Year: 2021

The workshop is a bit nuts at the moment, but all good!

Good to see Derek this morning for full cambelt service on his TF 135, whom we saw a few months ago for a’health check’ of his then recent purchase, which came with very little history. So today we got the essentials done so he can enjoy worry free motoring. A date was also arranged at the time we saw him for everything else that needs sorting next year.

Peter brought over his very smart Rover 75 for a few things to be done. His daughter kindly drove him over from Leeds.

Diane and Gary drove over from Scarborough to drop off their TF 135 Spark for a bit of a list to get sorted for them this week.

We then went over to Hull this evening to collect Paul’s TF 135 that was originally booked in for underfloor treatment, but since we last saw him the car has developed some further issues that have taken precedence.

Bit of a juggle, organising parking, as we should have been in the bigger workshop by now. Going to be a mad week, but we’ll get there! 😵‍💫 😆

Great to see everyone today. Lots of fab people and their fab MGs. Lucky to have some good weather thrown in too. ☀️ 🍁 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Back home now after 10 brilliant days in the north of the British Isles, with a mix of work and the odd day off to take in various locations…

We left our very interesting digs in Alnwick this morning and headed to High Felling, where it was lovely to see Rachael and Tony again, to see what was occurring with Katy, their fab looking TF 160, that had decided she didn’t want to start when being taken for the MOT a few weeks ago. Even after being looked at by their recovery company it still wouldn’t start. But, this morning with the threat of being ripped to pieces and investigated she miraculously started up with the first turn of the key! Checked all codes and investigated the immobiliser and all seemed to be fine. In case of any further problems we read the EKA code from the immobiliser unit and left them with it as a back-up should anything else occur. This code disables the immobiliser unit.

Thank you, so much Rachael and Tony for the new George, whose wearing the best t-shirt too! Plus all the treats. Great to see you both.

We then went on to Kelloe, County Durham, where it was great to meet Nick, who had got in touch a few weeks ago regarding an issue with his fairly new acquisition of a MGF 143 VVC. After trying a new cap he was still experiencing overheating with the car when on a run.

On pressure test, today, we found that the jubilee clip on the hose from the block was very lose and subsequently losing coolant. All other clips checked and tightened up and all now good. Minor service carried out while we were there and a couple of other niggles sorted.

Managed to dodge the worst of the weather and get home in daylight.

We set off last Monday with a few things in the north east, a stop over in Beadnell, then Glasgow and Pitlochry on Tuesday, Port Augustus on Wednesday with a boat trip on Loch Ness, which was fab (didn’t find Nessie though!), then headed up to Halkirk. Back to Pitlochry on Monday and then Alnwick on Tuesday.

Really great trip, with brilliant people and places. Good to be back home and to be greeted by our very happy and vocal Binx puss. 🐈‍⬛ – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

What a brilliant and productive 3 days spent in Georgmas, north east Scotland to work on a Mk1 MGF 143.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, where it was lovely to see Paul again and a warm welcome at his new place. Friday, Saturday and Sunday spent in his garage doing a few things:

– Replacement of all 4 spheres
– Cambelt, water pump and tensioner replaced
– Both lower front wishbones replaced
– All four front subframe mounts replaced with stainless.
– Front to rear brake pipes, offside rear and nearside rear brake pipes
– All four flexi brake pipes
– Front and rear ARB bushes
– Front and rear track rod ends
– Pre-cat Lambda sensor fitted
– All four caliper bleed nipples replaced
– Modify and fit exhaust manifold heat shield
– ECU coolant sensor
– Oil pressure sensor
– Replace gear cable rear ends
– Fuel filter
– Oil and oil filter change
– Passenger side window mechanism fitted
– Mike Satur back box heat shield
– Fit back box
– Fit air filter
– Replacement of all four shockers
– Brake fluid change
– Replace radiator bleed screw

Absolutely loved our time there, so peaceful (when we weren’t making a noise!) What a fantastic host Paul has been, making us so welcome in his home, an excellent cook and amazing baking skills too. Shortbread and cookies straight out of the oven. Scrumptious meals each night rounding off with a Sunday roast last night. 😋

A good old mix of weather, but thankfully had the garage to work in.

I managed to get a couple of short walks in, one of which with the lovely Raffi dog!

Said our farewells this morning and left a little reluctantly! Could have happily stayed a lot longer!

We worked our way up last week, with a stopover in Pitlochry, then Fort Augustus and then on to Paul’s. So today we had a quick stop in again at Dunnet head and John O’Groats for the requisite photo opp and now find ourselves back in Pitlochry after a brilliant run down the coast with stunning scenery and weather.

Thank you, Paul so much for everything and thanks for the up-to-date pics of the bumper which is now back on. Give Raffi dog a carrot from us, we’re missing her and the peace! And big thanks for making the trusty van look so shiny and clean! 😃 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Back at it today, after our shorter than planned break, and an enjoyable one in the north east…

Jarrow was the first stop and great to see George again for investigation of an exhaust blow and fuel smell in the cab on his fab looking modified TF 160. Exhaust manifold gasket was past it, so a new one fitted. The front 3 engine cover bolts were all missing, so these were replaced, which all in all will resolve the stinky fuel smell in the cabin, sounds a lot smoother too now.

We then headed over to Seaton Sluice, Whitley Bay, for replacement hydragas spheres on Terry’s Trophy 160. Terry had been experiencing a bit of an uncomfortable ride in the car for some time and after a few hydragas top-ups, decided that the time had come to replace all 4 spheres. All done without any problems.

