]\JOSSjyjOTORINGServing British Sports Car Enthusiasts Since 1948 • Our 12th Year of Publication • Fall 1995

SceneKr BEST EVER! IS VERDICT <>NHeanl 1995MQSS BRITISH CAR FESTIVAL

We recently read with amazement that a company in England isbuilding 'new' 1970 MGBs and selling them to Japan! New BritishMotor Heritage bodyshells are usedwith all new suspension, steeringand electrical parts. The engines,gearboxes, and rear axles are completely rebuilt from original MGBparts. Such a 'new' MGB sells foraround $22,000!

Now in view of the recent furorin the USA over a so-called automotive trade war with Japan, we wondered how this small British company, BCI, could be having so muchsuccess in the far East, until we realized that unlike Detroit, they werecatering to customer demand andbuilding righthand drivecars!

SEARCH FORSEBRING "STUFF"!

Peter Browning, the formerCompetitions Manager .it BMC (.Hidlater British Lcyland), recently contacted us seeking information for anew book he is writing on the worksMGs. In particular Peter is seekinginformation on any of the MG worksdrivers who took to the track atScbring in the late '50s and early '60sin their MGAs and MGBs.

If any of our readers have anyinformation or memories they canprovide, photographs or programsthey would be prepared to loan Peterwould they please write in the firstinstance to the Editor of "MossMotoring". In particular any information on Jim Parkinson and JackFlaherty who campaigned MGAsand MGBs very successfully from1959 through 1964 would be especially welcome.

"LOFTY" ENGLAND —Mr. Jaguar Passes On

We report with sadness the passing of Frank Wilton England, universally known as "Lofty" due to hisheight, at his home in Austria.

Prior to World War II. Lofty wasinitially an apprentice at Daimler andthen became a racing mechanic tosuch famous names as Seaman,Whitney-Straight, Prince Bira and SirHenry Birkin. After service in theRoyal Air Force as the pilot ofLancaster bombers, he made his wayto Jaguar first as Service Managerand later as Competitions Managerwhere he was the key man behindJaguar's famous Lc Mans winners.

Lofty eventually rose to becomeChairman of Jaguar, a post fromwhich he retired in 1974. Heremained a faithful Jaguar man evenin retirement and his passing leavesthe classic motoring world thatmuch the poorer. Lofty was 83 uponhis death.

LARGEST MG MEETIN US HISTORY!

We don't think it's too soon tomention one of the biggest events COhappen in 1996 at Indianapoliswhere "MG '96" will be staged fromJune 26th to June 30th.

Continuedon page 4

Participants pack one of the numerous car corrals on the last day ol the Moss BritishCurFestival.

That's what the attendees at thissun-drenched extravaganza toldus as they reluctantly left the

beautiful Flag Is Up Farms equestriancenter on the final day.

From early on Thursday through tothe superb Sunday car show, over 400participants enjoyed a feast of British carrelated activity mounted by our SpecialProjects wizard, Harry Haigh, and hishard-working Moss Crew.

Tents, RVs and other (sometimesprimitive!) accommodations were soonfilling the lawn of the show site surrounding the stunning display of Britishautomotive machinery that was stagedthere for everyone's delight. It was during the first two days that we began tosee, what I would term the "Breakdownof the Barriers"! People, no matter whatmake or marque of car they were driving, began to become indistinguishablefrom each other. To see MGs andTriumphs flash their lights at each otherwhile driving around the lovely countryside of the Santa Ynez Valley, or to witness Healey drivers offering to assistMini owners with the loan of tools, wasencouraging for the British car movement as a whole, and typified the spiritof the occasion.

While some enthusiasts took theopportunity to pay a visit to the MossMotors facility in Goleta, others wereable to order their requirements at

Central Control during the event andhave their goods delivered ro them onsite! Needless to say, the 15% discounton all products ordered during theFestival was well received!

The emphasis was on fun and family fun at that, with Dads taking theirkids along on the rally and funkhana.some even letting their offspring do thedriving! We saw some real sibling rivalryin the darts tournament which lasteduntil late in the evening on Saturday.

A popular event once again—the rally.

During the day, the younger clementwere well looked after while their Momswere taken into the quaint Danishenclave of Solvang from whence theyreturned bearing famous brand nameshopping bags! The kids, meanwhile,were busily engaged in running the

Pinewood Derby races or were beingtaken around the ranch on one of themany hayndes which made tours duringthe event. Several Moss customers were

also able to participate in a focus groupled by our VP o( Finance. RogerAdcock, at which an interchange o(ideas and suggestions to make customerrelations even smoother were discussed.

Cleaned up, after supper, everyonerepaired to the giant marquee where alive country and western band "cr.tcr-rained until the day was over.

The road rally was a real "tester"and required consummate skill to successfully complete this well thought outT.S.D. event, sponsored by Castrol,within the required parameters. Eachcontestant sported a Monte Carlo-stylerally plate on the front of rheir car andseveral of the fHorc serious vehicles wereequipped with state of the art timingmachinery such as Halda. Our thanksare due here to all who assisted in tinf- 'ing. marshaling, etc. on this wellreceived aspect of the Festival.

Equally cn]oyablc was the "WineCountry" rally where drivers and theirpartners visited some of the famousSanta Ynez wineries. The winnersreceived their reward in taking homesome of the world famous productsfrom these masters of the grape!

Continued on page .1

"BRITFEST '95"—GREAT SHOWING ATMOSS' EAST COAST FACILITY IN NEW JERSEY

The British car show season in thenortheast got away to a great startin April, with this annual event,

sponsored by Moss Motors 3nd the MGCat Club Central Jersey Centre.According to Richard Miller, the club'sVicePresident, it was the largest show inthe event's 10 year history, with nearly200 cars participating.

A wide variety of British marqueswere seen with the usual clutch ofTriumphs, I tealeys, almost every modelof MG, and for the first time, Daimler.In fact, the beautiful Daimler SP250shown at right took home a welldeserved Best of Show Award as judgedby the popular vote.

Kurt Nagl and myself traveled upfrom Baltimore to represent our club,the MGs ol Baltimore. This was mylongest trip to date in an MGA and Kur:kindly let me drive most of the way. Imust say the MGA handled much likean MGB except for the gearbox, which Ifound to be a little stiff. Also the brake

and gas pedalsare a bit tooclose, but if youangle your footjust right it's noprobiem. Ourtotal round tripwas 385 miles.

The weatherlor "Britfest"was wonderful

with temperatures in theupper 70s andsunny. Thishelped to attractover 850 walk-in spectatorswhich made for a busy day for the 42vendors at the show, selling everythingfrom V8 conversions for the MGB tomodel cars and hamburgers!

Prior to the presentation of theawards at 3 pm. Moss Motors handedout door prizes to the show's partici

pants. Our thanks to Joe Capela and hisstaff at Moss. All in all, this is one showI feel shouldn't be missed if you want tostart off your British Motoring Seasontight! Will we see you next year?

—Richard G. Liddick WM

•B' 2

Moss Motoring is publishedby Moss Motors, Ltd.

Editor: Ken Smith

Contributing Writers: Ron Phillips,Eric Wilhclm, and Harry Newton.

Production: JillLcc-Joncs, Ideal ImagesAlthough we make every effort

to ensure the correctness of technicalarticles. Moss Motors, Ltd. assumesno liability for the accuracy, safety,or legality of these contributions. Alltechnical material should be weighedagainst commonly accepted practice.Any opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors anddo not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Moss Motors.

Moss Motoring is © 1995 MossMotors, Ltd. All rights reserved.Moss Motoring Offices: 400Rutherford St., Goleta, California93117

Contributions InvitedContributions arc greatly appre

ciated and every effort will be madeto use appropriate material. Itemsfor consideration should be mailedto our newspaper production officeat the address below(rightdown theroad from Moss Motorsl:

Editor, Moss Motoring400 Rutherford Street

Goleta, California 93117

We can accept contributions,typewritten, laser-printed, or 3'/;"disc only; text files from Mac or PC,ASCII preferred; double-spaced,typed information is also acceptable.We regret that we cannot return anymaterial. We also reserve the right toaccept or reject any material on whatever grounds we decide. We reservethe right to edit or change any material to suit the needs of our publication,without prior notification to the contributor. "Letters to the Editor" willbe accepted for publication providedthey are accompanied by a name,address and phone number.

Contributors whose materialis selected for publication in MossMotoring will receive MossMotors Gift Certificates in the following amounts:

S125.00 GIFT CERTIFICATES

Technical Articles, Marque Reviews,Histories (cars, race teams, etc.) andPersonality Profiles

S75.00 GIFT CERTIFICATES

Book Reviews, Club Article Rcptints(humorous or general interest)

$35.00 GIFT CERTIFICATES

Technical Tips, Cartoons, HumorousAnecdotes, Puzzles and Photos (notphoto contest contributions, however)

Our Catalogs!We offer a

full line of complete and comprehensive catalogs.Beautifullydetailed illustrations of each carmake finding the

parts you need easy. Helpful tech-tips and hard-to-find accessories alsoaid you in the restoration, maintenance and enjoyment of your Britishclassic. Call toll-free, 800-235-6954.for your FREE Moss catalog. (Atpublication date, our current pricelist is effective from August, 1995 tillfurther notice.)

Choose from MG TC-TD-TF,MGA, MGB, Sprite-Midget, TR24A, TR250-6, TR7, Spitfire MklV-1500, Austin-Healey 100-4, 100-6,3000, Jaguar XK120-150 and Miata.

Keep costs down, ask your salesadvisor if you have the current edition of our catalog.

Fall '95. Page2

£fOn .i dark desert highway, coolwind in my hair"...or words to thatetfect entered my mind as we

skimmed the interstate after dark in theMG. Top down, warm breeze and everything was right with the world. Or wasit? ITic previous day I had heard aboutthe terrible Oklahoma City bombing andknowing tliat their local British car showwas due to be held shortly after thetragedy, wondered if they would goahead with thrir plans in the light ofwhat had happened. (I'm delighted ioinform readers that they did hold theevent—and it was a great success!)

The thought occurred to me thatwirh all the problems in this country,never mind the World, we can stillretreat to the world of British cars, notjust the sports cars, but any British car.Just to get away from it all for a fewhours of shifting up and down, listeningto the exhaust note, watching the countryside flash by or even getting outsideand "tinkering" with our British classictor an hour or so, makes a welcomebreak from all the troubles thai sur

round us today.

So, as we sped across the MojaveDesert I pondered how lucky we are

Your Editor tnes on a TR6.

that we have such a splendid, wholesome, hobby to shut out the trials andtribulations of everyday life—at leastfor a time. At the same time I thoughtabout those less fortunate than ourselves who lor various reasons have hadto forego the pleasures we experience.The people who lost their cars in floodsor earthquakes and those who may bedenied the pleasure due to service in theforces, at home or abroad, protecting

Dear Editor...I/Cfff JLjUUUI «

I am enclosing a photograph of myDaimler SP250 which was voted Best ofShow at the "Britfcst "95" event held atyour East Coast facility in April. Wewere very honored to have been selectedover the magnificent array of MGs,Triumphs, I Icalcys and other fine Britishcars on display. I owned the car Irom1969 to 1974 and was a customer ofyours then. In 1991 I repurchased theDaimler from the fellow 1 had sold it to

in 1974 and proceeded to undertake acomplete body-off restoration.

I don't expect Moss will be rushingto publish an SP250 catalog in the nearfuture, but I wanted you to know thatthe restoration of this vehicle would

have been a lot more difficult withoutyour help. The headlights, reflectors,lenses, flashers, solenoid, fuse box, toiland complete front end parts came fromMoss Motors along with many otheritems. In addition, your staff has alwaysbeen most helpful in researching andcross referencing parts for my car.

All I met at Dover were delightfulfolks, your warehouse staff were mostgracious and this together with your COhosts the MG Car Club, Central Jersey,made the trip from Maine well worththe effort.

Barry B. I'lynnBiddeford Pool. ME

(A full reporton Britfcst is on page I, as isa shot of Barry's SPZW.—Ed)

I was interested to tcad the featureby Bruce Wyckoff on Midget GTs in thesummer issue of .Moss Morormr;. As ofSeptember 1992, I was in contact withthe Vintage Sports Car Garage, where aMr. Booty told me they had the backand front molds for the Jacobs Midgetconversion and could make a body orbonnet to special order. These would ofcourse be fiberglass.

He said that if enough demand wasforthcoming they could go into volumeproduction. However, prices would notbe cheap, the rear end molding coming.it around SS00 and the bonnet around

S500 all ex-works.The Midget GT conversion was a

pretty little car and it is estimated therewere about 350 cars converted.

John E. AtkinsonToledo. OH

I don't even own a car yet. but Iplan on getting a Triumph in the nextvear or two.

Sometimes I come across an oldcopv of Moss Motoring in the trash and1 read all of it especially the technicalstuff. Why don't you collect all theTech Tips and technical articles andput them all in one book? Seems like itwould be valuable to anyone with aBritish sports car."Sorry, Ican't giveyou my name or address"

/This letter came from aDepartment of Corrections Facility,back east. If the writer lor maybe a relative! would contact us. we'll insure thathe/she receives regular copies of MossMotoring and ivill not have to dig in thetrash! We do have plans to publish thetechnical stuff in book form—when wehave time!—Ed.)

I have iust finished reading the article by Mark Dixon on the TR7 in thesummer issue of Moss Motoring, andwas glad to see the positive lighr inwhich he placed the car.

It was around 1980 when I remember seeing a "7" for the first time. Thiswas during my high school years andbeing very impressionable—impressed Iwas! The car was such a radical departure from anything I had ever seen inOklahoma and 1 believe that it is onlythe "old school" cat enthusiasts whoshun the TR7 because of this departure.British Lcyland certainly brought the carinto the '70s svith the radical design.

Now, all these years later, my wifeand 1 are the very proud owners of a'79 TR7 'Limited' showing 64K mileson the clock.

The car was stored in 1987 afterbeing traded, and was sold to me by afarmer in Virginia whose sons wished toinstall a V8 in the Triumph. Thankfully,the boys lost interest and turned theirattention to monster trucks!

The car needs head and valve workbut otherwise seems driveablc. 1 say"seems" because I will not even start thecar until it has been disassembled andrestored! We -ire guessing abour ISmonths for the restoration and upgrade.

For those people still considering ifone of these wonderful cars is right loryou, go and purchase a new convertible,pay your new car tax, ante up that new-car insurance and weigh all that againstmy S350 'trophy', plus about .motherthree thousand dollars to make itimmortal and you will start looking inyour Sunday paper next week!

