British Cars Digest #1084 Tue Feb 1 01:15:02 MST 1994
Collection of british-cars@autox.team.net mailings
Mark J. Bradakis, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Goodbye Land Rover, MG (Paul Garside)
Rover's name change (official) (jeffreys_m_j)
BMW and Brit cars! (Andy Ashworth)
Caterham Seven wanted in the UK ("Felix Klauser")
Sprouts of Lucas? (jeb)
Re: valve clearance and rover sale (James Fuerstenberg)
Advice on Midget top (widmer)
Re: TeriAnn's BGT (Jay Nemeth-Johannes)
Jaguar XJ220 engine ("Felix Klauser")
RE: Riveting Subject (Olin Kane)
Re: Land Rover bibles? ("TeriAnn Wakeman" )
Re: Bay Area Parts Request: MGB Fuel Tank (TeriAnn Wakeman)
A vintage with a nose (Roland Dudley)
MGB pushrods through the looking glass ("TeriAnn Wakeman" )
Forwarded: TR3 Hardtop for sale (Lee Daniels, Texas A&M University)
Forwarded: 1968 TR250 For Sale (Lee Daniels, Texas A&M University)
1968 Triumph TR250 -- For Sale (Jerry Anthony Neel)
Daughters & MGTFs ("Rob Reilly")
Valley of the Jolly Green Giant (Daniel Boughton)
Re: Laurel and Hardy Install A New Hood (Tim Dziechowski)
LBCs on Murder She Wrote (Larry E. Snyder lesnyd@monsanto.com 314-694-3626)
Re: Valley of the Jolly Green Giant (Larry E. Snyder lesnyd@monsanto.com
314-694-3626)
Suspension bushings and Ginettas (Jeff Young)
somebody just sent me mail and I hit D!! (Marcus Tooze)
Re: Rotoflex couplings on the GT6+ (John Lupien)
Re: Valley of the Jolly Green Giant ("TeriAnn Wakeman" )
MGB Hardtop (Jason Cobb)
Monte Carlo Mini's (Marcel Chichak)
LBCs become LGCs? (amace)
Sorry lugs (Kirby Palm)
Starting trouble on '73 MGB ("Josh A. Kablotsky")
Oil leak on Midget 1500 (Steven R. Kopec)
Tach Flakiness ("Rob Reilly")
Re: Oil leak on Midget 1500 (Tim Dziechowski)
BFE- Ken Gillanders (RadsickT)
Parts Wanted For 1954 TR-2 "Long Door" ("Bob Hamilton" )
Morgan piece on PBS... (James TenCate)
British car club in MA (Jeremy DuBois)
Re: LBCs become LGCs? (Robert Keller)
Send submissions to british-cars@autox.team.net
Send address changes to british-cars-request@autox.team.net
Archives available via anonymous FTP from triumph.cs.utah.edu
Articles sent to the british-cars-request address and address
changes sent to the whole list will be tossed into the bit bucket.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 09:15:38 GMT
From: pgarside@acorn.co.uk (Paul Garside)
Subject: Goodbye Land Rover, MG
Farewell Land Rover and MG.
British Aerospace are selling the Rover Group to BMW,
for L 800m. My guess is that they only want Land Rover,
so car production may be allowed to wither away.
Great shame. Rover are the only profitable European
at the moment, and are making some good cars.
Paul.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 11:25:49 +0000
From: jeffreys_m_j <jeffreys_m_j@bt-web.bt.co.uk>
Subject: Rover's name change (official)
Rover have had their name changed to British Motor Works (BMW).
To elucidate:
BMW have bought the 80% of Rover that British Aerospace owned (Honda own
the other 20%).
Honda are very annoyed.
A pessimistic outlook points to a bit of asset stripping! Dump all the
Rover design staff; reduce Rover to the 4 wheel drive vehicles; use BMW V8
engine in the latter. British content: a bit of metal bashing and transaxle
design :-(
A more optimistic outlook: British wage costs are lower than German (50%?)
leading to BMW cars being built in Britain :-)
But I guess no real automotive design will be left in the UK :-(
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 11:31:22 GMT
From: Andy Ashworth <tcsaca@aie.lreg.co.uk>
Subject: BMW and Brit cars!
On my way out to work this morning I heard the followin story on the news.
BMW look set to buy Rover Holdings Ltd from British Aerospace for around
800 million Pounds Sterling. If this deal goes ahead BMW will have complete
control of all Rover companies, e.g. Land Rover, Rover Cars, etc. Honda's
20% stake in Rover Cars will not be affected, nor will Rover's 20% stake in
Honda Europe. A BMW spokesman confirmed the purchase price and stated that
the current plan was to allow the two companies to continue separately and
prosper - didn't Ford say that about Jaguar and now Jaguar cannot even think
about anything without approval in triplicate from Detroit!!
My major worry is how this will affect the revival of the MG marque.
