The MGA With An Attitude
MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (June 16 - June 30, 2021)
Wednesday June 16, 2021:
Another marathon day of tech sessions where I have to miss half of them. They should (maybe) extend this all-MG convention another two days so we could attend all of the tech sessions. First up was a presentation by John Twist on Lucas Charging, which went into a way-back history of how early generators and regulators would work, evolving through 40's to 60's generators and regulators, and on to early and late alternators. Kind of a little something for everyone, as it covers all MGs from beginning to end.
 During an unending string of one-hour tech sessions I missed MGs Through The Ages talking tour by Tom Metcalf with about ten MGs of all ages parked in the conference room. I don't recall how or why I missed that one, maybe too many friends to talk to, but I did see a similar presentation featuring MG International 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Next up in late morning was Paul Dierschow on Body Repairs And Paint. This was a wonderful presentation on the process of producing a first class show car restoration, and all the time and money needed to do it, and why people do it in spite of the cost.
Quick mid day break to check email. Got carried away and updated a tech page on replacement body panels with photos and notes on Kilmarten rocker panels (apparently good stuff).
Early afternoon we had a hilarious presentation by John Twist on the MG T-type car Workshop Manual. All I can say is, if you ever get a chance to see this one, do.
Gotta admit I skipped the mid afternoon Funkhana titled "Build An IKEA MG". Yup, just what it sounds like, put the kit together just like assembling your own home furniture. It was a cute model car, something like an MG TD, and there were awards for fastest construction,
Late afternoon we had a nice presentation by Ed Cooke, current co-owner of Abingdon Spares, on How To Grow An MG Parts Business. This was largely about MG T-Tye parts, but applies to pretty much any vintage car parts supply. Near the end of the presentation I fired a short warning shot before asking for his views and opinions on the rash of poor quality replacement parts now in the market. His initial reply was something conservative like "Facts of live we have to learn to live with", and the common remark about "Race to the bottom" (price competition). But it stirred up an enthusiastic discussion throughout the room, indicating that the consumer base (and service shop arena) is not particularly satisfied with that sort of answer, and would like to know what might be done to improve the situation.
In the evening there was cash bar party with a tribute to Hank Rippert. The MG TD parked in the lobby of the conference hall all week used to be his car, for a long time, like me owning my MGA.
Thursday June 17, 2021:
Okay, car show day at the 4H Fairgrounds in Egg Harbor City, NJ, about 18 miles northwest of Atlantic City. Kind of a ratty drive in traffic, but it was a good show. Be prepared for a rash of nice pictures with (hopefully) not much comment. The official count was 313 registered vehicles, an historically small turnout for this event (and you probably know why), but be thankful that "the show must go on".
There were several parts vendors (and a number of food and regalia vendors). I took another shot at measuring up
the wood rim steering wheel. Pretty sure it would mount on my existing center hub, but my old Moto-Lita center badge (which I rather like) wouldn't fit. The vendor likely had a suitable center badge, but they were busy, and I was tired and hot, so pass again.
Just arriving back at the hotel, there was an impromptu tech session going on. One leaky clutch slave cylinder was being a bear to bleed. Naturally I stopped to ask, and a couple of participants promptly fled the scene, so I suppose some folks appreciated my offer of help. It took a while to bleed a hydraulic clutch system after being open and dry, but we finally got 'er done.
5-7pm Separate registers Pre-Award Receptions (again, NAMGAR for me). There was a brief "state of the register" presentation (happens at each annual NAMGAR GT), followed by NAMGAR member awards from the car show up to but not including 1st place awards.
7-10-30pm MG International Awards Banquet. Pretty much what it sounds like, good food for all followed by presentations by the managing board members, followed by 1st place awards for the car show. There may have been some late night tire kicking in the car park, but I was busy with some email and BBS review. All around nice convention, and we get to haul out in the morning.
Friday June 18, 2021:
Heading west out of New Jersey, tanked up with the cheaper gas before crossing back into Pennsylvania. We told the GPS to avoid tolls, and it routed us 50 miles farther around (a bit more north). on the way back. Just beginning to feel good about finding some less traveled roads. Then we got into heavy traffic in King of Prussia, PA, and had a little unplanned encounter with the tail end of a rental van that pounded the brakes for a yellow light (on a downhill grade). I think we came up one feet short on stopping distance. Am I getting old or what? Thinking real hard, but I believe this may be the only on-road property damage accident in the MGA that may have been my fault (in 430,000 miles over 35 years).
