The MG Diaries

Gone but not forgotten

2009-01-22T16:05:00.002Z

Midgie has gone to a better place. Sutton Valence to be precise, where she will live with Tony Amos and his project Midget rebuild.

I trust Midgie in his hands, he is a genuine MG enthusiast, plus he wants to use her.

Just before he drove away, he was showing me a nice set of ZR alloys that he had picked up this morning that he was intending to fit - already he is taking care of her in the manner she has become accustomed to!

Sale: £3,000
Total... £192.58

JAG

Time Travel

2009-01-06T11:27:00.003Z

Midgie is ACO 71W once again, her original registration last worn almost 19 years ago.

DVLA Transfer Fee: £80.00
Registration plates: £10.89
Total... £3,192.58

JAG

More for Her Majesty's coffers

2008-12-01T11:32:00.002Z

After a brief break with a SORN (ah, the things we do to save money...) Midgie is taxed again.

Road Tax: £101.75
Total... £3,101.69

JAG

Tightening our belts

2008-07-02T09:09:00.003Z

Is it the recession kicking in or just that fuel prices are rising too quickly for me? Either way, Meg the ZS is now going to have to get used to the taste of supermarket unleaded instead of Shell V-Power.

Time to swap

Maybe things will change again, but my dreams of having her chipped to the point where she *needs* V-Power may well remain dreams.

Although the 52mm throttle body is still tempting...

JAG

In Print

2008-06-10T21:12:00.002Z

Just received the latest MG Enthusiast magazine. Meg gets a mention plus picture for my work on her droopy boot problems.

If you have found this blog via the magazine, please say 'hello' in the comments!

JAG

MOT time for Midgie

2008-05-12T11:24:00.000Z

And she did, of course, pass with flying colours!

MOT: £50.35
Total... £2,999.94

JAG

Putting the T into ZT-T

2008-05-03T09:02:00.002Z

Just returned from a short jaunt down to Le Touquet. A full-on stress test of the new roof rails.

Loaded up

Gertie, of course, behaved impeccably. Especially with that nice, cheap French petrol. Next time though, it would be good to take Midgie too...

JAG

TLC (part 2)

2008-04-18T10:34:00.001Z

Back to EMS, after some issues waiting for parts to come in, time for the new inlet manifold and engine tray.

Not a lot of change out of £900 but the rattling has all gone and she does have a little more oomph.

Hurrah! Just in time to stretch those legs on a bit of French autoroute...

JAG

Is it really another year?

2008-04-16T10:31:00.001Z

Insurance renewal time for the MGB. Still appear to get a good deal on a restricted mileage classic policy through Lancaster Insurance as an MGOC Member.

This also means camera time, as I need to send off 6 photos to prove her condition for the agreed valuation.

Value me

Insurance: £125.94
Total... £2,949.59

JAG

STOP!

2008-04-14T20:14:00.002Z

Confession number 1:
I normally get my brakes done at Kwik-Fit. Yes, there are plenty of horror stories, but my local is very good, plus they will replace your pads free of charge every time they wear out for the lifetime of the car. This is a good thing, because...

Confession number 2:
I murder brakes. Not because I'm evil, I just seem to get through them quick.

At the last MOT, was informed that the pads were getting low. This time, I thought, I'll do them myself. After all, I'm self-employed now, I can make time for these things. So I ordered some nice EBC Green Stuff pads from the MGOC, full set. After all, their prices are good and I can afford the extra quality as I'll be doing it myself.

Confession number 3:
So they sat there, in the garage, waiting to be fitted. And waited. And every time the weather was good enough to work on the car I was busy. And every time I could fit the job in, it rained.

A hint of green

So, in the end, for a small cash backhander, a local tyre place popped them on for me. So, all in all, probably worked out about the same price as Kwik-Fit. But these come in a sexy shade of green.

JAG

TLC (part 1, I'm afraid...)

2008-04-01T18:15:00.002Z

Thanks to those wonderful people at Executive Motoring Services, Gertie is feeling a lot more loved.

A nice, thorough Level 2 service, complete with MGOC discount. The bottom tray needs replacing but has been temporarily fixed with cable ties. Excellent...

...apart from my suspicions being confirmed. Yes, there are problems with the intake manifold. Yes, it's broken and, worse still, at some point in the past it had been removed and replaced incorrectly.

The good news is that when it's fixed, she should not only perform better (and I thought she was pretty hot already) but also more economically. Blimey.

The bad news - new inlet manifold is just over £500, plus fitting etc. etc.

Parts ordered, will be going back soon to have the work done, when I will also post a more thorough report on EMS. Worth a visit if only to see the rather gorgeous collection of cars in the showroom.

Yum.

JAG

Tick rattle, tick rattle, thump thump, tick

2008-03-30T17:03:00.002Z

Gertie has been ticking and rattling a bit. Probably due a service (time wise, not mileage - still 5k+ to go according to the trip) have it checked then.

Until this afternoon. At speed on the dual carriageway, much more noise. Things dropping off, bang, crash.

The tray on the bottom of the engine bay is no longer completely connected to the rest of the car. What is it with these things? Just about every car I've had with one of these trays has ended up with cable ties as the bolt holes rot away.

That does it, booking in for a service tomorrow. I have a niggling suspicion with the ticking, comes from too much forum reading...

JAG

On the rails

2008-03-27T20:16:00.004Z

What's the point of having a Tourer if you don't go touring? The trouble with an ever expanding family is luggage space, so we need a dreaded roofbox. And for a roofbox, we need roof rails (or coffin rails as I'm sure we used to call them, when Tourers were estates).

Before, during…

Thanks to our friends at MGOC Spares, a full kit of rails, bolts and brackets were promptly delivered.

Nice and simple to fit: remove the six blanks from the roof and bolt a bracket in place of each one. Pop the rails on, two bolts to each bracket. One tip - if you're of similar size to me (i.e. not tall), the easiest way to reach the bolts and compress the rubber feet on the rails is to sit on them. Just mind your balance!

…and after

JAG

Indecent Exposure

2008-02-17T20:08:00.001Z

Or problems with flashing. Midgie's indicators stopped flashing but they all happily lit up. Relay problem.

Replacing the relay is easy. If replacing with the original Lucas "8FL" type then it a tool free job - head under the steering wheel, pop out the old, pop in the new.

Why have two terminals…

A more modern, 3 terminal relay can be more reliable and is still pretty easy to fit.

…when you can have 3?

The original plugs connect easily enough - light green / brown to 49A, green to 49. Then you just need a little earth flylead to 31. I used a ring terminal and secured it to the original relay's mounting clip screw. Oh, and a nice cable tie to keep things neat and secure.

Click click click flash flash flash

Relay: £5.75
Total... £2,823.65
JAG

Rarity

2008-02-12T22:19:00.000Z

According to http://www.xpower-mg.com/mg_prod.htm, there are only 41 ZT-T 180 2.5 Plus Sport V6 Auto Tourers registered and taxed in the UK.

Meg is a little more common, 248 of her original specification.

The world just gets smaller every day.

JAG

Power to the steering

2008-02-04T20:36:00.000Z

She's back, fixed. New pipe, new power steering fluid and Gertie is back on the road.

JAG

No sense of direction

2008-01-31T22:24:00.000Z

Disaster! Phone call from damsel in distress - Mrs JAG. Power steering failure in Gertie.

Turns out to be a burst pipe. Awaiting arrival of replacement.

JAG

Creature Comforts

2008-01-27T11:43:00.000Z

Not so much a luxury nowadays, a proper 'plumbed-in' hands-free car kit is almost a necessity. I hate bluetooth headsets with a passion!

So, instead, a pair of Nokia CK-7W bluetooth hands-free kits for the zeds. I have been through many hands-frees, and have to say that Nokia make the best kits, worth a little extra.

Gertie was a bit of a nightmare, feeding wires down behind the dash, plenty of scratches on hands and arms. Meg was a lot easier - remember my tip about junction blocks? As she has had car kits before, this was a painless changeover.

Remember the chocolate blocks!

The nice thing about bluetooth, as well as future-proofing against a new mobile, it can be a very subtle installation. The only visible item being the tiny Nokia control button.

Subtle

With those installed, and a nice wash and polish, all that remained was my lovely new vinyl signs to advertise the business.

Not so subtle

So, if you're around Whitstable, Canterbury, Herne Bay or Faversham and need computer support - look out for Meg!

JAG

First outing of 2008

2008-01-25T16:55:00.000Z

The sun was shining, I was in an MG mood today. So I took Midgie out for her first run of the year.

Despite not being used for a while, she started straight away and ran like a dream. A nice run out to warm her through before popping into town. As she tends to turn heads, I thought I would take advantage of this and try out one of my new magnetic signs from SignsOfLife.

Pimping my wares

As of this year we have gone into business for ourselves, providing website design and computer support in Canterbury, Faversham, Herne Bay, Whitstable and beyond. As Meg the ZS is now my daily driver, I will have this sign on the bonnet and two more on the doors. Photos will appear here soon, no doubt!

JAG

...breathe out

2008-01-25T14:30:00.000Z

After a good run out, a purely subjective opinion was that, yes, with the K&N CIS the car does feel a little more responsive. But that was just the start.

Today was service and MOT time. The exhaust has been making awful noises so I prepared for this by getting hold of a nice new X-Power Thruflow Exhaust back box. Any power increase is minor, but it does sound a lot nicer.

Another tweak

JAG

Breathe in...

2008-01-22T14:47:00.000Z

Now that Meg is my 'daily' driver, I cannot help but be tempted to tweak. So, first on the list is a K&N Apollo CIS induction kit.

Cough, wheeze

Nice and easy to fit. I will have to wait until tomorrow for a proper test run to see if performance has changed. As for the sound, well, the exhaust is so bad I cannot hear the slightest difference!

Ahhh, tuuuunes

JAG

New Identities

2008-01-12T11:35:00.000Z

It's not vanity, it's advertising.

Meg and Gertie now have new registrations - HDG for our company name (and Mrs JAG's initials), J for my name and 14 for my birthday, 20 for Mrs JAG's. Complete with company url on each plate.

New Gertie

So as we drive around Whitstable we can spread the word of our Kent website design and hosting services.

JAG

Brake down

2008-01-09T13:23:00.000Z

When we test drove Gertie (as that is now the name of the ZT-T), the brake warning light was lit. We were assured this was because the front pads and discs had just been replaced but the wear sensor was on order. The sensor would be replaced by the time we picked her up.

So, when I picked her up, it was disappointing to see the warning light still lit. Once again, I was assured the sensor had been replaced but the car had to be hooked up to the diagnostics tool to reset the warning.

This, of course, is rubbish. It was the rear brakes causing the problem. So today Gertie was treated to nice new rear discs and pads and an alignment check. All shipshape with my wallet a few pounds lighter.

JAG

Bonnet up

2007-12-09T20:00:00.000Z

Or not, as the case may be.

Our first long trip out with Gertie. The last mile or so we had an intermittent 'door open' warning light. All doors were closed. Parked up and the alarm would not arm properly.

During the course of the afternoon we had a few false alarms, until eventually I lost my patience and decided to work out the cause despite the cold, rain and lack of tools.

The bonnet sensor is giving off false alarms. Having removed it, all seems ok. So, I may (or may not) try fixing it and re-fitting it in the future.

JAG

Another member of the stable

2007-12-06T16:30:00.000Z

Mrs JAG needs a bigger car. However, with job changes looming, I do not. Logic would suggest swapping, so that I drive Meg and Mrs JAG drives the 406 estate.

Logic does not take into account Mrs JAG's attitude to cars. Having gone from BMW 3-series, to Alfa 156, to MG ZS, the pug just doesn't cut it. The market for late MGs is still very good for the buyer, lots of car for not a lot of money.

And so, today I picked up our latest MG. A Le Mans green, 2002 ZT-T 180 + Sports. 2.5l V6 auto, pure yummy.

AutoTrader ad

I left behind the Peugeot, trade-in on an overall pretty sweet deal. Let the fun being.

JAG

Another year

2007-10-19T08:37:00.000Z

Doesn't time fly?

Tax: £180
Total... £2,817.90

JAG

Stereo Part 4

2007-09-19T09:04:00.000Z

Give a man a drill and a jigsaw and everything he sees becomes a speaker cabinet. Ok, not quite, but the boot floor just looked too inviting.

Holier than thou

Those 6-inch speakers from Maplin had spent too long on the shelf. It was time to make some holes. There isn't enough room in the rear seat side panels and I quite like having those little cubby holes either side of the boot, so I attacked the floor instead.

Let there be sound

These speakers are wonderful value for money - they sound fantastic. The speaker wire that comes with them is awful, but such things are easily replaced, especially when you're a bit of an electrical hoarder like me. My obsession with using connector blocks when fitting in-car electricals paid off, it took seconds to hook the speakers up to the stereo.

Speakers: £17.99
Total... £2,637.90

JAG

Enjoying MG

2007-08-30T20:34:00.000Z

All the work pays off and the rear seatbelt is put to good use. This week I have been taking my eldest two out on day trips, and we've been using Midgie.

They absolutely love her, especially when other MG owners wave. And you know what, for once I relaxed about things like footprints on the back bumper and crumbs in the boot. This car is supposed to be enjoyed.

Having fun with the children: £Free
Total... £priceless

JAG

Stereo Part 3

2007-08-25T22:20:00.000Z

Last step. Well, not quite last, more about that in a moment...

Stereo all hooked up. I popped a suppressor in, just-in-case, to avoid any interference. Anyway, the stereo was another eBay purchase. Fantastic bit of kit, complete with strangeness. It is a radio and CD player. It can play CDs that contain MP3s or WMA files instead of music. It has a USB socket and an SD card slot, so you plug in a memory stick and play MP3s or WMAs from there, and a line-in socket at the front for connecting any MP3 player. Fantastic. However, it also only appears to tune to FM stations that are odd (i.e. 103.1) but not even (102.8). Strange.

But I'm not bothered, it does the job. My friend, Stanley (knife), had to help out to extend the slot, but then the stereo fitted nicely. Sounds great. While playing with the wiring I also attached a cigar-lighter style double socket, for those SatNav / phone charging moments. Plus a very subtle self-adhesive magnet, for holding my mobile in place while using my portable bluetooth carkit. Both were bits that I had gathering dust - it's strange what seems to get collected in my garage over time.

Gadgets a-go-go
1) Phone holder
2) Power sockets
3) USB stick full of music

So, lots of creature comforts in place. I must be done...

...not quite - a lovely pair of 6-inch speakers are on the shelf, waiting for a home...

Suppressor: £7.99
Stereo: £49.99
Total... £2,619.91

JAG

Sit Tight

2007-08-24T22:01:00.000Z

I've wanted some form of rear seatbelt ever since Midgie came into my possesion. I have 3 children!

I had looked at the three-point options, but I'm neither patient nor talented enough to make up my own brackets etc.

However, once again, another eBay bargain found its way to me. A new rear lap-belt from a 2002 Ford Focus.

Another bargain

When I spotted the listing, I was drawn to the fact that it had a single mount point, so would take advantage of the existing mount in the back. Mind you, it was still a PITA to fit, having to take out the seat back and rear load floor.

Just one bolt

All that remains is for one of my offspring to try it out.

Ready to go

Seat belt: £2.50
Total... £2,561.93

JAG

Stereo Part 2

2007-08-22T11:57:00.000Z

Out with the old...

I want to strike a balance between budget and quality, so I was really pleased to find these nice cheap 4-inch Riesen speakers at Maplin. Not only do they sound great, they also fit the old speaker location perfectly. Not bad considering how tight things are inside the door.

Side-by-side

The only changes I had to make were to cut away the back of the old plastic weather protector (shouldn't really be a problem) and change the spade terminal on the positive speaker wire connection. If I ever have to do more major work on the doors, I will change the speaker wire altogether.

...in with the new

Speakers: £9.99
Total... £2,559.43

JAG

Stereo Part 1

2007-08-20T08:20:00.000Z

I have started work on replacing the stereo. It took me a while to work out how to remove the old one so here are the tips...

Locate your nuts

1) Pull off the knobs
2) Undo the nut revealed (see photo above)
3) Undo screw in armrest compartment
4) Undo screws on gear knob gaiter
5) Undo screws in stero console
6) Pull console apart and enjoy chaos

Just take everything apart

Fitting is the reverse of removal, or something like that.

Actually, car electricals are one area that I particularly enjoy. So my real top tips are:

1) Solder connections (even when crimping on spade terminals)
2) Use junction (chocolate) blocks when fitting stereos, car kits etc.
3) Don't stress old wiring - fit relays and a new feed from the battery.

Relax wiring with a Relay

So now I have a nice fresh, fused feed from the battery to the console, with a relay to provide more juice switched by the ignition key.

Relay: £2.70
Total... £2,549.44

JAG

Wheelissimo

2007-08-13T12:41:00.000Z

This time, I was prepared.

Nice new clamps

This time, there was going to be a change.

Old wheel

I sprayed the last of my can of pipe freeze onto the bolt. The Moss wheel puller was clamped into position - 4 heavy duty clamps this time, no mucking about.

Puller in position, part 2

The moment of truth, I started to turn the puller bolt. Once, twice. Three times, a little more and... clunk. Nothing dramatic. No fireworks, explosions or mayhem. Just a dull, relaxed clunk. And the wheel was free. It took longer to undo the clamps.

And then just moments to put the new wheel on.

New wheel

If you want to change your steering wheel, you MUST get one of these pullers. You can borrow mine! After all the previous effort, this just makes it seem so easy.

And I love my new wheel.

Lovely

It's a bit different to the usual Mota-Lita designs you see on other MGBs. It feels particularly 80s (which would be right), plus it does not obstruct the view of any of the dials. All of which makes me Well Chuffed of Whitstable.

Mota-Lita wheel: £36
Boss kit: £39.95
Total... £2,546.74

JAG

Wheely Frustrating

2007-07-31T13:35:00.000Z

Removing a steering wheel from a rubber bumper B is not easy. You cannot just undo the nut (even though I now have the right size socket) and pull it off. It will not move, even if you tie a rope around it and pull it with a Peugeot 406. The rope broke.

The MGOC forums suggest the pulling and hitting with a hammer technique, but for every advocate of this method there is a tale of doom and collapsed steering columns, so I will avoid. The forum also suggested using a pipe freeze spray, to drop the temperature of the bolt and therefore hopefully compress it slightly. Nope.

Google is your friend. Moss in the US stock a MGB Steering Wheel Puller but Moss in the UK do not. Nor were they willing to try and get one for me. So, the wonders of the web, I ordered one straight from Moss in the US. What a smooth and simple operation - it took just under a week to get to me, no hassle at all. Granted, the postage cost almost as much as the tool, but sometimes a man cannot resist new tools.

Puller in position

But, you know what? It's still not that simple. Aha, thought I, a five minute job now. Two G-clamps, a socket and some turning, off it will pop. Almost...

Dead G-Clamps

...new G-clamps are on the way.

JAG

Bling

2007-07-22T13:22:00.000Z

Ok, thanks to MGOC Spares, back on track.

I have fitted the nice new mesh...
Bare
...having replaced the fixings...
PITA^* and blind fixings
...so it looks much smarter.
Bling

As CCK had found problems with Midgie running with the Filter King, I found a rather smart alternative on my old friend eBay. I wanted something that could cope with a bit more flow than the old plastic filter, and came up with something fetching in chrome...
Filtered

Air intake grille mesh: £5.95
Blind fixings: £0.90
Fuel filter: £9.95
Total... £2,470.79

^*PITA - Pain in the ar...

JAG

Switched On

2007-07-10T18:40:00.000Z

Best laid plans and all that. I have three recent purchases sat in the garage waiting to be used:

1) New steering wheel & boss kit
2) Mesh for the air intake grille in front of the windscreen
3) A replacement dashboard switch for the ventilation fan

I got home early, hoping to do 1, perhaps even 2.

1) Attached boss to wheel, but do not have a socket large enough to take old wheel off.
2) Removed grille, laid mesh in place, realised I do not have the necessary blind fixings to replace grille.

So, I ended up doing 3 instead. Reasonably simple, with a slight complication that my bargain eBay purchase switch had a blown bulb, so I had to take the old one out of the old, broken switch, to put in the new one. All fine and, although it's the tiniest detail, it's good to see a a perfect switch in place.

Fan switch: £3.76
Total... £2,453.99

JAG

Fixed!

2007-07-07T14:03:00.000Z

Yes, she appears to be running wonderfully. In the end, the invoice from CCK looked something like this...

To investigate poor running, rolling road tune, rebuild carburettor, refit fuel pump, remove regulator, drain fuel, clean out fuel system & refill, chemical test engine
Repair o/s electric window wiring & limit switch
Parts - Petrol, Bimetal mixture control, Assorted electrical items

6 weeks at hotel CCK: £590.08
Total... £2,450.23

JAG

Classic Cars of Kent

2007-07-07T11:00:00.000Z

Today's trip to Classic Cars of Kent was so good, it deserves two blog entries!

What a fantastic place, certainly more than 'just another garage'. They made us very welcome, Helen and 13-month-old James sat with me on the very comfy sofa in reception as we talked through the work carried out. Then, while Graham wrote out the invoice, we had a quick look round the CCK Collection - a hall full of beautiful cars.

The CCK Collection

We enjoyed a proper mug of tea (no machine-filled plastic-cup rubbish) while we chatted about Midgie, the work done and her history. We were made to feel welcome and confident in everything they said and did to her. The workshops were very impressive and the people fantastic.

MG 1100 - I would *love* one of these

They were as impressed with Midgie as I was - 'like a 3-year-old car' was one comment made. Graham gave us some thorough instructions on a route home to avoid town centres and we left very happ indeed.

I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone and everyone!

JAG

Unseized

2007-07-03T14:18:00.000Z

Brake caliper replaced, no more burning wheel. That's just cruel though - it's bad enough having Midgie in the garage for weeks, but having to pay out £150 on Meg at the same time is kicking a man when he's down.

JAG

Investigations Complete!

2007-07-03T12:52:00.000Z

Back from holiday and a call from CCK. She's fixed.

On stripping down the rear carb they found that the little bimetal strip that adjusts the needle depending on temperature was curling, instead of bending. As soon as she got hot she started to misfire.

It seems she doesn't like the Filter King either, so that hsas been removed and I will have to work on a different fuel filter.

They have completed about 100 miles of road tests, so confidence levels are high. Come Saturday, I'll find out the truth for myself.

They have also fixed the electric window, which was unexpected. First it was a broken wire connection to the motor, then the connection to the limit switch went and finally the fuse blew. But it's sorted now, so that's a job for me avoided.

JAG

Hot under the collar

2007-07-02T14:12:00.000Z

Just been down the road to pick up my steering wheel from the friend who took delivery while we were on holiday. Decided to take the ZS as she's been static for a couple of weeks and wanted to check she was ready to go.

Short trip, returned home and something smelled a little hot. Rear driver's side wheel hot, the others cold. Suspect a seized brake but I just haven't got time to look at it before Helen needs to drive her, so Meg is going into the garage tomorrow.

JAG

Gremlins

2007-06-25T14:06:00.000Z

Just checking everything is ok for taking Midgie out tomorrow morning and it appears the driver's side electric window has stopped working. When the door is closed. It's fine when the door is open though. Something to add to my list of jobs.

JAG

Atmosphere

2007-06-15T12:47:00.000Z

On the way down to the south of France on our holiday and, an hour south of Calais, realisation dawns on me. The reason there are so many gorgeous cars around is that it is Le Mans weekend.

The atmosphere on the autoroute is electric. Well, petrol really. Ferraris, Porsches, you name it. And, of course, a few MGs. It starts the heart racing and the imagination burning - I wonder if one year I'll be able to go down in the MG to watch the race, perhaps on an owners' club outing...

JAG

eBay Wheeling & Dealing

2007-06-13T09:48:00.000Z

Pardon the pun.

eBay purchase

Assuming all will be well when Midgie returns from the workshop, I have started to think about the interior and the driving experience. First on my list was a replacement steering wheel. The standard item is not the nicest piece of plastic in the world. Taking advice from the MGOC forums, I avoided the 'club' steering wheel and looked out for an eBay bargain on a genuine Mota-Lita. Which I found, at the very reasonable price of £36, with an extra tenner for postage. I just have to order the boss to fit.

It's not the standard 3 spoke chrome, which particularly attracted me, I think it will suit the interior.

JAG

Investigations Part 2

2007-06-12T12:40:00.000Z

I happen to be in the neighbourhood of CCK today (well, a lot closer than usual) so I thought I'd check on progress.

The whole fuel system has been drained, cleaned out and refilled and on the rolling road she is running sweetly. I had asked them to road test extensively to make sure everything was fine, so they wanted to go out for a run before confirming that I could collect.

A phone call in the afternoon brings bad news. Absolutely perfect for the first 15 miles, then misfiring - my exact symptoms. It appears the rear carb has stopped delivering fuel, so now they will try stripping that down.

Which means it will be ages before I can collect, because holiday time is approaching.

JAG

Investigations Part 1

2007-06-07T11:14:00.000Z

News from CCK...

Well, the chemical test showed that the head gasket was fine. Some tuning and she is running like a dream, until she goes on the rolling road. All perfect until she hits 3,500rpm. At that point, it is possible to see that the Filter King is draining and she runs out of fuel. New suspect is the fuel tank sender unit and / or fuel lines.

JAG

On Tow

2007-05-26T15:06:00.000Z

Time to take Midgie to CCK and finally sort out her running problems. Spent a while setting up and checking the A-frame etc...

A-frame in place
New identity
Hooked up and ready to go

...and away we went.

Even with the a-frame, towing is not much fun. Because her steering was left free to turn, roundabouts became an interesting tug-of-war at each direction change, especially when it started to drizzle and we were going down hill. But, although it was a little tiring and nerve-jarring, the first 59 miles of the 60 mile journey were pretty uneventful.

Of course, the very last stretch was bound to be the hardest. As we went down a steep, narrow lane Midgie was fighting to overtake. Even at 20mph she started to snake and went straight for the grass bank. Within seconds she was up on her side and on the verge of rolling. Fortunately, we were keeping a close eye on things and as quick as she was in trouble we got her out of it. Amazingly, zero damage, just some frayed nerves!

So I drove her the last mile and placed her into Graham's capable hands. His first check is going to be a chemical test for the head gasket as he suspects it may have failed at some point in the past.

I await his phone calls with bated breath.

JAG

Booked In

2007-05-22T07:23:00.000Z

Midgie is now booked in with Classic Cars of Kent to hopefully get her running problems sorted. They have a rolling road, so if they cannot sort it, noone can! I will be towing her over there on Saturday, thanks to some eBay purchases, including a towing A-frame.

JAG

Cosmetics pt 2

2007-05-20T15:13:00.000Z

Around the engine bay, especially near the cabin on the passenger side, the paint finish has always looked a little like a British Leyland Friday afternoon job.

While working on the fuel filter a little petrol got splashed about, which made this worse and Midgie ended up with some bare metal. So, a little rub, a little primer and a hint of "Snapdragon" yellow and she's looking gorgeous again.

Paint: £16.35
Total... £1,860.15

JAG

Droopy Boot Syndrome

2007-05-18T15:02:00.002Z

Poor Meg has been suffering from a droopy boot. Apparently this is relatively common with the ZS.

The symptoms of this are a boot that slams shut in the slightest breeze. Usually at the exact moment that my darling wife is leaning inside to reach something. The ultimatum was set - sort the boot or sell the car.

Thank goodness for my friends on the forums at the MGOC forums, who pointed me to this post at the Brit-Car forum.

That inspired me to purchase some Jaguar XJ6 boot struts (no particular reason for picking a Jag XJ6, other than them being the cheapest on eBay at the time!) and fitting them...

...the strut bolts on to the boot arm using the existing torsion bar hole. For this you need to drill through the back of the empty mounting at the one end of the strut and a couple of decent length bolts...

...and then bolts into rear either side of the seats.

Having the longer struts meant that I didn't have to construct a bracket to bolt onto. One end of the struts have a captive bolt in them - offer this up to the seat back and drill a hole in the right place. You don't even need to place a nut on the other side, as the pressure of the strut holds it in place. But you should, just for the smug feeling of self-satisfaction for not being a cowboy. (My fourth car is a horse...) A little snip in the carpet will make it fit snugly around the strut when replaced.

(I even have a spare pair of struts, if anyone's interested). (ed. 06/03/08: Now sold - good luck Jason!)

The boot will now stay in whichever position you leave it in. The struts have enough force to pop the boot open without needing to leave the torsion bars in. All in all, my wife is very happy. Which makes me very happy.

JAG

Breathe Deeply

2007-05-13T12:09:00.001Z

I have plans to take Midgie in to a garage to get her running problems sorted once and for all. This will probably involve having the carbs stripped down. So, my ability to justify anything and everything goes like this - if the carbs are being stripped, the can have new needles; new needles can be richer needles; richer needles go well with some sexy K&N filters. I have the fuel pump and filter to cope, so now the air filters to match.

I decided to put a tip I had read elsewhere into action - replacing the air filter bolts with studding and wing nuts. The K&N kit is fiddly to fit, trying to hold all those bits together in the right place. So, by replacing the bolts with some 8mm studding and wing nuts, it makes the job a lot easier. Note the groove in the tip of the studding, allowing it to be screwed firmly into the carb. I enjoyed that job, and she sounds even better than before!

Old…

…new

Some DIY inventiveness

K&N Air Filter kit: £94.95
Total... £1,843.80

JAG

Cosmetics

2007-05-13T11:59:00.000Z

During the building works mentioned earlier, Midgie also acquired a small dent on her rear. Nothing major, but an unsightly blemish. Fortunately, my father-in-law used to work in Jack Barclay's bodyshop and, while Midgie is no Bentley, he did take great care in removing the dent.

While he tapped away at the back, I removed and painted the radiator grille. This was the one part of the car that had any sign of rust, being so exposed. I decided to try something a little unusual - while I am a fan of the rubber bumper look (I am a child of the 70s and therefore influenced strongly by the 80s, after all) - this is my little homage to the chrome look. Or to be precise, matt silver Hammerite.

Mmmm, nice

JAG

Heater Control Valve

2007-05-08T15:00:00.000Z

On the rare occasions that I have driven her, and in the even more unlikely event that the weather has been less than perfect (I'm quite protective), I noticed that Midgie's heater wasn't working. Having tried flushing and feeling the hoses, I decided that the most likely culprit was the heater control valve. Some time ago I spotted a bargain on eBay, so I grabbed it, and finally go around to fitting it. And sure enough, taking off the old valve, there was no way any water was going to find its way through that crud.

No water in...

...no water out

All shiny and new

My goodness, those two bolts are fiddly. And my thanks to Ulrich over in Switzerland for this useful link about this dreaded valve.

Heater control valve: £18.00
Total... £1,748.85

JAG

A year passes

2007-05-05T12:45:00.000Z

MOT time. And at 12,271 miles, we passed with flying colours.

MOT: £50.35
Total... £1,730.85

JAG

Coil or what?

2007-04-28T13:00:00.000Z

The MOT is coming up, but with so few miles travelled my preparation is short and sweet. One thing that needed to be done was the rear foglight. During some building work last year, the right hand foglight managed to get hit by a passing lawnmower. Replacing it is not high on my list of priorities, especially as I can understand the logic of one foglight being safer than two (less likely to be confused for brake lights). So, instead of replacing, I just moved the left foglight
to the right, as it seems a safer location being nearer the centre of the road.

While I had the tools out, I also replaced the coil with the Lumenition Magnetronic Coil. This isn't compulsory when using the Magnetronic ignition unit, but is reccomended. I had bought it a while ago, half hoping it may cure my running problems. It hasn't, but it does look quite nice under the bonnet.

Lumenition Magnetronic Coil in situ

Coil: £17.95
Total... £1,680.50

JAG

Insurance

2007-04-12T08:33:00.000Z

Insurance renewal time for the MGB. Still getting a good deal on a restricted mileage classic policy through Lancaster Insurance as an MGOC Member.

Insurance: £123.94
Total... £1,662.55

JAG

You get what you pay for

2006-10-28T09:18:00.000Z

The fuel hose from the Filter King was not sealing very well, so have replaced with a new length and some new hose clips. I also decided to change the wiper blades - fitting cheap refills was a false economy.

Fuel Hose: £6.50
Hose clips: £1.00
Wiper blades: £13.90
Total... £1,538.61

JAG

Re-taxation

2006-10-20T09:16:00.000Z

The last six months seem to have flown by, with very little progress. That's what having a baby does. I've done so few miles, and so want to drive Midgie some more, my plans not to tax during the winter are out the window.

12 months Tax: £175.00
Total... £1,517.21

JAG

Pump it up

2006-06-27T09:13:00.000Z

Replaced the fuel pump with a Facet Silver Top Competition pump. Ooooh, sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Nice and easy to fit, manufacturing a blanking plate for the old pump location from an old plastic biscuit box! Now I need to carry out a series of roadtests to play with the adjustment screw on the Filter King, as this allows me to adjust the fuel pressure to any point between the old pump and the maximum capability of the new (which is far greater than what I should need).

Old and new pumps...
...Facet in place

Fuel Pump: £69.95
Total... £1,342.21

JAG

Arise, King Filter

2006-06-22T09:08:00.000Z

Replaced the fuel filter with a regulated Filter King. This filter gives you the ability to control the pressure that fuel is delivered to the carbs at, even when using a more powerful pump, which is my plan.

The filter is nice and simple to fit, with a simple bracket to bend into shape. Engine fired up perfectly but I didn't have a chance to roadtest or play with the adjustment screw.

Old and new filters...
...Filter King in place

Filter King: £28.95
Total... £1,272.26

JAG

Lead it out

2006-06-15T08:46:00.000Z

In an attempt to improve high speed running, I have replaced the HT leads for a much nicer set - these ones actually feel like they ae connected! These, plus the rotor arm and cap are a quick change, but sadly haven't cured the problem.

So, instead, turning to the fuel supply, I took out the fuel filter and went for a run. This was Bill Reeve's advice, as he suspected fuel starvation. Much better, although still not perfect, so some work in the fuel pump / filter area required.

Today's lesson - petrol squirted in the eye stings. A lot.

Lumenition HT Leads: £29.95
Distributor Cap: £4.25
Rotor Arm: £1.45
Total... £1,243.31

JAG

Giving the experts a chance

2006-06-01T08:41:00.000Z

Haven't been entirely happy with Midgie's performance. She sometimes struggle to idle (could be points gap too big), she sometimes misses at full speed under load (could be points gap too small) and she pinks (timing?). I have therefore decided that points are a pain in the proverbial, as setting them was plain fiddly, and every time they change the timing has to be done. I just don't feel confident enough to tackle tuning and timing, so I am taking the easy way out.

I took Midgie to visit Bill Reeves at the MG Centre, where he fitted the Lumenition Magnetronic alternative to points and then balanced, tuned and timed the whole lot. Apparently she was only really running on one carb and the disi took 2 hours to un-sieze! I have a couple of things still to check, as she's still not happy at motorway speed, but this is what was done:

Remove Distributor and fit Lumenition module, connect wiring to non ballasted supply
Adjust timing to 10 deg BTDC.
Remove Air filters, check carburettor mixture and balance - adjust as necessary.

Lumenition Magnetronic: £84.95
Sundry connectors: £0.55
Labour: £125
Total... £1,207.66

JAG

No heat

2006-05-28T08:36:00.000Z

Managed to fix the boot lock by climbing over the back seat and unscrewing the cover. The bolt that clamps the catch to the lock barrel had come completely undone.

Also flushed out the heater to try and find the cause of there being no hot (or warm!) air from the vents. Seems nice and clean, as far as I can tell it could be the heater control valve. More investigation required.

JAG

Success!

2006-05-13T08:34:00.000Z

Bad news: managed to break the seal on one of the tyres against the kerb, by the time I stopped it was flat and the sidewall had been damaged by the rim. Second problem - the boot lock fell apart, so needs some work before I can open it again!

Good news: after changing the wheel, got to the garage where Midgie passed the MOT.

Extra good news: they hadn't disposed of my old tyres yet, so they were able to re-fit the best as a spare.

So we went for our first trip, not far, just a run out for a celebratory picnic and glass of champagne. Let the MG lifestyle begin!

Re-fit tyre: £10
MOT re-test: £10
6 months tax: £96.25
Total... £997.16

JAG

Little bleeders...

2006-05-10T08:30:00.000Z

Had to bleed the brakes again, as having settled overnight I had almost no pressure at all! I also applied two nice new under bonnet soundproofing pads. The old ones were curling and peeling off and at the price MGOC were asking, it wasn't worth mucking about try to re-stick them.

(More) Silicone brake fluid: £11.55
Under bonnet soundproofing: £20.95
Total... £880.91

JAG

Grrr...

2006-05-09T08:15:00.000Z

Not an easy job. Playing with the drum brakes is just plain fiddly, all those springs and things. And as for the circlip on the wheel cylinder, suffice to say that my neighbours learnt some new swear words. But I replaced the cylinders on both wheels, so hopefully I won't have to do that again in a hurry.

I also fitted my nice, shiney, new coolant plug and locking fuel cap.

Old cylinder...
…new plug

2 x wheel cylinders: £19.90
Brass coolant filler plug: £5.42
Cork washer: £0.45
Locking petrol filler cap: £5.95
Total... £848.41

JAG

Not quite

2006-05-06T07:52:00.000Z

The bad news: one of the rear wheel brake cylinders has siezed, so failed the MOT. My concerns a few weeks ago were founded, I should have known better than to just back off the adjuster on the brakes.

The good news: everthing else was fine! New tyres fitted, running well. New cylinders ordered and re-test booked.

Follow-up bad news: decided to check the fluid levels after a decent back from the garage with the heater on. The coolant plug came off suspiciously easily. Turns out the body of the thread was still in place, just the top of the cheap British Leyland plug had come off.

Tyre fitting: £54.34
MOT: £44.15
Total... £816.69

JAG

Almost done?

2006-05-01T07:50:00.000Z

Final pieces of work today. Replaced the clutch fluid and rear axle oil, adjusted the rear brakes, fitted new wiper blades and replaced the screenwash. She rolled off the ramps and had a brief whizz around the block to test. Everything feels great and so worth the effort so far. Next job - book the MOT!

After the test drive I took some pictures for the insurance valuation.

Wiper blades: £7.99
Castrol EP90: £6.99
Total... £718.20

JAG

Rubber

2006-04-22T07:48:00.000Z

A trip to visit family in mid-Wales had an added bonus. My brother-in-law is into Scimitars and his local classic car expert has a contact in tyres. So I drove home with a set of 5 brand new Falken tyres at a bargain price.

5 tyres: £115.00
Total... £703.22

JAG

Stop!

2006-04-14T14:08:00.000Z

A Bank Holiday with forecasts of good weather - what better time to get under an MG?

Today's job was replacing the old flexible brake lines with nice new stainless-steel Goodrich replacements - a set of 2 front and 1 rear from MGOC Spares. While under the bonnet I popped the new fan belt on, changed the gearbox / overdrive oil and sprayed the carbs with a nice dose of 10k Boost engine cleaner.

Out with the old…

…and in with the new

Best thing of the day was the Eezi-bleed, making replacing the brake fluid a lot easier. Worst thing was the weather, which turned to torrential downpours which resulted in me finishing the job lying in a puddle. Second to that is the new concern that the rear brakes are binding.

Brake Hose Set: £32.50
Silicone Brake Fluid: £20.75
Castrol Classic XL20W/50: £16.99
Fan Belt: £3.85
10k Boost: £19.99
Total... £588.22

JAG

Insurance

2006-04-10T14:06:00.000Z

With things progressing well, time to sort out some insurance, as I'm hoping it won't be long until I go for the dreaded MOT. I get a good deal on a restricted mileage classic policy through Lancaster Insurance as an MGOC Member.

Insurance: £133.67
Total... £494.14

JAG

She's alive!

2006-04-02T14:04:00.001Z

Decided to remove the dodgy plastic washers that came with the pump as it was sucking as much air as petrol. Completely drained the tank and hoses / pipes before putting a nice fresh mix of unleaded and Castrol Valvemaster Plus into the tank. Everything hooked up, turned the key.

Engine spins, fuel pumps. Engine does not start.

My father-in-law and I work through the ignition system as that seems most likely. We re-check the points and plugs, then check for sparks in all the right places. Appears fine.

Air filters off (I want to change them anyway) and we spot the steady stream of petrol overflowing from the front carb. The choke control has siezed and is flooding. After hours of diagnosis, it takes just a few squirts of WD40 and a helping hand to free the choke.

She starts!

Carb Damper Oil: £3.95
Air filters: £8.30
Total... £360.47

JAG

A sister arrives

2006-02-12T13:25:00.000Z

Added another MG to the stable today. Meg is now my wife Helen's new transport. I'm not going to track costs on Meg like I am on Midgie. Suffice to say, following MG Rover's sad demise, used MGs are available at bargain basement prices at the moment. Meg has 34k miles on the clock, in perfect condition - she is one of those bargains.

We needed to exchange Helen's BMW Compact for a more 'sensible' sized car, as we have an impending new baby to transport. The MG provided 4 doors and the looks and driving experience that Helen has grown accustomed to. She was the closest we could get to my old Alfa Romeo 156 on our limited budget. Meg handles and performs like a sports car, but with the subtle looks and convenience of a saloon, albeit a somewhat hot saloon!

I love this car, but my sensible daily driver is a Peugeot 406 estate. Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say, so I will have to make the most of every opportunity I get to drive Meg.

Photos used by the garage to advertise Meg on Autotrader...

JAG

Pumping anew

2006-02-01T13:21:00.000Z

Fantastic. Emailed MGOC Spares at about 1430 yesterday, at 0830 today a new fuel pump, 2m of fresh new hose and a handful of clips arrive. Although it would be nice to keep everything original, it's not going to happen in the long run, so I went with the cheaper, more modern solid state plastic replacement. It fits exactly as the original, this time to non-crumbling hoses.

Old and new pump

Fuel pump: £39.95
2m petrol hose: £13.00
6 fuel pipe clips: £1.50
Fuel filter: £2.99
Total... £348.22

JAG

It is not pining, it is a dead pump

2006-01-31T13:19:00.000Z

A borrowed multimeter confirmed suspicions, there was power getting to the pump, but it was doing nothing with it. Time for another order from MGOC spares...

JAG

Fuel Starvation

2006-01-30T13:15:00.000Z

Started replacing the fuel lines with a nice new stainless steel braided set from MGOC, except they just didn't want to co-operate. They wouldn't fit onto the filter that came with the service kit and were a right pig to fit anywhere else, so I decided that standard hoses would be more suitable!

I also fitted a new battery from Halfords (naturally, batteries for modern cars start at £40, batteries for old MGs cost a lot more...) and decided to turn the key to pump the fuel tank dry. No such luck.

That's when I found that the two hoses that aren't included in the kit are the two most likely to perish, the two down underneath the car on the fuel pump. And sure enough, one of them had perished and split.

That wasn't the problem though, it appeared that the fuel pump was. Or to be precise, wasn't (a pump, that is).

A non-pumping pump

Battery: £73.99
Total... £290.78

JAG

Getting Oily

2006-01-18T12:58:00.000Z

MGOC Accessories (my favourite url at the moment) can supply an excellent 12,000 mile service kit, tailored to your MG. So, I knew I would have everything in my box to carry out the oil and filter change. Although it is better changing oil when the engine is a little warm, I didn't want to even contemplate starting the engine until it is filled with nice, fresh fluids.

New oil with a retro feel

The plugs, points and condenser are also in the kit. The plugs gave me a good chance to try out my new torque wrench and the points gave me a chance to try a couple of new swear words. I think I got the gaps right, I guess I'll find out when I do get around to trying to start the engine. The HT leads were not included in the kit but, although the old ones looked good, it's the ignition system that always seems to be the cause of problems on older cars, so I wasn't going to skimp.

There's no point…
…skimping on electrics

Oil filler cap: £5.95
XL20W/50: £16.99
Oil filter: £2.99
Spark plugs: £7.56
Points: £1.80
Condenser: £2.95
HT Leads: £9.95
Total... £216.79

JAG

Work Starts

2006-01-17T12:45:00.000Z

Finally started work on reviving Midgie. Although perhaps not the most logical place to start, the cooling system was the area I felt most comfortable with, having had previous experience of replacing a radiator in a muddy field.

Not wanting to take chances with hoses that look ok on the outside, but may not be on the inside, I ordered a new set from MGOC Accessories. Having drained the system, I replaced each old hose, one at a time, with the new Kevlar re-inforced set.

Old set taken off…
…new set ready to go on

I also replaced the thermostat and gasket at the same time. The old gasket was in a sorry state, which reassured me in my decision to replace all the items rather than hope the old ones were good enough.

Nice clean engine bay…
…with nice clean hoses

Finally, I refilled the system. First in was a bottle of Water Wetter, which may be snake oil, but my research found some good reviews. Having had overheating problems with Land Rovers and a blown head gasket on my 406, I want any advantage I can get. I then filled up with a 25% mix of Halfords 'advanced' coolant. This bright pink coolant is supposed to last 5 years and, although I don't really intend to leave it that long between changes, because the MG will not be a daily driver I wanted to pick fluids with some extra life in them.

Today's drugs of choice

Hoses: £24.45
Thermostat: £3.95
Gasket: £0.25
Water Wetter: £9.95
Coolant: £15.99
Total... £168.60

JAG

History

2005-12-20T12:20:00.000Z

Spent a few hours last night trawling through all of Midgie's documentation. I have a nice collection of tax discs, MOT certificates and service invoices, along with the original BL 'Passport to service'. I have worked out her history which validated her amazing condition and incredibly low mileage.

JAG

Protection

2005-12-11T12:19:00.000Z

A temporary solution to storage in the form of a car cover purchased from Argos. Poor Midgie has been kept in a centrally-heated garage for 16 years and is now stuck out on my drive. The least I can do is cover her up while I work on garage space, so she has an old duvet to keep her warm and a car cover to keep her dry.

Car cover: £24.99
Total... £114.01

JAG

Collection

2005-12-10T12:14:00.000Z

Having borrowed my ex-wife's Discovery (which I originally bought to tow around off-roaders, but that's another story) and hired a trailer, we went to pick up the MG. Absolutely gobsmacked with the condition of the car, you can read more and see photos here.

Trailer hire: £74.03
Total... £89.02

JAG

Research

2005-12-05T12:11:00.000Z

Those wonderful people on uk.rec.cars.mg have pointed me in the direction of this excellent guide to Awakening A Sleeping MG. So now I have my to-do list! I have little mechanical experience, I can change wheels, I've changed a radiator in my old Land Rover, I've done some electrical work, but mostly this will be new to me. I forsee a steep learning curve.

JAG

Preparation

2005-12-04T12:09:00.000Z

Getting excited now. I have booked a trailer, on the basis that the Pug will be back on the road before next weekend. So, I've made my first two purchases. A Haynes manual from eBay and a tow rope. The rope is to help extract Midgie from the garage when I go to pick her up on Saturday. I'm hoping with that and the help of some willing assistants I can overcome any siezed brakes or other obstacles in my way.

Haynes manual: £9.00 (inc. postage!)
Tow rope: £5.99
Total... £14.99

JAG

Surprise

2005-11-30T12:08:00.000Z

An unexpected surprise. While on the phone to my father, complaining about my Peugeot 406 HDI and its blown head gasket, he asked me if I wanted a car. He has had an 1980 MGB GT gathering dust in storage for about 16 years and has realised he's never going to get around to doing anything with it. He lives in Switzerland and the car is in the UK, so the one condition is that if he ever buys a car in the UK, he wants his personalised number plate back. Apparently it only has around 11,000 miles on the clock and, although it was in good condition when it went into storage, it is probably going to need some work to get it back on the road.

So, as soon as my Pug is back on the road, I intend to hire a trailer and collect my new toy.

JAG