Andy
-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Ashworth
Lloyd's Register email: tcsaca@uk.co.lreg.aie
29, Wellesley Road Phone: +44 (0)81 681 4040 ext 4510
Croydon Fax: +44 (0)81 681 4839
CR0 2AJ
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 13:29:42 GMT
From: "Felix Klauser" <felix@vnet.IBM.COM>
Subject: Caterham Seven wanted in the UK
I'm looking for a Caterham Super Seven, preferably a late model Super
Sprint in right hand drive. Send e-mail or call if you know of anything
available. Thanks.
Felix Klauser
work 0705 564 266
home 0243 378 818
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 09:38 EST
From: jeb@mtqua.att.com
Subject: Sprouts of Lucas?
> Scott #1 suggests:
>
> Sprouts Of Lucas.
>
> (Well, *I* liked it.) It's perky, it's trendy, it's all-natural,
> and it's 100% organic. Whaddya think?
>From Gilbert & Sullivan's PATIENCE:
Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion must
excite your languid spleen,
An attachment "a la Plato" for a bashful young potato,
or a not-too-French French bean!
Though the Philistines may jostle, you will rank as an
apostle in the high aesthetic band,
If you walk down Piccadilly with a poppy or a lilly
in your medieval hand.
And every one will say,
As you walk your flowery way,
"If he's content with a vegetable love which would
certainly not suit me,
Why, what a most particularly pure young man this
pure young man must be!"
Or something like that. G&S were, of course, extremely British.
Jim Beckman jeb@mtqua.att.com 1955 A-H 100
------------------------------
Date: Mon Jan 31 08:47:27 1994
From: xgg2356@dcmdc.dla.mil (James Fuerstenberg)
Subject: Re: valve clearance and rover sale
TeriAnn, In your message you write:
>
> My guess is an overlose rocker arm & high revs possibly with a structural
> weakness in that push rod. The valves were adjusted to 24 thousands to try
>to
> pass SMOG. I think I will reset them to 20 thousands (has nonstock cam of
> unknown specs & only runs smoothly & well when set lose).
WOW, that sounds real loose. I admittedly run an A series motor,
buth with a full race cam and 1.5 rockers. I use clearances of
.016...which is a little loose...stock is .014. An experienced
engine builder explained to me that very loose is *bad*, it puts
greater stress on the valve train taking up the big gap. I would
suggest you tighten the clearances up and check them a little more
frequently just to make sure.
>
> TeriAnn
>
Just heard on the radio on the way in this morning that BMW is
buying Rover for $1.2B...that should be interesting, sure hope they
have the sense not to kill the Mini.
Jim
jfuerstenberg@dcmdc.dla.mil or jfuerstenberg@zz-linkl.dcmdc.dla.mil
"Here's to our friends the good guys. And here's to our enemies, the
bad guys. And here's to the hope that we can tell the difference."
--Keith Laumer--
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 09:37:55 CST
From: widmer@austin.wireline.slb.com
Subject: Advice on Midget top
I'm about to install a new top on our 74' Midget. Yesterday I took the
old one off which turned out to be very easy, even the screws came out
without any problems.
After looking at some catalogs I seem to have several options for a
replacement. Most catalogs list a basic vinyl top for about $200 with
all the fasteners included but not installed. In addition, British
Victoria lists an OE style (what does that mean?) top from Tickford
for about $270 and Moss seems to have something similar, but with the
header installed for about $300.
Now, what are the advantages of the more expensive tops? Is it just
that the header is already installed? Or is it actually of better
quality with a better fit and less likely to leak? Installing the
header doesn't seem to be that hard, so is it worth spending the extra
money just for that? And if I buy the basic vinyl top, where should I
order: Moss, Victoria British, or ... ? And last, on my MGA I used to
have a top from AMCO, where would I get one of these?
Any advice and shared experiences are appreciated!
Thanks,
Christoph Widmer
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 08:28:45 MST
From: Jay Nemeth-Johannes <jayj@hpislj.lvld.hp.com>
Subject: Re: TeriAnn's BGT
> with the MGBGT love hate relationship now in its fifth year of trying to
>decide
> whether to keep it or not.
TeriAnn,
We have a 16 year old cat around here which we call "Squeek" because
that's the sound she makes. We have never named her because we're
still trying to decide whether to keep her :-)
Jay
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 15:44:24 GMT
From: "Felix Klauser" <felix@vnet.IBM.COM>
Subject: Jaguar XJ220 engine
A while back there was a discussion of Rover V6 engines and someone
wondered what had happened to the monster twin turbo V6 that was used
for a short while in the MG Metro rally car/monster. A colleague seems
to think that this engine is the basis for the engine in the Jaguar
XJ220. This would make sense since Jaguar tried to lower the cost and
not develop the V12 that the car was intially shown with but on the
other hand it seems a little strange politically since Jaguar and the
Rover group don't have any other alliances (or at least that I've heard
of). Any comments or thoughts? Is this fact or fiction?
Felix Klauser
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 10:26:56 MST
From: okane@cscns.com (Olin Kane)
Subject: RE: Riveting Subject
>Roland Dudley sez:
>What I need are solid (i.e. non pop) counter-sunk aluminum rivets of the
>kind commonly used on aircraft skin.
>Any suggestions on a supplier in the South S.F. Bay area?
