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Tappet Chatter December 2013
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2 MGCCC December 2013
3 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Contents:
Office Bearers 4 President’s Message 5
Torque 6
Drive to the Big Hole 8 The Times They are a Changin' 11 Terribly British Day 13 Club Concours d'elegance 15 Jottings from Kent 22 Dalto's Detour 25 Club Calendar 26
Club Events 24 Sporting Report 31 Historic Race Report 37 Concessional Registration 42
New MG3 44
Help Line 48 Marquet 49
Acknowledgments – thank you to all who
contributed articles and photographs for the
magazine.
Material for the February magazine should be with the Editor by Friday 31 January 2014.
Official Journal of the MG Car Club Canberra Inc
ABN: 49 156 199 381 Correspondence to: Post Office Box 4141 Weston Creek ACT 2611 Home Page: www.mgcccanberra.org.au Monthly Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month, (except January), at St Peter's Anglican Church Hall, cnr of Parkinson St and Watling Pl, Weston at 7.45pm. A ‘Lunchtime Natter’ is held at Lotus Bay, Yarralumla (near the Yacht Club) is held each Tuesday from 12.30pm.
BSB: 633-000
Account: 144920741
Account Name: MG Car Club Canberra Inc
The MG Car Club Canberra Inc. accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of articles, correspondence, opinions and advertisements contained herein. Articles may be copied for publication but an acknowledgement and due accreditation is expected.
Printed Post
Approved
100003009
Tappet Chatter
Cover photograph
Carl Palmers MGTF at the Concours d' elegance
4 MGCCC December 2013
MG CAR CLUB CANBERRA INC.
LIFE MEMBERS: Margaret Brown OAM, Peter Daley, Malcolm Robertson, Ian Holden and Brian Oxley.
COMMITTEE 2013 - 2014
President: Peter Dechaineux 6281 5917 or 0409 350 984 [email protected]
Treasurer: Laurie Gardiner 6293 4191 (h) 0418 488 931 [email protected]
Secretary: Greg Whitfield 0498 107 658 [email protected]
Social Secretary: Peter Daley 6291 0612 [email protected]
Asst. Secretary: Graeme Rossiter (02) 6288 2477 (h) 0431 930 710 (Display Events) [email protected]
Public Officer: Greg Whitfield See above
Sporting Secretary: Kent Brown 6255 4943 or 0412 558 029 (also Vice President) [email protected]
Editor: Mark Horsfield 0415 400 044 [email protected]
NON COMMITTEE 2013 - 2014
CACTMC Delegates: Graeme Rossiter see above Laurie Gardiner see above [email protected]
Registrar CRS Historic Plates: Greg Whitfield see above Robert Chilman 0412 024 228 [email protected]
Regalia: Tony & Judy Laughton 6255 5207 [email protected]
Club Library: Geoff Nickols 6239 7339
CAMS Delegate: Kent Brown see above
Natmeet Coordinator Greg Whitfield see above
Club Car Trailer: Contact: Laurie Gardiner see above Alternate: Nigel French (02) 6163 5551
Tappet Chatter Distribution: Bruce and 6296 1077 Margaret Murray [email protected]
Club Workshop & Laurie Gardiner (02) 6293 4191 Equipment: Nigel French (02) 6163 5551
Webmaster: Pip Herr [email protected]
5 Tappet Chatter December 2013
S ome sad news. Jean Kimber-Cook, the daughter of Cecil Kimber the foun-der of the MG marque, passed away in the UK on 12 November. She was
born and bred with Morris Garages. She was there when they were conceived, at Abingdon were they were built, and at Brooklands where they were driven.
It was Jean who led the protests to British Leyland’s headquarters in Piccadilly in 1980, to protest their decision to cease production of MGs.
Jean was just 19 when her father was killed in an unusual train accident, only four years after being publicly forced to resign as the head of the MG Car
Company. She remained bitter about the events surrounding his death and
the sad demise of MG, and spent most of her time since keeping her father’s name alive as an international envoy for the MG marque. She also personally signed the MG posters which we use for our Club’s prestigious Kimber Award.
Jean and her husband Dennis visited Canberra as the Club's guests during the 1988 MG NatMeet.
Unfortunately I was unable to attend this year’s Terribly British Day and An-
nual Concours held on the Patrick White Lawns, but from all accounts it was a great success with 41 MGs proudly displayed, with Julie Craig’s 1925 14/28 being a very welcome inclusion. Also of significant interest was the modern-ised MGB GT brought down from Sydney by David Dyer from Modern Classic Cars. David’s “restorations” allow the joys, comforts, and reliability of mod-ern motoring to be enjoyed in a vehicle which was not hidebound by current design rules. David’s visit was arranged by Graeme Rossiter, our Display
King. And speaking of Graeme and his RV8 – congratulations on winning the
Don Brown Trophy for overall best concours car on display. Well done Graeme!
I would also like to recognise Graham Gittens who takes every opportunity to publicise all things motoring in the local press, with a distinct bias to our Club. He is also a member of the organising Committee for Terribly British Day – thanks Graham.
Mo and I wish you and your families a very merry Christmas and a happy,
safe and healthy New Year.
Happy MotorinG Peter Dechaineux
President’s
Message
6 MGCCC December 2013
Torque JFK 50th anniversary
T his just goes to show how
much obscure information can
be found on the internet. 20 years ago this information would not have been generally accessible by the public masses.
Tom Aczel sent me the be-low snippet which I found most in-teresting. Thanks Tom.
On the 50th anniversary of the tragic assassination of President John F Kennedy I'd imagine many of us would find this photo of JFK and his new wife on their honey-
moon in Mexico in an MG TD of interest. I've no knowledge whose
MG it was, but assume it wasn't the Kennedy's.
Starting them Young…
T hirteen year old Leah Robert-
son at the wheel of Dads (Malcolm ‘s) MG 1100 at the Clubs September Motorkhana .
This was leah’s first motorkhana, lets hope it is not her last.
Senator John F. Kennedy and Jac-
queline Bouvier Kennedy on their
honeymoon in Acapulco, Mexico,
September 1953.
At the peak of concentration for both
Leah and Malcolm.
Look Dad….A bunny rabbit…..!!
(Then not so much)
7 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Centenary of Canberra
Rally Photo's
T hough not well publicised, pho-
tos of participating rally cars (including the odd MG) can be found: www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/rally or alternatively, google: photographs
Canberra Rally
Volunteer of the Year Award
Club member Graham Gittins (left} receiving his Volunteer of the Year certificate from former National Trust
(ACT) president Eric Martin. Graham won the award for his work on the national trust Centenary of
Canberra Rally. .
