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Getting new windscreen assembled

Missing parts

Friday was an all-day knuckle busting grunt fest replacing the MGA windscreen glass. One serious problem was a new screw set with open package and 40 percent of the fasteners missing, including a couple that were the special impetus for buying the screw set in the first place. We ended up reassembling the whole thing using all the old screws, kind if sweating it all the way, but did get it back together kind of late night.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast with North Shore Area of the British Motoring Club New Orleans at Abita Roasting Company in Covington, LA. The guys here were mostly old acquaintances by now.

CKD car from the Netherlands, nice project

Then off for a quick stop at Harbor Freight to pick up a few replacement tools, followed by a visit to Hugh Coleman in Lacombe, LA. He has a CKD car that was originally assembled and painted in the Netherlands, still the original White color. We spent some time trying to identify some spare parts that came with the car, a few dents and paint problems, all in all a pretty good restoration project. Before we left, he contributed a tackle box and several spare taps and dies, a good vintage brake light switch, a couple of spare throttle return springs, a few large Lucar connectors, making a good start on another tool kit.

Jingle bells on Z-Magnette wheel covers

Monday 3/11 back at Cliff's place for a little easy tune-up work on his ZB Magnette, and to diagnose a light rattle on bumps which turned out to be loose "MG" emblems in the center of the wheel covers. It was late in the day before UPS showed up with parts, after which we reassembled and reinstalled the carbs on his MGA.

Next morning off to visit Barrett Leibe in Covington, LA, to tinker with his 1980 Triumph Spitfire the he bought new very near end of production. Running very bad, difficult or drive slowly, backfiring through the carburetors. Fuel mixture too rich, easy to fix, and another standard tune-up got it running well. I had several wires and hoses disconnected, we reconnected most of them, and had some discussion about restoring function of the anti-run-on system. Then we headed north just into Mississippi, where the wiper drive came loose again, bummer, chore for another day.

Wednesday, March 13, navigator noticed a crack in the outside layer of the new windscreen glass, just four days after installation. Another bummer, and I suppose we may be living with that one for another couple of years. Then we began a three-day quest for an oil change, which didn't happen until we got back to Illinois. Hard to believe that professional oil change shops would refuse to do it, but they seem to be increasingly hesitant to work on cars older than 1980. That follows the trend that they don't know how to fix any car without a computer, but still very odd that they refuse to do a simple oil change.

Nice resto MGA Coupe in Myrtle, MO

On Thursday 3/10 we had a short stop in Myrtle, Missouri to visit Chuck Bruce with a 1958 MGA Coupe. When last here in 2015 the car was all apart during restoration. Since then fairly well restored and having won a few local car show awards. Running badly with very rich mixture, it turned out the fuel jets were not properly centered, needles dragging badly on the jets, air pistons not dropping properly and sticking when down. Carbs R&R, centering the jets, setting the mixture much leaner, and it was running quite well again. He will need to replace jets and needles that had only 500 miles running time, but that's the School Of Hard Knocks for you. The next day our brake light switch crapped out. Not too bad this time, having lasted 3-/2 years, 130,000+ miles, so we can forgive that one (and hope the next one might last as long).

By Saturday afternoon (3/16) we were back in Naperville, booked into a motel, and off to help with Swap Meet set up. Sunday up early for vendor check-in at the Swap Meet, and a day on gate and camera duty.

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