As an aircraft owner who does a lot of his own maintenance - just run out
to any local airport that has a maintenance shop and buy a few from the parts
department. Simple as that. It'll help if you have an AN number but if you
don't, take a sample or the dimensions.
- --
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 09:33:02 -0800
From: "TeriAnn Wakeman" <twakeman@apple.com>
Subject: Re: Land Rover bibles?
Henry, I haven't seen a Land Rover book worth purchasing except for
the factory manuals and the factory parts book.
The profiles & such that I have seen have nice pictures and provide a
bit of history but after a few days of bedside reading will probably
gather dust on the coffee table.
If your looking to purchase a LR to go with your B, look about, and ask
questions to this group about the condition of the LR your looking at before
spending your $$.
I think Dixon or someone is hanging onto a guide for purchasing Land Rovers I
wrote a while ago & it may be supplimented with other net.wisdom by now.
Must haves? Oh how about a good set of tools, good sturdy jackstands,
a good floor jack & that sort of thing. Most books seem to be ether
written by someone who wants to be a car romanticist or historian.
The technical ones seem to be written by people who are master
mechanics who don't bother with telling you anything more helpfull
than "Step 3 fit the bearings and hub to the axle. Step 4 fit the
brakes to the back plate. Step 5 fit the brake drum to the hub and
adjust the brakes. done"
Sorry, I seem to be deep ending this morning. Must have been from my
weekend experiences of discovering my MGBGT's pushrods are a different
length than the manual says should be in them. Therefore the new one
I had shiped overnight to me was about 4 inches too short. and my BGT
still remains grounded with a broken pushrod.
Could be because I spent the weekend trying to mate my late TR3A
instrument panel to the wiring harnes, noting that the three books I
have showing wiring harness diagrams all somewhat disagree with each
other, and none showed the heater circuit. The one sentence I found
told me to connect the lead from the heater rheostat with the ring
connector to the hot side of the wiper switch. Well both the heater
lead and the wiper switch are original to this car and the ring
connector is too small to fit on the terminal screw of the wiper
switch. It had to have gone somewhere else when it was installed by
the factory.
Arg I suspect the person who said I had masochist tendencies was probably
right.
TeriAnn
TeriAnn Wakeman One of these days, I'll be old enough that
twakeman@apple.com people will stop calling me crazy and start
LINK: TWAKEMAN calling me eccentric.
408-974-2344 TR3A - TS75519L, MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, 109 - 164000561
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 09:39:46 -0800
From: TeriAnn Wakeman <twakeman@apple.com>
Subject: Re: Bay Area Parts Request: MGB Fuel Tank
Larry, my old one from the '68 BGT is sitting behind my house. Your
welcome to it. I would advise you to get it boiled out and solder a
slight leak. Its not in as bad a condition as I thought it might be.
Or conversly you could remove your old one & have a radiator shop boil it out.
Anyway if you want my old one, its your for the hauling.
TeriAnn
TeriAnn Wakeman One of these days, I'll be old enough that
twakeman@apple.com people will stop calling me crazy and start
LINK: TWAKEMAN calling me eccentric.
408-974-2344 TR3A - TS75519L, MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, 109 - 164000561
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 10:07:52 -0800
From: Roland Dudley <cobra@cdc.hp.com>
Subject: A vintage with a nose
Friday evening, not long after I got home from work, my wife complained
that there was a gas smell in the garage. "Gas smell" is her generic
description for any unusual odor around the house. This has been a
source of frustration to me for years because I have a very poor sense
of smell and when she picks up on some faint odor, I have to depend on
her nose and limited descriptive powers in this regard to track its
source down.
Fearing yet another gasoline leak, I headed for the garage to nose
around. Yup, there was a different smell there all right, but one I
recognized, even with my diminished sense. Hot Cobra.
Roland
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 10:22:43 -0800
From: "TeriAnn Wakeman" <twakeman@apple.com>
Subject: MGB pushrods through the looking glass
Ah life
My new pushrod for the MGBGT arrived overnight UPS Fri. I went out
first thing Saturday morning to pop it in and put the BGT back
together. I thought it looked a bit strange. Alas it was about 4
inches too short and a single piece construction.
After a couple of deep sighs that did not convert the short push rod
into a longer hollow tube push rod I went back into the house and
found a catalogue. Hmm, according to this, my '68 BGT is suposed to
have the shorter pushrod. The longer ones belong to newer engines.
WHich engine do I have????? Greg Solo pointed out to me that the
engine plate had been removed and a plate (original or not) was put in
upside down.
On the other hand, I seem to have an aftermarket cam in the car and
lightened rocker arms. Perhaps these may be special pushrods. I
pulled out the the scale. The short stock pushrod was 76 grams. The
long tubular one was 70 grams. hmm...
Question:
Does anyone know if the long stock pushrod is a solid pushrod or if it is
hollow tubular?
Mine are black tubes that have a steel coloured base the same diameter as the
tube at the bottom end and the head at the other (at least 7 of them do).
The stock short ones are steel coloured, have a thick base at one end and the
head at the other.
Has anyone seen the Kent push rods? I'm wondering if the car may have a set of
those installed.