We have excellent sources for OEMand NOS parts and you can do a lot of

our freedom. Even British car enthusiasts who arc incarcerated in a state orlocal prison (yes, we frequently get letters from them, in fact there's a couplein this issue telling us how they dreamof the day when they can get behind thewheel of their MG, Triumph or whatever, once again!). Only the other day Ihad a letter from a gentleman sufferingfrom a terminal illness, in which he saidthat through these pages and those ofother British car oriented publicationshe was able to relive his youthful memories behind the wheel of that "LittleRed Demon!"

So my request to you is, dunng thiswinter think sometimes about the pleasure we get from just being British carenthusiasts, sharing friendships, information and above all being able to enjoyour unique and esoteric pastime in thewonderful company of other like-minded folks. At the same time, spare athought for those who for various reasons arc not so lucky as we are.

It's like a religion really, inwhich..."You can check out any timeyou like, but you can never leave!"(With apologies to the Eagles!)

—Ken Smith

the rebuild yourself. For those who are alittle wrench shy, check around for alocal shop that rebuilds British sportscars. In any event build one for yourfamily today! Happy motoring!

Anonymous

(British car enthusiasts are everywhere! The reason the writer remainsanonymous is that this letter also camefrom a Department of Corrections facility, but the writer will still receive hisMoss Gift Certificate for use when hecan start his rebuild of the TR7.'—Ed.)

My prayers were answered by thelast issue of Aloss Motoring! I had justfinished a street restoration of my '6^Austin-Healey Sprite and the last item Ineeded was an unbroken steering wheel.Agonizing between repairing mineagain, or installing a Moto-Lita, whatshould 1 discover in the Summer issue ofMoss Motoring but the answer to myproblem—newsteering wheels!

Yes. '64 to '67 is the run of thesewheels with a larger splined hole thanall the later Sprites and Midgets, an itemnearly impossible to find undamaged onthe used parts market.

So please, send me one 453-865,pronto!—and thanks to Moss for continuing to make and marker theseobsolete parts for our old, cherishedsports cars!

Ron Phillips

rvi[A-T^\i

jgr**tlfrMkwtT Accessories ' ^

GOT A MIATA?If you, your spouse, your friends.

relatives or neighbors own a MazdaMiata, we have recently published oursecond edition Miata catalog. Filledwith items to improve and modifyMazda's modern "British" sports car,the Miata Mania Accessories catalog isan ideal source for gift ideas. Ask forcatalog SMCC-02.

OOPS...SORRY! DEPARTMENTWe missed giving credit lor two

excellent photographs in our Summer.1995 issue. The shot of the yellow TRon pagefivewasfromJohn and JanicePercival up there in Burnaby, BC,Canada. The photo of two Triumphs onpagefour, showedthe cars of TroyTinsieyand Al Davies of the ggNew Mexico Triumph Club. —•

At Full

ChatBY HARRY HEWTON

Recently, when I was asked for adescription of the MG TCsplace in automotive history, a

response was easy. "If it weren't forthis car I would probably be in a different line of work".

No other car could have capturedthe American market the way this jauntysportster did right after World War II.GIs returning from Europe introducedthese British machines to enthusiasts onthis side of the "pond". Then formal distribution commenced through a networkof distributors and dealers who werethemselves enthusiasts. (Of whom AlMoss was one!—Ed.) The TC waspriced right, around $2,000, and its performance, while ridiculously slow by1990's standards, was sprightly whencompared with our cumbersome andslow revving automotiveofferingsat thetime. Today, a family sedan not able tobreak 10 seconds in a 60 MPH acceleration test is considered a sluggard. Thoseearly post-war MGs took at least twicethat long to get there...yet, at the timethey were considered sporty and last.MGs in stock form and modified, comprised the nucleus of the early SCCArace fields at Watkins Glen,Bridgehampton. Pebble Beach, andTorrey Pines.

introduced in 1945 at the Earl'sCourt Auto Show, the MG TC, a faceliftof the pre-war TB, was distinguished bya narrow, squarish, wood framed bodywith rakish cut-down doors, spiderylooking 19" wheels and a fold downwindshield to reduce wind resistance. Atthe front stood a vertical radiaror, outlined by a simple yet distinctive shell andseparate headlamps. At the rear, a vertical spare wheel and tire were mountedto the slab sided gas tank. Weather pro

©•-—-OSOBSBM

tection, such as it was, was provided bya folding canvas top and demountableside curtains that were stored behind theseat back. With iis louvcred hood takingup fully half the car's length, the TClooked as if it was powered by a monster of an engine, and many first timeviewers were amazed to find a diminutive four-banger under the bonnet!However, that 1250cc power unit putout 54 bhp at a busy 5250 rpm, andpropelled the MG to a maximum speedof about 80 mph.

Just looking at the raw specificationmakes one wonder what the MG TCoffered that made it such a factor in

...the tachometer, ratherthan the speedometer, wasconsidered the most important of the gauges...

establishing sports cars on these shores.The under-square, three main bearingengine's overhead valve train was actuated by pushrods from a camshaftmounted low in the cast iron block, andthe four speed gearbox demanded careful manipulation when shifting up ordown. With semi-elliptic leaf springs and

friction shock absorbers, the MG'sride am only be described as firm,bordering on harsh, and it didn'ttake well to rough surfaces, particularly when cornering. All TCsproduced were right hand drive,making passing on United Statesroads a bit dicey! Parking was evenmore perilous as no bumpers wereprovided as standard!

Despite the foregoing, thesporty MG TC was a delight, andits fans ascribed positive characterto its idiosyncrasies. A raspy-exhaust note, coupled with plentyof mechanical engine and gearnoise, emphasized that sporty personality. Proper gearchangingrequired double clutching andinvolved a technique called "Heeland Toe", which involved the driver's right foot simultaneously onboth the accelerator and brakepedals. (A technique recentlydescribed in these pages-Ed.)

^MpBest Ever! is Verdict on 1995 Moss British Car FestivalContinued from page 1

V1

»•-.... --' .7.1 hWVffireg,

4 * 111-4

*

Dozens of participants decided to give their drivingskills a test in the slalom.

Sunday morning dawned bright, butbecame a little overcast which was justas well for those who labored to presenttheir car to fullest advantage in thePopular Choice car event. What an ,r. , r>,„.>,/„>. fL~:~„~ .,.„„„event! Row after row of beautiful \"the People SChoices WCTCBritish machinery included a clutch of JUSt that, and reflected theDeLoreans and several of the little cars higf} standards apparent...

The winner of the 'Best ol Show' award.

for which the British automotive industry was renowned in the laic '50s andearly '60s including Morris Minors.Minis, 3n Austin A35, even a Morgan 3-wheeler which posed proudly alongsideits larger Malvern stablcmatcs!

Then there were the big guns!Superb Jaguars, spectacular JensenInterceptors, although, as usual by farthe largest contingent on the field werethe ubiquitous MGs. Triumphs and

Those who mastered this wctc disdainful of the inept majority who could not!Similarly, the tachometer, rather thanthe speedometer, was considered themost important of the gauges that werespread across the instrument panel, andit was accorded a position directly infront of the driver, while the speedometer was directly in front of the passenger. If the indicated rpm fell below2000, a change down to the next lowergear was in order, and the whippy threebearing crank did not take kindly tobeing pushed beyond 5000 rpm.Driving a TC required skill and thatmay not have been one of the car'sstrongest selling points...it was noteveryone's cup of tea!

large and small Healeys. Choosing thewinners was a very difficult task, but inthe end the People's Choices were jusr

that and reflected the high standardsapparent in the presentation of all thecars. Everyone seemed delighted whenthe stunning, sexy Ginctta was chosen asCar of the Show by a select panel ofknowledgeable enthusiasts.

The awards ceremony was highlighted by the presentation of two "freeround-trip airline tickets to Londoncourtesy of one of our major sponsors,British Airways. Here we must alsoacknowledge the invaluable support ofour other sponsors including Zymolautomotive products , GTE Mobilnct.Castrol, and Armorall.

All too soon it was time, after theprize presentation, to say a reluctantfarewell to Flag is Up but everyone leftvowing to return in 1996 when thefourth Moss British Car Festival promis- * 'es to be bigger and better then ever!Watch these pages for details and ••reserve your spot early! »

By 1949, when the TCs successor,the TD, was introduced as a 1950 model,exactly 10,000 TCs had been built, abouthalf of which found their way to thiscountry. These cars are now prized bynot only collectors and enthusiasts, butalso by vintage racers. Forty years afterthey were imported to this country, manywell preserved and restored TCs havebeen re-imported to land of their birth—Great Britain! On both sides of theAtlantic, a car restored to prime condition will bring many times its originalprice with some reported sales in excessof S30.000!

(Harryis a regularcontributortoEuropean Car magazine, which can mmbe seen on the bookstands.—Ed.) mm

MGTC

BatteryCables

Exactly as original, from the splitbattery connectorsto the btaid cover

ing on the negativecable, these superbreproductionsfunction perfectlyand look absolute

ly authentic.

MG TC

Badge Bar Brackets

New reproductions in cast iron,exactly as original.

Positive Cable (to ground)NegativeCable (to starter switch)

332-045

332-050

$12.95

SI 6.50

L/H BracketR/H Bracket

406-310 S24.95406-320 S24.95

MGTC

Heavy-DutyInner

Tubes

Racing Bugatthave this, at lcEngland for tha special compBugattis, Alfasuperior tubesous conditionsperiod style brclassic appcarjpossibly match

s, Alfa Romcos, and your MG TC canisr, in common. We found a source ins 450/500 x 19" "HD" tube which is

etition type developed for use on racingRomcos, and MGs. Not only do thesegive long lasting security under ardu-they include brass valve stems with

iss securing nuts for an understatednee that cheaper styles of tubes can't

452-785 S69.95

Fall -95, Page 3

Q Spa

HOW TO BUILD A BRITISH CARCOLLEaiON...(on the cheap!)Gary Natziger, Wcllman, Iowa

I admit to being a scrounger, cheapskate, skinflint and hand-me-downking! I have shelves of worn out

Triumph parts I just can't throw away.Anyone out there need a TR3 brakecaliper with a ruined hydraulic fixture,drilled out by a ham fisted machinist?Or a worn out water pump, or...the listgoes on.

In the same vein, I have found away to collect cars that works for meand helps build somewhat of an investment. It goes like this:

I put around 25,000 miles a year onmy work car. I had been buying a new-car for Si 1,000 and driving it for some125,000 miles before trading, at which Iwould get around $1,000 trade in if Iwas lucky. So for 125,000 miles 1 payroughly Si0,000.

Several years ago I found myselflooking for a rcpjaccmcnt car again andcame upon a 4-year-old Nissan with50K miles for S3.500. It has amenitiessuch as air conditioning, a stereo and isa comfortable car to drive. I felt I couldget at least 100,000 miles out of thatScntra and 100K miles for S3,500 can'tbe bad!

1then said to myself, "Self, now youhave $7,500 left to spend." About thistime I happened to sec a 1974 TR6 forsale for $375. I was assured the engineand drivetrain were OK and in a leap offaith I took it! I advertised in a statewidenewspapet for a TR6 pans car and by-uncommon good luck, a grandma had toget rid of the car in her garage as shemoved to a nursing home! In the garagewas a fine 1969 TR6, rust free with a

REMINISCINGBob Zimmerman

Been to a gas station lately? No. notone of those everything from mulchto pancake syrup gas stations! A

real gas station, with real guys insidechanging tires and tuning up cars, notjerking the handle on the Slurpeemachine!

Chances arc you haven't been to onelately. In fact, there's probably somecharacter selling black velvet Elvises (orshould that be Elvii?) and feather bedangled roach clips out in front of many ofthese now closed establishments. I'mafraid that this trend will deprive manyhigh schoolers of an important part ofgrowing up.

I never aspired to be a mechanic.Not that the profession isn't an honorable one. It was just that it was mucheasier for me to meet ladies (and I usethat term loosely!) after screaming a couple of choruses of "I Can't Get NoSatisfaction" through a ShurcVocalmastcr P.A. system with a Fenderbass hanging over my belt buckle. Still,

Fall "95, Page 4

tatty interior but very good paint. It hada blown engine 3nd for $1,200 it wasmine to drag away.

A mechanic friend put it all togetherfor $800 and with a few fixes here andthere I now have a 1969 TR6 in verygood shape for S2,375 plus a parts car. Ialso have S5.125 left to spend, right? Sofar I have S5,875 invested in two running cars and I'm not even close to the$11,000 target mark as before. I coulddo this all over again!

One drawback to the plan is that Idon't have a shiny new car to drive towork and impress my co-workers. What1do have is a dependable car that I don'tfee! bad just driving with little maintenance as it's a "slam-thc-hood-and-go"type of car. In addition, I have a funsports car to drive to work on thosebeautiful Iowa days. When the Triumphis finally finished I can store it and startall over again...mavbe an earlv Spitfireor an MGB GT!

So, 1 have found that Japanesesedans around 4-5 years old with 50Kmiles make good work cars. They arereasonably priced and should run to150,00 miles without major trouble. Forme this is a good way to build a Britishcar collection on my salary and lifestyle.By retirement 1 hope to have a numberof cars to choose from for restorationprojects. While this collection will notmake me independently wealthy, I willdo better than the long list of new cars 1would have purchased and sold to thesalvage yard!

I now have a TR3, a TR6 and aTR4 in pans, and would be glad to hearother readers' views or sugges- mmtions on my method. mmt

all of this stardom didn't keep me awayfrom my local Humble station on anygiven Saturday morning.

Lots of guys drifted through there.We discussed how "BAD" our cars werein every sense of the word. Along withsome more cerebral topics like anatomy("Did you sec the ..."), economics("Eddie, loan me five bucks"), politics("Hey, Clayton's mom looks just likeMamie Eisenhower"), and of course girls("Did you see the..."). Some of our palsworked there. And the owner, he neverseemed to mind a parade of kids buyinga dollar's worth of gas and taking upspace on the lot. He provided us with thepan of our education that was somehowoverlooked by our school administrators.

I don't know what came along toreplace that experience for the kids oftoday. It's hard to beat really cleaning awindshield while a girl named Cindy sitsin the driver's seat, nervously adjustingher mini-skin. Now we buy gas from anindividual who thinks a distributor is theguy who delivers "Snapple". Such —mis life! J

TR6 70-SpokeWire Wheels

High srrength and aggressivehigh performance appearanceare what you get with these"Cobra style" wheels. Centerlacing with 14 sets of 5 spokesprovides greater strength thanstock type wire wheels, whilethe 5.5" width allows fitting ofstandard size tires without

interference problems, or having the wheels protruding fromthe wheel arches.

Chrome 455-485 S389.00

Painted 455-285 S236.20

even fURTMR confusions offl BRITISH imPORT CAR DfflLfR

On the subject of, "Ready to bet onit", in the last two issues of MossMotoring we have talked about a fewmanipulations that might have takenplace during the time (early 1950sthrough the early 1970s) when a newBritish car left the assembly line until itreached its final destination, the retailcustomer. It makes one think twicebeforemakingthat definitive statement,"Of course my car is absolutely, positively, unquestionably ORIGINAL"...

