The MGA With An Attitude

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MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (October 1 - October 15, 2025)

Wednesday, October 1, 2025:
Much of the day spent finishing up the Supplementary photos page for last Saturdays MGs On The Rocks car show. Then someone on the MGA forum was asking about the thread size for the screw securing the knob on the MGA turn signal switch. That turned up an error in the part number on my web site, so that would be another job for tomorrow.

Thursday, October 2, 2025:
Some niggly little things drive me nuts, like insisting that my web site should be as error free as possible. I had a Part Numbers tech page with the wrong part number for the aforementioned 5BAx1/2 Cheese Head Screw. Changing the part number, and the page name, and all hot links to and from the page sucked up a couple of hours. While I was at it, I made another page for the lock washer that fits with that screw. A bit of a head scratcher because it is a BA screw that you can't find at a local hardware store, but a SAE or Unified standard #5 lockwasher is close enough to fit. -- And I finally got caught up on the car show photos and notes, and also current on the trip log.

Friday, October 3, 2025:
Since we got the latest parts shipment sorted out and packed away in the Magic Trailer, it was time to catch up revisions in the parts inventory spread sheet. Such clerical work takes a lot of overhead time, but has to be done to have any chance of keeping track of inventory.
Some good news. My "Chairman's Award" from the "British Invasion" car show arrived in the post today. Not in my hands yet, but I told Darrell to go ahead and open it, as it will ultimately be placed in the Darrell's Garage trophy room.
I have now identified 6 different part numbers for tappet covers for MG engines 1955- through 1980, 4 front and 2 rear. While collecting pictures, it dawned on me that there seem to be two different form styles for the non-vented covers, some with flat flanges and some with turned up edges for stiffening, for MGA and early MGB 3-main bearing engines, but with the same part numbers. Things are getting goofier by the day.

Saturday, October 4, 2025:
Treasured Motorcar Services in New Freedom, Pennsylvania was hosting Open House today, which they do twice a year, Spring and Fall. We were "in the neighborhood", less than an hour away, so we wandered over there check it out. We had been here before, three years ago on a Wednesday, October 5, 2022. At that time they were attending a car show in Hershey, PA, so we sort of struck out. Way different this time. We arrived shortly after 9-m to find a parking lot already half full of visitor's classic cars, and they kept rolling in. I think they lucked out with the lot about 95% stuffed by 10-am, and didn't have to hunt for alternative space My quick estimate said maybe 60-80 cars outside, looking a lot like a car show with no ID cards on the cars. But free to take pictures as desired.

Then I walked inside to check out the Open House, and ran into another 50-60 cars with just enough space to walk around them for pictures. I suppose they own some of the cars, some fully restored and a few in process of restoration or waiting their turn. Others are for sure customer cars in for service, many in process of restoration. Seems like they went to a lot of work cleaning and emptying the working shop space before arranging all of the cars inside for convenient viewing. Given a few more days, I'm sure the place will be a working shop again. Click for about 50 pictures from this event on a supplementary photos page.

After a couple hours of gawking and drooling, navigator and I were off to find a WiFi spot, ending up 28 miles southwest in Westminster, Maryland. Then I killed most of the afternoon and evening composing and uploading a few more Part Numbers tech pages for the molded rubber parts that serve as hinge post door seals for the MGA Coupe cars, AFH4819 AFH4822 AFH4823. Then another two hours processing the day's photos and pasting them into a new web page, not finished yet.

Sunday, October 5, 2025:
Add another Part Numbers tech page for the AHH5458 under-bonnet Felt Seal that will close the air gap above the radiator in the MGA. Then most of the rest of the day finishing up photos and notes from yesterday's open House.

Monday, October 6, 2025:
Still sitting in Winchester, MD. We had a notion to visit a shop in Union Bridge, MD, but it turned out we have been there before, did a good job of it, and not much has changed since, so we dropped that idea. I did spend some time making a new Part Numbers tech page for the 8G619 rubber seal ring for the MGA and early MGB oil filter canister assembly. This part may be currently out of stock form Moss Motors, but someone noticed there is a part number from McMaster-Carr that works well. -- Then spent some time working on another tech page for the recent installation of Electronic Cruise Control in my MGA Pretty sure that will not be finished today.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025:
Good morning, still in Winchester, MD,for a few more hours. Spending time putting together a new Tech Page for the recent cruise control installation. But we still need to check to see if the C/C will work with LED brake lights in the circuit, so it was navigator's turn to tinker. Change the dual filament rear bulbs from incandescent to LED bulbs. Tail lights work, Brake lights work, turn signals and 4-way flashers do not work. But they did work with three incandescent bulbs in the circuit, and one LED in the right front. Try two more different electronic flasher units, still no flashers. Getting frustrated, no more time to waste today, so put the incandescent bulbs back in the rear so everything works, and forget the C/C test on LED bulbs until later.

In the evening we were fighting traffic to visit MGs Of Baltimore monthly club meeting at Johnny Dee's Lounge in Parkville, MD on north edge of Baltimore). Two laps around the building to find the right door and tight parking. About 28 noses present for dinner and a business meeting, chat about past and future vents, and plenty of talk about last week's MGs On The Rocks car show. We had been to a few of their car show events in past years,but this was a first for the club business meeting.


Wednesday, October 8, 2025:
Still raining in the morning, but clearing up by early afternoon. I was creating a Part Numbers tech page for the BHA4067 Tyre Pump with connection (Sooty tire pump).

Bailing out by 3-pm, heading northeast with a bit of expressway followed by slower roads in heavy traffic. Ignition was going bad and getting worse by the mile with symptoms of weak spark. But we made it to destination after 5-pm at the Duck Inn in Collegeville Pennsylvania for a monthly club meeting with Delaware Valley Classic MG Chapter. We had been here nine years ago for a car show, a tour, ,and a couple of picnics, but this was first time for one of their club meetings. 2 people present for a casual dinner meeting. We knew a few, and few knew us mostly from our web site and travels and reputation. Nice to chat with friends, and it was over all too soon.

After dark, and anticipating an hour and half drive, we figure it best to check.fix the ignition problem before moving on. I tried the dwell meter first at cranking speed without starting, but the digital meter just went nuts at such slow speed. I miss the days of analog meters that actually worked, So try starting it up, but it didn't start, not even a pop,which was a bit odd since it as idling okay when we drove in. Then the odyssey began. Try the clip-on test condenser, but no go. Pull the distributor to check points action, which seemed okay, put it back. We changed out points, condenser, rotor, and distributor cap, but still no-go. Sure looked like a weak spark from the coil, and almost no spark at the plugs.We tried two spare distributors with considerable fiddling, re-orienting the drive gear 2 or 3 times in the process when the drive cogs on bottom of distributor were installed at wrong orientation. We finally concluded it had to be a failing ignition coil. Pretty sure we could have come to that conclusion a couple hours earlier if we had a spare coil in the trailer, which oddly we didn't. And the parts stores are closed late night, which led to a lot of the fiddling just because we didn't have the right part. Kick here please. Give it up half past one, we needed sleep.

Thursday, October 9, 2025:
Awake by 10-am, calling local parts stores for a new ignition coil. Score on the first call, Napa has on in stock in Royersford, PA, just 3-1/2 miles away. Not going to walk 7 miles round trip, so call a cab? Not in this neck of the woods. The one available taxi company didn't have a car available, and killed two hours checking and promising a call back. End result was an offer to get a cab from King of Prusha, PA, pay in advance, $160 please. No thank you. Meanwhile we had been checking our "Friends" list for who do we know in eastern PA? All we need is a ride to Napa. Managed to list half a dozen people we knew within 40 miles or so, just about to start calling friends when a young fellow drove in and parked, and asked if we had it running yet? He lives in the building next door, and saw us working on the car last night. Long story short, after a bit he gave me a ride to Napa to pick up the new ignition coil. Nice fellow. He didn't even know what an MG was, but he wanted his picture by the car. Notice the part number on the Napa box, IC14. Ignition Coil, stock number 14. How long have they been supplying the same part? Same coil used on the 1934 John Deere Model A tractor, and most American cars from the 40's through the mid 70's'.

I measured resistance of old and new coils. Both showed 3.0-3.2-ohms on the primary side, and in the 8000-8500-ohm range on the output side. That bothered me, because I thought the old coil was going to show open circuit in the secondary, which it didn't. Was this really going to work? Not long to swap over the push-on wire terminal adapters, and get the new coil bolted into the car. Switch on, turn engine until points are open so test light lights up on the points connection. Jumper wire to ground the points while holding the coil HT wire near ground, and it immediately threw a bright blue spark nearly half an inch. the mood went from I dunno to ABSOLUTELY with the first spark. Plug the coil HT wire back into the distributor cap and give it a try. First crank gave sluggish turn over, too much spark advance. Retard it about 10-degrees at the distributor, and it fired right up. Five minutes to adjust the timing by ear and clamp it down. Pick up, pack up, clean up, and it was anxious to roll out. Just one open detail first.

Back across the street to the Duck Inn for lunch, just had have another one of those great Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. Then driving northwest (into the setting sun) to land at a Loves truck stop in Jonestown, PA after sun down, been there before, known good WiFi spot. Kill the rest of the evening until midnight, temperature dropping fast, destined to be 37dF by morning. Rolling on again for another hour. We finally stopped in New Cumberland, PA 1:30-am, mostly because we knew where we were.
For the record, that old Lucas Sport Coil doesn't owe us anything. It was first installed March 1997, set aside temporarily in March 2018 with 305K miles on it, reinstalled April, 2024, gaining another 28K miles before it died with 333K miles. I kind of remember the day it was reinstalled, thinking we should procure another coil for spare. How many people would carry a spare coll if they may never need it? But yeah, the Magic Trailer should have one.

Friday, October 10, 2025:
Sitting in New Cumberland, PA all day, catching up photos ns notes from the past few days. Also catching up nearly three months backlog of updates on our short Planning List and long Friends List. Someone sent pictures of the heater temperature control knobs for early MGA with Push and Turn for the blower control, which pictures I added to aHR-102 tech page for Heater Decriptions And Options.

Saturday, October 11, 2025:
Time to catch up some car maintenance, beginning with an oil change. We rolled down the hill from New Cumberland into York, PA to visit Napa to pick up a couple oil filters and oil and a few other trivials. Then over to Darrell's Garage to use his hoist. Not long to do the engine oil change with filter and and lube job. Then pull the rear wheels to adjust rearbrakes, as both pedal travel and hand brake lever travel were getting a bit long. But the rear adjusters were going to end of travel without locking up the rear drums. This is due to current issue replacement brake shoes being too short (for the last ten years). The only solution is to shim the brake adjuster masks, 1/8-inch for front drum brakes and up to 1/4-inch for rear brakes. Last time with all new parts the 1/4" shims didn't quite fit, so it was reduced to 1/8", now with slightly worn linings we can re-fit the 1/4" shims, expecting this to last until the linings are mostly worn out.

Photos below show a single shim adjuster mask in place and double shim mask in hand, then then double shim in place with minimum and maximum adjustment. The double shims now give minimal pedal travel and only 2 or 3 clicks on the hand brake (after a minor cable adjustment).

While fiddling with the cable adjustment, we were rudely reminded that the equalizer arm was loose at the pivot point. On further inspectin the pivot stud is badly worn, and the thin wall bushing is pretty much shot. A bit of fiddle with flat washers reduced the wobble some, but do make a point to replace the wear parts soon. We should have these bits in the Magic Trailer, but we have other things to do today.

While fiddling with the rear brakes, we had nother reality check, noticing the scrape on the right side lower body panels that happened 11 days erlier (Sept 30). Oops. Maybe we should fix that while the car is up on the rack. Grab an angle grinder, grind off the scratched paint at bottom of the RF wing, and a little bit on the RR wing. Consider filler rather than hammner and dolly work.

Then there was more scrape on theh rocker panel below the door. Tight working around the hoist arms, but got the rough stuff off and feathered the edges. Spray priner on it for now, sand a little and do a second coat, get back to it later.

There was that pesky LF parking lamp that was so rusty we couldn't remove the bulb, so time to install a new lamp. One screw was stubborn, so had to grind a deep slot in the head and use an impact driver to get it out. Then remove tape from the harness to splice in wires., Got the new lamp installed, all wired up and testin it to discover the turn flasher didn't work. What? It worked before changing the lamp.

More fiddle with the test light discloses a failing contact in one of the miniture relays, which I had already re-wired at least four times since the mid 90's. A good whack with a screwdriver got it working again, temporarily, but I am now vowed to change all this to more durable DIN spec relays (sooner the better). Both front lamps working, already had an amber LED in the right side, but the lens was a bit frosty. So we "borrowed" the new lens and chrome ring from the second new lamp to dress it up, and wote an IOU to the Magic Trailer to order another one for the spare lamp.


Sunday, October 12, 2025:
Raining,so day off for posting photos and notes from yesterday, and with time to think about the turn signal relay reliability problem. Late night when going to park the car for the night, we were driving straight through a very familiar three second green light when an oncoming car turned left in front of us and nearly crashed us both, but the brkes worked welland no crash, justsome cursing. When parking the car we noticed the LH high beam headlight was not working. Navigator swears it was working when we backed the car out of the garage night before after the electrical work. So leave the lights on low beam, and we will check/fix the dead high beam lamp later.

Monday, October 13, 2025:
Another rain day, good day tobe sitting. Checking and updating inventory, we do have the fulcrum stud and bushing for the brake equalizer lever, so we can fix that at first opportunity. Now trying to think if we might be able to find some Duplicolor paint close enough to body color to get by without custom mixing paint again. I think we will pick up a rerplacement headlight bulb before we tear into the wiring again, just in case it turns out to be simple.
This is supposed to be the day for Space-x to launch IFT-11, we'll see. --- Yes they did! Almost perfect.


Tuesday, October 14, 2025:
Off to pick up a replacement headlight bulb, before we start tearing wiring apart again. Walmrt mdidn't have one, but Napa did. One screw to remove a headlight trim ring, three screws to remove the bulb retaining ring, the old bulb tests good, but no power to the low beam connector. So, get after the wiwing. Been here before, and figure there must be a loose butt connector inside the tape right at the red tie-wrap. Cut and remove the tape to reveal the fault. One broken wire exactly as expected. Tag the three wires, snip out the old butt connectors, strip six wire ends, crimp in new butt connectors.

Wiring all dressed up again with a new tie-wrap securing loose end of the tape, and the lights all test good. -- Then to the rear end of the car to replace the worn fulcrom stud and bushing for the parking brake equalizer arm. That didn't take long.
For the right side lower body panels, a light touch of sanding, another shot of quick dry primer with a half hour to dry. Then a spray of Cherry Red Krylon, which is a decent color match for the current dark shade of what years ago used to be Orient Red.
Snce I had the paint in my hand, and the car was already on the hoist. might as well cover up some scuff marks on the front valance panel. Pick up, pack up, clean up, and get the rig out of the shop space. Go spend an hour chatting with Darrell while the paint dries a little more. The boys tech session for tonight was cancelled, so it was time to head out for very late lunch while we could still see up the expressway. I wonder what's next?

Wednesday, October 15, 2025:
Posting photos and notes from yesterday. Updating inventory and ordering lists. Planning future appointments. Looks like we should be in Virginia by mid day Thursday. --- Uh, nope, change of plans. Now planning on fabricating an extended battery carrier tray for the car in VA before leaving York, PA, so kill another day.