Ah the joys of undocumented modifications
TeriAnn
Lost in space and who knows maybe even time itself!
TeriAnn Wakeman One of these days, I'll be old enough that
twakeman@apple.com people will stop calling me crazy and start
LINK: TWAKEMAN calling me eccentric.
408-974-2344 TR3A - TS75519L, MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, 109 - 164000561
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 12:49:19 -0600 (CST)
From: DANIELS@LMSBV2.TAMU.EDU (Lee Daniels, Texas A&M University)
Subject: Forwarded: TR3 Hardtop for sale
Forwarded from rec.autos.antiques, F.Y.I. ---
=========================================================================
From: jwnr_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Joshua Winsor)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.antique
Subject: TR3 Hardtop for sale
Date: 29 Jan 94 20:30:03 GMT
I have a hadtop for a TR3 that I will sell for just about any resonable
offer it is in Maine but can be sent nearly anywhere
=========================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 12:52:50 -0600 (CST)
From: DANIELS@LMSBV2.TAMU.EDU (Lee Daniels, Texas A&M University)
Subject: Forwarded: 1968 TR250 For Sale
Forwarded from Usenet F.Y.I. ---
=========================================================================
From: jneel@flute.aix.calpoly.edu (Jerry Anthony Neel)
Subject: 1968 Triumph TR250 -- For Sale
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 1994 22:32:39 GMT
This is a beautiful car. It has a classic, timeless style and design. It
is a blast to drive and a great project car for those weekend mechanics who
love to tinker and play. It is in excellent mechanical condition and very
good overall condition. I have all maintenance records passed on to me
including my additions.
It has a fresh paint job of only 1.5 years; a maroon red. The original
color was yellow. There are no racing stripes as on the original either.
The wheels are non-stock wide aluminum mags with good tires. As it stands,
it is very beautiful and a joy to drive and if you are a buff for
originality, you can proudly drive it now while you restore it piecemeal,
or just wait to do it later.
I must sadly sell it to finance my business venture. I hesitate to do
this, however, and if business rebounds soon I will take it off the market.
I firmly believe this is a classic car to be of considerable value and a
great investment.
My asking price is $7500.
[... excerpt from "Illustrated Triumph Buyer's Guide" ... [deleted-LMD]]
=========================================================================
------------------------------
Date: 31 Jan 1994 13:06:47 -0600
From: "Rob Reilly" <reilly@admail.fnal.gov>
Subject: Daughters & MGTFs
Subject: Time:12:13 PM
OFFICE MEMO Daughters & MGTFs Date:1/31/94
How 'bout "Daughters of Albion" or "Daughters of Anglophilia"?
Whenever my car is DOA, I'm usually SOL. ;-)
MGTF fans should see the book "Antique Car Wrecks", a collection of accident
photos from Old Cars Weekly. I thumbed through it at the local bookshop. There
is a shot of a TF on its side, with a '50 Chevy trying to climb over it.
January Road & Track has a shot of the XJ13 crashed in the muddy infield of the
MIRA test track.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 11:12:15 -0800
From: dan_boughton@rainbow.mentorg.com (Daniel Boughton)
Subject: Valley of the Jolly Green Giant
Hmmm. Are you sure that's not the valley of the big white giant? Also
CA would be the valley of the big brown giant (except for a few weeks
in spring).
Oregon's sorta green right now. It's real cold even though it's sunny.
Only gonna be in the 50's today (brrr) :^). Maybe the green giant
lives here?
- --- Forwarded mail from phile@stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)
Scott Fisher writes >
> --Scott "Up in the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant" Fisher
Sorry, Scott. You are in California. The Valley of the Jolly Green Giant
is in southern Minnesota.
- --- End of forwarded mail from phile@stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 14:15 EST
From: timd@ns.ptltd.com (Tim Dziechowski)
Subject: Re: Laurel and Hardy Install A New Hood
> - A drill (about 1/8" bit, I think) to get the old pop-rivets out
> of the header bar
If this is on a Midget, you want 3/32. Get a titanium bit...after 10 or
so rivets, when the bit is still sharp, you'll be glad you did.
It's crucial to get the base of the back snug and stretched tight
side-to-side. The rest of the top can be stretched easily, but the
see-thru windows don't deform very much. Once the grommets are in,
you're stuck with it, so take some extra time with this.
Somebody (can't remember who) makes an aftermarket front rail weather seal
which has a big enough groove that you can use small sheetmetal screws
instead of pop rivets to attach the metal part of the front rail.
This is nice.
All of this stretching and pulling goes down a lot easier on a hot Summer's
day. Of course, you probably want to drive the car this Spring... :-)
timd@ptltd.com (Tim Dziechowski - Phoenix Technologies - Cambridge, Mass)
In New Hampshire my heated garage was 28 degrees F this morning...
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 13:17:01 -0600
From: lesnyd@bb1t.monsanto.com (Larry E. Snyder lesnyd@monsanto.com
314-694-3626)
Subject: LBCs on Murder She Wrote
Being a devoted fan of Angela Lansbury (well, nothing else was on!) I
watched an episode of Murder She Wrote last night where Jessica Flether
was visiting Hong Kong. Wow, what a plethora of pleasing vehicles! One
protagonist was kidnipped into a beautiful Mk.II Jag, and minis and
other LBCs were all over the place. It was kind of neat!
Btw, the lady buyer did it...
Larry
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 13:20:19 -0600
From: lesnyd@bb1t.monsanto.com (Larry E. Snyder lesnyd@monsanto.com
314-694-3626)
Subject: Re: Valley of the Jolly Green Giant
In St. Louis it's not green and it's not jolly. It's cold.
Larry
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 11:32:54 PST
From: jey@frame.com (Jeff Young)
Subject: Suspension bushings and Ginettas
I have a '65 Ginetta G4 with a BMC rear axle located laterally
by a central a-arm and fore/aft by a trailing arm at either side:
== == == ==
|| \\____// ||
|| \\ // ||
__||__________\\//_________||__
__==___________<>__________==__
The trailing arms have a metal-rubber-metal bushing at either
end; the a-arm has the same bushings in the legs and a spherical
bushing at the point.
First question: does anyone know where I can get replacement
bushings? I believe a similar set-up is used on the back of
Lotus 6's and 7's. I believe the bushings have an ID of 1/2",
and OD of 1 1/8" and a width of 1 3/8" (I'll check to make sure
if anyone knows where I can get something close).
My machine shop will gladly make Delrin or aluminum bushings, but
I'm concerned about the hardness difference. Second and third
questions: am I likely to crack the frame with the harder bushings?
Are the harder bushings going to make the back-end skittish?
Any help is appreciated.
- -- Jeff Young.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 13:34:08 CST
From: tooze@vinny.cecer.army.mil (Marcus Tooze)
Subject: somebody just sent me mail and I hit D!!
Sorry to bomb the list.
Somebody just sent me mail concerning the correct drill bit to use and an
aftermarket header rail which accepts screws instead of rivets in association
with Midget conv. tops.
Could you resend please...i just deleted it by mistake.
Cheers
Marcus
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 15:14:51 EST
From: lupienj@wal.hp.com (John Lupien)
Subject: Re: Rotoflex couplings on the GT6+
> But if you want, tell these guys they're lucky. They could have a Alfa
> Milano or GTV6. These cars use three "rotoflex's" (the Yurrupians call them
> Geebo joints) in the drive shaft.
That's Guibo - from the BMW glossary, "Driveshaft flex coupling".
- --
- ---
John R. Lupien
lupienj@wal.hp.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 12:29:09 -0800
From: "TeriAnn Wakeman" <twakeman@apple.com>
Subject: Re: Valley of the Jolly Green Giant
Sorry folks, but the Green Giant plant in Watsonville California just closed
and relocated to Mexico. I guess you need to look South of the US boarder for
the current valley of the Jolly Green Giant.
TeriAnn
TeriAnn Wakeman One of these days, I'll be old enough that
twakeman@apple.com people will stop calling me crazy and start
LINK: TWAKEMAN calling me eccentric.
408-974-2344 TR3A - TS75519L, MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, 109 - 164000561
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 15:51:35 -0500 (EST)
From: Jason Cobb <cobb@phoenix.cs.uga.edu>
Subject: MGB Hardtop
I was thinking about purchasing a MGB hardtop, can anyone recommend
somewhere to purchase it. I do not like the idea of a hardtop on a
Roadster but it does get cold here in the winter. Also if anyone
has one forsale please send me mail.
Jason Cobb
cobb@phoenix.cs.uga.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 14:07:01 MST
From: Marcel Chichak <chichm@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca>
Subject: Monte Carlo Mini's
SOL Mates: I stole this from a local BBS and thought I would cross-post it
here:
For anyone wondering what is happening with the Mini Coopers
entered into this year's Monte Carlo Rally, here is what I've been able to
pick up from r.a.s and C$.
One Mini was stolen 2 days before the event, but Rover was able to build
up another car in time for the start. The stolen car was found a couple
of days later, stripped. (THEFT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR MINI'S IN BRITAIN
NOW, ESPECIALLY THE NEW COOPERS)
The cars didn't need to go through scrutineering.
Timo Makinen retired after only 50 miles with a blocked fuel injector.
This was the hastily built up car. Four cars were entered, but only two
were classified, driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Philippe Camandona. Hopkirk
had got up to 50th overall and was within sight of the finish when he had
electrical troubles. (HAH, THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS STRIKES!!)
I don't know who was driving the fourth car. I hope it was Louise
Aitken-Walker.
A quote from Paddy Hopkirk "It was the first time I had ever used slick
tires. They are fantastic. You can corner on two wheels whenever you
wish!" I hope I feel that frisky when I'm sixty<g>.
Stephanie from Nepean Ontario
This is an unsubstantiated report, and I'll try to confirm details
with my contacts in Britain.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 16:09:20 EST
From: amace%sedofis@VM1.NYSED.GOV
Subject: LBCs become LGCs?