Unique MG's
A rebodied 1974 MG Midget be-
longing to Paul and Yvonne Ja-
cobson of Mashpee, Massachu-
setts - See more at:
www.britishinvasion.com/2001gal
lery/classic5.html
An MGB Ute How Cool.
MG record cars - ex135 (rear) and ex181
8 MGCCC December 2013
Drive to the Big Hole
by Trevor Finklaire
I f you ever wanted to know what is in the Big Hole in the Deua Na-
tional Park on the far side of Braid-
wood, you should have joined the select band of intrepid explorers on
Sunday 24 November. Geoff Nickols organised the event and with his cus-tomary attention to detail, issued a precise map to the 7 couples meeting in Bungendore. Unfortunately for me, Pauline fell asleep after ten minutes
and the map flew out of her hand
and was last seen drifting across the bush.
Once through Braidwood, the Cooma road winds its way through
beautiful remote countryside into the Deua National Park. Some 20 kilome-tres down this old road, the line of
MGs and one Austin Healy came to a halt as the road was filled with a herd
of high country cattle being pushed along by numerous busy cattle dogs
and two horse mounted cattlemen rigged out in the full RM Williams’ kit. It was a wonderful sight to watch the dogs herding the cattle along the road and past our MGs. The red ones seemed to get particular attention
from the cattle! Not much further and after a few kilometres of unmade rough road we reached the bush picnic site and set about erecting chairs and the ever popular MGCC wooden folding tables. Soon the tea and coffee was
flowing and tasty bites exchanged
between the hungry crowd. Geoff had organised a jerry can of water and a suitably lined cardboard box for rub-bish. Following lunch it was time to find the answer to that vexed ques-tion – what is the Big Hole? This
meant wading across the Shoalhaven River which was flowing quite fast
and about 2 feet deep. Perhaps some of the MGCCC explorers were not so intrepid after all. Only 4 people, led by the adventurous Deidre McFarlane
and followed by Gary, Geoff and I, waded the river and climbed the 2
10—4 Good buddy, looks like we got
us a convoy !
That trepidatious point where one
contemplates going from bitumen to
gravel.
9 Tappet Chatter December 2013
kilometre track through eucalypt for-est and unique nana heath, with ex-pansive views of the surrounding countryside on the way to the Big
Hole. We discovered that in 1832, Major TC Williams, the Surveyor General, visited the Hole and “pondered on its vast recesses”. In
1862, a young man called Boxall used a rope and a candle to explore
this deep chasm. Others were low-ered in woolsacks. The rubbley bot-tom he eventually landed on was 96m from the surface. Onlookers were all shaking their heads at his reckless behaviour but also itching to
know what he’d found down there inside what is now known as The Big Hole.
Thought to be around 400 million years in the making, this is an
extraordinary limestone marvel; a roofless cave which is over 100m deep and 50m wide. Having mar-
velled ourselves at the Hole from the wooden lookout (and the fact we had actually made it), we returned to the
rest of the gang, who by now had finished the tea, coffee and sumptu-ous cakes. The skies were blackening
and so hoods were quickly raised and we started out on the journey home. Within 20 minutes, the skies opened, thunder roared and lightening flashed across the horizon. I am not sure how the others faired but just
the odd drop of water kept Pauline awake on the return drive! By the time we reached Bungendore, and I had passed the Police roadside breath test, the skies cleared and it
was apparent that rain had not fallen in Canberra.
Our sincerest Thanks to Geoff and Lynn for organising a great drive to a beautiful part of the local countryside. And for those of you
who want to know what is at the bot-
tom of the Big Hole – you’ll find a map by the side of the road some-where a few kilometres out of Bun-gendore. Please return it to Pauline if you find it.
Geoff casting an explorers eye over
the rugged terrain yet to come
Gary & Diedre McFarlane and Geoff
Nicholls feeling quite pleased with
themselves having reached the big
hole.
Cars n dogs n cows n horses.
10 MGCCC December 2013
Want to service your MG?
Got a rattle that is hard to find?
O ur Club has a well-equipped under-cover service centre with four
post hoist, engine hoist and all the basic big-tools to enable you
to do repairs, service and/or clean your car in a secure area, 24/7.
Simply contact Club members Nigel French on 6163 5551 or 0413
646321, or Laurie Gardiner (Club equipment custodian) on 62934191
or 0418488931 to arrange a time to do the work or just to have a
look.
The workshop is located at:
Budget Storage,
25 Yallourn St
Fyshwick.
Map
The Service Centre and
use of Club tools is free
to Club members.
11 Tappet Chatter December 2013
M y interest in the MGA began as
a teenager when I became
involved in what I would now de-
scribe as a modest restoration of an
Australian assembled MGA 1500
Roadster which my eldest brother
purchased in May 1967 for a little
over $450. I never throw anything
out – I still have the receipt! I’ve
mentioned this car in some earlier
Tappet Chatter articles.
Basically sound in body, the car took
about 12 months to complete and
was ready for registration in August
1968. In April the following year I
was to become its owner. With hind-
sight, although we refinished the
paintwork in the factory Monza red, it
was not a completely faithful restora-
tion in terms of its originality. I have
attached a photograph of the car’s
cockpit to illustrate this point. We
covered the instrument panel in vinyl
fabric – something that was never
authentic to the MGA 1500 Roadster
and the fitting of an MGB steering
wheel is glaringly obvious. In 1967 I
estimate the car was about 10 years
old and possibly one of the earliest
MGA restorations of its time.
It was an enjoyable experience being
involved in seeing a project come to
fruition that many people would not
have entertained, especially given
the low market value of the MGA
relative to the MGB which many of us
will recall had become the much
sought after sports car of the 1960s
and 1970s.
The diminishing numbers of the MGA
series and their increasing value to-
day means that restorers generally
take a greater interest and responsi-
bility in ensuring that their restora-
tion is as faithful as possible to the
original factory specifications. This is
how it should be. I look back now
with some wonder at my decision in
about 1971 to respray my Monza red
MGA in Portofino Gold, a colour
(Continued on page 12)
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'
by Paul Smith
12 MGCCC December 2013
which was available on
the Mark II MGBs and
the Mark II Morris Coo-
per S in the late 1960s
(there are more photos
attached).
Unusual as this now
seems, I am reminded
that there were some
outrageous attempts at
challenging the norm in
those exciting times of
the 1960s and 70s.
Those of us old enough to remember
the flower power era might recall
John Lennon’s Rolls Royce and Janis
Joplin’s Porsche Roadster each with
their psychedelic body artwork!
