Monday, July 27, 2009
PEI 2009
Here's some pics from this year's 2009 PEI trip. I'll have an actual trip report later on this week, as I Just got home and boy are my arms tired..Overall a good trip, weather could have been better, but that's par for the course these days..Click on the pic for more!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Another new addition to the family..
Well my VERY generous cousin GAVE me his late model MGB. My Aunt asked me a month or so ago if I wanted to buy it, I said I'd love to but i have no $ for it. With my cousin Steve knee deep in 2 MGA's he says he won't have time to take care of it, and my Aunt wants it out of the driveway, so he gave it to me! It's a late 70's model with rubber bumpers and Minilite wheels. It's in rough shape, it needs rockers, doglegs, and possibly new fenders and the engine is questionable. But it's FREE. I'm hoping to get it out of his driveway next week, and into the garage to further assess the situation. It may just end up being a parts car. Ideally I'd like to get it running over this winter, and use it next summer/spring as my daily driver. THEN perhaps go nuts on it..Sebring bumper kit, V8 engine/5speed, shaved door handles/trim. My head's swimming just thinking about it!. This pic is it's best side. I'll keep you posted as to it's progress/situation!
Monday, June 8, 2009
British Car Day @ Larz Anderson Park
Other than being a bit cluttered as to the groupings of cars the show was great! The main lawn was full, and the cars spilled over to the lower lawn as the day Progressed. Dad & I got there around 10:00, and we didn't finish our first round of walking around until noon! We got to chat with tons of people, some old friends, and some new ones. I commented that when we first started attending these shows we didn't know that many people, and this year it seemed we were chatting with someone every few feet!
Steve Mackay did really well, the TR3, MGA Deluxe, and Car "the great" Thompson's Austin Healey each won best in their respective classes. Although if your familiar with his work it shouldn't be THAT big of a suprise!
One guy pulled up in his car (also a 1974 MGB) and commented on how he loved that I didn't put the chrome overriders on my car, nor the side mirrors. It was cool to see someone pick up on those little things. As the day wound down, we were shooting the crap with so many people we didn't leave the park until 3:30!
Overall a great day.
Here's some pics from the show!
Steve Mackay did really well, the TR3, MGA Deluxe, and Car "the great" Thompson's Austin Healey each won best in their respective classes. Although if your familiar with his work it shouldn't be THAT big of a suprise!
One guy pulled up in his car (also a 1974 MGB) and commented on how he loved that I didn't put the chrome overriders on my car, nor the side mirrors. It was cool to see someone pick up on those little things. As the day wound down, we were shooting the crap with so many people we didn't leave the park until 3:30!
Overall a great day.
Here's some pics from the show!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Down To The Wire
My Dad's 1970 MGB GT is pretty cool. It's a fun car, solid and for some reason it runs like a bat out of hell. It's got enough torque that I think I could give the import "drifters" a run for their money with a bit of practice (Dad's been able to pitch it sideways going UP a hill). I think all that power has a downside though, It's beaten up the splines on his wire wheels.
Back in the Day my dad mentioned that he didn't like the wire wheels, and his friends that had them also had a love/hate relationship with them. They look great and very classy, but hard to keep straight and it's hard to put faith in one big nut holding a wheel, rather than a series of lug nuts.
Dad mentioned that one day he almost didn't make it home on day this past month, as one wheel hub seemed to slip all over the place. So after pulling the hub off of his GT we took it (and it's wheel) over to MacKay's Garage. The Hub was deemed ok, the wheel however, is pretty much garbage. So we replaced the hub, and used the spare wheel (remember when you got a car with a REAL spare tire?). No problems there.
However it kind of makes a point. Dad wants this as a semi daily driver, and situations like this kind of kills some reliability points. The long term solution will be to swap the wire wheel hubs with conventional ones. Kind of a bummer, as I like the wire wheels. But thankfully it's not all a loss. We have access to 8 hubs for ro style wheels, as well as a complete set of recently painted Ro style wheels! The only think he'll need to purchase new is some tires!
Oh yeah and if anyone is in the greater Boston area this Sunday June 7th, British Car Day at Larz Anderson park!
www.mot.org
See you there!
