Re: New Member Introduction

[David Irwin]

Dear list,

A few weeks ago I joined your ranks, and take this opportunity of
introducing myself and my TC.

I recently repatriated TC 6132/XPAG 6799 from the US to the UK. It
is
in good order, primrose in colour, and bar any unforseen problems
should have the car running this summer/autumn.

I am not a TC expert, and this is the first MG I have owned, but I
have been an distant admirer of the breed for some years and found my
chance earlier this year.

As for myself, I am 14 years younger than my TC. You can work out
the
rest.

I look forward to meeting and discussing with you the finer points of
TC ownership.

David
TC6132

p.s. first question: the knock-offs won't! How hard a whack is too
hard?

[mrbadger]

Now here's a truly silly question, obviously, you whack it until it
comes off! (refer to my treatise on "rocks, nature's perfect tool", for
a refresher course, if necessary)).
But it IS a very welcome change from "show and tell".
Badger

David Irwin wrote:

>
> p.s. first question: the knock-offs won't! How hard a whack is too
> hard?

[Bob and Carolyn Grunau]

Hi All,
No, in my opinion it is the ANSWER below that is truly silly and totally
non-productive. A member asked a simple question, he deserves a simple
civil answer. It may NOT be obvious to the person asking the question. And
sometimes hitting it harder ( with hammer or bigger rock ), only screws it
up more. Better to ask before you permanently damage a component. Perhaps
the knock-off is being hit in the wrong direction? Or the left side is on
the right? Or something else is wrong? Or the owner simply needs some hand
holding? Or maybe you do have to simply hit it harder.
The point is, a reasonable question deserves a reasonable answer. All of us
are not professional mechanics, have all the answers or have owned our cars
since new, know them inside out and done all our own work for over fifty
years etc. That does not mean we should be afraid to ask a simple question.
and we should expect a reasonable answer. No question is silly, some of
the recent answers are.

Its answers/comments like the one below that has prompted me, and I suspect
others,
to withdraw from answering questions on the open list. And I suspect
stopped many people from asking serious and possibly simple questions. Lets
give them a break
and help them to maintain their cars by answering serious questions
seriously.
regards, Bob Grunau

>
> Now here's a truly silly question, obviously, you whack it until it
> comes off! (refer to my treatise on "rocks, nature's perfect tool", for
> a refresher course, if necessary)).

> >
> > p.s. first question: the knock-offs won't! How hard a whack is too
> > hard?
>
>
>

[CFritz7001@aol.com]

Bob,
I could not agree with you more whole-heartedly than I do!!! Well-said!!! A
sincere question DESERVES A SINCERE, WELL-THOUGHT-OUT ANSWER, not some snide
attempt at humour that is bound to make the questioner feel foolish to have
asked. Enough said -- However, the next time I'm confronted with an "answer"
such as the one you quoted, the author can COUNT on a FLAMING response from
me.
Regards to you, and the other members of the TABC list,
Carl Fritz

[Austin R. Baer]

Couple of observations, David...

1) Like you, I brought a TC over from England, and learned that their
weather is not kind to our little cars. TC 0667 wouldn't even roll.

2) Your question goes to the heart of the purpose of this group

2) It is one of the most basic of TC questions, and the use of improper
tools or technique has probably caused more outward, noticeable and
unnecessary disfigurement of TC's than any other... smartass answers
notwithstanding

3) Good replacement knockoffs are hard to find, and beat-up ones don't
really make the owner look like he's done time avoiding the hay bales

4) You have had good advice and suggestions from some of the best "Whitworth
Heads" I've met anywhere, and I changed my first TC flat in 1950

5) The answers to your question have been read with interest by a helluva
lot more list members than may care to admit it, myself included

6) You will come to wish, as I have, that some of the "old salts" that
maintain their cars with rocks and baling wire would list their cars on a
registry akin to a humane society, which would offer them for adoption
rather than resale.

Welcome to the list, and enjoy your car.

Austin

[Austin R. Baer]

Addendum...

----- Original Message -----
From: Austin R. Baer
To: David Irwin
>
> 1) Like you, I brought a TC over from England, and learned that their
> weather is not kind to our little cars. TC 0667 wouldn't even roll.A

Sorry I screwed up, David. You just got even with me by shipping a TC home
again. But if it complains about the weather, remember that it's very dry
here in Colorado.

Austin

[RICK MAMMEL]

I grew up on the West Coast of Canada and British cars were the standard transportation. From my first car, a 1950 Ford Prefect to an E type at the time I moved to the US in the early 80's my daily drive was always an English car. When I moved to California to work as a race fabricator on Porsche IMSA teams all British car ownership ceased for 32 years until last week. With a fleet of very quick German cars, I wanted to slow up a bit with some form a vehicle that was a regular in the commonwealth. I spent those early years in Canada picking up non runners, getting them working, and flipping them for "big profits", sometimes as high as $500. You name it, some of the big money cars of the present day went through my shop. MGA Twincam, Mk 1 Lotus Cortina, tons of E types, and everything else that would not stay running. You could buy them between $1200 to $1500 and sell them for an astonishing $200 to $300 profit after driving it for a week. That limited what I would buy since there was no way I was going to purchase a car for $50K that I used to purchase for $1500. Never owned any T series cars, so that helped with the decision.
I purchased TC 1766CKD. An internet search shows it has moved owners a bit over the years. Should stay around here for a while. I have a pretty comprehensive shop and can handle my own repairs. After many years of building high output Porsche engines I hope the TC 1250 won't whoop my ass. With the knowledge base on this forum I feel confident the information is available will make my life much easier.
Regards,Rick MammelNovi, Michigan 

[heinakroon]

Welcome to the world of TC's Rick, don't forget these are 30's technology and not what you are used to...bur we are here to help!
Terry in Oakland, CA



-----Original Message-----
From: RICK MAMMEL
To: mg-tabc
Sent: Sat, Nov 30, 2013 4:03 pm
Subject: [mg-tabc] New Member Introduction

#ygrps-yiv-42107342 #ygrps-yiv-42107342AOLMsgPart_1_a8c26f45-6bbb-42a2-8bd2-61f03838d54f td{color:black;}

I grew up on the West Coast of Canada and British cars were the standard transportation. From my first car, a 1950 Ford Prefect to an E type at the time I moved to the US in the early 80's my daily drive was always an English car. When I moved to California to work as a race fabricator on Porsche IMSA teams all British car ownership ceased for 32 years until last week. With a fleet of very quick German cars, I wanted to slow up a bit with some form a vehicle that was a regular in the commonwealth. I spent those early years in Canada picking up non runners, getting them working, and flipping them for "big profits", sometimes as high as $500. You name it, some of the big money cars of the present day went through my shop. MGA Twincam, Mk 1 Lotus Cortina, tons of E types, and everything else that would not stay running. You could buy them between $1200 to $1500 and sell them for an astonishing $200 to $300 profit after driving it for a week. That limited what I would buy since there was no way I was going to purchase a car for $50K that I used to purchase for $1500. Never owned any T series cars, so that helped with the decision.
I purchased TC 1766CKD. An internet search shows it has moved owners a bit over the years. Should stay around here for a while. I have a pretty comprehensive shop and can handle my own repairs. After many years of building high output Porsche engines I hope the TC 1250 won't whoop my ass. With the knowledge base on this forum I feel confident the information is available will make my life much easier.
Regards, Rick Mammel Novi, Michigan