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On Monday the 17th we got an oil change for the MGA, then did a double shuffle to fetch and return younger daughter so she could attend the CMGC club meeting. After the meeting we were tinkering with the Stromberg carburetor on Tim Schafer's ailing rubber bumper Midget. Putting oil in the dashpot worked wonders, and a little carb adjustment put it back on the road in pretty good form.

Dashpot oil works wonders.

Next day we went to visit Steve "Sparky" Sparks near Midway Airport in Chicago to see what was ailing his 1275 Midget. No spark was soon cured with a new condenser (a common malady these days), and that car was back on the road again. In the process we discovered a faulty vacuum unit, so put one of those on the order list. Then we lit out of Chicago, had an evening WiFi stop, and late night shut down near Lebanon, Indiana.

On the 19th we were visiting Eric Sinclair in Bloomington, Indiana to appraise and advise on the condition of his inherited MGA that had been in storage for 25 years. Now looking kind of sad, decomposing gradually all this time, the fabrics all shot, parking brake seized up, flat tires, carpeting was replaced with linoleum, guessing the engine to be seized, rusted body sills, had to evict an opossum earlier. Being a complete car, it looks like a good restoration project, if someone was so inclined. Eric is going to have to make some decisions if he might free up the brakes and get the engine to run, but pretty sure he will be selling it sometime before winter, whether it gets "improved" of not.

Couple days later we had a visit with Donnie Oxendine in Huntingburg, IN, who has had a few MGA come and go in the past few years. We installed #5 needles in the 1800 engine to improve running for the current MGA. There were also an E-type getting fresh wheels and tires, an MG TD that has won a few show awards, and a Morris Minor 1000 (with 1275 engine, rib case gearbox front disc brakes). One or two of those may have to go to clear out some space.

By the 24th we were flying around Ohio visiting a few friends, one club meeting, and 18 shops in four days. D & D Classic Automobile Restoration in Covington, Ohio is a big business with several buildings in two locations. One storage building (40 cars) and

Widening an MGB with Corvette V8

one shop building are dedicated to vintage British cars. Riverside Motors in Columbus, OH is strange story, one medium size shop taken over by partners, then closed and restructured as two separate smaller shops still going today. . Clyde Kahrl in Mt. Vernon, OH is making specialty parts for Austin Healey (and related models). We found a new shop R.P. Meier in Johnstown, OH run by a younger guy, Bob Meier. This one is (almost) strictly British cars, and mostly performance oriented. Andy's Auto Service in Zanesville, OH moved to larger quarters some years ago, specializing in stuffing V8 engines into MGB. Antique Auto Battery in Youngstown, OH is still going strong. Team Triumph: British Automotive in Warren, OH is doing big business selling used parts for TR and MG as well as new parts (as a Moss distributor).

We had a personal visit with Don Kuzma in Cleveland, OH. He has a rather rare early issue 1963 TVR Grantura MK III, of interest to me because it uses the MGA 1500 engine. He also has a very nice Lotus Elan which has been converted to throttle body fuel injection. After a long day, evening of the 26th we had a club meeting with 40 rowdy members of Lorain County British Car Club in North Ridgeville, OH.

Having been introduced to Jason Sukey at the club meeting, next morning we went to visit his new British car shop JS Performance Motoring in Amherst, OH. Growing for a year and a half, he is already looking for more space to expand, as he is getting rave reviews from the local Brit car owners. Good to see the younger generation jumping into the business. We also had a visit with Dan Walker in Vermilion, OH to size up his long ongoing restoration of an MGA (with still a long way to go).

On Friday the 24th we were shop hopping around the Detroit Michigan area, visiting nine shops with mixed results. We were sort of expecting that half the shops around southeast Michigan might be out of business, and after one day investigation we were not too surprised. We found one shop still servicing vintage British cars, one still servicing wire wheels, five out of business, two more still there but no longer servicing vintage cars.

Dave's Hot Rod Garage in Grosse Ile, MI is bucking the trend with a roaring business in upgrading performance, some of it servicing vintage British cars. In fact, the owner drives an MGA with a Mazda Miata 1800 twin cam engine converted from electronic fuel injection to dual Weber side draft carburetors (and it flies). Also, Warholak Tire Service in Detroit, MI still servicing wire wheels.

Out of time and space here now, so until next time, follow our follies at: http://MGAguru.com/mobile

~~ Barney and Elliot Gaylord