The real question at hand is. Whatactually constitutes "Original"?Webster's New World Dictionary

gives quite a few definitions, anddepending on how an individual interpolates these definitions, could give riseto a whole lot more discussion on thissubject. Although any purist will tellyou, "If it did noi come off the assembly line that way, it is not original"!

So how does the swapping ofupholstery, the changeover of wheels,the installation of new aftermarkctpans, and mechanical repair of components using makeshift parts (all of whichcould have been done long before thecar is in the hands of the verv first

Scene & Heard

Continuedfrompage I

The concept behind MG '96 is tobring together for the very first time allthe National MG Registers andAssociations for a gigantic meet which isexpected to draw over a thousand MGs!

We will, of course, be carrying morenews of this event as we receive it andMoss Motors will be in attendance atthe meet as well the New England MGT Register, the North American MGARegister, The North American MGBRegister, the American MGC Registerand the American MGB Association. It

is planned to include parade laps of thefamous Indy 500 "Brickyard" track aspart of the celebrations and a banquet isset to be held at the Indianapolis Zoo.

owner) affect your car? Can you still,with confidence, conviction, and proofsrare, "My car is original."?

This writer is neither a purist or anexpert on what constitutes "Original" inthe collector/classic car market, but I doknow that what I have written on thissubject is true—because I was therewhen all these types of changes andmany more were made! And, they weredone for many years before consumerismconvinced Manufacturers, Distributors,Dealers and Mechanics to clean up theiracts. Today if a car is altered or repairedbefore it is delivered to a retail customer,the customer has to be made aware ofthese changes, because it is not as it waswhen it left the factory.

If Ralph Nader had been bom twenty years earlier we might never have hadthis rendition of "Is your car original?"But then again, would the people buyingthese cars forty-five years ago give a hootwhat was changed as long as it did notinterfere with their delivery, if not, QueSera, Sera!—and only them that knows,really knows!

The Devil's Advocate...

"Imatnosnos"•

There will be rallies, tours and lotsof fun for the whole family.

Many famous names are expectedto attend, already confirmed as theguest of the North American MGBRegister will be Anders D. Clausager,the renowned British Motor Heritagearchivist and author, who has accepted an invitation from the Chairman ofthe North American MGB Register,Rick Ingram.

Several verv special MGs will alsobe seen at this event and if you requirefurther details about MG '96 they canbe obtained from Tom Boscarino,34 Park Avenue, Asheville, North ••Carolina 28803. Si

TR4A-6 Padded Dash Support Covers

This is the answer for dash support brackets which are in goodshape aside from cracked vinylcovering—just recover it withone of these foam-filled injectionmolded covers. Grain patternand color are just like the originals, and installation is easy,requiring only contact cement, asharp knife, and a little patience,none of which is included.

TR4A 633-555

TR6 ('69-'72) 633-575

TR250 633-565TR6('73-'76) 633-585

$119.95 each

/Ci* /4i\ /!.>>^V «?| jV W| |V V|

ZTR1intPHmmmfjmUMPH mTRIUMPHr

& &

Triumph VIEW POINT

"ft»>£«*&*♦'-i»vafi' **w

it? As Bun Levy once said, "They werebuilt to suck up asphalt not park on it!"In the home where I grew up we hadelegant French Provincial furniture onwhich we were not allowed to sit.Remarkably, it deteriorated (sunlight,etc.) and had to be recovered anyway.Your pristine spons car will rust while itsits, I guarantee it. Are you sometimesafraid you will wear it out?

...the drive-ins are gonebut there's still plenty todo with a sports car...

Thanks to Moss Motors, amongothers, replacement parts tot nearlyevcrything are again available, oftenmore readily and cheaper than when thecars were current. You'll never sec mySpitfire on a trailer, it's rust free andmechanically sound because I treat itwell. It has several features which identify it as a rally car. The rare steel hardtop, stoncguards on the headlamps,authentic Lucas 576 WLR driving lamps,and the factory pencil-beam map lightmounted below the Hcucr stage-watch

which itself is surrounded by dashplaques which tell of the car's history.(But not as eloquently as the dents in thedoors or the stone chips on its nose!)

You can tell I'm proud of this carcan't you? Well I'm going to allow theold war-horse its pride too. It will neverbe restored but maintained religiouslyand allowed to wear its patina of agewith dignity. It will be rallied again,maybe slalomcd and as for concours cansit among its more sybaritic kin lest anyone forget the purpose of a sports car."...but I gaar-on-tee cars dris-en in angerarc gonna get a quick five or ten pointbonus anytime I'm on the judging. I'll bedarned if I'm going to knock off a pointfor a...stone chip, brake powder ha/c inthe wheels or some oil sweating out of afitting still warm to the touch. I guess Ijust have a basic contempt for 'glass case'restorations!" quoting Bun Levy again!

So that's whar it's all aboutfolks—involvement. Get involved!

Moss Motors is involved with itsmotorsports program and the greatevents held on both the East and WestCoasts. See you there? Use yourcar and let it enhance the quality mgof your life! —

INVOLVEMENTROBERT MORRISONOntario, Canada

Could there be a better hobby thanthis? Now that you have that fineold British spons car, whar kind

of world has unfolded before you? Imust confess that my ownership of asports car is a manifestation of my reluctance to let go of a cherished part of myyouth—to be forever young! That's myaim and 1 don't care who knows it!

The cherished part of my life that Ido not want to relinquish? Those werethe weekends spent at roadracing trackssuch as Mosport or St. Jovitc. Too, itwas the warm summer nights of top-down motoring with like minded friendsthat we met at the AcVcWDrive-ln. Swellplaces those drive-ins. but they expectedto clip this tray onto your partiallyrolled down window which was kind ofa neat trick with the Mini-Cooperswhose windows slid back to front. Evenmore difficult with the TR3s which notonly had no windows but whose doorsdidn't go all the way up cither!

Well, the drive-ins are gone butthere's still plenty to do with a sponscar. A quick perusal of the events calendar in Moss Motoring will amply show-that your British sports car need not bea sedentaty relic and neither, for thatmatter, do you! As for myself, I havereturned to Mospsort and St. Jovitcbecause, thanks to the many vintage racing organizations and sponsorship ofcertain cars by friends such as MossMotors, the cars have come back too.So we have it all to do again and thoughwe might age. we need never grow old.

If racing is not your thing then itserves well to remember that sports carswere also rallied, slalomcd and just driven on the road for the pure fun of it.Fun and involvement arc the operativewords here! Join a club, most clubs produce excellent newsletters about thingsto do with your spons car or, as I saidbefore, read the events calendars onwhat's happening out there.

Above all DRIVE your sports car!For heavens sake it's got wheels hasn't

OIL SPOT TECH AND THE SKINNED KNUCKLE FACTORThere must be a formula to deter

mine the ratio of oil spot size tothe need for fixation. Fixation,

that is. meaning fixing the leak. This, asopposed to the more normal fixationwhich implies staring at an invisibleobject in the bottom of a beer bottle.Experienced bench racers know that alot can be accomplished while staringdown a bottle.

Hey, I can just imagine fixing thaileak, and then going on to a spectacularSCCA National Championship win inmy bog stock TR250—al! within a few-minutes of quality daydream time.However, we're not here to daydream.There's oil on the floor and something'sgot to be done.

This all got started when my friendJan asked if I was going to drive myTR250 to a British Car Day. I wanted togo, but the car had developed a troublingoil leak from the back of the cylinderhead. Not that I blame her lor my problems you understand, Jan has forgottenmore than I'll ever know about TR250s.I was looking for a quick fix, but shetold me sooner or later I'd wind upremoving the head.

Jan is quite practical about suchthings. When she needed an air filter shedidn't jusr call up and buy one, she wentdown to the factory, took a tour andapplied for a job. No mistakes that way.The filter on her car would be carefullyresearched and concct for the car. As I

mentioned, I'm more inclined to go forthe quick fix. It sure would be a lot easier to reiorque the head and hope. Shelaughed knowingly. Upon further pro-

crastination, I did nothing, and wound butt of all jokes ifup driving the Moss Motors TR3 to the I show up ar theshow. Problem solved, temporarily! next meet without

I drove the TR3 to a second event a car. To fix the(stillnot having fixed the 250) and it too leak or not?developed an oil leak! An old injury to Upon furtherthe sump, welded back to good health, review, I believehad suffered a relapse. What shall I do? there's anotherRemove and repair a sump, or a cylinder bottle in thehead. Which job holds the greatest fridge. Somewherepromise of future benefit with the least down near theinvestment of effort? Let's investigate bottom, it con-that formula idea. There must be some tains a tenific dayway to quantify the problem with a dream—an incred-mathematical formula. ible "come-from-

Our formula requires hard data, behind" win atsuch as oil spot diameter. Now we add Indianapolis (in athe number of unreachable bolts. Then, unique new car of my own design,multiply by a variable. We'll call our natch). Perhaps I'll contemplate thatvariable the Skinned Knuckle Factor, instead. There's still plenty of time toThis is arrived at by multiplying the think up excuses. mgnumber of rusted solid nuts times .75, —Klcm Kadidlchoffer nailthen adding the number ofunreachable bolts. Finally,we'll divide by a constant.There has :o be a constant inthere somewhere. The speedof light works for me. if theresulting number is greaterthan one I'll fix the car.

All right, let's contemplate our results. Oil spotdiameter is three inches, plustwo unreachable bolts equalsfive. Four frozen nuts times.75 is three, plus these twounreachable bolts, divided byAlbert Einstein...this is gettingme nowhere. Of course I canalways do nothing and be the

Spitfires at the British Car Festival.

TR4-4A Ashtray Insert

These are brand new, correctly moldedreproductions of the often missingordamaged ashtrav inserts.

633-405 $12.95

TR4-4A

TR250

TR6

Getting ready to start the rallyat the Moss BritishCarFestival '95.

C/3 Triumph Clubs03 The National Club address

es for Triumph arc as fol—I lows. However, there arc

—

hundreds of local clubs foreach marque. Contact us

<^> for further details of theclub in vour area, or send

• us details of vour local club

93to add to our database!

Vintage Triumph Register

0* 15218 W. Warren Avenue

Dearborn, MI 48126

Triumph Register of

^America

5650 Brooks Road, N.W.*-* Lancaster. OH 43130

as Triumph TR6 Club

H1617 Harmonv RoadAkron. OH 44333

TR4-6 SpareTire Covers

Embarrassed by the tatty,cracked and just plainugly spare tire cover sitting tight in the middle ofyour trunk? Tired of not

., nJn- Jn Q having a spare tirecover;\ 3<^?\.s ' at all,andhaving to

search around and underthe spare for that little item you knew was in thetrunk, hut couldn't find? Beproud to open your trunkin front of your friends when you have a beautiful new-spare tire cover from Moss!

645-750

633-810

633-820

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TR2-4A

Crankshaft

Brand new forged steel crankshafts are being manufactured by Standard Triumph of India using theoriginal English forging dies. These are even betterthan the original UK versions, as they use a superiorgrade of alloy steel.

851-040 S799.95

Fall '95, Page 5

i^^.

PLANNING A MAJOR PROJECT

KURT SCHLEYRocky River, OH

A couple of weeks ago, a friendloaned me several books dealingwith building and modifyingcars.

Lots of good advice but there was oneoutstanding theme which threaded itsway through all of the manuals—thattheme was Research and AdvancePlanning! Heavy emphasis was madethat the research/plan phase of a majorautomotive project is at least as important as good workmanship and money.Up front effort in this area can literallyspell the difference between success andfailure. Ilow many times have we seen inthe classifieds,"...75% finished, $10,000invested. Sell for SIOOO"? This unfortunately frequent occurrence could probably have been avoided with properadvanceplanningof the undertaking.

So I recommend that prior to beginning a project the following sequence oftasks should be followed:

1. Tap into every available source ofinformation. Books, magazines, newsletters, catalogs, etc. Get in touch withclubs and individual owners of similarcars, whether standard or modified. Ifyou spot an interesting article in a magazine, the owner's name and city arc usually included in the article and you cancall directory information for theowner's city and get their number to callthem. They will be flattered that youwent to the effort to track them down,and like most motorheads, they will bemore than willing to talk about their car.You might also take a long afternoon tobrowse through the local library's automotive collection of literature, photocopying any pertinent information.

2. Make a rough draft of all themajot facets of the project. Then mentally perform each job, writing down themajor components of each operation.Note also what parts and tools will berequired for each phase.

3. On paper, build a project flowchart or sequential breakdown of all thetasks, major and minor. Study this carefully so that the progression prevents anybacktracking or interference with another task. (i.e. Having to drill a freshlypainted inner fender wall in order toinstall a bracket.) Generate a complete

list of all pans and supplies, their potential source and cost. Also make a list ofany tools you will need and which youdon't presently own. These will have tobe purchased, rented or borrowed!

4. Procure all required parts, purchase tools and instructions and havethem to hand before they are actuallyneeded. This prevents stalling of the project while waiting for little things like agasket or a cable.

The above advice is applicable to anymajor automotive endeavor, whether anengine rebuild, or complete restoration.It is of particular value when contemplating significant custom modifications,as in an MGB V8 conversion. Sadly, Ican attest to the vast waste of time andeffort which occurs when a well thoughtout game plan is not established prior tothe work beginning.

When I started my own V8 conversion it was with very little knowledgeand an "I will solvethe problems as theyarise" attitude. If I knew then what I donow, having closely studied MGB V8sfor the past few years, I could have cutmy labor and expenses by 75% andraised the initial quality of the conversion quite a bit.

Another common error is to try anduse whatever parts arc readily available,even if they arc not the best ones for thejob. Just because you have a Hupmobiletransmission lying in the back shed,don't try and use it in the MG to savecosts! This misplaced economy leads toconglomerations such as my Oldsmobilcengine, Buick bcllhousing. Ford clutch.TR8 flywheel and Omega transmissiondnvetrain. It works—but only with aninordinate amount of fitting and modification. The wasted time and frayed temper could have been avoided by takingthe time to obtain the proper pans in thefirst place.This applies to tools also!

Take the advice of the experts (notnecessarily me!) and also take the time toproperly prepare for any major automotive endeavor. It will pay off with afaster completion, less expensive and better crafted end product.

(Kurtis the V8 Registrarof the NorthAmerican MGB Register and despitewhat he says above about hisexpertise- -he really does know WMabout VS conversions!—Ed.) "•

MGB/MGC

Alloy Hoods

Now in stock! Although weadvertised these earlier inthe year, deliveries werepoor, so we were unable tosupply these to everyonewho wanted them. If youmissed out before, now isyour chance to get one of

these beautifulalloyhoods made by British Motor Heritageon restoredoriginal tooling. MGB roadsters used alloy hoods through 1969, and GTs through1971, but these will fit all MGBs. The MGC hood also fits MGBs, and hasbeen popular for MGB V-8 conversions, as they provide increased under hoodclearance and more aggressive styling.

MGB HoodMGC HoodMGC Chrome Hood Strip

457-255457-235457-205

$399.95$549.95

S24.50

Fall '95. Page 6

MGB OIL PRESSUREGarth Bagnall

A recent article in Moss Motoringabout oil pressure in MG motors,I feel, needs some expanding

upon. The writer was quite correct tosay that frequent oil changes are the keyto motor longevity, but this applies toany internal combustion engine in anycar! He stated that by increasing youroil pressure you will extend the life ofyour bearings, and this may well be so,but would be very difficult to provecither way.

Before any change is made to the oilpressure relief valve the gauge should bechecked. I fitted a rebuilttemperature/oil gauge to a Midget andhad trouble convincing the owner thatthe pressure was in fact the same asbefore but her previous gauge had beenwrong! (I had checked the new gaugebefore fining.)

However, to deal particularly withthe MGB 1800 engine, the oil pump fitted to these motors is so under-stressedand over capacity that most of the oil itpumps is going to waste via the pressurerelief valve. Afterextended mileage theplunger and spring may be excessivelyworn on the diametrical faces and causefluctuating oil pressure at low enginespeeds (under 1000 rpm) but some fluctuation is normal. If this is the case,replace the spring and plunger.

The pressure can be increased by 7to 10 psi. by fitting a .100" thick spacer(or less if required). If the motor hasbeen suffering from running in dirty oiland the pump is worn enough to requirereplacing, then the crank and otherinternal parts will also be worn out andincreasing the oil pressure to compensate will only mask the problem andcould result in total bearing failure particularly if the car is taken on a long runat highway speeds! I have seen a motorthat had two big end bearingsfailed andspinning in the rod, still have 50 psi at40 mph, but the resulting damage wassevere! If the oil pressure has droppedbecause of worn bearings then themotor should be rebuilt.

Increasing oil pressure to 70 psi ormore can have other effects as well,some of them detrimental. After 18

years of preparing and rebuilding raceand road engines in MGBs, I have foundthat any increase in oil pressure over 70psi causes rapid wear of the oil pumpdrive gear and the worm gear on thecam. There were many modificationsmade to the B series engine during itsproduction life and 1have sorted out thereason for most of them. One modification was to increase the size of the oilfeed hole in the pump pinion and thecenter cam bearing feed hole to the lefthand gallery, to help overcome the gearwear problems by allowing more oil toget to it. (Still insufficient!) Also toomuch oil can cause "bearing wash",which is sluicing away the bearing surface. Increased pressure can also causemore rapid wear of rhe single row timing chain and lower sprocket fitted to18V engines.

My 1966 MGB GT motor ran140,000 miles before reconditioning andat this point the ctank was still withinmaker's tolerances. However, the borehad worn .007" and as I wished to goracing I carried out a full rebuild including balancing. When rebuilding 1 refittedthe relief plunger, the spring and the oilpump. The crank was not reground andthe car has now covered 185,000 milesincluding a fair bit of competition in circuit racing. I have never had any bearingfailures and the big-end shells werereplaced at 68,000, and again when themotor was rebuilt. The oil pressure isstill 25 psi idling and 65 psi at 1000 rpmwhen stinking hot! I add no oil betweenchanges every 3000 miles.

"Tinkercrs" can be their own worstenemy. For instance, no plate under thefilter on early engines with an elementso the oil wasn't going through the filler, short spin-on filters that block offthe supply because the filter sirs on theanti-drain tube, and in some cases noanti-drain tube at all!

In summary, the MG factory spentmillions undertaking development workand racing and if a standard motor islooked afr<jr and serviced per the"book" you won't have many problems.

(Garth is the proprietor of BagnallMotors in New Lynn, Auckland, - iNew Zealand anda valued Moss JffMcustomerinto the bargain!—Ed.) MBB

A fine example of a VB engined MGB was on hand in Buellton.

MGB 1962-'67

Cowlings

Dress up the dash ofyour 1962-'67 MGBwith these execmolded black plasticreproducrion instrument cluster and steering columncowlings. The two-piece steering column cowl comeswith screws for quick and easy installation.

Instrument Cowl

Stcerinc Column Cowl233-790

233-205

SI 9.95S2S.95

MG VIEW POINT

THE JOYS OF ATTENDING AN EVENINGBRITISH CAR MEETINGJERRY CARROLL

1. Hurry home after work and parkyour truck by the parts car in thedriveway.

2. Run into the house and changeclothes. Kiss your daughter goodbye at the piano. Kiss your wifegood-byewhile you filch the checkbook from her purse.

3. Raise the garage door and crank theengine while your son gives the carhean massage (presses on hood andcounts!) until it starts.

4. Shut engine off, get out of car and•load up some of the parts you hope-to trade oif at the meeting. Restartcar and back out of driveway.

5. PlayJackieStewartas youchargethecurves down the Nantahala Gorge.Verify that the engine will still pullmaximum revolutions in third gearas you pass a moving van on one ofthe few available straights. BecomeColin Chapman in the boring panscontemplating your next improvement to the car. Mimic NigelShiftright on the four-lane, cursingthe hindrance of the HighwayPatrol.

6. Pull into Bub's, eyeing the pinkCadillac decor. You have the onlyBritish car in the parking lot—butthe meeting room is full! All thistalk about poor heaters and leakyconvertible tops is just an excuseyou think, as the feeling comes backinto vour cold hands.

MG ClubsThe National Club addresses forMG are as follows however therearc hundreds of local clubs foreach marque. Contact us for further details of the club in yourarea, or send us details of yourlocal club to add to our database!

New England MG "T" Register

Drawer 220, Oneonta, NY 13820

North American MGA Register13420 Summit Hills Rd.

Albuquerque, NM 87112

North American MGB RegisterP.O.Box MGB, Akin, IL 62805

American MGC Register34 Park Avenue

Asheville, NC 28803

American MGB Association,P.O. Box 11401, Chicago, IL 60611

7. The two hour drive to the meetinghas the engine running sweetly andthe headlights binning brightly."Joe Lucas wasn't such a bad guyafter all" you think.

8. After the meeting, act nonchalantwhen everyone waits to see if yourcar will crank. Wear your gloves onthe way home.

9. Twenty miles from home, back in thetwisty pan of the road followingtheriver, the engine quits...if you weren'tgoing downhill, you wouldn't bemoving. There's a business aheadwith a night light ouiside. You coastin and stop on a sheet of ice from theprevious day's rain.

10. What's wrong? Lights work, turnthem off. Turn the heater switchoff. Crank the engine only briefly, itjust turns but doesn't fire. Step outof the door and meet the ice. Skatearound to the front and lift thehood. Check the spark plug wiresand coil wires. Check the fuses.Wiggle all the wires to the fuseblock. Skate back to cockpit and try-to crank it again. Nothing!

11. Think over all the fabulous storiesyou've read in Road & Track. Thefuel pump! Didn't someone oncekeep a British car going by bangingon the bulkhead, behind the scat tojar the stickingcontacts and keep thepump working? Turn the key on,pound the bulkhead. "Click! Click!Click!'" the pump springs to life!

12. Crank the engine. Skate 'round andlower the hood while it idles. Get inand head for home once again.

13. The instruments aren't working! Thetachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge have quit. Pull into theNantahala Outdoor Center (closed!)under another light. Turn the leftturn signal on, lift the hood andwiggle lower left wire at the fuseblockuntil the signalstartsworking.

14. Close the hood, get back in the car.everything works! Head for home.

15. As the engine falters periodically,bash the bulkhead over the fuelpump with your fist.

16. Turn into the driveway as the firstsnow-flakes fall. Your wife is waiting and opens the garage door foryou. "I worry so much when youtake THAT cat," she says. "It ranlike the beast it is," you reply!

(The above was inspired by attending the February meeting of the BritishCar Club of Western North Carolinawhen Jerry made the two hour drivefrom Andretvs to Asheville in his MGB!And this was for an evening meet- ——ing remember!—Ed.)

Inside the Octagon Video

Inside the Octagon is a fascinating portrait of thepre war MG Car Company presented thtoughinterviews and rare archival footage not seen inmany years. Experience the quest for the 100 mph"baby car", the thrill and danger of pre-war racing,the familyof MG workers, and the development ofthe most successful British sports car ever built.Included arc contemporaryinterviews with GeorgeEyston with his EX127 "Magic Midget". JeanKimber Cook, John Thomlcy. and others. There isalso much contemporary footage of pre-war MGsin action in the English countryside. Highly recommended fur all loversof pre-war spons cars. 96minutes, VHS format.

211-040 S39.95

ODE TO MG(May be sung to the tune of Wabash (annonballi)

The British reputation for sportscarsclearlystems,From a small town in the Midlands—Abingdon-on-Thames,

In a tiny MG factory, just an oversizedgarage,Camemodelaftermodelin a near-endless barrage.

The cars were loaded with panache, that's Frenchfor 'heartand soul',Forbasic transportation was neverKimber's goal.

He builthis carsto stop andgo, andcornerwith the best.Enthusiasticowners soon put them to the test.

Now modern cars outrun them and owners don't complain.Fornaughtto sixty clockings are simplynot germane.

When they factored in the comfort, they factored outthefun.And that's what MG reallymeans, when all is said and done!

Though a decadenow, andmore,has passedsince the last MG was made.Their sterling reputation hasnotbegun to fade.

So while we celebrate the marque, let'spausefor homagedue.To those dedicated craftsmen—Cecil Kimber and his crew!

Over the years I have restored an MG TD, three MGBs and I am nowwell into an MGA. None of them could have beej done without MossMotors. Your company truly fills a need! I have penned some verse dedicatedto the memory of MG lhar you might find interesting for Moss Motoring.—Harry L. Christian, Rialto, CA

(Harry wrotethisbefore thenewMGFwasannounced but I thought youMGaficionados would likeit!—Ed.)

f*^% MGB

72-Spoke Wire Wheels

Get extra strength, great looks, andmore rubber to the toad with out 5.5" x14" 72-spokc heavy duty substitutes torthe stock 4.5"' x 14" 60-spoke wirewheels. Since these wheels arc 1" widerthan stock, use with 1S5/70 x 14" titcsis recommended.

Chrome 454-825 S349.00Painted 154-815 S209.00

Fall "95. Page

NEW AND IMPROVED BRITISH TERMINOLOGY QUIZA lightheaned look at some popularterms used in connection with yourBritish vehicle!

1. The scuttle vent is used when:a. You wish to sink your British car.b. You wish to vent your scuttle.c. You wish to sink your vent.

2. An anti-burst lock is:

a. A lock that won't explode whenyou try to blow it up.

b. A lock that won't open unlessyou blow it up.

3. A draught excluder is:a. Someone who moved to Canada

in the '60s.b. A new type of ale dispenser.

4. Rostyle wheels are:a. Styled by a person named Ro.b. Styled in the shape of a Ro.c. Pic tins with a fancy name.

5. A cubby box is:a. A box to put cubbies in.b. A cage for a small bear.c. A lunch pail for a cub scout.

6. If you have a ding in your wing you:a. Land immediately!b. Have reason to compbin to

Colonel Sanders.

c. Should remove the bell fromyour bird.

d. Should remove Prince Charlesfrom the Eastern part ofyour mansion.

7. A crashpad is:a. A friend's house when you arc

inebriated.b. A futon.c. British Lcyland's idea of a joke.d. British Leyland's way of telling

you their brakes are not very-good.

8. If you have a bang in your bonnet you:a. Have a sausage in your har.b. Should see your doctor immedi

ately.c. Should make sure your insurance

is paid up.d. All of the above.

9. A nave plate is:a. A hatch on an English warship.b. Something a rude Englishman

eats his dinner from.c. A lint cover for your belly button.

10. A shooting brake is:a. A famous Stirling Moss maneuver.b. A maneuver Stirling Moss would

rather forget.c. A new anti-theft device.d. Tea time at the skect club.

11. A drophcad is:a. Her Majesty's loo on the Royal

Yacht.

b. A very expensive engine failure.c. A throat lozenge addict.

12. The dip switch:a. Switcheson the dip.b. Switches off the dip.c. Dispenses guacamolc.d. Ejects unwanted passengers.

13. A Dzus fastener is:a. D'Greek god on D'Hunger srrike.b. D'man D'at locks up D'London

Zoo.

c. The primary reason for the invention of the safety catch.

14. A damper is:a. What your British car puts on

your spirits every time itbreaks down.

b. What your feet get the longeryou drive your British car inthe rain.

15. The boot is:a. The large water receptacle at the

rear of your Britishcar.b. A German device for sinking

British Ships.c. What you give your British car

when it won't start.

d. What your wife gives you whenshe discovershow much youhave spent restoring a Britishcar.

16. Tappet:a. What you do to an SU fuel pump

in order to make it work.b. The noise inevitably made bv a

lifter.c. What the British do to a barrel of

beer before building a car.

—Sunbeam Owner's Club ofSan Diego s

HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO BE WON IN OUR ANNUAL MOSS MOTORINGOnce again it's time we ask you to

submit your favorite photographs for consideration in our

annual photo contest. The nilcs remainas always, each amateur photographermay submit up to three entries. Winnerswill be rewarded with valuable MossMotors Gift Certificates, and every entryreceived qualifies for a S5.00 gift certificate just for trying!

Remember, the subject matter isBRITISH CARS and the activities asso

ciated with them. Concours, races, rallies arc naturals but the judges willalso be looking with an eye for theunusual, the human touch, even asense of humor!

Here's your big chance to make thepages of Moss Motoring if you are a winner and even if you're not, you could stillmake these pages! We've got to have afew rules and rhey arc outlined below.The main thing to remember is—the closing date for the contest is OCTOBER31,1995. Send your entries to:

MOSS MOTORS PHOTO CONTEST400 RUTHERFORD STREET

GOLETA, CALIFORNIA 93117

ReproductionDie-Cast Horns

Most British sports cars of the 1960sused this style of die-cast bodied horn,with two double terminals. For years,the only horns we could get were plastic replacements. Moss has now reproduced the originals for clear soundand correct appearance.

Low Note Horn

High Note Horn

Fall '95. Page 8

545-020 $20.95545-030 $20.95

% PHOTO CONTEST!/ ^

It might be best if you mark yourenvelope "Please Do Not Bend"although our local US Mail postperson,Michelline. is an excellent carrier andknows what's what!1. All entries must be received no later

than October 31, 1995. Please sec paragraph 4 for information that mustaccompany each entry.

