A Mini Guy in a Mini Shirt by a Mini

Let's go, Papa!

My sharp-eyed wife took me into a local kids clothing store so she could see what sort of bargains she could find for our brood of grandchildren. I normally go along for the ride since she is a good sport about my automotive addictions. Inside the shop she said "there's the Mini!"  THE Mini usually means the one in our garage and I knew it was safely at home. Following her, I saw that it was a boy's tee shirt with an appliqued car in the shape of a classic Mini.

What stopped me in my tracks was that it was the same seventies-tastic color scheme that our car carried - Bracken (not "poo brown", you in the back) with a white roof. It was settled  - we had to get it for our youngest grandson Grady. 

Here he is modeling his latest wardrobe addition.

Did Anyone Hear Anything About a Wedding?

My wife mentioned to me that she was watching a wedding on television this morning. All I saw was a gorgeous Aston Martin DB6 Volante. OK, I'm just kidding- I don't actually live under a rock. 

It turns out that the car belongs to Prince William's father, HRH Prince Charles and it was somewhat famously converted to run on ethanol . Other photos of the car can be found here.

A Rare Breed In The US

One of the blogs that I visit frequently is the entertaining Rusty Heaps blog run by the very talented Roger Los. Rusty Heaps is his public affirmation of his problem of serial-British car purchasing and the trials and tribulations that it brings.

Photo Courtesy Roger Los

A few months ago, he bought a Rover SD1 - the V8 kind. I've had a soft spot for this particular Rover model and it appeared that Roger bought himself a "good 'un". On one of my comments to a post of his, I casually mentioned that I admired the car and thought that the Gulf Coast would make a great home for it. Today, I got a message it could be mine if I was interested and had the ready cash. 

Well, one out of two ain't bad I suppose.

This car is not perfect, but it is rather rare in that it requires deft hand-foot coordination to swag cogs. Yep, it's a manual gearbox car - just right for wringing out that Rover-improved Buick aluminum V8. Roger is quite forthcoming abut the condition of the car, and I think it can be yours for not a lot of greenbacks.   

It's in Whidbey Island, Washington - worth the trip just to take in the scenery - so let me know if you need a navigator when you bring it back home.     

Update: Sold on Ebay.

Another Golden Jubilee

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the MG Midget MkI and the Austin Healey Sprite MkII. While overshadowed a bit by the celebrations planned for the iconic Jaguar E-Type, these great little cars deserve their spot in the limelight as well.

MG had been without a sports car carrying the Midget name since 1955 when the MG TF went out of production. With the success of the Austin Healey Sprite, the BMC overlords decided that there should be an MG version, too. Since the development engineering (and eventual manufacture) of the original MkI Frogeye Sprite was done by MG at Abingdon, it was a fairly simple matter to badge engineer an MG edition of the new MkII Sprite. Sporting a modern update of the classic MG grille and a chrome bonnet trim, the new MG Midget was launched in June of 1961. 

Like its Sprite brother, the new Midget was powered by a 948cc A-Series engine cranking out 46BHP and was stopped by drum brakes on all four wheels. Sports cars were still considered a bit of primitive motoring so it retained the MkI Sprite's side curtain setup. 

For me the earliest cars are the purest ones. My dream garage would include a '61 Midget on disc wheels in Clipper Blue.

Happy birthday, little friend!

Mugs & Motors and Lucas Smoke

Mark May 21 on your calendars for the next installment of SABCC's Mugs & Motors - Coffee and Conversation for Motoring Enthusiasts.

We will meet at the Spanish Fort location of Panera Bread at 8:00AM to enjoy coffee, baked treats and the company of good friends. Afterwards, we'll caravan to beautiful Silverhill, Alabama and visit Darby Classic Restoration where Mike Darby will give us lessons in basic automotive electrical systems. We all know that it is paramount to keep the original factory Lucas smoke safely inside the wiring and Mike will show us how to do just that.

See you there!

PBCA's Brits on the Bay Event

One of the most eagerly anticipated events on the South Alabama British Car Club's activity calendar is the annual British car show sponsored by the Panhandle British Car Association in Pensacola, Florida. Being just a short jaunt across the state line, SABCC'ers usually turn out in force and this year was no exception.

