Having crammed in two months activity last time, we skimmed over a rather important point. On April 7th we installed new seats in our MGA, which was way overdue. Considering the old ones were in pretty bad condition with structural problems (half a million miles is enough), we bought complete seats for a premium rice and just bolted them in to skip the hassle of rebuilding the old ones again. On April 24th we also installed a new convertible top. The old one was still serviceable (sort of), but it was annual fabric sale time, so we decided 13 years and 208,000 miles was enough for the old one.

Ansel Gantt's MGA, on the road after 10 year hibernation.

Then a few final words for Ansel Gantt's MGA in Columbia, South Carolina. We replaced a clogged brake hose and leaky rear wheel cylinders and also installed a new master cylinder and rubber pedal excluder. As a final touch we installed a new rubber seal for the boot lid, and his MGA was back on the road after its ten-year siesta (big job that one).

On April 28 we stopped briefly to visit Terry McCoy and check out his bugeye Sprite sleeping for many years in a storage locker in Columbia, SC. Pretty much a complete car in fairly good condition, and the engine did turn with a good push. It would be easy enough to make the engine run, but it will need substantial work on hydraulics and new tires, too much for our hit and run visit, so let this one sleep for now (but maybe check again on our next pass).

Thirty miles north we stopped to visit Less Hipp in Newberry, SC. Our new convertible top was "thundering" loudly in the wind at

Less Hipp's MG TD, fighting over a bad condenser

expressway speed, so we took an hour (or two) to pull some staples and retensioned it at the front, finished trimming and installed the Hidem strip and end caps. Very nice, and we hope it won't be coming apart again for at least another ten years. Then we poked around Less' 1953 MG TD for a bit in the evening, concerned that it would run (barely) but the engine was balky and could not be driven. Terry needed to install a new starter and change out stale fuel, so we came back next day to continue. After final setup adjustments on brand new carburetors, it was idling well but refused to run faster, cough, sputter, backfire. Long story short, we ordered some parts, came back a couple days later to R&R the timing chain to reset camshaft timing (which maybe wasn't necessary), and finally figured out it had a failed ignition condenser. Doh! Changed that out, and all is well that ends well, as it was finally running like a champ after years of puzzling problems.

Thomas Peacock's MGB, full of electrical gremlins

Back to Columbia, SC again to visit Thomas Peacock who had some electrical problems with his 1972 MGB. The serious reported problem as battery discharge when it sat overnight. We fixed an intermittent power connection to the map light and radio, traced a non-functional horn to a faulty switch in the steering wheel, and fixed a door jams witch. Ignition lamp not working, bulb and wires okay all the way up to the alternator, turned out to be a failed lamp connection inside the alternator. Disconnected a battery cable and used a test light do verify the rogue current draw. Reconnected the battery, disconnected brown wire from battery cable feeding to inside the cockpit, but still had the current draw. Unplugged the alternator, and the current draw stopped. Connected one wire at a time on the alternator, and the test light came on with the sensor wire connection (the smaller brown wire). Ah-ha! Duff alternator, draining battery power through the alternator when parked. Grrrr. Fairly new alternator still under warranty, going back for exchange.

Short run back over to Lexington, SC to do three oil changes on Dave Daniel's MG TF (differential, gearbox and engine). Found the canister oil filter missing some parts inside, not filtering oil for many years, ordered some new parts, but ultimately

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