Back in the Day my dad mentioned that he didn't like the wire wheels, and his friends that had them also had a love/hate relationship with them. They look great and very classy, but hard to keep straight and it's hard to put faith in one big nut holding a wheel, rather than a series of lug nuts.
Dad mentioned that one day he almost didn't make it home on day this past month, as one wheel hub seemed to slip all over the place. So after pulling the hub off of his GT we took it (and it's wheel) over to MacKay's Garage. The Hub was deemed ok, the wheel however, is pretty much garbage. So we replaced the hub, and used the spare wheel (remember when you got a car with a REAL spare tire?). No problems there.
However it kind of makes a point. Dad wants this as a semi daily driver, and situations like this kind of kills some reliability points. The long term solution will be to swap the wire wheel hubs with conventional ones. Kind of a bummer, as I like the wire wheels. But thankfully it's not all a loss. We have access to 8 hubs for ro style wheels, as well as a complete set of recently painted Ro style wheels! The only think he'll need to purchase new is some tires!
Oh yeah and if anyone is in the greater Boston area this Sunday June 7th, British Car Day at Larz Anderson park!
www.mot.org
See you there!
Monday, May 11, 2009
MGB GT Update..
Not alot going on this week MG wise, other than having dreams of the top down, and having traffic conditions like the beginning of "vanilla Sky". But we've done alot of work on my Dad's 1970 MGBGT as of late. Here's the rundown:
1. New Alternator.
2. New Battery
3. SERIOUS Valve Adjustments
4. Carb adjustments
5. New electric fuel pump
6. New points and condenser
7. New Plugs and Wires
overall this small list has really made the difference!
Dad Said that one day after a ride, he came home for about 10 minutes, went back out to the car, tried to start it up, and no go! I think it's the thermostat (it's one thing we haven't Replaced). However I took a ride with him this past Saturday, and I really romped on it via back roads and some highway miles. Overall it's a cool ride, albeit she's definitely looking on the rough side. Dad's debating a Maaco Paint job.
For his B-day I got Dad some battery boxes and some wiper blades and other detail items. This weekend he's off to Cape Cod, and I'm hoping to "borrow" the car and install those items!
I think we'll change the thermostat before the first show over at Larz Anderson and we'll be all set!
1. New Alternator.
2. New Battery
3. SERIOUS Valve Adjustments
4. Carb adjustments
5. New electric fuel pump
6. New points and condenser
7. New Plugs and Wires
overall this small list has really made the difference!
Dad Said that one day after a ride, he came home for about 10 minutes, went back out to the car, tried to start it up, and no go! I think it's the thermostat (it's one thing we haven't Replaced). However I took a ride with him this past Saturday, and I really romped on it via back roads and some highway miles. Overall it's a cool ride, albeit she's definitely looking on the rough side. Dad's debating a Maaco Paint job.
For his B-day I got Dad some battery boxes and some wiper blades and other detail items. This weekend he's off to Cape Cod, and I'm hoping to "borrow" the car and install those items!
I think we'll change the thermostat before the first show over at Larz Anderson and we'll be all set!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Out of the Garage, and on the road!
The Weather's getting better, and the weekend hours spent puttering around in the garage are slowly being replaced with time in the cockpit of the MGB. The past month is a perfect example.
April was pretty busy weekend wise. for the Patriots day weekend we decided to take that Friday off and turn it into an extra long weekend.
Friday morning I went over to Dad's and picked up the MG. Its still early in the season, so switching between the honda and the MG is a lil odd. Pedal resistance, steering, transmission is at the other end of the spectrum form what I've been used to. I dropped the top, after finding that the Tonneau cover that we picked up from Gene won't fit with the Roll bar. Bummer, anyone need a Tonneau cover? I put the old cover on to cover the convertable top, and headed home. By the time I got back. Kelly was almost ready to go, so I jumped in the shower, and after cleaning myself off, we hit the road.
