Year: 2021

A busy one in a little village just near Luton today…

This car was originally booked in with us quite some time ago, but very sadly the owner, Owen, passed away suddenly, leaving quite a collection of MGs. His wife, Collette, decided to recommission a couple of them. So she asked if we could come over and have a chat about the TF 160 when we were next in her area, that was back in April when on our way home from somewhere…

We returned today to carry out full cambelt service, and carry out the repairs that were found to be required on the MOT.

All brake lines replaced. All discs and pads replaced. Calipers all cleaned up. Everything done and ready for the re-test. Long day, but pleased to have got it done for her.

The car has had some bodywork, since we were last there, and is booked in for a full respray. It will be good to see it when it’s all finished.

Almost home and then time to watch the Grand Prix highlights. Bit of a shocker in quallies yesterday with our namesake Norris having a bit of a spin! Let’s hope the weather was a bit better today. ☔️ – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Wiggenhall St Peter, near Kings Lynn for our first call of the day, where it was lovely to see Mark again and his TF 135, one of the cars post the LE500 run.

The annual service was due, plus Mark also wanted a new alternator fitting and a replacement of the fuel sender unit, as his fuel gauge was showing inconsistent readings. Work all done in his very nice garage, (now the MGB GT is all done) with better carpets than in our house! Good catch-up and a cracking cuppa and cookies. Look forward to seeing you next year for the cambelt service. 😀

Next stop was Desborough, for replacement of the underfloor coolant pipes on Marcus’s TF 135, that we’d noticed on our last trip were looking a bit scabby and advised him to keep an eye on things and have replaced when we were next in the area. All done, with only one awkward bolt, system bled and then on our way. Thanks for the cuppa Marcus.

We then pootled a few miles along the road to Kettering, where it was lovely to meet Jim. Having recently bought the car the alternator had decided to pack up, always the way isn’t it. The previous owner had kindly recommended he get in touch with us for any future work.

We went armed with new alternator and voltage regulators. Fortunately, for Jim it was the regulator that was faulty, so this was duly replaced and car up and running nicely again. Great that we were in the area and able to sort so quickly.

Have fun on your run at the weekend Jim, with the MG crowd.

Thank you both for the cake, a cracking brew! Oh and the bottle of wine, having had a chat about both of our trips to Spain etc that we’re all missing. ☀️🍷

The sun was out all day, which was a welcome sight and again another day of lovely people and their fab cars. On our way back up the A1 now heading home. – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

What a fab day back on the road with our first call in Gosberton, near Spalding and then the second call in Ruskington, near Sleaford…

Great to meet Rodge this morning for cambelt services on his and his brother-in-laws cars.

First up was Dave’s TF 135 for cambelt, water pump, tensioner and alternator belt replacement. Really nice interior on this car with green alcantara seats and matching door cars inserts. (Didn’t get a very good pic unfortunately).

Next up was Rodge’s MGF Trophy, that he had only recently purchased from Mr Satur, complete with his suspension conversion. Plus some other very nice blingy bits! Rodge had spent quite a bit of time polishing the car up and it looks really good. Cambelt, water pump, tensioner and alternator belt replaced. Couple of other bits done. All bolts etc behaved too on both cars, an absolute pleasure to work on.

Thank you, so much Rodge for your cracking brews and all the cream cakes and sticky buns! Jon had a right old feast on the way to the next call. Great to meet Dave, albeit it brief when he came to pick up his TF. We look forward to seeing you again next year for cambelt service on your LE 500.

We then headed over to meet Phil for work on his lovely TF 135, minor service carried out, alternator belt replaced and investigation of slight coolant loss.

Really great to meet Phil, and his family, finally, great to have a chat and a cuppa. Although I’m sure I have a picture of me with him, at FRL whilst he was in disguise as a horse! 🐴 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Monday morning found us at the workshop to start work on Claire’s TF 160, that Claire and Andrew had brought up to us from Porthcawl…

– Front subframe replaced with a galvanized one as the one on the car had certainly reached the end of its time.

The other components replaced were; crash cans, anti-roll bar, cross brace, rear front subframe mounts.

– Cambelt service done and all other service parts replaced.

– Front brake lines and one flexi replaced.

– Two front shock absorbers replaced.

– Clutch release arm very stiff, so this was freed off and slave cylinder replaced as the seals had blown.

– Rear caliper nearside replaced and offside cleaned up, plus new pads fitted.

– Full underfloor treatment done.

All done this afternoon and ready for collection.

Really nice to have this car in the workshop, having done the cambelt service and other things over the years, at its location in Porthcawl, especially given the history with it.

Andrew had bought it for Claire for her 40th birthday present as a complete surprise. She had always wanted one, and when sat with her friends and family on a spa weekend away, Andrew not only had a replica cake made of the car he arranged for the car to be delivered to where she was staying!

Just another fab MG story 💚 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

What a great weekend at the workshop…

A bit of a busy one, but it was really good seeing everyone and their cars for various things.

Peter came over from Leeds with his TF 135, that he had noticed had developed some clunks when out on a run recently. Date arranged to get them remedied, plus some other things. Nice to have a catch-up with Peter over a cuppa.

