Vol. XV, No. II

Inside This Issue:

A Rare Bird Indeed!The Triumph 10/20

Sprinzel Speaking...

Enter Our Photo Contest

Around the Worldin 80 Months

Reformulated Gasolineand the Older Auto

More Hot Topics

Fall 1996

British ExtravaganzaButtonwillow Raceway

June 15-16, 1996

2 • MOSS MOTORING

Let’s face it, that oil-stained club t-shirt is just not going tomake it through another summer of rigorous events. Why notstun your peers with your fashion sense by showing up in oneof our limited edition tees. Our t-shirts feature colorful originalartwork you won’t find in stores. Because each design is pro-duced in a limited run, if you see one you like, get it nowbefore they’re all gone! (Please specify size M, L, XL, XXLwhen ordering.)CRS-039 MG Engine (White)CRS-045 MGB (Black)CRS-035 Austin-Healey 3000 (Black)CRS-040 Too Many British Cars (White)CRS-036 TR3 (Black)CRS-038 TR6 (Black)

$1595 each

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The Best In British Is As Close As Next Door!

Open7Days!

Coast-to-Coast Locations &

Fastest Shipping In The Biz!

Mail OrdersMoss Motors, Ltd.440 Rutherford StreetP.O. Box 847, Goleta, California 93116

Payment:We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or we can ship COD.(CODs and checks over $400.00 require cash or CertifiedCheck.) Mail orders can be accompanied by check ormoney order, although personal check may delay ship-ment. Ordering, pricing, shipping and other procedures arein our Current Price List.

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Counter Addresses and Hours:Western Warehouse and Showroom440 Rutherford Street, Goleta, California 93117Monday-Friday Hours: 8am to 5 pmSaturday Hours: 9am to 4pmCounter closed on Sunday, phone sales only.

Eastern Warehouse and ShowroomHamilton Business Park, Unit #4A, Dover, New Jersey 07801Monday-Friday Hours: 9am to 6pmSaturday Hours: 9am to 4pmCounter closed on Sunday.

•

FALL 1996 • 3

From

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In the summer here in California, it’s sometimesnice to get into work early (around 6:00 a.m.!)and get done what’s got to be done, then head for

the beach or the mountains and make the most ofthe liquid gold that pours down from the sky!From my office high atop the hive of industry that isMoss, I cannot see the road outside for the trees, butI can hear—and one of the things I love most is thesound of British sports cars in the morning! As ourkeen (and eager) staff arrive for work, I can now tellwho it is just by the sound of the engine or exhaustas they cruise past my open window and over thespeed bumps in the road outside!

First up (and really early!) is Frank Butcherfrom our returns department whose Sprite is now a

really hot little number, closely followed by Craig Cody in his beautiful1968 MGB GT. Craig comes in early so he can spend time cruising on hisboat later in the day! By 7:30 we have a whole procession of exhaustnotes going by. There’s Jamie Pfeifer from our Art Department in his1963 Morgan, closely followed by the purring sound of a 1961 Jaguar3.8 Mk II driven by our Special Projects guy, Harry Haigh. Our youngMarketing Genius, Robert then (literally) drifts in his 1964 Midget(sometimes his Triumph TR250) while a more sedate Art DeWolfe, ourAdministration Manager hauls his ‘77 MGB into the executive car park.

By eight o’clock they’re coming through thick and fast! Here’sJennifer from Sales in her 1969 MGB GT “Customized by Collision”—whoever they are—but ask her about suspension and you’ll get thescoop! Now, this sounds a little different...of course, it’s our R&D guruChris Nowlan in his 1933 MG J2, and here comes Nick Baker another ofour sales staff who must be the only person at Moss Motors who fliesinto town every morning. (He’s a pilot for FedEx and flies from Ontarioin Southern California to Santa Barbara) He jumps in his ‘73 MGB andjoins us at the office to take your orders, until it’s time to fly out againlater that evening!

A couple of Triumphs next, Eric Wilhelm our technical expert in his1965 TR4 still going strong after “a million miles”, followed by PeteArakelian in his super ‘71 Triumph TR6 which you might see in our cat-alogs from time to time.

A Morris Minor “Woody” might be the choice of sales associateChris Forester, then again, he might just bring in the beautiful 1967MGB GT he found the other week! Another MGB GT from 1969 sound-ing very sporty, as well it should, belonging to our Technical SupportCoordinator, Terry Peddicord, leads in a couple of “out of towners”—staff who have to travel from forty miles south of our corporate head-quarters—Jean Bowers in her ‘79 MGB and Kelvin Dodd in his 1966 3.8SJaguar usually travel up highway 101 together, though occasionallythey rideshare.

Paul, one of our whiz-bang computer experts in his superb Iris Blue‘63 MGB and James Watts, from Sales in his 1967 MGB roadster (withworks hardtop) complete the procession. Although they don’t drive pastmy window, we know the President of Moss Motors, Glen Adams, haswhispered into the car park in his Jaguar, while occasionally theChairman, Howard Goldman, will terrify us all in his Bugeye Sprite ashe pays us a visit!

Me? Well I can walk to work, but occasionally I’ll take the missus’‘52 MG TD over for an airing, or if the speed bumps are at a low ebb,the 1963 MGB roadster! (Even at staff prices MGB exhausts aren’tcheap!) One car we are all waiting to hear is the newly acquired 1971Triumph TR6 of our Sales Manager, Mike Chaput!

You might now be asking what’s the point of this apparently self-serving litany? Just to let you know that more than any other companyyou can name—WE DRIVE WHAT WE SELL!! The Moss Crew really knowwhat you’re going through out there, they have practical “hands-on”experience, every day they drive their British sports cars to work. Thinkabout that next time you’re tempted to ring some ‘other’ company inthe business for parts or advice!

On Our Cover: Tom Colby’s Speedwell Sprite at Buttonwillow. —Ken Smith-Editor

Ken Smith

MOSS MOTORING is published by Moss Motors, Ltd.Editor: Ken SmithContributing Writers: Joss Browning, Mike Chaput, Rick Feibusch, RobertGoldman, Mike Jacobsen, Harry Newton, Ron Phillips, Paul Renico, John Sprinzel, Tim Suddard, and Eric Wilhelm.Production: Jill Lee-Jones, Ideal Images

Although we make every effort to ensure thecorrectness of technical articles, Moss Motors,Ltd. assumes no liability for the accuracy, safe-ty, or legality of these contributions. All techni-cal material should be weighed against com-monly accepted practice. Any opinionsexpressed in this magazine are those of theauthors and do not necessarily reflect the opin-ions or policies of Moss Motors. Moss Motoring is © 1996 Moss Motors, Ltd.All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTIONS INVITEDContributions are greatly appreciated andevery effort will be made to use appropriatematerial. Items for consideration should bemailed to our magazine production office atthe address below: Editor, Moss Motoring440 Rutherford StreetGoleta, California 93117 We can accept contributions that are laser-printed, or on 3 1/2” disc; text files from Macor PC in ASCII preferred; but double-spaced,typed information is also acceptable. Weregret that we cannot return any material. Wealso reserve the right to accept or reject anymaterial on whatever grounds we decide. Wereserve the right to edit or change any materi-al to suit the needs of our publication, withoutprior notification to the contributor. “Lettersto the Editor” will be accepted for publicationprovided they are accompanied by a name,address and phone number.Contributors whose material is selected forpublication in Moss Motoring will receiveMoss Motors Gift Certificates in the followingamounts:

$125.00 GIFT CERTIFICATESTechnical Articles, Marque Reviews, Histories (cars, race teams, etc.) andPersonality Profiles$75.00 GIFT CERTIFICATESBook Reviews, Club Article Reprints (humorous or general interest)$35.00 GIFT CERTIFICATESTechnical Tips, Cartoons, HumorousAnecdotes, Puzzles and Photos (not photocontest contributions, however)

OUR CATALOGS!We offer a full line of complete and compre-hensive catalogs. Beautifully detailed illustra-tions of each car make finding the parts youneed easy. Helpful tech-tips and hard-to-findaccessories also aid you in the restoration,maintenance and enjoyment of your Britishclassic. Call toll-free, 800-235-6954, for yourFREE Moss catalog. (At publication date, ourcurrent price list is effective from April 8,1996 till further notice.)Choose from MG TC-TD-TF, MGA, MGB,Sprite-Midget, TR2-4A, TR250-6, TR7,Spitfire MkIV-1500, Austin-Healey 100-4,100-6, 3000, Jaguar XK120-150 and Miata.Keep costs down, ask your sales advisor ifyou have the current edition of our catalog.

4 • MOSS MOTORING

I just wanted to drop a note ofthanks along with this order. It was aneat surprise to find that I had placed inthe Moss Motors Photo Contest, and myfamily and I enjoyed seeing my photoin print.

While I had hoped to save the giftcertificate you sent me for a snazzyaccessory, my Midget (MG that it is...)decided it would rather have safetyrelated parts—hence the enclosed orderfor brake cylinders.

Thanks for all the support. (I guessI’m not the only one to regard fellowenthusiasts as a support group!) MossMotoring is truly a fine publication, andI look forward to every issue.

—Gryf Ketcherside, St. Charles, Missouri

I want to extend a special thankyou to your sales representative, JackBrady. First, in the painless manner inwhich he assisted me in the resolution ofa mix-up on a recent order, but also forhis cooperation in offering expeditedshipment of a critical part to allow me toreassemble our ’66 MGB last weekend.

I had made arrangements for somehelp and had available an engine hoistwith which to reinstall the engine andtransmission. I thought I had orderedall the necessary parts but apparently Igave you the wrong number for a criti-cal part.

Jack’s assistance is very muchappreciated and made it possible forme to get the job done without addi-tional cost and demand on friends andfamily time.

Thank you for making owning anMG a little bit easier—your efforts arewhat make the MG motoring familywhat it is.

—Fred Dornback, Elburn, Illinois

Just a note to compliment you forprinting the feature by Steve Tom, BrakeLine Woes, in a recent Moss Motoring.

I had been scratching my head forover a month trying to figure out whatI’d done wrong in overhauling mymaster cylinder and brake cylinders.The rear drums on my ’65 Midget weregetting so hot, I could smell themgoing down the freeway! As Steve indi-cated it was the hose between the steeltube on the body and the steel tube onthe rear axle.

I consider myself in your debt andwill be getting all my parts from Mossas I overhaul and restore the Midget.

—Hugh A. Piercy, Martinez, CA

Anyone who has restored an MG,especially while raising children, knowsthat many years can elapse between theday you push the project into thegarage and the day you drive it out!

In the case of my 1958 MGA Coupe,seven years elapsed, as measured by thegrowth of my son, Ian, who aged from 5to 12!

—Matt Huff, West Bloomfield, Michigan

...and now a note addressed to our youngmarketing genius, Robert Goldman, inresponse to the spring Moss MotoringBackground Noise...

My wife continuously asks me thequestion, “Gosh Jay, shouldn’t a manin your position drive a more responsi-ble vehicle—one more in keeping withyour age and conservative demeanor?”She quips. “Your car does not fit yourimage of a corporate ladder climbing,mucky muck.” In keeping with herwords of wisdom I probably should bedriving a copper colored Spridgetinstead.

Just to set the record straight, inthe race from baby boomer to 18-year-old again, I don’t think your

“breathed upon 1275” holds outa chance against my small block350. Take it from a guy who likesto fish, Robert, things could be

worse. You could be married and dri-ving a yellow TR6!

—Jay A. Kurz, Batavia, Ohio

My last copy of Moss Motoring hada “last issue” warning emblazoned onthe cover. I request continuation ofdelivery in spite of my present inabilityto undertake British car restoration dueto my incarcerated status.

Spending my youth in SouthernCalifornia I was deeply involved with a

number of British cars including aTriumph Herald, a ’65 MG 1100, and a‘65 Triumph TR4A to name a few.

Having had considerable time toreview life’s events, experiences withBritish sports cars stand out as times ofcare-free pleasure. Reading your partscatalogs for cars previously owned andgetting Moss Motoring have stoked adesire to return to the British car fra-ternity. A TR4, TR6, or Austin-Healey3000 will be acquired shortly after myrelease within the next three years andwhatever it is will be restored to facto-ry original condition as time and bud-get allows.

Please allow me the opportunity tothank you for the regular reminders of

British car ownership and the provi-sion of ample information aboutmany of the marques so wellremembered. Most of all, thank youfor the efficient provision of reason-ably priced parts for the mainte-nance and restoration of these cher-ished touchstones of happier days.

LLeetttteerrss

Matt Huff’s son, Ian, and the incredible shrinking MGA.

Jay Kurz—Married and driving ayellow TR6.

Thank you for being there!—No name supplied, Texas Dept. of

Criminal Justice Facility, Snyder, Texas

IT’S A SMALL WORLDAt the January 1996 Barrett-

Jackson Auction at Westworld inPhoenix, Arizona, I stopped by a smallgathering near an XK120 Jaguar andlistened to the speaker, who seemed tobe knowledgeable about Jaguars. Iintroduced myself and he introducedhimself as Bruce Carnachan. I wasflabbergasted and said that in 1966,while living in Santa Maria, California,I had purchased a used 1959 XK150SFixed Head Coupe in Los Angeles froma Bob Carnachan. His reply was thatBob was his brother and that, “youbought the black one”. He then relatedthe history of the car while it was inBob’s hands. Subsequently in April, Bobwas in the Phoenix area for the 56thgroup reunion at Luke AFB and wasable to stop by to see the “old” Jag (justas it was starting a long delayed“frame-off” restoration) after havingbeen in storage for 20 years. By theway, Bob missed the 150 so much thathe now has a 1960 FHC and is the reg-istrar for the 150 series with the ClassicJaguar Association.

—Frank Billeter, Sun City, Arizona

I enjoyed Robert Goldman’sBackground Noise article aboutSpridgets in the Spring ’96 MossMotoring. My first car was a ‘64Sprite (license #YIY 883), bought for$850 in 1968.

