2018 MG3 Exc

Less than 3000 miles r in Silver. Note number in sale. This car was so design and manufactu for this latest model. C design Peco 2” Stainle with normal external Stainless Surround, so the original exhaust sy ed. Included in the sal different types of the Wing Mirror rain prote Aerials, Front Mudflap Style Alloy Pedals, Bla Headrest Cushions, Do (4), Boot Caddies, Flat Silver Edition Badges, and Choice of Wheels Tel: MG & AMC Parts o 006080 or Tel. 02392Email: roger@briscoe.

1971 MGB Roa

One previous owner ( Yellow with black inte wire wheels, tonneau bills, well cared for & MOT exempt. Mot in S to ensure good standa health issues. £8,000.

07790526608 or ema anemeades@gmail.co

1968 MGC Roadster

Due to bereavement, one of two cars for sale from private collection. Overdrive, steel wheels, recent £24K rebuild with all invoices and photo history. Respray, new carpets, uprated heater, coil, shock absorbers, brake cylinders, discs, pads, water pump, rear springs, servo, tyres.

Exceptional condition. £30,000ono, For more info Tel 0191 2575712 (Tyneside)

Please note that the Advertising deadline is December 6th for the January issue of Safety Fast!

(Swindon area, Wiltshire)

1976 MG MIDGET 1500 British Racing Green, 1969 MGC Mineral Blue, grey leather trim. Chrome Autumn Leaf trim. Everything on this car has wires. Overdrive. Totally restored by ourselves 10 been renewed or refurbished. All new trim. years ago. Superb car in superb condition. Lovely Over £12,000 spent on parts alone, plus engine bay. Unleaded rebuilt engine. Bespoke grey inside and out and trim, leather seats. A fine restored and very well looked DECEMBER1000’s 2019of hours. Immaculate AUGUST 2019 SAFETY FAST! 95 after car £27,995.00 underneath! Fantastic value £12,995.00

MG ZTT 260 SE

1998 MGF

Repairable’ but writte Mostly damage to pan Recon engine undama tyres, chassis fine and water copper pipes, le goodman stereo 4 exc Boot/underneath soli clock. Full vehicle only weatherproof wrappe Great project/spares b 07984755238 or emai sic60@gmail.com (Eas

www.mgcc.co.uk

0

AUGUST 2019 SAFETY FAST! 95 Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 92

25/07/2019 10:27

22/11/2019 16:19

adRocket

BARRY WALKER

Sherwood Restorations Ltd SPARES

...for the very best of vintage MGs...

Estd.1968

SPARES SPARES SPARES Established 1966 (some of which will also be shown on the MMM Trader’s forum & our website)

British Motor Heritage approved

THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW ITEMS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST:

Established as one of the leaders in the field of vintage and classic car sales £550 and restoration, with over 200 years of combined experience, winners of many major Concours d’Elegance Awards

1947 MG TC. Totally rebuilt, all

Also in Stock:

FOR CAR SALES & SPARES

matching • 1960 MGA 1600 Roadster. Beautifully restored, readyNos. for the car, finished in its road, must be seen. Deep red with beige leather .......... £35,000

COME & SEE US -

original factory

• 1947 MGTC Sports. Magnificent order, professionally engineered, rare colours of black with apple green trim, also must be seen .................£35,000 Clipper Blue & beige Magnificent!

• 1935 MGNA Open Four Seat Tourer. Totallyleather. restored, pale blue ......................£36,500 with grey interior .............................................................. £65,000

IT’S THE BEST WAY + SAME DAY MAIL ORDER

1948 MG TC. Superb example, fully refurbished having been TOTALLY restored in 2005. Finished in Sequoia Cream & deep red leather ......................£32,500

Tel: 01789 400181. Fax: 01789 400230. Mob: 07836 244103 Email: barry@barrywalker.com

Web: www.barrywalker.com adRocket

Sherwood Restorations Ltd

Tel: 07711 509600, 07768 630969, 01635 248158 e-mail: info@pioneer-automobiles.co.uk

1960 XK150 FHC. 3.4 S/E A late home market car with overdrive and chromed wires with Vredestein radials. Last owner for 27 years and well maintained with an engine rebuild about 3000 miles ago. Lovely original red hide and history commensurate with 72000 miles. A much loved XK! £69,950

Established 1966

Established as one of the leaders in the field of vintage and classic car sales and restoration, with over 200 years of combined experience, winners of many major Concours d’Elegance Awards

1931 AUSTIN SEVEN BOX SALOON Long wheelbase example is sound with nice patina, retrimmed, engine rebuilt in 2015.

Drives and stops well, some history. £7,950

1961 MGA ROADSTER MK2 Chariot Red with Black trim. Bob West restoration someOPEN years 1932 AUSTIN SEVEN ROADago TOURER Fine example running well, same family since 1957. and still stunning throughout.

Restored by Bryan Purves in 1997, excellent hood, side-

WAS: £36,995

screens and hood cover, buff logbook and V5C. £10,950

NOW £34,995 SAVE: £2,000

1968 MGB ‘1860’ ROADSTER – OVERDRIVE Primrose Yellow with Black

1929 SINGER JUNIOR FOUR SEATER TOURER interior.

As very clean Lovely body and paint, good underneath interior, side-screens as & hood. Starts easily and a delight to drive, recent brake it history, is onraretop. lights & indicators, a little booklets. £12,750

This is as good as they get!

WAS: £19,995

NOW: £17,995 SAVE: £2,000

1968 Volvo Amazon Estate with overdrive An exceedingly useful and good machine which has been sensibly uprated with a sports cam, twin 13/4” SUs, Bilstein dampers, neoprene bushes and much more. A lively and practical classic in excellent order. £10,950

1974 MGB 1.8 ROADSTER – OVERDRIVE

Citron Yellow with Black Interior and Hood. One of the last chrome bumper ‘B’s, restored a few years ago to a high standard, remaining in the same superb condition to this day. An ideal start to Classic Motoring.

