Automotive Hypochondria

What a magnificent term! I wish I'd thought of it.

But I was introduced to it by a member of the MG Experience. (The MG Experience is an internet forum where MG owners go to discuss their cars, restorations, repairs and driving experiences.) As a numpty-newbie to this classic sports car malarkey I find it a very welcoming place.

So back to the Automotive Hypochondria...

A hypochondriac is defined as a person who worries excessively about have a particular disease or medical malady. So by a logical progression, an Automotive Hypochondriac is a person who worries excessively about wether his car has mechanical issues.

I have it.

Quite badly.

It's made worse by the fact that this is the first time I've had any dealings with a classic sports car.

I've read up on MG's. I know the engines leak. But that doesn't stop me looking at that oil stain that has appeared on the garage floor and wondering if it is the precursor of something a bit more serious.

A bigger worry though, is. Will it start up again in the spring? It was running when I put the Sta-bil in the fuel tank and took the battery out to winterize it a couple of weeks ago. But it's going to sit there, in the corner of the garage for six months, several of those being below freezing.

What can happen to a car in storage for six months? Can anything happen to a car in storage for six months? I can't get into my own personal Tardis and hop forward in time six months to find out. So I'm just going to have to sit and worry.

Automotive Hypochondria.

I have it.

A kindred spirit

It's always nice when you can find someone who can really appreciate your car. I mean really appreciate it. Not just saying "That's great" when they see it. Someone who knows what an MG is and their standing in automotive history.

Today was one such day.

So, to set the scene. One of my other hobbies is model railways/model railroads, and today was day one of the Rum River Model Railroad Club show at the Princeton depot. I was exhibiting my 7 day model railroad. Nothing to do with MG's or classic sports cars there. But during the summer one other member of the club turned up to the meeting in a Ford Capri. So here was a gent who knew about British cars.

We chatted a while before the show.

"What have you been up to in the summer?" He asked.

"Well" I nonchalantly started. "I bought a 1976 MGB." This definitely got his interest I could tell but an interruption to our conversation put paid to any further discussion.

So about half an hour later during the show he slid over to my layout and said.

"So tell me about this '76 MGB"... I regailed him with the tale of its purchase.

"I'd show you it but it's all sheeted down and on dollies in the corner of the garage."

"Just like my Sprite" he said.

Sprite? Sprite! I really was onto a kindred spirit here. So this burned at me all day. I really wanted to show FG off to someone who knew about these things.

So at the end of the show I said to him.

"If you want to help me pull the car out of the corner of the garage. I'll show you the MGB." He didn't need asking twice and 5 minutes later we were working to pull the car out of the corner of the garage.

I pulled off the dust cover...

"Oh that's nice." He said. "Really nice. That really is beautiful."

We looked it over, checking things out. Appreciating the car. At times we stood there saying nothing, we didn't need to say anything. Two guys just enjoying a car for what it was.

It was definitely great to share the car with someone who knew about it.

What a difference a week makes

Indeed, if a week is a long time in politics. Then it is an age in the ownership of a 1976 MGB. If you cast your mind back just 7 short days (that last posting below this one). It was a gorgeous day mid 60's F and I took FG for it's last (and first) spin of the year with wifey. Then when we returned I winterised it and popped it away in the corner of the garage.

Now one week later there is a couple of inches of snow on the ground and the temp is hovering around 32 (freezing point). I guess the snow could be here to stay now.

Today I couldn't resist. I had to take a look at FG. To be honest I had something I needed to check out. During the week I had been reading the Owners manual and I realised that I hadn't checked out wether the engine had overdrive or not. I had been expecting to see the switch on top of the gear lever and when it wasn't there I wasn't too worried. It could have had it or not. However, reading the manual I discovered that it was from 1977 onwards that had the switch on the lever. On '75 and 76's there was a switch on the windscreen washer stalk. Moving the stalk forward and back engaged/disengaged the overdrive. Like below.

