MGAguru is on the Prowl

MGA Guru is Gone Mobile

On last report we were still working on the second "Grandpa's MGB" in Portland, Oregon. I am happy to report that we finally got the nightmare of crisscrossed electrical wiring sorted out and working and took the car for a test drive. When we ran out of time we were still sorting out crankcase ventilation, fuel vapor recovery and anti-run-on systems (but we will eventually finish that via email).

We had more personal meetings with Adam Ansteth in Beaverton, OR, doing a bit of electrical work on his AH Sprite. Also Jeff Taylor in Corvallis, Oregon who has two nice 1965 MGBs, one of which needed a bit of fettling with electrical bits to get the starter working. We made a brief stop in Amity, OR where we found an MGB and its owner who has been driving an MGB for many years. We had a brief visit with Gene Nunn near Dallas, OR who has an MG TD, MGA, MGB GT and drives a VW Vanagon (with a Subaru engine) when he needs to haul stuff. We made a special point to visit Pat and Kenney Snyder in La Center, Washington. We last met this couple in 1989 by crashing the gate of Portland International Speedway at midnight. Kenney currently has an MGA Coupe, an MGB driver car, and an MGB GT restoration project. We visited Jim Stout in Shoreline, WA who has two MGA 1600-MK-II "Deluxe" roadsters. We visited Marcus Topp in Orting, WA who has a 1959 MGA 1500 in process of restoration. We visited Larry Wheeler in Hillsboro, OR who has an MGA well long in restoration (driving), and a neighbor with a very nice MG TD. We helped install a Speedy-Sleeve on the MGA to stop a rear hub oil leak. We visited Vaughn Wasem in Clarkston, WA who has a nice MGA (now driving but not quite finished).
Meanwhile we have visited British Auto Works in North Plains, Oregon--a long standing family owned business doing service, parts and restoration work. We also found British Motor Care in Portland with a young owner and a few more hands very knowledgeable in MG service and restoration. We took a shot at Northwest Import Parts (MG only) in Portland, but no one home at the time. With a long side trip in short timing we got to ACR Automotive Import Specialists in Florence, OR, another long standing family service and restoration business with Joel and Tammy Renfro and son Russ, all with wonderfully dirty hands that I love to shake. We tried to visit Keith Ansell at Foreign Parts Positively in Brush Prairie, WA but he was pretty far out of town at the time so no go (maybe later). We visited Autosport SeattleBritsport Restorations Seattle, heavy into restoration of old British cars (and some other models too).

We had meetings with Central Oregon Coast British Car Club in Florence OR, and Columbia Gorge MGA Club in Portland OR (a breakfast meeting, a club meeting, and a picnic tour), and Willamette MG Club near Salem, OR for a gimmick rally. On short time one day we did a quick dash to meet with British Motor Club of Oregon in Eugene. We met with MG Car Club Northwest Centre - North End (one of five divisions of this club) in Everett, WA. We did a Kitsap Tour starting in Gig Harbor, WA with MG Car Club Northwest Centre (west division), involving a number of interesting non-MG

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