WAS: £13,495

1974 MGB GT V8 – GENUINE FACTORY ‘GD’ CHASSIS1955NO. XK 140 DHC

Green with AutumnThis Leaflovely interior, genuine home market car was fully restored in the ‘80s to factory example. A very original, unmolested specification example suppliedoriginal new by Kenningswith in disc wheels and spats and remains in Chesterfield. Very low ownership andOnly a 8800 outstanding condition. believed genuine miles 66,000 milessince fromand new. covered not used once in the wet by the present

NOW: £11,995 SAVE: £1,500

WAS:owner! £25,995 Stunning in dark blue with

NOW: £21,995

grey hide and a French Grey hood. £115,000

SAVE: £4,000

Also available: A fully restored 140 DHC with all the sensible upgrades £135,000.

2000 Ferrari 550 Maranello, TDF blue £99,500. 2014 XKR coupé, 515 bhp, 15000miles, Italian racing red £39,950. 1972 Daimler XJ 6, Series 1 4.2. Rare factory order, overdrive car in gunmetal 1955 MORRIS ISIS (PROJECT) 1938 AUSTIN BIG SEVEN yourvery car onebay,ofvery thegood very best, please with an accurate description, detailing condition, history, etc. makes and models required. grey with full history £6,950. ownership, 1959 Jaguar 3.4 MkAll I, an exceptionally good automatic, £29,950.

SweetIfengine, tidyis engine chrome.

Six light, call four door example.

Recently toured France, Body seems pretty sound, brakes, gearbox, electrics all working, will need some bodywork and paint. £2,750

drove 50 miles to us. Sound, good interior, sunroof,

sweet engine, history. £6,750 Drayton - not far from anywhere!

Upton Fields Garage, Upton Road, Southwell, Notts. NG25 0QB. Market Tel: 01636 812655/812682/812700

www.pioneer-automobiles.co.uk

www.sherwoodrestorations.co.uk Viewing by prior appointment any reasonable time.

Tel (01630) 657502

sales@sherwoodrestorations.co.uk jeremywade@tiscali.co.uk www.xkjaguars.co.uk

“SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES FOR READERS” Please mention ‘Superfast’ when calling.

FP_CLASSICC_3899348id3990095.pdf 05.08.2019 12:09 December 19 Page 93.indd 1 www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 93

06/11/2019 DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 93

16:06

22/11/2019 16:19

How to Advertise

Members can advertise their cars free of charge in Safety Fast! The cost for non members is £20. The advert will also be posted on the Club website in due course.

To place an advert in Safety Fast! please email colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with an attached photo of your car, details of your car, your contact details, price of your car, area where you live and membership number. Please keep your advert to 70 words, the editor reserves the right to edit longer adverts. This is for one insertion only, for additional insertions please email Colin at colingrant@mgcc.co.uk

2005 MG ZS 180

XPower Grey. Excellent condition. Only 42k miles with 2 owners. FSH. Enhancements include Janspeed exhaust, EBC discs/pads, Goodridge hoses, and an ITG Maxogen induction kit. New headlights and foglights. Refurbished alloys with recent Conti Sports all round. New VIS motors and Pektron relays. The interior has Gunsmoke Alcantara seats and comes with automatic climate control, 6 CD auto-changer and new mats. 12 months MOT. £3200ono. Tel: 07540 475251.

2006 MGTF SPARK 135

Genuine 21000 miles. Rebuilt engine with new cam belt and head gasket has covered 6000 trouble free miles in the last year. 'SPARK' pack with Alcantara/ leather seats, chrome trim and TF160 wheels and calipers. MOT till July 2020.

Fully undersealed and kept in a garage. £2995 Tel .07779392235 (Cornwall)

First registered in Japan 19.10.95. Re registered UK 6.6.2005. Total mileage 35878.

New MOT and short service. Only used since 2010 in dry conditions. It has been dry stored, covered in a garage.

Generally excellent condition with half tonneau and full tonneau. Hood, tyres and wheels all excellent condition Woodcote Green all original. Some Japanese/ English history. £16,750.00 Contact John on 07867557983. (Wilts)

Rare Monogram Poseidon, 2004 Facelift Estate, 70k, excellent condition, full very extensive service history/paperwork, full MOT, SE with SE Extras pack, Sunroof, Special order Leather/Alcantara, Xenon, Heated Power seats mirrors etc, Shadow Chrome Alloys, new tyres. Rare chance to acquire. £13995 ono. (Hants)

1950 MG TD

Early solid wheel model number TD0461(EXU) with engine XPAG 760 Exported to Canada and reimported by my father in 1994 in a dismantled state.

New Body Tub and wings in primer. Many parts rechromed and excellent black leather seats. The car needs painting and re-assembly. £7,500.00 ono. Tel: 07790 034288. (Near Fareham, Hants)

Due to bereavement, the car is for sale from a private collection. Fitted with overdrive, Downton Stage 3 conversion, wire wheels, large history file. £10K spent in last few years including gearbox overhaul, new clutch, water pump, starter motor, servo, king pins, polybushes, tyres.

Excellent condition £30,000ono Tel 0191 2575712 (Tyneside).