So, FG has overdrive. Wether it works properly or not I don't know. That will have to wait until the spring. Another thing to look forward too...

Packing up

Today was a happy day tinged with a little sadness.
Today had already been decided as the day that I would winterize FG but the day was so beautiful (60F in November in Minnesota, you can't knock that) that I just had to take FG for a run. It was only a 20 mile jaunt on country roads around town but it was great. It was nice to be able to drive the car for an extended period of time rather than the five minutes of my test drive. Everything seems OK. I reckon I smelled a little burning oil for a few minutes. But oil pressure was constant and the engine temp never wavered above Normal.
With the trip over, it was time to go home and prepare the car for storage. I'd done quite a bit of research online about winterizing and one thing was clear ask 10 owners what they do to winterize and you get 10 different answers. So I picked out the aspects that were similar. They were:
1. Stabilizer in the fuel. I topped the tank up to 3/4 full and followed the instructions on the bottle of Sta-bil.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Put the car on dollies to stop the tyres flattening.
4. Check the fluids were OK
5. Moth balls in the cockpit and around the dollies to keep critters away.
If anyone wants to add to this. I'm all ears.
Here are some pictures showing the pack up.
Above: Up on the dollies and check to see if it fits where I wanted it to. It does
Above: Covered over
Above: Yes, you can fit three cars in a two car garage...

Now I have to wait until April.

Underneath

Winterising the car allowed me to jack the car up and take some pictures of the underneath so you can see what good shape the underneath is in.

Under the hood

With today being such a beautiful day a first, (and last) trip of the year in FG beckoned, more on that later. But It also gave me a chance to lift the bonnet and take some pictures of the engine. MG fans will be able to look and see what is wrong with it. I would wager nothing to unusual for a 34 year old car.

Above: The radiator looks a bit manky. But the engine temp never went above normal during our 20 mile jaunt this afternoon

Above: The Zenith Stomburg carb for those who want to know what kind of carb is in there
Above: The outside of the engine block looks a bit moist. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a leak somewhere hereabouts.

My financial advisor

Last night I had a few qualms about the purchase of the car. I guess the euphoria of the purchase wore off and I started to think about how much it could all cost me. I need dollies to pop the car on for storage this weekend. I'd like a personalized number plate. It could do with 4 new tyres and I'd like the brakes looked at.
It will all cost money. So for the first time I started to add it all up and it made me nervous.
Then wifey, the financial wizard said.
"Why don't you start up a separate bank account for the car? You can put a few dollars each pay check in there plus overtime and bonuses along with the rest of your inheritance and by the summer you'll have quite bit of money in there"
Brilliant.
That's why she handles the finances.
I'm happy again

Whats in a name?

Many car owners name their vehicles. Funny names, serious names, frivolous names poignant names.
I myself have never done so before. I've never felt the need to. My first car was a brown Mk. 1 Ford Escort. What could you name that? (That isn't rude?) and I guess I carried on from there. My Opel Kadet SR was deserving of a name, but by that time I was into the no name frame of mind.
So why change the habit of a lifetime?
It deserves a name. This car spoke to me. I wanted it as soon as I saw it. I love the green colour. I don't think its British Racing Green or even Brooklands Green. But it's a very nice green and the white bands on the bonnet and boot do set it off rather well.
What to call it? For a while I ummed and ahhed about calling it "Tardis", I am after all a big Doctor Who fan and this car is a little time machine. But wifey pointed out that the car wasn't blue unlike the Doctor's phone box.
So that was that idea out...
The other idea was to call it "FG" (eff-gee) After my Dad. Those were his initials and the car was purchased with some of my inheritance from his passing.
It seems to fit. It feels right calling it "FG".
Perhaps I'll get some "EFF GEE 1" number plates for it.