I had more fun in that car than anyhuman should and probably shouldhave died in it several times, the tricks Iused to pull (like 85 mph four wheeldrifts around blind corners). But I was16 and immortal and luckier than Iknew. And yes, I’m now married andhave the TR6 Mr. Goldman mentions(although it’s red, not yellow) but noplans to buy a Bentley.

I can’t think of a better bang-for-the-buck sports car than a Spridget or aSpitfire, and with all the parts availablefrom Moss, taking care of one now willdefinitely be cheaper and easier than itwas when I owned my Sprite. For exam-ple, in 1969 the dealer in my area want-ed $200 apiece for the sliding sidecur-tains (they were promptly stolen after Ibought the car) and $200 was a lotmore then than it is now. The partsavailability when BL was running theshow stank, to put it mildly. Not so withMoss. The first thing I did after buyingmy TR6 was to put in a new exhaust

system from Moss. The price was right,the parts arrived promptly, went ingreat and sound even better!

What happened to my Sprite? Igot a draft notice in 1970 so I gave theSprite to my Dad and went into the AirForce. When I got out I drove it a fewtimes before my Dad got into an argu-ment with an Opel sedan and lost (hewasn’t hurt but the Sprite was badlysmashed). Then it sat in the driveway,rusted and vandalized, before thejunkyard buzzards hauled it off. Amajor portion of my youth went withit, but oh, the memories, the girls, thesunny days...

—J. N. Sudduth, Berkeley, California

LETTER FROM WINNERS OF MOSS TRIP TO ENGLAND 1996

Well, our complimentary trip toLondon which we won at last year’sMoss British Car Festival is now just amemory and some other lucky personwill have had the surprise of their life atthis year’s Festival.

We just want to say a big THANKYOU for giving us the opportunity to seethe beautiful United Kingdom. We havenever flown British Airways before butwe were given excellent seats and theservice was excellent.

We toured quite a bit while in theUK and were in London for the Queen’sBirthday Parade and the England vs.Scotland soccer games. What an excit-ing place London is, jammed from oneend of the city to the other with peoplefrom every country one could think of.We even got to see the Queen herself.Only a quick glimpse but we got to seethe blue she wore that day!

All in all the trip was educational,exciting and wonderful and thanks toMoss Motors, less costly than it wouldordinarily have been. British Airwayswas outstanding, both in food and ser-vice and we would recommend themvery highly for anyone traveling toEurope especially the United Kingdom.

—Dewey and Mike Hein

FALL 1996 • 5

Our Mystery Car in thelast issue fooled near-ly everyone and we

only had one correct answer!This came from Dick Little of

Sudbury, Massachusetts whocorrectly identified the car as a

1953 MG TD with a specialVignale body. This unique car resides in

Switzerland and was photographed by the Editor at the Swiss MG Car Clubanniversary celebrations in 1986. Complete with cocktail cabinet in the rear thisspecial bodied TD has all that was “kitsch” during the early Fifties. Fins, port-holes, and stripes, making what to some was the ugliest MG ever made! Get acopy of Road & Track for December 1954 to read more details on this designercar!

We’ll try to make it a little easier this time. What is the car depicted below?Answers on a postcard only please to: Mystery Car Contest, Moss Motoring, 400Rutherford Street, Goleta, California 93117 by September 30, 1996.

Mystery Car Corner

6 • MOSS MOTORING

The 1923 Triumph 10/20Boattail Roadster

The name Triumph was virtuallyunknown in the US until well afterthe Second World War. Though a

few examples of the bloated and under-powered 1800/2000 roadster, and amotorcycle or two made it to our shores,no one paid much attention to the mar-que until the early Fifties and theimportation of the famous TR2, and thefast and noisy Triumph bikes similar tothe one that Marlon Brando rode in thefilm, The Wild One.

The Triumph firms’ roots go backto before the turn of the century whenSiegfried Bettmann movedfrom Germany to London toimport various German goods.He decided to try to cash intothe, then booming, bicyclecraze by bringing in theTeutonic version of the productand business in England flour-ished. Not satisfied with just theimportation and sales of other’sproducts, Bettmann contractedwith a bicycle builder inEngland to produce a qualityall-British push bike (that’swhat the Brits call a pedalpower bike!).

By 1901 Bettmann & Co. hadmoved its operations to Coventry andproduced the first Triumph motor pow-ered cycle. By now a naturalized Britishcitizen, Bettmann eventually becameLord Mayor of Coventry and Presidentof the British MotorcycleManufacturers’ Union. Triumph contin-ued to make cycles, and prospered sell-ing bikes to the British Army during theFirst World War.

Upon the cessation of hostilities,Bettmann bought out the Dawson CarCo. in order to expand into motor carproduction, and in 1923 Triumphintroduced its first four wheeled vehi-cle, the 10/20. At the time, the British

government taxed autos by horsepow-er rated at the rear wheels. The firstTriumphs put out 10 taxable horsesand a bit over 20 at the flywheel, hencethe 10/20 designation.

Those early cars, available both insedan and roadster form, featured a1400cc Harry Ricardo designed, flat-head four, a dry clutch and a separatemid-car mounted transmission. All ofthe trim was nickel-plated save for theradiator shell—that was made ofGerman silver! Clock, speedometer,choice of leather or cloth trim and amohair twill top established Triumph asa company that offered “somethingextra.” Not a great many 10/20s of any

type were made, but enough weresold to keep Triumph in the auto-mobile business.Our feature car, owned by GaryRobley of Upland, California, isthe sole remaining example ofthese first Triumph roadsters. It isrumored that a 10/20 sedanexists somewhere in Ireland butthis has never been substantiat-ed. Gary bought the car, restored,in Australia and had it shippedback stateside in the late Eighties.How the car ended up “DownUnder” is a mystery. The roadstereventually found its way to the

A RARE BIRD INDEED!Story and Photos by Rick Feibusch

FALL 1996 • 7

barn of a Charlie Purdue in Lismore whokept it suspended from the rafters forover 20 years! When Purdue died, hisfamily sold the Triumph to Steve Buddenof Mullumbimby who took it apart andstarted a comprehensive restoration.

The body was rusty but repairable,though the hood and fenders were sobad that they had to be fabricatedlocally. The engine was reconditionedand the radiator recored. Quite a fewparts were missing however. The lightsweren’t with the car, but some properLucas units from the same period werelocated. The interior was non-existent,so one was made up using old pho-tographs and drawings from musty oldAutocar magazines!

This superb piece of the restorer’sart took top honors at the AustralianGold Coast Concours d’Elegance justhours after its completion, from whencethe car was sold and shipped off toCalifornia. Once in the Golden State,the new owner Robley continued toshow the Triumph at local shows inaddition to having it featured on thefield at Pebble Beach in 1987.

Within its narrow boattail is thestrangely configured rumble seat (or“dickey seat” if one happens to beBritish!). It takes a great effort and agili-

ty to use this seat as one has to squat,with both legs twisted to one side, or feetapart and knees together!

Not surprisingly, the 10/20s paintand brightwork are considerably moredazzling than its performance. It can besafely cruised at about 45 mph and isnot much for cornering. This is due, nodoubt, to the steering which is heavy,hard to turn, and takes almost twoturns, lock to lock. On the other hand, itmust have been thought of as prettyfast in its day as a contemporary roadtester for the Autocar called the car“intriguing...a neat specimen...thatburbled like a Brooklands racer.” The10/20 was actually tested at the famousBrooklands race circuit being timed atwell over 60 mph on the Railwaystraight, while pulling up the notorioustest hill at almost 50 mph in road trim.

Racer or not, this little Triumph is avery historical piece of machinery inbetter than museum quality. It hear-kens back to a time in England, soromantically rendered on PBSMasterpiece Theater, that motorcars wereowned by the gentry and generally dri-ven by savvy operators who viewed“motoring” more as wonderful andadventuresome toys rather than hum-drum daily appliances.

Dennis Riley—Farewell

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Vintage Triumph RegisterPresident, Dennis Riley, this past April at his home in Georgia due to cardiacfailure. Dennis was a true champion of the Triumph marque and his premature

passing is a great loss to us all.Dennis became president of the VTR in 1990 on his retirement from IBM and

immediately set about revitalizing the national organization, striving to make ittruly represent its national membership. Those of us who journeyed to Seattle forthe 1993 VTR Convention had the great pleasure of meeting Dennis and experi-encing his enthusiasm first hand.

I only wish every Triumph owner could have had that opportunity. You will beremembered with fondness and respect by all who knew you, Dennis.

—Marty Lodawer, Triumph Register Southern California

WANT TO SELL ABRITISH CAR—FOR FREE?

For the Winter Issue of Moss Motoringwe offer you an early holiday gift—FREE CLASSIC-FIED adverts for your

British car! Normally a single insertionwould cost $35.00 but our Presidentfeels in a generous mood! Adverts forBritish cars only, no parts ads, replicasor exporters and please limit your ad to20 words or less. Send your advert bySeptember 9, 1996 to: Moss MotoringClassic-fied Ads, 440 Rutherford Street,Goleta, California 93117. Be sure toinclude a price, and your name, addressand phone number.

1972 Jensen Interceptor—Saloon.White with black vinyl top. Restored.$12,500 or trade for Austin-Healey 100-4 or an MG TC. (719)687-9072, CO

1949 MG TC—Black with green interi-or. Rare original unrestored car withonly 11,500 original miles. Delivered byHollywood Sportscars when new andhas never left California. Needs only tobe driven, shown and cherished!$27,000. For details call (310)375-6292(w), or (310)373-1679 (h), CA

1950 MG TD—Red w/tan leather interi-or. Restoration almost complete.Original California car and rust free.Needs side curtains and top. Call formore info. (619)365-5425, CA

1954 MG TF—Red with black top andinterior. Complete mechanical restora-tion. Same owner for last 25 years!Pictures and receipts available.$16,500. (860)233-2328, CT

1957 MGA Roadster 1600—Show roomcondition. Candy Apple Red with beigetop and seats. Black carpet. Manyextras. Also included in price extratrans, new windshield, and rear end.Less than 1000 miles since restoration.(818)963-1485, CA

1959 MGA Coupe—Totally restored tonear show quality. Trophy winner andseriously for sale at $18,000. (702)885-2113, NV

1960 MGA Roadster—Completemechanical and body restoration.Show car with custom trailer. $12,000obo. (316)431-0014, KS

1962 MGA MkII Roadster—Totalrestoration on solid chassis. BritishRacing Green with grey leather interior.60-spoke polished stainless Daytonwheels w/Avon Turbo steel tires. Enginebalanced and equipped with Mallorydistributor and Weber carb. Show win-ner! $12,500 firm. Photos available.(407)886-3347, FL

(please see page 17)

8 • MOSS MOTORING

In common withmost people rally-ing in England in

the mid-fifties, myfirst new car—boughtmainly for motor-sport—was a 1955

TR2. Anyonewho was any-

body in thecompetitionworld seemedto be driving

a TR. TheStandard-Triumph

Works Team, under the direction of KenRichardson, was highly successful, win-ning most of the British nationalevents, and placing well in internation-al races and rallies including the LeMans 24 Hour Race. Ken was a verysuccessful competition driver andmechanic, and had done much of thetrack testing for the famous V16 BRMformula car. He had a lot to do with thedevelopment of the TR, turning it into asafe, reliable and fast production car ina very short time. In private hands,four TR2s were entered for the BritishRAC Rally in 1954, and took first, sec-ond and fifth places overall AND wonthe ladies’ award. You certainly could-

n’t ask for more than that on a debutrun! In spite of his talents as an engi-neer, and a great deal of success as arally driver of the TR2s, Ken was a very,very stubborn guy—insisting on rally-ing absolutely standard productioncars—and playing around with driverselection in a manner which could onlybe described as illogical. Winning inKen’s team, didn’t automatically meanselection for the next event! About theonly personal choice ofequipment which Kenallowed his drivers, wasthe selection of left orright-hand drive.

During my yearwith my own TR2, I cov-ered 48,000 miles—mostly in competition.Nothing ever broke andI only retired from oneevent, when anothercompetitor drove intome. All the mechanicalwork on the car was car-ried out either by me, or

by the local Triumph dealership. I soldher to one of my co-drivers, and fortyyears later the same TR was seen inregular use, up North, in Manchester,England. A couple of years later, I waslucky enough to be picked as a worksdriver for the BMC team at Abingdon,where all the competition entries forMG, Healey, Austin, Morris, and Rileywere coordinated, so my private com-petition driving was restricted to the

Sprinzel Speaking...

The 1962 Tulip Rally at the Nurburgring. Driving #10 is Jean-Jaques Thuner, #12 Mike Sutcliffe, and #15 John Sprinzel.

The 1962 Six Hour Racewith Sid Hurrel’s Vitesse.

FALL 1996 • 9

cars we prepared at Speedwell—mostlySprites and Austin A35s. It was notuntil September of 1959 that I drove aTR again. Ken Richardson phoned meout of the blue to take part in TheGerman Rally with Stuart Turner, wholater found incredible fame as manag-er of the victorious Mini Cooper Team,the equally successful Ford Escort RallyTeam, and just recently retired from avery senior position with Ford Europe.The TR3A was a well developed versionof the car I knew, and although ourswas in two liter form, it was fitted withdisc brakes which were just amazing tothose of us accustomed to the dismalperformance and fade of drum brakeson Alpine descents. Unfortunately thecar had just completed the arduousLiege-Rome-Liege Rally, and at somestage the brake and clutch fluid hadbeen topped up with engine oil.Luckily the overdrive was fitted to allgears, so clutchless rallying, using theOD switch for most of the gearchanges, worked quite well, and thespongy brakes did enough to preventany disasters. Still, after the relaxedefficiency of Abingdon, I didn’t feel Iwas missing out by not being a regularTriumph driver.

Early in the sixties, Triumph gotinto big financial troubles, and wastaken over by Leyland, the North ofEngland truck manufacturer, (NotBritish Leyland — that came muchlater!) so the competition department’sdays were numbered. When they closed,Ken was made redundant and justabout everything was dismantled. Allthe documentation was “lost”, so thatwhen the new outfit was formed in1962, there were no records, no premis-

es, no experienced competitionmechanics and no recent history.