2018 MG3 Exclusive

Less than 3000 miles registered 31/12/18 in Silver. Note number plate not included in sale. This car was solely used by us to design and manufacture new accessories for this latest model. Complete with our design Peco 2” Stainless Exhaust system with normal external tailpipe /finisher, Stainless Surround, sounds tremendous, the original exhaust system is also included. Included in the sale is your choice of different types of the following: Wing Mirror rain protectors, Extending Aerials, Front Mudflaps, Competition Style Alloy Pedals, Black HD Boot Liner, Headrest Cushions, Door Sill Protectors (4), Boot Caddies, Flat Blade wipers, 2 x Silver Edition Badges, 2 MG3 Alloy Badges and Choice of Wheels. £9950.00 (No VAT) Tel: MG & AMC Parts on Mobile: 07454 006080 or Tel. 02392-220222. (T) Email: roger@briscoe.net (Hants)

1971 MGB Roadster

One previous owner (family member) Yellow with black interior, overdrive, wire wheels, tonneau cover. History, bills, well cared for & maintained. Tax & MOT exempt. Mot in September 2019 to ensure good standard. Selling due to health issues. £8,000. Contact Colin on 07790526608 or email anemeades@gmail.com

1968 MGC Roadster

2000 MGF VVC

Reluctantly selling my Wife’s much loved MGF VVC, year 2000, full leather seats, hardtop, 57,000 miles, one owner, dealer maintained from new.

Two new tyres less than 3000 miles ago, New cam belt in June, MoT until June 2020, I have all service details, MoTs etc.

Garaged all its life, this car is in excellent condition - not concours but little work to make it so. £1995. 01793 763364 grahamarrondelle@yahoo.com (Swindon area, Wiltshire)

94 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 94

1958 MGA Coupe

Restored some 12 years ago. Four new wings fitted. Repainted in Jaguar Dark Blue. Recently fitted with new front bumper, valance and grill. Superb condition ... everything works. Viewing recomended. Photos available on equest.

A stunning example. £22500 o.n.o.

Phone 07512861456 or Email: padathome@gmail.com (Sutton Surrey (5 miles from M25)

MGBGT V8 1973

1968 MGC Roadster MG RV8

MG ZTT 260 SE

Due to bereavement, one of two cars for sale from private collection. Overdrive, steel wheels, recent £24K rebuild with all invoices and photo history. Respray, new carpets, uprated heater, coil, shock absorbers, brake cylinders, discs, pads, water pump, rear springs, servo, tyres.

Exceptional condition. £30,000ono, For more info Tel 0191 2575712 (Tyneside)

Please note that the Advertising deadline is December 6th for the January issue of Safety Fast!

Factory produced.Glacier White. Bare metsl respary and engine rebuild in 1997.

S/S exhaust.uprated suspension.Garaged.

Full History. Current owner 8 years.

Excellent condition. £22950.

Email: rgtysoe@hotmail.co.uk Mob no: 07785734410 (Oxon)

1971 MGB Roadster

Chrome wire wheels, walnut dash, leather seats, the car has had lots of work done including engine out tidy up of the engine bay, and very recent extensive bodywork repairs, have all been resprayed professionally, and with very good chromework all round the car is now in superb condition with no rust or rot anywhere. Price £8750 may p/x cheaper MG. Tel: 01268 767666 or mob. 07889 805950 (Wickford, Essex, area)

1971 MGBGT

Abandoned project (genuine reason) V5C shows 1971 as year of registration.

Body shell in sound condition with 99% welding completed and all parts ready for an enthusiast to build. Complete with K Series engine believed to be good condition, gear box with new conversion bell housing, new panels, seats, bumpers, lights, trim. Currently mounted on a frame with wheels for ease of movement. Optional Brian James twin axel Minno trailer available. Taxation class “historic vehicle”. Lots of photographs available to email if interested £2500 plus £1000 for trailer.

Tel: 07871 034352 (Harrogate)

1998 MGF

Repairable’ but written off MGF 1998: Mostly damage to panels /windscreen.

Recon engine undamaged, 2 new rear tyres, chassis fine and waxed 2015, twin water copper pipes, leather seats, goodman stereo 4 excellent MG alloys.

Boot/underneath solid 76,908 miles on clock. Full vehicle only. Car presently weatherproof wrapped/ covered.

Great project/spares buy. £350. Tel: 07984755238 or email: stevedaltonmusic60@gmail.com (Eastbourne area)

MG Midget 1972

1257cc. 80,000 miles. Round wheel arch.

Fully restored and resprayed in flame red.

Roll bar, mini lite wheels. Mint condition inside and out. Tax and MOT exempt. Can MOT on sale. £9250. Tel 07836628134 (Newcastle upon Tyne)

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:19

SHEPPERTON, MIDDLESEX TEL: 01932 241843 / 07836 281493 WWW.CHURCHSQUAREAUTOS.COM EMAIL: MGSALES@CHURCHSQUAREAUTOS.COM

URGENTLY WANTED MGA/MGB/MGC/V8/ MIDGET/SPRITE ETC

B32 - MIKE ROLLS SERVICES_MIKE ROLLS SERVICES 13/12/2012 09:50 Page 1 MG TF LE 500+H/top,#140/500, Just 6,600miles

This is the very best low mileage LE500 for sale anywhere. Now just 6,600 miles with fully documented service history. Original Certicate from MG UK Ltd to certify this LE’s chassis number and build number (see photos) very rare. Colour coded hardtop, black leather sport seats, heated glass screen to soft top, soft ride suspension, 16” 11 spoked alloys, Air conditioning, passengers airbag etc. Unused tonneau cover and roof cover still bagged. Repeat immaculate as near new as you could get. £8,995

MIKE ROLLS

MG TF 135 As New (just 6,925 miles)

MG TF 115 Spark’SE’+ H/top, (just 43,000miles)

2003 (53 Reg) Manual Petrol Finished in: Lemans Green/ Black This MG TF135 is as near new as you could get. Just two owners the last since 2005.

