You took the words right out of my mouth. I've just sent an email to Colin
asking if he has any pics and offering to send mine. I don't think I ever
got any pictures from you - do you have some now you could send me?
BTW, I've recently found out more history on my car, thanks to a chap in the
local MG club with a very long and accurate memory. He recognised it as the
car built by a young engineer called Tony Penington in the early '60's. Tony
built it up from a bare chassis, making the body and almost everything else
by hand - that's why it's a bit odd in quite a few of the details. It was
built as a bit of a hot-rod with a very warm Holden (GM) 6 cylinder engine
bored out to about 190 ci. It ran the usual stuff like triple SU's, hot cam,
extractors, etc and by all accounts was rather quick (for a TC) - top speed
around 130mph and quarter miles in under 13 seconds. Tony ran it in a few
club events at the time but his first love was power boat racing and he
never kept records or photos of his racing. I've managed to get some photos
from a later owner with the car just as it was built, and it looks rather
neat with 3 carbies sticking out of the wrong side of the bonnet and twin
exhausts exiting in front of the passengers side wheel arch. I'll try to
scan them in and send them to Walter at some stage if anyones interested.
The good news is that Tony is still around and I 've shown him the car. It's
very much as he built it except it now has a (relatively) standard XPAG and
the rear end setup he built (telescopic dampers, panhard rod, tramp rods)
has been replaced with a standard setup. Nevertheless, it was very exciting
to meet him and talk about the car and I'm now in the process of applying
for a Historic racing log book to run as it was in the '60's. I've found a
motor to use and it should be a pretty good project for our winter coming
up. Now, if only had used a V8 instead all those years ago.........
Cheers,
Andrew Clayton
Melbourne, Australia
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald Wilkinson"
To: ;
Cc:
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 05:53 AM
Subject: RE: [mg-tabc] Update from Jim
>
> Hey Jim:
>
> digitaldon is VERY intrigued by the below in today's update:
>
> >Harris, Colin ----------- _lizandtweed@yahoo.co.uk_
> (mailto:lizandtweed@yahoo.co.uk) ----Royston in Hertfordshire, UK
> 1947 TC 2259 XPAG 2948
>
> who writes: after drooling over the cars in the `gallery` for the past
few
> months I`m now the proud owner of XSU 390...not it`s original UK
> registration no. because it spent some years your side of the pond. I am
> trying to find
> out more of the history and will update you when I can. You never know
> someone may remember the car. It has some interesting `mods`.... modified
> Morris
> Minor 1000 rack and pinnion steering, fitted some years ago by the last
> owner,
> and a Volvo 144 all synchro gearbox being the most radical. The original
> items came with the car and can go straight back with no ill after
effects.
> There
> are now specialists offering VW Golf steering gear and indeed a Ford type
9
> five speed gearbox. Will `post` some pictures when I get some back<
>
> digitaldon is PARTICULARLY piqued by Colin's reference to a Morris Minor
R&P
> installed in 2259, and likely very similar to the one in 7993, which
> digitaldon is extremely reluctant to give up in favor of one of the more
> politically correct setups that have been discussed at length the last
year
> or two. Andy Clayton in Oz also has one installed in 4054
> (andyc@alphalink.com.au) and was kind enough to send me extensive pics of
> it. Can't wait to see Colin's. Perhaps he could post 'em to Walter who
> might be persuaded to add 'em to the site. By tomorrow or Tuesday will be
> just fine, guyz. ;
> Don
> TC 7993
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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