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More news pages 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
30 December 2010
A new page!!. Reader's Cars. This is your page to show off your cars. Simply email a picture and a brief description and I'll do the rest. No need to worry about picture size as I will resize to fit the page.
25 November 2010
It's
a cold snowy day today so I decided to skive off going to work. I've
spent some time in the warm adding a new page which gives some
information on a very unique electric Vauxhall
21 November 2010
Last
night saw about 50 members of the MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre gather
together for the annual dinner dance and prize presentation at the
Gibside Hotel.
A night of good food and drink in great company with some gyrations on the dancefloor later.
Nobody
was more surprised than Pam & I to find that I had won the
Enthusiast Trophy and Pam won the Lady Enthusiast Trophy. We only did
the events to enjoy ourselves but the trophys are a bonus.
If we look a little blurred in this picture, it's probably the amount of alcohol consumed.
6 November 2010
Things
are quiet just now but there is still fun to be found. We set off in
the BGT for the monthly natter and the car died. It just stopped. We got
it back home and this morning I decided to investigate. Tuned the key
and the silence was deafening. No tick tick tick as normal. I gave the
pump a tap with a screwdriver handle and it sprang into life. I can feel
a wallet lightening moment coming soon.
The 76 BGT
is in the bodyshop, so apart from getting my spare Rostyles blasted and
powder coated and cleaning up the brightwork there isn't much progress
there.
24 October 2010
A cold but sunny morning saw members of The Tees Valley MG Owners Club meet at Yarm Station for a run of some 34 miles, ending up at Shildon Rail Museum. Thanks to Mal & Mary for organising this drive though some lovely countryside and along some superb roads.
We
were delighted to see Mark & Mandy with their recently rebuilt 1947
MG TC making it's first trip of any distance longer than round the
block. A lovely car and it performed faultlessly too.
A great day out in the company of good friends. That's what it's all about.
18 October 2010
What
a weekend. We took a trip to deepest Cornwall to buy a 1976 MGB GT.
Armed with a trailer (thanks, Steve, for the loan of it, and Bill for
showing me where it was hidden) we set off just before 10am on Friday
and arrived at our hotel around 7pm.
Saturday
morning saw us navigating narrow country lanes to find the car. It was
as good as the seller said it was so we did the deal, loaded up and
renavigated the country roads back to the A30.
 The
Audi pulled well and we were making good time until we came to a dead
halt on the A30. After about an hour of stop start travel we passed the
cause of the delay, a nasty accident, which according to the news had
closed both carriageways for a while. Travelling at 55 - 60mph
made the 120 miles of the M5 a bit of a drag. The boredom was broken
briefly by the sight of a chrome bumper roadster, top down, going past
us like we were stood still, the driver giving us a big grin and thumbs
up. This turned out to be another 9 hour day and we were both
cream crackered when we finally arrived at our overnight stop in
Tamworth. Refreshed after a good kip and a full English, we
loaded up the car and found it wouldn't start. Eventually the RAC
arrived and got us mobile again. We finally got the GT unloaded and into
it's lock up around 3.30pm.
Now
the work begins. My spare Rostyle wheels are in for blasting and powder
coating to replace the tatty ones on the car. The body is in great
condition but the paintwork isn't the best so It's going for paint when
the painter can fit it in. In the meantime there is much to do.
Stolen 1967 MGB NAL 57 ESome
despicable low life deprived an owner of his pride and joy. Taken from
Anglesey in North Wales, this beautiful car is all original with only
18,100 miles on the clock. If anybody knows the whereabouts of this car or has any information about its theft, please contact me or the police.
5 September 2010
The Old Speckled Hen Run is one of the three big runs organised by the Tyne Tees Centre of the MG Car Club.
We
were roped in to do the signing on so we had an early start to the day.
Signing on was great as we met everybody and put some names to faces.
How long my memory banks will hold those names is another question.
The
start was at the Windmill Hotel on the A19 and the run was about 100
miles, ending at Raby Castle, which is about 15 miles away as the crow
flies.
The
weather was kind to us and we had a great run. I don't think anybody
had any problems on the run but one MGB had a slight issue of a split
fuel pipe when setting off for home. This was soon fixed by using a
short length of the radiator overflow pipe to replace the damaged bit.
We
also used the day for a trial of a new camcorder, which turned out not
too bad. I think some form of mount is needed as Pam said she had a hard
time keeping it steady. I'm not sure if that was down to her or my
driving.
After having our cream tea I
took a couple of a short runs in the TA for people who wanted to see
what it was like to travel in. It's a bit bouncy.
All in all it was a super day and a huge thanks go to Barrie and Sheila Hope for all their hard work in organising the run.
29 August 2010.
We had bright blue skies as we set off in the TA for Hamsterley Hoppings to join a group of friends from the Tyne Tees Centre of the MG Car Club.
  Despite
the blue skies it was cold with a bitter strong wind. Thankfully we had
an almost dry drive up with only a few spots of rain unlike the unlucky
souls who came from the North. They had torrential rain on their trip. Apart
from the MGs there were many other classic cars there. One noteworthy
one was the Delage with it's wonderful straight eight engine. I can't
remember if it was 5 or 5.5 litre.  The
other was an electric conversion on a Vauxhall chassis, built in the
1930s. The current owner has promised to send me some information on
this incredible car. When I get it I will do a write up on it.  Some heavy rain in the afternoon dampened eveything but our spirits and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. This year the supported charity was Help for Heros. We hope they raised plenty for them.
28 August 2010
All is well now I have been refunded for the dodgy brake master cylinder. Hooray!!
22 August 2010
A bright sunny day saw a group of Tees Valley MG Owners
set off from Yarm Station for a lovely run through Yorkshire
countryside ending up at the delightful village of Hovingham. We had
exclusive parking on the village green.
  It was just the right weather for a picnic. Some of the posher ones had tables and pot cups.  After
filling our faces we then did a walkabout treasure hunt in the village
which was great fun even though we didn't win. A cuppa and slice of cake
in the village tea rooms added to the pleasant day with good friends.
A big thank you to John & San for organising the whole day.
The
BGT wasn't the ideal car for the weather but the TA is currently
lacking in the tyre tread department and had to be left behind.
I
finally made contact with the master cylinder supplier and they have
agreed to refund. The cylinder is on its way back to them. Time will
tell.
15 August 2010
The
new brake master cylinder turned out to be not so good after all. After
using the brakes it wasn't fully releasing pressure and the car was
getting slower and the brakes hotter. Letting it sit for a while would
bring it back to normal, then the problem would return. I stripped the
old cylinder and it was in good enough condition to fit new seals, so
that's what I did. It went back in this weekend and all is now well
again.
I
don't like spending my hard earned on faulty goods so I emailed the
supplier and still haven't had a reply some seven days later. I can
understand that problems can happen but I believe the real test of a
good company is how they put things right when they do.
Up to now, this company isn't doing very well. I'm not going to name them just yet. I'll do some more chasing first.
9 August 2010
Impressions of an automatic MGB GT.
Last week I got the chance to drive a pretty rare beast. Bill Marchant let me drive his very smart GT.
  Ok, it looks like any other B until you get inside.  There you see the normal automatic 'gear' lever and the larger brake pedal.
Driving
was a smooth experience. The auto box changes were almost unnoticeable,
both up and down the box. Accelleration was slower than a manual,as
expected, but nowhere near as snail like as I was expecting. Using the
kickdown really made the car come alive.
The short drive I had
was enough to show me that this is a very useable car with good
performance and the engine should last forever as it's impossible to
over rev it. Thanks, Bill for letting me have a go.
25 July 2010
Today we took the TA to do the the 2010 Tees Valley Trail. This annual event is run by the Tees Valley MG Owners Club
and this year was a run of 92 miles through some beautiful countryside
with the added challenge of questions to answer along the way.
42
cars started the run and I believe all made it safely home to the
finish. A wide range of ages from a 1934 PA right through to modern MGs.
