I am still around with both hands full!

I don't have time to go into a full update today as there is far too much to report!   

The MGTF has been in my garage since last spring and is progressing nicely, I have many, many, many photos to upload and share, along with some good stories.  The BSA has been sold to a fellow who wanted it much more than I did.  I used the funds to buy my final (yes, final)  project bike, a 1950 Sunbeam S8.  

I have spent some hours, looking back at all of my posts since 2013.  In some moments I have been moved, others caused me to cringe and some brought genuine laughter and joy.  I realize that the this chequered journey has been a tremendous gift and I am grateful to still be on it.  My goal is to keep the TF and the Sunbeam as two final works to complete and to enjoy them both.  They will keep good company alongside each other, having come from the same golden era.

My poor, dear Katie has had a rather rough year.  She was running rough and in turn I took apart the carbs and cleaned them out, replacing the rubber parts.  This was a huge job, however I am glad that it was done.  That made the difference for a short while, until the battery began draining and she was unable to start.  I upgraded the rectifier which again, solved the problem for a while.  A local shop synchronized the carbs and checked the valves to see if they were in need of adjustment (they were not).  Once again, smooth sailing for a few weeks until she had a terrible day, losing power on an on-ramp to the highway.  We escaped unscathed and I decided that I would change the ignition coils, battery and starter solenoid.  Now on the course to success, I had hoped this would be the end solution, however I was mistaken.  A new stator is on the way, fingers crossed it will work!

Until Next time! 

MG TF work

 I will let the photos speak for themselves.  On May 6th, 1954, this once complete car proudly rolled off the assembly line at Abingdon.  She ended up in Canada and was enjoyed for a number of years.  The previous owner bought her in the 1970's.  Somewhere along the line he decided to do a restoration, stripping every nut and bolt and moving some of her vital parts to the basement.  

The owner then became older and his health failed.  In the interim, he had become something of a car farmer and forgot about the TF frame he had left out in a field.

Many years later, his children and grandchildren were tasked with clearing the property.  The grandson was given the TF and a random smattering of other parts as payment for services rendered.  Missing was the gearbox, seats and several other items.  It is likely that many of the components were cherry picked over the years for other projects. 

The grandson had some good intentions for the car, however a cross-country move prevented any progress.  Enter my friend and I.  

I claim very little credit for the incredible work in these photos.  I was performing less important tasks such as cleaning, stripping and priming parts.  This poor frame had most certainly seen much better days;  To my friend's credit, he put a good 30 or so hours into welding, cutting and fabricating new steel to go in.  Most impressive was the replacement of the rotted section below the transmission cross member.  When we picked the car up,  my hand went right through the bottom!   I happened to have some steel pipe of the correct diameter.  One would be hard pressed to look at it now and realize anything had been replaced.  I am blessed to have such good friends.

Until Next time! 

  

Where did he go? (updates!)

It has been quite a while since I have posted! 

Needless to say, there have been some changes.  I started a new job in September, which took me away from things for a while.   I sold off all the Matchless gear along with the '66 Triumph TR6 project.   As of this writing, I have Katie, the 1970 Norton Commando (which I have lugged from home to home for the better part of 17 years) and the BSA.  Oh and an MG.  Did I mention the MG?

Before I jump to that,  I had (as most of us did) a considerable amount of time to think and reflect on the world and myself in 2020.  That time in seclusion was tantamount to a meditative state at times;  I had vacation that I couldn't use for anything of value, short of playing about in the garage.  I had some small victories, for instance getting the free Mini Bike running.  Each day, I meandered about, inventing jobs to achieve each day.  

One of the ventures I had considered was launching a YouTube channel.  I did film some content and realized very quickly how much work was involved.  I will release content later this year once edited, but it will not become a part time job.  Much like this blog, I will contribute when the spirit guides me to do so.  

You may remember a while back when a friend and I bought a pair of Matchless singles;  Said friend and I made a game of going on Facebook marketplace or Kijiji and sending each other ads for projects.  Anything from cars to boats to motorcycles.  One such ad bore fruit for him in the form of a rather solid Porsche 924.  Hopefully he will be able to dig into it later this year.  

One afternoon, I spotted a fresh ad for an 'MG TD/TF and parts'.  Intrigued, I contacted the seller and my friend and I went out to look.  As it turns out, it was a TF with some TD parts. In a million parts.  I wanted to run, however my confident friend felt it was a deal and a straightforward project.  The price was right and we agreed to split costs down the middle and decide the car's fate after 90 days.  

When I sold the Beetle, I said I would never get into another car restoration;  I still stand by that.  If my friend wasn't involved, I wouldn't be either.  It is a great joy in life to have friends that compliment one's abilities and make up for the gaps where one may fall short.  

This deep dive into the unknown (T Series MG's) required me to downsize my projects.  You may be asking why the BSA was spared.  I can best sum it up like this;  It takes up the least amount of real estate in the garage and also has the lowest value.  I also like the little single, a great deal.  It may actually be the most charming bike (aside from Katie) that I have ever owned.  I love the utter simplicity and parts are still plentiful and inexpensive, even NOS items.  That being said, I am still waiting on an exhaust pipe (7 months and counting) but I did acquire a new Indian-made gas tank since my last writing.  I plan to have the B31 running by Christmas.  The Norton will remain on the backburner for a while, with new parts being occasionally added to the pile.   

Back to the MG.  I have previously spoken of my history with the marque, yet the T Series cars were never on my radar.  Whenever I saw them for sale (which was not often) they were prohibitively expensive to buy.  I always suspected that parts would be dear as well.  What I hadn't considered, was that much like the B31, these cars are extremely simple, being of pre-war design.  I greatly admire the TF and TD, both aesthetically and mechanically.  Unlike a monocoque car, these beasts don't have horrors hiding under every steel panel.  To boot, there is something wonderful about a car with wooden floors and suicide doors!  

Stay tuned for more photos and details.

Until next time!