Year: 2022

Back to reality today, after a really fantastic time away in Greece…

We headed south to a lovely little village called Pentlow, in Suffolk, where it was really good to meet Gary and his lovely wife, for work on their very tidy MGF Steptronic, that her father had bought for her some years ago. Unfortunately, for them the head gasket had gone again and the car was also over due it’s cambelt service.

The dreaded K-seal had been added at some point in its life, so we cleaned away what we could of that hideous stuff. Couple of bits replaced to get her back to rights and it was so lovely seeing the smile on their faces when she was fired back up.

Really nice morning chatting, together with welcoming brews and butties and some good weather thrown in too.

We then headed further south and are now in our digs in Westerham.

A good start to the week to get us back to it. ☺️ – https://ift.tt/0noBU8G

So this morning we have woken up on the island of Crete and I think for the first time ever our suitcases don’t contain tools!

We’re having 10 days R&R on this beautiful island, that we last visited on our honeymoon.

I will try to keep a check on the admin and will respond to messages etc soon as poss and will have a big catch-up once we’re home.

Wonder how many MGs we will spot on our travels here. 🇬🇷 🏝 😀 – https://ift.tt/KThv2tZ

Back to it today with a job in Stoke-on-Trent after enjoying a few fab, none work, days away in London.

Mark had spotted us a couple of times on his travels, as a long-distance lorry driver. When we pulled into the A66 café, back in December he called us over for a chat about his TF 115, that was needing a bit of work.

Mark had bought the car really cheap and as a what he described as a barn find. After enjoying a few trips out in it, the head gasket went. Plus the car had no service history and after being stood for some time he thought that the clutch had also gone.

So we got him booked in for a couple of days work. After unearthing the car from underneath a bush this morning we set about getting her sorted. All bolts etc came undone with no bother at all. A few were missing or wrong so these were replaced. Head gasket replaced and cambelt service carried out. The clutch itself was absolutely fine, it was just down to the clutch release arm being a bit stiff, due to being stood and a very worn out clevis pin.

What a joy to work on and all up and running lovely now. Mark will now get the MOT done and give her a bit of a clean up, before enjoying the trips he has planned throughout the summer months.

Baking hot day, but we had the shade of a tree, which was welcome. 🌳 – https://ift.tt/2wtuox1

Another just up the road day today…

Our first call was in Cliffe, where it was really nice to meet Martin for work on his immaculate ZS 1.8 that he’s owned since it was a year old.

Cambelt, water pump, tensioner, plugs, all filters and oil all replaced this morning. Fab car, glad we’ve got everything sorted for Martin, nice to have a chat and a brew!

We then went over to Dringhouses, near York for cambelt service on Stewart’s TF 135 (in HQM). Cambelt, water pump, tensioner all replaced. Couple of stubborn bolts, but pleased we have everything sorted for him, as he had no previous history with the car and was a bit tentative about driving it, quite rightly so. Good to meet Stew, who made it back home before we left, good chat and a cracking brew!

An enjoyable day in good company, to round off our work this week, ahead of having a few days away. 😃 – https://ift.tt/jDUJ7dP

Back on the road today after our couple of weeks in the workshop, with our first call in Chapel Allerton for work on Alaric’s recent acquisition, after his last car that we worked on some time ago was written off by a chap on his way to buy some lemons.

Today we replaced the head gasket and carried out the cambelt service on his Rover Tourer 75 1.8 turbo in Odyssey Blue. The car had previously had the head gasket replaced with a Mk II elastomer.

Alaric was concerned that the head may have been warped and would need replacing, but after a clean up was found to be good to go, which he was really pleased to hear.

Nice to see him again and have a chat whilst we worked.

From there we went over to Harrogate where it was lovely to see Pat and Diane again, and of course have fusses with their gorgeous dog Bertie.

Minor service time for their fab looking TF 1.6. Plus a couple of niggles needed sorting.