Graham Robson was appointed torun the new department, moving fromthe development side of the firm, to setup shop in a corner of the engineeringworks with ex-Le Mans mechanic“Pop” Henderson. In order to get someinternational rally experience into theteam, Graham chose me as “captain”and signed Mike Sutcliffe and Jean-Jaques Thuner , a young Swiss who had

rallied a TR very successfully at home.We had a quartet of powder blue TR4s,a tiny budget and a LOT of enthusi-asm. The cars still sported that wonder-ful but aging four cylinder enginedeveloped from the Ferguson Tractor—which probably explained its reliabili-ty. With Graham’s new outlook, thefirst thing we did was to make the thinggo. He scrounged alloy panels whichwere pressed during production “down”times, managed to get free-flowexhaust systems, modified SAH cylin-der heads and camshafts, alternativefinal drive ratios, four wheel disc brakesand eventually even fitted Weber car-buretors. That great Triumph enthusi-ast Gordon Birtwhistle —then an exper-imental test driver—was recruited toimprove the handling and with morecomfortable suspensions and a hugeweight reduction, we felt we had a carwhich was competitive. The day thefirst car was completed, it was takendown to Finmere Circuit—quite close toSilverstone where I was an instructor atthe Racing Driver’s School. StirlingMoss was the “Principal” and he droveme up from London in his Lotus Elite. Ihad long admired his driving skills,especially in traffic, where he wouldslice through invisible gaps and thengive a cheeky grin and wave “thank-you”. I sat next to him as he started theTR4 around the wet circuit, adjustingthe seat belt and seat runners as hedrove down the main straight into thelong hairpin bend. I was totally mes-merized as he drove this completelystrange car at speeds which most of uscan merely dream about. He thought itBefore the 1957 Mille Miglia, Nancy Mitchell poses with her Triumph outside the

Standard Triumph factory. She was famous for her HRG and MG successes. She recentlypassed away in January of this year.

John Sprinzel (left) and Norman Gray before the M.C.C. National Motor Rally inHastings, November, 1955.

(Please turn to page 10)

a good rally tool, well balanced andwith excellent brakes, so we seemed tohave started off in the right direction.Sadly, this was the weekend when hehad his near fatal crash at Goodwood,and put an end to one of the finest rac-ing careers of all time.

Triumphs set out on a full programof international rallies and eventhough we were up against the works’Austin-Healey 3000s which meant thatwe had little chance of outright victory,class awards and team prizes werealways worth fighting for. The Healey’sengine started life in an Austin truck, sothe battle was really between truck andtractor! Vic Elford joined the team soonafterwards, and one of his first eventswas in the Triumph Vitesse sedan. I haddriven one of these 1600cc cars for SidHurrell in the first Motor Six-HourSaloon Car Race at Brands Hatch, andfound it to be a quick car with excellenthandling. Unfortunately, my co-driverNeil Dangerfield had a wheel fall offjust after we changed driver “shifts” sovictory eluded us. Luckily for me, thatdelightful actress Susannah York hadbeen my guest in the pits that after-noon, so the day was certainly not adisappointment.

For the famous Monte Carlo Rallyof 1963, Triumph chose to enter a teamof Vitesses and Vic and I completed avery successful practice run over thewintry French Alps. Our times were soimpressive that we even began to havethoughts of outright victory. However,contrary to one of motorsport’s firstrules, someone in engineering fitted anexperimental Lockheed anti-lock brak-ing system to all three cars. This“sensed” locking brakes, but unlikemodern ABS, only shut off hydraulicpressure to the rear brakes, leaving thefront discs unaffected. If you have evertried stopping at high speed on sheet icewith just front brakes—let me tell youthat this is a task for VERY brave men.Only Vic Elford managed to get even

halfway to grips with the system, andhe could only finish 24th overall. On ourreturn to England, Vic and I were invit-ed to take our Vitesses to Brands Hatch,for the television appearance of whatbecame the very first RallycrossMeeting. Cars from all the Monte Carlofactory teams were asked to compete ina series of races through the rough carpark tracks, and as the whole lot wasunder about a foot of snow, an excellenttime was had by all, and this includedthe vast Saturday afternoon sports audi-ence. TV Rallycross has become animmensely popular attraction, and nowhas a full European Championship withserious factory participation.

Shortly after this event, my partnerPaul Hawkins and I, decided to concen-trate on our garage business, where ourlittle Sebring Sprite had become a popu-lar and successful competition car, and Ileft the works team. I had alwaysenjoyed being a “loner”, entering myown cars against the works, but I didcontinue to drive the factory Triumphsfrom time to time, mostly in connectionwith newspaper sponsored entries. Thesewere generally in the Triumph 2000saloons, which were introduced in 1964,but also one six-hourrace at Silverstone inthe magnificentSpitfire GT6. The carshad just returned froma class first and secondat Le Mans and wereideally set up for thiswell-known British cir-cuit. I did find the rearsuspension just a littleunpredictable on thetighter corners evenwith the huge amountof camber set up tostop the rear wheelstucking under, but itwas just a delight todrive on the limit onfast bends.

The 2000 and it’s successor 2.5PI,were superb rally cars, which wereamong the toughest ever produced inBritain, and were ideally suited to therough forest tracks which were now inregular use on international events inBritain and elsewhere for that matter.The traditional European long distancerallies were no longer possible with theever increasing traffic. Mountain roadsthat had seen little else but goats andthe odd ex-army Jeep, were now sur-faced and full of tourists, so rallying hadto take to the wild forest tracks in orderto maintain the challenge. Surprisingly,the 2000 was also a great and comfort-able car for the Alpine Rally with theascent and descent of dozens of the highFrench Alpine passes. Although stillwith only two liters engine size, we hadover 150 bhp, three dual choke Webers,special wide-ratio gear boxes to givereally effective choices with the Laycockoverdrives and effective oversize discsand calipers. Traction, with the limitedslip differential, was superb, and I amnot at all surprised that team driver RoyFidler, went on to win the British RallyChampionship with one. The sedansalso won a number of top three placesagainst all international oppositionincluding one outright victory, so theslender budgeted Triumph team endedtheir existence with the development ofanother very successful model beforethe British Leyland merger, which onceagain, put a temporary halt to theirefforts.

(John will return in our next issue withsomething for you MG enthusiasts. In themeantime, if you want a good read getmore of John in his new book—TheSpritely Years (Moss #213-195, $39.95)—which is selling like proverbial hot cakesand makes a great present!—Ed.)

10 • MOSS MOTORING

John Sprinzel drives the works Le Mans Spitfire at Silverstone in the Six Hour Relay Race, 1965.

Doing the 1962 Tulip Rally with Graham Robson.

FALL 1996 • 11

Every now and then I am affordedsome time to reflect on life. Haveyou ever just found yourself sit-

ting and thinking about the past andhow what was a complete mystery toyou way back when, now seems clearand logical.

I had one of these momentsrecently as I was proudly staring at mynewest automotive acquisition, a 1971Sapphire Blue TR6. As I was staring atmy new friend I remembered back overtwelve years to the last time I owned aBritish sportscar. I was 18 at the time,working for my father at the familybusiness. Back then my true love wasmotorcycles.—street and dirt, the fasterthe better. The main problem was mystreet bike was my sole means of trans-portation. This and dating was not aproblem during the summer, theevenings in Santa Barbara were nearlyas warm as the day. However, fall andwinter presented some problems. Nolonger did I have willing passengers toride on my motorcycle. Something hadto be done.

My best friend. Andy Ware, hadjust bought this cool sounding oldBritish sportscar that his parents weretired of having fixed. Andy’s new carwas a Sapphire Blue TR6. Andy likedthe car, but he liked my bike better. Sowe swapped. Suddenly, I was able todate again. Life was good.

About this time I got a job at aplace called Moss Motors. I worked inthe warehouse packing parts for allkinds of different British sportscars. Iwas there for a couple of monthswhen I realized that a lot of theseparts that I was packing looked likethe ones on my car. Then they toldme I get a discount on all my parts. Ithought this was a way cool deal(this is how you talk when you’reeighteen) and started looking in the

catalogs to see what bitchenstuff I could get.

Well, a year or so passed and Imet my wife, Tracy, who wasalso employed at Moss. She hada couple of great little kids, andsuddenly the “SIX” was not thegreatest car to have. There werenew demands put on me like Ihad never dreamed of.Suddenly the carefree bachelorwas tied down and had respon-sibilities! It took me months torecover (My wife thinks I’m stillin denial), but I realized the“SIX” had to go. I gave the carback to Andy and sold the bike.

I didn’t realize how attached I hadbecome to the “SIX”, I did know thatwe would meet again someday.

A few months later Tracy and Imarried and we bought our first house.Being a homeowner was great.Unfortunately, once we paid the mort-gage there wasn’t much left over. Soseveral years passed, I was makingmore money, my wife was makingmore money. It was time to find anoth-er TR6. Not so fast pilgrim! The biolog-ical clock was ticking, it’s now or never!Well, three years later and a few oper-ations we were able to have this littlewonder named Chelsea. If any singlefolks out there think your British car isa money pit, have a kid! I’m not com-plaining by any means. Chelsea is thebest toy I ever had (and still is). I ammerely pointing out the facts. Thusanother blow was struck to gettingback some youth and finding that TR6.

When Chelsea was born my wifeand I decided that for at least the firsttwo years she would stay home withher, thus reducingus to a one-income family.

Well, Chelseais three now. I callher the tornado.Believe me, themovie Twister hasnothing on this kid.I had been carpool-ing with my col-league, MichaelGrant (He is incharge of our DataP r o c e s s i n gDepartment), forover a year. Havinga one car familydid present logisti-cal problems at

times. The time was right to make apurchase. The funny thing was I was-n’t initially thinking of a TR6 or even aBritish sportscar, I had been condi-tioned over the years and I was think-ing practical. I looked at small pick-ups, Hondas, Volkswagens, but none ofthem seemed quite right. I just had abad feeling about them.

Finally one day there was a break-through. I was chatting with anotherone of my Moss cohorts, RobertGoldman (He’s the guy who makessure this magazine gets printed). I wastelling Robert about my vehiclequandary and jokingly I said, “Hey,sell me your TR6”. This was kind offunny because Robert has been collect-ing British cars for many years now. Hehas been much better at collectingthan selling. Robert then said, “OK”,and in a matter of minutes a price wasagreed upon and I was a TR6 owneragain. I knew twelve years ago when Ihad to give up the “SIX” I would ownone again. As I contemplated back onthe happenings in my life I could seehow all of the pieces in the puzzle fittogether. Everyone who has seen TheLion King will remember the signifi-cance of the movie, that being, howthe great circle of life works its magic. Ithink that for many of us there is asmaller circle in our lives that involvethese sportscars. Somehow throughoutour existence the cars come and go,but they always find their way back tothe true enthusiast. And now thosefamiliar words from that Willie Nelsontune come to mind, “On the roadagain, I just can’t wait to get on theroad again...”

—Mike Chaput

Chaput Chatter...

“Mosque Motoring” Photo by Robin Weatherall, St. Louis, Missouri

12 • MOSS MOTORING

At FullChatSTORY AND PHOTOSBY HARRY NEWTON

XKE IS SELECTED BY MOMAFOR PERMANENT COLLECTION

Call it the XKE, or the E-Type, it’s themodel most Americans think of whenthe Jaguar name is mentioned.

Characterized by a long nosed, bullet shape,this two-seater made its debut at the 1961Geneva Auto Show.

Thirty-five years later, in April of 1996, adark metallic blue 1963 Jaguar roadster wasthe third car to become a part of the perma-nent automobile collection at the prestigiousMuseum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.

The two earlier honorees were an early,post-WW II Cisitalia 202 and a 1990 Formula1 Ferrari. That makes the Jaguar the firstMOMA selection to have been produced inmeaningful numbers.

According to assistant curator ChristopherMount, who arranged the acquisition, theJaguar E-Type roadster ranks first amongfewer than a dozen vehicles that comprise themuseum’s automotive “wish-list”. In definingthe selection parameters with Jaguar CarsNorth America public affairs representatives,MOMA staffers identified the Series 1 versionas the model they wanted.

Deemed the purest iteration by virtue ofits glass covered recessed headlamps, flushmounted blade-like bumpers and parkinglamps that follow the body’s contour, thesepre-1968 models weren’t compromised by thelater efforts to comply with Federal regula-tions, which changes had a negative effect onthe looks of subsequent production. Also, tobe considered for MOMA, each example hadto be completely original in appearance. Thedonated vehicle was one of three finalists inthe company’s quest for a truly representa-tive roadster.

With a four owner history, the finalselection was purchased by Jaguar fromJerry Wise, a Tallahassee, Florida realtor,whose father-in-law had owned it from 1972to 1990. Jaguar then donated the recentlyrestored roadster to MOMA along with relat-ed engineering drawings and documents,many of them displayed with the car at aspecial exhibition which began in April.

Jaguar executives from the UK and USAwere on hand at the press reception, as werethe car’s most recent owners (who alreadyhave another Series 1 E-Type undergoingrestoration!). Also on hand was BobGrossman, who co-drove an E-Type coupeat Le Mans with Briggs Cunningham in1963. A poster size photograph of that verycar, bearing #15, was a highlight of theMOMA exhibit.

Appropriately, the next morning Jaguarintroduced its latest sports model, the XK8Roadster, to the press at the New YorkInternational Automobile Show. As a coinci-dence, a month after the first E-Type coupewas launched at Geneva in 1961, the firstroadster made its debut. Where? The NewYork Auto Show!

According to assistant curator

Christopher Mount,who arranged the

acquisition, theJaguar E-Type

roadster ranks firstamong fewer than adozen vehicles that

comprise the museum’s

automotive “wish-list”.

�

FALL 1996 • 13

JAGUAR XK8Jaguar’s first new sports model in

almost twenty-one years, the XK8, isalso the first all-new car to emergefrom Brown’s Lane since the companywas purchased by the Ford MotorCompany in 1990. It is, for that rea-son, all the more significant.

The XK8 replaces the XJS coupeand convertible, which were thelongest running sports models inJaguar history. The new model is thefirst to be powered by a V8 engine andit points Jaguar more directly againstits current-day competition fromGermany, the Pacific Rim and Detroit.Does it matter that by most defini-tions, none of these modern-day vehi-cles is any longer a sports car?