2. Each entry must be the original,unpublished work of the entrant.3. Entries will be judged on the basis

of conrcnt, appropriateness and photographic skill.4. The contest is limited to color printsor black & white prints only. Entriesshould be no smaller than 5" x 7" norlarger than 11" x 14". Glossy prints arepreferred. Up to three submissions willbe accepted from each entrant, but eachprint must be labeled individually. Weregret that we cannot accept slides ortransparencies for this contest.5. Each cntrv must be labeled with the

MGA/MGB

Spin-onOil Filter

Adapter

Avoid the mess andhassle of having todeal with your oldstock canister-typeoil filter as fitted toall MGAs, andMGBs through

1967. Use a modern, easily replaced, high capacity, and economical spin-on filter with this Moss-designed adapter. Use of a filter with an internalrelief valve, such as our #235-880, is required.

Spin-on Oil Filter Adapter 235-940 $34.95Oil Filter 235-880 $6.95

enrrants' name and address. We suggestthat you anach a separate label to thereverse side of the print. Please do notwrite on either the back paper or theemulsion side of the prim.6. All entries become the property ofMoss Motors for their exclusive use.NO ENTRIES fcAN BE RETURNED!7. If there are recognizable persons inyour entry, a signed release must accompany the entry. If it is impossible tosecure a release, a note of explanationshould accompany the entry.8. Prizes will be awarded in the form ofvaluable Moss Motors gift certificates.• One GRANDprizeof a S150.00gift

certificate• One HRSTprizeof a Sl25.00cenificate• One SECOND prize of a SI00.00

certificate.• One THIRD prize of a $75 certificate.• SDC HONORABLE MENTIONS will

be awarded a S35.00 certificate each.• Allentrants will receivea $5.00 gift

certificate.We look forward to receiving your

entries between now and Halloween!Once the contest has been judged, afull list of winners can be obtained bysending a stamped, self-addressedenvelope to the Editorial Offices jmtof Moss Motoring. S

MG TC-TD

Seat Pads

Rejuvenate your tired sagging seats with these seatcomponents which have justarrived. The genuine horsehair back pad fits TC andTDrand gives your seats afeel that can't possibly beduplicated with foam rubber or other non-originalmeans. The TD foam seat

cushions arc sold as a pairso you and your passengercan sit comfortably.

TC-TD Scat Back I lorsc Hair PadTD Foam Seat Cushion Pair

640-360

640-348

$18.95S54.95

MALLORY DUAL-POINTDISTRIBUTOR CONVERSION

DAVIDE1CHELBAUM,Moss Technical

Services

here are a number

of good reasonshy you should

consider replacing yourLucas distributor with a MalloryDual-Point distributor.

First, accurate ignition timing isoften one of the most overlooked areasof engine performance and tuning, andyour car's original Lucas distributormight just not be up to the task anymore. MG-T Scries distributors willdevelop a rather incurable wobblebetween their two-piece body designwhich, if present will virtually assureincorrect ignition liming.

Check out your car's distributor thenext chance you get. Arc the bushings#wprn? Arc the mechanical advancesprings weak? Is it difficult to maintaina correct dwell reading.- And is the vacuum advanceevenoperative?

Secondly, does rhc idea of beingstranded in the middle of nowhere byan electronic conversion send shiversup your spine? Electronic ignition systems may, in fact, be in use on practically every modern car built today, butif something goes wrong with mypoints distributor I can still probablyfix it long enough to get me home. Canyou do that with electronic ignition?

So, to really get your ignition systemback into shape we offer the MalloryDual Point Distributor, in either louror six cylinder versions to fit most ofthe classic cars w-c drive today. TheMallory distributor has dual-pointsets—one set leading and one set trailing, for more complete combustion andcleaner running. Mechanical advance isfactory set, but can be manually adjust-

T

ed to suit your engine's state of tunc.And because total advance is achievedmechanically, no vacuum unit isrequired. The one-piece housing ismachined from solid aluminum billetand features an externally mountedcondenser to prevent heat related failures. Insofar as durability goes, thesesame Mallory units are a popularchoice with the racing crowd. Whatwas that old adage..."Race onSunday—Sell on Monday!"

Although complete instructions areincluded for installation with each distributor we sell, there arc some finerpoints to the installation worthy of further explanation. In particular theinstallation of the drive dog. I've spoken with a number of Moss customerswho were discouraged by the fact thatthis was not done by Mallory. Keep inmind that drive dogs, or gears as thecase may be, are generally unique to aparticular engine, while the Mallory isdesigned to be used in many differenttypes of engines. Therefore you mustre-use your old one or purchase a new-one if possible.

Installation is not technically difficult, but if you think you lack the tools(or even the ability!) to undertake thistask then take the new drive dog to acompetent machine shop where theywill charge you a nominal sum toinstall it. However, if you want to do ityourself, here's how:

1) Take the old distributor from thecar and remove the cap, rotor, and thebreaker plate with points. Use a blockof wood to support the shaft of the distributor and drive out the taper pinretaining the dog. Some models usesplit pins for this purpose, so be sure tonote this before you proceed and drivethe pin in the correct direction if necessary. Withdraw the shaft, reinstall therotor and set it aside for the moment.

2; The drive dog has "offset" ears sothat it can only be installed in the corresponding socket one way round.making subsequent installation andremoval in the engine possible withoutdisturbing the timing. However, thehole in the distributor shaft for the dogpin is centered and makes it possible toinstall the drive dog on the shaft 180°

Window Regulators

Tired of door windows which don't roll up or down,or get stuck in the middle?If worn out window regulators are the problem. Moss has the solution withour great selection of brand new regulators.

MGB 1965-'67, L/HMGB 1965'67, R/HMGB 1868'80, L/HMGB 1868-'S0, R/HSprite/Midget thru 1967, L/HSprite/Midget thru 1967, R/HAH 3000 BJ7, L/HA-H 3000 BJ7, R/HA-l 1 3000 BJ8, L/HA-H 3000 BJ8, R/HTR250-6, L/HTR250-6, R/HTR7-8, L/HTR7-8, R/H

402-260 S159.95

402-265 SI 59.95402-270 S 104.95402-275 SI 04.95402-290 SI 19.95402-295 $119.95021-900 $109.95021-905 $109.95021-910 $129.95021-915 $129.95803-325 S67.95

803-335 S67.95071-856 S39.95071-855 S39.95

If vour

1968 to1980 MGB

dash pad iscrackedand peeling,it can beeasilyreplacedwith one of ourbeautiful and accurate covers which install over the originalsteel backing. Authentic detailing and concct pebble-grain withmolded foam backing ensure easy installation and exact fit.

1968-'71 Dash Pad

1972-'76 Dash Pad1977-'80 Dash Pad

off if you're not careful. Use the olddog shaft as a reference for which wayto install the dog.

3) Your two main objectives arc: a IMaintaining the relationship betweenthe drive ears and the rotor, and b)maintaining the factory specified endfloat of .010 of an inch.

Using the old shaft as a guide, placethe distributor in a vise or similar,mark the hole center, and drill thehole using an appropriate feeler gaugeor shim to maintain the end floatwhile drilling. Then simply install theretaining pin.

This operation docs not requireabsolute accuracy, but of course mustbe done with reasonable care. Minorinaccuracies of several degrees onedirection or the other will be invisiblesince the distributor sits in a base whichallows a wide range of rotation. In fact,most distributors can be rotated probably a full 75° or so, without interferingwith the block. I'm not suggesting thatyou should be that far off but it's alsounnecessary to build an exotic jig toaccomplish this cither!

MALLORY DISTRIBUTOR

SPECIFICATIONSAdvance Curve—24° (s* 3,000 RPM.Centrifugal Advance—Adjustable.Lubrication—Every 50 hours of useapply a light film of grease on cam lobes.

Distributor—Fits all 4-cylindcr exceptMGTandIR7 #143-180

Distributor—Fits all 6-cvlinder exceptTR250/6 #543-0404 and 6 Cylinder Points(Tworequired.) #143-1856 Cylinder Rotor(One required.) #143-190•I and 6 Cylinder Condenser(One required.) #143-1954 Cylinder Cap #143-1756 Cylinder Cap #143-225

Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to call ourknowledgeable sales staff lot moreinformation, or to otdct this Mallorydistributor which gives a hotter sparkthan the original Lucas unit and is afavorite among performance- ^mmmded enthusiasts.

453-720

453-740453-795

S155.95S155.95SI 55.95

ji^S:".-

1968'74 MGB

Water Outlet Elbow

Replace your old corroded wateroutlet elbow with one of these finebrand new reproductions for thefinishing touch of your recent cooling system overhaul.

460-945 $24.95

MGB/MidgetGulp Valve

Genuine N.O.S. "Smiths" gulpvalves are now in stock, but invery limited supply. If a restorationis in your car's future, buy one ofthese now, as we will not be ableto get any mote.

366-010 S98.50

1968'73 MGB

Windshield

Wiper/OverdriveSwitch

Obsolete for years, these complexcolumn mounted switches havebeen perfectly reproducedexclusively on our bchajf. Anotherexample of the Moss commitment-,to "Maintain the Breed"!

141-825 $87.95

Factory toolkits should havealways included this handy Lucasdistributor points adjusting tool,but only a few did. The smallscrewdriver blade and a 0.014"-0.016" feeler gauge fit almost allLucas points-type distributors. Thesmall size makes it perfect for carrying in a wallet or purse, as wellas in a glove box or even a tool kit.

031-985 $4.50

Fall '9S, Page 9

MOTORjfftlglilA TRADITIONAL EXPERIENCERACING TEST OF A VINTAGE CHAMPIONSHIP 1968 MGBTranslated from

Automovil PanamcricanoJune, 1995

All the splendor of the Britishsponscars of the '60s is still intactin this MGB that engineer Juan

Manuel Munoz Lcdo uses in VintageChampionship races. There is no doubtabout the pedigree of the MGB, becauseits prestige comes from where the classicsportscars take their title of nobility—thetracks! That is why in Europe, as in theUnited States and Mexico, the nameMGB evokes a certain type of sports car,with a personal performance, that without having the market value of a Ferrarior a Bugani, fans look for when wishingto initiate a collection.

Engineer Juan Manuel Munoz Ledois the owner of such a car which we tested this time, the one he uses for theVintage Races and the car is homologated with the regulations of the NationalCommission of Collectible Spons Cars.

"The car" says Murioz Ledo, "waspractically abandoned in a workshopand it was really a coincidence that Ifound it. When 1 told them (the owners)to sell it to me, they accepted immediately because they didn't know what to dowith it. They considered it old junk!"

The restoration process and the racepreparation was done at Munoz Ledo'sworkshop, CASTA, S.A where his highly

qualified staff worked very hard forsome fourteen months. They disassembled all the car, then structured the chassis and reinforced it with a roll cage, gota new floor and the body was straightened. During the process they alwaystried to make the car lighter, withoutsactificing its strength. They kept theoriginal suspension attachments, but infront ,chosc the coil-over conversion kitfrom MOSS MOTORS in California,USA, and installed at the rear, Spaxshock absorbers.

They also installed the original gearbox and differential. From the enginethey used the original monoblock over-boring to 82.29 mm. They kept the original crank shaft with the 88.9 mm stroke,just grinding It to 0.010" while the connecting rods were replaced by steelCarillo ones and the pistons arc cast JE.

Because of the bad shape of theoriginal engine head they obtained

another that was preparedby Schlossnagel Racing.Kent Cams supplied thecamshaft and it is rcgisreredas 719 Race. About thesecurity (safety?—Ed.) theydidn't stop in anything. TheMGB has a safety fuel cell,the brake hoses areAeroquip steel/teflon andthe car has Deist securityharnesses with five anchorpoints in both seats.

The dashboard has thefinest instruments, like double pressure and oil gauge,oil temperature gauge, a 0 to 8000 rpmtachometer, water temperature gauge, awarning light for top engine revolutions,a switch for the fuel twin pumps,switchfor the radiator fan and a master switchplaced between both seats that can bereached by either occupant.

There are two ways to test the cars'dynamic behavior. The first, a professional one, that can be done to all modern cars and the second, the passionedone, generally used for historic cars ormilestones where the objective is not topursue the best performance, but torecreate sensations!

After adjusting the seatbelts, weoperated the switches, first the masterbutton, then the fuel pumps, the ignitionone and at last the starter button. Thecockpit is filled with the rummor (?) typical of a race engine. We pushed in theclutch, a soft one by the way, and weengaged first speed. We go out on theracetrack trying to remember the drivingsensations that this car used to give inthe sixties. We were surprised by itsbehavior. This MGB responds sharply tothe steering command, it's easy to put inthe comer and goes out fairly but with alittle oversreer, getting to the no returnpoint without noticing. This is becauseof the race tires it is wearing added tothe little body roll. Both things are opposite to the original car some thirty yearsago when the car rolled a lor and hadvery narrow tires.

The engine response is excellent inthe power band that is between 4,000and 7,000 rpm. The shifting is fast andprecise and when we had to use thebrakes, it showed great efficiency keeping the car straight and in its path.

To finish, we can say that in this carwe can feel the progress of the technology during the last few years in brakes, asin the suspension and tires. At no pointdid we try to race the car. but it showedlo be capable to reach the limits withoutany trouble and provides lots of fun! "Hietruth is, we found a race car more than aspons car...

(I don't think we lost anything in thetranslationfrom the Spanish—in fact wethink it adds lo the story!. We thankJuan Manuel Munoz Ledo also SenorJuan Hernandez the Director ofAutomovil Panamcricana.—Ed.)

UPDATE ON1995 COLLIER CUP

SVRA will again host it* t"Collier Cup" race for vintage MGsat Watkins Glen this Fall, but itsformat will not be as it was in 1994when many people and cars weregranted special waivers. It will he-run under the format of previousyears and at this time it is notknown what waivers, if any. will begiven to non-SVRA members andnon-SVRA prepared cars. Anyoneinterested in competing in theCollier Cup should contact FrankRupp, President of SVRA at(803)723-7872.

For information on the MGVINTAGE RACERS ASSOCIATION contact Mark Palmer. 253Bridlepath Road, Bethlehem.Pennsylvania 18017, (610)867-6014.

Braided Stainless Steel/Teflon Brake Hose Sets

Race cars use high tech steel braided brake hoses for good reason. Now you can have the advantages of a firmerpedal and superior chafe resistanceon your favorite car. Ordinary rubber hoses actually expand under brakingpressure, contributing to a ""soft pedal". Thisbrandnew range ofcompetition-inspired brakehose setsmeetallDOT safetystandards, and arc street legal in all 50 states. Each set includes all brake hoses used on your car. withany required retaining nuts and/or copper scaling washers.

MGA

Exhaust

Header

Superb quality m ikes this three branchheader fit and function so much better thanothers. Adapts easily to a stock front pipe orcombines with our #454-590 free flowsports muffler.