Good to have a catch-up, complete with a cracking brew, homemade cakes and biscuits. Thank you, both, they were really good. 🍰

Admin almost caught up on and nearly home now. A long, tough day, but good all the same! – https://ift.tt/jDUJ7dP

Collection day today, really great to see Mike and Suzanne who came up from Ratby to pick up Ruby, their TF 160 (in CAQ).

Originally, the car was booked in for underfloor treatment, but when Mike had the car through an MOT it was found to have a few fails. So we picked her up and brought her back to the workshop for some TLC…

– Both front wishbones replaced.
– The over the gearbox support was replaced as his had a bit of a hole in it.
– Rear brake pipes replaced.
– Welding to both rear sills.
– Full underfloor treatment done.
– Then finally the MOT done for him.

Really good to get her all sorted for them.

Lovely to see you both today and have a quick catch-up. Hope you enjoyed your lunch at Anna’s Happy Pig! 😃

Unfortunately, Andy was unable to make it today to collect his MGF as arrived late back last night from working away. So she will wait in the workshop until he can travel up from Solihull. – https://ift.tt/jYL5Ob4

What a perfect way to round off the week…

We have just arrived home from a very lovely evening meal with Adrian in Market Weighton, at The Bay Horse.

I picked him from Goole station this afternoon, as he had travelled up from Leigh-on-Sea to collect ‘Pearl’, his really fantastic looking and very well travelled TF 160 Anniversary, with lots of stories and adventures to tell.

Work commenced on Monday with replacing the internal heater pipes, plus the heater control valve, while we were in there. Then on Tuesday full clutch replacement carried out, together with a new release arm. Upgraded alternator bracket fitted. Full underfloor treatment carried out.

On running up to temperature we found that the ECU coolant temperature sensor was faulty, so a new one was fitted. Couple of other little niggles looked at and sorted.

What a pleasure to work on, even the clutch release arm came out freely, which is usually a bit of a task in itself.

Work all completed on Mike’s MGF 143. Initially booked in for underfloor treatment, the car had a bit of a list of MOT fails, so we got our heads down and cracked on ready for the collection this weekend. MOT carried out this afternoon. Didn’t get chance to take any pics as it was a tad inclement. Will do tomorrow morning hopefully.

Busy and productive week. Great cars, great people.

We look forward to collecting Adrian from his digs in the morning, ahead of his drive back home. – https://ift.tt/NbxXi4d

Halfway through the week with an early start on Monday morning, to get a couple of things sorted on Diane & Gary’s TF 135 (in JHG) before the MOT. The SRS light was on, which we found to be a faulty pre-tensioner on the passenger seat, so this was replaced. Reverse light switch replaced. Alternator belt replaced, as it was squealing a tad on start-up.

Lovely to see Adrian who dropped off his 80th Anniversary TF 160 ‘Pearl’ with us. Great to have a chat and a brew before Jon took him to the station to head back home. Pleased to hear he’d enjoyed a lovely weekend on the MG Yorkshire groups run. Work commenced on Pearl.

MOT done Tuesday morning on the TF 135 and it was found as an advisory on two of the wheel bearings, so Gary asked us if we could replace these before they came over to collect on Tuesday evening.

All done and pleased to hear from Diane later that she had an enjoyable drive home to Scarborough.

Great to see Paul, this morning, who drove down from County Durham in his fab looking TF 135 (in LEF) to have a soft-ride kit fitted. All done nicely with no awkward bolts we’re very pleased to say. Paul also wanted us to bleed the clutch, the fluid was really black, fitted a new clevis pin too. Clutch feels much more free.

Good to have a chat and a brew. Thank you, Paul, for the cakes, that Jon demolished in no time at all! Nice to hear back from you that you had a bump free drive home.

Work continued on Pearl and also on Mike’s MGF 143. Still more things to do on Andy’s MGF with new starter motor fitted this afternoon.

Busy busy, heads down and crack on. Just so pleased we have more space now in the workshop, what a difference that has made. All good so far this week, bit tired and grubby, but it’s what we do! Plus it was our wedding anniversary yesterday, what better way to celebrate it! 😃 – https://ift.tt/cftIlJ2