However, shorter, lighter andmore agile than the XJS, this com-pletely new car may be more deserv-ing of that appellation than was itsimmediate predecessor. Call it whatyou will, the XK8 is expected to beJaguar’s image flagship into the 21stCentury. Presumably all other newmodels emanating from Coventry willfeature variations of the XK8’s fourliter V8 plus five-speed automaticvalve train.

JAGUAR POWERThe 4.0 AJ-V8 engine is only the

fourth Jaguar series production enginein the company’s history. The firstJaguar engine, the XK twin-camstraight six was unveiled in the XK120 sports car in 1948 and soonbecame a Le Mans winning legend.

In 1971 Jaguar introduced theV12 engine in the E-Type (XKE) andredefined the industry standards forpower and refinement.

Jaguar’s all-aluminum alloy sixcylinder AJ6 engine which appearedin 1983 and its successor the AJ16 in1994 employed high-efficiency, fourvalve head technology, for optimumperformance and economy. The AJ16will continue to power Jaguar sedansin 1997.

The coupe and the convertible areproducts of Jaguar’s in-house stylingstaff headed by Geoffrey Lawson,Director of the company’s Coventry-based Whitley Design Center. Overallresponsibility for XK8 development isin the hands of sports car programmanager Bob Dover, a keen enthusi-ast as well as an engineer and admin-istrator. Then there is Mike Dale, pres-ident of Jaguar’s US marketing arm,whose job will be to sell 60% of the12,000 XK8s to be built in 1997.Though no firm prices have beenreleased, the new luxury sports modelis expected to sell in the $60 to$70,000 range and series production isexpected to begin in early May.

14 • MOSS MOTORING

• BRITFEST ‘96 in Dover, New JerseyEach year Moss Motors is pleased to support a number of prestigious events

which happen very close to home. Earlier this year we were delighted to welcomefriends to both our New Jersey and California facilities. We begin with a reportfrom correspondent, Richard Liddick, on “Britfest ’96” at our New Jersey location.

“Once again the British car show season in the Northeast United States beganwith Britfest ’96, co-sponsored by Moss Motors and the MG Car Club Central JerseyCentre in late April. After a long winter, the show couldn’t have asked for betterweather with temperatures in the mid-70’s and sunny. This year’s show had arecord 193 cars participating, with well over 800 walk-in spectators milling aroundthe new and used parts vendors selling everything you could want to finish yourBritish car project. The folks at Moss Motors, led by East Coast Manager, JoeCapela, donated door prizes and even mounted a fashion show!

Clubs from Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, andConnecticut were represented at Britfest, and even the MG Car Club of Englandhad their Overseas Coordinator, Nick Cox, on hand to promote greater coopera-tion between our two countries.

Numerous awards were presented at 3:00 p.m. after which Kurt Nagl and Idrove our ’74 MGB along with Ken Olszewski in his ’73 MGB along the beautifulback roads of New Jersey and Maryland the 200 miles to Baltimore anticipatingBritfest ‘97.”

Out and Aboutwith Moss!Happenings in Our OwnBackyard and Aroundthe Country!

Grant Dunning returns to the paddock in ”Triumph”!

Nick Cox and Joe Capela

Show cars at Buttonwillow.

The car show field at “MG ’96”.

Moss ECF Boutique!

Britfest—A diverse display of cars.

FALL 1996 • 15

• MOSS “OPEN HOUSE” in GoletaAlso in April Moss California hosted British cars and their

owners to an ‘Open House’ at their newly completed Goletafacility. As the move from Hollister Avenue took most of thewinter, this was an ideal opportunity for visitors to see theenormous changes made to ensure better service for our cus-tomers. Special arrangements were made with the GoletaValley Community Center, our next door neighbors, to accom-modate all the cars expected to attend while the Goleta Boys’Club provided refreshments and wonderful tri-tip steaks forthe enjoyment of the visitors.

Many great bargains were to be had at the ever-popularMoss swap meet, which proved a great attraction. Also popu-lar were the tours of the new facility including the Mossmachine shop, where manager Bob Consoli explained theworkings to attentive British car owners. A low key popularvote car show rounded out the proceedings held under sunnyskies albeit a little windy! • BUTTONWILLOW

The Moss Extravaganza at Buttonwillow Raceway wasnext up and here for the first time we were able to combinea full vintage race meeting with a popular vote car show.Organized by Dan Longacre, a racer himself, the wholeweekend proved that where British cars are concerned it’sthe people which really count. Over one hundred cars tookpart in the club displays and a complement of 160 racecars provided the entertainment on the track. Non-sport-ing enthusiasts were able to take track tours before thesuperb barbecue on Saturday evening. While people dined,a great flying display was provided by a local farmer in hisPitts Special, who at one time was world aerobatics cham-pion! Karaoke champions then took the stage making fora very late but entertaining night!

• “MG ’96”The Mossmobile then made its way to Indianapolis

where what had to be the largest ever gathering of a singleBritish Sportscar marque assembled for “MG ’96”.

(Please turn to page 21)

Moss Open House in Goleta.Britfest.

Britfest.

Charles Kimball’s 1965 Mini at Buttonwillow.

16 • MOSS MOTORING

You’d think that a car as small asan MGA would be easy to park,even in a large city like San

Francisco. While that’s generally true,sometimes you can’t find a place on thestreet that’s big enough, and you haveto park in a commercial garage. Theother day that happened to me and Ihad to leave the MG in such a garagewhile a friend and I did some shopping.We weren’t gone very long and as usualit seemed to take longer to pack the MGthan to buy the stuff. Finally, we head-ed out to the parking attendant’s booth.I gave him the parking stub.

“That’ll be a dollar twenty-five.”I pulled out my wallet, and discov-

ered that I only had a twenty, so I hand-ed it to him.

“Sorry. I don’t have that muchchange. You’ll have to go upstairs andget some change.”

No way am I going to back downthe garage ramp, go upstairs three lev-els to a shop, have them break a twen-ty, come back down and end up payingfor additional parking. I suggested thathe should get the change, since it wasreasonable to expect that he should beable to make change for a twenty, espe-cially on a Saturday morning.

“Nope, I’m not allowed to leavethe booth and no one else is workingthis morning.”

OK. Wait a minute here, along withassorted pens and pencils, candy barwrappers and the like, the MGA’s doorshold a lot of change for bridge tolls andparking meters. Just let me rummagethrough here for a minute...here wego...three quarters, a dime, four nickelsand twenty pennies. There!

“I can’t accept all those pennies.Sorry.”

“What do you mean, you can’taccept pennies? They’re regular US of A,In God We Trust, money. What’s wrongwith them?”

“It’s the rules. We aren’t allowed totake pennies. The bank only takes themif they are rolled up.”

Well, roll them up then. That isn’tmy problem, that’s yours. The penniesare legal tender. You don’t have anychoice about taking them.

“Nope. Pennies are only for pay-ing taxes and odd amounts. I don’thave to take pennies for a dollartwenty-five.”

Pennies are not only for taxes.They are for anything, and we don’thave any other change in the car.Besides, it’s a state law that a mer-chant must accept coins for payment,up to fifty of each kind of coin. Youhave to take the pennies.

“I’m not supposed to take pennies.It’s the rules.”

Where’s the manager. I’d like totalk to the manager and see just howinflexible these rules are.

“Boss isn’t in today. I’m it.”I’ll say. Hey, look at this tempera-

ture gauge. The MGA is going to fry upjust sitting here.

“Too bad. No pennies. I can’t takepennies. Go on upstairs for somechange.”

No, I think I’ll switch off the carand wait here. There! Why don’t you goand get the change that you shouldhave had in the first place?

“I can’t leave the booth. Hey, peo-ple are starting to back up behind you.”

I’ve got all day, now. You know, itreally is the law that you have to takeup to fifty of any sort of coin-evenpennies.

“No way. I’m not supposed to—it’sthe rules.”

I guess we’ll just sit until someonecomes and relieves you, then.

By this time there are about half adozen cars behind us and people arestarting to honk. My friend volunteersto go and get the necessary change, butI refuse to even consider it. We sitawhile, and then see a cop go by. Idecide to go out and flag him down tosee if he can convince the attendant toaccept the pennies.

Hey, Officer!“Yes?”

The parking attendant in this garageand I have a problem that we can’t seemto resolve. He won’t accept my moneybecause I want to pay him in coins.

“Let’s go see the attendant. Whywon’t you take this man’s money?”

“I’m not allowed to take pennies.It’s the rules.”

Officer, there is a state law that amerchant must accept coins for pay-ment, up to fifty of each denomination.There are only twenty pennies here.

“Just a moment.”The cop had evidently never heard

of the law, because he went outside touse his radio as if he were going tocheck. At least everyone stopped honk-ing when they saw the cop. After aminute or two, he got back on the radio,and then came back to the parkingattendant’s booth.

“Gentleman’s right. You have totake the money.”

I dumped the coins on the guy’scounter and then went back to each ofthe cars lined up behind the MGA. ThenI got back into the car and drove underthe barricade while the attendant wasstill complaining to the cop.

My friend wanted to know what Isaid to all those people. Did I apologizeto them?

Not exactly. I told them the troublewas the booth guy didn’t have enoughchange. I also said that he especiallyneeded pennies!

PARKING By Peter Jacobsen

FALL 1996 • 17

We hope you’ve all been takinglots of great photos becauseonce again it’s time to enter

our popular annual photo contest.Even if you’ve not taken that winningshot yet, there’s still time as we are giv-ing you until October 31 to get yourentries to us.

We had some wonderful picturessent us last year and the judging wasextremely difficult. However, we’vepersuaded a new set of judges to pickthe best this time. Once again the sub-ject is British cars and the activitiesassociated with them. We always getlots of the standard three-quartersfront shot but the judges will be look-ing a little deeper for that little bit offlair, the human touch, even a senseof humor!

The rules remain the same asalways. Each amateur photographermay submit up to three entries and theauthors of the winning pictures willreceive valuable Moss Gift Certificatesin addition to having their photosappear in the pages of Moss Motoring.So, now to the fine print:

1. All entries must be receivedno later than OCTOBER 31, 1996.

2. Each entry must be the origi-nal, unpublished work of theentrant.

3. Entries will be judged on thebasis of content, appropriatenessand skill.

4. The contest is limited to colorprints or black and white pho-tographs only. Entries should beno smaller than 5”x7” nor largerthan 11”x14”. Glossy prints arepreferred. We regret that we can-not accept slides, transparencies orcolor photocopies for this contest.

5. Each individual entry MUST

be labeled with the entrant’sname and address and we suggestthat you attach a separate labelto the reverse side of the print.Please do not write on either theback paper or the emulsion sideof the print.

6. All entries become the prop-erty of Moss Motors for theirexclusive use and NO ENTRIESWILL BE RETURNED.

7. If there are recognizable per-sons in your entry, a signedrelease must accompany theentry. If a release is impossible toobtain, a note of explanationwould be appreciated.

It might be best if you mark theenvelope containing your entries:“Please do not bend”. We aren’t wor-ried about our local mail person butwhat happens at your end is out ofour control!

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU...One FIRST PRIZE of a $200.00gift certificate.

One SECOND PRIZE of a $125.00gift certificate.

One THIRD prize of a $100.00gift certificate.

Six HONORABLE MENTIONS willreceive a $50.00 gift certificate.

All entrants to the contest willreceive a $5.00 gift certificate and a10% off voucher for use againstfuture orders.

We look forward to receiving yourentries between now and October 31.Once the contest has been judged, thewinners will be announced in theSpring 1997 issue of Moss Motoring.

THE 1996 MOSS MOTORINGPHOTO CONTEST

1962 MGA MkII Roadster—Beautifulcar with the following professionallyrestored: Original 1622cc engine/trans(with less than 500 miles), suspension,front/rear brakes, electrics, heater, seats,dash and more. Mechanically perfect,excellent driver. Needs minor cosmetics.$11,000 obo. (609)890-1980, NJ

1969 MGC—Primrose w/Black interior.New clutch, wire wheels, overdrive.Good Condition. $8000. (512)949-1345(h), or (512)949-6899 (w), TX19741⁄2 MGB GT—Blue, rubber bumper,sunroof, body and mechanics immacu-late. Last year for GT in North America.Needs driver! $4500 obo. (802)223-2862, VT1977 MGB Roadster—Original whitepaint with black top. 43,000 miles. Newwheels, tires, seat covers. Interior needsa little work. $2300 obo. (702)735-3582, NV1979 MGB—16,500 original miles. IncaYellow with black interior. This car is asit left the showroom complete withoriginal tires and originally installed 8-track tape player. $8500 obo. (???)267-3843 (h), (???)357-8468 (w), KS1950 Riley Saloon—Autumn Red andbeige. Interior is totally wood, wool andtan leather. Restored to 1953 mechani-cal specs. (Full hydraulics and shellbearings.) Have all original hardware.Consistent show winner with several‘Best of Show’ awards. $15,000 firm.(407)886-3347, FL1974 Triumph TR6—Totally restored.Red with black interior. No rust.Originality maintained. $8500 firm.(805)836-8529, CA

Classic-Fied Ads

Continued from Page 7

BobSchallerPasses OnWe regret torecord the passingof yet anotherBritish car stal-wart, BobSchaller, the“Grand Old Man”of Triumph. Bob,

a long-time member and technicaladvisor of the Desert Centre TriumphRegister of America, was renowned fortraveling the country in his TR2 fromcoast to coast. He was the recipient of awell-deserved “Triumph Enthusiast ofthe Year Award” from Moss Motorsback in 1991. He will be sadly missedby all members of the Triumph fraterni-ty and we extend our deepest condo-lences to Bob’s family.

18 • MOSS MOTORING

LIGHTING SWITCH

Several months ago I started my TR6one evening and tried to turn on thelights. The rocker switch did not

respond as it should and since the lightsdid not work, the TR6 did not make thetrip that evening.

I called my friendly Moss sales rep-resentative, Cody, and asked him toship a new lighting switch UPS, whichtogether with a few other items Ireceived a day or two later.