Seemed to be little or no damage on the van. We may have knocked loose a couple of plastic rivets holding one of the black plastic trim panels (or maybe that wasn't us). It came up clean looking after cleaning the headlight glass off of the bumper. The van driver wasn't keen on reporting it, and said he had a regular rapport with the rental company. I can fix the MG quicker than an insurance company can do the investigation, and likely for less than the deductible, so we don't need to waste time reporting it either. Sure can spoil a nice day though. We did make it back to Lancaster, PA before sun down.
Saturday June 19, 2021:
Wanted to order a new grille for the MGA, but Moss Motors was out of stock on the 1500 type part, and Scarborough Faire was not answering the phone (weekend after the out of town convention). So I recon we won't be ordering parts until Monday.
Today was supposed to be catch-up day for photos and notes on the MG International 2021 car show, but it wasn't happening yet. I got carried away with a thread on the BBS, followed by a note from the author, and ended up posting two new tech pages on MGA Coupe door latch repairs.
I did finally spent some time working on photos and notes from the convention (not even half of it done yet). We wanted to get started on the car repair, but it was raining a lot during the day, and our friend with the available garage was working late.
Late evening, 9:30-pm, we arrived in York, PA to briefly visit our friend Darrell Lutz (just because we said we would). We didn't intend to get into the repair project that late at night, but Darrell beckoned us in to see what we could do. Okay, so we got started with disassembly. There was a horizontal crease in the LF wing 2/3 of the way down the headlamp opening that required pushing out from behind.
I was rather surprised that we got as far as we did. I got the fender mostly straightened, and the mounting bucket straightened out enough to be screwed back in place, and the adjuster bucket straightened enough to hold a new bulb, and the thin bulb retaining ring straightened enough to hold the bulb, and all that reattached. Trouble with the outer trim ring though, and we finally gave up the chase at 3-am, really needing to get some sleep. Busy and didn't get any more pictures (yet).
Sunday June 20, 2021:
Back on the car repair at 9-am, I managed to straighten the headlight trim ring enough to get it installed, and
the wiring reconnected so we at least had a street legal car. While on the lift we found and fixed the cause of noise in the LF suspension that has been bugging us for a couple of weeks. It turned out to be a broken bolt in the lower mounting bracket for the sway bar vertical connecting link, easy fix.
Then on to the real sweat work with a long 2x4 board for a pry bar, and some smaller blocks of wood for pulling out the crushed nose sheet metal. Once part way pulled, we were using a scissors jack for more directed pushing from inside the nose. A little here and a little there, slow going but gradually getting back to something close to the original shape. One crack in the edge of the metal needed welding, and our host had to leave in mid afternoon, so it was a good place to stop for the day. I sprayed some of the nose with gray primer paint, just to be all one color and "not as ugly" when we would be driving it. Pick up our tools, get the car off the lift, and clean up the floor a bit.
Our host made a call to another friend John Valentine who has a MIG welder, so we could get the crack welded. From five miles away he was there in a 15 minutes, no problem, and it would be easier to go to his place. So off we went, and a half hour later we had the crack welded, all good. As said, a bit of primer paint makes it "not as ugly" until we can get to the rest of the body work. There was an offer to maybe do some more body work, but we already had enough for one day, so off to find a good WiFi spot for evening lunch.
Today was supposed to be catch-up day for photos and notes on the MG International 2021 car show, but it wasn't
happening yet. Checking email brought some photos and notes leading to updating a tech web page on hydraulic brake light switches. This was the second report of an original Lucas switch lasting more than 60 years before it failed with contacts closed. A whack on the workbench reset the switch to normally open condition, so I couldn't get the guy to cut it open. He was going to give it a second life in his traveling bits for emergency use if (when) the new replacement switch was expected to fail.
Getting into late night I did finally get though most of the photos and notes from last week's convention and car show. Get to push on with that work tomorrow.
Monday June 21, 2021:
First business this morning was to order the new grille and headlight assembly. Not as easy as it should be, but done, and now into waiting for the parts to arrive.
Finally a day off to catch up all the photos and notes from last week's convention (and everything since). People have been asking for news from the show, so I figure I should get it done. See page above, and the end of the prior page.
Evening Zoom meeting with Chicagoland MG Club. Not much news to report, except the July membership meeting is planned to be in person, for the first time in 17 months.
Tuesday June 22, 2021:
Rain from early morning well past mid day. Not a good time to be doing body work, just as well, as I should wait for delivery of the new grille before final shaping of the body nose. Mostly chasing BBS and email and a few tech questions today.
