The dashboard saga.

[Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd]

[joecurto@aol.com]

Good God Viv it's like "SON OF BADGER," way to go. While I never sliced and diced the TD, I always had accessories that pleased me. I have a pal with a BJ8 Healey who has cosmetically replicated a Works Rally car and under the hood it also goes well, I have old copies of car magazines and the accessories available at the time were numerous and went from the very useful to the utter junk, but the goal I guess was to personalize your ride. Joe

[Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd]

From: "Doug Schrantz" dschrantz@arkansasusa.com> To: "'Viv James TraX Interconnect \(Pty.\) Ltd'" viv@trax.co.za> Subject: RE: [mg-tabc] The dashboard saga. Date sent: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 21:25:20 -0700 Doug, You missed the salient point. Lucas made the FT27. They invented dimness. The FT27 is perfect for the TC. Although we love them they aren't exactly engineering masterpieces! Viv Gentlemen, I have difficulty understanding why the front light on a TC is so worthless when the searchlight on my 63 Chris Craft burns the eyes at 300 yards. Badger, please offer your usual restrained explanation Thanks, Schrantz. -----Original Message----- From: Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd [mailto:viv@trax.co.za] Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 5:37 AM To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Subject: [mg-tabc] The dashboard saga. An True Originality Tale and Some Memory Lane Stuff Here in South Africa, the old walnut veneer lasted only a few years before the sun got it. By 1957 when I flogged my J2 and got my first '48 TC whose serial number was of no interest in those days, the dashboard was a sight (so was the rest of the car by the way). I did what all the gang did - I ripped it out like Badger did and instead of teak, I covered it with black rexine. Then I removed all the paint from the instrument cluster plate and found nice shiny chrome underneath. Next I moved the horn/dip to the right hand side of the steering wheel, hacked the hole bigger and stuck in a vacuum gauge which we all had to have for some reason. The Morris Minor rack and pinion mounted on 2 flame cut L brackets needed a TD column with a universal so the only steering wheel I could find was from a wrecked MGA. On it went complete with wing nut and no circlip so it could be whipped off and chucked in the back if I was lucky enough strike it lucky. Next the original tan seats which had long since been painted red with some terrible stuff were thrown out and trimmed black with red piping. The FT27 which was always and still is a useless light was thrown in the bin along with the bishop cam steering column and numerous sheared half shafts and replaced with a huge Lucas spot lamp which was mounted on the crank guide after the badge bar had been swung thru 90 degrees. Headlamps were next to get semi sealed beams. Into the bin went the originals - who needed that junk? Body was rewooded completely during all this after only 9 years but somehow the sidescreen compartment never got built. The motor was bored and ground, the head taken to stage whatever with big valves and 1 1/2 inch carbs. The shot original carbs also hit the bin. The body bits got a coat of shiny red paint of a shade that I liked and it took just one varsity year end vacation to get back on the road ready to break the next 1/2 shaft or front stub axle. I was 19 years old and was I proud of it!!! 43 years later the bug is still biting and I spend weekends doing penance by attempting expensive and reasonably accurate restorations. But nothing can take away the fun that we got out of those cheap 10 year old cars. By the way, Alex Stewart here in Cape Town still has the TC that he had then, unrestored and fully mobile still with my radiator and wheels that were brand new on my car when I decided to sell it before it killed me. We whipped them off one dark night in 1960 and replaced them with Alex's battered ones before delivering my car to its new owner who thankfully was none the wiser. Viv

[murray arundell]

Lucas must make refridgerators too, thats why the Brits have warm beer....... Murray Arundell Brisbane Oz.

