After one week and close to 100 miles, I have several impressions
and questions about my new old toy. The car is a 69 MGC GT. While there
are plenty of MGs on this list, I don't recall anyone mentioning a C, so
this may be a list first.
Impressions: This car will scoot. And it makes the most glorious
noise doing it :-) :-) While I have owned another straight 6 engined car
(Jag 76 XJ6L), I don't remember it making such lovely sounds. Part of that
may be that a Jag is supposed to be very quiet. This car absolutely purrs
when at a fixed speed. But getting there it has a rushing air sound like a
turbo and you know that it is doing something under that bulgy hood. Gear
changes are very notchy, but I have been spoiled with one of the smoothest
shifting midgets ever. The car feels extremely solid, even if the tin worm
has raised his ugly head. I think this is due to two things. I have a huge
chunk of steel under the hood and that makes the car feel heavy or massive.
The second is that with a hard top, I think it is considerably more rigid
than my other MGs. One bad impression is with the wheels. They are of the
15" variety and look too big for the car. I have seen too many 14" Bs for
this size to look right. But I guess they will grow on me. But best of
all, this will be my commuter. I have bus duty for two little girls and
they love the car.
Questions: This car likes to drink oil. Having talked with other C
owners at the University Motors Summer Picnic, this is apparently common.
But how much is common? It also seems to burn more when cold than when
warmed up. Does this mean it is more likely head or piston related?
Someone said the easiest way to reduce the oil consumption is to rebuild the
head. Fact or fiction? Like a FEW other Cs out there, the brake boosters
are history. While the car stops fine, it has the hardest pedal I have ever
used, surprize, surprize. I know that new boosters are now available, but
at nearly $500 times 2 boosters, that is not an option at this time. Would
a better choice be using the dual circuit master and single booster from a
late MGB make sense? Other ideas? And lastly, did/does Haynes or anyone
else make a manual specifically for the C? The B manual will help, but it
doesn't cover it all.
Thanks for any and all ideas/thoughts/comments.
____________________________________________________________
Mark A Dodd Working in the dark (infrared)
email: dodd@el.wpafb.af.mil Working in the grease (MGs)
Snail: 2700 D St, Ste 2 Working in the dust (212 Central
WPAFB, OH 45433-7405 Dayton, OH)
(513) 255-5581
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