My friend Matt and I dropped by Paine Field on the 6th of August to watch the Flying Heritage Collection fly one of their Focke-Wulf FW-190s along with their Messerscmitt BF-109 for “Luftwaffe Day.” This video, in its short, shaky glory, was shot from my Canon S95 pocket camera, so keep that in mind when eyeballing it.
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[flickr id=”5976930245″ thumbnail=”original” overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”] My friend Brent came over early Saturday morning to drive the GT to the All British Field Meet in Bellevue, and I rode the BSA down in convoy with him. The trip was relatively uneventful–only a couple of easily retrieved pieces fell off the BSA and the MGB seeped some oil from the oil cooler, but that was the extent of it.
The BSA took first place…out of two bikes. Can’t say I’m proud of that one. The GT, which took third last year when entered in the wrong category (MGB roadsters), this year was entered in the right category–and failed to place, out of eight GTs entered. It’s the curse of “shiny primer” and red wheels, by gum.
[flickr id=”5928736281″ thumbnail=”original” overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]Those the big-end bearings from a couple of the rods. You should not be able to see copper, and you definitely shouldn’t be able to see big chunks of it flaking off. This bearing had also spun, I believe. Continue reading
[flickr id=”5928736225″ thumbnail=”original” overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]It turns out the misfiring cylinder was nothing more than a bum spark plug. Took a nice ride this evening: Less comfortable than the BSA–but a heck of a lot smoother and faster! It’s funny how power can affect your perceptions; there are some dotted-line byways where driving the MGB or the F250 you think “there’s not enough road to pass, what were they thinking when they striped this?” On the 955i: “there’s plenty of road to pass here, nice of them to be so generous!”
[flickr id=”5915125684″ thumbnail=”original” overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]Nice to see the car back on its feet again. My friend Paul is coming by tomorrow at mid-day to help with the start-up of the fresh engine. It’s always nice to have an extra pair of eyes to watch for gushing fluids while the oil and temp are monitored from inside. The engine also has to be run for at least half an hour over 2000 rpm on initial start to break in the new camshaft, which would make a one-person start even more difficult. Continue reading
[flickr id=”5893729596″ thumbnail=”original” overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]Just a quick note to show a bit of progress…waiting for some pieces, now. I have a few things I can do in the meantime, mainly rebuilding the generator. The spark plug wires are a bit of a disappointment…I mean, green? Whatever. Continue reading
[flickr id=”5887196628″ thumbnail=”original” overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]The engine is back in the GT as of this evening, which feels like progress. I’m also going to have to replace the exhaust system (alas), as the downpipe will not give up its exhaust donuts, or what remains of them, anyway. Budget is super-tight, so this is unwelcome, if not unexpected. I’ll probably buy one of the “cheap” stainless systems offered by Moss resellers. If I get it from Northwest Import it will be here Friday (I think). Continue reading
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The front suspension is done, awaiting lowering to the ground to tighten the A-arm nuts and pin them. I also need to bleed the brakes–Mrs. Rusty Heaps has agreed to help. (Don’t be surprised to read about a divorce in this space shortly thereafter!)
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I think this is an improvement, though it’s best not to look too closely at some of the details. (I have no budget or time for having the fasteners plated, etc, so opted for some copy-cad paint where appropriate and called it a day.) You can see the exterior base/clear grey is slightly different than the single-stage grey I used to touch up the inner fenders and such…but it’s not as apparent in person, and once the engine, carbs and radiator are in it will be pretty hard to tell. Not to mention a summer’s driving will have made it dusty and oily enough to make all subtle differences moot! Continue reading
I’m still waiting for my friends at the machine shop to get to my engine, so I’ve been slowly working on the myriad other MGB GT tasks underway. I’ve been concentrating on detailing the engine bay, though “detailing” in this case is code for “make it look a bit less shabby.” Wrenches have also been twirling on a front suspension rebuild, new rear brakes, and various other small fixes. I’ll post a more detailed post (or posts) once I’ve made some real progress–in the meantime, I give you this photo. Click for a larger view on Flickr.