----- Original Message ----- From: Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd viv@trax.co.za> To: Doug Schrantz dschrantz@arkansasusa.com> Cc: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, 20 August 2001 5:53 pm Subject: RE: [mg-tabc] The dashboard saga. From: "Doug Schrantz" dschrantz@arkansasusa.com> To: "'Viv James TraX Interconnect \(Pty.\) Ltd'" viv@trax.co.za> Subject: RE: [mg-tabc] The dashboard saga. Date sent: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 21:25:20 -0700 Doug, You missed the salient point. Lucas made the FT27. They invented dimness. The FT27 is perfect for the TC. Although we love them they aren't exactly engineering masterpieces! Viv Gentlemen, I have difficulty understanding why the front light on a TC is so worthless when the searchlight on my '63 Chris Craft burns the eyes at 300 yards. Badger, please offer your usual restrained explanation Thanks, Schrantz. -----Original Message----- From: Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd [mailto:viv@trax.co.za] Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 5:37 AM To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Subject: [mg-tabc] The dashboard saga. An True Originality Tale and Some Memory Lane Stuff Here in South Africa, the old walnut veneer lasted only a few years before the sun got it. By 1957 when I flogged my J2 and got my first '48 TC whose serial number was of no interest in those days, the dashboard was a sight (so was the rest of the car by the way). I did what all the gang did - I ripped it out like Badger did and instead of teak, I covered it with black rexine. Then I removed all the paint from the instrument cluster plate and found nice shiny chrome underneath. Next I moved the horn/dip to the right hand side of the steering wheel, hacked the hole bigger and stuck in a vacuum gauge which we all had to have for some reason. The Morris Minor rack and pinion mounted on 2 flame cut L brackets needed a TD column with a universal so the only steering wheel I could find was from a wrecked MGA. On it went complete with wing nut and no circlip so it could be whipped off and chucked in the back if I was lucky enough strike it lucky. Next the original tan seats which had long since been painted red with some terrible stuff were thrown out and trimmed black with red piping. The FT27 which was always and still is a useless light was thrown in the bin along with the bishop cam steering column and numerous sheared half shafts and replaced with a huge Lucas spot lamp which was mounted on the crank guide after the badge bar had been swung thru 90 degrees. Headlamps were next to get semi sealed beams. Into the bin went the originals - who needed that junk? Body was rewooded completely during all this after only 9 years but somehow the sidescreen compartment never got built. The motor was bored and ground, the head taken to stage whatever with big valves and 1 1/2 inch carbs. The shot original carbs also hit the bin. The body bits got a coat of shiny red paint of a shade that I liked and it took just one varsity year end vacation to get back on the road ready to break the next 1/2 shaft or front stub axle. I was 19 years old and was I proud of it!!! 43 years later the bug is still biting and I spend weekends doing penance by attempting expensive and reasonably accurate restorations. But nothing can take away the fun that we got out of those cheap 10 year old cars. By the way, Alex Stewart here in Cape Town still has the TC that he had then, unrestored and fully mobile still with my radiator and wheels that were brand new on my car when I decided to sell it before it killed me. We whipped them off one dark night in 1960 and replaced them with Alex's battered ones before delivering my car to its new owner who thankfully was none the wiser. Viv Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[David Lodge]

Hello, Viv, Yes, I know exactly what you mean! Back in '63 when I came by 1704, this was the car one bought if one couldn't afford a mini!! When I think of all the stuff I've thrown away because I could go to a scrapyard and buy a better a better one for ten bob.........................makes you weep! One day I'll tell the story of an MG repairer in Bedfordshire. Regards, David Lodge "Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd" wrote:

> An True Originality Tale and Some Memory Lane Stuff > > Here in South Africa, the old walnut veneer lasted only a few years before the sun got it. By 1957 when I flogged my J2 and got my first '48 TC whose serial number was of no interest in those days, the dashboard was a sight (so was the rest of the car by the way). I did what all the gang did - I ripped it out like Badger did and instead of teak, I covered it with black rexine. Then I removed all the paint from the instrument cluster plate and found nice shiny chrome underneath. > > Next I moved the horn/dip to the right hand side of the steering wheel, hacked the hole bigger and stuck in a vacuum gauge which we all had to have for some reason. The Morris Minor rack and pinion mounted on 2 flame cut L brackets needed a TD column with a universal so the only steering wheel I could find was from a wrecked MGA. On it went complete with wing nut and no circlip so it could be whipped off and chucked in the back if I was lucky enough strike it lucky. > > Next the original tan seats which had long since been painted red with some terrible stuff were thrown out and trimmed black with red piping. The FT27 which was always and still is a useless light was thrown in the bin along with the bishop cam steering column and numerous sheared half shafts and replaced with a huge Lucas spot lamp which was mounted on the crank guide after the badge bar had been swung thru 90 degrees. > > Headlamps were next to get semi sealed beams. Into the bin went the originals - who needed that junk? Body was rewooded completely during all this after only 9 years but somehow the sidescreen compartment never got built. > > The motor was bored and ground, the head taken to stage whatever with big valves and 1 1/2 inch carbs. The shot original carbs also hit the bin. The body bits got a coat of shiny red paint of a shade that I liked and it took just one varsity year end vacation to get back on the road ready to break the next 1/2 shaft or front stub axle. > > I was 19 years old and was I proud of it!!! > > 43 years later the bug is still biting and I spend weekends doing penance by attempting expensive and reasonably accurate restorations. But nothing can take away the fun that we got out of those cheap 10 year old cars. By the way, Alex Stewart here in Cape Town still has the TC that he had then, unrestored and fully mobile still with my radiator and wheels that were brand new on my car when I decided to sell it before it killed me. We whipped them off one dark night in 1960 and replaced them with Alex's battered ones before delivering my car to its new owner who thankfully was none the wiser. > > Viv