Prior to staring the repair job, thepositive battery cable should be discon-nected. Although it is a tight fit for thehands, one can reach up under thedashboard and feel the lighting switchfrom the backside and it appeared thatit was installed in a press-fit manner.After some wiggling, it became appar-ent that the switch was not going tocome loose.

From the woodshop I retrieved atack remover and a small piece of 1⁄8”hardboard which was then placedbetween the tool and the wooden dash-board to avoid marring the surface. Thetack remover was then slipped underthe edge of the escutcheon which sur-rounded the switch. All of the wigglingfrom the rear had loosened theescutcheon a sufficient amount so thatthe leading edge of the tack removercould be inserted. There was also aclamp-type fixture holding the switch inplace, but the clamp was not doing itsjob very well and the switch was easilypried out of the dashboard.

The old and the new switches werecompared and the terminals werefound not to be in the same place. Thewires were marked for placement on theappropriate terminal and thenremoved from the old switch. At thispoint it appeared that this would be arelatively simple repair—this was farfrom the truth!.

The wires were then stuffed backthrough the hole so that theywould be behind the dash-board. The new switch wastried in the hole and was

found to be too large, so both switcheswere again closely compared. The faceof both switches was the same but thebody of the new switch was somewhatlarger than the old one. Under a goodlight I discovered that the old switch wasmanufactured by “Clear Hooters” whilethe replacement switch was a “Lucas”brand.

The wooden dashboard is fitted overa steel dash panel and while the hole inthe wood was large enough to acceptthe Lucas switch, the steel dash panelwas sized to accept the Clear Hootersswitch.

After looking at the rectangularhole for what seemed like a lifetime, Idecided that I really did not wish toremove the wooden dash so that thesteel hole could be enlarged. So Ichucked up a small, cone-shapedgrinding stone in my 1⁄4” drill. Afterensuring that all the wires were wellout of the way, the stone was insertedinto the hole and with extreme care, soas not to mar the wooden dash, Ibegan grinding.

The diameter of the stone was smallenough so that it did not contact thewooden dash but was large enough togrind out the steel dash panel. After fourshort periods of grinding the Lucasswitch was placed into the hole and it fitperfectly! The wires were connected andthe new switch pressed into place whereit now works perfectly.

(This switch was the subject of a recallcampaign #A444 by British Leyland, inMay of 1978. The Clear Hooters switch wasnotoriously unreliable and was replaced bythe Lucas one. In the recall campaign B.L.even produced a special tool to be used bydealers when installing the new Lucasswitch which cut the metal layers simplyand without damaging the adjacent areas.The tool was supplied free of charge to thedealer!—Eric Wilhelm)

TR6 Tech Tips By Paul H. Renico

FITTING AN OIL COOLER When faced with changing the

cartridge-type oil filter on my 1973TR6, I decided to install a spin-on fil-ter conversion kit. As long as this pro-ject was under consideration, whynot install an oil cooler? I ordered theparts from Moss and on the appoint-ed day I jacked up the TR6, removedthe old canister and drained the oil.

At that point I attempted toremove the canister from below thecar but was unable to clear obstruc-tions. I lowered the car from the jackand tried to remove the canister fromabove. Again, the canister could notbe removed due to obstructions inthe engine compartment.

To resolve this problem, the steer-ing column had to be disconnected atthe flexible coupling near the fire-wall. Prior to the removal of the boltsfrom the flexible coupling, their loca-tion should be marked so that thecoupling is re-assembled correctly.The flexible coupling is made of rub-ber and the steering column is usedas part of the grounding system forthe vehicle. Therefore a groundingstrap provides a continuous connec-tion around the coupling. To removethe bolts, it is necessary to remove thegrounding strap. It is doubtful thatyou will be able to reuse the strap butit is important that a grounding strapbe re-installed.

Installing the spin-on adapter isrelatively straight forward. There aretwo rubber gaskets provided and asmall piece of plasti-gauge to ensurethe proper gasket is used. If theadapter leaks oil profusely, chancesare the wrong gasket was used. Oncethe spin-on filter adapter is properlyinstalled, the steering column can bere-assembled.

When installing the oil cooleryou will notice that the TR6 has asheet metal pan in front of the(water) radiator that is pre-drilled toaccept the oil cooler radiator. Toaccess this area it is necessary toremove the fiberboard air duct that islocated over the top of the (water)radiator. After installation of the oilcooler radiator, the flexible lines maybe run between the fiberboard airdeflector and the (water) radiator. Toachieve proper cooling of the engine,the air duct and air deflector need tobe re-installed in their approximateoriginal locations.

Installation of an oil coolerassists in maintaining oil pressureand should assist in prolonging thelife of your engine. It is a piece ofequipment well worth the price.

FALL 1996 • 19

Joss Browning, who comes fromYorkshire, England, and LidiaDefranchi, who hails from Chile, are

driving a 1957 Morris Minor throughthe USA on the last leg of a journey thatbegan in England in 1990. The Minorwas driven through Europe, Africa(crossing the Sahara Desert!) India,Nepal, and Australia, before beingshipped to Buenos Aires.

From there the car was driven toTierra del Fuego to begin the long haulnorth to Canada. Eventually, the Minorwill be shipped back to the UK fromCanada, to complete the circumnaviga-tion and is scheduled to be exhibited inthe National Motor Museum atBeaulieu. Joss is the second driver, hav-ing joined the car in Australia, in Chilehe met Lidia, and they have been trav-eling together since South America.

On April 28, 1995, they crossedfrom El Salvador toGuatemala and in the lateafternoon started to search forsomewhere to camp...

“It was 5:00 p.m. and wehad an hour of daylight to findsomewhere quiet, flat, and safeto camp. We tried to find apiece of ground near an occu-pied house where we couldgain some measure of protec-tion. Hunting in the dark is badnews. Fear and suspicion pro-duce a variety of negativeresponses, ‘You’ll have waituntil my husband gets back’,‘I’d love to, but the boss isn’there ’till tomorrow’, or ‘Ihaven’t got the key to the gate’.

If we ask a person on the street,they direct us to the local soccer pitch,or police station...No thanks!

Just after passing throughJalpatagua, there was an open ranchgate on the left. We slowed down andscuttled in. The writing on the wroughtiron gate declared that we had arrivedat ‘Concastle’ which meant nothing tous, but two seconds later we bothgasped. Over on the right, lurking in thelong grass beneath some mango trees,was the green, battered, abandonedtwin of the car we were driving. A mid-’50s, four-door Morris Minor! Lidia’stheory of guiding angels received a sig-nificant boost!

We stopped in front of a long,ranch house porch, and called out agreeting. A woman in her late twentiescame out of the door, ducked beneaththe hammock in which a sleeping childgently swayed, and listened to ouropening gambit.

‘Of course,’ she interrupted, as I gotto the bit about it being dangerous to

camp by the road, ‘over there if youlike, my husband’s not back yet but hewon’t mind.’

Delighted, we parked behind thelonely ‘Moggie’ and pitched the collec-tion of sun-bitten nylon, jammed zips,Lidia-knitted guy ropes and sewn-together Honduran Army ponchos, thatwe call a tent.

Border days are always a strain,though this one had been easier thanmany; only 30 Quetzals ($5.45) to payfor the car crossing and nothing forour personal visas. Lidia only got avisa for 30 days as opposed to minewhich was for 90 days. She had theusual battle about why they treatEuropeans better than their fellowAmericans. To no avail!

‘It’s no problem to renew it,’ theofficial, eager to dismiss us, lied merri-ly, ‘just go to Immigration inGuatemala City.’

One month later we did, but that’sanother story!

The official’s boss, a friendlywoman, came over after some discus-sion on Lidia’s residential qualificationsand said, ‘They’re professional travel-ers, stamp her passport.’

So he did.Tired, but happy to have a home

for the night, we skipped cooking andsettled for eating the potatoes, alreadybaked in the chicken-wire basket I havearranged around the exhaust manifold(takes about 2 hours!). Lidia disap-peared into the tent, and I sat myselfbeneath the rear spotlight to continue aletter I had started.

By 9:00 p.m., three hours afterdark, my writing energy was falling andI was getting tired of the insects whocouldn’t decide if I or the lamp was thegreater attraction! There really was animpressive display of moths, mothlets,flying ants and sort of half-sized cock-roaches. The most beautiful was an‘esperanza’ a kind of green cricket, with

long wings folded like two privet leaves.‘Esperanza’ means ‘hope’ in Spanish,and seeing one is supposed to bringgood fortune.

When I saw that an optimistic spi-der had already run its first thread, fromthe Minor to the top of my head, I decid-ed that bedtime had come, but I wasn’tthe only one watching this scene...

‘Buenas noches,’ called out a malevoice from some distance behind me,out in the darkness, ‘en que puedoservirle?’ Although these would havebeen the exact words of a friendly shopassistant, ‘good evening, how may Iserve you?’ the tone of voice translatedit more like, ‘Hi, what the hell are youdoing here?’

I stood up and turned around withmy back to the car lamp, thinking ofmy felling-axe handle which hadserved me well against a 2:30 a.m.knife-toting assailant in Ecuador—then

I remembered it was 15 feetaway by the driver’s seat.‘Buenos noches,’ I called intothe gloom. I could see alantern moving through thetrees, and then, five men com-ing out of the shadows in asemi-circle around me. I thenbecame glad that the felling-axe handle wasn’t in myhands, for all the men werecarrying automatic rifles. Itwas also a great relief to seethat none of the weapons werepointing at me!The leader was a broad-shoul-dered, handsome young man,and the only one I could seeclearly. He accepted my

offered hand.‘Buenos noches.’‘Buenos noches,’ after which I

rapidly explained, who, what, which,when and how.

He relaxed, and the men came clos-er, now more curious than ever. Ourhandsome friend was ‘Alejandro’, thechief administrator.

‘We didn’t know you were here,’ hetold me, ‘and we saw through the trees,that the old car, dead for years, hadapparently tonight, come back to life,with lights blazing! At first we could seeno one around! The car belonged to aman who was fired from here, eightyears ago, for rustling. We’re just gladyou’re not some kind of phantom!’

‘I hope not,’ I laughed. ‘Anyway,’Alejandro said, ‘You’ll be safe here, wekeep an eye out all night.’ We chattedfor a few more minutes, then said good-night after which I retired to the tent

(We will continue Joss’ and the MorrisMinor’s adventures in our next issue.—Ed.)

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MONTHS!by Joss Browning

20 • MOSS MOTORING

“The One That Didn’t Get Away”.

Every sport has its “immaculatereception,” its “hole in one”, orits “one that got away.” Vintage

racing is no exception. Most vintageracers or restorers are always lookingfor that elusive, perfect condition,thirty-year-old Jim Clark Lotus orGroup 44 Triumph.

Most of us go our whole lives look-ing for that needle in a haystack. Few, ifany, ever find it. Well, about a monthago, my buddy Bill Berman called meand started in on one of his crazy sto-ries. “There’s this guy about seven oreight miles north of here—I don’t knowexactly where—that’s got the very firstXKE Jaguar ever brought into this coun-try,” he said.

“Bill, I’m really toobusy and don’t need aJaguar,” I nicely butfirmly explained.“Maybe in a couple ofweeks I could help youfind it.” He followedwith, “Well, I thinkthere was some kind ofold Triumph race car inthe garage, too.”

“What are youwaiting for, Bill?” Iblurted. “Can you leavework right now?!” Offwe went, knowing littlemore than what side ofthe twenty-mile-longstreet the house was on.And lo and behold, wefound it—despite Bill’sprotests that it couldn’tbe the right house(“Damn it, Bill, howmany houses have adecrepit old Jag stickingout of the garage? Thishas got to be it!”).

Then Bill, my sonTommy, and I, cautiously eased up tothe house. Before we got to the door, aman of about sixty-five years of agecame out to see what we were up to. Weintroduced ourselves and the magazineand explained our quest.

He thought we were crazy, but helet us peek in the garage anyway. Underthe twenty-five years’ worth of dust andstored junk, we could discern theJaguar—and behind it, way in the cor-ner, was the faint outline of somethingcar-like. The late-afternoon sun waswaning, but I could determine that I

was looking at some type of old racer. Itwas completely covered with every typeof garage trash imaginable.

I started removing papers from thecar, then stopped suddenly as I realizedwhat it was I was removing. I don’tknow what shocked me more—what Iwas removing from the car, or whattype of car I was unearthing as Iremoved the stuff. This so-called stuffwas race weekend posters, magazinesand other race trivia from the early six-ties! I was in heaven. What I wasunearthing was a 1957 Triumph TR3endurance race car. The owner then toldme that my prize—which had beentaken off the road in 1972—had won itsclass at the Daytona Continental in1964 and in 1965, and had finished sec-ond in 1963.

“Yeah, right,” I thought as I lis-

tened to the incredible story thatwent with the forlorn Triumph. Butwhen I got the roll bar uncovered, Ifound the tech sticker from the 1964race still in place. The drivers’names, car numbers, endurance fueltank and marker lights were also stillintact. Race results, photos, and orig-inal FIA homologation papers still inthe envelope—and postmarked justweeks before the 1963 race—con-firmed the find.

I was awestruck. Could this be? Wasthis to be my own immaculate reception?

For a bonafide Triumph freak and a certi-fied vintage racing enthusiast, this waslike getting a double date with SharonStone and Julia Roberts, with MichellePfeiffer thrown in as a chaperone!

Reality hit quickly, though: This carwas still a long way from my garage.Would he want to sell it? And at whatprice would he want to sell it?

“Here we go again,” I thought,“another mad man.” I had heard theirstories before: Yeah, he didn’t want tosell it and if he did, it was probablyworth at least $25,000…Yeah, he wasgoing to start restoring it just any oldday now…

As we got back in the van anddrove away, I leaned over andsmacked Bill. “Thanks for ruining myday—no, my whole damned month.” Icouldn’t believe how close I came and

how far away I still was. I was thor-oughly dejected.

About a month later, I got up thenerve for one more round of rejection. Icalled up Mr. Triumph, and told him Iwanted to show him some photos andtrivia that I had dug up on the car. Heinvited me over. Again I loaded Bill andmy son in the van and we headednorth. This time, however, I found a dif-ferent Mr. Triumph. He had decided thathe probably wouldn’t really have thetime to restore it, and it was kind of ashame to have such an important and

DAYTONA CONTINENTAL RACE WINNINGTRIUMPH UNEARTHED... Story and Photo by Tim Suddard

FALL 1996 • 21

original Triumph race car just rust-ing away in the back of a barn.

So for a sum of less than one-fourth his original estimate, thepaperwork changed hands and weloaded up the car, collected the relat-ed artifacts and took old number 43to its new home.

It now sits happily (spelled warmand dry) in GRM’s workshop, whereit awaits a ground-up restorationback to the exact way it was raced in1963.

Oh, as for the very first E-typeever brought into this country? It’sstill sitting there, waiting to becomesome E-Type enthusiast’s “one thatdidn’t get away!”

GRASSROOTS MOTORSPORTPROJECT CAR UPDATE

Work has begun (slowly) on thisone. A complete restoration isinevitable, but this two-timeDaytona Continental winning (1964-1965) car is so original that we aretaking it real slow and easy. The firststep will be to get it running, drivingand back on the original wire wheelsthat it raced on so that it can be dis-played and played with at Britishand vintage racing events.

A new engine is being lovinglyprepared by the now infamousTriumph guru, J.K. Jackson ofTallahassee, Florida.

In the meantime GrassrootsMotorsports is building and writingstories on a 1978 Triumph Spitfirethat has been converted over toMazda rotary power. This fun littlecar will remain streetable, but willhave over 200 horsepower from anElectromotive fuel injected 13Brotary running through a MazdaRX7 five-speed transmission and sec-ond generation Mazda rearendmounted to modified GT6 Rotoflexrear suspension.

1200 MGs of all types met togetherfor four hectic days during which own-ers were kept busy with a wide variety ofactivities. Whether it was visits to a rac-ing shop or seminars on vintage racing,preparing for show or a technicalinspection of your MG—it was all here.A huge car show at the Ropke ArmorMuseum featured both popular voteand concours classes for all types ofAbingdon’s finest.

Highlight of the meet had to be theunique opportunity for all the MGs todrive the famous “Brickyard” Indy cir-cuit. This happening was followed byan assembly of over one thousand MGsfor a giant panoramic photograph onthe infield of the speedway.

Visitors arrived from around theworld for this first-ever gathering spon-sored and organized by the major NorthAmerican MG Clubs and Registers, whofor once forgave their individual con-ventions and meets, to make this a oncein a lifetime happening! We ourselvesspoke to visitors from England,Germany, Holland, Australia,Switzerland and New Zealand plusmany of our Canadian friends.

The closing banquet at the famousIndianapolis Zoo saw over 1600 peopleenjoy an excellent repast, all agreeingthat this event should be held maybeevery five years. We reckon it will takethe organizers that long to catch theirbreath—they did a superb job!

VINTAGE TRIUMPH REGISTER CONVENTION

On the to the Vintage TriumphRegister Convention at Albany in upperNew York where the enthusiasm was noless fervent that shown at Indy. Manyfine examples of the Coventry classicswere on display and enjoyed a full pro-gram of activities. Once again the orga-nizers, the Adirondack TriumphAssociation undertook a difficult job intheir stride especially when the carshow due to be held at a local park hadto be relocated due to severe inclementweather—the result of HurricaneBertha! Undeterred, the show wasmoved to a couple of hotels and noth-ing seemed to dampen the spirits ofthese Triumph enthusiasts.

However, most attendees hadenjoyed glorious weather in the threedays prior to the storm during whichthey took part in numerous seminars,tours, river boat trips and a fantasticautocross at a local mall. This particu-lar convention of the Vintage TriumphRegister was dedicated to the memoryof the late Dennis Riley who passedaway after serving as Chairman of theVTR for the past five years.

A happy/sad occasion at which wewere also delighted to meet with KenRichardson’s son, Paul, who showed afascinating selection of vintage colortransparencies.

Out and About with Moss!

Continued from Page 15

Britfest, 1996 Official Sign-In Sheet?

For a bonafideTriumph freak and a

certified vintage racing enthusiast,

this was like getting adouble date with

Sharon Stone andJulia Roberts, with

Michelle Pfeifferthrown in as a chaperone!

22 • MOSS MOTORING

Have you got a great time-saving idea or tool thatcan help out other British car owners? Send it tous! If we publish your idea in Moss Motoring you’ll

be eligible for a $35.00 Moss Motors Gift Certificate! Sendyour ideas to Technical Editor, Moss Motoring, 440Rutherford Street, Goleta, California, 93117.

I recently bought a 1957 Austin Healey 100-6 thathad not been driven in almost ten years. Upon checkingthe fluids, I could not see the steering gearbox oil level. Iadded the recommended 90 wt oil, only to discover thatall of it was on the garage floor the next morning!

When I inspected the gearbox it was obvious thatthe oil had leaked past the seal on top of the shaftattached to the steering lever. From the diagram in theshop manual, replacement of the seal appeared to bea simple task so I went to my local British parts dealerto order a new seal.

When I told him what I wanted to do, he told methat in order to replace the seal I would have toremove the steering wheel, radiator and front grille,pull the steering column out through the front of thecar, and disassemble the gearbox! This sounded likemore than I wanted to handle and our resident Britishcar mechanic told me that to do the job professional-ly, would be tricky and difficult and take the betterpart of five hundred green ones!

Well, I had to think about this one and necessitybeing the mother of invention I came up with a creativeand very inexpensive solution to the problem. I removedthe oil filler plug from the gearbox and made a new oneout of a bolt. I then drilled a hole through the bolt,threaded it and installed a grease fitting. I inserted thisnew plug, loosened another bolt for pressure relief, andpumped extremely high quality automotive grease intothe gearbox until it was full. Since the grease is muchmore viscous than the 90 wt oil, it can’t leak out!

Years ago, this solution would not have been such agood idea, but today’s high-tech greases last much longerand can withstand both high and low temperatureextremes. I’ve been driving the car now for about sixmonths, and it handles well even in cold weather.

Prior to proceeding with my solution, I discussed theidea with two professional British car mechanics and oneknowledgeable amateur, and none of them could findanything wrong with the idea. I’m also inclined to thinkthat this type of steering gear is not unique to the AustinHealey, so I hope my solution might save money for own-ers of other British cars.

—Charlie Kaufmann, Wilmington, Delaware

Need an easy way to inventory parts when you startgetting too many piles, cans, and boxes full of things thatyou don’t even remember removing? Or your labeling ofparts gets to be too big of a job, trying to write descriptionsof what part is which and where it came from?

Use your Moss catalog for a two part numbering sys-tem. With all the excellent exploded views of each sub-assembly and with each part being numbered, all youneed to do is mark each part with the page number andthen the Moss part number from the diagram.

Not every part can be indexed like this, but mostof them can, and it sure beats trying to make labelsthat name each part, describe it and explains where itcame from!

—Doug Sampson, Des Moines, Iowa

I found it difficult to drive out the bushes inside theouter steering column of my TR6 because they lie soclose to each end of the column and it’s difficult to drivea bushing out from the inside. These bushings are heldin place by friction and small rubber buttons that pro-trude out from small holes in the outer column. Itbecomes easier if the first bushing can be pulled out thenthe second bushing can be driven out with a pipe thatfits inside the column.

I decided to use one of those drywall anchor boltswith the flip-out wings. These are normally used toanchor objects to drywall when there’s only empty spacebehind. I saw a three inch one on my workbench anddecided to use it as a home made bushing puller!

The basic principle is to insert the anchor down thecolumn until the wings expand and grip the back side ofthe bushing. The wings may need to be cut to fit the insidewidth of the column. The next step is to place a largewasher over the end of the column with a hole smallenough, that the bolt head will not slip through. I cut therubber buttons out with a utility knife so the bushingwould slide out easier. Also, a little WD40 will help thiseffort. Just turn with a large screwdriver and the bushingwill slowly slide out. The opposite bushing can then bedriven out with an appropriately-sized pipe. Be carefulwith the steering column as it is aluminum and seemssomewhat fragile. The following diagram might be morehelpful than my previous verbiage!

—Gary Nafziger, Wellman, Iowa

When attempting to check the differential and tran-ny fluids of a newly acquired TR6, I found that EmperorKong (the King’s Big Brother!) had tightened the fill plugs.

After rounding off the formerly square cornerswith every grasping tool in my large repertoire thelight came on!

Remembering that I had two new plugs available inmy parts inventory, I drilled 11⁄32” holes horizontallythrough the problem plug heads (across the flats) inserteda center punch, gave the punch a sharp rap counter-clockwise with a mallet and—success times two!

What a feeling of satisfaction we have when wedefeat even one of the small demons we encounter in thecare and feeding of our beloved British babies.

—Glenn A. Turner, Forth Worth, Texas(Our tech guru, Eric Wilhelm says, better yet—buy a 7⁄16”

eight point socket!)

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FALL 1996 • 23

On a weekend not so long ago, acouple of very close Healeyfriends and I got together to

swap transmissions. Sounds simple,doesn’t it? And I really mean swap! Wewere going to replace the very wornsynchro side-shift tranny in our newslet-ter editor’s early MkII tri-carb with avery good center-shifter from my laterMkII. I have had another center-shifterrebuilt and waiting in the wings literal-ly for years to replace the one we pulledout a few weeks ago. While the events ofthe day didn’t work out the way we hadplanned, they did provide me with theidea for this article and I’ll come back tothe tranny swap another time.

The only complaint I had about mycenter-shifter was that the reverse shiftfork had too light a spring on thereverse lockout mechanism. Thisallowed me to creep over into thereverse area when I was looking for firstor second. My wife was particularlyannoyed with this phenomena so muchso that she had basically refused todrive the beast. So, once the box was outof the car, I replaced the reverse shiftfork with another used one whosereverse check mechanism worked cor-rectly. Why hadn’t I done this in 1978when I last rebuilt the gearbox?Because, back then and even to thisday, you can’t buy new shift forks forany of our Austin-Healey transmissions.But as the years went by, I was able tofind suitable used parts and hadlearned the secret techniques of repair-ing them so that the shift patternbecomes once again like new!

But before I share those secrets withyou, let me just say that it’s the center-shift transmission type fitted to laterMkII and all MkIII Austin-Healeys thatseem to eat up shift forks. The earlier

boxes use a more direct method of shift-ing where the center-shift ones havewhat is called a “remote control” mech-anism. Apparently, this remote control-type of shift lever causes excessive wearon the shift pattern machined into eachof the shift forks and hence the need forthe processes I’ll describe.

The shop manual simply says afterdismantling the gearbox completely, toinspect the shift forks and be sure thatthe fork faces that idle on the gear arenot worn away. Easy enough. If thetransmission hasn’t been abused, thefaces of the fork will not be worn appre-ciably. If they have, then if you can’tfind a good used one, it is possible tobraze on some more brass and then fileit back to the standard shape and thick-ness. How to determine the standardthickness? Measure the part that isn’tworn. There should always be enoughof the original machining to tell. As forthe shape, you may have to trial fit thefork in the box with the gear traininstalled to check that the fork idles onthe gear and does not jam it. Throughthis operation and the ones that follow,pretend you are a Supermarine Spitfiremechanic during the Battle of Britain.They usually didn’t have fancymachine tools and many parts weremade using just a file, a set of microm-eters or vernier calipers, and a chunk ofmetal. Yes, it takes time. But if you arecareful, you too can win the battle!

If you inspect the shift patternarea, about which the shop manual isquite silent, you will find that the lead-ing edges are all rounded off. Theremote control shifting mechanism hasdone this as the driver shifts from gearto gear. The more wear, the faster itcontinues to wear. Finally, the patternbecomes so vague that it’s possible toselect two gears at once and the trans-mission locks up. Not real fun! Toregain that old crisp pattern, you canbraze on some brass in the shift patternarea that has been rounded off and re-cut the original pattern with a file. Yes,this takes time and patience. But,falling back into old patterns ain’t abad thing here! It makes for much surershifts and many more miles of drivingpleasure. How do you determine howmuch brass to remove after brazing? Inalmost all cases, you can see evidenceof the original machining even afterbuilding up the edges with new brass.Using this as a guide, the selector levertang in the top cover should just beable to fit inside the pattern and passthrough it smoothly. The key here is toget sharp edges so the selector lever will

move across the shift pattern instead ofup and down the pattern in going fromgear to gear. Forward motion will justcomplicate the shift and lead to thatvague feeling we all don’t like aboutthese vintage transmissions.

Needless to say, the brazing opera-tion should be done by a competentwelder. Too much heat will destroy thefork. Too little will prevent the newbrass from adhering to the fork and

“THE NUT BEHIND THE WHEEL”Ron Phillips

(please see page 31)

HEALEY INTERNATIONAL 1997

Yes! We know that we haven’tgot this year over with yet butit’s not too early to start plan-

ning for one of the biggest Austin-Healey meets in recent years to takeplace next summer!

“Healey International ‘97” willbe hosted by the Bonneville Austin-Healey Club. Promised to be agathering of Healey lovers fromaround the world, the event takesplace in Park City, Utah fromAugust 10 to 14, 1997.

A special feature of the meetwill be a visit to the Bonneville SaltFlats where Donald Healey set amultitude of speed records, includ-ing his famous 203.11 mph run in1956. While visiting the Salt Flats aspecial birthday celebration will beheld for Roger Menadue, the manresponsible for building all theHealey Motor Company’s racingand record breaking cars.

In addition, plans call for avariety of Healey related activities,including concours and popularvote car shows, a TSD rally, anautocross, a funkhana and, specialfor this event, an uphill closedcourse slalom. Technical sessions,pinewood derby racing and muchmore comprise the program whichwill be centered around Park Citywith its beautiful mountainscenery and an ambiance notfound anywhere else.

Make plans to attend now, fur-ther details can be obtained from:Bonneville Austin-Healey Club,P.O. Box 25612, Salt Lake City,Utah 84215-0612.

24 • MOSS MOTORING

Ken Smith

As I write this, half the summer has alreadypassed. Time flies when you’re having Britishsports car fun!

Thanks to all of you who have taken the oppor-tunity to visit with us at the Mossmobile during thetime we have been traveling your part of the world.Each year we never cease to be astounded by thereception we get and we really appreciate yourwarm welcomes.

We have now finished the first leg of our ‘96Roadshow and look forward to meeting many moreof our friends at forthcoming British car events inBettendorf, Kansas City, Chicago, and Denver wherewe will be in attendance with the Mossmobile.

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSEEach and every passing year we see more and

more clubs raffling off a British sports car for one

good cause or another. While this is anadmirable exercise there are several aspectsof the organizing of such an event that canpresent problems if the organizers areunaware of them.

The MG Club of St. Louis have under-taken this exercise several times, their lastcar raffle raising $16,000 for charity. Wehave received from Robert Rushing of theMG Club of St. Louis an outline of the pro-cedures involved. Unfortunately it is toolong a feature to carry in a single issue ofMoss Motoring, but if any interested clubswould like a copy, please send us a largestamped self-addresses envelope and we’llgladly forward you a copy of this veryinteresting document.

ORGANIZING A CAR SHOW?One of the leading exponents of orga-

nizing shows is Susan Mason Mason, downthere in Alabama. Following the publica-tion some time ago in Moss Motoring of ourjoint feature on how to ruin your car show,Susan has now compiled a handy guide tothose of you contemplating such a project.Everything you ever wanted to know aboutcar shows and the logistics involved are con-tained within this fact-filled volume, whichcovers from start-up to clean-up after theshow is over. Available at modest cost directfrom the author at: 5 Leslie Court, Fairhope,Alabama 36532 or call (334)928-5366 forfurther details...and now to a serious note...

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTIt has come to our notice that certain

individuals and companies are using copy-righted Moss Motors artwork and logos ongoods and clothing being sold commercially.

We do not object to any of the writtenmaterial in Moss Motoring being used by rec-ognized car clubs provided the source isacknowledged. However, we do object toseeing our catalog covers and other artworkbeing displayed on T-shirts offered for sale!

Any further examples of this kind of “pirate” activity will bereferred to our legal department for action to be taken.

To those involved—cease and desist forthwith!

Through the Windscreen

Reformulated gasoline is now beingsold in many areas of the country.Questions regarding this new fuel

have been researched and answered byour friend and customer Dr. PeterGillespie, who holds advanced degreesin organic chemistry and metallurgy—perfect qualifications for dealing withthis subject. Peter will receive a MossMotors Gift Certificate for providing theinformation for this article.

What is reformulated gasoline?In very simplistic terms, reformu-

lated gasoline is gasoline in which pol-lution-producing high-octane aromat-ics are replaced with oxygenates. Itmay be considered a “second genera-tion” unleaded gasoline.

What are oxygenates?Oxygenates are just preused hydro-

carbons; they contain oxygen, whichcannot provide energy, but their highblending octane provides reasonableanti-knock value, making them goodsubstitutes for pollution-causing aro-matics such as benzene, toluene, andxylene. They may also reduce the smogforming tendencies of the exhaustgasses. Common oxygenates are:methanol, ethanol, methyl tertiarybutyl ether (MTBE), tertiary amylmethyl ether (TAME), and ethyl tertiarybutyl ether (ETBE).

Oxygenates are added to gasolineto reduce the reactivity of emissions,but they are effective only if thehydrocarbon fractions (HC) of thebase fuel are carefully modified to uti-lize the octane enhancing and volatil-ity properties of the oxygenates. If thehydrocarbon fractions are not correct-ly modified, oxygenates can increasethe undesirable smog-forming andtoxic emissions. Oxygenates do notnecessarily reduce all individualexhaust toxins, nor are they intendedto. For example, it has been reportedthat reformulated gasoline can causeslight increase in aldehyde and nitro-gen oxides emissions.

Oxygenates have significantly dif-ferent physical properties than hydro-carbons, and the levels that can beadded to gasoline are controlled by theEPA, with waivers being granted forsome combinations. The change toreformulated gasoline requires oxy-genates, but also that the hydrocarboncomposition must be significantlymore modified than the existing oxy-genated gasoline to reduce unsatu-rates, volatility, benzene, and the reac-tivity of emissions.

Oxygenatesthat are added togasoline functionin two ways. Theycan replace highoctane aromaticsin the fuel whichare responsible fordisproportionateamounts of car-bon monoxideand unburnedh y d r o c a r b o nexhaust emis-sions. Oxygenatesalso cause engineswithout sophisti-cated engine man-agement systemsto move to thelean side of stoichiometry (the theoreti-cally correct air-fuel ratio), thus reduc-ing these emissions. Two percent oxygencan reduce CO by 16% and HC by 10%.

Oxygen in the fuel cannot con-tribute energy, consequently oxygenat-ed fuel has less energy content. For thesame efficiency and power output,more fuel has to be burned, and theslight improvements in efficiency thatoxygenates provide on some enginesusually do not completely compensatefor the added oxygen.

Will oxygenated gasoline damagemy vehicle?

Unless your vehicle was designed tooperate on unleaded gasoline, damagesuch as valve seat recession may occurwith reformulated gasoline at a fasterrate than with earlier formulations ofunleaded fuel. The mechanism of valveseat recession is the transfer of minuteiron particles from exhaust valve seatsto the exhaust valve faces, in whichthey become imbedded. When thesesurfaces come in contact, the abrasiveiron particles grind away the seat, andeven more iron particles are transferred.This erosion of the valve seat causes thehead of the valve to recede deeper intothe cylinder head. This not only upsetsthe gas flow, but reduces the valve clear-ance, resulting in difficult starting, poorrunning, increased fuel consumption,and potential engine damage. If yourexhaust valve clearances keep tighten-ing up, suspect valve seat recession. SAEtest reports have shown that enginesrun at low speed (under 2500 rpm),light load, and cool engine temperature(160-1800F) show very little evidence ofthis problem when run on unleadedfuel. However, an increase in any ofthese three conditions can lead to rapid

acceleration of valve seat erosion.Hardened valve seat inserts and stellite-faced exhaust valves will prevent valveseat recession under even arduous con-ditions. The stellite valves may advan-tageously be used by themselves if thevalve seats have not recessed.

Damage should not occur in vehi-cles designed for unleaded gasoline ifthe reformulated gasoline used is cor-rectly formulated, and the appropriateoctane grade is used. In the first year ofmandated oxygenates, it appears thatsome refiners did not carefully formu-late their oxygenated gasoline, and dri-vability and emissions problemsoccurred. Most brands are now careful-ly formulated to avoid these problems.Some older activated carbon canistersmay not function efficiently with oxy-genated gasoline, but this is a functionof the type of carbon used.

Because oxygenated fuel has lessenergy content than “traditional” gaso-line, cars without sophisticated fuelmanagement systems will run lean.The minor improvements in combus-tion efficiency which oxygenates mayprovide cannot compensate for the2+% of oxygen in the fuel that does notprovide energy. Richer mixture settingsand slightly retarded ignition timingwill compensate for this, but fuel con-sumption will increase slightly. If nocompensation is made, the engine willrun hotter, and may be prone to “ping-ing” (knock), which is physically dam-aging to internal engine components.

Most stories of corrosion prob-lems date back to the earlier days ofmethanol-containing “gasahol”, andare derived from corrosion of lightmetals (notably aluminum and mag-nesium) caused by anhydrous

FALL 1996 • 25

(please see page 31)

Under the Bonnet By Eric Wilhelm

Reformulated Gasoline and theOlder Automobile

26 • MOSS MOTORING

MGB Body ShellDon’t waste time and moneywelding and repairing a rust-ridden and battered MGBwhen, you can replace theentire body! Built by BritishMotor Heritage on mostly orig-inal tooling, these brand newbody shells match originalspecifications for 1968-’74model years. Each body shell issupplied complete with fend-ers, doors, hood, and trunk lid,and is electrophoreticallyprimed and sealed. (Shippingis by truck freight collect.)

459-540 $4495.00** Plus $500 crating charge

GIFT CERTIFICATESDon’t know what to give that specialBritish sports car lover in your life? Howabout a Gift Certificate from their favoriteparts supplier? Available in any denomina-tion you choose and easily redeemed simply by mailing it back to us. (SportsCar Owners: Why not give several to your-self as a hedge against inflation for thatlong term restoration you have planned!)Call your Sales Advisor for details.

MG Fashion Watch“Half past M?” You’llalways have plenty oftime when you wear

an MG logo wristwatch. Go ahead,make a statementin favor of yourfavorite cars,while always

knowing whattime it is. Accurate

watch attaches to your wrist with genuineleather straps.216-550 $45.95

Fire Blok™The most effective,uncomplicated and easyto use fire suppressantever offered. No pins topull, no levers tosqueeze, no gauges tocheck. Just remove thecap and spray. FireBlok™ is DOT rated2B:C, and is perfect forgasoline, oil, paper,wood and grease fires.Fire Blok™ is environ-mentally safe andbiodegradable. It doesnot leave harmful

residue like dry chemical extinguishers.We tried Fire Blok™ on a gasoline fire, withspectacular results. It knocked out theflames on contact. Keep one in your carand one in your kitchen.

220-385 $14.95

MG “Safety Fast” Wine GlassesToast your favorite marque with our newwine glasses featuring the traditional “MGSafety Fast “logo, but only after your driving is done.

230-965 $4.95 each

MARKETPLACE

MGs Through the Ages PosterOver 25 years ago British Leyland issuedthis (now) collector’s piece from Abingdon.Depicting over 30 MG production modelsfrom 1924-1969 with basic specs, everyMG home or garage needs one of these!

214-200 $4.50

MGB Promotional Wall PlaqueFull color embossed metal plaque reproduces an early MGB ad. 165⁄8” x115⁄8” with folded edges.

214-215 $14.95

MG TC Fog LampLucas modelFT27 5”diameter fog

lamps were fitted asoptions to TCsuntilapproximatelycar #4500.Beautiful and

authentic replicas of this early and rarelamp are now available from Moss.

169-020 $474.95

All prices in this section do not include shipping charges. Please refer to our

current Price List for our current rates.

Reserve Yours Now for Fourth Quarter

Delivery!

FALL 1996 • 27

Corgi Models1:43 scale models of your favorite car in renowned Corgi quality.Austin-Healey 4-seater (white/black)220-425 $27.00Triumph TR3A (black) 220-405 $27.00Jaguar XK120 (green) 220-340 $27.00MGA (red) 220-415 $27.00Jaguar E-type (black) 220-335 $27.00

Toll Free Direct Ordering fromUSA & Canada

800-667-787224 Hour Fax Ordering

805-692-2525Customer Service

800-235-6954

How to Give Your MGB V-8 Powerby Roger WilliamsNot a project for the faint-hearted! How todouble your MGB’s power by installing aRover V-8 engine is very well explained inthis book. With such a great increase inpower, other systems must be upgraded,such as cooling, drivetrain, suspension,and brakes. All of this is covered in well-illustrated and thoroughly described detail.Even if you are not now contemplating thismajor project, this is interesting readingfor the technical minded MGB enthusiast.128 pages, 81⁄4” x 91⁄4”, softbound.

213-615 $21.95

Aspects of Abingdonby Marcham RhoadeSubtitled The Building of the MGB andMidget - How It Was Done and the MenWho Did It, this book under-rates itself, asit is full of previously unpublished photosof the factory and the people who madethese cars, as well as much previously little known information about what wenton behind the walls of the Abingdon facto-ry. Some of the chapters were written bythe people they describe, such as “TheRectification Fitter”, written by Geoff Allen,employed at the factory for 28 years. An altogether delightful and fascinating book.51⁄2” x 71⁄2”, 92 pages, softbound.

213-025 $14.95

How to Power Tune MGB Four Cylinder Enginesby Peter BurgessYou need this book if you want even your“stock” MGB to perform the way it should.With much practical information on whichmodifications are or aren’t worth the effort (orcost), this book will help you build a powerfuland reliable engine, whether for street or competition use. Since performance is not theresponsibility of only the engine, carburetion,ignition, exhaust, cooling, drive-train, suspen-sion, brakes, and tires are also discussed indetail. 112 pages, 81⁄4” x 91⁄4”, softbound.

213-175 $19.95

Gauge FaceWatchesRev up and

speed throughyour day with acustom time-piece. Watchfaces reproduceclassic Jaegerchronometricgauges. Nowwhen someoneasks the time,

you can tellthem it’s

4500 rpm.Tachometer Watch216-540 $45.95Speedometer Watch216-560 $45.95

28 • MOSS MOTORING

MGB Sheet MetalProduced by British Motor Heritage for theMGB bodyshell projectSpring Mount Ass’y., chrome bumper carsR/H 458-018 $24.95L/H 458-028 $24.95Spring Mount Ass’y., rubber bumper carsR/H 458-038 $27.95L/H 458-048 $27.95Inner Rear Wheel WellL/H 458-055 $48.95R/H 458-065 $48.95

Computer Monitor Screen SaversBetter than a computer virus! Our Britishcar screen savers are a welcome changefrom word processors, databases, andthose insufferable spreadsheets. Vivid colorpictures and trivia questions to test yourknowledge. Requires Windows 3.1 or higher and 256-color video display. A perfect gift for your favorite car nut.MG 909-105 $19.95Triumph 909-115 $19.95Austin-Healey 909-110 $19.95Jaguar 909-120 $19.95

All prices in this section do not include shipping charges. Please refer to our

current Price List for our current rates.

MARKETPLACE

Join the Moss Team!Moss Motors is expanding, andhas upcoming career opportuni-

ties for people with Jaguar orRange Rover experience in theareas of sales, purchasing, andcataloging. Consider joining theMoss team and help us grow.Please send your resume andsalary history to Art DeWolf,Personnel, 400 Rutherford

Street, Goleta, California 93117.

Thermostat Blanking SleeveFits MGA, MGB, Sprite and Midget. Forsustained maximum power and speed,such as in racing conditions, it is advantageous to remove the thermostat,but only when this thermostat bypassblanking sleeve is fitted. We have reproduced the factory competition partso your car can benefit from years of fac-tory competition experience.

