As the day wore on, I wondered what made me quite so opinionated this
morning! I have to start getting more sleep...........
I therefore called a friend who ran a Dealership selling MGs in the late
Seventies and asked his opinion on the matter. He said that the factory did
not list air conditioning as an available option (score one for Clausager)
but - and this is important - if a dealer had the right contacts at the
factory, just about anything was available to special order. He did say that
he had a regular supplier of US-made a/c systems that they installed at the
dealership, but had no knowledge of any US-made system offering a
dash-mounted emblem with a BL-logo incorporated in it.
So, an air conditioning system fitted by the factory, and adjudged so by the
placement of a factory emblem on the dash, is not an impossibility - though
I now have to agree that far and away the largest majority of them would
have been dealer installed in the US.
Having said all that, I still feel that a/c in a convertible is about as
useless as tits on a fish - though there's certainly a place for it in a
GT...........
Lawrie
-----Original Message-----
From: Max Heim <mvheim@studiolimage.com>
To: MB Owners Digest (E-mail) <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: Air conditioning
>Well, Clausager seems pretty definite when he states on p.114, "...never
>fitted in the factory, but often installed in North American cars when
>they were new. The air conditioning units and installation were of
>American design and manufacture, and seem to be particularly common on
>the 1979-80 Limited Edition models in North America."
>
>The BL logo business is probably analgous to the radio situation. They
>were usually dealer installed and of American origin as well (in NA
>cars), but frequently read "British Motor Corporation" on the bezel.
>
>Anyway, it's hard to imagine the crew at Abingdon installing air
>conditioning...
>
>Lawrie Alexander had this to say:
>
>>Paul...........
>>
>>I'd really have to question that statement!
>>
>>My '77B has the dashboard I described in my earlier post, along with the
>>remains of a very tidily installed a/c system. I cannot imagine an
>>aftermarket company would provide a totally new dashboard (which has no
>>functional value to the a/c system) as part of the kit. The time needed to
>>change the dash would be not inconsiderable, and to go to all that trouble
>>just to make sure the words "Air Conditioned" appeared in the cockpit,
>>accompanied by a BL logo (illegal for anyone but the factory to use
anyway)
>>would seem ridiculous.
>>
>>Lawrie
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: wizardz <wizardz@maxinter.net>
>>To: Don Cobb <gcobb@SPC.cc.tx.us>; MB Owners Digest (E-mail)
>><mgs@autox.team.net>
>>Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 5:01 AM
>>Subject: Re: Air conditioning
>>
>>
>>>It was always a dealer installed option...never from the factory
>>>If you're going to remove it. I'LL BUY IT ALL
>>>if you pull everything including the stuff in the passenger compartment
>>>including the controls. I'll buy the whole system !
>>>...hey...first come..I got dibs on it!
>>>
>>>thanks in advance
>>>
>>>Paul Tegler
>>>1973 BGT
>>>North of Annapolis, South of Baltimore
>>>email: wizardz@toad.net
>>>http://www.amdyne.net/~ptegler/mgmain.htm
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Don Cobb <gcobb@SPC.cc.tx.us>
>>>To: MB Owners Digest (E-mail) <mgs@autox.team.net>
>>>Date: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 11:53 PM
>>>Subject: Air conditioning
>>>
>>>
>>>Hey all. My "B" has air conditioning was this ever original equipment
>>>on "B"s? The year model is 1980. I would like to remove it, any
>>>hints/comments?
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>--
>
>Max Heim
>'66 MGB GHN3L76149
>Runs great,
>looks particularly bad since some SUV clown backed into it.
>If you're near Mountain View, CA,
>it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
>
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