Courtesy Robb Ogletree

While the majority of the gang chose to meet at the Daphne Starbucks location to begin a group caravan to the show site, I offered my services as a driver to Mike Darby to help him bring both of his stunning showstoppers to Pensacola. Mike drove his lovely MGA roadster and he entrusted me with his gorgeous Jaguar 240. I met Mike at his shop for an 8:00AM departure which would allow him to grab a quick breakfast on the way and pick up shop supplies from his favorite auto parts store in Robertsdale. 

 

MGBs Aplenty

I loaded my gear in the Jag and slid behind the wheel. A quick cold start refresher (half choke, twist the key and press the starter button) and I had the 2.4 liter straight six idling quietly. Mike got saddled up in the MG and we were off. The big Jaguar did not like to have its gearchanges rushed while the gearbox oil was cold so it was easy does it until everything was up to operating temperature.

Jaguar Saloons

We got into a comfortable pace on the Baldwin County back roads as we drove into the rising sun and the Florida state line. I relaxed enough to take in my surroundings at the helm of the light gray Jaguar. With fine wood on any surface that wasn't covered in blue vinyl, I felt like I was ensconced in Grandma's china cabinet. Flicking in and out of overdrive is accomplished with a lever on the right side of the steering column. Lift off the throttle slightly when engaging OD and give it a little more throttle on coming out of overdrive. Nice, smooth action that prevents excess stress on the driveline  - and neck snapping jerks. That just doesn't do in a Jaguar, you know.  

Jaguar XJ-S Class

Mike and I arrived at the show site near the Pensacola Civic Center and we were put in line to get our car's portraits made. The famous Maguire's Restaurant double decker bus was the perfect backdrop for the souvenir photos. We were then directed to our respective spots on the expansive show field. 

Not long after our arrival the main SABCC caravan pulled in with no reports of trouble during the trip. For a while, the line to get registered and photographed was nothing but SABCC members. I was proud of our club's turnout and thought that we had a chance to do well in the balloting later in the day.

An Ailing Morgan

I spent the next hour getting the road grime off the Jaguar and generally giving it more of a spruce up than it really needed. It is a treat to run a detailing rag over the curves of this beautiful car. Mike tended to his MGA and to the emergency mechanical needs of other cars on the field. His reputation as a top-drawer auto fettler keeps him in demand at events and Mike's generosity at times like this is legendary.

As always the PBCA ran the show like the well oiled machine that it has become. Extra classes were created when enough vehicles arrived to make them. Unusually, there were enough Morgans on the field to have their own class this year. Several PBCA members remarked that last year there were nine Triumph Spitfires in the show while this year there were only two. It is a challenge to anticipate the field layout, so pre-registration at any show is helpful for the organizers.

The day was sunny and breezy and many of us found shelter in the SABCC pop up tent where we enjoyed each others company. When the ballots were handed out, everyone made their choices and when the awards were presented, SABCC did very well. Our club secretary, Becky Kramer was kind enough to provide me with the list of awards won by SABCC'ers:

Mr. Goodspanner Award - MIKE DARBY

(Presented by British motoring Club New Orleans for his beyond-the-call-of-duty efforts to help a fellow motorist)

Moulton Properties Trophy - MIKE DARBY

MGA
1st - MIKE DARBY

SABCC Hdq.

2nd ROBB OGLETREE

MGB 62-68

1st TOM & JEANNIE SCHMITZ
3rd DICK BISHOP

MGB 69-74
1st - KEN MCELHANEY

MGB- C GT
3rd - TOM & JEANNIE SCHMITZ

MGB 74-1/2 - 76
2nd BRUCE DONALDSON

Big Healeys

3rd NOEL EAGLESON

MGB - 77 - 80
1st - STUART WADDINGTON

TRIUMPH TR8
1st BILL MOSELEY

JAGUAR XJS - XK8 UP TO 1999
1st - MICHAEL KING

2nd- RICHARD CUNNINGHAM

JAGUAR XK8 - OPEN
3rd (TIE) JON GOSNELL

JAGUAR - E TYPE
3rd - JACK ROSS

JAGUAR SALOON
1st - MIKE DARBY

MORGAN
1st - MELISSA SILHAN

Showing the SABCC Colors

After the awards ceremony, the main SABCC caravan formed up and made its way back to Lower Alabama. Once again, Mike Darby was called on to help a TR-6 driver who was having a bit of trouble with a new set of SU carburetors that had been installed the night before. Mike got out his tool bag and set the carbs up so that the TR ran well enough to make it back home. 