  The
weather was kind with bright warm sunshine at the start and only
cooling off towards the end of the afternoon. Thankfully there was no
rain to speak of and everbody we spoke to thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Thank you to Geoff Brown and John Barton and their helpers for a superb day.
22 July 2010
The
new master cylinder for the BGT arrived yesterday. I managed to get it
fitted the same day but ran out of time to do the bleeding. With the
help of Pam and her pedal pushing experience I got the brakes bled today
and all is now well. I have to say that changing the master cylinder
wasn't the easiest of jobs, partly due to the design but more to do with
39 year old fastenings refusing to respond, but that's life.
18 July 2010
Today was the great show and autojumble organised by The North East Club for Pre War Austins held in the beautiful grounds of Newby Hall. This is a massive event with just short of 1400 vehicles there according to the lists.
It
was a great day, even though I didn't find all I wanted at the
autojumble. The weather was reasonable and the threatening rain turned
out to be a short, very light shower.
  It
was a great day and we met some old friends and made some new ones.
After walking what seemed like miles round the field we gave our weary
feet a rest and took a short steam train ride.
11 July 2010
After
the good comes the bad. Out for a drive this afternoon in the BGT and
on the way home I suddenly found a brake problem. The pedal went
straight to the floor. Luckily on the second pump, it came back good
& firm so I carefully limped home.
Investigation
revealed a full master cylinder and no sign of any leaks, so it looks
like digging into my wallet again for a new cylinder.
Luckily there isn't any great rush to get it done as the next runs will be in the TA.
9 July 2010
Last
night at the MGCC Tyne Tees Centre natter I was discussing the fact
that the overdrive on the BGT didn't work. The previous owner said it
was a bit iffy. One suggestion was to switch it in and out a few times
and see if it would come to life.
On
the way home I tried just that and after a few tries it finally came in
but with a delay of about 10 seconds from switching. A few more goes
got the delay down to a second or so. As I was nearly home I left it at
that.
Tonight
Pam & I went out for a drive and after a bit more use the
overdrive comes in almost instantly. No Bachman, no Turner but I've got
overdrive.
What a difference it makes. The car is much more relaxing to drive.
26 June 2010
Last
night saw one of the MGCC Tyne Tees Centre's famed supper runs. I
didn't count them but I think there were a dozen cars started from the
motorway services near Durham, for the 35 mile run through glorious
countyrside to the New Board Inn at Esh, where a large table was reserved.
  The view from the inn across the valley was stunning and this picture from my phone doesn't really do it justice.  The
New Board Inn is a great place to eat. Superb food at reasonable
prices. Everybody ate well and the conversations flowed well to make a
very enjoyable evening. Big thanks to Pete and Sue Sewell for their time
and effort in organising this run.
20 June 2010
The 40th Beamish Reliability Trial, with a commemorative plaque for the event.
The modern event has been running longer than the original!
It
was a cool overcast start to the day but it soon warmed up to the
extent that I was driving in short sleeves in the TA. That's a rare
thing on The Beamish.
All in all it was a great day with the opportunity to see some great vehicles and meet some super people.
The TA ran well with no signs of the mystery misfire. The only fly in the ointment was this.
 Yep,
my attempts at sealing the rocker cover failed. It didn't stop us from
doing the whole run, we just contributed to oil company profits. Another
job to do. If I can't stop the leak, I'll have to rename the car. How
does Exxon Valdiz sound? The lunch stop at Bainbridge was busy as normal.  The fine weather showed the beautiful countryside off to its best.   I
spoke to one of the marshalls at the finish and all cars were accounted
for and there were no cars unable to finish. That is a first I think.
19 June 2010
During
the course of the week I got another working fuel pump fitted to the TA
and it had a trial run on Thursday evening. We did a short treasure
hunt with the Tees Valley MG
Owners Club and the car ran well. Even the mystery misfire wasn't
there, which was a great bonus. A bigger bonus was winning the event and
taking home a nice bottle of red wine!
