Clara's Chronicle

A brand new me

2010-11-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Murray took me over to Leading Roding in Essex to see Jason Waller and the team at Classic and Sports Cars who were the people who reconditioned my engine nearly three years ago.

The experts there flushed my radiator and adjusted my tappets, checked and changed the timing and generally gave me the “once over”. Just after telling Murray I was ready to be collected the observant lads noticed a water leak from the rear of my engine. Unfortunately, there was no way to locate or, indeed, fix the leak without completely removing my engine.

So they set about that, took out my engine and installed it in a test rig, located the leak and replaced the faulty gasket then had to re-install my engine and make sure it was all just as it should be. When they were sure all was OK the called Murray again and he came over today to collect me.

We then drove around 60 miles up to my winter hotel near Milton Keynes and Murray was extremely impressed with the way I was running after Jason and the team had worked their magic.

Trolling along the dual-lane roads at 60mph was no problem and there was not a sign of my radiator boiling and after a fairly brisk run of that length there was nothing in the radiator overflow bottle that Murray had installed back in May.

The lads at Classic and Sports Cars clearly know their stuff and Murray was very impressed with the results.

A Pilgrimage

2010-06-19T12:01:00.001-07:00

Murray and Christine's daughter was over in London for a visit so we all set off on a jaunt to Abingdon. Abingdon is a special place for us old MGs as it is where were were built and the Abingdon Tourist Office has produced a flyer showing the old routes that were used for test drives as each new car was completed.

These routes varied over the years but we went back to the same route that I was first driven over some 60 years previously.

To be brutally honest, after all the miles I have covered since, over 111,000, I can't really say I remember it all that well, but it was a lovely drive through the Oxfordshire countryside all the same.

2010 Y Spring Run

2010-05-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year again when I and all the other old gals get together with our owners and have our Spring Run.

This year it was a little further away from home base but Murray was confident we could make it there OK so early Saturday morning we set off for Ledbury, over 120 miles from home. We set off on a route that Murray had planned along the backroads and lanes to keep us well away from the motorways and other busy roads. All was going well until about 75 miles into the journey I started my old trick of losing power and it was clear to Murray that we were not going to make the distance.

Murray made a quick call to Noel at Bewley Motors and discussed the situation and as a result had a look at the points gap. it was clearly wildly wrong so Murray adjusted the gap and went to tighten the screw to ensure the gap did not alter again, only to discover that the screw thread was stripped.

A little lateral thinking had him swap the two screws on the points plate as one is only a fulcrum and therefore does not need to be tight whilst the other one does require being fully tightened. Fortunately the other screw thread was fine and the trick worked.

However, Murray then discovered that my hight temsion lead had fallen out of the coil. After a bit more work both issues were resolved and we were off again, making it to Ledbury without further incident and well in time for Murray & Christine to go off and enjoy their dinner with the other Y Type owners.

Early Sunday morning saw us all assembled at the start point of the run which was to end at Berrington Hall. As the end point was even further away from London than Ledbury, Murray and Christine left the others partway through the run and we headed back to London on a gloriously warm day.

We stopped here and there for me to take a breather and for them to get some lunch and finally arrived home tired and happy after an enjoyable weekend.

New bits

2010-05-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

One of the problems that has beset my travels is the radiator using too much water or boiling dry so Murray had lashed up a very Heath-Robinson radiator expansion tank. It was very small and not very well secured. In the May edition of the Octagon Car Club Bulletin, Alan Wakefield had written up how he fitted an expansion tank to MaTilDa, his TD.

He used a bicycle drink bottle and holder and showed where he mounted it. Murray thought that was a very clever idea so rushed out the next morning and brought one from Halfords along with some other bits and pieces and a strip of aluminium bar to mount it on.

A couple of hours later I had a very professional looking expansion tank mounted out of the way of everything else and ready to test on the big adventure next weekend.

Regency Run

2010-05-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Every year, for last 27 anyway, The MG Car Club and MG Owners Club have arranged a run from the Brooklands Motor Museum in London to Brighton. In previous years this has clashed with the Y Register Spring Run so we have never made it. This year the Spring Run is later so Murray booked us on the Regency Run.

We headed down to Brooklands for the start and found, to our surprise, that we were the only Y Type among the 309 MGs that were making the run. I purred my way down along the marked route and we joined the other cars parked in a special area on the Brighton Parade along the foreshore.

After I had cooled down and Murray & Christine had enjoyed their picnic lunch we set off back to London via the byways and small villages.

Our stop on the way back was to be White Down where Christine had been told there was a great display of Bluebells. White Down was on the London side of the North Downs and the road up from Abinger Hammer was an 18% gradient. Boy, was I glad to take a break when we got to the car park, the hill was quite a struggle.

So I sat under a lovely tree and cooled down while Murray & Christine went and wandered through the Bluebells. Then it was time to head home and use my new lights as it was getting dark by the time we finally arrived. The round trip was nearly 200 miles and I performed very well.

Lit up like a Christmas tree

2010-05-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have spent a bit of time with John and Noel getting all tuned up ready for the season and my engine is running like a top. New spark plugs, points checked, carburettor cleaned and so forth. We went for a short run last Sunday morning to check it out and I was purring along beautifully.

Over winter Murray purchased some new tail-lights for me. They are made of some new fangled gizmos called el ee dees or LEDs. They certainly were not around in my day. Here is a picture that Murray took with the job half done. (Both lights are illuminated.)

So now we will be able to go out at night and people will be able to see us clearly. The brake lights are very bright.

Murray had a few hassles fitting the first one after drilling some holes where the instructions indicated he found that the D-Lamp could not close so he had to move the mounting points back to allow the lights to clear the lens retaining springs. Then the rear of the new light fouled on the lamp body so he had to file the new light mounting board down to gently and carefully allow the lamp to close .

A milestone

2010-04-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Murray came and collected me from my winter storage at the beginning of the month and was told that the oil and water had been checked.

So off we set for London and about a mile down the road there was the smell of burning oil: "Clumsy, he spilt some oil, oh well the smell will go" and on we went.

Not very much further on I was engulfed in clouds of blue smoke. Time for a hasty stop at a very convenient pull-off.

Murray was under the bonnet in quick time to see the oil filler cap not in place and oil being thrown in all directions. The problem was easily rectified and we drove on in a blue cloud as the oil burnt off.

At least the underseal has been done for this season.

A few miles later Murray noticed that the windscreen was covered in water drops but the day was fine. Another stop to firmly tighten the radiator cap which was not even hand tight.

Hey ho! But we made it home OK and my odometer ticked over 111000 as we neared home.

Going wild

2009-07-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have been out and about but have just not been on the blog keeping it up to date.

On 4 July, Murray and Christine had some good friends visiting from NZ and they were keen to take a trip with me so we drove into central London to collect them from their hotel and then set off to see some lovely English villages. The 'tour' started at Denham then Chalfon't St Giles, Old Amersham and Wendover where they had chocolate cake and coffee and I had water.

On to Startop End, where they had lunch and I had water; then Aldbury; back through Chesham and Beaconsfield, where I had more water and they had nothing; and finally to return John and Robyn to their hotel in London. We all had a great time.

Today we did not venture quite so far afield, just a little way north, nearly to St Albans where the Future Gardens have recently opened. The wild flowers on the drive in were simply fantastic.

Over the fence but down a long country lane is the Royal National Rose Society garden were I was met by one of my more modern cousins, an RV8, then it was home again for another fill of water.

Murray has purchased a new thermostat and housing and will get that fitted soon so hopefully that will stop me boiling away my water so rapidly and reduce the need for the contual filling of my radiator will cease.

Off to the Nether regions

2009-05-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Late on Tuesday night, Murray ordered a new regulator for me from Holden Vintage & Classic Ltd and it was on his desk first thing Thursday morning. Murray thought that was absolutely first class service.

So, on Friday afternoon he removed my original regulator and fitted the new one; a reproduction unit that looks exactly like the old one but made of newer materials. When he had finished, we went for a quick spin around the block and it appeared to be working as a regulator should.

So, today we set off from London for Nether Winchendon, in Buckinghamshire out near Aylesbury. It meant we got to go out past the Chalfonts along the A413 which is one of my favourite routes out of London.

And, if I may say so myself, I performed superbly. The new regulator worked as it should, even coping with a spell of rain requiring the windscreen wipers to be used. In fact, the rain was quite heavy for a time but the new regulator meant that my battery could cope with the extra load and the new wiper blades that Murray had fitted recently meant that he could see to drive.

It was a great day out; it is such a shame that this problem was not resolved before last weekend so that I could have enjoyed the Spring Run.

Murray still thinks I drink too much water: 2.5 litres for the trip today.

Oh no! Not again

2009-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

It was time for me to meet up with the gang again at the Annual Spring Run. Murray had been very diligent and with the aid of the lads at Bewley Motors had decided that the rough running was due to my regulator not working and not allowing the battery to charge, thus not providing enough oomph to allow the spark plugs to perform properly at higher speeds.

On Saturday morning he collected me and the regulator was working fine. So, we all set off for Winchcombe where the dinner was to be held. We got as far as Oxford when my regulator stopped working and the rough running returned.

It was clear I was not going to make it through the weekend so Murray turned me round and we headed back to London.

And then, horror of horrors, they went off to 'my' weekend with that ghastly new upstart 'Crystal'. Oh the shame of it all!

Apparently they had a great time, there was wonderful weather and a great turn-out of Y Types and new friends to be made. Murray and Christine did the Y Spring Run in the TF and thoroughly enjoyed themselves even if they must have looked horribly out of place in the wrong type of car.

Clara girl, Clara girl, where have you been?

2009-04-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Not to London to visit the Queen, but to Windsor (where she happened to be in residence, but I did not see her) to see HRH Duke of Edinburgh. To celebrate 85 years of the MG marque, the Windsor Rotary Club and several MG clubs organised the Royal Windsor MG Heritage Festival to as fundraiser for The Prince Philip Trust Fund and other Rotary charities. (They raised over £50000 I'm told.)

The aim was to get a representative of every MG model from 1924 to 2009, the very newest 85th Anniversary Edition, which was unveiled to the public today. The earliest models that made it were two from 1925. Apart from the war years 1940-45 and 1947 & 1962 every year up to 1980 was represented by at least one variant. After that, with the fickle fortunes of BMC, British Leyland, MG Rover etc the representation was a bit lumpy.

However, it was a fantastic turnout of some extremely beautiful examples of the MG Marque down through the years and I was lucky enough to be chosen to represent 1950 and the sole YA.

We had to assemble bright and early for security checks and what-not and to get organised into the specific running order. I was number 77 out of 221 cars that had the rare priviledge of driving up Castle Hill and through St George's Gate into the private area of the Castle. We then drove around the Royal Quadrangle where HRH gave me a cheery wave and then out of the castle and through the private grounds into Frogmore Drive and down to a parking area by the cricket grounds.

Once we were all assembled there HRH drove himself down in his Range Rover and planted a tree, as did Mr He Xiaoqing the Chairman of MG Motors UK. Mr He then presented HRH with the keys to a brand new MG TF LE500 which will be auctioned as part of the fundraising. HRH then got back into his Range Rover and drove right past where I was parked on his way back to the Castle.

With the formal bits over, the public were allowed in to look at the cars so I sat there and soaked up the admiring glances and posed for hundreds of photos. I even had two young lads ask if they could sit in me for a while; they seemed quite amused by my opening windscreen.

Home again, is it summer already?

2009-03-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

Murray came and got me from the car hotel this morning and look what I found in my carpark when I got home!

Apparently she is called Crystal. “Crystal”!!! What sort of poncey new-age name is that for a car? She has probably got power steering, ABS brakes, air-conditioning, air-bags, seat belts and all sorts of other stuff that we real girls never had and don’t need. These modern things … I don’t know.

She’s a 58 reg; 58 years younger than me – will she keep her looks for 58 years and turn heads the way I do? I guess I may not be around to find out.

Her older siblings were prone to head gasket failure (HGF) but that apparently has nothing to do with the letters on her number plate.

Hibernating

2008-10-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

I had always thought that it was animals that hibernated for the winter but, apparently, Murray thinks that I should try a spot of hibernation as well.

So he has booked me a long-term stay at “The Hotel for Fine Automobiles”, as Storacar call themselves. This is me checking in, and in their loving care I will be dry, snug and warm for the winter.

So, until Murray decides summer has arrived and comes and gets me for another season of shows, runs and picnics – this is me signing off for 2008.

One last summer jaunt and another adventure

2008-09-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

The MG Car Club Abingdon Works Centre’s final summer run was set to leave Abingdon at 10 a.m. so we had an early start from London in order to make it there on time.

Dropping over the Chilterns into the Oxford valley plunged us into quite dense fog and Murray was still not sure about whether my regulator was working and charging my battery, so turned on the headlights and wipers with some trepidation.

It was still quite foggy as we passed Dorchester when he noticed a problem on my gauges, not the charging but the oil pressure: there was none!

Fortunately a sign indicated a parking area ½ mile ahead so Murray pulled in there to have a look and it was not too difficult for him to locate the problem, he simply had to look above the drips that were rapidly covering the ground. The pipe that takes the oil from the oil filter and into my engine block was leaking.

After checking that it was not something really simple like a loose fitting, Murray called up his good friends at the AA; fully expecting that the day was over before it had begun and that we would all be going home on the back of an AA truck.

In 30 minutes the AA man arrived and had a look and said he thought he could make a temporary fix. He removed the pipe, which had a hairline crack across it, and after cleaning it up moulded some two-part epoxy metal weld putty and wrapped it around the pipe over the crack. He covered this with self-amalgamating tape and then wrapped the lot in another layer of tape.

After refitting the pipe Murray started my engine and the pressure gauge shot back up to 40 psi and there were no leaks from the repair.

Fortunately Murray had a 5-litre tin of 20-50W oil in the boot so he was able to replace all the oil I had so carelessly spread along the road and we were off again.

We pulled into the centre of Abingdon just in time to catch the other cars before they left. Once Murray had the route book, it was time to find a petrol station and head off for the run.

Keeping a close eye on my oil gauge for the 32-mile run we arrived to find the other 25 cars already there with their owners’ picnic lunches well underway. However, the trail of oil drips told another tale; the repair was leaking. So, after lunch and a look around the Museum of Berkshire Aviation, we set of early to find a Halfords and some more oil. Murray poured about a litre in to get the level showing again on my dipstick.

The pressure held for the 38 miles home to London but the rest of the 5-litre tin had to be used to restore the level. Clearly a permanent part replacement is required but the AA man made a wonderful job of the temporary repair and enabled us to enjoy the day almost as planned.

Kent cruising

2008-09-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

An Indian summer arrived and brought a beautiful cloudless weekend with it, so it was time to go cruising in Kent.

An early start meant that we could take the direct route through London without getting snarled in traffic, enabling us to be at Chiddingstone in time for the 11 a.m. Castle opening time.

After a picnic lunch we set off for the second stop at Titsey House.

There was no point attempting the cross-London route in the late afternoon so it was time to tangle with the trucks on the M25. As is apparently typical (I don’t go there often) the M25 was crawling for quite a long stretch so I had no problem keeping up with the flow.

What a busy place, though; the roads are certainly very different from when I first started out in 1950.

Wimbledon Windmill

2008-08-30T14:45:00.001-07:00

Today's run, although relatively short at 14 miles, was not without incident. Murray and Christine had decided to visit Wimbledon Common, almost due south down the A219. All was going well until we got stuck in the traffic at Putney about three miles short of the destination. It was a warmish day and all the idling and stop-start driving must have been too much for me as I overheated and boiled dry.

With some very strange noises from under the bonnet Murray only just made it around a corner and off the busy main road before I gave up completely. This time, rather than call the AA, he simply waited until I had cooled down a bit, topped up my radiator and we were off again.

Going home in the afternoon was trouble-free and I still had a good supply of water in the radiator when we returned home. All very odd, really

They hadn't forgotten me after all

2008-08-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been languishing under my cover for simply ages. Apparently they have been all over the place: Moscow, St Petersburg, Edinburgh, Berwick-upon-Tweed and so on, leaving me alone at home.

So it was a pleasant surprise this morning to be fired up and on the road. Tackling the North Circular early enough makes it bearable and it was not long before we were out at Mill Green.

They left me there and went for a walk, returning for a picnic lunch.

After that we went to Ingatestone Hall, and then stopped at Mountnessing so that they could enjoy afternoon tea at the foot of the windmill.

Then it was time to go home so we meandered our way back to London via the back routes meeting some rather interesting other road users.

MG M Group Saloons Day

2008-07-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

The day that Murray & Christine came to collect me last year was the day on which the MG ‘M’ Group had their saloons day gathering so, as I reported on the blog, we called in on the way home; and it was just after we left the Saloons day that all my troubles began.

The 2008 MG ‘M’ Group Saloons Day was held today and Murray considered it a bit of a challenge to make it there and back without incident as ‘proof’ that, for the moment, the troubles are over and I was behaving as I should. He also wanted to take me for a decent run to see if the water consumption problem had been fixed with the fitting of my new water pump.

So, bright and early this morning we headed north, out of London and on to the M1. Fortunately the speed limit through the road works up to Junction 9 is 50mph so we did not hold anybody up. From Junction 9 we went up the A5 to Milton Keynes then took the A508 through Northampton and up to the venue at Lamport House.

Although the weather forecast was for fine, sunny weather there were a couple of light sprinkles and it was quite chilly. I was the only Y there this year; the nearest cousins were three Magnettes – well down on the 10 that were present in 2007.

Because of the inclement conditions we slipped away early and headed home via Holdenby House and the back routes and byways to Winslow and then London.

Murray was very pleased with me today: cruising effortlessly at 55-60 mph; fuel consumption , 33 mpg, much better than in the past; and, in 160 miles, I used less than a litre of water, quite a change from the 1 litre per 10 miles problem that started my troubles a year ago.

Home again

2008-07-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the pulley did not arrive in time for the weekend and when it did John discovered that the bolts holding it all together were the wrong size. It seems someone has done a bit of a 'bodge' job at some stage and the holes in the spacer have been bored out to the wrong size.

But the lads at Bewley sorted it all out and tonight Murray came and collected me and we went for a short run on the motorway. I simply purred along at 60mph and even made 65 for a short while and Murray was still not pushing me as hard as I could go. I haven't done 65 in years - it is really quite a rush for an old girl like me.

Hopefully this weekend we will be able to get back to the MG Saloons Day, a lot has happened since the 2007 Saloons Day - it has been rather an eventful year.

Man the pumps

2008-07-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

The vibration was due to a badly worn water pump and the reason that it was becoming more obvious at lower speeds was that the wear was getting worse.

So I now have a brand new water pump to go with all the other new bits but unfortunately the old fan belt pulley was too worn to fit properly on the shaft of my nice new water pump. Hopefully the pulley will arrive in time for it to be fitted before the weekend, as Murray would like to take me on the Epsom Area MG Owners Club run to the Bluebell Railway on Sunday. We shall see.

It will also be interesting to see if the new water pump also solves the persistent but small water leak that is still troubling Murray. John said that when he took the old pump off there was some evidence of leakage behind it, so fingers crossed.

Copyright?

2008-07-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Murray and Christine ended their Sunday at Highclere Castle where there was a gathering of Jaguar cars.

It was a totally miserable wet day for all the enthusiasts who had turned out in their lovely XK open sports cars for the XK Register 40th Anniversary. Naturally there were many more models represented including some pre-war SS cars, before they adopted the Jaguar name.

Murray is convinced that the Y designers had a picture of a 1938 SS 100 Saloon pinned above the drawing board as they crafted the transformation of the Morris 8 body shell into the Y saloon.

The similarities are striking and although the SS 100 is bigger, longer, lower, and somewhat more curvaceous, given the fact that there was very little that could be changed with the passenger cabin section of the Morris 8, the designers did a grand job of stealing the looks of the SS 100 and making an affordable sports saloon for the driver whose pockets were not quite so deep. We even both have sun-roofs!

Buckinghamshire beckons

2008-07-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

Returning from last weekend’s Naviscat, Murray was increasingly concerned about a worrying vibration that was making driving unpleasant.

However, he needed to do a bit more detective work to try and pin down the conditions under which this vibration occurred so he and Christine set off for Buckinghamshire to visit a few places and enjoy the country lanes.

We stopped in at Beaconsfield, Princes Risborough and Long Crendon before wending our way back home. While out and about, Murray stopped to collect some elder flowers to make elderflower cordial.

All the while the vibration was getting steadily worse and I had to be driven at slower and slower speeds to keep it under control.

Naturally Murray will take me back to see the lads at Bewley Motors next week.

A Naviscat

2008-06-29T14:32:00.001-07:00

The MG Car Club SE Centre regularly runs Naviscats, so called because navigation is required and the process scatters cars all over the area as they seek to amass points. At the start some 40 sets of co-ordinates are given to the participants who then rush to plot them on a map, decide on a route between the start location and the given end-point and then set off to the find the answer to a clue at each location. The aim is to visit as many locations as possible, get as many correct answers as possible and make it to the destination in t allotted time, as it is strictly adhered to and points are deducted for each minute over time.

Murray had read about these outings and since one was advertised for this weekend, the weather was fine and I was not stuck at Bewley Motors needing something done, he thought it would be a good idea to head south and join the other MGs for a naviscat.

There were probably twenty cars at the start, even another Y, a few Ts and a number of our modern cousins. After the briefing it was a mad scramble for the drivers and navigators to plot the points on their maps and then we were off heading in different directions in the quest for points and glory when the results were announced.

Some of the clues were so easy there was no need to even stop, we simply drove by; others were fiendishly cryptic. It was not unusual to pass other MGs going in the opposite direction as each team plotted the route as they thought best.

The end point was a gathering of even more MGs, possibly 50, where the drivers and passengers enjoyed a barbeque, or picnic, some entertainment and, optionally, took part in a Pride of Ownership or a Gymkhana.

The winner of the Pride of Ownership was a beautiful blue 1932 F Type but Murray and Christine were also very impressed with a sweet little red 1931 J1 Salonette, the only one of its type in the world, which has been lovingly and painstakingly restored by the current owners

Lost in the post

2008-06-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

The replacement regulator got lost in the post and did not arrive until yesterday. Murray collected me today and now my battery charge meter is well into the positive region so hopefully my electrical troubles are over.

While in the garage, the last of my brand new tyres and tubes were fitted. When that was first attempted, one of the new tubes exploded nearly scaring the wits out of James, the mechanic. The tube was replaced and has been waiting for a suitable time to be fitted.

The delay in the arrival of the regulator meant that I missed the opportunity to join Murray and Christine on a visit to Nuffield Place on Sunday.

Nuffield Place was the home of Lord and Lady Nuffield, formerly Mrs & Mrs William Morris; the man behind the Morris and M.G. motorcars. Ultimately it was not only Morris but Austin, Riley and Wolseley that entered the Morris fold.

Electrics again!

2008-06-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

It was not a battery problem at all. This afternoon Murray tried to start me and, once again, there was simply nothing doing in the battery department. So, jumper leads were needed again and off we went to Bewley Motors.

I am really not having much luck in the electrical department. When I my engine was overhauled, a new dynamo, new regulator and electronic ignition were fitted. One by one all these new things have failed. The electronic ignition was replaced and failed again, so was removed. The dynamo failed and was replaced and now the regulator has died.

So, I am waiting at BewleyMotors while John gets the regulator replaced.

Another eventful weekend

2008-06-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Murray thought it would be a good idea for another shakedown run out into the countryside on Saturday so came out to give me a whirl but absolutely nothing happened when he tried the starter button; nada, zip, zero.

So, off to Halfords for some cheap jumper leads, connected me to his other car and presto, I was up and running. After a couple of miles we had to stop to get some fuel and when he came to start me again, not a peep, not a sausage, not a bean.

Since we were not far from home, and far too embarrassed to call the AA once again, he caught a bus back and returned with his other car. Out with the jumpers and I was off again.

Fancy having to be assisted by a modern car, and a French one to boot, twice in one morning.

So, that was the end of their run into the country, instead it was a run back to Bewley Motors where John fitted a new battery and my starting troubles were over. Unfortunately so was the sunshine for the day, so no run in the country.

Sunday morning we all went up to Luton to the Luton Festival of Transport: a great collection of vintage, classic, muscle and weird cars as well as a few trucks, buses, motorcycles and military vehicles but the vehicle that seemed to turn most heads was a Model T Ford driven by a couple of bears.

Leaving the car show we jaunted across the countryside to Hatfield where Murray and Christine had a look around Hatfield House before we returned to London.

It's my birthday

2008-05-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was first registered 58 years ago, today. I didn't think anyone had remembered the special day, but Murray tells me that he has bought me 5 lovely new tyres and tubes. Hopefully I will get them fitted tomorrow.

Off to a Show

2008-05-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the Chiltern Hills Vintage Vehicle Rally at a little place called Weston Turville, some 33 miles northwest of home.

We set out bright and early and arrived just before the official opening and already there was quite a queue of cars waiting to register on the day.

While it was called a vintage rally there were only about a dozen true vintage vehicles; but there were at least a hundred older than me. Then there were a couple of hundred of my sort of era and plenty more modern classics.
As well as all the cars there were dozens of military vehicles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, tractors and a few traction engines that had puffed in under their own steam.

I suspect that the organisers got a few more than they expected, given the fine weather, as when we arrived vehicles were being parked in logical groups. Later arrivals were simply slotted in anywhere there was a space.

There were a number of MGs in the crowd but I was the only Y Series representative.

P.S. Did not talk to an AA man all day!

I won Murray an Award

2008-05-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

(But I am not sure that I should be proud of the fact.)

At each Y Register Spring Run an Award is given to an individual who against all diversity has made a huge effort before and during the run. It is known as the Dennis Doubtfire Piston Broke Award.

The citation that went with the award said:
`As most of you know one of our intrepid couples ventured to Stratton following a certain amount of adversity en route. They set out from London at 900 on Saturday morning but broke down after just 2 miles due,it transpired to a failure on a newly installed electronic ignition system. They were taken back to the garage by Relay. Problem duly fixed (fitting the original system) they set out once more..but a futher problem arose. Anyhow,putting this all behind them they motored on to Stratton and arrived at 600pm - a mere 9 hours! So in the face of so much adversity they are indeed worthy winners of the Piston Broke award!'

Y Register Spring Run 2008

2008-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

For the first time we were going to join the Y Register Spring Run, an event held in May each year. Last year was the first time that the Run had extended into the Saturday with a dinner to start the proceedings. As it had been such a success, in spite of the disastrous weather, they decided to repeat the pattern this year.

The dinner was held at Stratton House Hotel and 50 MG owners and passengers attended and stayed the night. Next morning we were joined by another bunch of MGs until there were 35 cars in all.

I counted 11 YAs – like me; 3 YTs, the open top, tourer version; 15 YBs, the later version like me; a J2; a PA; a VA; a TA; TC and TF. It transpired that I was the third oldest Y series there but the PA was 18 years older than me.

Some of the cars had been the recipients of some fairly expensive dollops of tender loving care and beauty treatment and they simply glowed: Roy Clapham’s 1950 YA and Alan Pratt’s 1953 YB were simply stunning, I was quite jealous. All the non-Y series MGs were also beautifully turned out, a credit to their respective owners.

Shortly after 11 we set off with a route book to find our way to Kelmscott Manor by the most convoluted route leading us along leafy lanes, through twee towns and beside berms blooming with wildflowers.

There were a few cars with bonnets open along the route but eventually, I think, all made it to Kelmscott where we had the run of the place as it was opened especially for the Run.

While our drivers went off and had a look at the Manor, which gained fame as a summer home of William Morris, (now there’s a connection with a grand name!) we all sat in the shade of the trees around the car park and had a breather before we headed of in various different directions back to our homes.

Murray, again kept an eagle eye on my water level, and even emptied a couple of bottles of Holt’s Radweld into my radiator, to see if that would plug any minor leaks as it is clear there is still a problem somewhere.

But – the good news is – I made it home all by myself. Not a single call to the AA. 40 miles from the Hotel to Kelmscott; and then another 75 to home, and not a glitch. Murray was very proud of me.

There are more pictures of the weekend here.

AA And Again AA

2008-05-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Bright and early Saturday morning, Murray & Christine got me all packed up and ready to set of for Cirencester. That was to be the start of our very first Y Register Spring Run on Sunday morning.

Murray & Christine had a number of side trips planned for the day, as the Y Register event did not start until dinner Saturday evening so it was to be a full and exciting day.

Their planned route was the A40/M40 to junction 5 and then through the lanes and "B" roads to Abingdon, the home of all the great MGs and then on to Cirencester.

Along the A40, about 6 miles from home my engine suddenly died. Fortunately Murray managed to coast into a small pull-off on the A40 as there is no hard-shoulder for some considerable distance along that stretch.

My poor old motor simply refused to fire so Murray called the friendly AA once again. Stuart turned up shortly and it transpired that Stuart knew me well as he spent quite a bit of time with the boys at Bewley Motors.

Murray suspected the new electronic ignition may be the problem and Stuart confirmed that it was not delivering a spark so there was nothing for it but to unfold the trusty towing frame from the back of Stuart’s AA van and load me up again.

Stuart diverted on the way back to Bewley Motors so Murray could collect the old ignition components and then we went back to Bewley Motors, who fortunately were still open, and my old trusty coil, points and condenser were re-instated. Naturally, the electronic ignition is going back to Jolley for a refund.

So 4 hours later we were all on the road again enjoying the byways and lanes until about three miles from Abingdon when there was a tremendous bang from under my bonnet and once again I simply ground to a halt. When Murray tried to restart my engine it refused to turn over at all.

So while Murray & Christine waited patiently for the second AA visit of the day, they considered their options: was there time to get towed back to London, collect their other car and make it back to Cirencester? What was the problem this time? Are they ever going to get a trip with me that did not involve the AA team? Had I simply been a huge mistake?

While waiting for the AA to arrive, Murray had been, unsuccessfully, attempting to undo my radiator cap. Although he had tightened it by hand he simply could not move it. However, for want of anything else to do, he attempted to start my engine and it responded immediately.

Even with the AA man trying, they could not loosen my radiator cap. Eventually, the AA chap got an oil filter removal tool on the job and the cap was freed.

Murray then poured in 6 litres of water – it seemed my cooling system was almost dry, no wonder I had stopped running.

The AA man agreed that there seemed to be no reason not to continue to Cirencester and, after shadowing us to Abingdon without problems, he waved us on our way.

We finally pulled into the hotel 9 hours after leaving London for an 85-mile journey.

To see and be seen

2008-05-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

One of the problems with my age is that I was designed for a much more genteel era of motoring, when the roads were not so crowded and people took greater care. Nowadays, drivers are so much more protected from the real world I am sure that less thinking goes on behind the wheel.

Everyone expects high-level brake lights, bright brake lights, indicators all around the car – some even have them on their mirrors these days! I have none of these things.

I have some lovely trafficators that pop out like little signal arms, but they don’t flash and no one these days is looking for such items, so Murray went shopping on the web to see what he could find.

Some other Y owners have fitted indicators to the front and rear mudguards but Murray wanted to avoid making changes to my panels if at all possible. He thought of all manner of ways that lights could be mounted but was not certain which way to go. Then he came across Stafford Vehicle Components and their wonderful range of goodies.

The clever people there have come up with a cunning way of making my front side lamps double as indicators so a pair of 1130 conversion kits was immediately on the list. Then Murray saw some dinky new LED indicators that could be mounted in my rear window, so they went on the list. SVC also sells high-level brake lights, again for inside my rear window – so one of those. Naturally to make these flash, a pair of flasher relays was required, a couple of buzzers to remind Murray to turn the indicators off and he was done.

So, in his spare time recently, he has built all the bits into a control box; mounted the rear indicators and high-level brake light on some plastic trunking that sits in my very small rear window ledge; fitted the 1130 conversion kits; and run cunningly concealed wires all over the place to make it all work.

Murray is very pleased with the end result and hopefully other drivers will now have a bit more warning when I stop or turn.

He also took up Neil Cairns suggestion of a cheap and effective theft deterrent, a simple tube over the engaged handbrake, padlocked to the gear shift. A few minutes' work, a padlock and £2 for an off-cut of tube. It may not be the prettiest accessory a girl could have but it should do the trick.

Braking the bank

2008-05-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

While I was in with the boys at Bewley Motors, Murray asked them to take a look at my brakes as he felt that they were more spongy than usual.

Just as well he did. Two brake cylinders were leaking brake fluid all over the brake shoes and one other cylinder was developing a leak. Now, as you know, brakes work by using friction and brake fluid on the brake shoes provides a lubricant rather than friction: not a desirable outcome.

So, although my previous owner also had the brake cylinders on all four wheels replaced, my lack of use in the intervening 12 months meant that the seals had failed.

So, it was time for new brake shoes on two wheels, the four brake cylinders in the wheels to be reconditioned with new seals etc and the 500-mile running-in service.

This service entailed the running-in oil being changed for regular oil and that meant the oil filter being changed. However, original oil filters are no longer available so a conversion kit had to be fitted.

My tappet clearances were checked and the cylinder head bolts re-torqued after the initial settling down period.

Then, naturally, the reason I was back in the garage; my dynamo was replaced under warranty as it was brand new at the time my engine was re-built.

Finally, Murray had the lads fit an electronic ignition kit from Jolley Engineering.
The end result is that not only do I start better, I also stop better. Murray was amazed at how good my brakes could actually be; he had never experienced decent braking since he first acquired me.

Murray is making muttering noises about the costs of keeping high-maintenance women. I am sure I don't know what he means.

An MG Club Run - for a mile!

2008-04-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

Once I was out of the garage, Murray booked us all on a run organised by the Epping Area MG Owners Club. Starting at the Stansted Services on the M11 the run took the backroads and byways to the Bressingham Steam Museum. Because Standsted is a couple of hours from home and the run started at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, Murray & Christine decided to travel to the area on Saturday, have a look around then stay overnight fairly close to the start.

The weather forecast was for a solid rainy weekend but as the weekend approached the forecasters got less and less gloomy until it was only intermittent light showers.

So, Saturday, we left home and went through Epping Forest up to Chipping Ongar and then High Ongar where the two of them left me and went off for a 6-mile stroll through the countryside and then it was time to find the accomodation for the night.

Sunday dawned quite foggy so, naturally, Murray drove to the start of the run with my headlamps and foglamp illuminated. As we approached the services my brand new motor started to miss the odd beat and this problem seemed to get worse as we got closer. By the time we had reached the services my dear old engine was really in a sad way, mis-firing, no power, running very rough and so forth. By juggling the choke, Murray managed to nurse me round to the parking area where the rest of the MGs were waiting. We could not make it all the way so stopped as soon as we could park. After a short breather, the motor fired up and ran as smooth as could be, so Murray drove me around to where the rest of the cars were waiting.

Murray checked in with the organisers and I sat there lapping up the admiring glances and compliments from the other MG owners.

Soon it was time to head off. Murray activated the starter and simply nothing happened: my battery was flat. No problem, there were heaps of MG friends in the carpark so they gave me a push start and off we set. We left the services and turned right at the next round-about through the village of Birchanger. The next instruction, at 1.6 miles from the start, was to turn right but as we approached my engine gave up again and it was very clear to Murray that we were not going to be going any further.

Since we were on a quiet lane and the road ahead was quite busy, Murray decided it would be much better to wait there rather than on a busy bend. It wasn't long before there were a fleet of MGs stacked up behind us and the wonderful owners pushed me to the side of the road to wait for the AA - once again.

This is getting so embarrassing! Murray thinks I have a soft spot for the nice AA Roadside Repair men and says we have to stop meeting like this. I don't know what he means!

About 45 minutes later Scott arived and confirmed that the dynamo or regulator - both of which Murray has just paid to have replaced - was not doing it's job and the run this morning with the headlamps and foglamp on had drained the battery to the point where it could no longer provide suffiicient spark to keep my engine running smoothly. Even though Scott's battery pack would allow my motor to start, without a charge happening there was no way that Murray could drive me home.

So, once again, it was literally "AA to the rescue" and Scott unfolded the most amazing contraption from the the back of his van. This marvellous piece of design and engineering unfolds to become a towing frame to carry the front wheels of a car. Scott assembled the farme and attached some ramps then winched my front wheels up on to the platforms. Then he strapped the wheels down, secured everthing, fitted some lights at the rear and off we went, back to London.

Since there was no way for Murray to start me again, and some doubt as to whether I could make it to the garage under my own power, Murray got Scott to take me straight to Bewley Motors.

It is such a pity: Murray took me for a run down the M25 to Brooklands a few days ago and I made it there and back without problems; then yesterday we did another 50 miles with everything working the way it should; and now this! Once again, Murray and Christine are feeling quite disappointed with me.

One little milestone: I have now done 300 miles on my new engine so, when I am running again, I will not be limited to 3000 rpm or 50 mph.

Trent Park

2008-03-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

The weather forecast was for rain coming in the afternoon so Murray & Christine decided to celebrate my homecoming by going out for a drive first thing so that we could all be back by lunchtime to beat the rain.

Not far to the northeast is Trent Park and just beyond that is Forty Hall and that was our destination. We headed north to Elstree before going east to Trent Park where they parked me and went to check out the daffodils.

Returning to the car, Murray had a look under my bonnet and discovered that the oil filler cap was slightly loose and I had been spraying engine oil all around my engine bay. It is a bit of a shame as it is special Millers running-in oil that I need for the first 300 miles of the running-in process. After today, we are nearly halfway to that milestone.

I'm home again

2008-03-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

Murray came to Bewley Motors this morning and collected me: it has been a long time.

I now have a totally rebuilt engine, new clutch, new dynamo, new regulator and various other new bits and pieces. However, I have developed a split in my muffler so, although it is not too bad at the moment, I will need to have it looked at soon.

Murray has to look after me and make sure my 'new' engine is run-in properly: the oil has to be changed in 300 miles and various bolts need to be checked and tightened etc. He took me for a 50 mile run this morning and is very pleased with the result of all the work that has gone on under my bonnet.

The good thing is that spring is here and it will soon be time to be out and about in the countryside.

My history

2008-02-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

Murray had an interesting package in the mail this weekend from the DVLA. He had hoped to find out, from the ownership transfer record, just how many miles I have travelled in my long and interesting life.

Unfortunately the only mileage figure recorded on any of the transfer documents in the papers he received was the one he recorded when be became my owner. So much for that!

The most amazing piece of information that Murray gleaned from the papers was the fact that my first “careful lady owner”, who owned me for 36 years from new, was named Clara, the very name he and Christine gave to me. How amazing is that?

Since I was purchased in that period after WWII when things were pretty tight in Britain it is probably fair to assume that Mrs Taylor was not fresh out of school when she drove me out of the dealer’s showroom and, since she owned me for so long, he wonders if she only sold me when she could no longer drive. Maybe, one day, he will find out.

One interesting fact is that, when I was driven out of the showroom, I was maroon; my change of colour seems to have happened in 2001 with the next owner (not counting the dealer who had me on his lot for 3 months).

That owner was a Mr Cook, who owned me for 16 years and sold me in 2002. In the 5 years since I left Mr Cook, I have had 4 other owners before Murray. That makes two owners for 42 years and then 5 in the next 5 years. Given the investment Murray is making under my bonnet, I think he will be another long-term owner. The reality is that I have been under repair now for longer than the last two owners, put together, owned me!

No, it was even worse!

2007-10-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

The lads at Bewley Motors finally got my engine out and sent it off to the M.G. XPAG engine specialists. This is what they found. With the wrong head gasket fitted, it is no wonder the AA man diagnosed a blown head gasket, but the real problem was the blocked water-ways in my cylinder block - that was why I was over heating. However, by the time they had my engine in enough bits to see this problem, they had found all the other problems.

Murray, understandably, is very depressed about the whole affair.

The mechanics begin to dig

2007-09-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here I am, looking very sad. My shiny radiator grille has been removed and the mechanics have got as far as my valves and camshaft as they methodically make their evaluation of my current problem.

All is not well after all

2007-07-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

The answer to the petrol smell was quite straightforward. There is an overflow pipe for when my carburettor gets a little over-enthusiastic and has excess petrol. This should normally be piped away and vented safely. At the moment this little pipe is broken off so John is going to re-instate it the way it should be.

The other problem is more worrying. I mentioned the rather high water consumption and John could find no leak in my coolant system. This means the water must be venting through my engine somewhere. This could be due to a damaged head gasket, cracked head, cracked block or cracked cylinder sleeve. None of which are trivial matters.

So, my engine is coming out and I will be spending quite a bit of time with John and the boys at Bewley Motors.

So, perhaps it was that bad after all!

Guests join us for a picnic

2007-07-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Although great swathes of southern England were under floodwaters, the London area enjoyed a rare dose of sunshine so Murray & Christine decided it was time for another picnic, this time with guests.

Stuart and Ngaire arrived and we all set off to the northwest, stopping first at Chalfont St Giles. After that it was off to a picnic spot near Amersham where I had a rest while they enjoyed their lunch.

After driving through Amersham Old Town, a common backdrop to ‘Midsommer Murders’ we carried on to Wendover. They had coffee and I got another radiator top up. Murray is a bit concerned about the amount of water he has had to replenish on this short run so is going to speak to John about that and also the number of times that there was a strong smell of petrol. He wasn’t too happy about this new development.

At one stop, he had to screw the nut on the top of my carburettor back on, as it had worked completely loose, but even after that there was still the occasional strong petrol smell.

Finally, we get to go on an outing!

2007-07-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Although John still has a couple of bits and pieces to sort out, he had my brakes all fixed so Murray & Christine could take me out for a spin in the country. England is being deluged at the moment, even though it is meant to be summer, so it was a case of dodging the rain.All in all, we managed to do so quite successfully and enjoyed a pleasant drive around the Denham area.

We stopped for lunch at a small picnic area near the Denham airfield and then set off for home by way of the Bayhurst Wood Country Park. It was all a bit damp and dismal so we did not stay long, simply headed for home.

Murray gave me a wash and dry and wrapped me up in my snug new cover with just a few minutes to spare before the deluge returned.

It wasn't all that bad, after all

2007-07-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

It seems the AA man was a little to pessimistic with his diagnosis. John has given me a thorough going over and has found that the trouble was no seal on the radiator cap, allowing all the coolant to escape and I simply overheated.

So, no new head gasket, which is a great relief to Murray, I am sure.

However, John has discovered that the last mechanic to work on my brakes was a little to enthusiastic when tightening a union on one of my rear brake lines and has cracked the fitting allowing brake fluid to escape. Obviously this is not a good thing. Replacements are available so John will fit one, bleed my brakes and make sure I am all road-worthy so Murray can come and collect me.

London at last

2007-07-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have finally arrived in London, albeit on the back of a truck. I was delivered to Murray's friendly local garage, Bewley Motors, where John and Peter are taking excellent care of me and will soon have me fit and well, and back on the road. John and Peter love old cars and have a few other old MG friends so I am confident that I am in good hands.

Here's a picture of us all that another Peter (Peter Sharp) took at the Saloon Day and sent to Murray.

I let them down

2007-07-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

They finally came to get me today and we were properly introduced. The nice lady who admired my colour and trim is Christine and the man who decided to buy me is Murray.

They came up to Birmingham where I was and collected me around 9 in the morning. After checking my oil and water were fine they stopped at a garage to fill then tank and then set off - straight on to the M6!

Murray was obviously fairly apprehensive about me and my performance as he took quite a few miles to slowly increase the cruising speed to just over 50 m.p.h. where he decided I was running along happily.

They got off the M6 and onto the A14 before exiting to the A5199 down to Northampton. Just before Northampton at a little village called Chapel Brampton they turned off to the Northampton & Lamport Railway Museum; where there was an MG Saloon day, a day for the 'non-sports car' types to get together.

When we arrived at the event there was a 1952 MG YB there so, when we parked alongside, I stole the honour of being the oldest MG at the gathering. I reckon that since Murray had only, officially, owned me 3 hours at this point he must have had the honour of being the newest MG owner at the show.

Lots of people stopped by to take photos and then Murray & Christine decided it was time to head off home. The M1 was madder than usual as they were demolishing an over-bridge and the motorway was closed in both directions. So, they decided to take the A43 down to the M40 and avoid the traffic.

All was going well until just after the start of the A43 when I felt all the power go from my engine. Murray also said that he saw what looked like electrical smoke coming from under my dashboard. Murray quickly pulled off into what was a disused services on-ramp; a very convenient place to stop as this section of the A43 has no hard shoulder.

Oh, the ignominy! Murray had to call the AA and I sat there, forlornly, as all these flash modern cars roared by without a care in the world.

The AA man arrived in about 40 minutes, listened to Murray's tale, poked and prodded, ran a test and pronounced that I had "blown a head gasket". Oh, the shame of it, these nice people had owned me just 5 hours and already I have let them down so badly. We had only done 70 miles together: I am so disappointed in myself.

The AA man decided that the rest of my journey home should be on the back of a truck so he called in the reinforcements, who took an awfully long time to come. They did not want to take me to London as the roads were mad and there was a big concert on for another grand lady called Diana. So, I am sitting in a garage in Northampton until Murray can arrange an appointment with a garage to see what I need to get me back in ship-shape order.
I'll let you know the details later.

Silverstone, without me

2007-06-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

I understand that they sneaked off without me on Saturday to the 57th MGCC Silverstone International to see some other members of my family. They were disappointed that among the hundreds there they could only find a select few close relatives.

Apart from not taking me, I understand that they had a good time and met some new people who share an interest in Ys.

A new chapter begins

2007-06-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a milestone in my life as I got some new owners, so it seemed like a good day to start this blog.

My previous owner had put me up for adoption after his hip gave out and he could no longer drive me comfortably.

Last Saturday, a rather nice couple came to see me and on first sight seemed very pleased with what they saw. The nice lady fell in love with my cream tones and contrasting red leather trim and the man, who is also an MG, seemed to make all the right noises.

They took me for a short drive around the car park and ooohed and aaahed but then surprisingly left. I found out later that that the man who was looking after the business of finding me a new home had made a mistake over my age and the couple, who had driven all the way from London to Birmingham to look me over, were really wanting a 1951 and I was created in 1950.

Anyway, it seems that my fabulous looks won them over and they had second thoughts about leaving me and changed their minds.

Back in London, they connected to the adoption web site (ebay, I think they called it) and made my previous owner an offer he couldn’t refuse, so I am off to start a new adventure with these new people.

They have christened me ‘Clara’. It seems that her grandma was called Clarissa and his father was called Clarry so, it is sort of a family name. I guess I’ll get used to it in time.

They are going to come back and get me in a couple of week’s time and I am looking forward to us all getting to know one another better.