Merry Christmas from Positive Earth!

Merry Christmas, Positive Earth readers and thank you for spending your time here.

Behind the Scenes at a Magazine Photo Shoot

As British car enthusiasts, many of us subscribe to one or more magazines that cover the classic car scene. One of my favorites is Hemmings Sports and Exotic magazine - a title from the Hemmings  Motor News family of publications.

Richard Lentinello and Tony McLaughlin's Morgan Plus 8

Richard Shoots the Cunningham Jaguar E-Type

SABCC members may recall the fine coverage of British Car Festival 2013 in the pages of Hemmings Motor News. The May, 2014 issue carried an account of the event written by Executive Editor Richard Lentinello along with some photos provided by club members. Richard asked us to stay in touch and keep him up to date about club happenings and possible stories of interest to Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car readers.  

Mike Darby's Jaguar 240 Gets its Turn

I wrote to him in July with the dates for BCF 2014 in case he was interested in covering the show. Replying that he was booked elsewhere that weekend, he mentioned that he was looking for story suggestions to present to Sports and Exotic Car Editor David LaChance and did I have any ideas that fit the magazine's editorial criteria? I submitted several suggestions and he said he would be in touch.

A few weeks ago, Richard emailed me saying that he would be covering an auction in Biloxi, Mississippi and he would be passing through South Alabama and gave me the list of story suggestions approved for publication. Could I contact the owners, find an appropriate location for a photo shoot and get everyone together for the day?

After a few phone calls, the group was on board and we waited for the day arrive. In the end, Richard planned to photograph and write up stories about Tony McLaughlin's owned-from-new Morgan Plus 8, Richard Cunningham's recently restored Jaguar E-Type, Mike Darby's highly original Jaguar 240 saloon and Bill Silhan's rare AC Ace roadster.  

Frantic detailing of the chosen cars commenced as we watched the weather report in hope that we would have the kind of weather perfect for a photo shoot. It had been decided that everyone but Bill Silhan would meet at the 5 Rivers Delta Center in Spanish Fort for photos. Richard would shoot Bill's car in Pensacola the next day on his way back to his home in South Florida. 

We gathered at the appointed place and hour and Richard scouted out the spots he thought would serve his needs. Selecting his location, he began his methodical photo session. With an eye for minute detail, he requested parking angles, backgrounds and helped the owners with removing personal items from the frame. It was an education to watch him at work. 

With the photo shoot's end, we caravaned to Richard Cunningham's home in Daphne where we cooled off from the heat of the day and shared in conversation about the old car hobby. Richard Lentinello is truly knowledgeable and passionate about classic cars. We certainly look forward to welcoming him back to our area again soon.

For those that do not subscribe to any of the Hemmings titles, I recommend that you check them out.          

How Does That Work, Anyway?

The GadgetsWow blog recently put a series of animated gifs that help explain the operation of complex machinery. Some of the more interesting images include a rotary (Wankel) engine a radial engine and a constant velocity joint. You can check out the complete set of images here. 

A Four Speed Gearbox - - gadgetswow.com

Finally - A Web Site that Allows You to Browse Self-Service Scrappers

Haunting scrapyards is one of those activities that requires no explanation to those who "get it". On the other hand, for those who don't, no amount of proselytizing will win a convert.  Count me (and most of my friends) in the first group. While browsing a yard in person is always the best way, some very smart types created the next best way: a Web site that lets you check out the inventory of 90 (as of this writing) yards across the USA.   

Row 52 provides this vital service at no charge to the user. You can search by year, make and model, or you can check out any yard in the system in its entirety if you are so inclined. The site also has contact information for local "pullers" that will - for an agreed-upon fee - pull your specific part and ship it to you. 

Useful tool or another time suck? You can thank me/hate me later.  

Hemmings Motor News Reports on BCF 2013

The May 2014 issue of Hemmings Motor News carried an article featuring the 2013 British Car Festival. The two-page spread included a write up by Executive Editor Richard Lentinello and numerous photos from the event.

Details in the article about the community of Fairhope, past cars shown at the event and dates for the 2014 event were included as well. I recommend that you purchase a copy from your favorite bookstore or newsstand, but if you can't wait, the nice folks from Hemmings have an excerpt from the feature that you can browse here.

A Visit to the Morgan Factory

The folks from /DRIVE visited the Morgan factory in Malvern Link last year. The tour was hosted by Charles Morgan shortly before his dismissal from the firm. 



For those of you who may not know, /DRIVE is an Internet automotive news video magazine that covers topics ranging from modern supercars to classics. If you have a half hour or so invest, /DRIVE is an interesting site to browse.

This is blog post number 600. Thank you for visiting this site over the years.

BCF 2013 in Classic & Sports Car Magazine

C&SC February 2014

The February 2014 edition of the U.K.'s Classic & Sports Car magazine has devoted about half a page to SABCC's 2013 British Car Festival. The article includes three photos of select cars at the festival and several paragraphs describing the record-setting event. Some of you may recall a C&SC blog post from last November highlighting the show as well.

The February 2014 issue of Classic & Sports Car is just now hitting newstands here in the U.S.   

A Mini Needs a New Home

Fellow Mini enthusiast and all around good guy, Manuel Barje of Birmingham, Alabama is seeking an adoptive parent for his classic Mini. This rare automatic version has been treated to an upscale interior with leather and wood details. It is air conditioned and has a fabric sunroof.

If you have a Mini-shaped hole in your life, get in touch and I will pass along Manuel's contact details.

Your Move, Mercedes

Some of you may have seen a television ad by Mercedes-Benz touting their "Magic Body Control" system for the high-zoot S-Class. In the slightly bizarre ad, Mercedes demonstrates how a chicken's head will stay is one spot while a handler moves its body around in several different planes. 

Here is the advert:




The post-Ford Jaguar has sharpened its claws a bit both from product and marketing standpoints. The sublime F-Type has garnered almost universal praise and its advertising has taken on a bit of an edge.

To-wit:



Yeah, I thought you would laugh.

Cruising Pakistan in a Big Healey

Courtesy NPR

The folks at National Public Radio's evening news program All Things Considered ran a piece today about a Pakistani classic car enthusiast and how he is able to enjoy his hobby amidst the turmoil gripping the nation. ATC profiles Mohsim Ikram and his pleasure in driving his 1954 Austin Healey 100. 

Both print and audio versions of the story can be found here. 

An Icon Captured in Oil

Ron Thomson

Fairhope, Alabama - based artist Ron Thomson can always be found in the environs of the Eastern Shore area of Mobile Bay, camera in hand looking for subjects from which to create his popular artwork. Ron happened to be in downtown Fairhope one Saturday when SABCC president Richard Cunningham and I drove our classic cars down for a cup of coffee at the Page & Pallette bookstore/coffee house establishment.

He asked us if it would be OK to photograph Richard's 1964 Jaguar E Type and my 1973 Mini. Being the proud owners that we are we readily agreed. Ron asked about our upcoming British Car Festival and before the photo session was finished, he had an invitation to set up his easel on the show field.

This is the study that Ron did of my Mini and I have to say that I am deeply impressed with what he did. He caught the play of light over the bonnet and using a Union Flag as the background was inspired.

Sadly, I do not own the painting, but I would love to see it in my office.

MGB Seatbelt Guide

Most drivers of MGB roadsters here in the States are well familiar with the hassle of finding the combination lap/shoulder belt from under the stowed convertible top. If the inertia reel retractor works, the belt has been drawn back under the folded top. If not, it is in a puddle around the seat waiting for you to untangle it before you snap it across yourself. There are ready made (albeit pricey) solutions on the market, but what British car owner shrinks from the challenge of creating a hack and saving a buck or two in the process?

My MGB-owning younger brother, Alan, is no stranger to scrapyards and it was during one of his recent forays into his favorite automotive recyclers that he found a solution to the seatbelt issue that was both cheap and a project. Here is a brief step-by-step how-to guide to creating your own pair of seatbelt guides for your MGB:

First, locate a suitable donor car in the form of a late nineties Chevy Cavalier two door coupe. They look something like this:

 

GM designed a heavy plastic seatbelt guide that attached under the headrest of this generation of Cavalier. This is what you're looking for:

 

You'll need to remove the seatbelt guide from under the headrest. This will involve raising the headrest to its full height and then removing a wire ring from around east headrest post. Access is gained by cutting the upholstery at the base of the two posts and cutting the rings with wire cutters. The headrest will pull out and you can remove the parts you came for - the guides.

Get them back to your workshop/lair/kitchen table and remove the headrests from your 1970 through 1980 MGB. Turn them over and you will see a plastic piece that holds the vinyl headrest cover on. It is attached with two screws. Remove the screws and slip the plastic piece off. This will be your template for the next steps.

  

As if by magic, the two screw holes on the plastic retainer match the two headrest post holes on the Cavalier seatbelt retainer. All you need to do is center the two sets of holes and mark the location of the MGB headrest post on the Cavalier seatbelt guide:

 

Once the location for the MGB headrest post has been marked on the Chevy seatbelt guide, you'll need to choose your favorite oval-hole-making tool from your arsenal and get to it. Since he does not have access to a well-equipped machine shop, Alan drilled two holes in the oval he marked out on the Cavalier guide:

 

The next step is to open up the oval. Alan used a jig saw with a coarse toothed blade. You could use a Dremel tool or other cutter to accomplish this step, too:

 At this point your adapted Cavalier seatbelt guide should something like this:

A little cleanup of the oval hole will be in order. A fine file or sandpaper will do the trick, although this part will live under your headrest. It's up to you. At this point, if you were not lucky enough to score a pair of the guides in a color that compliments you MGB's interior, you can paint them using any one of a number of fine spray paints formulated for vinyl or plastic.

Slip the plastic headrest cover retainer and the newly-adapted guide onto your MGB headrest in the correct orientation. Since the guide adds about 3/8" more thickness, you may need to replace the screws with some that are appropriately longer:

Return the headrest to the MGB seat and feed your unruly seatbelt through the split in the guide. Stand back and admire your work. A refreshing adult beverage is optional:

 

The guides can be obtained from your local you-pull-it scrappers for slightly more than the lint in your pockets. Alan bought a pair for less than five bucks from one of the local yards in Mobile. 

  

    

British Motor Corporation's US Offerings - 1964

Whenever you look at automobile pricing from years past, it is striking to see how low prices were "back in the day".  Granted, income was also comparatively low but how do the prices of yesterday look when adjusted to today's dollar?

Let's take a look at the suggested retail price list for British Motor Corporation's products sold in the USA for the 1964 model year. We've got the MGB Roadster (the MGB/GT was still a year away), the MG Midget and its close cousin the Austin-Healey Sprite. The Austin-Healey 3000 topped the range out. 

The image can be enlarged by clicking on it.

Let's take a look at the prices from 1964 adjusted to 2013 dollars:

• MGB -on disc wheels $19,937.00
• MGB -on wire wheels $20,687.00

• MG Midget Mk II- $15,714.00

• Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III $27,266.00

• Austin-Healey Sprite Mk III $14,439.00

 The modern sports car priced closest to the ones listed above would be Mazda's MX5 Miata. The 2013 MX5 base price is around $23,000.00 and can be optioned up to over $30,000.00. If you're looking for something comparable the Midget/Sprite twins of 1964 in today's market, you'll be looking at a Smart ForTwo ($18K+) or a Fiat 500 C ($20K+). Neither the Smart or the Fiat catch spirit of basic, fun driving the same way that the Spridget twins did.

What 1964's new car buyer couldn't begin to imagine, however is the array of technology packed into modern cars, either by government mandate or competitive pressure. 

Taking a look at optional equipment, we can see that a heater was a fairly expensive option, but still cheaper than a factory hardtop for the MGB, anyway. Again, in 2013 dollars.

MGB:

• Heater - $487.00
• Folding (vs. packaway) hood - $225.00
• Whitewall tires - $262.00
• Dunlop Roadspeed tires - $262.00
• Tonneau cover - $300.00
• Hardtop - $1,687.00
• Overdrive - $1,350.00
• Anti roll (sway) bar - $60.00

MG Midget:

• Heater - $450.00
• Tonneau cover - $262.00
• Dunlop Roadspeed tires - $262.00
• Whitewall tires - $262.00

Austin-Healey 3000:

• Tonneau cover - $337.00
• Whitewall tires - $262.00

Austin-Healey Sprite:

• Heater - $450.00
• Tonneau cover - $262.00
• Dunlop Roadspeed tires - $262.00
• Whitewall tires - $262.00

As can be seen from the option list, it would have been fairly easy to option an MGB up to near Big Healey price territory but it would have been a loaded MGB, indeed.

It is also interesting to note that a tonneau cover for a 1964 MGB can be purchased new from Moss Motors for around the same money as the adjusted-for-inflation 1964 price.

So, how have values held up over the years for these special cars? Very nice MGBs and even less than perfect Austin-Healey 3000s could easily bring their inflation adjusted prices. Check out Hemmings Motor News, Hagerty's price guide or one of the dozens of automobile auctions that are televised each year for proof.

Midgets and Sprites from 1964? Well, they have their following, too and while it would not be impossible to find a nice Spridget advertised in the mid-teens, it would be a very nice one.    

Building the Legend

Recreations of famous cars are not uncommon. Some are more accurate than others, but all of them stem from a desire to own a piece of history. The UK has a number of producers of replica cars that are quite hard to tell apart from the real thing without a close look and some knowledge of the model before you. 

There is one car undergoing a build that will be accurate down to last detail - perhaps more true to the original than the "original" car. The subject of the build is a Jaguar XJ13.

The story of the XJ13 has been extensively documented, but in summary Jaguar determined that a return to LeMans with a top-class prototype car would be in the firm's best interest. The immensely talented Malcolm Sayer was tapped to design the car in 1965. The V12 powered car was developed in fits and starts until it was finally put away for good after it was determined that it would not be competitive without extensive further development. 

 The stunning car remained in Jaguar's storage facilities with occasional runs for publicity. One such run at the MIRA test facility in early 1971 ended with the total destruction of the car in a high speed accident. It was subsequently rebuilt to something close to its original appearance in time for it to be displayed alongside the first of the V12 powered Jaguar E-Types in 1973.   


Neville Swales' quest to build an hyper-accurate recreation began with the discovery and purchase of the only surviving twin cam V12 engine built for the original XJ13. His extensive contacts within the Jaguar organization and his research skills are the foundation for this enormous undertaking. His goal is nothing short of an absolutely perfect copy of the 1966 car. 

Neville is sharing his build with the world in his fascinating web site. He frequently posts photos and stories of the progress of his project along with details uncovered in his ongoing research. I heartily recommend that you visit it often.  

Brit Rocker's Brit Cars

Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull in a Morgan

The Daily Mail ran an article about rock and roll stars and their cars in a recent issue and  they've got a version available for online browsing.

There is a photo of a delighted John Lennon photographed in his Triumph Herald convertible just after he successfully passed his drivers license examination in 1965. There is another one of a dejected Mick Jagger answering a policeman's questions regarding the accident that damaged his Aston Martin DB6.

Take a moment to browse the article and the photos of a long ago past.  

Spinning Vinyl at Sixty Miles Per Hour

This delightful photo shows a very young and intent George Harrison trying out a Highway Hi-Fi that is installed in an early Jaguar E-Type. The suit and mop-top haircut place this sometime before 1966. I'm sure that the Jaguar experts in the audience can pinpoint the year of the Jaguar from the minimal detail in the photo.

The Highway Hi-Fi was designed for Chrysler products and was one of the earliest non-radio music sources for cars. It played proprietary 7 inch vinyl records and spun them at an even more proprietary 16-2/3 RPM. 

A fascinating web site about the device is run by the Imperial Club.   

This Bicycle Was a Car

As the weekend draws closer, it looks as though old Ma Nature is going to rain on the SABCC Scrapyard Crawl scheduled for this Saturday. Never fear, we'll still meet for breakfast and watch the predicted rain fall.

Keeping with the scrapyard theme, a group of activists/artists in Spain is building bicycles from bits gleaned from cars and trucks found in yards in Madrid. They call themselves Lola Madrid and they've got a cool Web site up promoting their efforts. 

You've probably heard about Spain's economic problems with high levels of unemployment. Hopefully, these efforts will allow a few people to find a job harvesting parts and building bikes. 



Oh, and the title makes more sense if you pronounce it by-CYLED instead of bicycled. Geddit?

Interactive Map of BL Facilities

The always-interesting AROnline web site has recently posted a Google map of the various factories operated by British Leyland.  Created by Jonathan Barber, the map is an ongoing work in progress with updates made frequently. 

The map lists in detail the factories that churned out radiators, bodies and so on, as wells as the more well known final assembly plants. Many of the pins on the map offer detailed information about the site such as the plant's original purpose and when it closed. In addition to the many plants in the UK, the Continental European factories are also located.

Hemmings Motor News Learns to Speak Southern

My favorite domestic classic car magazine, Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car is one that is geared toward the do-it-yourself classic car owner. Yes, they have some fine "boudoir" car photography along with stories of high end cars, but they always seem to reach the common old car owner with how-to articles and stories of home restorations. 

If there was ever any complaint with that publication, it was that it seemed to be more regional than national. Many stories were of cars in the northeast US or on the west coast. It was rare to find a feature about a car or owner in the deep south. Apparently, all that is about to change.

In his February, 2013 column, HS&EC Editor in Chief Richard Lentinello notes that he is upping sticks from Bennington, Vermont and heading to Stuart, Florida to set up shop as the Hemmings southeastern US editorial office. An owner of four Triumphs, Lentinello promises that all of the Hemmings titles will benefit from this move. In addition to covering the high end concours events in the area, Hemmings will be reporting on classic racing events at Road Atlanta and Barber Motorsports Park. He also said that there will be coverage of selected regional car shows for the various titles. 

Maybe SABCC will be able to welcome Hemmings to one of our shows in the near future.

The Great Race - 2013

The folks who publish my favorite monthly enthusiast magazine - Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car - are also prime sponsors for the premier classic car roadtrip in North America.

Hemmings Motor News' The Great Race Presented by Hagerty is scheduled to kick off in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 22, 2013 and finish on June 30 here in Positive Earth's own back yard in Mobile, Alabama. While the cars in Pos' stable are too young to participate, classic car guys in our area are thrilled to be included. 

The route will wind along the back roads along the Mississippi River with several crossings planned. The race will enter the deep South in Mississippi and then into Mobile from the West. While the actual schedule and list of stops have not been published as of this time, I'll do my best to pass along the news as it develops.