Safety FastFebruary 2020

WELCOME TO THE MGB REGISTER NEWSLETTER

PUBLISHED IN THE FEBRUARY 2020 SAFETY FAST

Following a request sent to the MGCC from the Millers Grange Care Home in Witney, the MGB Register and Abingdon Works members put together a convoy of MGs to visit a special person who was there for a couple of weeks.
The special resident was Don Hayter, his wife Mary was on a short holiday to the German Christmas Markets, so we surprised Don in this new development.
The manager Jim MacLoud had made the request, and to make us even more keen to go we were invited to join Don for his favourite lunch, Steak Pie followed by Spotted Dick pudding, which was excellent.

In the group was Geoff Clark who worked with Don at the MG factory, Richard and Gill Martin from AWC, Roger Boys in his new MG TF and Michael Barclay, Geoff Edwards, Neil Hyett and John Watson in MGBs from the MGB Register.
This thought came from Roger Martin. I was piling shopping in my MGB GT recently when I was reminded just how practical the model is compared to many classic sports cars and couldn’t resist
taking the attached photo to illustrate this.
I then thought maybe the Register could use the picture in some way to remind members that MGB GTs are not just for go-and-show events but can still be used for everyday-like purposes.
Classic, Stylish, Sporty and Practical – How many classic sports-cars can you say that of?!

I got this email the other day and am publishing it in this newsletter because it will be of interest to other overseas members.
“ Hi David, I am an MGB owner resident in the USA. Am I eligible to have my car registered with the MGB Register? I follow your updates in Safety Fast! every month and feel that I would like to be a Register member. Thank you, Ian M Crozier.”
The answer is Yes, of course and welcome! Contact Andrew Vigor, the Registrar and keeper of the database, and send him your details. The Register website gives all the details. www.mgb-register.org I read quite a lot of material from many sources that have a direct relationship to MG. Recently the Federation Internationale des Vehicules Anciens have published their policy on the conversion of classic cars to electric power. The full statement can be found at www.fiva.org/en/electrification-
of-historic-vehicles-statement-from-fiva
In essence, it states that if the power train is replaced then the vehicle can no longer be regarded as historic. It is not the shape of the body that makes a vehicle historic but the way in which the entire vehicle was constructed in its original form. FIVA would strongly recommend that any changes are completely reversible, with all the original components marked and safely stored. There are also implications for taxation class and certification for roadworthiness viz… MOT.
An article in the New York Times gave me a different perspective on future possibilities for what power vehicles may use. It stated that electric vehicles currently comprise 2% of all the passenger vehicles worldwide and that this is predicted to double by 2025-30. The bulk of the development is happening in China and it foresees EVs being used mainly in cities with high efficiency diesel cars used elsewhere. The USA will stick with “ gas” engines. So, still some life left for your classic MG.

Sunday April 19 2020 will be to the day the 50th anniversary of the start of the World Cup Rally. Starting at Wembley Stadium this 16,000-mile epic car marathon finishes in Mexico City. The Historic Marathon Rally Group (HMRG) have organised an event at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. Not only cars from the Mexico event will be on display, including the winning Ford Escort FEV 1H, kindly loaned by the Ford Motor Company, but also cars from the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon including the Jean Denton MGB now owned by the MGB Register. Other Rally cars old and new are also expected to be in attendance.

Why not pre-order your MGB Register Cap or Polo Shirt for collection at our next event?
We will bring your items to the event for collection, saving you the shipping costs. We will take pre-orders for items with a 30-day cut-off point. https://regalia.mgb-register.org

Orders placed before February 25 will be available for collection at the NEC Classic Car and Restoration Show March 27-29. The MGB Register has a stand space in Hall 5 stand 535.

It is 10m x 6.5m and close to the MGCC, ZR/ZS/ZT Register, MGs on Track and the Young Members stand.
Fancy something for MGLive! – Place your order between March 15 and May 15.

MGB WEEKEND TO BRITISH WHEELS ON THE GREEN

Although the Classic Car season is over in the UK, elsewhere the cooler months of the winter are ‘THE’ season. Although active members of the MGB Register in our MGB GT LE, we also have a 1979, California spec, MGB roadster at our property in Oro Valley, Arizona. We are members of the Tucson British Car Register which is an active club that likes to drive (and eat!). The President of the Club heard about an event being organised by the Arizona MG Club (based in Phoenix), British Wheels on the Green, and organised a weekend trip to attend.
On Saturday November 2, the cars assembled for an 8.00am start at a McDonalds just north of Tucson, close to the I-10 interstate to Phoenix. Ten cars were on the drive from XK 140 / E Types,
an Austin Healey Sprite, an MGA and five MGBs. Our route followed the Frontage road (parallel to the Interstate) for a while but then we joined the I-10 then the I-8 (towards San Diego) to our first coffee/fuel stop at Casa Grande. Having regrouped the “ caravan” (that’s American for a convoy) proceeded to the Dwarf Car Museum south of Maricopa.
The owner of the Dwarf Car Museum makes road-legal and drivable, scale versions of 50s American cars. He uses Toyota engines and transmissions and having decided on the wheel base for his dwarf car, then hand makes every element of the body and interior. He makes dies of all the trim pieces and beats metal to the dies. The craftsmanship is amazing! One of our favourites was the “ Beverley Hillbillies” car complete with graffiti.

From the Museum it was a shortish hop to our hotel for the night at Glendale, just west of Phoenix. That evening the Tucson Club were hosted by the Arizona MG Club and we were greatly impressed with their welcome and hospitality.

Sunday dawned to clear skies and the forecast promised typical autumn weather of no rain and a temperature of mid to high 20s. (Why do you think we live part time in Arizona!!). It was a 10-minute
drive to the venue for British Wheels on the Green in the City of Peoria and we were greeted by a circular, grass-covered amphitheatre to show off our cars. The greenery was a marked contrast to the
dusty desert conditions we had enjoyed on Saturday. It did mean, however, that a quick detailing was required to get our cars to show standards before members of the public started to show up.

The event was the third that the Arizona MG Club had organised at Peoria and was in aid of a local charity, “ Maggie’s Place” . Walking around the field there was an impressive array of Jaguars and Triumph TRs as well as lots of MGAs and Bs, a sprinkling of T Types and Rolls Royces. The oldest car was a pre-war Wolseley in unrestored but patinaed original paint and interior. As is usual at US car shows, all entered cars were judged by a team of judges. An unexpected bonus for us was that our MGB was judged second in class (Rubber- bumpered MGBs) and the MGB’s garage now boasts a plaque to prove it.

The show was wrapped up at 2.00pm which allowed the entrants a leisurely drive home. We took the picturesque route to Oro Valley avoiding the Interstate and were home two and a half hours later. This was our first trip away in our MGB and we were very pleased with its performance, despite the lack of overdrive. Overall, a very pleasant weekend away with like- minded folk who share our passion for British cars.
Paul Critchley

DAVID BROADHURST
newsletter-editor@mgb-register.org