434-135 $15.95

Magnetic Hardware DishSmall parts and tools won’t roll away andget lost when you put them in this handy6” diameter dish. A very strong magnetnot only anchors the dish to any steel surface, but also keeps the contents inplace. Once you’ve used this, you won’twant to work on your car without it.

387-090 $11.95

TC-TD Parking Lamp SocketSingle contact front parking lamp socketfor TC and early TD without turn signals.

157-590 $19.95

XK120-140 License Plate / Reverse LampExcellent reproduction of a particularlyattractive lamp, also used as standardequipment on MGAs sold in Switzerland.

011-680 $174.95

Toll Free Direct Ordering fromUSA & Canada

800-667-787224 Hour Fax Ordering

805-692-2525Customer Service

800-235-6954

FALL 1996 • 29

Hayden Electric Fan KitsKeep your engine cool with a high airflowelectric fan from Moss. Easy to install,these fans may be set up to run in either“pusher” (in front of the radiator) or“puller” (behind the radiator) configuration. The 10” fan requires a clearmounting area of at least 105⁄8” x 111⁄8”,while the 12” fan requires at least 111⁄2” x 121⁄2”. We suggest the 12” fan forTR2 through TR6, and the 10” fan for allother cars for which we sell parts. Bothfans come with complete mounting hardware and instructions. The presettemperature control will turn the fan on at185°F and off at 170°F. 10” Electric Fan 231-678 $129.9512” Electric Fan 231-688 $139.95

MGB GrillesNewly reproduced grilles, now betterthan ever.1962-’69 454-140 $124.951973-’74 455-340 $124.95

Toll Free Direct Ordering fromUSA & Canada

800-667-787224 Hour Fax Ordering

805-692-2525Customer Service

800-235-6954

TC-early TD Wiper ArmsBeautiful and accurate reproductions havethe fixing nut on the outside and are exactly as original for TCs and TDs withwiper motor mounted on passenger’s side.L/H 160-690 $17.95R/H 160-790 $17.95

TR4-6 and MGB Undercarpet Insulation KitsComplete insulation kits really deadendrive-train and road noise as well as providing heat insualtion from engine,gearbox, and exhaust. Each kit containsapproximately 15 thick, dense felt padswhich have a self-adhesive surface forease of installation. Don’t overlook thisimportant area of your restoration.MGB 242-005 $94.50TR4-6 639-105 $89.95

Vacuum Advance UnitsNew reproduction units with correctthreaded vacuum line connections.MGA 1500/1600 163-605 $59.50MGA 1600 MkII 163-615 $59.50MGB 1962-67 163-665 $59.50TR2 551-020 $57.95TR3-3B 551-035 $57.95Austin-Healey 100M 551-025 $59.50Austin-Healey 100-4, BN1, BN2

551-040 $59.50Austin-Healey 6-cyl, except BJ8

560-510 $59.50Jaguar XK150 551-070 $64.50Knurled Adjuster Nut 163-735 $6.95Spring for Nut (coil) 163-730 $1.65Ratchet Clip (flat spring)

163-740 $2.65

MGB Tube Shock Conversion KitsOur redesigned tube shock kits are nowbetter than ever, and still offer excellentvalue and performance. These kits includeMonroe shocks which automatically adjustfor varying road conditions, always providing a firm, controlled ride.Front & Rear Kit 268-128 $299.95Front Kit Only 268-120 $229.95Rear Kit Only 268-125 $109.95

MGB Trunk Lid Gas StrutReplace the original telescoping trunk propon your 1971-’80 MGB with a modern typegas strut. (These will not replace the man-ual prop on earlier cars.) Instructions andmounting hardware included.

900-070 $39.95

New LowerPrice!

New LowerPrice!

30 • MOSS MOTORING

Story andPhotos by RobertGoldman

I Am aMasochistAm I

What is it with human nature?Why are we determined to dothings, knowing full well the

results will prove undesirable? Thingslike setting a full glass of grape juice onan unstable surface suspended over anew white wool carpet. You set down theglass and say to yourself “I reallyshouldn’t do that.” But you do anywayand the glass falls and you get mad.“Why did I do that!?”

Another example might be settingoff across the California desert in theheat of the day, top down. This drive ismuch better accomplished at night. Butno, It’s Sunday morning and I’m due inIndianapolis in four days. There are2,200 miles to go and no time forrepairs, so hit the road.

Four hours later, around Barstow,I’m speculating on possible modifica-tions to the car. Air conditioning topsthe list. The Moss MG TD pick-up truckin which I am traveling has those mar-velous suicide doors. A short piece ofsafety wire wrapped around the doorlatch and striker allows the door to bepartially opened into the slip stream.This allows a cool blast of 100°F air intothe cockpit. I feel much better now.

NASA comes to mind. That ablativematerial they apply to the hull of thespace shuttle may provide suitablesteering wheel material. I don’t actuallyhave a steering wheel right now, its

more like a high school science projectdesigned to study heat transfer. Heattransfers from the sun to the aluminumframe of the wheel, from there it is car-ried (transported, convected?) to the riv-ets which are conveniently spaced so asto make full contact between hands andsteering wheel impossible.

All is not lost, the thin strips ofdecorative wood provide a meager, ifotherwise serviceable, gripping areafor scorched finger tips. I think a cus-tom wheel machined from a solid bil-let of space shuttle heat shield tilewould be a terrific idea. NASA morethan likely has a few extras lyingaround. They’re always falling off youknow.

What if I were to smack the sumpwith a hammer until it started to leak,then let all the oil slowly drain away

and claim the engine seized when allthe oil drained out after I hit a rock?That would give me the excuse to cancelthis madness and buy an airline ticket.

Pulling into Baker, California, Idetermined, for the first time in my life,to stop off at Bun Boy, home of theworld’s tallest thermometer. This wouldbe a terrific photo op. Who cares aboutall the spectacular scenery in NorthernNevada, Utah and Colorado, Bun Boy isAIR CONDITIONED. As it happens, theyserve a pretty mean burger. Good eatin’and fast. Too bad about the fast part, Iwas getting used to this air conditioningstuff.

When I arrived, the world’s tallestthermometer said it was 106°. Afterlunch, it said 107°. By the time I hadshot a photo and packed up to go itsaid 108°. I did not learn at the time,nor do I ever want to be informed whatthe temperature was in Las Vegas as Idrove through. Day one’s destinationwas Utah, and I just couldn’t think ofany good reasons to hang around inthe Nevada sun.

At the end of a 14-hour day, havingcovered barely 500 miles, cooked withinan inch of my life I sat out by the car atmy hotel wondering about things. Iwondered at the fact I had consumed ahalf gallon of water, two Cokes and twobeers (saved for the end of the day) andnever once had to...well you know what.

I probably even lost weight too. I spentthe night in Cedar City. I know CedarCity has an airport, but I’m not sure ifthey have regularly scheduled, air con-ditioned airline service.

By mid-afternoon of Day Two airconditioning became less of an issue. Upabove 10,000 feet in the ColoradoRockies, snow tends to hang around. Ihad every opportunity to study thesnow. Hill climb speed in the TD, in spiteof its original 5.125:1 rear axle ratio,drops to around 10 miles per hour whenthe air gets thin. The Rockies are gor-geous, I love mountains, and in earlysummer they’re the only place betweenCalifornia and Indiana below a milliondegrees hot and humid.

But the purpose of this trip is to tor-ture myself, so its on down to the greatplains, home of high temps, highhumidity and thunderstorms. Did Imention this trip is a TDR trip? Yes, TopDown Regardless. I do have a top. Itmay actually fit, but I won’t stop to putit up until the first drops hit the wind-shield. As anyone from the midwest willtell you, by the time the first drops hitthe windshield you’re gonna get soaked.As long as that’s thecase, why botherstopping?

I’d love to go onwith my tale of self-flagellation and woe,but space simplydoes not permit. Idid make it to Indy,along with 2500 ofmy closest friends.What an event.Perhaps next yearI’ll attempt to drivetop down through ahurricane, or changea transmission onthe side of the roadin Death Valley. Usmasochists lovetelling about it afterthe fact.

Background Noise

Shade was a valuable commodity at Indy.

The high point of the adventure.

FALL 1996 • 31

British Car Events

Calendar 1996AAUUGGUUSSTT,, 11999966

16-18 University Motors Summer Party, Grand Rapids, MI, (616)682-0800

23-25 MG Jamboree “8”, Homosassa, FL, (813)837-311124-25 Heartland British Autofest, Davenport, IA,

(309)797-204325 A Taste of Britain, Lancaster, PA, (717)292-057928 Jaguar Concours, Tucson, AZ, (520)299-2623

30-Sep1 Kansas City All British, Kansas City, MO,(816)358-7651

SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR,, 119999668 British Car Festival, Des Plaines, IL,

(847)885-77898 British Car Meet, Palo Alto, CA, (310)392-66058 British Car Gathering, Manchester, CT, (860)621-52118 Battle of the Brits, Sterling Heights, MI, (810)528-29758 British Car Show, Chesterland, OH, (216)274-3481

12-14 Southeast Regional Triumph Meet, Tallahassee, FL,(904)956-2887

12-15 Southeastern Regional MG Festival, Dillard, GA, (770)447-4753

13-15 British Car Meet, Ruidoso, NM, (505)823-959514-15 British Car Days, Richmond, VA, (804)745-330514-15 Colorado Conclave, Denver, CO,

(303)755-139915 Jaguar Concours,.Rockville, MD, (703)827-950915 Specialty Marque Day, Charlotte Motor Speedway,

NC, (704)455-328219-22 Queen Victoria Run, Wildwood, NJ, (610)277-527819-22 Austin-Healey Southeastern Classic, Nashville, TN,

(615)851-735620-21 Mardi Gras MGs British Car Days, Fairhope, AL,

(334)928-536620-22 British Invasion VI, Stowe, VT, (508)435-8007

21 All-British Day, Owasso, OK, (918)455-899321 All-British Car Day, St. Louis, MO, (314)939-933821 MG’s on the Green, Davidson, NC, (704)455-350022 British Car “English Affair” Day, Victoria, British

Columbia, Canada, (604)474-395622 British Car Meet Woodley Park, Los Angeles, CA,

(310)392-6605

22 All British Car Day, Austin, TX, (512)250-949826-28 Triumphest ’96, Big Bear, CA, (818)345-421526-29 MG Triple M Group Meet, Summit Point, WV,

(302)234-063627-29 Indy British Motor Days, Indianapolis, IN,

(317)782-375228 British Car Day, Montgomery, AL, (334)279-097128 “MGs on the Rocks”, Baltimore, MD,

(410)882-689628 British Car Day, Sevierville, TN, (423)428-460828 All British and Jaguar Concours, Addison, TX,

(214)233-373829 British Car Toy Run, Ontario, Canada, (905)336-025129 All British Gymkhana, Bedford, TX, (214)233-3738

OOCCTTOOBBEERR,, 119999664-6 British Car Festival, Waynesboro, VA, (540)943-56975 Original British Car Day, Mobile, AL,

(334)947-61256 San Diego British Car Day, Del Mar, CA, (619)442-2794

6-7 Anniversary Fall Round-Up, Dayton, OH,(513)599-3628

11-12 Memphis British Car Festival, Memphis, TN,(800)344-9683

12 MG’s at Jack London Square, Oakland, CA,(510)843-2796

18-20 British Car Gathering, Charlotte, NC, (910)852-3301

19 Fallfest All British Show, Moss Motors, Dover, NJ, (201)361-9358

19 British Car Classic VII, St. Augustine, FL, (904)246-0418

19-20 British Car Show, Highland Games, Chino, CA,(818)899-8647

19-20 Autumn Classic Concours, Santa Cruz, CA,(408)459-9636

20 Hunt Country British Classic, Middleburg, VA,(703)207-9048

24-26 All British Show, Mt. Pleasant, SC, (704)542-209730-Nov 1 Mini-GOF, Tucson, AZ, (540)749-9735

methanol. However the addition ofeither 0.5% water to pure methanol,or corrosion inhibitors tomethanol/gasoline blends will pre-vent this. Oxygenated fuels mayeither swell or shrink some elas-tomers (rubber and plastics) on oldercars, depending on the exact formu-lation of the fuels. If you observe orsuspect any such corrosion or dam-age, talk to your local gasoline sup-plier. Most currently available refor-mulated gasolines do not seem tocause corrosion problems.

Be prepared to try several differentbrands of reformulated gasoline toidentify the most suitable brand foryour vehicle, and be prepared tochange again with the seasons, as sea-

sonal changes are made to gasoline.Refiners can choose the oxygenate theyuse to meet the regulations, and maychoose to set some fuel properties dif-ferently from their competitors.

Can I use unleaded reformulated fuelin my older car?

Yes, providing the octane rating isappropriate. Seasonal changes in for-mulation and vapor pressure will prob-ably have a greater effect than in thepast, requiring appropriate periodictuning adjustments. Hardened exhaustvalve seat inserts and stellite exhaustvalves are advised if valve seat reces-sion becomes a problem. (See the Mosscatalog for your car for stellite facedexhaust valves.)

may chip off in service. If the forkisn’t chemically clean to start, thenew brass will not adhere properly.And if any new brass gets into thereverse fork check mechanism, youtoo may have the same problem I hadwith mine that led to the transmis-sion replacement I mentioned at thebeginning. I was lucky. My dad was acompetent welder years ago and I hadhim braze up a few extra sets of forksfor me just in case. So, if your centershift gearbox has that vague shiftpattern feel to it, why not try thesetechniques on your next rebuild? Thisis one more correctable item of wearthat can add to your driving pleasure.

—Ron Phillips

Under the Bonnet

Continued from Page 25

Nut Behind the Wheel

Continued from Page 23

WE’REMORETHAN UPTO THEMARQUE.WORLD’S LARGEST,MOST EXTENSIVEINVENTORY!and

FREE CATALOGS!

Moss Motors, Ltd.440 Rutherford St.PO Box 847, Goleta, CA 93116

Dated Material – Please RushADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED