[Dave B.]

Thanks, Paul.
I spoke with him and he’s keen to give it a try.  I explained to him that the issue is working with car kits from various manufacturers whose dimensions not only don’t match the original MG, but even vary among themselves.  He wants to start with the dimensions of mine (a Duchess) and see what’s involved.  That should give him some idea of whether he’d want to pursue it further and what he’d have to ask to make it worth his while.
-Dave

[Dave B.]

Let me run it by him and see what he says.

[Dave B.]

In the same vein (and since I apparently created a monster by starting this thread eons ago) I thought some of you might appreciate what my son has done combining 3d printing and casting aluminum:

https://jimvsworld.wordpress.com/3d-printing-carburetor-repair-with-pla-investment-casting/

-Dave

PMOSSBERG2015-07-27 10:03:07

[Dave B.]

Bill,
Our place in PA is only a few miles off of Rt. 220 and, as I
reckon it, about an hour and a half shy of your destination.  We’re up
there a good bit of the time as we get ready to move there permanently,
and could probably arrange to be there when you come through.  We’d be
honored if you could work it out to stop by.
-Dave

[Dave B.]

That’s called “destinesia” — when you can’t remember where you were going and why you were going there.

[Dave B.]

Paul
Have a great trip.  I lived in Oz for six years and the people are phenomenal.  Just remember to look both ways before you cross the street. 
-Dave

[Dave B.]

Actually, Bill, the car goes up in flames.  Sorry to have to break it to you.

[Dave B.]

Another useful bit of information might be what’s in the medallion at the top of the grill.  Some, if not most, copy the original “MG,” whereas others have unique labels, such as the “MP” in the MP Lafer.

[Dave B.]

Thanks for posting the picture, Bill.  That was always one of my favorite foreign films.  A couple of years back I watched Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars” with my son, who pointed out the fact that it was essentially the same movie in a Western setting.

But I never knew about the car.

[Dave B.]

Roy,

My last tour in Australia (’96-’99) I drove a dual-fuel vehicle that could switch between “gas” (i. e. propane) and petrol.  I used propane whenever possible because it was more economical, but that was because the infrastructure was there to make it viable as a motor fuel.  Most of the petrol stations had a propane pump, and refueling was virtually as simple as with petrol.

As for the gauge, it was just a series of four LEDs that gave a very rough estimate of how much fuel was left in the tank.  Four LEDS meant a full tank, and one meant you were down under a quarter.

Obviously, it’s doable, and all the hardware is available, but it’s unconventional and requires a commitment to taking the extra steps to make it work. 

My brother lives in Maine and ran on veggie diesel for a few years until he decided it just wasn’t worth all the extra effort.

But then if we were conventional, we wouldn’t be driving these roadsters around in the first place, would we?

[Dave B.]

Vicenç,

Sorry–I’ve been off-line for a few days and I’m just reading your question to me now.  As far as I knew, I had straightforward USAA coverage.  I’ll have to take a closer look at the policy and see if there’s anyone else in the chain.  When I bought mine it was already registered in PA with regular plates and that may have been a factor in how easy it was for me to get coverage.

-Dave

[Dave B.]

Thanks for the photos.  You guys are making me feel guilty for winterizing mine.

[Dave B.]

That would have been unsportsmanlike.

[Dave B.]

I recently received the following from MG Magic in response to my question about whether their top would fit my Duchess:

The Duchess is a difficult fit for our top as I believe the cockpit is larger.

Please measure your kit compared to the details in the description portion of the MG top.

I believe along with moving the bows you need more material around the sides.

 

Thanks,

 

MG Magic

[Dave B.]

My son very thoughtfully gave me the overalls I’m wearing in this picture.  

As I’ve already mentioned here, in preparation for my impending retirement, I had a garage built. (The plan was to build the garage, retire, and then buy the roadster, but we got a bit out of sequence.)  Altogether this year, counting the roadster, Craigslist linked me up with two cars, a tractor, and a trailer.  Here I am on the Kubota tractor, two days ago, hauling my tool shed up behind the new garage/workshop.  
 
The roadster is just out of the picture, to the left, safely tucked away in the garage.

Even with two hickory logs in the bucket  I couldn’t keep the front end down.  Really messes with the steering.

[Dave B.]

Paul,

Along with the others, I am grateful for your insights into the complicated and confusing world of insuring something as unconventional as a TDr.  I have mine insured with USAA.  They’ve given me great service over the years and didn’t flinch at the prospect of insuring a kit car.  At the moment, mine is garaged for the winter with dirt-cheap minimum coverage.  But when I fire her up again in the spring, I will take your comments into account and will talk with USAA about some of the finer points you raised so I can be confident I have adequate coverage.

Thanks again, and best wishes for a very merry Christmas,

Dave

[Dave B.]

Mine came with a pair.

[Dave B.]

Roy,

This might be what you’re looking for:

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Rouge-Polishing-Buffing-Compound/dp/B003K7U0J6

(It’s also the ideal material to use on a leather strop to hone knife edges.)

If the scratches are fine enough, you might be surprised to find that toothpaste will do the job. 

-Dave

[Dave B.]

I’m happy to add my voice.  Sounds like we all have a lot of reasons to be thankful.  Best wishes to you all and thanks for the help and encouragement.

-Dave

[Dave B.]

Looks great, Vicenç.

Did you do the cover on the steering wheel?

[Dave B.]

Thanks for the link to the thread, Paul.  Will there be a quiz?

[Dave B.]

I’m getting a real education here.  What threw me off was my assumption that the Lafer was the only TDr without the bracket connecting the headlamps to the fenders. 

[Dave B.]

It was on a flickr slideshow “MGTD”.  I know I’ve seen it before.

[Dave B.]

Thanks, Roy.  I’ll get there yet.

[Dave B.]

Roy, John, Ed,

I’m really scratching my head here.  Are you referring to the green car for sale or to Vicenç’s “white thing”?

Is the London Roadster like the Lafer in that the headlamps are only connected at the grille and not tied in to the fenders?

-Dave

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