Dry stored since 2008. Fitted with Abs braking, spare wheel, wind deflector. Just fitted with a new headgasket/water pump/cambelt and 12 months mot Totally immaculate. £6,995

High spec TF115 Spark ‘SE’ model with a colour coded hardtop. 16” 11 spoke alloys (just refurbished plus new tyres), red 4 pot brake calipers, Black leather seats with grey inserts +MG logo, Silver console/ door trims / two tone silver steering wheel, chrome packs. Club/F register members car, low insurance group. £3,695

2016

SERVICES FOR MGs Specialising in all MG’s

TRADE MEMBERThis is just a small selection from our stock

TEL/FAX: 01258 820337

FAMILY BUSINESS ESTABLISHED 1981. OUR OFFICE/ SHOWROOM IS AT 62B HIGH STREET SHEPPERTON TW17 9AU VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT PLEASE

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri:www.churchsquareautos.com 8am-6pm,Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm 2016 201 6

MIKE ROLLS

TRADE MEMBER

Specialising in all MG’s

SERVICES FOR MGs

TEL/FAX: 01258 820337

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am-6pm, Wed: 8am-5pm, Sat: 8am-1pm

Any Condition from non runners to rebuilt cars

Please call Edward 01923 840236 or any time on 07774 484497 Email: ejwhitescars@aol.com Website: www.mgandporsche.com (Northwood, Middlesex)

TED

AN GW

RM

U YO

For

r e m

y r o Gl BY

01844 281700

nigelguild@hotmail.com

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

Colne Classics

MG Power Steering and restoration specialists

MG TD - 1953

MG TD 1953, Finished in British Racing Green with green interior and Tan weather gear.. This MG TD had a light restoration in 2009/10 and it is a beautiful car. It has a good history with the original buff log book and drives extremely well. £26,995

MG TC, 1947

MGC ROADSTER - 1969

MGC Roadster, 1969 in Old English White. This car comes with overdrive, painted wire wheels, black sports reclining seats with white piping, uprated engine with gas flowed head, Maniflow exhaust system, Motolita wood rim steering wheel, new hood and good service history. The car has recently been re-commissioned and serviced by us and is in good condition.£22,995

MGC ROADSTER - 1969

MGB GT Race car 1971 MGB GT No. BFD 864 J. Tax & MOT free. The car has won the Luffield Northern Championship and more class wins and trophies than I can list. It is prepared to the very limit of the Luffield regs. All the Northern venue course records were set by me in this car and it has won it’s class every year. The car is eligible for classic class speed events, such as the VSCC Harewood meeting. There is included in the sale a Bradbury twin axle trailer in good condition. Many mechanical spares including a lightweight rear hatch and an aluminium bonnet. If interested contact the owner direct who is Mr.John Wilman Tel- 01298 812272 Or email : johnwilman@cbits.net

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year. We will be CLOSED Christmas and New Year from Tuesday 24th December until OPEN again on Thursday 2nd January 2020.

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

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

www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 95

- BUCKS SPORTS CLASSICS_BUCKS SPORTS CLASSICS 26/09/2012 14:24 Page 1

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

01255 432693, 07714 675319

Bucks Sports & Classic Car Centre Specialist in MGA, B, C, V8, RV8, Midgets, and MGF. Also specialists in early Minis

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 10STREET Rabans Aylesbury.

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

CC10.12/MG16/p

MG TC, 1947, finished in black with beige interior and weather gear, it has been fitted with a re-con engine which has only done 10,000 mls. The car MG16 comes with a very good history file including old MOT’s, invoice’s and details of work done over several years. The car has recently had Blockley tyres fitted all round. It does have one or two minor paint blemishes but still presents itself very well. £25.995

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 95

22/11/2019 16:19

Insurance for all MG’s classic and modern STEVE McKIE SPORTSCARS CHESTERFIELD

•

DERBYSHIRE

Specialists in the repair and restoration of MG cars Suppliers of parts for • MGA • MGB • MGC • Midget • T Type • MGF/TF

www.stevemckiesportscars.co.uk Tel 01246 454527 • Fax 01246 453681 23/9/09 Albert Street North, Chesterfield, S41 8NP

DONHOODS-SFAug07.QXD:Layout 1

How to Advertise Members can advertise their cars free of charge in Safety Fast! The cost for non members is £20. The advert will also be posted on the Club website in due course. To place an advert in Safety Fast! please email colingrant@mgcc.co.uk with an attached photo of your car, details of your car, your contact details, price of your car, area where you live and membership number. Please keep your advert to 60 words The editor reserves the right to edit longer adverts.

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

MGA

Works Competition Seat - made by Bob 16:22 Page 1 West to the specifications of the drivers seat in the works competition cars. Only 12 months old, in perfect condition & covered in black vinyl. Easy fit in a Roadster or Coupe & very comfortable.

They are a fantastic period style seat 23/06/2010 13:46 & give great support over the standard seat especially when driving spiritedly!

I do actually have two seats if you wanted to fit a pair. £250 per seat.

Please email martinstowe@gmail.com or phone 07711 629960 for further information or photos. (Northants area)

DON HOODS

Steve McKie Sports Cars Hi-Res.indd 1

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

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

mingham B23 Hampton Road, Bir

13 Tel: 0121 373 13ICE OFF SOUTHERN SALES

00 Tel: 01202 7422

CARPET SETS FOR MOST

MODELS

www.donhoods.com

2x 1 Litre cans spray gloss tartan red cellulose paint-code RD9(58-69BMC) £40 the lot.

Windscreen frame from 1964 MGB. Good condition. £100 Door Glass (clear) for MGB roadster complete with lower channel and rubber. Good condition £35 the lot Tel: 01603429868. Collection only.

(Norwich)

A Series Spares

Custom made and standard fit covers for your car from £99

Premium Quality since 2003

Over 200 items for sale inlcudeing, cylinder head, crankshaft, pistons, gaskets, gearbox parts, clutch parts, Carburettors complete and parts available.

Complete dynamos, distributors, control boxes, fuel pumps, headlamps and rear lights plus much, much more. Collection from Abindon Oxon. Email Leslie for more details at: leslie.steele@sky.com

MG VA spares

• Custom Indoor from £150

Axle Casing, Alloy Sump, Clutch assembly, Differential, 2 off front hub assemblies. Tel: Nigel on 07790 034288

• Custom Waterproof Outdoor £295 • Standard fleece-lined breathable from £112

Z Magnette Spares

• Soft Indoor Stretch from £99 NEW! (Covers for all other cars too)

Online database for the perfect cover at www.carcovershop.co.uk Tel 01780 749449

NEW MGB Baulk Rings

MGB

I-240085.indd 1

Set of dashboard guages ZA and ZB Propellor shafts 2 x Radiators NOS Clutch Assembly Complete 1500 engine 15GCUH18185 3 x gearboxes Varitone rear screen glass 4 x Wheels with old tyres Many other spares for Z Magnette.

15/05/2017 13:33 WHY? Tel: Nigel on 07790 034288

MGB Seats

www.bighealey.co.uk

CNC Machined in the U.K. to our specification Brass 2nd & 3rd/4th

A pair of bespoke black leather deluxe seats, grade one leather, hand crafted

by Vamped Trimming of Lingfield on original frames. Only £1500 the pair. contact Bill on 01892890996.

(NearTunbridge Wells)

£59.95+VAT Steel 4 synchro

£49.50+VAT (Prices are subject to change. Please see our website!)

For the ‘best’ in MG high-performance Parts Hotline: +44 (0)1543 472244 E-mail: sales@bighealey.co.uk DENIS WELCH MOTORSPORT, YOXALL, BURTON-ON-TRENT, STAFFS DE13 8NA, UK

96 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 96

Please note that the Advertising deadline is December 6th for the January issue of Safety Fast!

Call for a quote today

01376 574000

www.classiccarinsurance.co.uk Lucas Twin Horns

Chrome trumpet type. Look fantastic on MG Y types! Excellent condition. £225. Tel. 01292 849909 or Mobile 07989 318737.

Email: barclayhenderson@gmail.

MG Midget Mark3

Hood Black vinyl folding hood, no header rail. Very slight damage to front edge over quarter lights otherwise good condition, rear window excellent. Only removed to allow fitting of new mohair hood. £115. Tel: 07831 428885 (Bristol area)

RV8 Brochures

Two complete sets, one set is the large version complete with the green leather desk top wallet, the other set is the normal size but with the MG RV8 20th ANNIVERSARY 1992-2012 key ring.

All are in great condition. Contact Steve on 01943 872607.

Email: sde@stevedavidellams.co.uk

1979 Midget

Rolling body shell complete with doors; no wings, bonnet or boot lid; all welding done, rebuild not finished. Asking price is £600. Contact on Tel: 012225287970 or email janner826@gmail.com (West Wiltshire)

MGB

I have a pair of burr walnut door handles in vgc and would like to swap for a pair of standard black padded door handles, also in vgc.

Tel. Andy 07957 828678 Email. andyhart1956@hotmail.com

Pair Lucas Headlamps

8 and a bit inches diameter, 1930s-40s.

Good unrestored condition £240.

Contact Martin on 01344 424258

T Type Parts

Pair of Lucas L140 head light rims re chromed £80 MG T Type instrument loom £25 MG T Type radiator which has been re-cored & pressure tested £450 MG T Type 1 no rear number plate bracket £20 Set of XPAG original oil pipes, 3 no £75 XPAW (4/44) aluminium sump with oil pick up £50.

Delivery part way in UK could be madeby arrangement on the larger items, other items by post at cost.

Contact Richard email- beckside.41@ gmail.com tel 01833 660000

SPARES WANTED Wanted

Unmarked windscreen with green tint for 1972 MGB GT. Phone 07801 333151.

Wanted

MGB Chrome rear bumper – original only not a reproduction – for my 1965 Roadster. Bumpers from 1962 to 73 would be suitable – overriders not needed. Would prefer a useable straight example but one needing re-chroming would be considered. George Wilder 01787 236192 or 07742 006260 (North West Essex/Suffolk borders)

Wanted

MGTD/TF Steering wheel wanted dont mind a few splits. Contact Alan on 07761088349 or Email: alanreed48@yahoo.co.uk

Wanted

‘Knott’ Car dealer dashboard plaque.

Design is based on the letter K. Tel: Martin on 01344 424258

www.mgcc.co.uk

22/11/2019 16:19

Call for a quote today

01376 574000

Insurance for all MG’s classic and modern

k

01308 01308 01308 868884 868884 868884

www.classiccarinsurance.co.uk

arter iandeAlanC r r a Bartlett B aemailrrbarriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk arter ie C ‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’ -- ‘X-pag’ ‘X-pag’ B ‘T-type’--‘T-type’ ‘T-type’ -- ‘T-type’ ‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’ ‘X-pag’ -- ‘X-pag’

07885 07885 07885 768830 768830

and Alan Bartlett email barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk and Alan Bartlett email barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk

768830

We restore and refresh both T-types and X-pag engines, gearboxes, trim, paint; every aspect and we buy and sell T-types and other forT-types sale butand we have interesting objects to occupy yourself afterand retirement theother garage classics.

Running out of T’s We restore and refresh both X-pagsome engines, gearboxes, trim, paint; every aspect we buyand andbanishment sell T-typestoand classics.

Running out of T’s for sale but we have some interesting objects to occupy yourself after retirement and banishment to the garage TC Race/fast roadpaint; car, allegedly twice aspect and we buy and sell T-types and other MGC GT 1968 We restore and refresh both T-types and X-pag engines, gearboxes, trim, every winner, fully modified to T reg.

Beautifully restored to endurance classics. Running out of T’s for sale but we have some interestingchampionship objects to TC Race/fast roadoccupy car, allegedly twice specs.

Rolling chassis £13,950. oryourself with full race after retirement and banishment to the garage GT rally 1968specification. andMGC historic

‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ - ‘T-type’ ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’ - ‘X-pag’

ThisBeautifully is probably the best I have restored to “C” endurance owned andGT I’m1968 very specification. tempted to MGC and historic rally keep it.

