DrData

Thanks for sharing some great pictures of great looking cars. The MG TD was a little over the top with the white walls. I am really troubled, however by the idea of a Ferrari SUV.

After more than 40 years, man and boy, of pushing a mower, we gave up. Stripped out remaining turf and weeds and 0lanted native, drought resistant plants (Northern California). Once established, we turned off the drip system to save on water…didn’t bother them in the least. Part of our property also has blackberries…sort of like barbed wire with a bad attitude. About every five years, I hire some one to cut everything back to stumps.

Bernie, Glad to hear you and your Rapier are back out on the road. Hope you and Helen are enjoying. Any news on the Morris on vacation at your sons?

George, Thanks for the great shots. Particularly like the two-seater AH 100-6… rings back a lot of memories. The green Be they roadster was interesting. I have never seen one quite like it.

Glad to hear the Rapier is back in its rightful place and, more importantly, it is being driven and enjoyed.

Will he provide you with another Rapier as a “loaner” while yours is in the shop?

Great write up. The owner experience is much like the one I experienced with a product from a now-defunct Swedish mfg. In retrospect, it must have thought the dealer’ s service department was home. It sure spent a lot of time there.

My little town also in Sonoma County like the OP, installed a roundabout at what was a five way intersection. It took about a year longer than planned due to weather and dealing with undocumented water systems. Eventually it was opened. Given my town’ issues dealing with creating a one way street, I was quite skeptical about it, but most people are able to navigate it. Of course, there is still a measurable proportion of entitled drivers who feel they own the road and the heck with everyone else. Not to mention the overly entitled bicyclists…

Up through the T series, the sequence of each model’s series number started at 251, which was the phone number of the Abingdon office…ergo, the first MG TC was number 251.

Bernie, I understand your ennui totally. For the past ten years, I have been writing family histories of the main branches of my family as well as building a family tree. Nothing startling and no major historical figures, just how three different Irish (and one Alsatian) families came to the US in the nineteenth century and made their way in America (most of them owned taverns). I do it for my own pleasure, knowing that the children of my niece and nephew will not give a whit about these family roots. However, through this work, I have met some relatives that I never knew existed and built new friendships. I have followed your “project” posts for about a dozen years and find them interesting and informative. Also nice to know that there are others out there, like me, who are somewhat mystified by automotive electronics. Keep posting about your Lagonda adventures and your new/old Morris project.

The YB used the same XPAG engine as the T series roadsters, so it is unlikely that the oil filter element would fit a Series 1 Midget. Also, the original filter element for the XPAG was a large cotton, not paper.

Bernie, sorry to hear about the string of disasters on your tour. A mudguard is easily repaired, injury from a falling tree branch not so much. Several years ago, one of the drivers in the Mille California went off the road and straight into a large oak in his SS 100. I had met them the day before when the Mille stopped overnight in our little town. As long as the mudguard isn’t impeding the tire, take it out for a drive or two. If anyone asks, just say “Oh, that? Well I just passed a Bugattis Tipo 35 and he took umbrage.”

If they were SUs, check with Burlen’s (burlen.co.uk). They also handle most other brands used on British cars, they should be able to give you an estimate pretty easily.

Go for it, Bernie. Have a great time. Get plenty of photos

Bryan, Thanks for the info. It is definitely unpainted black plastic. Not sure what chemical compound Datsun may have been using 40 years ago. All I know is that “Back to Black” from a well known mfg does not bring it back.

My wife’s 1981 280zx is about 99% original and still presents beautifully, with one exception: the black plastic front bumper cover appears dull, washed out and needs restored. Rather than starting at one end of the aisle at NAPA and working my way down, I was wondering what product(s) might be recommended for restoring color and sheen. Thanks in advance

In California, there appears to be four choices: 1. Regular registration plates, but with a variety of available designs. 2. The old “black plates”. These were brought back for older cars but have become very popular among owners of new black SUVs and sedans. 3. YOM plates. First must go through a DMV search to make sure they are not in use. Also need to have the correct clip on year tag for the upper right corner of the plate. 4. traditional antique/classic plates. One time registration fee but restrictions on use of the vehicle. If you live in a region where vehicles must be smog checked, I believe the cutoff is 25 years. I have been able to avoid smogging because I live 6 miles north of the “border”.

Shouldn’t Wile E. Coyote be at the wheel?👌

I use hand signals when driving my MG TD….most people think I am waving hello and wave back.

Congratulations Ed and, echoing others, thanks for your generous sharing of the beautiful,and rare cars you encounter on your Best Coast trip. Cheers!

Bernie, Thanks for the explanation. In your photos, I was never able to trace the leads from the distributor. One of the beauties of the SU is the ease of working on them. My TD also use two bolts per carb to arrachnair filters. Keep driving and posting. Age is only important if you are a cheese or a Bordeaux red

Bernie, Looking back at the pictures of the engine bay, it seems like the layout is not conducive to shade tee mechanics. With the distributor snuggled in there beneath the SUs and the intake manifold, where are the spate plugs? And, what is involved in changing them? I saw that a Lagonda Rapier was coming to one of the Pebble Beach auctions (California) in two weeks…believe it was Broad Arrows was the auctioneer, not one of the bigger houses.

Enjoy the trip. Do not forget to pack your gold AAA card and a good cellphone 😁

Bernie, sounds like a great outing in the Lagonda. Glad to hear it is back out there, terrorizing the locals. last weekend, we attended a concours d’elegance at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, KY, USA. Best of show was a 1935 SS Airline coupe…stunning in silver. Best story was a 275 GTB Ferrari, which the owner drove 4.5 hours to get to the show. Got a chance to chat with him…great, down-to-earth guy. Several stunning MG T series and an M-type…all benefitted from expensive paint jobs and arrived on trailers. Not near as much fun as driving them. Cheers!

Uh oh, I suspect Bernie is on a “new project” trajectory.