Additional thoughts from Steve…

Greetings again from the ’Fix-it’ garage!

I thought I would spend a bit of time & reflect on the year that’s past and the cars that got worked on. 

Three cars -- two MGB’s and Morris Minor -- were returned to a running state after years of storage. That is always a challenge but it’s great to see them back on the road again. My TR6 was put back together after a respray and another TR6 got running after a partially failed restoration, though it’s still a work in progress. Yet another TR6 got a new clutch. A couple of Spitfires got involved with some suspension & other work as well. I added up to three MGB starter motors, one MGB brake master cylinder, two steering racks, one MGB and one on a 1961 Mini. Two Bs got their engines refreshed with new piston rings and all the crankshaft & connecting rod bearings. I also build or helped build another two MG engines. There was a convertible top, alternator and suspension work, on three different Midgets. Plus some work on a Bug Eye Sprite. A non-starting Midget was got running. Three modern Minis even came in the shop for some help (4 if I include mine) and there were numerous other cars that got minor tune ups & tweaking and even a SAAB or two and an SUV that got some help.

It takes just a few minutes to read this so somehow a year doesn’t seem so long or that busy but it sure didn’t seem like it at the time, it really was a lot of work! Somehow I don’t want to add up the hours, though I could do so, it’s better to move on to 2015 I think.

Currently I am putting air conditioning into my MGB GT so it’s useable in the mid-west climate. The overdrive gearbox is already installed and just needs wiring up & testing (fingers crossed). The cylinder head is ready to go back on after getting an unleaded gas conversion. A few other cosmetic and reliability improvements will get done and we should be ready for the season.

The 1967 Mini is going to get new front brake wheel cylinders and the TR6 clutch slave cylinder will get some new seals to hopefully cure a slight leak.

  It’s never too soon to start planning and get working on executing them. Spring will be here very soon and we will be out on the road before you know it.

See you soon!
Cheers,

~~Steve Skegg

The Library Muse

I hope that everyone had a joyous holiday. Personally I was again disappointed on Christmas morn. The jolly old elf let me down. Each year I arise and look out into the driveway hoping to see a new Jaguar. I’m not fussy about the color. The new F-Type V8 is striking in either sapphire metallic black or stratus gray. But alas, it was not there. Nor was there a Purdey over/under or an Orvis split bamboo rod under the tree. And I’ve been very, very nice this year. I think that the North Koreans hacked into Santa’s list and placed me on the naughty side of the ledger. But on the nice side is our very own Doug Clark, who donated seven books to the library several months ago.

Doug’s books in soft bound are MGB & MGC and MGB GT V8, MG Sports Cars, MGB GT (Brooklands road test) and The T Type Restoration Handbook. In hard bound we have Veteran and Vintage Cars (brass era), MG Sports Cars-Fifty Years of the Marque, and Great Marques- MG. These volumes will be available at the January meeting. In the meantime, hope to see you in Pontiac IL. Have a happy New Year.

~~Bill Mennell