Ian, Butch & John wrestle the windshield back in a Sprite
Most british cars of the Post War era were fitted with glass from “Triplex” (although mid-seventies MGB’s also used “Sicursive”), and in fact it is optically superior to most replacement glass. We use it whenever we can get our hands on it, which we do now factory direct. Interestingly, while the rest of the world puts a windshield in a plastic bag and puts the bag in box & foams it, this Old World glass company uses old world Amish carpenters to pack their glass in wooden crates which use nails instead of machine driven screws ! Thursday afternoon this Austin Healey Sprite got a new one.
Steve takes a Morgan off our trailer Monday
We have been enjoying the dubious luxury of being veritably innundated in work. People are out enjoying their cars now. In New England we’ve had a fantastic run of hot, sunny days that doesn’t show signs of abating soon. Of course that means that a certain percentage of them break down, and just today while we’ve sent a couple of MGB’s out we’ve also had a couple MGA’s show up on recovery trucks so we’ve ended the day dead even.
David strips an "A" type overdrive
My first task of the day was to strip the tailcase off this “A” type overdrive, which is an adaptation for a car which was only a four speed during its production life. This undertaking was somewhat complicated by the fact that the installing technician had glued the cone clutch brake ring between the maincase and the tailcase with red Loctite, and half an hour’s work took two and a half because red Loctite doesn’t really release without the judicious use of heat. This is a technique known as “Heat & Beat” which is interdicted by some internet server filters as possible pornography.
A four synchro transmission
As just mentioned, overdrive wasn’t optional equipment on this model. I thought I’d toss a picture of the transmission in here just to find out if anyone needing an oil filter for their british car can identify it.
Bob Humphrey bought an MGC GT in 1973 back when he was in high school and used it well until around 1997 when he sold it to his father who needed a good running MG. For maybe the next ten years his dad drove it until he parked it next to the attached one car garage in Framingham that held the MG TD he (his dad) bought new, and there it sat until we hauled it back to the shop last fall.
Bob told us it ran well ‘when parked’ but we really wern’t too sure about that, although we did at least get it running before we put it away and “futured” it for the spring, but it was not until some time after the solstice that we got at it again.
Butch worked on it for more than a week, and after the most limited of test cycles Bob picked the car up last Saturday afternoon, and Sunday evening Bob, his family, and the MGC were all back in Michegan !
To quote Bob, “The car performed really well- it didn’t give us any worries. From my earlier years with the car I was used to seeing the temperature needle move more towards the “H” than the “N” but it never pegged out. And it never really missed a beat.” “You Can Do It In An MG” is an old BMC/BL advertising slogan. Ayuh, you certainly can. Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones did.
MGC in Michegan