It has been fully restored Beautifully restored to endurance This is probably the best “C” I have andowned has evidence but has and pictorial historic and I’mrally veryspecification. tempted to hadkeep sensible upgrades, gas shocks Thisit.isItprobably best “C” I have has beenthefully restored all round, Anti Minilite reps owned andRoll I’mbar, very tempted to and has pictorial evidence but has with keep rally tyres.

Sebring headlight covers and front valance. Competition quick it. It has been fully had sensible gasrestored shocks Overdrive on pictorial all upgrades, gearsevidence 10 gears!! and has butStage has 2 head with mild cam, six branch exhaust round,system.

Anti Roll bar, Minilite reps andallspecial Inside the has rally cobra seats, belts and the correct rally had sensible upgrades, gascar shocks with rallyaids. tyres.

Sebring headlight covers andclocks front for valance.

Competition navigation Halda, stopwatch Brantz endurance events.quick It is all all round, Anti Roll bar, Minilite and reps Overdrive ontyres. gears 10 headlight gears!!sunroof.

Stage 2The head with mild cam,Competition six branch exhaust topped offrally with aallBritax matching is an absolute delight toquick drive with Sebring covers andcarfront valance. special system.

Inside the car has rally cobra seats, belts and correct rally withand oodles of torque and power.

If you want the best “C” look no further £21,995 Overdrive on all gears 10 gears!! Stage 2 head with mild cam, six the branch exhaust navigation aids.

Halda,Inside stopwatch clocksseats, for endurance events.

It isrally all and special system. the carand hasBrantz rally cobra belts and the correct topped off with a Britax The clocks car is an delight to drive navigation aids.

Halda,matching stopwatchsunroof. and Brantz forabsolute endurance events.

It is all A very rareoff1929 BMW topped a Britax matching sunroof. an absolute delight £21,995 to drive with oodles ofwith torque andAustin power.7If you wantThe thecar bestis “C” look no further Badge, radiator with oodles emblem of torqueand and power. If you want the best “C” look no further £21,995 surround are pure BMW, as are the wheel hubs. This car must rank in very rare 1929 BMW Austin 7 theAforefront Austin 7 and BMW A veryradiator rare 1929 BMW Austin 7 Badge, desirability. byemblem BMW inand 1929 Badge, Built radiator areimage pureemblem BMW, asand are the withsurround its mirror & engine surround are pure BMW, as areinthe wheelfor hubs. must rank adapted LHDThis andcar then fitted wheel hubs. This car must rank in withtheJHLE sportsAustin 600 body and forefront 7 and BMW the forefront Austin 7 and BMW Ulster suspension modifications.

Has a fully documented and fascinating history, desirability. desirability.Built BuiltbybyBMW BMWinin1929 1929 all documented.

It has been in the same ownership 50 years or more, being in with itsitsmirror &&engine with mirrorimage image engine many Austinforevents, before being loaned to a museum. Now, on the demise of adapted LHD and then fitted adapted for LHD and then fitted thewith owner, the car is600 being recommissioned in our workshops, please enquire for JHLE with JHLEsports sports 600body bodyand and further details. £31,000 Ulster Ulstersuspension suspensionmodifications. modifications.Has Hasaafully fullydocumented documentedand andfascinating fascinatinghistory, history, documented.It Ithas hasbeen beenininthe thesame sameownership ownership50 50years yearsorormore, more,being beinginin allalldocumented. manyAustin Austinevents, events,before beforebeing beingloaned loanedtotoaamuseum. museum.Now, Now,on onthe thedemise demiseofof many owner,the thecar carisisbeing beingrecommissioned recommissionedininour ourworkshops, workshops,please pleaseenquire enquirefor for thetheowner, furtherdetails. details.£31,000 £31,000 further

championship winner, modifiedmanifold, to T reg. now 1350 engine! “1¾ SU’sfully Derrington removed and available separately.

Car has TC Race/fast road car, allegedly twice specs.

Rolling chassis £13,950. or with full plumbed race in ext.engine! comp clutch, alloy body panels, championship winner, fully modified to T15” reg.wheels, 1350 “1¾ SU’s Derrington manifold, now tramp bars teles, cage, seat, specs.

Rolling chassisbrakes, £13,950. or with fullrace race removed andmodified available separately.

Car has plumbed and more.

It’s as scruffy as raced and very quick.

1350 engine!

“1¾ SU’s Derrington manifold, now in ext. comp clutch, alloy body panels, 15” wheels, Ideal race or hillclimb. £18,500 removed andmodified available separately.

Car hasrace plumbed trampcircuit, bars brakes, teles, cage, seat, inandext.more. compIt’sclutch, alloy as body panels, as scruffy raced and 15” verywheels, quick. tramp bars modified brakes, teles, cage, race seat, Ideal7circuit, race or hillclimb. £18,500 Gordon England Cup Model Austin 1926 and more.

It’s as scruffy as raced and very quick.

One owner for over 50 years & in lovely Ideal circuit, race or hillclimb. £18,500 condition. This well known Gordon England Austin is fitted with Cup the rare LAP.Austin OHV conver Gordon England Model 7 1926 sion and has performed with this for many One owner for over 50 years & in lovely Gordon England Cup Model Austin 7 1926 years.

It hasThis theover spare box with it condition. well known England One owner for 50engine yearsGordon &and in lovely &Austin is a fine Austin thatknown is rare acceptable forconver many is fitted the LAP. OHV condition.

This with well Gordon England Vintage Austin For sale behalf of Austin is has fitted withevents. the rare LAP. OHV conver sion andand performed with this foronmany the family. £29,950 sion and has performed with this for many years. It has the spare engine and box with it It has the spare and box &years. is a fine Austin that isengine acceptable forwith manyit Panhard & is a fine is acceptable for behalf manyDyna Vintage andAustin Austinthat events.

