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MG MGA - Vins European Venture

Well it looks as if my friend Vin Rafter has already had an exciting start on his trip the Le Mans Classic.
I just got a txt asking for info on local suppliers of MGA parts.
Apparently his rocker cover gasket (valve -cover) has split last night and he lost virtually all his engine oil. Luckily he noticed the falling oil pressure and stopped.
He is in Kronenberg Westfalia Germany (has a very familiar refreshing sound to it!) just over the Belgian border. I have sent him a list of all mg parts suppliers in europe (courtesy of the MGCC) but he mas managed to get a local gagage to do the job and should now be back on his way ( albeit a few euros lighter!)

I txted him back saying that you can fix a gasket or even replace it in an emergency using a good silicone sealant (bathroom or similar) It looks horrid but works fine. It happened to me many years ago and I used silicone to replace a piece of cork gasket that had fallen out. Was on the car for months before I got around to replace it.

Will let you know he is doing if he gets back to me

Colyn

I tried the mgcc Deutchland number but got recorded message and none of their contacts were answering.
Colyn Firth

Colyn, Limora are in Aachen. They are SC parts in Germany (so I believe) and have most things.
www.limora.de
If Vin is near brussels then Anglo-Parts have everything and a bag to put it in!!
He can also get in contact with me as I am also in Brussels and could drive something over (only an hour to the border from here).

Neil - 0032478602563
Neil Purves

Colyn

Did Vin take a map? Germany is not exactly enroute from the UK to Le Mans!

Steve
Steve Gyles

That's one of the things I carry with me (rocker gasket) since I had one fail on a midget I used to own a few years ago. An MGB driver was very pleased that I had a spare piece of rubber fuel pipe with me when his split half a mile down the road on his way home from the MGCC picnic at Anglesey Abbey on Sunday afternoon! Do you think carrying a sare gearbox and rear axle could be affecting my fuel consumption?
Lindsay Sampford

I think Vins plan was to drive through the Ardenne then down along the Rhein.

Last I heard he was going to collect the car and reluctantly digging out his Euro's.
Heard nothing since!
Being a Yorkshireman like me,I would think he is still repeating the well known Tykes distress call "Bl**dy ell! Ow much??" ad infinitum.
Colyn

Thanks Neil
have passed the info onto Vin
Colyn Firth

Vin is meeting the long-distance crowd in Brescia, and driving up to Switzerland. I should have the pleasure of meeting him on Saturday afternoon / evening. That's if I don't get a distress call that he needs to avail himself of my garage on the way down......
dominic clancy

Well, I just heard from Vin.
He has had the car fixed and it is fine now but his south african friends car has broken down and they again have had to wait for 3 hours for a tow truck.
(He didnt tell me where he is just now)

I understand that the car (I think it is an MGB) was on sale in Italy, bought unseen and collected immediately after flying in from South Africa.

It certainly is a tough way to get to know your car but hopefully it will be just a small blip in a really enjoyable trip.

I still wish I was there (So far!)

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Sounds like Vin is having a good time?!!
I am concentrating on getting my E-Type on the road for next year (50 years of E-Type) so am missing most events this year :-(
There will be a big crowd at Le-Mans next year and hopefully I will be one of them!!
Neil
Neil Purves

Sorry Lyndsay, I just noticed your question on your post about the second rear axle and gearbox.

I never expected to see a 6 wheeler MGA! Was the idea to copy the Tyrrell Formula 1 car to get better traction?

Where does the 2nd gear lever go and how do you change gear? Oh, maybe it would be better if you dont answer the last question!!

I suppose you could run over soft sand without sinking in and also the car would be able to run with 2 flat tyres and still be driveable.


And yes, it would probably reduce the performance and fuel consumption down to vintage Land Rover pace, but not to worry, just think of just how much a talking point it would be!

Send us a photo when you can!

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Well it looks like Cars and Drivers are doing much better.

Vin and his South African friend have now linked up with the Australian expedition in Italy.

Switzerland next I believe, (let us know how he is doing Dominic).

I think the major issue has been to avoid being sunburnt, I think the sombrero keeps blowing off his head!

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Well out of a bit of an upset on the way to meet the guys (a collision on the Autobahn that left my MGA with a large dent on the fender and an engine that rattled like a bag of scrap metal), I ended up sending my car home on the recovery truck. It's now sitting in the garage downstairs with further damage from the delivery and an engine that won't turn over even on the hand crank.

As a result I was faced with either continuing in a rental car or going back home and bringing my daily car on the trip. But then Vin jumped in and offered his passenger seat. Easily the best company I have had in an A for a long time, and a real pleasure over the last few days. A non-stop laugh for me, and a personal in-car guide to some of he world's most beatiful scenery for Vin. And he even let me drive his car back from Lauterbrunnen to INterlaken, and a VERY nice car it is too, even if he does tink the pint needs redoing.

I've just been at a friend's watching the footy, so I'll post pics during the next few days. The trip allowed me to meet a really great group of people, both the travellers and a whole bunch of swiss guys who turned up to join the fun, s a really enriching experience all round. Thanks for great few days to Vin, and I am sure we will meet up again. He's been told he can come back and use my A when it's fixed.

Now I am probably looking for a block and crank at least....
dominic clancy

Really sorry to hear about your car Dominic, I hope you can get it fixed up really soon.

You are right about Vin, he is a real character and just great company. If he affects you he does me then you will be suffering from an aching jaw from laughing so much, in spite of your car.

Looking forward seeing the photos Dominic and to hearing all about the trip from Vin when he gets back.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Dominic,
Always sad to hear that a fellow enthusiast's "old pal" has been injured. I'll be curious to hear what happened to the engine. Still, it seems as if this cloud has a silver lining after all. I'm wondering though, what does "tink the pint needs redoing" mean? Is that like "have another beer"?...:)

Good luck and sorry about the car..

GTF
G T Foster

I left my chip card in the office PC, so pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

"tink the pint needs redoing" should read "think the paint needs redoing" - it was late and I was typing very fast after watching the soccer at a dutch friend's house.

The V8 was bought on ebay in the UK in January and was suffering from various problems - I left it in Lausanne suffering from a seriously binding / seized front calliper, but the owner (Mike) was a nice bloke in the early stages of getting a new acquisition sorted out - he had given it to a mg specialist in the UK to go through before the trip and the guy seems to have been a cowboy and has done nothing at all. The car itself is very sound, just needs someone to go through it and sort out the niggles. It was overheating because of the binding brakes.

"How much?"was heard a few times from Vin, but only in fun.

I'm hoping to do a deal with the insurance on the engine, so am looking for a 1622 in the UK to rebuild in a hurry and ship down here. Anyone got any leads?
dominic clancy

Just received an update on the Murpgod's blog about their tran-continental adventure.

There are some great pics of them with the Italian MG Car Club, on the Monza banking (i think) and driving over the passes in the Italian Alps at Bormio.
(Ive never driven there but I have skiied it a couple of times)
One made me chuckle, it shows Vin crouched in front of his car showing off his " 2010 Avoid the wife tour" bumper sticker

Wonder if she knows about it?

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Colyn,

Have you a link to the Murpgod Blog.

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

Sorry Malcolm I havent figured out yet how to activate a link on the forum but I here are the websites you need to read the two blogs:-

goldcoastmgcarclub.com
and
mgblog.thepeacefund.org/

The 2nd one is almost up to date but both make for facinating reading.
I wish they had taken a film crew along, it would have made for some amazing footage I think.

The picture of Vin I mentioned came on an email direct from the Murphgod's so I will see if I can drag it over in this site later.
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Just found out how to save the pic from an email and upload it.

This is the first time I have seen Vin without a smile on his face! I bet he is wondering how he is going to get back up off his knees once the picture has been taken!

Colyn


Colyn Firth

Some more pics. This one is some of the crew on the Jungfraujoch


dominic clancy

This one is of Dave Godwin who has organised the whole thing


dominic clancy

This one of Vin in a the cab of the train on the Jungfraujoch. I think he was hoping I would get the angle right and his best side, but the lighting was a bit iffy (just as well really)

(he told me his wife cut out the background for his sign, so she also had a part in it)




dominic clancy

And one of the man on the Jaun Pass between Interlaken and Lausanne


dominic clancy

One of the crew as a whole in the Jaun Pass where the previous photo was also taken


dominic clancy

And finally in a Restaurant / Bar n Lausanne just before I left to get the train home


dominic clancy

Just to correct Colyns website info for Daves Blog, please add au onto the site i.e.
www.goldcoastmgcarclub.com.au
Click onto the rally plate, and see the two blogs (Daves & Sues).
Gary Lock

Have now got to the root of the noises in my engine I think. The front of the crank is cracked half way across the counterweight - I haven't pulled the timing chain yet, nor the main caps, but the crack is very clearly visible, and the crank is solid in the block as the weight is stuck against the front cap.

I've just bought a crank for $8 on ebay Australia - hoping that the shipping will not be too extreme. Anyone out there got any tips for shipping 17kgs to Switzerland from Sydney? (Could have had the guys bring it with them with a bit of forward planning!) If it's too much to ship I'll just pay the $8 and tell him to keep it.

dominic clancy

At $8.00 surely the P&P will be far less than the price of a new crank Dominic?
If it is as much as 100 euros for example I would think it would still be an economic option.

I have relatives in Sydney and I can ask them if they know the best way to transport the crank to you if you wish.
Let me know if you would like to contact them.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Hi Dominic,
You could try Pack and Send for a quote http://www.packsend.com.au/ they are a specialist company down under (a club member recently sent a cylinder head to Europe and was pleased with the service - but it isn't free!).
By the way the links for the MG Silk Route tour blogs are
http://www.goldcoastmgcarclub.com.au/nanjing_longbridge_home_white.html
http://mgblog.thepeacefund.org/index.php/meet-the-team/
Do you have a photo of your crank failure - we have had something similar here recently?
Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Dominic, your failure sounds very similar to Barney's http://mgaguru.com/tales/odyssey4.htm maybe yours was waiting to happen but hastened by the accident.
Lindsay Sampford

The break is very similar to Barneys, see the picures. My diagnosis of a bearing was absolutely wrong, there's no sign of significant wear on the bearings at all.
The crank is definitely scrap.


dominic clancy

Mine broke just like that many years ago, but between the rear main and the number four rod. And it continued running for about 20 miles, enough to get me home and more.

Ken
k v morton

OH, DEAR Dominic that looks painfull, I hope you get it sorted quickly, I arrived home last knight after leaving the group in paris anddriving up to Zebrugge for the ferry although I hope to get to Abingdon on sunday to welcome them, it realy is great to see the kind words and offers of help that I have seen on the forum thank you, it was a big adventure for me and one that I would have not missed for the world, hopefully there will be more, I will try to post a couple of photos if I can do the computer thing, cheers Vin
The first one is of dominic with his eye on my beer.


Vin Rafter

Glad to see that you both nade it back in one piece (you and the car that is )
How did the MGB V8 saga go? Did it survive? It was a very brave thing to take an unknown car on such an epic "shakedown" trip
Colyn
Colyn Firth

and I think I heard (under his breath) "My god! the red ones really are the best" lol


Vin Rafter

Ref, that was my beer, Vin's is in the foreground.

And who takes photos when the beer has just arrived ?????
dominic clancy

The V8 spent two days in the shop in Lausanne. The brake pad backing fell out as they put it onto the ramp. There was no material left. I was passenger in the car going from the Hotel to the garage, straight through the centre of Lausanne at 4.30 with no brakes in the middle of the rush hour....

Apparently they caught up with the other guys in time for the Le Mans section
dominic clancy

Hi Domonic - sorry to hear about your engine problems - hope the repair is well underway - good photos taken by Vin. Let us know next time you are back in UK - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2010 and 20/07/2010

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