Richard and Donna Cunningham and Michael King waited for Mike and I so we could grab a bite of dinner on the way home. We formed up and set out for a barbeque dinner at Sonny's near our exit to US Highway 90. It was a fine end to the day to share a few laughs and a delicious supper with good friends. 

We drove back at a leisurely pace on the two lane highway with the setting sun in our eyes. Yes, it was tough to stay awake, but we returned safely having had one of the best days out ever. 

Thanks, PBCA for a great show.

Reflected Rivalry

I shot this photo during the February Mugs & Motors - Continental Classics tour and I thought it caught the rivalry between Triumph and MG pretty well. 

The MGA and Triumph TR3 were contemporaries when they were new and, as it is today, each had its own devoted following. The MGA is owned by Robb Ogletree and the TR3 belongs to Keith Jarvis.

Jowett and Rootes Products Videos

Start your week off with these three YouTube clips of videos about two car families that we don't hear much about in the States: Jowett and the Rootes family. These three clips are quite entertaining and I hope you can spend some time with them.

Easy Method for Cleaning Light Lenses

I'm basically lazy and I'm always looking for ways to make my workload a bit lighter - even down to detailing my classic cars. Now, I'll probably be dropped from Griot's Garage mailing list, but I've got a tip for you and here it is:

Darling, are those CAR PARTS in my dishwasher?

To clean light lenses both inside and out with excellent results and minimum effort, put them in your dishwasher.

That's it. The warm water and detergent will get both plastic and glass lenses looking clear and spotless. Don't worry about the potential for etching from the detergent as it takes literally hundreds of cycles for that to appear. This method is also perfect for rehabbing old, used lenses from your parts cars, too. The folks that I've passed this on to have been impressed with their results.

My crack legal team wants me to tell you that you are on your own if you use this tip.

So there. 

The Tail Light You've Seen Everywhere

Frogeye Sprite

MGA

As British car enthusiasts, we know that a lot of the parts that went into our cars came from a few specialized suppliers on the isle. Nearly all classic British cars sported SU carburetors and fuel pumps, Triplex  glass and Smiths instruments. Of course, they nearly all had electrical equipment supplied by Lucas. If you've ever changed a tail or parking light bulb, you probably noticed that the lens itself was also a Lucas product.

Most car makers in the post war era really did not have the budget to create specialized lighting equipment for their autos. With the notable exception of Ford, the British auto industry chose "off-the-rack" for things like tail light lenses, parking lights and so forth for their lower-priced offerings. Lucas could provide a standard design for these lights at a low cost since they were used on so many cars.

TR3

Morgan 4-4

Case in point: the Lucas part number L549 tail light. You've seen them on many British cars, but did you know how widely used they were? I've posted a few snaps of the cars that utilized this light at least during part of their production lifetime. This small tail light is designed to be mounted on either a plinth to make the top of the lamp horizontal or directly on the rear sheetmetal of the car in question, provided it was designed with the correct angle.

 

Can you name any others that used this lamp assembly? Let me know in the comments section.   

Revival of the Morris Marque

See any Saturn SC2 Coupe DNA here?

Certain Chinese automotive websites are reporting that the beloved Morris marque may soon be headed for revival. While the power of Google translations is a bit limited, I've been able to glean these unbelievable tidbits:

• The current owners of the Morris name will produce a line of small, moderately priced cars and badge them Morris
• The cars will be built on old Saturn platforms that were purchased by the same firm when GM went through bankruptcy
• It is planned to sell Morrises in developing countries and in the UK where the marque name still has a fanatic following
• It is not known whether Top Gear will drop pianos on any of the new Morris vehicles

From the best I can determine from the translations:

"Spokesman Hiu Jhok Mie said 'We intend to make this fine British car name even more British by using lots of wood on the inside of the car.'"  

Look for the introduction of the new Morris marque next year sometime around April 1st followed shortly thereafter by Lord Nuffield rolling over in his grave.