454-855 $224.95

*age 10

MGA 1500 182-21.8 $67.50

MGA 1600 & Mkll 1S2-208 S67.50MGB 182-228 S67.50Spritc/Midcct (drum brakel 182 238 S67.50Sprite/Midget (disc brake) 182-248 S67.50Austin-Healey BN1, BN2. BN4 582-058 S67.50TR2-3ioTS13045 582-008 $67.50TR3tromTS13046,TR3A.TR3B iTSF series), TR4 to TS4387 582-018 $67.50TR3B (TCP seriesl, TR4 from CT4388 582-028 $67.50

TR4A IRS 5S2038 S84.50TR250, TR6 582 048 S84.50

Healey"ZATATRIUMPH, HUH?"Walt Peterson

First off, I have a confession tomake. My car's not really aTriumph. It's an Austin-Healey

100/6, 1959 vintage. Unlike the proverbial virtuous maid in the sleaze bar, theHealey has seen its share of "Whoas"and rust and car abuse. But in earlyAugust, I like to sneak out of Pittsburghwith "Dirty Harry", as I affectionatelycall Donald M. Healey CBE's "BetterIdea", to do a little aurocrossing at a bigsummer shindig.

Now, the crew there drive a lot ofMG and Triumph stuff, but I don't holdanything against anybody these days. Ipay my money with a smile and theytake my moneywith a smile, (or are theyreally iaughing at the rust around thefender cut-outs or the burnt paintaround the non-standard louverspunched crookedly into the primeredhood?) But, hey, these guys arc all right.I think they even let a Ford Falcon sneakin one year. Imaginc.a rusty Healey anda Falcon! Heck, I've been to eventswhere you practically got thrown out ifyour numbers didn'r match. I have to tellthese dudes that I can't find my number

, pjatc and stamping because all thegrease, grime and oil sticking 10 the partsunder the svelte skin of my powerfulmachine. Then 1 leave! *

Actually it doesn't bother me if theysmile and giggle like a bunch of teenagegirls. "Dirty Harry" doesn't run too bad,he's sort of what you might call a Q-ship.Underneath all that 'sin and cornjppon'he's a full-tilt, street prepared, autocrossQ-ship. Just like those disguised destroyers in the war which blew the unsuspecting enemy clean out of the water whenthey revealed their concealed weapons!By the lime "Dirty Harry" swings aroundthe last rubber ducky, a lot of smiles haveturned upside down and sunk into thoseguys' necks. Usually somebody will comeover and ask how many Wcbcrs does aHealey like that take, or what kind of V8is under the hood.

Well, anyway,there's this guy namedJeff who trailers in aTR250 from Buffalo orsomewhere and that isone nasty mean machine. It looks it too,with wide race tires, flares, a hood cutout with three dual 45 DCOEs peckingout, roll bar, you name it! No. it ain'tno Q-ship, but its owner. Jeff comesclose! Smiles nice, shakes hands friendlyand then goes out and kicks gluteusmaximus all over the place! Check outhis diamond earring. That's the Q-shiptip off. I don't wear mine because thelittle rascals fall out of your ear whenyou pull off your helmet, taster thanparts fall off the Hcalcy's SkinnersUnion carbs. "Course Jeff does haveWcbcrs, remember?

All this "psych" makes for a prenygood dice for FTD. Besides, there is alsoa GT6 that is straight out of Star Wars,it's so high tech, and 3 Lotus 7 fromPittsburgh, and a couple of V8 MGBsand last year there was a mean TR4with gigantic fog lights. Everyone waitsaround not wanting to make the last runtill the enemy makes their move to seewho can get FTD, but it usually comesdown to Jeff and myself—the JohnDeere run-alike versus the Longbndgeboat anchor!

Jeff won this year because I couldn'tget around that pivot cone at the far endof the runway fast enough. My doorpopped open a little and I got to slidingout of the seat, harness and all! All Icould see was a little bit of daylightthrough the steering wheel above thedash and the spoke of the wheel lookedfor all the world like cross hairs on abomb sight! But, dammit, 1 was sightingweeds and pretty soon I was driving intothe weeds, then out of the weeds and acloud of Western Pennsylvania dust!When the dust settled, Jeff had FTD andI had second with the red TR4 third.Not too bad for a thirty-something carthat needs bungee cords to hold thedoors shut.

BIC' HEALEY TO VISIT THE UNITED STATESThe Guest of Honor at the Austin-

Healey "Encounter "95" held atMount Laurel, New Jersey will be

the middle son of Donald Healey, "Bic",who will be visiting the gathering withhis wife. Mary.

This year is the 50th Anniversary ofDonald Healey's first car and Bic says,"It was to the USA that the majority ofthe Austin-Healey cars were sent, andwhere so many are cherished and appreciatcd. I cannot think of another carwhich is revered by so many, and it is alldue to the foresight and initiative of oneman, Donald M. Healey."

Bic was involved with the HealeyCompany in sales and public relations,joining the firm following the introduc

tion of the 100 in 1952 and after his dis

charge from the Royal Navy. "The 100sold itself, but because very few werereleased to be sold in the UnitedKingdom, we were expected to exporteverything in those (post-war) days, wehad to investigate alternative markets.For this I found myself charging aroundthe UK in a 100. taking orders from USservicemen who purchased them lor usein the UK during their tour of duty there.What an enthusiastic bunch they were,all acting as unpaid salesmen for thecompany!" Bic remembers.

Bic was also connected with the formation of the Healey Drivers' Club, laterto become the Austin-Healey Club,which today boasts clubs and chapters

Add new lift-to your car'sinterior with

one of our beautifully finished walnut dash sets. Accurately craftedfor exact fit and easy installation, these arc the perfect replacementsfor damaged, missing, or no longer serviceable original wood.

633-650 $349.50

1 know- what my kid and I are goingto do when nexr August rolls around.I've heard about this bunch of guys inEast Los Angeles who have these realcool cars all decked out with fancy paintand chrome, and I think they even haveneon lights under the car. But the reallyneat thing is that these cars can hop!That's right—hop! Those dudes trickout the Chevys to hunker way down onthe strecr then push a button and asquick as you can say "Wham-bam thankyou..." those little devils go hoppin'down the street! Then the drivers hit the"hunker-button" again and the carstoops real low and drags a plate andsparks shoot out and the Chevy hops,and pretty soon there aic all these beautiful cars hunkcrin' and spraggin' andsparkin' down the boulevard!

My son and I arc thinking of taking"Dirty Harry", out to LA to get lots ofchrome and metal flake paint, and a little neon too, just real tasteful. Maybesome neon around the antique licenseplate and just a little bit under thehood. You know, so it will show-through the louvers, like the engine'sreal cool but hot into the bargain. Andtasteful, like 1said. Then we're going toteach Harry to hop—just like a Cheviofrom the Barrio!

Next August I'll come around thatdang pivot cone, pretend like I'm slidinginto the weeds then hit the button andgo hoppin" and spraggin' up that laststraight throwing sparks off that Healeymuffler. (D.M.II. must have knownsparks were going to be important andput those mufflers on real low!). Thenat the banquet, with real china and silverware, when Jeff and the other pilotstome up and ask how "Dirty Harry"bc.ii ihem this year, I'll jusr smile,shrug, and say, "Beats me, nowjust pass the neon. Man!" s

throughout the world. Through attending club events, Bic and Mary haveenioyed seeing Healcys around the worldand treasure the many friendships madeon those trips to far-away places. Hesays, "I will always look back with pridein having played a small pan in the success of the car that can make the world a

very much smaller place."

(Further details on "Encounter '95"which takes place August 17th-20th canbe obtained from Baird Foster at(609)235-5862. We must also congratulate Bairdon his appointmentas EditorofChatter, the excellent magazine ofthe Austin-HealeyClubof America.Wewishhim everysuccess!—Ed.)

THE NUT BEHIND

THE WHEEL

There mav be no more notorious"LUCAS MOMENT" for an

Austin-Healey owner than the onewhen the red wire "smokes" all the wayfrom the rear of the car to the lightingswitch on the dash. Countless cars havehad this happen to them due to a basicdetect in the design of the license platelamp land the wiring system in general)in our beloved British sports cars.

It your wiring stays as assembledat the factory, then you won't havethis problem. But, let's say you want tore-chrome that rear bumper or thelight bulb has burned out in the licenseplate lamp and you want to replace it.Unless you arc truly double-jointedand a masochist, you will need toremove the bumper from the car in thelatter case and I've not found a chrome-plater yet that can do plating on thecar for the former case! To remove thebumper, you should disconnect the redand the black wire going to the licenseplate lamp. Now your problems havejust begun!

Did I mention peace ofmind? Well, isn't thatwhat insurance is

supposed to buy, after all?

What I'm saying is, it's just a matterof time before you will "smoke" thiswire. Why? Because the design of thelicense plate lamp relies on a piece ofstripped wire being held against thelamp connector via a brass tube throughwhich the stripped wire passes. Thebrass tube, or as some would call it, aferrule, has a hole in its end throughwhich you thread the bare wire and then

Continued on page 12

Austin-Healey ClubsThe National Club addresses for

Austin-Healey are as follows, however there are hundreds of local

clubs for each marque. Contact usfor further details of the club in

your area, or send us details of yourlocal club to add to our database!

Austin-Healey Club di America603 E. Euclid

Arlington Heights, II. 60004

Austin-Healey Pacific ClubP.O. Box 6197

San Jose, CA 95150

Austin-Healey Sports &Touring Club21 N. Rockburn Street

York, PA 17402

Sprite Club of America1421 Chocolate Avenue

Hcrshev. PA 17033

II

Sprite/MidgetSpin-on Oil Filter Adapter

Avoid the mess and hassle of having to dealwith the stock canister type filterson your"A"-scries engine. Use a modern, easilyreplaced, high capacity, and economical spin-onfilter with this Moss-designed filter head whichincludes a specially designed hose to connect tothe engine block. Use of a filter with an internalreliefvalve, such as our #235-880, is required.Does no: fit Midget 1500.

Spridgct Oil Filter Adapter 235-875 $57.50Oil Filter 235-880 $6.95

Fall '95, Page 11

fitThe Nut Behind the Wheel

Continuedfrom page 11

lay its strands back along the outsidesurface of the tube. Now, when youinsert the tube and wire into the lampconnector, the tube presses the bare wirestrands between the tube's outer surfaceand the connector's inner surface, holding everything together via the springtension in the lamp's connector.

Well, if you make and break thisconnection often enough, the lamp'sconnector loses its springiness. Whenthat happens, the tube plus the bare wirefail out of the connector, and may landon the metal surface of the lamp unit,and there you have it. Smoke! Anotherway this can happen is if the wire getspulled out of the connector while you'reshining up "baby" or when loadingthings in the boot near where the wiregoes through the rear shroud. Yes, onegood bump in the rear to that bumpercan cause the wire to be cut or knockedloose, and, you guessed it, more smoke.Did I also mention that the gas tank is inthe same general area? If I were a '100'owner, I might be especially concerned

about this as the filler neck and gas caparc inside the boot, quite near the licenseplate lamp wiring!

Well, you can now sec that it's timeto buy a little insurance. Thai's wheremy sketch comes in. For mere pennies atrip, you can buy this insurance andinstall it in your Healeyor any otherBritish sports car that uses the Lucaslicense plate lamp. All you need are afuse holder, the fuse that goes in it (fiveamps arc more than enough), two bulletconnectors that will fit a standard Lucasrubber covered 1-way wire connector,and one additional Lucas rubber covered 1-way wire connector (Moss #162-000). Where to get the bullet connectors? Some commercially available oneswill work. But the best ones can be

Fall' 95, Page 12

bought newfrom Moss(#162-200)and are called

"wire rips" inthe catalog.For the frugalamong you,

you can get

them fromyour oldwiring. Youknow the

stuff, theharness that

burned up dueto no fuse

protection. ~^^^—^^^^^^^^~"You literally splice the fuse holder

and its fuse, using the standard Lucasconnectors, into the main red lamp feedwire coming from the front ot the car tothe rear just where it snaps to the reartail and license plate lamp harness. Theoriginal connector location is on the leftside of the car in the boot, right next to

Before and After

the bumper bracket mount. No curting,no alteration of your stock wiring harness, bad design that it is, and if youbury the fuse holder under the arma-eord trunk liner, not even the concoursjudge can find it. A side benefit is thatthis fuse now protects not only the veryvulnerable license plate lamp wiring,but it also protects the tail light circuitas well.

By the way, it doesn't matter whichmodel of Austin-Healey you own, and itdoesn't matter whether it's wired positive or negative ground. The instructions arc still the same, splice the fuseholder 3nd fuse into the red wire.

Why, you may be asking yourself,doesn't the main chassis fuse protectthis circuit? It's because the lighting cir-

ClassicSpark Plug Clips

r| CMolded Bakclitc spark plugclips were original on British

j^^Bfina sponscarsuntilaround^tpttt- P" 1968. We offer top quality

reproductions of the mostpopular types used afterWorld War II. Replace thosemodern molded rubber ones

today! While doing so, replace your ignition wires at the same time with citherour copper-cored black wire, or the virtually indestructible genuine Lucas copper -cored "bumblebee" wire which was the competition wire during the1960s, and still an excellent choice for street or track use.

A. 1945-'60 Champion Clip (MG T, Jaguar XK,Austin-Healey 100-1, early 100-6) 171-530 $4.95

B. 1955-'67 Lucas Clip (MGA, '62-'67 MGB,some Austin-Healey 100-6,3000) 171-620 $6.25

C. 1960s Generic Clip (Triumph, Austin-Healey 3000) 171-520 $1.60D. 1961-'73 Champion "Bow Tie" Clip (Jaguar E-Type,

various works race cars) 171-625 $7.95Black Ignition Wire (per foot) 171-637 $0.75"Bumblebee" Ignition Wire (per foot) 571-020 $1.20

i=M:iil:^Heard any interesting tech tips lately? We're interested in publishing new and

exciting hints and tips if applicable. Send your tech tip contributions to: Editor.Moss Motoring, 400 Rutherford Street, Goleta, CA 93117. If we can use them,

you'll receive a $35.00 gift certificate.

Qi^.n 101

BRAKE TOOL REMODELEDI found that the original factory

issue brake adjusting tool (#386-160) Ibought at the MG dealer years ago can'tbe removed once you have startedadjusting the rear brakes of the 'fullspring' Midget.

So I heated up the ends and flattened (or rather straightened!) them andthen heated the center and made a 45degree bend to clear the spoke wheelrim. This gives you a closed end wrenchthat will clear the spring mount.

Keep up the good work on MossMotoring, after 20 years of owning myMidget, I'm still learninga new idea ortwo, hence my enjoymenr of readingyour newspaper! Now if only you couldpublish a tech tip for helping me find alady friend rhat actually likes MGs...

—David Bierman

Scotch Plains, NJ

(They're out there somewhereDavid, I guarantee it. When you dofinally meet her, don't talk cotters andcamshafts all day, talk cologne andcaviar!—better still, give her the MossGift Certificate xou got for this techUp!—Ed.)

cuit is unfused in our Austin-Hcalcys.That's why! Good design, eh?

