Welcome to Issue 45, December 2017!
In the last issue I mentioned that I was in correspondence with the DVLA concerning my request for details of past owners of my PB. The correspondence has ‘snowballed’ a bit because the DVLA has come back, praying in aid of our old friend, The Data Protection Act. I have written to my Member of Parliament suggesting a possible solution (if the DVLA really want to be helpful) and that’s where the matter currently rests. I’ll produce an update for the next issue.
The ’spammers’ have been at it again. Steve Wallace and John Morley have been in touch to report unwelcome contacts. It is extremely difficult to stop these people, so vigilance is the order of the day. You can always contact me if you are in any doubt.
Our Totally T-Type 2 Tours have been really well supported, ever since the first one, The Tour of Rutland, which was organised in 2013. Our 2018 Tour of The Cotswolds, which is based at the Wyck Hill House Hotel & Spa in Stow-on-the-Wold is already fully booked. It’s most heartening to get such endorsement but I know that there are some regular attenders who haven’t booked and will therefore be disappointed. From experience of running these Tours there are inevitably last- minute cancellations so I am keeping a reserve list for those who wish to express an interest.
Not wishing to let the grass grow under our feet, we have already booked the hotel for our 2019 Tour of mid-Wales. The dates are 23/24/25 August 2019 and the venue is The Metropole Hotel & Spa in Llandrindod Wells. As this is a Bank Holiday weekend (the hotel was fully booked in the weeks either side of these dates) we have been offered a special deal of half the normal tariff for those wishing to stay over on the Monday night (to avoid the traffic).
At this rate we’ll soon be in the 2020s and, of course, the centenary of the M.G. marque is looming large. There has been much debate as to whether this important anniversary should be celebrated in 2023 or 2024. On behalf of The MG ‘T’ Society Limited I am firmly of the view that it should be 2023.
In the publication The Story of the M.G. Sports written in late 1927 (published early in 1928) and issued by Managing Director, Cecil Kimber to Morris Garages salesmen, the first line of the Introduction reads When the M.G. Sports Cars were first introduced in 1923….
The 1923 date refers to the order by Kimber for six two-seater bodies from Charles Raworth of Oxford which Cec Cousins, who was responsible for building the cars, regarded as the first Morris Garages products that may be considered M.G.s.
It seems to me that these two primary sources cannot be disputed by those who advocate the celebration of the marque in 1924.
Issue 44 was the first to be printed by our new printers, Cambrian Printers. When these were being prepared for dispatch to printed copy subscribers, they were found to be inside the 100gm weight step, but only just. To be on the safe side I affixed sufficient postage to cover the next weight step, but it grieved me to overpay Royal Mail. So, for this issue, I will pay at the 100gm weight step and if this results in anybody being incorrectly surcharged, will they please let me know.
Later in this issue we have reproduced the TD and TF wiring diagrams in colour. We have John Dutton (a previous Treasurer of the MG Car Club) to thank for this. John has also sent me the TA, TB and TC (both versions) diagrams in colour and these will appear in the next two issues.
It occurs to me that we could arrange for these diagrams to be printed in enlarged (A3) size. At the time of writing I don’t know what the unit cost would be, but I can’t think it would be over-expensive. Perhaps those who are interested could let me know via the website contact form, please?
Issue 44 contained an article by Neil Wallace about rolling road tests on his TF1500. We were hoping for an update for this issue, but Neil has not been able to provide one for the following reason:
I am still experimenting with different advance curve settings, and as I use the car much less in the winter months (it’ll be off the road for a month or two whilst I get the seats re-connolised) I regret it might be the spring 2018 before I can write something useful to the readers. Sorry, but I won’t forget my commitment.
All I can say at this stage is that I am on my second curve setting, and the performance so far is impressive – especially accelerating up steep hills with two up in the car.
TA0252, the prototype TA (CJO 617) has turned up as a ‘barn find’ and is in the ownership of Angie and Andy King. It was in previous ownership for 54 years in Herefordshire and was last on the road in March 1967. The TA owner used to grasstrack a Rudge 500 single cylinder motor bike carried on a trailer to meetings behind the TA up until the mid-sixties. Regrettably, not enough space for a picture, but one will be included in the next issue.
Just sufficient space to say we will be attending the International MG & Triumph Spares Day at Stoneleigh on Sunday 11th February. As usual we will be in Hall 1 on a shared stand with ‘TA Brian’.
JOHN JAMESDISCLAIMER BY THE EDITOR
Totally T-Type 2is produced totally on a voluntary basis and is available on the website www.ttypes.org on a totally FREE basis. Its primary purpose is to help T-Type owners through articles of a technical nature and point them in the direction of recommended service and spares suppliers. Articles are published in good faith but I cannot accept responsibility or legal liability and in respect of contents, liability is expressly disclaimed.
