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chrisgarmisch
chris garmisch
England
(3 posts)

Registered:
03/25/2011 12:43PM

Main British Car:
1970 bgt Rover 3.5ltr

new member
Posted by: chrisgarmisch
Date: March 27, 2011 09:07AM

Hi, my name is Chris, i`ve just joined your happy band of "Improvers".
Seems the world is full of like minded bods, who don`t feel the need to perpetuate the myth that the "proffesionals" always know best.
From seeing & reading about the cars on the site, they seem to be Logical progressions on the "junk" originally sold & held back by the input of the "bean counters".
For years I have had Italian classics (mostly FIAT), but parts started to dry up, so I looked for something with a better supply. That is what brought me to the world of MG ownership.
The club members seem to be "very nice" and like nothing more than removing one piece of obselete, poorly designed ,cheaply produced "crap" from their lovingly restored,pampered "sunday drivers" to replace it with (yes you guessed it!) a brand new part exactly the same (but shiny) from the catalogue.................

This IS progress, but it is not evolution....

I had the following conversation last year at Beulieu (autojumble/swap meet).

I found 2x ex-employees from MG/Rover who had been shop floor workers at Abingdon. I asked why various items of switch gear,relays,guages etc. ended up where they are on the body/dash & so-on.

The answer I got, while not surprising does hint at why our cars makers have nearly all faded away.
The "new" part/gizmo would be bruoght down to the line for trial fit & to make sure it worked in situ.
Well, one of the "old" hands would screw/bolt/weld it somewhere in place & that was it!!!!!!!!
As long as it worked that is where it (& 10,000 more) were put.

That is why a resistor on the inside of the firewall tucked up out of the way. A part thar needs to be vertical to work is only held on by 1x screw, It is also why this component continually falls to left or right & stops working.

It is also why with a "stock" wheel your knuckles make it impossible to read the fuel guage.

I fully realise that many of the trivial gripes may have been taken care of on overseas spec cars. But, I am also sure that these, inturn have their own problems, which for a long time have been put down to English charm & eccentricity.

Don`t look at this as a"mad" rant, more as an apreciation of all the good I can do getting my car right (for me!!).

Below added 16 april 2011.

spec... the shell is r/bumper converted to chrome/bumper , i am now adding sebring "type" front and rear (hand made) valances made from aluminum. (UK). Car came with Harvey Bailey handling kit & koni shockers front & rear.
motor is 3.5 rover with rover 5 speed box & standard axle. offenhauser inlet & holly carb.

Changes, motor being rebuilt , stock apart from 3.9 cam. g/box is ok but needs new cones on 2&3 gears.
have re-con back axle with v8 diff (fitted) going in with poly bushes.
various parts of interior m/work removed (see photos when posted)

Dash reconfigured to be more user friendly.

Have ally bonnet, hinged at front, back held down by bonnet pins. rear of bonnet has"return" removed & sits
1 1/2 inches proud of surrounding m/work, so full width of bonnet acts as 1 big louvre.

Back panel of car is smothed over, removing revesing lights & filler hole. filler it be "aston" type monted on pillar behind door.
for reversing (back-up) light i have a lovely old lucas rear monted spot.
interior will be left bare (& noisy) fitted with harnesses.
all "glass" from doors back is being replaced with polycarbonate.

To finish it off I have a Mota-Lita wood rim in my garage, & a beutifull No. 14 green stripe pool ball for shifter .

Since most of forum is made up from you guys across the pond, should i write my text in "American" (good fun for me) or proper "English" very quaint for you ????????



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2011 08:35AM by chrisgarmisch.


mowog1
Rick Ingram
Central Illinois
(1523 posts)

Registered:
10/17/2007 09:36PM

Main British Car:
1974.5 MGB/GT 3.9l Rover

authors avatar
Re: new member
Posted by: mowog1
Date: March 27, 2011 09:16AM

Welcome.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: new member
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: March 27, 2011 11:41AM

And nowadays they "engineer" such bonanzas as a set of parallel hard lines that use connecting hoses that cross, intakes that must be disassembled to get at an EGR valve, and timing covers that must be removed to take a head off as well as entire cars that must be disassembled to change out a heater core. Think things are getting any better? Yeah, just keep on believing that...

JB


MGB SS
Joe Schafer
Central Michigan
(150 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 06:46AM

Main British Car:
1971 Mgb 1991 5.0 Ford

authors avatar
Re: new member
Posted by: MGB SS
Date: March 27, 2011 09:44PM

On The Ford Super Duty Diesel Pick Up to remove a head as to change a head gasket you have to lift the Cab off of the truck, That's got to be a "Better Idea" :)


mowog1
Rick Ingram
Central Illinois
(1523 posts)

Registered:
10/17/2007 09:36PM

Main British Car:
1974.5 MGB/GT 3.9l Rover

authors avatar
Re: new member
Posted by: mowog1
Date: March 27, 2011 10:58PM

All goes back to the first words in almost every Haynes Manual.....

"First Remove Radiator"


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