On the way back home as
night was starting to fall, I had my lights on. About half a mile from
home a Police car came up behind me. I was within the speed limit so
didn't think anything of it. Suddenly the instant laxative, blue lights,
appeared in the mirror. I stopped and the officer pointed out that I
had no rear lights at all. Looking suitably glum I waited for the
ticket, but he asked where I was going and how far it was. I told him
and he said he was going that way and would stay behind me to cover my
rear until I got off the main roads and into the estate. What a guy!
Thank you.
Today was the first chance I had to investigate the
lack of lights and it turned out to be two bulbs blown. Not only the
tail light elements but the brake light elements as well. Two new bulbs
sorted that. I wonder if the issues of a loose battery connection the
previous weekend had anything to do with it. Hmmmmm.
Tomorrow is
the 40th anniversary of the Beamish Reliability Trial, and I also spent
some time today checking things over and adjusting brakes ready for some
serious driving. All sorted I nipped off to top up with fuel and check
the tyre pressures. On the way home smoke started to pour into the
cockpit and a glance in the mirror revealed a trail of smoke behind me.
Thick blue smoke. I pulled into a layby and opened the bonnet. The
rocker cover gasket was leaking and oil was running onto the exhaust
manifold.
As I was only a mile from home I pressed on. Not a hope
of finding another gasket today so to make the Beamish tomorrow, I
resorted to taking the cover off, cleaning it and applying liberal
amounts of RTV. It seems to have stopped the leak but here's hoping it
holds tomorrow.
13 June 2010
The
last couple of weeks have been pretty horrendous on the car front. The
Audi decided to set up in competition with Hellmans in making
mayonnaise. First and natural thought was head gasket, so off came the
head. It was skimmed, pressure tested and replaced with new gaskets, the
cooling system thoroughly flushed and it was up and running again. This
took about a week and left me with a severe pain in the wallet. It
wasn't running for long though as 10 miles later it was back in
production again. Further investigation revealed that the oil cooler was
leaking oil into it's water jacket. For those not familiar with Audis
what they call an oil cooler is a box about 5" square that fits to the
oil filter housing and has a water jacket round it. How the heck hot
water is supposed to cool oil is anybody's guess but that's Audi for you.
Whilst
this was going on, the TA had its MOT and failed. A few minor things,
soon sorted and I got the retest done in time for the MGCC Tyne Tees
Centre Prince Bishop's run from York to Durham, today.
On the way
to York, the misfire that I thought was cured, reared its ugly head
again and we were later than we wanted to be at the start. We set off
on the run well enough, living with the intermittent misfire until the
car finally died. There was absolutely no electrical power at all. The
battery isolation switch hadn't come adrift so it was dig down to the
battery time and sure enough one lead was loose. I tightened it, or so I
thought and we were on our way again.
A few miles further on we
came to a halt again. Straight to the battery this time and I made
sure that the lead was tight. The car started and ran roughly for about
30 seconds then died. There was spark at the plug leads so the next step
was fuel. I lifted the top of one float chamber to find it dry. Ther
was no clicking from the solid state SU fuel pump so I took the cap off
it to be greeted with the recognisable odour of burnt components.
That
was the end of the journey for the TA and we called the RAC. Eventually
we were recovered and taken home. It was a bit of a damp wait.
23 May 2010
Strange
happenings yesterday!. I decided it was time to cure the TA's misfire
once and for all. A friend agreed to drive with me for a second opinion,
so I set off for his place some 15 miles away. On the way there the
misfire made itself known about 6 or 7 times.
On my arrival
there was a very strong smell of petrol, which turned out to be coming
from the front float chamber mounting point. This joint had always been
damp when running, but never actually dripped fuel. When I tried to
tighten it up the float chamber came off in my hand (honest Guv, it
did). The thread in the body was stripped.
Luckily we found a
box of carb bits and there was the right body in there. I fitted my
existing dashpot and piston and float chamber, swapped the carb over,
and it was running again. We went for a short run and I was amazed that
the misfire didn't happen at all.
The run home was misfire free too.
Today we had a run with the Tees Valley MG Owners Club to Harlow Carr Gardens, near Harrogate.
