The Editor

Welcome to Issue 69, December 2021.

I am normally a placid individual, but when I have dealings with DVLA (which, unfortunately, I have to from time to time) I become a different person. My latest ‘brush’ with this monolithic organisation concerned my (unsuccessful) request to speak to the named individual who had turned down an age-related registration number application I had made on behalf of an Octagon Car Club member. Before we go any further, I thought I would check the description ‘monolithic’ – go to Google and type in ‘monolithic’ – out comes the following:

Inflexible, rigid, unbending, unchanging, intractable, immovable, impenetrable, fossilized, hidebound, undifferentiated, uniform, unitary.

Well, ‘got it in one’ I feel much better now!

I won’t bore you with the minutiae, but I have also expressed concern that the Agency returns papers, which often contain important documents, in the ordinary mail. These have been known to have become lost in the post….and of course, it’s never their fault – it’s you who is saddled with the chore of trying to reconstruct the file!

My faith in humanity was restored when later that day I had occasion to phone the Liverpool and Victoria insurance company about the renewal notices on my VW Polo and my Kia Picanto. The lady I spoke to was working from home, but she had all my details at the press of a button, and was able to resolve my queries and offer a lower renewal premium. Job done!

I think it was John Murray (who, by the way, had similar cause to savour the delights of DVLA) who said that one of the great things about owning a T-Type is that there is always something to do. I couldn’t agree more, John, as I have just taken the radiator out of the TF and have also removed the cylinder head. It’s amazing what you find whilst doing these jobs. I’d like to know who ‘rounded’ the exhaust manifold nuts by using the wrong sized spanner, or socket – or if they were already ‘rounded’, it would have helped to have used some new nuts on re-fitting.

While the cylinder head is away, I’m going to take my exhaust manifold to Zircotec in Abingdon https://www.zircotec.com   Here’s what Barrie Jones said about Zircotec: “I have just had the manifold shot blasted and coated with a ceramic finish by a company called Zircotec. They claim that it is also a thermal coating that should lower the under-bonnet temperature. It wasn’t cheap at about £200 plus VAT but they have certainly done a fine job.” (Please see picture of ‘Zircotec’d’ manifold).

The bad news is that Barrie wrote this in February 2012, so goodness knows what the cost will be now. However, the good news is that a trip to Abingdon will enable me to call on Pete Neal (Kimber House Archivist). I haven’t been to see Pete for a couple of years due to the Covid restrictions, so it will be good to catch up.

One task I have to do every month is to email members whose membership technically ceases that month to tell them that their membership has been renewed for another year (unless, of course they do not wish to continue). It is a task which I invariably put off and then I have to apologise for being late with the notification. A few months’ ago, I used the expression “forever chasing my tail” which prompted an Aussie (I think) reader to send me an appropriate cartoon. Sadly. I have lost his email, so if he reads this, I would appreciate him re-sending me the cartoon.

The International MG and Triumph spares day is being held on 23^rd January 2022 at the Telford International Centre. This event was to have taken place earlier this year but was postponed due to Covid. We, along with several others, really miss the spares days held at Stoneleigh and we will not be attending this event.

Mike Morrow has been in touch recently to tell me about an epic journey across Australia which put the stamina of his TC to the test – it didn’t disappoint, as he relates here:

“I put my TC 7937 to the test at the end of May this year as a long-distance tourer. My wife and I drove from Ballarat in Victoria to Perth and back to attend the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the TC Owners Cub of WA. Dealing with border closures as Covid 19 rampaged across the country was the most difficult part of the 16-day trip. 6770 kilometres, and not a reason at any time to lift the bonnet except to check the oil. Even then we used only one litre!” As we are in the closing stages of this year, 2022 will soon be upon us and the Centenary of M.G. in 2023 will seem so much nearer. It’s quite scary as there is so much to do regarding event planning. I am hoping that it will be possible in the next issue to sketch out plans for the Centenary celebration.

JOHN JAMES