For sale on of X 1947 RHD Allegedly 1 owner Vintage and£29,950 Austin events. For sale on behalf of & specially built as RHD for the family. a disabled customer. Resting undisturbed in a the family. £29,950 French barn for over 20 years, it has now been recommissioned is a lovely Panhard Dyna Dyna Xand X 1947 1947 RHD Oily Rag car Panhard RHD that is now1 running braking, everything Allegedly owner &&and specially builtwith asRHD RHD for Allegedly 1 owner specially built as for working. car has Resting been researched by in a aa disabled disabledThe customer. undisturbed customer.who Resting undisturbed in a aFrench Panhard historian has unearthed barn for for over over 20 20 years, years,itithas hasnow nowits been French barn been fascinating history from the factory records. UK registered with full recommissioned and isis aalovely lovely Oilyauthorisation Ragcar car recommissioned and Oily Rag from the Panhard Club. Offered £6,995 now running running and and braking, braking,with witheverything everything that is now working. working. The The car car has has been beenresearched researchedbyby a Panhard Panhard historian historian who whohas hasunearthed uneartheditsits fascinating history from the factory records. fascinating records. UK UK registered registeredwith withfull fullauthorisation authorisation from the the Panhard Panhard Club.

Club. Offered from Offered £6,995 £6,995

This lovely Citroen 2cv Dolly has undergone a very nice restoration at some point. It has more performance This Citroen Dolly than lovely most, Don’t know2cv why, but its has undergone a veryothers!! nice restoration quicker than some It has This lovely Citroen 2cv Dolly ata some point. has nice more performance lovely bobya,Itvery interior, galvanised has undergone restoration most, Don’t know but history its chassis, boot andwhy, aperformance large atthan some point.

It rack has more file.most, These cars areothers!! rising inIt has value quicker than some than Don’t know why, but its very quickly and I love em! £6,995 a lovelythan bobysome , interior, galvanised quicker others!!

It has boot, interior, rack andgalvanised a large history achassis, lovely boby file. These in value chassis, bootcars rackare andrising a large historyvery file.

Theseand cars are em! rising£6,995 in value very quickly I love quickly and I love em! £6,995

Citroen 2cv6 Dolly Lovingly cared for by its father and daughter ownership since 93 with lots of money spent to Citroen DollycarLovingly cared forblue make it2cv6 the lovely that it is,Dark byover its father daughter Cream, galvanised chassis Citroen 2cv6and Dolly Lovinglyownership cared and for a 93MOT, with of money spent Chevaux, to exceptional Deux bysince itsnew father andanlots daughter ownership The isoftoo! £3,950 make theone lovely car thatspent it is,Dark since 93itred with lots money to blue overitCream, galvanised make the lovely car that chassis it is,Darkand bluea newCream, MOT, an exceptional Deuxand Chevaux, over galvanised chassis a TheMOT, red one is too! £3,950 new an exceptional Deux Chevaux, The red one is too! £3,950

Ford Model Y Vintage Special 1935

Subaru Justy, You’ve forgotten these 1200 cc FWD! Switchable! 34K I love these, a low mileage lovely example. They have MX5 Performance. Cheeky, quick and great off roaders.

Beautifulthese inside and Subaru Justy, You’ve forgotten Subaru You’ve forgotten these£3,250 out. ItJusty, rubbishes 205s and rare.

1200 FWD!Switchable!

Switchable!

I love 1200 ccccFWD! 34K34K I love these,a low a lowmileage mileagelovely lovely example.

They these, example.

They have Cheeky, quick haveMX5 MX5Performance.

Performance.

Cheeky, quick and Beautiful inside andand andgreat greatoffoffroaders. roaders.

Beautiful inside out. rare. £3,250 out.It rubbishes It rubbishes205s 205sandand rare. £3,250

fitted with a prewar MG body and wings, lovely seats etc, in the 60s and has been owned by the same family since. Its a lovely fun car to useYitVintage a for theSpecial fun it was1935 meant Ford Model Ford Y Vintage Special 1935£6,950 for. Model Some racing Very cheap fitted witha aprewar prewarhistory.

MGbody body andwings, wings, fitted with MG and lovelyseats seatsetc, etc,ininthethe60s 60sand andhashasbeen been lovely owned ownedbybythethesame samefamily familysince. since.ItsItsa lovely a lovely fun funcarcartotouse useit ita aforforthethefunfunit itwas wasmeant meant for. for.Some Someracing racinghistory. history.Very Verycheap cheap£6,950 £6,950

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

www.barriecartermg.com www.barriecartermg.com www.barriecartermg.com

4Sight Lighting Company...............68

Just Right Autos Ltd........................62

Adrian Flux .....................................68

Kimble-Rutter Ltd ...........................85

Aldon Automotive ...........................29

Longstone Tyres ............................47

Barrie Carter ..................................97

Machine Mart .................................89

Barry Walker ..................................93

Manor Garage ................................74

Beech Hill Garage...........................94

MG Mecca......................................92

British Motor Heritage....................IFC

MG Sales Centre ............................22

Brown and Gammons....................11

Midland Classic Restoration .............4

Bucks Sports and Classic...............95

Mike Authurs Classics ....................97

Car Cover Shop .............................96

Mike Rolls .......................................95

Carole Nash Insurance ...................9

Mike Satur ......................................53

Chisbon Restorations......................83

Moss...............................................85

Church Square Autos .....................95

NTG Services...............................OBC

Classic Car Tours of Mid Wales ........9

Oselli Ltd ........................................83

Classic & Sports Cars (Essex)...90, 91

Paul Depper MGs ...........................85

Classic Concierge...........................21

Peter Best .........................IBC, 96, 97

Clive Wheatley ................................61

Rees Bros .......................................53

College Motors Burford ..................74

Retro Sports Cars ..........................29

Colne Classics ................................95

Rimmer Bros Ltd ............................57

Classic Car Hub ..............................59

RJH Automotive..............................87

Crown Classic Cars ........................68

RM Car Care...................................67

David Manners ................................6

Robin Lackford Motor Engineering 53

Dennis Welch..................................96

Scenic Car Tours ............................19

Distributor Doctor............................87

Sherwood Restorations ..................93

Don Trimming .................................96

Skiptune..........................................87

EJW Classic and Sports .................95

SMR ...............................................92

Fishers Services .............................68

SPAX.................................................6

Footman James .............................27

Steve McKie Sports Cars................96

Former Glory ..................................95

Summit MG....................................83

Foston’s Ash Inn .............................72

Sussex Classic Car Parts................89

Frontline .........................................42

The Hutson Motor Co Ltd .................4

Halls Garage ...................................67

Torro Sports Cars Ltd......................97

Hoyle Suspension ...........................67

Trophy Cars ....................................61

J&C Classic Restorations ...............29

Vitesse Global Ltd ..........................74

WANTED WANTED ALL MG MODELS! All conditions wanted, from barn finds to concours. Complete collections purchased.

Cash buyer. Discretion assured.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in selling your MG and are looking for a prompt hassle-free cash buyer! Please feel free to contact me for a no obligation friendly chat.

I am especially interested in the following models: MG TC, MGA, MGB, MGC, MGB V8, Magnette and Midget.

MIDGETS! WANTED

Contact the Midget Specialist MIKE AUTHERS on Abingdon 07703 465 224 CHROME BUMPERED MIDGETS in excellent condition bought up to £8,000. View current stock at

www.mgmidgets.com

CALL DIRECT ON: 07787 528131 UK Based Buyer

FOR DISPLAY ADVERTISING IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE MARQUE OF FRIENDSHIP

PLEASE CALL NICK ON 01452 730770

THE CLUB

August 2019 Volume 63 Number 08 £3.95

CAR LT D

ABINGDON-ON-THAMES FO U N D E D 193 0

THE BATTLE OF THE BABIES ● CLUNKING AND CREAKING ● JEKYLL AND HYDE Safety Fast_Cover August2019.indd 1 25/07/2019 09:09

www.mgcc.co.uk

Safety Fast_December2019_47-98.indd 97

DECEMBER 2019 SAFETY FAST! 97

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LOOKING BACK The official publication of The MG Car Club Incorporating ‘The M.G. Magazine’, ‘The Sports Car’ and ‘Brooklands Track and Air’, Safety Fast!

Copyright MG Car Club 2019

Editor: Andy Knott 01235 849730 / 01235 555552 andyknott@mgcc.co.uk Deputy Editor: Colin Grant 01235 849733 colingrant@mgcc.co.uk Editorial Committee: Andy Knott, Colin Grant, Adam Sloman Advertising: Hine Marketing 01452 730770 Published by: Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton Glos, GL2 9LN. Tel: 01452 730770 Distributed by: Air Business. Merlin Centre, 4 The, Acrewood Way, St Albans AL4 0JY Tel: 01727 890600 President: John Day Vice Presidents: Ron Gammons, Don Hayter, Peter Best, Ian Quarrington Chairman: Bill Silcock.

Vice Chairman: Keith Williams Treasurer: Richard Colston

T

his excellent photograph above taken at Beaulieu by Tony Bugbird in 1966 sums up just about everything the MG Car Club stands for. A great car, a wonderful location, a beautiful sunny day and a little gentle competition thrown into the mix for good measure. Roll on next summer!

Piers Hubbard took this picture (right) of Stewart Penfound with his Lester MG at Goodwood for Spring Gathering on what looks like a decidedly chilly day in April 1999.

Chris Aplins must have spent many happy hours keeping his MG Maestro 2.0i in this amazing condition. Has it survived? We certainly like to think so. Photo by J. Stone.

Directors: Dave Saunders, Peter Cook, Adele Rand, Lorraine Noble Thompson, Colin Withers, George Wilder and Dave Tynan Company Secretary: Colin Grant Staff Members: Adam Sloman (General Manager 01235 849732), John Hutchison (Competitions Secretary 01235 849738), Andy Knott (01235 849730), Lauran Gallacher (Assistant General Manager 01235 849735), Liz Allsworth (Membership Secretary 01235 849734), Colin Grant (01235 849733), Cherina Scarrott (Finance Officer 01235 849736) and Ineke Sherman (Merchandise 01235 849737) Honorary Members: Michael Allison, Ron Gammons, Peter Best, Don Hayter, John Quenby, Sir Stirling Moss, Paddy Hopkirk, Norman Ewing, Piers Hubbard, Rob Oldaker, Steve Hanegan, Gerry McGovern, Ann Hawke, John Dutton, John Day, Julian White, Bill Silcock.

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.

98 SAFETY FAST! DECEMBER 2019

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PeterBest_SafetyFast_MGCarClub_Advert_297x210.pdf

1

07/01/2019

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classic car insurance PBIS specialises in classic car insurance, as well as insurance for other collectable classic vehicles. We have been supporting the MG Car Club, its Centres & Registers, for over 30 years so we know what is important to you.

Approved Insurance Provider

Our ‘Abingdon’ policy covers classic use for MG’s 3 years and older.

Policy benefits may include: • Free agreed valuations • Roadside assistance and recovery within UK/EU • Limited mileage options • Discounts for multiple car ownership • Club member discounts

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Peter Best Insurance Services Ltd Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration No. 307045 | Registered in England No. 2210270

Safety Fast_Cover December2019 V2.indd 3

22/11/2019 16:55

Parts for TA to TF 1936-55, YA YB YT, MGA & Magnette.

Secure online shopping at: www.mgbits.com or by phone.

Worldwide shipping.

T&Y Type or MGA & Z series catalogues- email or phone for your copy Disc brake conversions available for TD/TF/YB/ZA/ZB/MGA, disc and wire wheel versions (TD/TF/YB shown)

NTG Motor Services Ltd 282-284 Bramford Road Ipswich IP1 4AY Tel: +44(0)1473 406031/2 Fax: +44(0)1473 742087 sales@mgbits.com British Motor Heritage Approved - founded 1966

Safety Fast_Cover December2019 V2.indd 4

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