Susan had dropped her TF 160 at Terry’s as she had noticed that the coolant temperature gauge wasn’t working. This was found to be a broken wire to the sensor, so this was duly repaired and then heat shielded, gauge now working again. Shame not to see Susan as she was at work.

Really good to see Ian today too who came over to say hello, in his always great looking TF 135, and have a catch-up.

Big thank you to Kate for her hospitality today, lots of nibbles, lunch, cakes and a cracking cuppa!

We then headed a few more miles up the road, to Blyth, to fit the new hood on Les’s TF 135. This had been professionally replaced, a couple of months ago, by Jeff at our workshop, which included all the tabs for the full tonneau cover. It looks so good on this already very well cared for car.

Good to see Les and Pam as always and have a catch-up, albeit brief, as we then headed further north to our digs in Beadnell.

Bit of a change in our plans, we were supposed to be on holiday, but we had an amazing break in the Yorkshire Dales last week with a call on the way on Monday in Skipton on Andy’s lovely MGF in Old English White, that needed some back lights wiring in and the clips on the underfloor pipes tightening up. Unfortunately, my pics have gone off my phone for this one, it looked really good with the hard-top on, a heritage one, in what looked like Volcano, but it was lashing it down at the time anyway.

Had a brilliant few days away, in a remote location to recharge the batteries. ☺️⛰ – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Another weird one sorted, we went back to see Judith again in Oxspring for a problem that she’s had for some time with her MGF VVC mems 2J.

We had previously changed the coil pack, but this hasn’t resolved the issue. So today we changed the throttle body from a 48 mm plastic one to a 52 mm aluminum one. Swapped out the cam sensor and the coolant temperature sensor. Pleased for Judith that this has now resolved the problem with her car, that she’s owned for approx 18 years and for the last 2 no one could diagnose the problem. As mentioned it was a bit of scratchy head one! Multiple faults compounding into one very peculiar result.

We then pootled down the M1 a bit further to Holbrook, to see Ruth’s fab TF 135, ‘Destiny’, that wasn’t performing very well under braking. It appears that the front pads may have been sticking in the calipers. Freed off and copper eased them and all seems to be a lot better. Lovely to catch-up with Mark, shame to miss Ruth as she was working. Beautiful weather today again, which made for some nice shots of the car in the sunshine.

Bit of a long tedious journey home with multiple hold ups and the usual Friday afternoon traffic. But, we made it back in enough daylight to do a quick, combined tackle of the jungle of a garden!

It was supposed to be a another holiday day, but really glad to have got these two things done. 😌 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Michael had been monitoring the coolant loss on his MGF Mk 1 VVC mems 2J in Nightfire (CAQ) for a while, and after having previously been over to Ratby to pressure test it, it was a definite that the inevitable had occurred.

Gaskets all replaced. The exhaust flexi-hose had blown, so Michael had asked if we could replace this too. Didn’t help that the manifold gasket had all been siliconed, plus the manifold studs were very lose and one was missing. All sorted, resulting in a very nice smooth sounding car.

Great to see Paul Johnson too, who popped over to say hello, along with his two lovely woofers. Fab to have a quick catch-up with Michael and Paul.

Thanks for all the cuppas Michael, glad to have got your wife mobile again in her daily car! 😀 Look forward to seeing you again next year. – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

So pleased to have finally got Adam’s TF 135 completed today.

This was originally booked in for a few things as squeeze-ins, with other work we had booked in at the workshop in September. Once with us though the list kept being added to, which isn’t a problem at all, but we just physically didn’t have the time to do as quick as would have been liked, by us, as well as Adam.

But, happily we got there in the end and gave up today’s day off to get completed and the MOT carried out.

• Cambelt, water pump and tensioner replaced
• Annual service items replaced
• Piper cross induction kit fitted
• Pektron unit relays replaced and additional fob supplied – outsourced to Technozen
• Four wheel alignment – outsourced to MEDDS
• Exhaust manifold gaskets replaced
• Exhaust hanger fitted as missing
• New alternator and alternator belt
• ECU remapped – outsourced to k-maps.
• Rear subframe forward mounts replaced with stainless steel
• Mike Satur bell crank fitted
• Full underfloor treatment done
• Brake fluid change
• Windscreen wipers
• MOT – outsourced to Pickards

A clean up and wash down inside and out all ready for Adam to collect. The car has come a long way since Adam bought it a year ago. We replaced the head gasket shortly afterwards and he’s done a couple of little mods himself.

Hope you have loads more fun in her Adam! 😃 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

An enjoyable sunny Sunday morning spent just along the road in Hull…

Having had our details passed on, with thanks to Helen Blake, it was great to meet Rick whose TF 135 had suffered from the proverbial. With the car being his partners daily, and only car for work, we went and did what we do.

On our usual checks, before carrying out any work, it was found to be a definite. Head gasket replaced and everything cleaned up. The cambelt service was overdue so cambelt, water pump and tensioner replaced, plus new alternator belt.

What an enjoyable morning in Rick’s company, good chat and the car had no awkward bolts, well only one small cover bolt. Really good to get them mobile again. Date to be arranged to return to fit underfloor coolant pipes.

I made the most of the fantastic weather we’ve been experiencing and walked home along the foreshore from Hessle. ☀️

Grand Prix highlights on the telly to catch-up on and we have a day off planned tomorrow. 😀 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI