By now you all know of one of my favorite British car web sites - Austin Rover Online. There's a wealth of information about the BL period covering the cars we know and love. It's worth looking in on every once in a while as there's lots of new additions and blog postings.Here is a neat page showing various Triumphs in production in modern, hi-tech (for the time) assembly plants. The cars were probably already rusting as the photos were taken.
Here's another UK print ad for an MG product, this time for the beloved Midget. I had a high school classmate that drove a Midget identical to the one in this ad (except for the right hand drive aspect). It's been years since I've ridden in a Midget, but I distinctly remember how sobering it was to view the underside of the trailer of an 18-wheel rig from that car.
MG used the "Your mother wouldn't like it" slogan for the MGB as well although the young lady in the MGB ad seemed to be suffering from a lack upper undergarment. I'm sure my mother wouldn't like that.
Let me extend my sincerest Christmas wishes to all SABCC'ers and British car enthusiasts who look in on these humble scribblings. May this be the best holiday season ever for you and yours!
Image courtesy of mgcars.org.uk
MINI has unveiled it's new concept car - the MINI Beachcomber. Based on the slated for production MINI Countryman crossover vehicle, the Beachcomber is supposedly a modern interpretation of the Mini Moke. While there are a few design cues from the original Moke, I'll leave it up to you to decide how well the designers did with the project.
Most of you know that in addition to the Mini that I write about so often, I have a 1976 MGB. I've been the custodian of the car since 1997 and in that time I've done quite a bit to the old girl. When I got it, it was in a less than glamorous state. Today, it's a cleaned up driver - certainly no show stopper - but it usually puts a smile in my face.
I've been fighting a nagging ignition problem for several years, with the latest fix being the installation of a Pertronix ignition system. That move seemed to be the cure to the malady. The old MG started easily and had more go to its' get up. Then, one Sunday morning as I was going out for a drive, the car started running on three cylinders. I made a few half-hearted attempts to find the problem (I suspected an issue with the Pertronix system), but I mothballed her until I could find time to focus on the problem.
I was off work this week (a 'use or lose it' policy at the job) and with the gentle prodding of Richard Cunningham and Mike Darby, I seriously began to look into the problem. Richard dropped by the house and we started looking at the usual suspects.
The Pertronix system is dead simple. They told me via email that the only way one cylinder would misfire would be if one of the magnets that trigger the Hall Effect sensor was missing. All present and accounted for.
We swapped ignition leads with no apparent good result. The number three spark plug was wet, but that was to be expected in a dead cylinder.
The distributor cap appeared to be in good order - no burning of the contacts or obvious cracks could be found.
We decided to break for lunch and afterwards we dropped in on the Wizard of Silverhill, Mike Darby with the cap and leads. Mike took the diagnosis a bit deeper and pulled the ignition leads off the cap. Two of them were out of contact with the cap - the copper lead ends were close enough to conduct the current, but it was weak. The arcing burned the cap and melted the lead ends into the rubber boot. Problem found?
Mike rummaged around his stock of used-but-serviceable parts and found a good dizzy cap with tested leads. He made me a bargain-basement deal and Richard and I departed to try out the new-old parts.
Back at the McDonald garage, we installed the cap, sorted out the leads and started the old girl up. Three cylinders. Richard had an appointment to keep and, on departure, suggested that I swap leads around to see if I could isolate the problem. I did - no joy. Feeling bummed out, I went in the house, bypassed the liquor cabinet and headed to the computer to see if I could find similar stories but with happier endings.
Mike called to see how things were progressing. On hearing the tale of woe, he asked if I had taken the next step and swapped spark plugs around to see if the misfire followed the plug. Erm, no, I hadn't.
Taking his advice, I moved number three plug (the apparent dead cylinder) to number four and vice versa. Started her up and bingo - number four is now misfiring. It is a bad spark plug. I called Mike to relay the good news and then left to run errands with my long-suffering wife. We dropped by a local auto parts store and left with four new sparkies.
I waited until later in the evening and went to gap and install the plugs. Two of the four were missing gaskets. Damn.
The next morning, B&E, I went back to the same parts store with all four plugs and showed them the problem. The young lady at the counter opened two more spark plug boxes and removed the gaskets for me. Anyone wanna bet where the two now - gasketless spark plugs went?
Back under the bonnet of the MGB, the spark plugs were snugged home and I started her up. The little four banger was again banging on all four and I took her out for a drive through the neighborhood streets. I found that my old friend was just as happy to be on the road as I was.
The lesson here is to diagnose fully. Start at the beginning and work your way methodically through the system proving every component along the way.
Thanks, Richard and Mike for your advice and expertise! Now to adjust the Mini's brakes again.
Our annual Christmas party was today (Sunday) at the recently renovated Riverview Plaza hotel in downtown Mobile. Nearly 40 club members were present and there were several others who wanted to attend but for various reasons could not.
The ever-faithful Sandy Walter was at the room entrance making her list, checking it twice and collecting money for the meal. A supply of name tags was on the registration table for those of us who left our official SABCC name badges at home. I selected 'Tondeleo Jones' as my name for the day.
Club President Noel Eagleson warmly greeted everyone and requested that Jack Ross ask for a blessing on the food. The amens were said at almost the same time the line formed at the buffet. As expected, the food was top rate. Breakfast items as well as more hearty meat and potatoes were on the board to feed the hungry bunch.
After everyone made their way through the line a few more times Noel called us to order and presented a check to the club's selected charity for 2009. The Boys and Girls Clubs of South Alabama, represented by their Executive Director Mary Zoghby, received nearly $1,400.00 from the activities of British Car Festival last October. Ms. Zoghby graciously accepted the funds and spoke briefly about the mission of Boys and Girls Clubs in the area.
After the presentation of the charity check, Noel proceeded to hand out awards for the year:
Sam Walter - Suffering Spouse
Robb Ogletree - 'Safety Fast' Award
Jeremiah Cronk - Grillmaster Award
Sandy Walter - Perfect Attendance
Michael King - Rookie of the Year
Mike Darby - Member of the Year
The obligatory group photos were taken near one of the many Christmas (note: I did not say holiday) trees in the public spaces of the Riverview Plaza.
The club owes a debt of thanks to Sandy Walter who organized the day.
The Panhandle Mini group planned a drive last Sunday that started in Pensacola and made its way through some of Baldwin County's back roads. They stopped at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Spanish Fort for a late breakfast - that's where I met them in the classic Mini.
There were about 20 cars present and the hungry MINI drivers took up a LOT of tables in the eatery. Over breakfast, it was determined that Google Maps had provided some bad information. One turn had the caravan going down a dirt road instead of the new highway 181 extension. They asked me to lead them to the junction of Bromley Road where they could pick up the route they were looking for.
The little Mini lead the pack with speed I've never experienced in that car before. The cool morning air agreed with the 998CC 
engine and I was cruising at a steady 70 MPH while enjoying the gentle curves on highway 181. At the junction, I pointed the way that the group should take and I peeled off toward highway 225 and home.
When I arrived back at the McDonald homestead, I got my gear out of the back seat of the car. I noticed a coin in the floorboard and on close examination, it turned out to be a New Zealand 5 cent piece. Apparently it was lodged in the drivers seat and the enthusiastic driving shook it loose.
Photo courtesy J B Palladino
An MGB advert from the UK - about 1975.
By now you all know of one of my favorite British car web sites - Austin Rover Online. There's a wealth of information about the BL period covering the cars we know and love. It's worth looking in on every once in a while as there's lots of new additions and blog postings.
Here's another UK print ad for an MG product, this time for the beloved Midget. I had a high school classmate that drove a Midget identical to the one in this ad (except for the right hand drive aspect). It's been years since I've ridden in a Midget, but I distinctly remember how sobering it was to view the underside of the trailer of an 18-wheel rig from that car.
Let me extend my sincerest Christmas wishes to all SABCC'ers and British car enthusiasts who look in on these humble scribblings. May this be the best holiday season ever for you and yours!
MINI has unveiled it's new concept car - the MINI Beachcomber. Based on the slated for production MINI Countryman crossover vehicle, the Beachcomber is supposedly a modern interpretation of the Mini Moke. While there are a few design cues from the original Moke, I'll leave it up to you to decide how well the designers did with the project.
Our annual Christmas party was today (Sunday) at the recently renovated Riverview Plaza hotel in downtown Mobile. Nearly 40 club members were present and there were several others who wanted to attend but for various reasons could not.
The Panhandle Mini group planned a drive last Sunday that started in Pensacola and made its way through some of Baldwin County's back roads. They stopped at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Spanish Fort for a late breakfast - that's where I met them in the classic Mini.
engine and I was cruising at a steady 70 MPH while enjoying the gentle curves on highway 181. At the junction, I pointed the way that the group should take and I peeled off toward highway 225 and home.