========================= ROVER =======================
Happened to spot this and thought it might be of more than
passing interest to those on the list:
ROVER FOLLOWS JAGUAR, ASTON MARTIN DOWN THE ROAD
By Peter Bale
LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuter) - Thirty years ago German car maker
BMW struggled, producing bubble cars, while the British Motor
Corporation thrived -- the second largest car maker in Europe.
Now the tables have turned and Bayerische Motoren Werke is a
premier brand which on Monday swallowed Rover, the last even
half-way British mass car-maker.
The famous names of Jaguar, Austin, Morris, Wolseley,
Triumph, MG, Aston Martin and Lotus have all been consumed by
foreign multi-nationals or shut down within bigger groups like
Rover.
Even with Rover in British ownership, however, the
"British" car of today owed more to Japan than to British
engineering after a decade of massive investment by Japanese
marques.
The background to the 800 million pound ($1.2 billion) deal
is the story of the British car industry itself: a catalogue of
post-war decline, nationalisation and decay only reversed in
recent years by a resurgent Rover brand.
"No one could have believed 30 years ago that BMW and Rover
would each be building about half a million cars," said Mark
Bishop, deputy editor of Carweek magazine.
It is a tale of thrusting post-war German growth matched by
post-war British industrial decline.
"There is strong nostalgia in this deal," said Bishop.
Rover embodied some of the best known British car marques
inherited from BMC, later British Leyland. While the Rover and
Land Rover brands were retained, it shed Austin and Morris and
was embarked on a revival of the MG (Morris Garage) sportscar.
Apart from Rover only Jaguar survives from the British
Leyland era to produce cars in significant numbers.
Industry analysts argue that both were lucky to survive
mismanagement and poor product planning in the 1960s, followed
by nationalisation when they were virtually run as job centres.
Like Rover, Jaguar was sold off by the British government in
the late 1980s -- Rover went to British Aerospace while Ford
picked Jaguar and bespoke sportscar maker Aston Martin.
General Motors, which like Ford vacuumed up British
offshoots before and after World War Two, built on its Vauxhall
mass label with a 1980s foray into tiny sportscar group Lotus
only to pass it on to the resurrected Italian company Bugatti.
Only tiny producers such as Rolls-Royce and the thriving
sportscar-maker TVR of Blackpool can genuinely call themselves
British, and that only because BMW failed last year to go
through with proposals to buy Rolls from Vickers PLC.
So what makes a British car "British" today?
Rover based virtually all its cars, apart from the
31-year-old Mini and ageing Metro inherited from British
Leyland, on floorpans and engineering from Honda of Japan.
Its best-selling 600 is essentially a Honda Accord. While
Rover gave its cars a trademark interior of walnut veneer and
leather, it could not conceal their Japanese heritage.
Carweek's Bishop argues the most "British" mass-produced
car is probably the Nissan Micra -- produced in Sunderland.
Fords and Vauxhalls may come from Belgium, France or Spain.
Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Peugeot of France all have plants
in Britain reflecting its place as among the lowest cost
locations to produce cars in Europe.
Rover chairman George Simpson told a news conference that
===============================================================================
=
Britain had to put aside nostalgia and accept the global nature
of the industry: "The motor business is very, very much an
international community these days. It's very, very difficult to
be efficient in our business if you take a nationalistic
approach."
Copyright (c) 1994. Reuters Information Services Inc.
All rights reserved.
================================================================================
========================= RIK =======================
x-to:rgs03@albnydh2
-- Andy Mace
===============================================================================
=
================================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 16:32:15 18000
From: Kirby Palm <palmk@freenet.scri.fsu.edu>
Subject: Sorry lugs
>From: Berry Kercheval <kerch@parc.xerox.com>
>However, when I went to take a wheel off so I could drill a
>couple of holes for the pump mounting, I broke off a wheel stud.
>A visit to Dick Nyquist's Amazing GT-6 Museum and Parts Warehouse got
>me a new one.
Once again I am reminded of the difference between repairing a problem
and trying to keep the car original. When I noticed that several of
the lugs on my GT6 MKIII were in sorry shape, I decided that replacing
them with likewise puny and inadequate replacements was an
unsatisfactory solution. I took one to the local auto parts store and
looked through their lug selection and found some Chevy lugs that
could be made to work. The press-fit portion was the same diameter
and length, the head could be machined to fit, and the lug was a WHOLE
lot more substantial.
A visit to a machine shop modified the heads to look like the
originals, and they were installed with no problem. A new set of lug
nuts to fit the new lugs, and I had an assembly that I would actually
be willing to let the tire store use their air wrenches on!
By the way, two suggestions for all: 1) use never-sieze on those
lugs! 2) If you have puny and inadequate lugs such as the stock GT6,
DON'T let the turkeys use the air wrench after you have applied
never-sieze! Lubricated threads result in considerably higher tension
for the same amount of torque, and the tension caused by an air wrench
is too high for those wimpy lugs already!