We met at Yarm Station and had a pleasant drive down some lovely
roads in blazing sunshine. We took a short coffee/ice cream stop in
Masham, and arrived at Harlow Carr just after 12. No misfires at all up
to now.
Harlow Carr is a beautiful place with plenty to see. We picniced and strolled around until, about 4, then set off for home.
Once
again the misfire was noticeable by its absence. Dare I call it fixed?
Why should changing the carb body make any difference? I can see nothing
wrong with the old one apart from the stripped threads.
15 May 2010
We
had a drive out to Leyburn today to see some superb cars at the lunch
break of a VSCC rally. A great time only marred by the intermittent
misfire on the TA becoming more frequent. Too many pictures to put them
all here but these should give you the flavour of the day.
 
10 May 2010What
a great surprise in my inbox today! Because I'm always driving I don't
have many pictures of my cars in action, but I got a great one here.
Snapped by Trevor White near the CB Inn in Arkengarthdale. Thanks
Trevor, I really do appreciate it.
Stolen MGASadly some low life has deprived an enthusiast of his 1960 MGA Coupe. This is part of the email I received.
Sadly, my 1960 MGA Old English White Coupe, registration YXB 810, was
stolen from Warners Hotel, Cricket St. Thomas on Saturday night 25th
April 2010, whilst attending an MGOC weekend. I would be most grateful
if you could e-mail your members to keep a look-out for this car should
it appear at any shows or events or if anyone attempts to revise a car
of similar description that has not been heard of for many years.
Chassis Number is GHD 82824 and Engine Number is 16GA 14153.
If you know anything or hear anything about this car which may be helpful, please get in touch and I'll pass the info on to the owner.
3 May 2010
I finally got the BGT propshaft off,
new UJs in and shaft back on again. Whilst doing the job I noticed a
scraping sound coming from the offside rear brake. The intermittent rain
means I ain't going out to sort it today so the BGT is still on the
axle stands.
The TA has a new tonneau. Custom made and quite a bit cheaper than ready made from Moss.
 I'm often asked why I never have the hood up on the TA. Many reasons. - It's difficult for me to get in and out of the car with the hood up.
- It's claustrophobic inside.
- Visibility is severely restricted.
- The hood was made in Nottingham from finest English lace
- The hood spoils the lines of the car.
- Hoods are for wimps.
1 May 2010
A weekend with no events so it's time to catch up on a couple of problems that have crept up on me.
The
BGT has had a vibration for a short while now, which I've identified as
universal joints in the propshaft. I got the front four bolts out but
the rear four are proving reluctant (understatement of the year) to get
out. The car is up on axle stands and I think it's time to attack the
nuts with an angle grinder. One way or another the shaft is coming out
this weekend.
The TA came back from last weekends Cobweb Run
running a bit rough and lacking power. I spent about an hour going
through the ignition system and timing with no benefit. I've found the
problem this morning and I need to kick myself. I've preached for years
that if you do something to a car and it gives trouble after, then the
first place to look is whatever you last fiddled with.
In this
case I'd decided before the Cobweb Run to try to drop the tickover a bit
as it races when warm. I'd fiddled with the carb linkages to try to
correct the problem, tested the car and all seemed well. This morning I
had a look at the carbs and found that the linkage between the carb
throttles was loose and the rear throttle was opening and the front one
was still on tickover.
Thankfully an easy fix but I still feel an idiot for not looking there first. DOH!
An Evening with Miss Bridget
The Tyne Tees centre was host to Roy Locock and Miss Bridget, his super MG. Together they had travelled 39000 miles around the world and he was with us to give a talk about his travels.
About
50 of us enjoyed his talk about the adventures he had and the people he
met and as well as having an enjoyable evening we raised a tidy sum for
UNICEF.
Thanks to Roy for a great evening.
A date for your dairy. I'm keeping this at the top until after the event For the latest news, scroll down past it.
This
should be a great night and definitely not to be missed. Come along and
have a great time and support a worthy cause while enjoying yourself.
To book your place, contact Peter@PeterEbdon.com or barrie.hope1@btinternet.com
25 April 2010
Today was the first of the MGCC Tyne Tees Centre's
big runs. The Cobweb Run started and finished at Brockbushes Farm, near
Corbridge where we had a dedicated parking area. The event was over
subscribed as the MSA had limited us to 50 cars. One car failed to make
the start because of overheating problems on the way there, so there
were 49 who set off and completed the run of around 110 miles.
Cars ranged in age from my 1937 TA, the oldest, right up to modern MGs
  The
weather was kind to us, and although a little chilly on the hilltops,
the rainclouds in the sky kept the wet to themselves and we had a great
run. Lyn and Peter Ebden had found some stunning scenery and great
driving roads, and thanks to them for all the hard work that went into
making the day a thoroughly enjoyable one. The TA had its, now
customary, intermittent misfire on the way there, but performed
faultlessly on the run. On the way home it began to run rough and lacked
power, so there is some work ahead to find the fault. As
25 April was 'Drive it Day', we saw other classic cars on the road,
including about a dozen Morris Minors and some Lotus 7s or lookalikes
(they were travelling a bit briskly to identify correctly.) It was 61 miles each way to the start and with the 110 on the run it was another 200+ mile day.
17 April 2010
Twenty
strong, they came, from the Southern flatlands to find the treasures of
the North. Riding fine steeds, and led by Steve (The Intrepid)
Trossell, they made their base by the bridge over the Greta. Seven
steeds from the North found them there.
   We
ran with them for over 100 miles, through many counties, and realised
that their leader had done well and found the treasures of the North.
These treasures being the finest driving roads in the country through
landscapes of the most stunning beauty. Treasures well found but
thankfully not taken away.
 All in all a very well planned run with good rest stops as well as superb roads. Some close parking at lunchtime. After
an excellent day in beautiful weather we arrived back at the start
point and said farewell to a great group of people. We hope they have a
trouble free run home tomorrow. A
big thank you to Steve for all the hard work that went into such a great
day for us Northern lot, and what was hopefully a good weekend for the
Flatlanders.
11 April 2010
Yesterday
we went for a trip to the Lake District and decided to take the BGT as
the TA has been a few times and we fancied something different. It was a
beautiful day and a great run, even with a strange detour on the way.
We were trying to find back roads across the hills and followed one,
signposted to a village. After about 3 miles of poor single track road,
we arrived in a farmyard and found the exit was closed with a gate
carrying a sign saying 'Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles'. We turned round
and retraced our steps. We weren't in any rush and as the views were
superb, we just accepted it as part of the drive.
We eventually
arrived at Windermere, where we stayed for abour 3 hours. Took a short
cruise on the lake, had a great pub lunch and a wander about.
Leaving
Windermere, we went looking for some passes to storm. Honister was the
first and it was great. The BGT didn't have any problems at all with the
climbs. I would have been surprised if it had. I was having too much
fun to take many pictures, but here is one taken at the top of Honister.
 After
Honister, we went for Whinlatter, which is a much more gentle climb.
Still an enjoyable one with great scenery. After Whinlatter we gave up
on the passes because the traffic was surprisingly busy and [RANT] loads
of idiot drivers who don't know the width of their vehicles[END RANT]. I
lost count of the times I was tight up against a wall or had my wheels
on the edge of a drop to make room for somebody who had a couple of feet
between them & the edge of the road and still didn't think they
could get past.
We cruised around for a while and finished up at
Ullswater. I think Ullswater is the most majestic lake with the hills
so close to the edge. After a relax with a cup of coffee we set off for
home and arrive back about 12 hours after we left. Allowing for the
stops we had we reckoned I'd been driving for 8 hours, and we'd
travelled just short of 300 miles.
5 April 2010
I saw this super car in the local supermarket car park a short while ago.
   I
only had time for a brief chat with the owner and found out that it is a
one off special built with Citroen 2CV mechanicals. As the body is
steel, it's a bit of a sheep in wolf's clothing, and even though it has
considerably more power than a standard 2CV, it hasn't really got too
much in the way of performance. With a maximum speed of around 60mph,
the owner reckoned that the 400 mile journey he was doing the next day
would take about 10 hours. I hope the weather was kind and he made it
OK. We went for a drive out in the BGT yesterday, nowhere in particular planned, and we ended up stopping at the pumping station in Darlington. A fascinating place with the gas engine and the beam engine both working. Both engines did the same job but the later gas engine made a lot more fuss about it. Compare the noise levels of the two.
14 March 2010
The
BGT has been running ok but not as well as I would have liked so I
decided to have a look at the distributor. The initial plan was to fit
an electronic module but there was significant wear in the dizzy so I
started a search for a replacement. I found this guy http://www.simonbbc.com.
At
£59.99 for a complete new dizzy it was worth a chance and I wasn't
disappointed. It was a simple swap over, just pull the old one, put in
the new and that was that. Unfortunately the timing light was broken so
it's just set approximately for now, but even so the difference is
noticeable. I realise that some of the difference will be down to a new
dizzy compared to a worn one, but I'm still impressed and no more points
to worry about.
This morning, the Flying Scotsman Rally
made an appearance in the area. This is a very competitive event for
pre 1941 cars who run from Brooklands to Edinburgh in 3 days covering a
wide variety of roads. Tests are carried out at various points and today
the cars were in Shildon.
What a mouthwatering selection of the
best of, mainly British, cars all looking well used after the first two
days. This morning was the start of the last leg to Edinburgh.
Feast your eyes on these.
It was certainly worth me getting up at daft o clock on a Sunday morning.
21 February 2010
A small group of half a dozen cars set off from Yarm Station heading for Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle.
This hardy group of members of the Tees valley MG Owners Club saw a fluttering of snow as they set off but it soon turned worse.
   This was the state of play on the approach to Richmond so we stopped there and decided to go our seperate ways. Pam
& I decided to chance it and headed for Bowes. Despite the
worsening road conditions we made it with only a couple of opposite lock
moments at low speed.  After
a good look round the Museum, a cuppa and slice of cake, we set off for
home, expecting a longer than normal journey. The Gods must have been
pleased with us as the roads were clear and we had a good run home.
20 February 2010
Today
saw a group of MGCC Tyne Tees Centre members gather outside a typical
modern unit on an average industrial estate. Inside, though, this was no
ordinary unit, it was home to Heritage Classics.
Inside
was a droolmaking selection of wonderful cars and superb workmanship.
John and his team really work their magic to bring tired classic cars
back to life.
7 february 2010
On Friday I received what I think is one of the most useful accessories for the MGB.
This
neat device attaches to the headrest stalk and keeps your seatbelt
where you can get to it instead of having to scrabble around behind the
seat for it. Suitable for both the GT and roadster with the single post
headrests, this really does work and has my wife's seal of approval and
that isn't easy to get. It's made from moulded plastic and has the MG
crest on the front and rear.
As all it does is guide the belt,
it doesn't affect the safety or operation of the belt in any way. We
gave it a good test today with a run from Stokesley to Helmesley, which
anybody aware of the road will know is a twisty road with some steep
climbs and descents. Even with some spirited driving the belt stayed in
place over our shoulders and we both felt comfortable with it.
We met some friends in Helmesley and showed them the holders. They were impressed too and wanted to know where we got them.
They came from a US enthusiast who makes some neat accessories for MGs and some other cars. Website is www.clarkandclarkinc.com
If the parts aren't on the website yet, drop them an email and Robert will be only too pleased to help.
I have no affilliation to this company. I'm just a very satisfied customer.
 
24 January 2010
Before
the snow arrived I had the misfortune to have an oil cooler feed leak
and empty the sump. The leak was caused by the line from the back of the
block sagging down and resting on the steering column joint. It must
have been like that for some time and it finally wore through. Luckily I
noticed the lack of oil pressure and switched off before any damage was
done.
As the car lives outside and the snow came fixing it was going to have to wait.
The snow has finally gone and the BGT is back on the road. Oil leak fixed, fuel leak fixed, sailed through the MOT.
Here is a short clip of the climb up Carlton Bank.
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