13 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Terribly British Day
Canberra 2013
By Graham Gittins
A 1910 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
that took its owner 32 years to
restore, won the’ car I would most
like to take home’ trophy and the
Jaguar Drives Club won the best club
display trophy at the 2013 Terribly
British Day display on
1 December.
Guest of honour, the British High
Commissioner to Australia, His Excel-
lency Paul Madden and his wife
Sarah, inspected all displays and pre-
sented the trophy to the Rolls Royce
owner, Ian Irwin, and best club dis-
play to the president of the Jaguar
Drivers club, Larry Roux.
More than 350 British made vehicles
mustered on the Patrick White Lawns
between the National Library and
Lake Burley Griffin for the annual
display. Theme for the 2013 event
was advances in technology of British
vehicles and Canberra Antique and
Classic Motor Club member Barbara
Phillips traced some of the technol-
ogy advances introduced in her 1963
Ford Anglia and presented them over
the Public Address system to the
large number of participants and
spectators.
Triumph Car club members displayed
a petrol injection engine to show the
technology advances in Triumph ve-
hicles.
The Jaguar Club made a ‘song and
dance’ at its display when, a sere-
British High Commissioner, Paul
Madden and his wife Sarah with MG
Club Vice President Kent Brown. (I
think Kent gave them a little taste of
home, particularly with his striking
resemblance to Jonsey from Dads
Army. "Don't Panic Mr Madden".
Some cars were a little tongue-in-
cheek!
14 MGCCC December 2013
nade, complete with guitar accompa-
niment was made to a 63 year old
XK120 Jaguar with the Beatles song
Will you still love me when I’m 64.
MG Car Club Canberra contrasted,
what is believed to be the oldest reg-
istered MG in the world, a 1925
14/28 owned by Julie Craig of Syd-
ney against later model MGs.
Terribly British Day organising chair
Paul Sutton said, ‘the 2013 event
had by far the largest number of ve-
hicles on display’
‘Vehicles travelled from Sydney, and
from around the Canberra region to
take part,’ he said.
time – the Sunbeam Alpine mem-
bers had five cars on display, the
Armstrong Siddley Club fifteen cars
available for viewing.’ Mr Sutton
said.
‘Altogether it was great day – great weather, great location and great vehicles,’ he added.
Land Rover Workhorse
Pristine Aston Martin DB 6 and DB 9, highlighting the theme of technology ad-
vances in automotive design and inovation over the years.
New Jag S Type
15 Tappet Chatter December 2013
A s with previous years we once
again held our Club Concours in
conjunction with the Terribly British
Day display. This year we were
blessed with magnificent weather and
a marvellous turnout of cars and
viewing public.
The venue in front of the National
Library attracted a record number of
almost 400 cars and motorbikes.
Adding to the activity and colour
around the display, almost 1000
‘Santa-suit clad’ runners in the round
the lake ACT Variety Santa Fun Run
joined the many visitors during the
day.
Our Club display had a strong repre-
sentation of 41 MGs and 2 TVRs.
Julie Craig drove her magnificent
1925 14/28 down from Sydney. It
took pride of place in our display and
the Guest of Honour, the British High
Commissioner to Australia, His Excel-
lency Paul Madden and his wife Sarah
spent quite a deal of time admiring
and being photographed in Julie’s
car.
The theme for the 2013 event was
advances in technology of British ve-
hicles and to this end our Club dis-
play included cars from Julie’s car to
the latest Z’s and F’s. David Dyer
from Modern Classic Cars exhibited a
restored MGB GT and explained to
Terribly British Day incorporating our Club
Concours d'élégance
Honorary Member Julie Craig with
the High Commissioner and His wife
in fromt of Julie's oldest known reg-
istered MG in the world.
16 MGCCC December 2013
17 Tappet Chatter December 2013
the many visitors the various modern
parts, the associated benefits, and
subsequent driving pleasure that go
into his restorations.
Other highlights during the day in-
cluded Peter Daley’s interview with
Graham Gittins on the advances in
technology of the MG marque. The
Triumph Car Club had a steady inter-
est in their display of a petrol in-
jected engine to show the technology
advances in Triumph vehicles, and
the Rolls Royce Car Club came
decked out in period costume, and
picnic sets by the lake. Not to be
outdone, the Jaguar Car Club sang
the Beatles song Will you still love
me when I’m 64 to a 63 year old
XK120 Jaguar as part of their display
activities.
With almost 80 cars, the Jaguar Car
Club were well deserved winners of
the best Club Display trophy and Ian
Irwin’s magnificent 1910 Rolls Royce
Silver Ghost won the’ car I would
most like to take home’ trophy. His
Excellency Paul Madden presented
the winning trophies.
Though we had an excellent turnout
of MG cars it was a little disappoint-
ing that more members did not enter
the concours, and we will need to
look at ways of involving more mem-
bers prior to the next event. Having
said that, the display was extremely
well received, and I would especially
like to thank Carl and Jennie Palmer
for assisting me in setting up in the
David, with his restored MGB GT and
parts display.
Bruce Murray and Greg Whitfield
pondering some meaningful aspect
of one of the cars on display. While
Trevor Finklaire is, as always, trying
desperately to avoid the camera.
Some Club members "Chillin" in the
ambience of the day.
18 MGCCC December 2013
morning and guiding the cars into
position, and Maureen, who, much
against her normal body clock and
biorhythms, dropped off (and later
picked up) our utility load of display
A very big thank you goes to our
band of willing judges: Class A - Gary
McFarlane, and Tony Roberts; Class
B - Mike Stern and Laurie Gardiner;
Class C - Roger Amos, Mark Hors-
field, and Carl Palmer; and Class D -
Brian Calder, Glen Hogan, and Robert
Chilman. Thank you to Brian Calder
for printing the Certificates, Virginia
Brown for writing up the certificates,
and Mark Horsfield for his wonderful
photography.
Last but not least, a big thank you to
Kent Brown who stepped in as acting
President for Peter Dechaineux who
unfortunately was not able to make
this year’s event due to an urgent
trip to Sydney.
Of course, congratulations go to the
winners:
Class A: 1st Carl & Jennie Palmer, MGTF 2nd Kent Brown, MGTC 3rd Laurie Gardiner, MGTF 1500
Class B: 1st Carl & Jennie Palmer, MGA 2nd Peter Daley, ZA Magnette
3rd No award
Class C: 1st Geoff Nickols, MGB Mk II
2nd Kent Brown, MGB GT V8 3rd Brian Calder, MGB GT
Class D: 1st Graeme Rossiter, MG RV8
2nd Greg Whitfield, MGTF 160
3rd Peter & Helen Lewis, MGTF 120
The Don Brown Trophy for Over-all Best Car on Display
Graeme Rossiter, RV8
The Magic Midget Trophy for ‘Peoples Choice’
Kent Brown, 1947 MG TC
\
Presidents Choice
Brian Oxley, 1931 MG F1
Concours de Elegance Judges
19 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Thank you once again to all those
members who participated in what
was a marvellous day.
20 MGCCC December 2013
21 Tappet Chatter December 2013
22 MGCCC December 2013
I’m still a bit of a traditional-ist (dinosaur?) as I haven’t yet come to grips with read-
ing newspapers electronically. And I
still enjoy the early morning sojourn to GJ’s (Gloria Jeans) at Gungahlin
where, apart from passing the day chatting about current events, or the weather etc with other habitual cus-tomers, I read the Canberra Times from cover to cover over a cappuc-cino. Not that that takes too long
these days! Reading the paper that is.
Anyway, the other day, Wednesday, 27 November to be precise, I came
upon Gang-gang, the talk of Can-berra, where I spied with my little eye in the column “On This Day – 100 years ago” a miniscule picture of
a yellow MG TC. The car was pic-tured on the driveway leading to the
restored Bishopthorpe Manor in Goul-burn. Gang-gang reported that “on Tuesday 100 years ago this week the Bishopthorpe Manor was destroyed in what the Goulburn Evening Penny Post was sure was the biggest fire
that has ever occurred in Goulburn. The tragedy attracted a stream of stickybeaks”.
For a little history, Bishopthorpe was
Jottings from Kent
23 Tappet Chatter December 2013
built in 1870 as a home for Goul-burn's first Bishop of the Church of England, Mesac Thomas. Sixty-two hectares were donated to the church
and two further lots of nine hectares were given, one for the provision of a theological college. The bluestone building's design was a blend of the rectories and bishop's palaces he had
known in England and was destined to be more than just a distinguished
home. It also served as the head-quarters for diocesan administration.
The Bishop chose to have his home built on the rise, allowing uninter-rupted views of Rossiville, Kingsdale,
Kenmore, Gundary and Goulburn.
Bishop and Mrs Thomas took up resi-dence in 1872.
There was a bathroom in the house, but it was not used. Rather, each bedroom had a bath placed under
the bed and staff provided kettles of hot water for bathing.
After Bishop Thomas' death, two other bishops lived in the manor until
1905, when it became a Church of England girl's school for seven years. A patchwork of history followed, in-cluding the severe fire referred to
above.
Bishopthorpe has been gloriously restored and is open to guests for
weekend stays. The main house has six magnificent suites, most with marble spa bathroom. I really knew that the Manor has been reborn be-
cause I don’t think the TC was there 100 years ago even though I know
time passes quickly and it seems to increase at frightening and exponen-tial rate!
Bishopthorpe Manor certainly makes a fitting backdrop for the MG.
More Jottings from Kent
Over the last few years both Brian Weston and I have had various pieces of work on race car exhaust systems undertaken by Powatone.
Until recently the company operated from premises in Collie Street at Fyshwick but they have now moved to a new address (see below). The work has always been of a high stan-dard and the guys there very helpful and understanding.
At the MGCCC multi-club motorkhana we ran on the 17th November Roy Lampl, the Manager of Powatone was a competitor in his bright red Nissan
180SX sporting a Powatone sign on the side.
Only a day later Roy emailed me
saying “The last Motorkhana day was
a lot of fun, but I did get very sun-burnt. I have acquired a fair few sun shade chairs that are taking up space in my workshop. I'm wondering if the MGCC would like a couple of six seater chairs so unprepared people like me have less chance of getting
sunburnt. The chairs are new, see an example below. They fold away into a small carry case. They would be for free; someone just needs to pick them up from my Workshop.”
24 MGCCC December 2013
An offer to good to refuse! So I am now the custodian, on behalf of the MGCCC, of two folding 6-seater chair sets complete with sunshades. And
the person each end also gets an
arm to rest on (I know the feeling) and what’s more, a cup-holder. Sheer luxury lad!
Our thanks go to Roy for his gener-ous donation.
And if you want some exhaust work done then there’s no better place than Powatone Exhaust Centre. Roy can also build you a CAMS approved roll bar or cage should you like one
fitted to your MG – or any other car for that matter.
Their details are:
4b/3 Barrier St, Fyshwick, ACT, 2609 Ph1: (02) 6280 5217 Ph2: (02) 6280 5570 Email: [email protected] Website www.powatone.com.au FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/powatone
6-seater folding chair mit sunshade
25 Tappet Chatter December 2013
All 2013 MGCCC SPRINGTIME TOUR
members were able to enjoy magnifi-
cent mountain-top vistas when they
were led [albeit astray] by following
the Dalton’s MGB 1 en-route from
Albury to the 50’s Festival at Tal-
langatta. Our Albury happy hour
group on day 9 supported Peter’s
recommendation of an alternative
northerly right hand looping run next
morning to Tallangatta. This 90 min-
ute drive was to take the 11 mem-
bers vehicles around the northern
arm of the waters, via the more in-
teresting hilly route through Mt
Granya National Park then south
down into Tallangatta on the shore of
the southern arm of the weir. He
even encouraged members to spruce
up their somewhat dusty cars in or-
der to impress the many townsfolk at
their festival.
In the perfect Saturday morning sun-
shine the MG convoy of mostly clean
cars followed in line astern behind
the leader and cruised across the
magnificent old iron bridge over the
sparkling blue waters of the weir.
Some were touring toplessly but all
were following the burbling red B up
front as it meandered along the lake
shoreline section of the winding
Murray Valley Highway towards
Granya.
Le pilot in MGB1 was captivated by
the sublime springtime scenery too,
perhaps a little too much. With the
turn off to Granya still 40 km distant
the distracted MGB1 made a right
turn off the highway. Here he led all
cars on a hill climb to up and over
the very pretty and quite high Tal-
Dalto’s detour...... to both Tallangattas.
by Peter Dalton
26 MGCCC December 2013
Club Calendar
CLUB EVENTS
December
Thu 19 MidWeek Meander to Tulips Café at Pialligo. Meet at Scrivener Dam car-park at 11.30 or the Tulips Café at
12 noon.
January
Sun 5 Traditional New Year’s Breakfast at Café Injoy, Gold Creek from 8.30am.
Sun 5 Summernats Display (free entry—contact Peter Daley) Sun 26 Australia Day Picnic Run to Yass. Meet at the Dinosaur
Museum car-park for an 11am start.
February
Sun 9 Fish ‘n Chips Run to Canberra Yacht Club. Meet at the
Mint car-park at 4.00pm. Bring table and chairs.
Thu 13 Monthly Club meeting
Sun 23 Picnic run to “Riversdale”, Goulburn . Meet at the ser-vice station at Cnr. Federal Highway and Antill Street, Watson for 11am start.
March
Sat 1 Social run to Potato Festival, Crookwell. Meet at the service station at Cnr. Federal Highway and Antill Street, Watson for 10.30am start.
Thu 13 Monthly Club meeting
Sun 16 Shannons Wheels Day
OTHER EVENTS
October
Thu 10– Sun 13 Bathurst 1000
Sat 12 Gundaroo Music Festival
Sat 12 – Sun 13 Canberra Electric Vehicle Festival
Sat 19 Spin Saturday – TAMS depot, 255 Canberra Ave
Sat 19 – Sun 20 National Trust Centenary Rally
November
Sun 3 Canberra Swap Meet
Sun 10 Marques in the Park 2013, John Knight Park, Belconnen
Fri 8– Sun 10 Historic Motor Racing, Sandown
December
27 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Sun 1 Queanbeyan Swap Meet
January
Thu 2 - Sun 5 Summernats
Note: “CLUB EVENT” signifies that an MG club representative will be in at-
tendance, regardless of who is organizing. Such events meet the require-ments for concessional registration.
Events listed in “OTHER EVENTS” or in the Sporting Report also meet the requirements for CRS participation although a formal MG club representa-
tive may not be attending.
more up to date calendar is available on the Events page of the Club website.
Try it sometime!
Merry Christmas to all, may you stay safe and healthy
over the break.
28 MGCCC December 2013
29 Tappet Chatter December 2013
garno Gap. This scenic meander un-
expectedly took everyone many
miles away from Granya and then
even further off course into the tiny
village of Bethanga. The once faith-
ful followers Dennis and Denise in
their gleaming Big Healy were among
the many who now wondered
“where the bloody hell are we”.
Confused facial expressions were
visible to Pete and Hella through
each passing clean windscreen after
MGB1 executed a deft little U turn in
Bethanga, still searching for some
sign that could extract” le pilot” from
“le blunder”. All cars dutifully trailed
behind.
An increasingly less confident pilot of
MGB1 spotted an escape from
Bethanga village, choosing to take
the “Lake Road” on the about to be
tested theory that all lake roads in
that direction must lead to Tallan-
gatta. But to which Tallangatta ...
the old or the new? The sub-alpine
views in springtime along the now
narrowing Lake Road inspired fre-
quent pauses for the fine photo
opportunities across the lake to
Tallangatta township but this was
still all from the wrong side of
these waters.
Then OH NO ... you probably
guessed it... the final section be-
came a charming dirt road only
leading up to the remnants of Old
Tallangatta! The ears of Le Pilot
were now burning as the fur-
rowed facial expressions in the
30 MGCCC December 2013
Big Healy and all others were
now fully obscured in Pete’s dust.
Soon afterwards these now con-
siderably less than concours sur-
vivors of the Dalton detour sur-
prisingly arrived smack on time
in New Tallangatta, having finally
located a small narrow bridge to
take them across the lake. Here
we enjoyed both kinds of music
in the park while Le Pilot chatted
with some interesting locals after
having received well deserved
brickbats and bouquets from
several de-tourists.
Locals told me that Ernie Nunn
from Snake Gully moved the 102
timber houses from old Tallan-
gatta [ since flooded] in 1954
using his old dodge truck and his
ancient timber jinker. Apparently
when their beloved Ernie made
each trip across the same narrow
wooden bridge with no railings he
always had an entourage of small
boys like a bunch of blowflies on
bikes with expectations of excite-
ment. A few more of these little
rascals would even hide inside
the creaking timber house cut in
two as it wobbled and creaked
behind the old dodge along over
and across the old bridge to the
town-site of new Tallangatta.
Ernie completed all 208 trips
without loss of house or boy and
without the use of any crane.
31 Tappet Chatter December 2013
MGCCC Multi-club Motorkhana, Sunday, 17 November 2013
Our last motorkhana for the calendar
year was held on Sunday, 17th No-vember. Two days beforehand, on the Friday morning, I had but a total of 16 entries. Faced with that situa-
tion I put out an all-points bulletin by email with the aim increasing the
very low number by at least an addi-tional 10 other competitors. One of the regulars, whose car was in dire need of some repairs but which could not be undertaken due to a lack of the folding stuff, put a note on his Facebook page. The power of social
media particularly among the not-so-old! Entries kept coming in on the Saturday so by the time we com-menced the event on Sunday morn-ing there were no less than 35 start-ers. Wow!
The weather was great, indeed there were cases of sunburn I understand (see Kent’s Jottings elsewhere) but the day went off without a hitch and
we successfully concluded about
3.30pm, even allowing for the pack-ing up.
Only a few minor mechanical mala-dies manifested with Wayne Griffiths in his Honda CRX losing forward mo-tion when a drive shaft popped out
(it’s FWD) but a quick circlip replace-
ment soon had him mobile again. Andrew Hutt’s beautiful V8 powered MGB roadster lost battery power right at the end of the day but an impromptu quick charge with jumper
leads from his wife’s car soon had Andrew on his way. And Malcolm’s 1100 suffered some oil surge with
resultant low pressure which was cured by a quart (shows my age doesn’t it!) of HPR15 that just hap-pened to be kept in “Delilah” for
emergencies.
SPORTING REPORT
December 2013
By Kent Brown — Sporting Secretary
Malcolm, Leah + Friend (game pas-
senger!)
Malcolm almost lifting a leg on the flag
32 MGCCC December 2013
A very big thank you to all the club members who came out to help. There were 15 in total; just a few to many to name individually in this
column. But all were appreciated. The Girl Guides made a nice profit selling their sustenance and teas/coffees which will provide them with some of the funds necessary for 2nd Ngunnawal to go camping next year. Club members competing in MGs in-
cluded Malcolm and Leah Robertson,
Andrew Hutt, Chris Hillman and yours truly. The results for MGCCC mem-
bers, including those who drove much more mundane machinery than a “real” car, should be close by
(hopefully!).
MGCCC Motorkhanas for 2014.
Here’s a chance to update your 2014 planning diary with the dates of our Club motorkhanas for next year.
Why not enter it in your mobile
phone’s electronic calendar right now and then you will not miss a moment of the thrill and excitement of partici-pating in or helping out at Sutton Road next year!
The dates are:
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Just where do I go?” asks Andrew of
himself
Ah, ha, if I turn right here…….
“Now where’s that next damn flag?”
If I turn a bit tighter I can actually
hit the flag
33 Tappet Chatter December 2013
It’s been a very busy year with many
events to choose from all around the country, or at least the eastern sea-board plus South Australia. The last
event at Sydney Motor Sport Park (Eastern Creek) which was the an-nual HSRCA summer Historics (hysterics!) finished on the 24th No-
vember. I managed a total of 7 race meetings this year with a DNF in only one race. And that non-finish was only because the low tension lead
vibrated off the distributor and shut the motor down on lap 11 of the 22-
lap endurance race, also at SMSP. Brian Weston in his Mighty Midget also had a successful year with good results in 8 different race meetings. Kevin Kirk and Chris Hillman in Regu-larity also chalked up some good re-
sults with Kevin doing a PB at SMSP
by just a few hundredths of a second.
The Group S (sports cars) race calen-dar for 2014 has now been published and it picks up all the major historic race meetings throughout the New Year in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
If you want to put any of the dates into your diary because you fancy a trip interstate, here they are listed on page 35.
While the SDMA have scheduled their Club meetings for 2014 the hillclimb program has not yet been released. I’m sure for the February edition of
Tappet Chatter I will be able to list the opportunities next year to either participate in or just watch the spec-tacular action at Fairbairn Park.
Similarly GEAR has not settled on their program for next year but as soon as it becomes available I will publish the details in my Sporting
Report.
Historic Motor
Racing
Hillclimb
Golden Era of Auto Rac-
ing (GEAR)
Regalia
CLUB CLOTHING
Shirts - Cotton Long Sleeve $32.00
Shirts-Cotton Short Sleeve $30.00
Polo Shirts - Men's & Ladies $25.00
Polo Fleece full zip Jacket - Men's $35.00
Micro Fleece full zip Jacket- Ladies $35.00
Nylon full zip Spray Jackets-Unlined $30.00
OTHER ITEMS
Club Coffee Mugs (Bendigo Pottery)
$12.00
Club Grille Badges $22.00
Club Lapel Badges $ 6.00
Car Lapel Badges $10.00
Club Windscreen Stickers $ 2.00
MG Octagon Car Lapel Badges $10.00
MG Key Rings $ 7.00
Sew-on Embroidered MG Logo in cloth
$ 8.00
34 MGCCC December 2013
35 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Date
Race Meeting Pointscore Notes
February
22-23
HSRCA – All Historic Meeting
Wakefield Park
Catalina 1 www.hsrca.org.au
March
7-9
Phillip Island Classic - VHRR
National Historic Meeting
Goldfields 1 www.vhrr.com
Sa/Sb only
March
7-9
ARDC – Top Gear Festival
SMSP
Catalina 2
Pointscore for Sc
ONLY
Contact details TBA
Sc priority entry (to replace PI)
April
5-6
FoSC
Wakefield Park
Catalina 3 www.fosc.com.au
April
5-6
HRCC Autumn Historics
Morgan Park, Warwick
Capricorn 1 manuel@projects qld.com
April
19-20
Mallala All Historic
SCCSA-HRR National Race
Meeting
“Away” point score [email protected]
0419 666 307
May
3-4
HSRCA – Sydney Retro Speed-
fest
SMSP
Catalina 4 www.hsrca.org.au
May
24-25
Historic Winton
Historic Meeting - Short Circuit
Goldfields 2 www.historicwinton.org
July
12-13
Annual Historic Queensland
Meeting
Morgan Park, Warwick
Capricorn 2 www.hrcc.org.au
August
8-9
VHRR Historic Festival of Speed
- Winton Long Goldfields 3 www.vhrr.com
Septem-
ber
6-7
ARDC - Muscle Car Masters
SMSP
Catalina 5 Contact details TBA
Septem-
ber
20-21
Festival of Sports & Racing Cars
Lakeside
Capricorn 3
manuel@projects qld.com
Septem-
ber27-28 HSRCA – Historic Meeting
Wakefield Park
Catalina 6 www.hsrca.org.au
October
18-19
Ipswich Classic
Queensland Raceway
Capricorn 4
manuel@projects qld.com
November
8-9
Return of the Thunder
Sandown
Goldfields 4 www.vhrr.com
November
29-30
HSRCA – Historic Meeting
Sydney Motor Sports Park
Catalina 7 www.hsrca.org.au
36 MGCCC December 2013
37 Tappet Chatter December 2013
T he HSRCA’s annual Summer His-
toric race meeting was con-ducted at Easter Creek – I just can’t
get used to Sydney Motor Sport Park or SMSP – over the weekend 23/24 November 2013.
Kevin Kirk (Regularity) and Brian Weston & I in Group S made to
276km journey to the circuit from
Canberra. We all left on Friday morning, albeit at different times as none of us felt the need to practice on the “old” GP circuit that we’ve competed on many times previously.
The GP circuit as it is now varies very
slightly from the earlier iteration as the kink at turn 6 has been taken out
- the track straightened – to accom-modate entry to the new section of track that now makes up either the “South Circuit” or a component of the Brabham Circuit. But without reser-vation we all prefer the GP layout
which is nice and flowing in nature.
The trip down was remarkable for the weather. From Marulan onwards it just teemed with rain. Many motor-ists chose to stop for a while because
Historic Race Report
Sydney Motor Sport Park
23/24 November by Kent Brown
Messrs Weston and Brown in Garage No. 11 – “Of comfort you’re certain”
38 MGCCC December 2013
39 Tappet Chatter December 2013
of the conditions. There were warn-ings over the radio of wind, rain and hail. So we certainly didn’t miss any-thing by not practicing because the
track was literally awash.
Practice, which also doubles as quali-fying, on Saturday morning was a mixture of wet and dry. For Group S
it started out dry but after only 2 laps down came the rain. And heavy is was. Those who were smart put
down a quick lap immediately in or-der to gain a good grid position. Others, like me, left it a bit too late. That’s racing as they say!
All three of us had 4 events; one on Saturday afternoon and three on Sunday. I won’t bore you with all
the gory details other than to say we
successfully completed the weekend and drove our cars onto our respec-tive trailers at the end for the jour-ney back home. You can’t really want a better outcome.
And we all did Personal Bests (PB’s) – how good is that! Kevin in his MGB
“Tigger” (Tigger is a fictional tiger character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner) at 2:01.8773, I in my MGB at 1:55.4698 and Brian put in an ab-
solute scorcher at 1:53.9308.
On reflection I think I could have gone just a tad faster but one of those pesky Porsche’s kept getting in the way. It was just soooo frustrat-
ing. At the start, out of corners and down the straight the Porsche just pulled away. But with respect to handling around corners the MGB is just so much quicker. It was only in the last race on Sunday afternoon when the Porsche man decided to
pack up and go home that I had a
clean run and immediately dropped my lap times by 2 seconds.
It’s hard to keep track of car prob-lems when you are racing but in Group S one 3Ltr Porsche Carrera
needs a new crankcase (he also slid into the concrete wall on the wet
A Rose Between two Thorns! Kevin’s “Tigger” Ready to Play
The Group S grid formed up in the Marshalling Area
Waiting in the searing heat and hu-midity. Where’s the umbrella Lady?
40 MGCCC December 2013
41 Tappet Chatter December 2013
grass when trying to get off the track and out of the way – a new headlight and front guard is required), a Healey 3000 spun into the back of
Corporate Hill and badly damaged the whole side of the car plus broke the front suspension, a TR6 put a rod through the block at the end of the main straight and the 1957, 4.6Ltr
Chev Corvette (a Group T car actu-ally – see picture below) locked up
the brakes at the hairpin and rear-ranged the door and surrounding panels on another Porsche. No inju-ries though which is good to see.
And there were some very expensive
cars on the track as well. Lined up in
front of the Pit Straight garages on Sunday morning were a couple of Mustangs plus a brace of Shelby American 350GTs which all had rac-ing history in the US of A.
And thanks to Kevin for some of the
photos used in this report.
So now it is time to give the cars a
rest and as time permits undertake
some TLC or freshening up ready for the first Historic Race meeting of 2014 at Wakefield Park on 22/23 February.
A couple of Mustangs and original Shelby American GT350’s
How close can you get? Kent sandwiched between a pesky Porsche and a Ma-rauding Midget at SMSP Hairpin
42 MGCCC December 2013
Summary.
The ACT Concessional Registration Scheme (CRS) provides a substantial
benefit to members of the MGCCC, but comes with conditions applicable to the Council of ACT Motor clubs, the MGCCC and the individual car owner. Continued availability of the
scheme depends upon all participants observing the intent of the scheme. Read on if you wish your next CRS
application to proceed smoothly.
The Scheme.
As a concession granted by the ACT
Road Traffic Authority (RTA), vet-eran, vintage and classic motor vehi-cles (including trailers) which are 30 years or older are able to be regis-
tered for limited use at a reduced registration cost. Owners of CRS vehicles must be financial members
of a club affiliated with the Council of ACT Motor Clubs (CACTMC). This form of registration is known as the ACT Concessional Registration Scheme (CRS).
The CACTMC functions through dele-gates appointed by affiliated motor
clubs, as a representative advisory body between the RTA and motor clubs and ultimately club members with vehicles covered by the CRS. As the CACTMC has no legislated dis-ciplinary powers, it conducts its func-
tion through the good will of all par-ties and its constitution.
Motor clubs affiliated with the CACTMC (which includes the MGCCC); agree to abide by the con-ditions imposed by the RTA as de-
fined in the CACTMC constitution
which in turn reflects RTA policy as applied to the CRS.
CRS-Conditions of Use.
In addition to the requirement that the owner of a vehicle seeking CRS is a financial member of a motor club affiliated with CACTMC, the RTA has
identified five main categories of ve-hicle use under the registration con-cession to which the CACTMC and
affiliated clubs have been given the responsibility of overseeing. These are:
a. events organised or approved by clubs affiliated with the CACTMC,
b. occasional test runs of up to
40kms radius,
c. attendance at specific occa-sions not related to Club
events with the approval of an authorised member of the MGCCC committee,
d. vehicle authenticity (that the
vehicle meets the CRS regis-tration criteria) and confirma-tion that the owner is a finan-
cial member of the MGCCC; and
e. validation of the Application for Concessional Registration re-
quired for submission with the Certificate of Registration.
MGCCC- Requirements for CRS Qualification.
Club members with a vehicle regis-
Concessional Registration Procedures
by Geoff Piddington
43 Tappet Chatter December 2013
tered under the CRS and listed with the MGCCC are required to inform the club appointed Registrar of any modification which significantly alters
the vehicle specification from the time it was initially accepted as eligi-ble for the CRS. Further, the club appointed Registrar is to be informed when the vehicle is no longer the
property of the club member or is no longer registered under the CRS.
Authenticity validation and requests for an Application for Concessional Registration within the MGCCC are undertaken by the club appointed Registrar, usually at the MGCCC
monthly meetings. To comply with
the obligations relating to CRS regis-tration, applicants are required to produce a current MGCCC club mem-bership card the registration certifi-cate for the vehicle and a record of use (the vehicle log book). Ideally, the vehicle should be also available,
but it is recognised that in all in-stances this may not be possible; this aspect should be discussed with the MGCCC Registrar. CRS requests for vehicles which have not previ-ously been registered within the ACT or where the registration has lapsed
for more than 12 months will in addi-
tion to the forgoing be accompanied by a Certificate of Roadworthiness and proof of ownership.
Of necessity this document presents a ‘broad brush’ view of the obliga-
tions of the CACTMC, the MGCCC and club members owning a vehicle reg-istered under the CRS legislation as
defined by ACT government. Further clarification, if required, is to be di-rected to the MGCCC committee.
44 MGCCC December 2013
The fashionable MG 3 features an
artistic Faceted Flow exterior, capti-
vating and sharp blackened eagle
eye headlights, hardened contours
and flat window design, providing a
sense of sleekness and security. Do
not be fooled by the MG 3's delicate
body. With a width of 1,728mm, the
MG 3 belongs to the ultra-wide fam-
ily of A0-class cars. In addition, the
2,520mm wheelbase provides ample
interior space in front and in the
back, ensuring a comfortable journey
for both the driver and passengers.
The back seats have sufficient room
to accommodate three average
height men. There are 21 storage
compartments available, which not
only greatly enhance the functional-
ity of the MG 3, but also create peace
of mind for young consumers. The
combination of fashionable design
and ample space for passengers en-
sures practicality without compromis-
ing on personality.
Fuel-Efficient and Extremely
Practical
As an A0-class car, the MG 3 comes
with fuel-efficient technologies, such
as the e-Shift 5-speed gearbox,
which is a mechanical gearbox fea-
turing an intelligent electro-hydraulic
system and automatic clutch and
transmission control and manage-
ment. The ability to switch between
automatic transmission (AT) and
manual transmission (MT) allows
drivers to enjoy the benefits of com-
fort and convenience with AT, while
taking into account the fuel efficiency
of MT. In addition, the MG 3 is
equipped with cross-class cruise con-
trol, which will automatically main-
tain speed without the need to step
on the accelerator pedal. This helps
reduce the fatigue of driving on high-
ways and save fuel by eliminating
unnecessary speed changes.
The MG 3 UK Impression Graphics
Showcase Youthful Personality
45 Tappet Chatter December 2013
46 MGCCC December 2013
MG CENTRE OF SYDNEY
RV8 CARS AUSTRALIA P/
L
HOME OF ADDER THE NEWSLETTER
ALL YOUR MG PARTS & SERVICE NEEDS
IN ONE EASY TO FIND LOCATION
Ring Stuart or Sally Ratcliff MG Car Club Life Member
26 COWPER ST GRANVILLE
PH (02) 9682 6655 FAX (02) 9637 0199
Service Tuning
Clutch
Suspension Cooling
Engine &Gearbox
Parts Interior
Body
Mechanical Accessories
Anything MG
47 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Melba Motors
More than 30 years experience
Melba Motors is a car repair and maintenance business with a
special interest in British vehicles. Proprietor Mick Wilson is a UK
Leyland workshop trained mechanic experienced in all aspects of
MGs and other British cars and can get your vehicles into tip-top
shape.
Mick and the staff carry out general repairs, engine rebuilds and fix
carburettors. Melba Motors diagnose and fix suspension problems
and specialise in small welding and rust repairs.
Transport can be arranged for cars that won’t go. There is a 24
Hour emergency response – get you started or tow your car to
safety.
Call Mick on 02 6253 1523
12 Purdue Street
Belconnen
48 MGCCC December 2013
Pre-war Malcolm Robertson (02) 6288 9343 Brian Oxley (02) 6281 2351 Harry Hickling (02) 6230 2150
T Series
Brian Oxley (02) 6281 2351 Peter Dechaineux (02) 6281 5917 Peter Daley (02) 6291 0612
Kent Brown (02) 6255 4943
Y Series Mike Stearn (02) 6291 6030
MGA Mike Stearn (02) 6291 6030
MGB
Kevin Kirk (02) 6231 4617
Kent Brown (02) 6255 4943
MGC Roadster and GT Denis Hensby (02) 6259 3818
MG RV8 Graeme Rossiter (02) 6288 2477
MG Z Magnette
Peter Daley (02) 6291 0612
Midget/Sprite John Harriott (02) 6292 8420 Ian Reid (02) 6231 8959
Modern MGs Malcolm Robertson (02) 6288 9343
Restoration Brian Oxley (02) 6281 2351 Mike Stearn (02) 6291 6030 Malcolm Robertson (02) 6288 9343
Club Trailer Laurie Gardiner (02) 6293 4191
Club Servicing Facility & Tools Laurie Gardiner (02) 6293 4191 Nigel French (02) 6163 5551
Concessional Registration
Greg Whitfield 0498 107 658
Help
Line
Club Service Centre: Our Club
has a well equipped under-cover service centre at Budget Storage, 25 Yallourn St Fyshwick. It has all
the basic big-tools to enable you to do repairs, service and/or clean your car in a secure area, 24/7. Simply contact Club member Nigel French (who owns Budget Storage)
on the number above or 0413 646 321 to arrange a time to do the
work or just to have a look. The Service Centre and use of club tools is free to Club Members. Visit Website
49 Tappet Chatter December 2013
Marquet
‘1995’ MGB V8 Roadster
For the enthusiast, if not the purist! The ‘B’ MG should have made – 4.6 litre,
five speed, and convertible. An exceptional vehicle with fully documented
history since it was built by a UK MG specialist in 1995. Over $50,000 was
spent back then creating a V8 roadster with an authentic MG look and feel. A
brand new ‘chrome bumper’ body shell formed the basis of the ‘no expense
spared’ build. I am the third owner and acquired the vehicle with only 4,000
miles on the clock. MOT documents show that the vehicle was rarely driven,
and it was clearly never exposed to Britain’s salty roads!
I brought the vehicle to Canberra in 2003. Current mileage is 20,000 miles,
but a brand new motor, gearbox and limited slip differential were installed at
13,000 miles in 2007 at a cost of over $20,000. The original build and per-
formance enhancements since, including improved braking, suspension and
cooling, are fully documented. The vehicle is registered in the ACT as a 1970
MGB, was engineer certified in 2003 and again in 2007 for the engine up-
grade. The paint is good, interior is excellent, and the shell is completely rust
free – it has been kept undercover since new.
I recognise this is a niche vehicle of interest to a select few and therefore dif-
ficult to price – but check out national and international prices for poorer ex-
amples on the internet. Tens of thousands have been spent to create and
maintain a rare (and fun!)
driving experience that will
last for years. All genuine
inquiries welcome and of-
fers will be considered – I
would like to see it remain
in Canberra and a part of
the MGCC.
$19,900
Contact: Tony 0418 203
318
50 MGCCC December 2013
MG YA. Chassis
Derusted and painted bare chassis.
Best offer
Contact: Tony Roberts. 02 6259 2088 or [email protected]
FREE TO A NEEDY GARAGE! BMC ‘B SERIES’ 1489cc block – complete with sump, flywheel, front pul-ley, head studs, tappets and pushrods. I purchased this some 20 years ago,
as a fully reconditioned motor, to use in a restoration which did not eventu-ate. Since then I have pinched the head and side-plates for another vehicle. It has been stored undercover but I suggest it ought to be dismantled, checked and lubricated before use.
If you are interested, I cannot post it to you – it is too heavy!
Peter Daley – 02 6291 0612 or ‘[email protected]’
Books
Observers book of Automobiles 14 copies dating from 1958 to 1987 in very
good condition, they list every car available in that year with specifications
Etc These are very collectable A mere $99 gets the lot.
Also have about 100 books on Classic cars to clear out as I need the space, they include Morgan, Jags, Minis Morris Minor Etc. Also World Encyclopedias
Contact: Tony Argyle 62862282. or [email protected]
1997 MGF
1.8L VVC engine, Travelled 100000 kms. Had cam belts, tensioner and water
pump replaced at 92500 Kms.
Very tidy, good looking car. Nice to drive. Features leather trim, CD stacker, air con, cen-tral locking and ACT rego till Jan 14.
$9000 ono
Contact: Graham on
0412685620 or
email on grahamjenny-
51 Tappet Chatter December 2013
52 MGCCC December 2013