Well, as you can see, this techniquecan be used on any vulnerable circuit inyour British spons car. I especially likethe no cutting, no alteration type ofinsurance this technique buys. Did Imention peace of mind? Well, isn'r thatwhat insurance is supposed to ••buy, after all? S3

In our next issue—Getting Thru Winter!

Inertial ReelSeat Belts

Restore your safety withnew retractable inertia reelseat belts from Moss!

While these belts are notexactly like any of the several fined by thc factoriesas original equipment, theyprovide dual sensitive locking features for optimum safety and comfort and

TRIUMPH Direct replacement for original TR6 inertia reel belts, but will fitTR4, 4A, and 250 (these earlier models may require captive nut plates weldedto thc wheel arches to provide anchorage points).Seat Belt 222-105 $64.95 eachNut Plate 222-115 $10.00 each

MGB, SPRITE, MIDGET - Produced on behalf of British Motor Heritage, andapproved for the US market, these belts directly replace thc original belts on1975-'80 MGBs. Earlier MGBs Sprites, and Midgets require appropriatemounting brackets.Seat Belt 222-120 SI29.95 eachMGB wheel arch side bracket, L/H 222-135 S5.95 eachMGB wheel arch side bracket, R/H 222-125 S5.95 eachMGBwheel arch top (sold as pair) 222-158 $17.95 pairSpnte/Midget wheel arch, L/H 222-175 S4.95 eachSprite/Midgetwheel arch, R/II 222-165 $4.25 eachCaptiveNut (weld to wheelarch) 222-185 $8.25 each

Qi^.n 103

HEADING FOR TROUBLEWhen I had to replace the header

rail seal in my MGB, I wanted to stopthe rattling pieces of old pop rivets thathad fallen into the rail when the previous owner had replaced the retainer. Itwas impossible to remove the loosepieces from inside the rail.

Fortunately, I had been undertakingsome home repairs and had a can ofexpanding foam insulation. The nozzlejust fit into the rivet holes so I injectedthe foam into the header rail, andpresto!—no more rattles!

—Maynard G. HirschAlgonquin, IL

REBUILD CLEAN-UPWhen undertaking an overhaul, it is

vital that the engine block is completelyfree of all grease, paint, and dirt. Foryears it has been a general shop practiceto have the block hot-tanked and thisworked reasonably well. The blockcame back clean particularly it the blockwas only a few years old.

However, some of the blocks in ourBritish cars arc getting really old, andboy, are they full of accumulated junk!By far the best method of cleaning is tohave the head and the block aciddipped. This method takes care of allthe rubbish that the hot tanking didplus, and it's a big plus, all the rust andcorrosion that has built-up in the waterpassages. It doesn't cost much morewhich makes it really attractive.

The acid dipping does not hurt theblock, but it g*ets thc interior clean. Aswith hot-tanking, it is important that allfreeze plugs are removed, and it's also 3good idea to run a cleaning brusnsoaked in solvent through the oil gallerybefore acid dipping, as this gallery canget gummedup with old oil sludge.

—Barney Jackson ••

102

Coarsegold, CA

TRIUMPH

%Hm*

ake excellent replacements.

•••••

UNDER THE BONNETWelcome to Under The Bonnet, our quarterly technical column dealing with

the basic maintenance and repair of your British car. We'll be covering topics here that have been thc cause of recurrent problems and questions by

customers as well as our own staff members. While much of this may be rudimentaryto old-time mechanics, we'll be exploring various short-cuts as well as talking abouttricks-of-the-trade not mentioned in manuals. If you're interested in a particulartopic, please write: Under The Bonner, 400 Rutherford Street, Goleta, CA 93117.

VALVE TRAIN BASICS

Eric Wilhclm

Valve train condition is of vitalimportance at all times to thc correctlyrunning engine. Unfortunately, many ofthe factors involved are often neglectedin "do it yourself" engine rebuilding andin normal mainrcnancc.

Thc simplest and most commonvalve train operation performed is valvelash (clearance) adjustment. Yet eventhis common operation involves featureswhich are not always known or wellunderstood. For example, how does onedeal with rocker arm tips which arcworn where they scuff across thc end ofthe valve stems? While valve lash usuallyloosens due to wear, what causes thcopposite situation of reduced valve lashwhich is sometimes encountered? Why isvalve lash necessary in the first place?

Before developing answers to thesequestions, a quick review of valve trainoperation is in order. (For simplicity we

'will discuss a simple single cam pushrodsystem.) On the ftont of thc crankshaftis a small diameter sprocket which drives the timing chain. Th# larger drivensprocket on the camshaft has twice asmany teeth as the crankshaft sprocket,causing the camshaft ro rotate once forevery two rotations of the crankshaft.The rotational movement of thecamshaft is translated to linear movement by thc individual cams pushing thclifters ("tappets") upwards. These, inturn, move the pushrods, which operatein ball and socket fashion between thelifters and the rocker arms. This ball andsocket arrangement is required by thcrocker arms' oscillation through smallarcs (i.e. the pushrods do not only moveup and down, but they also wiggle backand forth slightly). The rocker armspivot on thc rocker shaft, changingupward movement of thc pushrods todownward movement at the valves.Return motion of the entire system isprovided by the valvesprings.

Every part of this system is subjectto wear. When you consider that at anengine speed of 3600 rpm this operatingcycle is repeated 30 times a second, it isamazing that these parts last as well asthey do. There arc many subtle designfeatures present. For example, cam lobesmay have a slight sideways taper, andthe ends of lifters may be slightly

crowned or, the centers of thc liftersmay be slightly offset on thc cam lobes.Either combination causes thc lifters torotate in their bores, preventing wearfrom occurring in localized spots. Thispoints to one reason why regrinding tappets is not always successful—they areoften rcground flat. Another is that mosttappets have a relatively thin hardened"case" and when reground. the softermetal beneath is exposed.

A frequently asked question is, "Is itreally necessary to return components totheir original positions?" The answer is,"Yes". If assembled and lubricated corrcctly when new, there should be a shortperiod of initial wear followed by a longperiod of well-mated parts workingsmoothly together. If these parts arelater mixed, they are not worn to fiteach other, and will usually wear excessively. It cannot be expected that suchparts will bed into each other as satisfactorily as do new pans. This is especiallytrue of cams and lifters. Although agood used cam may be successfully usedwith new lifters, a new cam with usedlifters is sure to destroy thc cam.

If the geometry between the rockerarms and valve stems is incorrect, thcnose of thc rocker arms tend to push thevalve stems sideways instead of slidingon their ends, causing highly acceleratedwear to the valve guides and valvestems. For correct operation, theradiuscd end of thc rocker arm mustcontact thc center of thc valve stem endwhen thc valve is 40 to 50 percent open.Milling thc cylinder head, regrindingworn rocker arms or valve stem ends,especially in combination, moves thccontact point towards thc rocker armpivot, and requires compensarion in rheform of shorter pushrods to reestablishthc proper relationship. Refacing ofvalves or valve scats has thc oppositeeffect. Generally, stock "street" engineswill tolerate a slightly less than ideal situation much better than engines withhigh liftcams and heavyvalvesprings.Ifin doubt, ask your automotive machinistfor advice.

When valve faces and valve seatsarc ground, another important dimension, thc valve spring height, isincreased. This reduces valve springpressure, which lowers thc allowablerpm limit of the engine. Valve springsshould be checked for "free height" and"fined height", figures for which will befound in your workshop manual. If

su

Fuel

Pumps

1995 marks thc first timein 20 years that the fullrange of genuine SU fuelpumps is in production.We are extremely pleasedthat the current quality andreliability of these pumpshas never been better.

TC,TD,TFto#1509 LP typeTF from #1510, MGA, MGB to #44438,Ausnn-Hcalcv 100-4 HP typeXK120, 140, 150, Austin-Healey 100-6, 3000to #28224, MGA Twin Cam LCS "square body" 377-085MGB from #44438 thru 1967, Austin-Healey BJ8from #28224 positive groundMGB '68-on, MGC, Midget '72-V4 negative groundSprite/Midget1098, 1275 thru '71Competition Double-EndedCompetition Double-Ended

376-990

377-040

SI 14.95

S109.95

S229.95

SI 09.45$87.95

S74.95S249.50$249.50

AUF214rypepositive groundnegative ground

377-160377-165377-175377-045

377-035

/—Vcl«SCt:>3/ f.redhagh:

springs arc out of specification, it is bestto replacethem with a new set. althoughsprings with a fitted height in excess ofspecification may be shimmed. Withstock components and a good cylinderhead, it is unlikely that the springs willhave a too short fitted height. If, however, this is encountered, the spring seatingareas on the head may be milled to suit.In all cases, ensure that the coils of thesprings do not touch each other when•he valve is fully open.

If the entire valve train were set upabsolutely perfectly, and nothing in itexpanded from heat, flexed under load,wore, or in any other way deviated fromits theoretical path, we could use a tight,zero clearance set-up. Real life beingwhat it is, valve lash is required ro allowfor thermal expansion, wear, and othervariables in the system. Allowance for aspecified amount of valve lash is evenfactored into camshaft design, aschanges in valve lash affect thc cam timing. Too much lash allows the valvetrain components to slam violentlyagainst each other, while too little canlead to valves not closing properly(which causes them to burn), partsbending, and other nasty happenings.

Sometimes the valve lash will tighten in service, particularly on exhaustvalves. This is usually due to valve seatrecession, which is erosion of the valveseat in the cylinder head. This allows thevalve to sit deeper in the head, reducingthc available valve lash. Thc only realcure for this is to have hardened valveseat inserts fined. Stretching of thc valvestem can also reduce lash. Stretchedvalves must be replaced.

In checking or rebuilding a valvetrain, visual inspection of thc components is usually sufficient to determinewhether parts may be reused or not. Ifthere is any question or doubt, replacethc pan. Cam lobes may show polishedareas and slight discoloration, but mustbe smooth and flat. One lobe showingscoring, rounding, or "wiping" (smears

of metal) is enough to cause rejection.Lifters must be good fits in their bores,without looseness, but should just fallinto their bores under their own weightwhen lightlv oiled, and rotate smoothly.Their bases must be smooth and show-only very light even wear in a circularpartem, with no signs of chips, spalls, orcracks (a magnifying glass is useful forthis, as they sometimes develop tiny surface cracks which are difficult to secotherwise). Pushrods must be straight. Agood way to check this is to roll themon a flat hard surface; if bent, they willrise and fall as they roll. Pushrod endswill show polishing from wear, butshould be smooth and without ridges. Insome engines thc ball end may have aslight projection in thc center. This maybe carefully ground off, but don't grindany more than absolutely necessary.

The rocker shaft assembly should bedisassembled for examination, beingcareful to note thc correct order of thepans on the shaft for reassembly. If thcshaft shows more than smooth polishingon wear areas, replace it. Check therocker arm bushes (if fitted) by puttingeach rocker arm on a clean unworn section of the shaft. If there is any morethan just thc slightest detectable side-play, replace the bush. New bushes mustbe reamed after being pressed into therocker arms, and some must be drilledfor oil passage. If thc rocker arms haveno bushes, they must be replaced ifworn. Thc adjuster screw balls mayshow- even wear, but must be round. Ifany have a flat area on one side, replacethem and check your rocker arm tovalve geometry after reassembly.

Rocker arm "noses" should show aradiuscd bottom in profile, and bestraight across the width. It is commonto find a flattened area in the middle of

this radius where thc rocker arm slidesacross thc top of thc valve stem. Amongother problems, this makes accurateadjustment difficult unless you have avery narrow feeler gauge which will fitinside this narrow worn area. It is generally considered permissible to rcgrindsuch worn rocker arms if they aren'tworn too badly, as long as the correctradius is retained.

Valves whichshow burning,cracking, or bentstems must bereplaced. Valvefaces may bereground if theyare not in too

bad condition,and if the valvestem is not worn

A•>'\

^or scored, and the end has survivedbeing battered by the rocker arm. Valvehead margins (see illustration above)must not be thinner than specified in theappropriate workshop manual.

Valve guides arc easily checked witha valve with an unworn stem, preferablya new one. Insert thc valve in the valveguide so that thc valve is approximatelyin its open position, and wiggle it backand forth and side to side (see illustration). Triumph allowed a very generous

Continued on page 14

Mew SU

Carburetors

Genuine new SU carburetors are now being produced in thc UK from a

combination of original andnew tooling. These brandnew carburetors willimprove the way your carlooks and runs. While

rebuilt carburetors arc nice,they can never look or perform as well as new ones.

Austin-Healev 100M & MGA Twin Cam (H6)Austin-Healey 3000 Mkll BJ7 (HS6)Austin-Healev 3000 Mklll BJ8 (HD8)

370-798

370-888

370-898

SI,295.95$545.00

SI.199.95

Fall '95, Page 13

Ken Smith, Club & Events Coordinator

I lope all of you out there are allhaving a great season of British motoring fun, attending some of the eventslisted in our exclusive, giant Britishcar meet calendar published in MossMotoring. We are well into it with theMoss Road Show having taken the"Mossmobile" across country to meetand greet customers old and new. It'salways a pleasure to talk with you andtell you what's happening at MossMotors, so please if you get thc opportunity some time this fall to visit withus do come up and say 'hello'! You'llcatch us in Lansing and Grand Rapidsduring August, then to Kansas Cityover the Labor Day Weekend. Fromthere we head to the Moss MarqueDay in New Jersey before making ourvery first visit to the British Invasionin Stowc, Vermont, an event we arelooking forward to immensely. Thenit's on to Indianapolis for Indy BritishMotor Days, before heading east again

for MG on thc Rocks in Baltimore.Finally, we arc going to make it

south of the Mason Dixon Line! I didpromise this last year, so Mobile andMemphis will be on our itinerary duringOctober before we turn west for homeand the winter warmth of sunnyCalifornia!

Of course, many of my colleagueshave said that thc only reason we 3restaying out with the show until theend of October is to avoid having tomove any of "my stuff" during themassive transfer operation necessaryto relocate Moss at our super new-facility! I have assured them that thisis not so! We would much rather beout there with you, the enthusiasts,than moving piles of paper, computers, and records. We've got all winterto do that!

On the subject of our events calendar a note of caution, we do regularlystate that we cannot be responsible for

OUR FALL MYSTERY CAR CONTESTAND RESULTS OF

THE SUMMER COMPETITION!

Well, we knewit would takesomething

really special to confound most of youand our summer mystery car certainly didthat! Not everyone,however!

At least ten readerscorrectly identified thccar as a 1935RANELAGH RAIL-

TON, named afterReid Railton. The motive power isprovided by a 4.2 liter Hudson flat-head eight cylinder engine. Thc chassis was also Hudson oriented beingbased on thc Terraplanc. TheRailton was quite speedy for its rimegetting from 0 to 60 mph in under10 seconds and topping out at over90 mph.