By coincidence, caught up in Jonestown, PA, we needed nearly an hour drive south via some nice country roads to Mount Joy, PA for "Mom and Dad Car Show". This is coordinated by Darrell Lutz, and maybe the majority of entries were associated with "Darrell's Garage" (the tinkering guys in York, PA). We had at least a dozen British cars and a few more odds and ends, and a nice barbecue in the park.
For the British cars I see two MG TD's, two bug-eye Sprites, two MG Midgets, two rubber bumper MGB, two MGB BGT, my MGA, and a Triumph TR3. That was a Harley Davidson sitting near the Blue Midget. I think the black thing on the far end (next to my MGA) was a Chrysler Crossfire. Toss in a Porsche 356 1600 (fuzy picture of the engine below), a new Miata MX5.
Wednesday June 23, 2021:
Updating the CMGC web site for latest issue of current events and reports of recent past events. Good news here, as the club will be getting back to in-person club meetings beginning in July.
CMGC web site committee meeting tonight. Lots of folks have been out of town, no meeting last week, and not much done. About 90 minutes spent fiddling with functions on the Bluehost server trying to figure out how it works for the new functions they want to implement. Check back again next week.
Thursday June 24, 2021:
Had to post a report of another Faulty Replacement Part today. For headlight assembly purchased from Scarborough Faire, the outer trim ring does not fit over the flange on the back shell. Since the original trim ring also does not fit, it is implied that the outer flange of the rear bucket is too large in diameter. It is likely beyond the means of the average mechanic to shrink the steel stamping, so this one has to be returned. There is a two minute video showing the frustration:
This got my goat today, because I just ordered one of these from S.F. a few days ago, has not even arrived yet. Looks like I will get to check these parts myself before sending it back. The last one I bought from Moss Motors a year earlier fit okay.
Friday June 25, 2021:
Report this morning that someone just built another MGA trailer hitch with a small receiver to accept a commercially available bike rack. More fun every day.
Just received a
two-minute video on the new headlight assembly that cannot be assembled, in case anyone can tolerate viewing the frustration level.
Saturday June 26, 2021:
Another failed Rulon timing chain tensioner today. Four years of regular reports of this failure, and the vendors are still selling the weak part. There will likely be no end to this issue.
Five days since I ordered parts from Scarborough Faire, and not a word. They wouldn't tell me what the total charge would be, said they would call back with that information, but never called back. Also the charge never appeared on my card account, so I can only guess that they have not shipped the parts yet. This has me grounded while waiting, and not able to finish the body and paint work until the new grille may arrive. Is this what life is these days? Wait indefinitely in the dark?
Sunday June 27, 2021:
Bit of a chuckle today. Someone had a problem with too large of ring gap when fitting pistons and rings to a freshly machined engine block. After a few pictures it turned out the supplier had sent +0.030 rings along with +0.040 pistons. There will be a small delay while the correct rings are sourced. Otherwise easy issue to resolve.
Monday June 28, 2021:
John Twist on UML Zoom tech session tonight. Up to 250 people on line for this. The intended two hour meeting commonly runs a little overtime, but tonight it ran out to three hours. And a good time was had by all.
A bit of news on my new grille (I hope). After a week of silence, I see a charge on my card account today, which I'm hoping means the parts have been packed, billed and shipped. No email and no tracking number. Aside from killing a full week before shipment, I now have some hope that the parts might arrive sometime this week. Wait and see.
Tuesday June 29, 2021:
A little update on the CMGC web site calendar for a couple new upcoming events.
Tuesday night tinkering session in York, PA. Had a big Healey on the lift for an oil and filter change. Couple of large fans running to combat the heat today.
Been collecting some parts for a couple of days to take advantage of the shop lift for changing left side wheel bearings on the trailer, and installing a Speedy-Sleeve. The bearings failed in 8 months, 9000 miles due to water intrusion making the bearings rust up. Hoping the Speedi-Sleeve will fix that issue. Waited for the sun to go down for a bit of heat abatement before starting. Otherwise the job was done in a hour, including the Speedy-Sleeve. Not like I haven't done it before.
Wednesday June 30, 2021:
Added a tech page for datum points on the MGA Twin Cam cylinder head used as set-up points for machining. This is useful to determine if the Twin Cam head has ever been skimmed, and how much.
Someone with an MGA 1600 turn signal problem. Common stuff, but not yet resolved. Likely to be a faulty flasher unit.
Biding time waiting for parts as another calendar page goes away. The older we get the more we notice these things.
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