We headed up to Gloucester, and had a nice drive up there. we took a spin around the island and then over to the Cape Ann Brewery, to fill up a growler with their double IPA (9%ABV) we had a couple of beers there, and some snax, and then headed home, taking the scenic route. on the way out we passed by of all things this:
We stopped to look at it, and the owner came out to chat for a bit, he then took us for a lil tour of his garages, which contained a Fiat 500 and 3 motorcyles: a Jawa, Ducati, and an all State. the really interesting thing was a rebuilt Lamborghini Diablo that he had a chevy 350 in it!!
you never know what you'll see in your MGB..
We took the long way home, heading down the coast. Wes stopped off in Salem to refill the growler we had from them with Blueberry ale.As we neared RT 1 we called in some take out from Sake. We Settled into a nice evening of beer and sushi.
Saturday AM I headed over to Dad's to trouble shoot his fuel pump problem on his MGB GT. I was able to find out the electrical connections to the fuel pump were junk and need to be replaced. I suggested to even have the fuel pump replaced. during this process, I ended up taking a bath in about 6 gallon of gas, destroying a pair of jeans in the process.
Sunday was supposed to be a crappy day, but turned out to be ok. Unfortunately Kelly & I were well past spent and needed some relax time, so after lunch at the Border Cafe we took a lil ride, and then headed home.
Monday weather wise was supposed to be nice, but turned out to be a bit chilly. I spent the AM doing some small errands, and throughout the day I picked up 2 pairs of Jeans to replace the gas soaked ones, and another pair I noticed had rips on the seams. Both pairs were at least 6 years old and pretty worn.
Friday after work I went to Dad's to pick up the MGB right after work. it felt so good to feel some warmth!
Saturday I headed over to Mackays to tackle the Fuel Pump problem with Dad's MGB GT. we fixed that and by 10:00AM I was on my way. Interestingly enough, there were 3 MGBGT's there that day, Paul's red one from Gloucester, Mackay's Purple one, and Dad's Green one.
I'm planning on "borrowing" Dad's GT this week for a bit. Taking that car into Boston isn't that bad, it's so scratched up that parking it in town isn't an issue.
Later on Kelly & I took a nice drive up to North Andover to see if the farmstand was open yet? Alas, it wasn't. Bummer, we'll have to wait a few more weeks for fresh pickles!
We left and decided to head out west. Taking back roads the entire time we went out to Littleton, and then worked our way back. It was only a few hours, but the previous week, and an afternoon out in the sun kind of wore us out a bit, and we were home by 6:00 or so.
I'm hoping to spend the next month or so getting a few things on Dad's MGB GT all set up, and dialing in some stuff on the red B.
The driving season is upon us!
April was pretty busy weekend wise. for the Patriots day weekend we decided to take that Friday off and turn it into an extra long weekend.
Friday morning I went over to Dad's and picked up the MG. Its still early in the season, so switching between the honda and the MG is a lil odd. Pedal resistance, steering, transmission is at the other end of the spectrum form what I've been used to. I dropped the top, after finding that the Tonneau cover that we picked up from Gene won't fit with the Roll bar. Bummer, anyone need a Tonneau cover? I put the old cover on to cover the convertable top, and headed home. By the time I got back. Kelly was almost ready to go, so I jumped in the shower, and after cleaning myself off, we hit the road.
We headed up to Gloucester, and had a nice drive up there. we took a spin around the island and then over to the Cape Ann Brewery, to fill up a growler with their double IPA (9%ABV) we had a couple of beers there, and some snax, and then headed home, taking the scenic route. on the way out we passed by of all things this:
We stopped to look at it, and the owner came out to chat for a bit, he then took us for a lil tour of his garages, which contained a Fiat 500 and 3 motorcyles: a Jawa, Ducati, and an all State. the really interesting thing was a rebuilt Lamborghini Diablo that he had a chevy 350 in it!!
you never know what you'll see in your MGB..
We took the long way home, heading down the coast. Wes stopped off in Salem to refill the growler we had from them with Blueberry ale.As we neared RT 1 we called in some take out from Sake. We Settled into a nice evening of beer and sushi.
Saturday AM I headed over to Dad's to trouble shoot his fuel pump problem on his MGB GT. I was able to find out the electrical connections to the fuel pump were junk and need to be replaced. I suggested to even have the fuel pump replaced. during this process, I ended up taking a bath in about 6 gallon of gas, destroying a pair of jeans in the process.
Sunday was supposed to be a crappy day, but turned out to be ok. Unfortunately Kelly & I were well past spent and needed some relax time, so after lunch at the Border Cafe we took a lil ride, and then headed home.
Monday weather wise was supposed to be nice, but turned out to be a bit chilly. I spent the AM doing some small errands, and throughout the day I picked up 2 pairs of Jeans to replace the gas soaked ones, and another pair I noticed had rips on the seams. Both pairs were at least 6 years old and pretty worn.
Friday after work I went to Dad's to pick up the MGB right after work. it felt so good to feel some warmth!
Saturday I headed over to Mackays to tackle the Fuel Pump problem with Dad's MGB GT. we fixed that and by 10:00AM I was on my way. Interestingly enough, there were 3 MGBGT's there that day, Paul's red one from Gloucester, Mackay's Purple one, and Dad's Green one.
I'm planning on "borrowing" Dad's GT this week for a bit. Taking that car into Boston isn't that bad, it's so scratched up that parking it in town isn't an issue.
Later on Kelly & I took a nice drive up to North Andover to see if the farmstand was open yet? Alas, it wasn't. Bummer, we'll have to wait a few more weeks for fresh pickles!
We left and decided to head out west. Taking back roads the entire time we went out to Littleton, and then worked our way back. It was only a few hours, but the previous week, and an afternoon out in the sun kind of wore us out a bit, and we were home by 6:00 or so.
I'm hoping to spend the next month or so getting a few things on Dad's MGB GT all set up, and dialing in some stuff on the red B.
The driving season is upon us!
Monday, April 6, 2009
2009 Calendar of events
2009 Calendar
With the good weather ALMOST upon us, the calendar is starting to fill up with all sorts of automotive gathering goodness. For those of you in the New England area, here's some of the happenings:
April 25: BAMG Drive To Riley's (rain date May 16)
June 7: British Car Day at Larz Anderson Museum, Brookline, MA
A very cool day, usually has great turnout, and a huge variety of cars from McLaren F1's to rusty MG's
June 13: Faneuil Hall Show #1
(not a show you can Drive your car to, but one anyone can attend for free, its an invite only event for the cars)
July 12: Bay State Antique Auto Club Annual Show, Endicott Estate, Dedham MA
July 18: Faneuil Hall Show #2
(not a show you can Drive your car to, but one anyone can attend for free, its an invite only event for the cars)
July 24-26: Prince Edward Island show
it's now called the PEI International Motoring Festival, it's been shortened a bit from what it used to be, but should be interesting, plus the roads in PEI are fun, ocean on one side, rolling hills on the other!
August 15: MG/Rover Day at Larz Anderson Museum, Brookline, MA
if you have a MG or rover you should attend. Last year attendance was so low, they're thinking of cancelling it or merging it with another car day. It's on a Saturday so tell your wife that you'll mow the lawn when you get home.
August 29: Faneuil Hall Show #3
(not a show you can Drive your car to, but one anyone can attend for free, its an invite only event for the cars)
September 5-6: Falmouth Dream Cruise By The Sea, Cape Cod
September 13: 28th Annual British Motorcar Gathering and Picnic, CT Triumph Register, Manchester, CT
September 18-20: British Invasion, Stowe, VT
This is supposed to be a real big bash, I'm thinking of going this year myself
October 2-4: British Legends Weekend, Cape Cod
October 10: BAMG Edaville Car Show
Usually it's the last show of the year, but it's always a blast, and a really cool location. Stuff for the kids, and usually lots of arts and crafts stuff for the wives to check out.
Cruise Nights:
The following events aren't officially sanctioned, but I have to say if you like cool cars I highly suggest stopping by one of these in your travels for a bit.
Every Sunday: Schoolhouse Ice-cream from 2pm-whenever
http://www.schoolhouseicecream.com/cruisenights.html
Every Saturday: 3 to 8 p.m. Cruise Night at Riley's Roast Beef, 911 Edgell Road, Framingham
Every Wednesday after 5:00, Cruise Night at Bill & Bob's Roast Beef, Woburn MA
If anyone in the New England area knows of one I missed (or got wrong) drop me an email!
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