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MG TD TF 1500 - MGRA T & Y Type Tech Day 2019

On Sunday the 10th November here in Sydney the M.G.R.A. runs its 7th annual T and Y Type Tech Day at the usual venue in the Lane Cove River National Park. Gates open at 9 am. This year we've included Y Types for the 1st time and we also have scored a real coup with Rob Grantham traveling all the way across the continent from Perth in Western Australia to attend. Rob is considered the foremost authority on TF's in this country, if not the world. So if you're restoring a TF and live within cooee of Sydney you'd be be crazy not to turn up. Many of you know Rob from this forum.

We also have a session on rebuilding the woodwork for a TD with original pieces mocked up on a bench. Norm Lewis is a carpenter joiner and made his woodwork using a band saw from these original pieces and has done a lovely job on his restored TD.

There is also a restoration and maintenance session on a TC, as well as a tale of turning a driveable car into pile of rust that a farmer left out of a barn in a paddock for twenty years, into a lovely TD with the finished car in attendance. Hard to believe it once had a tree growing out of it. And finally a session on using sound and heat proofing on a nice TF. As many bread rolls with jam and cream that you can eat and a morning tea throughout each session and a BBQ lunch is also provided.

The day finishes after lunch with an auction of an original TD steering wheel in restorable condition donated by Sportsparts owner Bruce Smith here in Sydney. Cost is $15 plus the $8 to gain entry to the park. All welcome. We can handle up to 40 cars. Just email me on pjbm (at) bigpond (dot) com.

Will you Bill, Joe and Bruce be attending Chris? It's just a short plane ride! Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Sounds like a good day Peter--
Hope it all goes well

willy
William Revit

Looks like a great and informative event Peter. Looking forward to an event recap and be sure to take lots of pictures and post them here.

Frank
TF1414
Frank Cronin

Wish I could make it. Rob Grantham is a wealth of information.
M Magilton

Thanks for the response guys. Temp predicted is now a perfect 24 degrees. We have about 15 confirmed attendees. My back is under attack with a compressed sciatic nerve but if I can crawl unseen to the Toyota, haul myself behind the wheel and drive away before the wife grabs me by the scruff of the neck and drags me back inside, I'll be there. Doesn't look likely though but the event is proceeding regardless. I'll ask that as many digital pics as possible be taken and post them here. This is a shot of the venue that we use every year taken in 2018. Doesn't look like the Californian contingent is coming though? :-) Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

"Doesn't look like the Californian contingent is coming though?"

That's a bit of a puddle to vault, even for a T car. :-)

Good luck with the event and hope you can sneak out.
Christopher Couper

It was an absolutely magic day. Once the pics are gathered and sorted and my report written I'll post the details here. Probably our best Tech Day yet! I couldn't stay away and pulled up surprisingly OK. The nerve pain drug got me through the day. Thanks to all who contributed and especially to Rob Grantham who traveled across Australia and back from Perth to Sydney just to share his knowledge! For you blokes across the big Pacific pond check out Google Earth to see just how far that is! Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I Googled it! Congrats making that journey Rob! That's something similar to driving cross country from Boston to California. Great news you were able to attend the event Peter. Looking forward to the recap.

Frank

TF1414
Frank Cronin

If driving, a big part of the trip is across the Nullarbor Plain, which is just hundreds and hundreds of miles of nothing. You can go for hours and not see another living thing. Rob used his frequent flyer miles as this road trip is a real test for any vehicle and would be especially so in a T Type. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Here are a few shots from the day. This first one shows some of the T Types. The car in the foreground is a really lovely TC. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Pic 1. This is during Norm Lewis's talk on making thin timber templates of the various timber components of the framework in a T Type. Norm had to manufacture all of the timber from scratch as the timber in his car, which he purchased in 1969 was completely rotted out. He is a carpenter joiner by trade but stressed that with care, selecting the correct timber and using the resources of the local branch of the Men's Shed it was well within the capability of the hands on restorer to manufacture the T Type timber. Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

This next shot shows some of the templates and drawings Norm used. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

The guy looking at the ground is Bruce Smith from Sportsparts here in Sydney. He is our go to local supplier of T Type parts here in Oz. Some of the owners cars can be seen in the background. He has a B and a Magnette. Maybe one day he'll turn up in a T Type. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

I'll post more pics taken by others who attended when I get them. We had 19 turn up including a late arrival in a stunning black TF. There really were some great examples of T Types on display. Owners such as myself who have cars under restoration were spurred on to add to the line of cars for next years event. (One of these years I'll succeed in getting that line straight). Those who'd never attended any of the previous annual events were blown away with the depth of knowledge shared. Rob Grantham's talk was an absolute standout, as was Norm's and both Bob McCluskey's tale of resurrecting his TD and Warwick Gordon Smith's tips on keeping his lovely TC in such great nick. Andy Nelson who also has a really pretty TF spoke about the huge difference to passenger comfort the addition of the insulating material he used made to his car. It looked like acoustic underfelt. Once we lock down the name of the supplier I'll post it here. A great deal of one on one info exchanges happened over lunch, with President Bob Simpson keeping the bush turkeys and kookaburras away from the BBQ.

If you have a T Type I can promise you that you'll have a great day at this annual event. You're all welcome, as are suggestions for next year's topics. Thank you to all who attended and especially for the spirited bidding at the auction. We raised an impressive $360 for the M.G.R.A. (The use of the dots may not be correct but I'm with Cecil as he was very keen to see them used!) :-) Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,

It looks like you had a very productive session. I’m glad you were able to attend. I would have loved to visit OZ again and attend.

I haven’t been across the Nullarbor Plain but did have a memorable 2,000 km road trip from the tropics of Darwin to the desert of Uluru, or Ayers Rock, while my son and his wife were living in Australia for two years. Aussies must have a passion for adventurous travel: on our trip we stopped at Mataranka Cabins and Camping, miles from nowhere, where there was a guy pulling a travel trailer behind his Oakland sedan, a car that was last made in 1931.

Joe
Joe Olson

Hi Peter,
Sorry I missed your recent call as I have not been the best lately however things are improving as I am on the mend now. I tried to call you today but you had the phone switched off.
Hope your back is getter better and glad you could make it to the Restorers Club at Lane Cove it being successful according to your reports.
Look after yourself.
Regards,
John
J Walton

Same to you John. Apparently we only get one bite of the apple. You would have loved it. You better be there next year or as Aunty Jack says "I'll come round to your place and rip ya bloody arms orff". Nice to hear from you to Joe. For you blokes on that side of the water the weather in November in Sydney is unbelievable, so come and have a look at some nice Aussie cars next November. Here are some more pics. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Pic 2


P Hehir

Pic 3


P Hehir

Sorry I had to miss out again Peter, looks like it was a really good one (I suspect they all are).
PS I haven’t forgotten about the surplus Karvel but TF 2071 is not advanced enough for me to start cutting into it yet. It is, however, on the road and registered so that I can compile a list of any mechanical gremlins that will need sorting out when I strip it down for painting.
I think you will need that back of yours in good order when you start driving, or at least getting in and out of yours. I am so glad I kept up the yoga.
Chris
C I Twidle

Chris it is a long way to come so you're forgiven. Great news on the carpet but no hurry mate. I'm going to make sure the seat and back are as well padded as originally possible. I'll need good lumbar support. Don't care if it takes ages to get in and out. Richard Morgan dropped over to the garage at Campsie today to take a course on the door mods I've introduced to my car. He had the 6 page illustrated document I'd written a couple of years back but just wanted to ensure he understood the location of the introduced captive nuts, the elimination of the bloody wood screws, backing plate mods, the six points of adjustment at the strikers and the 8 points at the doors, the angles, plates and threaded holes and technical terms like stiles and quirks. He was mightily impressed with the clunk a TD door makes when it is doubly engaged as PJ mentioned about his doors in an earlier thread. We spent considerable time going over the whole car and he made plenty of notes.

What I'm particularly chuffed about is that I have full piping around the striker and not a sign of damage. There is a secret to achieving this. So folks it can be done and it does look purty! I'm about to get back onto the driver's door once the body stops revolting (mine that is). Richard also refused to believe that I'd painted the tub in acrylic lacquer with just a series of spray cans, about a dozen so far, cut with 1,000 grit soapy wet and dry. Still got to get to 2,000 before I talk to someone about polishing compound and method. Ivory is a great colour to work with. She's gunner look schmick!
Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

How are you guys managing out there with the fires? Plenty on the TV about it over here. We hope that you are safe and well.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Thanks for your concern Dave. Personally we are in a low vegetation risk area but friends only a few kms away have been threatened and will probably feel the need to make a donation to the largely unfunded volunteer Rural Fire Service who have been doing a magnificent job.

Politicians are ducking for cover and saying that pushing the climate change debate at this time is ‘unhelpful’ but when will they listen?

Our own fire preparation plan had to include the decision as to which cars to take - the ten year old Subaru, the 45 year old Stag or the 65 year old MG TF!

Chris
C I Twidle

Hi All,

Congratulations to Peter Hehir and the members of the MG Restorers Association of NSW who attended the Tech Day at Lane Cove on Sunday.
Peter was very stoic in that he had sustained a nasty back injury some weeks earlier however he was determined to attend. He still was serving
morning tea and lunch items despite his obvious discomfort. Richard M
stepped in to ably direct proceedings throughout the day. Thankyou Richard. Also.thanks to the man who cooked our lunches on the day.

Frank, the just under 4000 kms journey ( by aeroplane ) was well worth the effort. I was a bit jet lagged! Frequent Flyer points are wonderful. The major gratifying theme of the meeting for me was that everyone there had an interest in the rebuilding and restoration of T type MGs. It seems that aspect of owning MGs is diminishing with regard to other Clubs.

Member Rob Brown is a great example of what this Association is all about."Cheque book restoration" is not in the vernacular. He has rebuilt/restored an excellent example of a TD doing nearly all the work himself. Learnt by finding out and doing. Many others there had done the same.

On TFs, we are fortunate around the world to have individuals who have a wealth of restoring experience and know of fine originality detail. Rod Brayshaw of New Zealand has rebuilt 30 TFs (and about 12 TDs), Matt Magilton we all know has extreme originality detail and USA man Frank Cronin has entered the Concours arena with his superb Birch Grey TF.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day capped off at the end of the day with a ride out of Lane Cove National Park in a nice running black TF.

Well done to all involved on an informative meeting.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos"),





Rob Grantham

Thanks Rob. Your comments are very much appreciated. I'd love to see the 2nd Sunday in November become an internationally recognised annual event that manages to attract T Type owners, restorers and even past and prospective owners from anywhere and everywhere to come together in a great social setting to share the enthusiasm for a common passion. Next year's event will be the 8th in a row and is on the 8th November at the same venue. You are all most welcome.

Norm has volunteered to talk about the problematic clutch cable and the successful mod that rectifies this design flaw with examples of new, bent and broken cables and I'll ensure we have a head there so that the cooling holes at the rear mentioned by Rob Grantham in his talk can be clearly identified and the method used to ensure the extra hole is drilled in the correct location to the correct depth. Bit like the precision needed for the cortisone injections into my spine. :-).

The breakfast restoration updates over jam and cream rolls are a great way to break the ice for the day so we'll need a couple more owners to share their experiences. I'm hoping to have a specific TC event ratified by the M.G.R.A. arranged for the 19th January, which is usually a quiet month for M.G.R.A. activity, where half a dozen TC owners can use a garage lift at a residence in Greenwich to get a rare view of the underside of their cars and also discuss issues specific to that model. Please make a note of the November date in your diary for next year's T & Y Type Tech Day. It's a day you really don't want to miss. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 08/11/2019 and 13/11/2019

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