Ian came down from Durham to pick up his TF 160, (details on Friday’s blog), great to meet him finally and nice that he bought one of our t-shirts!

Andy then came over from Skipton with his fab looking MGF VVC (in NNX) for replacement of the underfloor coolant pipes, hydragas pump up and a health check. Great to meet Andy, who had only recently bought the car and had got chatting to Mark & Alan at Gaydon, who suggested he got in touch. He and his wife had been after one in this colour, and they have found themselves a gem.

So this morning we were back there bright and early to move things around…

Our first visitors were Andrew and Claire, who had driven up from Porthcawl in order to leave their TF 160 with us for a few things next week. We last saw them and their car 4 years ago, in Porthcawl, so it was lovely to see them again.

Stephen and Marie brought over their LE 500 ‘Ellie’ for the minor service. ABS light had recently come on, on code reading found to be the offside rear drive shaft ring. Tried cleaning it up, but may need replacing. Always lovely to see them both and have a chat.

New MG owners Diane and Gary had got in touch asking if we could have a look over their recent purchase of a TF 135 Spark to reassure them that they hadn’t bought a money pit, so they drove over from Scarborough this morning. Good to meet them both, date arranged to come back and sort a few things.

It was great that Stephen and Marie were there for them to meet and enjoy a chat about all the foibles of MG ownership! 😀

Our last visitor was Jim, who had driven over from Harrogate, and lovely to meet him with his also newly acquired TF 135.

Jim had thought that the heater control valve was faulty. We found to be the cable to the clamp at the top end that had become detached. This was duly repaired, not as simpler a job as the valve itself, as all the console has to come off in order to get to it. He’d also noticed the heater switch wasn’t working, so a new resister pack was fitted. Underfloor coolant pipes replaced, as his were showing signs of rot and bulging in one area. Couple of other niggles sorted out.

On carrying out a health check it was found that 3 of the 4 bottom shocker bushes had gone plus a rear offside control arm. Jim has decided to go for a soft-ride-kit to resolve all of these, having already discussed the merits of it anyway.

So all in all a fantastic weekend with lovely people all getting to meet each other and enjoy what’s so good about MG ownership.

The sun made intermittent appearances for some top down drives at least. ☀️ And I’m pleased I found the emergency tea bags, that would have been a disaster not having any!

We’re a bit tired now, but a nice kind of tired. ☺️ – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Back in the workshop this morning and set to work on Ian’s TF 135, that he had left with us yesterday.

Head gasket replaced and cambelt service carried out. Things were a little cooked, but fortunately, for Ian, there was no damage to the head. A number of missing and incorrect bolts found so these were replaced, as not only some of them are essential, it just makes us feel better seeing everything as it should be. 😊

Great to see, another Ian, who brought his MGF 1.8 mpi over for a health check this afternoon. Ian was concerned he had bought something that wasn’t worth spending any money on, if it was found to be too far gone underneath.

Not the case at all, this lovely Wedgewood had obviously well cared for, mechanically, with the previous owner. It was looking a bit on the low side, and Ian had been struggling with the speed bumps where he lives, so we topped up the hydragas. He had also noticed an intermittent coolant loss, when stuck in traffic, on pressure test of the expansion tank cap it was found to be duff so a new one fitted.

Date booked in for for a couple of other things to be sorted.

Good to be back at base for a change, with some sun thrown in too, and catching up with our fab neighbours. ☀️ 🐑 – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

Back to ‘local’ calls today…

First call in Wilberfoss.

Always lovely to see Derek and Margaret, and their fab looking 80th TF Anniversary, which had failed its MOT on steering rack play and track rod ends, plus rear top ball joints. All replaced and car going back for its retest tomorrow.

Sorry, we took so long to get to you to sort! Great to catch-up though. Thanks for the cuppas and bacon butty. Looking forward to hearing the message tomorrow, with the ‘one word’!

We then headed over to Halton, near Leeds, for work on a TF 135 Spark.

Cambelt service carried out, plus all other minor service items replaced. Terry had given it a go, replacing the slave cylinder, but asked us to finish it off. The clutch release arm was very stiff, so we freed this off, replaced the slave cylinder, refitted the air box and repaired the coolant temperature sensor.

Shame not to meet Terry, but thanks to Nicola for the cuppas.

Quick call in at the workshop, on the way home, to secure Ian’s TF that he had dropped off for some work tomorrow. – https://ift.tt/363HZbI

What an enjoyable last day of our trip to the south west of the country…

We left our digs and headed over to Longrock, near Penzance, for some work on a TF 160. Really lovely to meet Roger finally, who had contacted us many months ago to ask us if we could come and see him when next in the area.

Cambelt, water pump, tensioner replaced and full service carried out on this very good looking, and obviously well cared for car, with the previous owner that Roger had bought it from in Norfolk last year.

Thank you Roger for all the Cornish treats! 😋 We shall enjoy munching on those over the next couple of days. The pasties were delicious today along with lots of cracking brews. 🥟

Great to meet you and have a good chat. We look forward to seeing you again next year. – https://ift.tt/363HZbI