Top Gear

Last night here it was the last episode of series 15 of Top Gear on BBC America.
We all know Top Gear, the greatest motoring programme on television. An hour of joyous entertainment about motoring.
Except for the most part last night wasn't joyous. Sure, Jeff Goldblum drove the reasonably priced car in no gear higher than third and the new Ferrari is quite beautiful. Last nights show will be remembered by most for the sad journey through the history of the British sports car. As our trio of presenters took their historic British Sports cars from the Lotus factory in Norfolk to the remains of the TVR plant in Blackpool via the shell of the Jensen works in West Bromwich. Sure, we had some fun on the way, carrying impossibly large loads with the roof down and almost blowing up and drowning the Stig.
But the scenes that stick in my mind are those of Clarkson, May and Hammond peering through the broken windows at the Jensen offices imagining what it must have been like there in its heyday with designers and engineers getting excited about their designs. Then at the TVR plant rummaging through the moulds for the car bodies.
"Isn't that the mould for the bonnet of your car?" Inquired Clarkson of May.
"I hate this place" James May was heard to say. Yes there was some amusing graffiti on the walls for us. But overall it was sad. They all looked sad too.
Clarkson said that there were good reasons that the British sports car builders went belly up, he's right and I'm not going to get into them because at the time I wasn't old enough to understand it all. Heck, even MG had just about folded by the time I was learning to drive.
But despite all this sadness what came through was how marvellous the British Sports Car industry had been. It was something for the British Car enthusiast to be proud of, no, not just enthusiasts but the nation as a whole should have pride in the names Lotus, TVR, Jensen and all the other marques lined up in the factory building at the end of the film.
I had been an owner of an MGB for less than a day when I watched that, but it made me very proud to own a piece of British automotive history and yes, at the end of the show I did go into the garage and take a good look at my new purchase.

That "new baby" thing

You know what its like when you're at work and one of your female colleagues comes in from maternity leave to show off her new addition to the family. Something that invariably wails and screams and disturbs your concentration...
I've often wondered why if a woman can bring a noisy child into work to show off then why can't a guy bring his new car into work and rev it up on the production floor? Fairs fair in these days of sexual equality...
So, being unable to take the car into work physically I showed off a selection of pictures on my iPad. Naturally the reaction was very very favourable and made me feel pretty darned good. The car was erroneously recognised as a Jag by one person with just one person recognising it as an MGB. She'd been offered the chance to drive one as a teenager (must have made an impression then, that's all I can say).
It's really good to be the centre of attention for a while...

Pictures

Here you are then. Some pictures of my '76MGB. It was delivered to me yesterday morning, just before noon. So after having been to the registrars office to transfer the title, I set about giving it a good wash and polish. Two and a half hours later this is what I ended up with...
I have to say I was glowing with pride as I polished it up. Especially when my neighbour came over twice to see what was going on. I even caught a few people taking a look as they drove past on the street.

NOT a midlife crisis

Apparently all middle aged men do it.
Have this thing called a mid-life crisis, that is.
I myself have never quite understood what there was to have a crisis about as you approach and enter your 50's. Maybe if you feel you've done nothing with your life and you think things are getting away from you.
But me ? No way. I've got 16 marathons under my belt, as well as numerous half marathons and a half ironman triathlon. So I think I've "done" things. Life isn't slipping away from me.
I am told that a good sign that you have entered your M.L.C. as we shall call it (because it's quicker to type that) is buying a sports car. A convertible sports car, no less. Then, apparently you pierce your ear and grow a pony tail.
Well, if I pierced my ear I'd pass out and I don't have enough hair to grow a ponytail.
But I have bought the sports car.
Why did I buy the sports car? That's a long story of which I will write more later.
I like blogging, so I thought I'd blog about this sports car. I can't write it all in one go. Now can I? It wouldn't be much of a blog then. It'd just be a dull old web page then. "HereIsMyCarandHereAreSomePictures".
Yawn.
I think I can do better than that. Be a bit more entertaining. We'll see.