Reader John Emblcton wondered if there were any Railtonsexisting over here—now you know-John! Bruce Carnachan pointed outto us that Reid Railton. thc builder,was using American engines beforeeven Sydney Allard was, while RobRcilly from Illinois mentioned thatthe Railton Company existed from

1933-1939 before being pre-emptedby World War II. So to the aboveand also Kevin Kelly, Bob Baxter,Lisa Bastian and Bob Cataldo—welldone! However, we can only haveone winner drawn at random from

our Castrol Oil drum and thatproved to be ERIC WILSON fromToronto. Canada who will receive agift certificate for his pcrccptivcncss.

Now shown above is anotherteaser for you! Answers on a postcardonly, please, to Moss MotoringMystery Car Contest, 400 RutherfordStreet, Goleta, CA 93117. Answersmust be received by October 6th anddon't forget to include yourname and address! ^2

Jaguar Eared Knock-Offs

Dress up your car by replacing old batteredknock-offs with sparkling new ones fromMoss. Our knock-offs feature thc correctstamped "Jaguar" lettering and beautiful polished chrome. These fit XK120, 140, 150, E-Typc, and other Jaguars with wire wheels originally fitted with eared knock-offs.R/H 011-880 S44.95L/H 011-881 $44.95

Fall'95. Page 14

the accuracy of information providedto us, although we do call and checkphone numbers and other informationwhen possible. Some of you, especiallysome club publications, have takenour calendar and reproduced it verbatim. In doing so, you have includedthe odd error! You arc also welcometo use any written material from MossMotoring providing that you acknowledge the source of the material and donot hold us responsible for any minormistakes! While I'm on the soapbox-let me remind you that all artworkboth in Moss Motoring and in our catalogs is thc exclusive copyright ofMoss Motors, Ltd. If you wish tomake use of a particular item thenplease write to us and we'll be happyto accommodate your needs. It docsannoy us, however, when we sec theAustin-Healey 'cut-away' artworkfrom thc front of our new catalogreproduced in a club magazine without any acknowledgment whatsoever!Or when our in-house artist's greatwork is sloppily reproduced on a T-shirt, again without permission! So becareful out there!

That's it for this time. Have a greatfall season and we'll sec you somewhere on the Great American ••Road asthc leaves change! ES

Under the BonnetContinued from page 13

0.020" side play for TR250-TR6 valves,but half of this figure is considered generous by many. If your guides show-wear, replace them, ensuring that thenew guides arc properly reamed to sizeafter installation.

(Thc next Under the Bonnet article will deal with cam timing and howto install and set up your camshaftwithout relying on pre-marked sprockets, bright links on chains, or otherfactory "fiddles" which may mmnot be available.) mm

I

CLUB CORNERNEW CLUB

We recently had the pleasure ofmeeting John Simmers of the EnglishMotoring Club down there inMississippi.John handed us a copy oftheir magazine Off-Side-L'ndo whichlisted various activities members partake in including a British Car Dayand Highland Games taking place onAugust 26th. If you live down there inthc deep south, the club can bereached through the Chancellor of thcExchequer, Alex Wade, 63Willowbrook Road, Brandon.Mississippi 39042 or you can callChief John at (601)634-2803.

A FRIEND IN NEED?Many of us. I'm sure, have had thc

experience of feeling somewhatstranded as our car quits and coasts toa halt at the roadside somewheremiles from home, where despite allour knowledge, we find we need help,usually from AAA.

Well, if you live in California, all isnot lost. You might even be able toget a fellow enthusiast to come toyour aid! Thc "Little British CarTravelers Assistance Program" isoperating in the Golden State, wherelike-minded British car owners willcome to your side and offer help inwhatever form is needed. Thc first listing of good Samaritan phone numbershas now been published and organizerJim Mcssineo tells us that thc Dumberof willing participants is increasing

every day as word of the LBCTAPgets around.

If you feel that you would like tohelp fellow travelers stuck in yourarea, please contact Jim at P.O. Box312, Elk Grove, CA 95759, Phone(916)761-3316. You never know-when you might need to use thisentirely voluntary scheme yourself!

(We know of at least two majorclubs out there who operate similarschemes nationwide. Membership inthe North American MGB Registerbrings a booklet listing many memberswilling to help fellow members in distress. The Vintage Triumph Registeroperates a simnar scheme.—Ed.)

VIVA LAS VEGAS!One of thc biggest and most

enthusiastic contingents at this year'sFestival came all thc way from"Glitter Gulch". Just imagine if yourclub meetings could be held in one ofthe finest auto museums in thc country? If you live within reach of "LostWages" and your interest is in Britishcars this could be your monthly nightout. Thc British Auto Club of LasVegas meets thc first Wednesday ofevery month in thc museum at thcImperial Palace. For further detailscontact Ken Korotkin. 16 BartonSprings Circle, Henderson, NV89014 or call (702)897-9711.Having met thc members wecan assure newcomers of a ••

warm welcome. ™»

MGA

Factory-

IVP®Wood-

Rimmed

SteeringWheel

Fine wood

and polishedaircraft gradealuminum

make thisbeautiful reproduction of the very rare, original, factoryoptional steering wheel a focal point of your car's interior. If you arc ready to replace your old. cracked andwobbly original stock steering wheel, you can't do better than to replace it with this outstanding Englishsteering wheel.

263-255 $398.95

MGB

Jack

1

Top-notch reproductions ot thc originalMGB jacks are now available! Authenticenough for your concours restoration, anda lor sturdier than the worn out old originals, these jacks are sure to please everyMGB owner.

386-920 $97.50

MOSS MOTORS' EXCLUSIVE LISTING OF BRITISH EVENTS!If you would like to list an event in Moss Motoring, please send a short

description of thc event including contact name and telephone number. Wewill list as many as there is available space. Send your entries to: "MossMotoring Events Calendar" 400 Rutherford Street, Goleta. CA 93117. Our

AUGUST

5-6

5

11 13

11-13

11-13

15-18

17-20

17-20

19-20

24-27

26-27

27

27

30 -9/2

next deadline will be October 31. 1995. Send details of your 1996 eventnow! (Note: Events arc submitted by club members. Moss Motors cannot beheld responsible for accuracy. Please confirm all events by telephone prior todeparture for the event.)

All Triumph Drive-ln, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. (604)574-334111th Annual British Car and Cycle Day, Dayton, OH, Jim Quillen (5131252-1948 or Skip Peterson (513)293-2819Concours D'Elcgancc, Concord, MA, David Roth (603)465-3787MGC Register Convention, Portland. OR, (704)274-2269TRF Summer Party-,Armagh. PA, (814)446-4423North American MGA Register GT, Lansing, MI, Dave Quinn (517)782-9749Austin Healey Encounter '95, Mount Laurel, NJ, Baird Poster (609)235-5862University Motors MG Summer Party, Grand Rapids, Ml, (616)682-0800Monterey Historic Races and Pebble Beach Concours, I.aguna Seca, CA, (408)648-5111Rock n" Roll National Miata Rally, Nelson Ledges. OH, Jane Schweitzer (216)467-7711Heartland British Autofest, Davenport, IA, Frank Ega (309)797-2043A Taste of Britain, Lancaster, PA, Raymond Emery (717)872-7528British on the Green Car Show, Granby, CT, Joe Bardino (203)653-2585Austin I Icaley West Coast Meet, Tahoe City, CA, Don Reichel (408)354-2222

SEPTEMBER

1-3 Portland All British Field Meet, Portland, OR, (503)244-22962-3 Kansas City All British Show, KCI Airport, (816)452-35406-! 0 New England MG i Registei (!< )F, Lake Placid, NY, (607)432-6835 Mfe.7-10 Moss Motors Collier Cup All MG Vintage Race. Watkins Glen, NT, (800)235-6954

9 MOSS MOTORS TRIUMPH /AUSTIN HEALEY MARQUE DAY,DOVER, NJ, (908)755-379410 British Car Meet, Palo Alto, CA, (310)392-660510 Battle of the Brits. Sterling Heights, MI, Jack Fuller (810)553-8738 or Steve Calkins (810)268-949510 All Foreign Sports Car Show and Swap Meet, Cleveland. OH. Daryl Wagner (216)274-3481

15-17 10th Annual Northwest Meet. Leavenworth, W'A, |oycc Toms (360)876-8231,15-17 10th Annual South Central British Car Gathering. Charlotte. NC, Robert Ybklcy (910)996-3825 or Bill Wood (910)852-330115-17 British Invasion Weekend, Stowe, VT. Michael Gaetano (617)237-4950

16 All British Car and Cycle Show. St. Louis, MO, (314) 428-112016 MGs On The Green, Lake Norman Campus near Charlotte, NC, Tom Cotter (704)455-3500 weekdays17 Jaguar Concours, Washington, DC, William Moore (703)827-950917 Out of theWoodwork, Lebanon, NJ, Marq Ruben (301 )986-S67917 Richmond British Car Day, Historic Berkeley Plantation, VA, Kevin Allocca (804)282-2361

22-24 Indy British Motor Days, Indianapolis, IN, Jeanie Kolb (317)7S2-375222-24 Southeastern GOE, Haiwassee, GA (404)992-548222-24 5th Annual Rio Grande Regional Rendezvous British Car Meet, Taos, NM, Chuck Beverley (505)823-9595

23 British Car Day, Scvierville, TN (615)428-460824 British Maddness, Bethlehem, CT (203)354-950124 The British Car Meet, Woodley Park in Los Angeles, CA, Rick Fiebush (310)392-6605

29-30 25th Silver Anniversary Concours D'Elegance British Car & Bike Show, Dallas, TX, Paula Ward (214)233-2430 MGs on thc Rocks, Baltimore. MD, (410)882-689630 3rd Annual All British Gymkhana (Slalom), Bedford, TX, Steven Ward (214)233-240330 Classic Car Show, Bakersficld, CA, Curtis Neal (805)366-3469

28-10/1 Six Pack Summer Trials Festival, Biloxi, MS, Steve Wilson (601)452-9484

OCTOBER

1 San Diego British Car Day, Del Mar. CA. Rick Quinn (619)442-27946-8 Triumphest '95, Palm Springs, CA, (714)637-44426-8 British Car Festival, Shenandoah Vallcv, VA, Thomas Lucus (703)248-6077

7 5th Annual British Car Dav, Mobile, AL, Ben Caddell (205)661-938813-14 Memphis British Car Festival, Memphis, TN, (800)344-968313-14 1995 AMGBA National Convention, Memphis, TN, (800)723-646413-15 British Car Meet, Charlotte, NC, (919)632-2142

21 9th Annual All British Field Meet and Autojumble. Tampa. FL. Max Shinier (813)726-688421-22 Autumn Classic and Tour, Santa Cruz. CA, Bill Meade (408)459-963627-29 Low Country Classic All British Car Show. Charleston. SC. Von Patterson (S03I548-4590 days, (704)542-2097 evenings

28 British Car Day. St. Augustine, FL, Chris Waage (904I2S5-499828-29 North American MGB Register Mardi Gras Weekend, New Orleans, LA, (SOO)NAMGBR-l

NOVEMBER

2-5 Southeast Regional Triumph Meet, Daytona. FL, Brent Owens (813)831-80103-4 Choo-Choo British Car Show, Chattanooga, TN, (615)622-51263-5 Wine and Dine in Temecula Wine Country. Temecula. CA. Warren Wendt (909)676-5532

Pendleton

Wool Motor Robes

Enjoy thc traditional way of keepingfree from cold evening drafts withour big 52" x 70" Pendleton Millslap robes. Woven in timeless Scottishplaids Irom 100% virginwool, theselush, thick blankets will also providea touch of comfort to your nextroadside picnic.

Red Motor Robe

Green Motoi Robe231 4Q0231-410

>5.00 each

595

"Lucas" Drivingand Fog Lamps

Authentic reproductions ofthe alwavs popular LucasSLR/SFT fog and drivinglamps which were commonlyfined in thc 1950s and1960s. These lamps arecorrect in every detail,complete, and ready toinstall on your favorite car.

Fog Lamp 162-80UDriving Lamp 162-700

S89.95 each

Fall"95. Page 15

Mail Orders:MOSS MOTORS. LID.7200 Hollistcr AvenueP.O. Box 847Goleta. California 93116

Payment:We acceptVisa.Mastercard, Discover, or wc can shipCOD. (CODsandchecksover$400.00requirecashorCcnilicd Check). Mail orders can be accompanied bycheckor moneyorder, although pciional checkmaydelayshipment.Ordering,pricing, shippingand otherprocedure, arcin our NewI'niduct/I'riccUpdate.

Counter Hours:Goleta, CA Dover, NJMon.-Fti.8 am-5pmPST Mon.-Fri.9 am-6pmESTSaturday 9am-4pml'ST Saturday9am-4pniESI"

Make your visitcount! Pleasecallahead for slockcheckswhen picking upparts atourGoleta. CA(800-235-6954)01Dover,NJ (201-361-9358) showroom..

MOSS MOTORS, LTD.

Western Warehouse & Sales Counter7201) Hollistcr Avenue • Goleta. CA 93117

Eastern Warehouse Be Sales CounterHamilton BusinessPark, *4A , Dover, NJ 07801

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We're as Closeas Next Door!

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Open SevenDays a Week!

Convenient Sales Hours

WESTERN MOUNTAIN CENTRAL EASTERN

Mon.FrLfanno7p.il Mon-Fri.7.mn Spni Mon.-FtL Hsm en9|<ni Mon.-Fri. 9<mto 10pmSlt.-Sun. 7jmto4pa Sjt.-Sun. 8imlo5pm Sn.-5.ui 'Jni :r> 6pm Sjt,.Sun. 10am to7pm

1-800-MOSS-USADirect Order Hotline, USA and CanadaDialrijxhi inloourulcvoom totpeak tooneofixiralesadvison aboutoiJen.i;r.jIc^v, pans inquires andreturn* Ifyouwish tospeak widi ytHir regular.oJcspcrioti, dialI-S0O-235-6954 amidial hi* orha atensbn atdieprompt

Customer Service Hours

Ilaveaqueiiion on a previously placed ordri? Please callourCustomer Servicedepartment, onour new roll-Iter number, for prompt aneniion.WESTERN MOUNTAIN CENTRAL EASTERN

M-F7am«j5pm M-FSamtn6pm M-F9amto7pm M-F IflamroSpn

1-800-235-6953Customer Service, USA & Canada

(Previously Placed Orders andBackorder Starus Inquiries)

Fastest Shipping in theBiz!

805-968-1041(All Overseas Calls)

805-968-6910(24 Hour Ordering Fax)

Serving British Sports Car Enthusiasts Since 1948 • Our 12th Year of Publication • Fall 1995

The Best of British! Photo by Jeff Cook, Bettendorf. Iowa