(Continued from page 14)

Friday (1/18) back to Tech Central a nice TR 250 dropped in as a new member to the group. The MGB "race car to be" was progressing nicely, engine and gearbox out, engine being degreased, gearbox getting a flush and some fresh oil and some power spinning through the gears. The Excalibur kit car was rearranged, Chevette to the rear, frame to the front, and parts being cleaned and prepared for assembly. Late afternoon was back to the Jaguar XJ6 rear suspension and brakes, subframe right side up, suspension and brakes mostly reassembled, and working on pesky parking brake calipers (lots of tricky fettling). A little after dark we had new rubber mounts in the chassis and four corners of the subframe attached to the body with at least one bolt each.

Saturday 1/19 through Thursday 1/24 passed quickly. One project was making a CAD drawing for the frame bracket for MGA body side mount. Got some new information about the MGA 1600-MK-II early production custom machined cylinder head, which seems to have been cast in October 1960, as much as five months before the first MK-II car was on the assembly line (surprise). Some tech discussions about generator adjusting straps, oil pressure and relief spring, use of PCV valve on various engines, umbrella seals for intake and exhaust valves, casting numbers for various gearbox tail housings, brake caliper shims, fuel level sender unit connection stud, another stuck bonnet latch, rear main bearing scroll seal leak and repair. Also spent half a day retrieving pictures of an MGA trailer hitch from a defunct web site, and posting those on my web site.

Friday 1/25, back to Tech Central, likely the last visit this pass. The Excalibur kit car was making good progress with most of the front and rear suspension installed. The MGB wanna-be race car was getting cleaned up some more, ROstyle wheels being cleaned up and powder coat painted, tucked into the old kitchen oven in the shop to be baked. Someone had picked up a nice little chain-fall hoist for $8 at a flea market, getting cleaned and painted. The Midget was making more progress with the right side door completed (except for weather seals), and the left door getting the window lift mechanism installed, a bit of interference solved with some shim washers. There was a new friend to the group with a new acquisition 1979 MGB getting some personal attention, making a wish list of minor irregularities to be corrected. An MGB had a few electrical problems, beginning with a disconnected in-line fuse, easily fix by re-soldering an end connector, parking lights work, only one brake light and 4-way flashers not working. The Jaguar XJ6 rear suspension and brakes are back together and driving. The TR6 that was hanging around for weeks finally went home, and the slightly rusty Alfa Romeo now running well enough to drive under its own power and will be leaving in a couple of days.

Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival in Fort Myers, FL

Saturday 1/26 the British Car Club of Southwest Florida had several cars at the Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival in Fort Myers, Florida. We had a friendly invite, so we dropped in for the social, good way to kill half a day. Found an MGC GT nicely restored as original. Lots of flea market type vendors, mostly peddling Scottish related wares. Plenty of British style food vendors, and live entertainment going on all day, fiddlers, pipers and dancers, and some car show trophies awarded in mid afternoon.

24 hours of rain on the 27th, and it has been unseasonably cold in Florida lately (not like Illinois of course), and likely cold for most of the next week. Will be heading north soon, due in Indianapolis, Indiana by the 20th for the BMTA trade conference. Having encountered two nasty snow storms in November, hoping that won't happen again (but not to be surprised if it does).

Until next time, follow our follies at: http://MGAguru.com/mobile

~~ Barney and Elliot Gaylord