- --
--- Kirbert
- ---------------------------
| Kirby Palm, P.E. |
| palmk@freenet.tlh.fl.us |
- ---------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 16:30:29 EST
From: "Josh A. Kablotsky" <joshua.kablotsky@analog.com>
Subject: Starting trouble on '73 MGB
In an ice storm last Friday morning my sister totalled her car, an '85
Ford Crown Victoria (she hit a stopped DPW truck!). Since she needs
some way to get to work, my mother will loan my sister her car. Since
my mother doesn't want to be housebound, I will lend her my car. So I
need something to drive. Never mind that it's been in the teens and
single digits for the last few weeks, or that there are a few feet of
snow on the ground, I need to drive the MG now. It gets driven daily
in the summer, almost never in the winter; it does terribly on the
snow, the heat is marginal, and I don't enjoy exposing the object of
my efforts to road salt and other Massachusetts drivers.
When I tried to start the MG, I experienced a problem that began
appearing in October. Now and then, the car wouldn't start. It's as
if the battery were dead -- I put in a new battery after the engine
rebuld last winter. I heard the solenoid click, the engine turn for
a fraction of a second, the lights dim, and then nothing.
Sometimes I'd give it a jump start, and it would come to life. After
running a few minutes, it might start fine without the jump.
Sometimes I'd hook up my battery charger. The charger is rated for
50Amps cranking power. If I tried starting it with the charger
connected, the charger would click indicating I was pulling all 50
amps it would give, but the engine wouldn't turn.
I checked if there was a current drain when the ignition was off: no
- --- only a few milliamps. This was before my multimeter died, I'll
pick up a new one on the way home from work today.
Sometimes after a few hours on the charger, the car would start okay.
Then for days it would be fine, no hint of a problem. Then when I
least expected it, the same symptoms.
Yesterday afternoon I started preparing the MG for daily driving. I
turned it over for a few seconds but it wouldn't start. (Then I
remembered to hook up the fuel pump.) I tried again: it turned for a
second, and then the starter wouldn't turn over the engine.
I hooked up the battery charger, and again, the charger maxed out and
wouldn't do a thing. I left the charger on, indicating a low charge
rate, and drove my Acura nearby to try a jumpstart. Before jumping
it, I tried the MG again. Started right up. I disconnected the
charger, let the engine warm up and then went for a half hour drive.
When I came back I turned off the car to get out and open the garage
door. When I returned to start the car a minute later, the starter
would only turn the engine for a fraction of a second.
I roll started the car (did I mention my driveway is on a 45 degree
incline?) and drove it into the garage, where it now sits.
What is going on?
Do I have a short in the starter?
-> Then why would the jump start do it?
Is my starter solenoid misbehaving?
-> If the contacts were dirty, wouldn't it act as an open, not a short?
Is my almost new battery the problem?
-> Why did it take 6 months to start acting up?
Is it the charging system?
-> Having it not start doesn't seem connected to driving for any time.
A starter ground problem?
-> Again, wouldn't it act as an open?
Is this a common Lucas malady? Has anyone else seen these symptoms?
Thanks in advance,
Josh Kablotsky
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 17:07:16 EST
From: Flavius@learnlink.emory.edu (Steven R. Kopec)
Subject: Oil leak on Midget 1500
I have a 1500cc '77 Midget that is leaking oil(what else is new?). The
only problem is that it's a lot more than normal. The leak is centered
around the dipstick area in the sleeve that goes into the oilpan. What I
need to know is if this is repairable without having to remove the engine
or replace the block itself. Is it possible to spotweld or seal this is
someway?
Does anyone have a recommendation on a book for the tuning of Weber
carbs? I also have one on this same Midget and want to check the mixture
on the fuel. I need a general reference guide and something to check
overall tune-ups on this piece of equipment. If anyone also knows of a
place that does this in the Atlanta, GA area it would be greatly
appreciated.
Thanks and Happy LBCing!
Steven
Steven R. Kopec "Are you lonely, Are you lost?
flavius@learnlink.emory.edu This voice console is a must...
skopec@unix.cc.emory.edu I press execute..." -Kate Bush
These opinions may be mine or they may not be...you decide.
------------------------------
Date: 31 Jan 1994 16:12:03 -0600
From: "Rob Reilly" <reilly@admail.fnal.gov>
Subject: Tach Flakiness
Subject: Time:12:35 PM
OFFICE MEMO Tach Flakiness Date:1/27/94
Tried to send only to Randy, but it bounced, said "bad address".
> tach resumed its flakiness
>You just found mechanic's trick #187; watch the tach. Tis a quick, rough,
indication to fuel or spark problems.
> Randy
randy@taylor.wyvern.com
Aha!! A hidden gem amongst all the MG-TR chit-chat.
My patient is a 74 XJ12 with Lucas Opus ignition module. Hard to start, as if
firing on only one or two cylinders, but once it starts it idles ok and revs up
high. Tach is FLAKY. Indicates 600 rpm idle, but much lower than the actual rpm
when revved up. I suspect the Opus is on the way out. Any way to tell before I
spend the mega$$$? Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance. Rob
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 17:56 EST
From: timd@ns.ptltd.com (Tim Dziechowski)
Subject: Re: Oil leak on Midget 1500
> I have a 1500cc '77 Midget that is leaking oil(what else is new?). The
> only problem is that it's a lot more than normal. The leak is centered
> around the dipstick area in the sleeve that goes into the oilpan. What I
> need to know is if this is repairable without having to remove the engine
> or replace the block itself. Is it possible to spotweld or seal this is
> someway?
Take a real close look at the front of your engine around the timing chain
cover and see if there is any oil dripping off the back of the pulley.
If so, it may be your front main seal. When driving, oil gets blown
back and can appear to be originating from further back in the drivetrain.
timd@ptltd.com (Tim Dziechowski - Phoenix Technologies - Cambridge, Mass)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 15:25:17 PST
From: RadsickT <radsickt@lablink.ple.af.mil>
Subject: BFE- Ken Gillanders
I already asked this question, but I think it was in the middle of a
really long (and apparently boring) message so I will ask it once
more... this time short and sweet.
How does BFE work? Does Mr. Gillanders do his work at home? Does he
have a shop?
I am curious because I drove by "BFE" and all I saw was a house with a
Cavalier in the drive. I heard Ken was "the Man" for Triumph repair,
but I didn't want to knock on the door and bug him at home if this
wasn't appropriate. Anyway, if someone who knows any info on BFE
could transfer that info to me, I would be grateful!
-Tim
('72 GT6mk3 in many pieces)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 20:21:53 AST
From: "Bob Hamilton" <rhamilto@fox.nstn.ns.ca>
Subject: Parts Wanted For 1954 TR-2 "Long Door"
I offered to post this request for a close friend, Drew Sperry, who is
doing a frame up restoration of a 1954 TR-2 long door model. He is a *total
fanatic* about authenticity so please bear with me as I list the following
parts he is in need of. ;-) The part numbers are from the Triumph Spare
Parts Catalog.
1. Rear Shock Absorber Bracket (early unreinforced type) #107475
2. Lockheed Clutch Slave Cylinder #105756
(or Piston #501201 & Repair Kit)
3. Clutch and Brake Lines for Lockheed System Nos. 108221, 108219, 108226,
108222, 108218, 108223; OR Patterns for these pipes! (How would a
person ship these to Nova Scotia!) <G>
4. Fender Mouldings (welting?), early type for paint finish (not chrome)
5. Front Bumper (Bar) #800561
6. Two Front Bumper Overriders, #700911
7. Front Bumper Brackets, #700908, 700907, 800560, 800559
Believe me, Drew will be a prize winner with this car if he can locate
these parts. I'm trying to get him to let me help him make the brake lines
as we have the tool to make the double flares but he insists that he should
try for the original lines first. How do you keep them from bending during
shipment? Drew also has a TR-3A with the racing windscreens and
accompanied us to Stowe, VT last year for the British Invasion. Any leads
would be appreciated. As mentioned, we are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Bob
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bob Hamilton, Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada, B0N 2S0
rhamilto@fox.nstn.ns.ca / Compu$erve: 70754,1533 / GEnie: R.HAMILTON
1954 Sunbeam-Talbot 90 MKIIA / 1968 M-B 280 SE
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 20:54:39 -0600
From: James TenCate <jtc@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
Subject: Morgan piece on PBS...
While listening to the Nightly Business Report (NBR) on PBS tonight,
I heard mention of something coming up about the Morgan car company.
The VCR had a tape in it so I quickly pushed the REC button and recorded
it. It's not very long (2 minutes maybe) but there were some nice
shots of the cars and the factory and Charles (?) Morgan had a quick
appearance discussing why it's so hard to get production up and still
keep quality.
Anyway, if any of you Morgan owners/lovers out there missed it, I
can probably figure a way to make a copy of the piece for you.
Write me if you're interested: jtc@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
L8er,
jim
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 23:48:15 -0500 (EST)
From: Jeremy DuBois <dubs_cif@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: British car club in MA
At the moment, being in Upstate New York, I have found a wonderful local
club (Thanks to George Haynes), but as of this summer I am moving back to
MA and I haven't been successful in finding a club out there.
This leads me to two conclusions:
1) I haven't looked hard enough.
2) There aren't any.
Assuming option 1, does anybody here know of any clubs in Eastern MA?
Assuming option 2, is it a feasable idea to start one, and is there
anybody on here from Eastern MA that wants to help start a club? Or would be
interested in joining such a club?
Jeremy DuBois
CIF Associate Member
University of Rochester, NY
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 21:42:46 -0800
From: rck@fangio.asd.sgi.com (Robert Keller)
Subject: Re: LBCs become LGCs?
> ROVER FOLLOWS JAGUAR, ASTON MARTIN DOWN THE ROAD
> By Peter Bale
> LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuter) - Thirty years ago German car maker
:
> General Motors, which like Ford vacuumed up British
> offshoots before and after World War Two, built on its Vauxhall
> mass label with a 1980s foray into tiny sportscar group Lotus
> only to pass it on to the resurrected Italian company Bugatti.
I remember the original Bugatti, (brothers Ettorre & Armand ?)
as being French. Is this new Bugatti incarnation Italian based,
or is Reuters just plain wrong?
I hope BMW doesn't screw up the Autoweek-leaked plans of a
reasonably priced all new MGD.
...robert
------------------------------
End of British Cars Digest
************************
|