Happenings

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Ian Grace
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Location: USA

Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

So I check the forum through the day and often see distant friends logged on - and then the disappear again without posting anything. So perhaps I could encourage loggers-on to post a few words by asking for a quick update on this thread with any news snippets. I can't believe there is no restoration work going on, and that nobody is driving their Minor - at all?!

I'm spending the weekend working on M 145 which is about 2/3 done, and sorting a few things for the Summer Rally and the Midlands Weekend with the BNMC. Frank Ashely called this morning and we spent about an hour sorting various items for Prescott like parking, advertizing, the entertainment, air support, etc. Still too cold and wet to really get cracking in the garage.
Ronald
Posts: 327
Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2006 10:05 pm
Location: Dorset.........

Re: Happenings

Post by Ronald »

HI ian, not much minor ish going on in my garage i'm afraid.,........ too much else happening, recently bought an old mx5 (yes japanese) for use simply as a track day toy, and as such have just also bought a trailer on which to carry it, which as it happens is the perfect size to carry a minor........ so no more long distance runs in cold and wet, i'll simply strap it to the trailer and drive the land rover instead...... actually, the minor might be more comfortable.... the daft thing is, the brakes on the trailer will shortly be better than those on the car!!
Ian Grace
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Location: USA

Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Hi Ronald,

My son had an MX5 for a while - it was real fun to drive - all the more so because it was manual and at that time my modern was an automatic.

Trailer for the Morris sounds a good idea - so you'll definitely be at the Summer Rally this year then? 8)
Ian Grace
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Location: USA

Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Looks like 42 people have read this thread this week, but only Ronald has replied! Is NOTHING happening in the Minor world?! :o

I spent the week trying to complete M 145. If anyone has any ads for M 145 - now would be a very good time to send them in. It should be put to bed this weekend and the draft delivered to the printers on Monday.

Menawhile, the Gilg expedition is all set to head out from Tangier, so the diary entries are about to start getting very interesting. I am also receiving four or five related documents every day from Andrew Gilg - letters, invoices, shopping lists, and lots more. These are all photos of the documents, taken with a cellphone and inserted into Word documents, so are not easy to read, so we're working on having them all scanned. Once that happens, the entire lot will be uploaded, providing a comprehensive and faacinating insight into the entire adventure. I just posted one of Gilg's letters - transcribed into Word and then captured as a .jpg - on the home page.

I have also been busy this week with the Summer Rally and Pre-War Prescott. Lots of different aspects being worked prior to the rally web page launch which should happen in a week or so. So far, we have 20 entries for Prescott, which is very encouraging.

Anxiously awaiting the package of spares for the fabric saloon from Mike Dowley, and then hoping for a break in the rain so I can push the car out and fit them.

Finally, remember that Jim Peacop's McEvoy goes under the hammer next week. Let's hope it finds a good home - if it sells.
Toby
Posts: 1017
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:49 pm
Location: New Forest

Re: Happenings

Post by Toby »

I'd love to have some time for spanner work! Hoping for a drive on saturday to see if i've ironed out the dynamo gremlins, other than that I seem to spend all time working or typing!!! Perhaps lack of input means we are starting to ditch computers to make time for the garage? :lol:
if it's got wheels or chips - it'll cost you dear
Sam Christie
Posts: 186
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:37 am

Re: Happenings

Post by Sam Christie »

Here is a little irrelevant contribution. By the way today was like a spring day in N.Ireland with real warmth in the sun.

I left a wheel, a 3.50-19 Avon, a tube and tape to a local tyre place yesterday (I had tried to fit the tyre myself but found it impossible) . When I returned this morning the job was done and they had managed to do it without any visible signs of damage to the powder coating. By coincidence a really nice cream coloured MG TF was having a new set of tyres fitted as the owner looked on. The tyres had appeared OK but the owner reckoned that after 38 years on the car it would be safer to replace them. He told me his father bought the car in 1958 and it has never been restored - only maintained. The overall effect was really good with only minor blemishes although it has never been repainted. If ever there was an example of a 'good patina' this car had it. I wonder if I heard him correctly but he seemed to say the TF has done only 15,000 miles from new. I hope the impulse to make the car look like new is resisted for as long as possible. I really wish I had brought a camera.

When I asked how much I owed for fitting the tyre and tube to my 83 year old wheel the answer came - "Don't worry about it.." Needless to say I will be back.
Last edited by Sam Christie on Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jpallis001
Posts: 207
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:08 pm
Location: Durham

Re: Happenings

Post by Jpallis001 »

THe North East has a good weather forecast for tomorrow (then rain again!) - anybody having a ride out?

John
KartikeyaL
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:37 am
Location: Jaipur , India

Re: Happenings

Post by KartikeyaL »

We had our annual rally in Jaipur, the car gave no trouble at all.
drove for almost 80 kms, longest I have driven her on a single day!!
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Ian Grace
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Oh what a super photo for the Magazine! Do you have it in any higher resolution - or similar photos you could e-mail me?
Jpallis001
Posts: 207
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:08 pm
Location: Durham

Re: Happenings

Post by Jpallis001 »

Weather in Durham was nearly as good as the forcast with a little sea mist added. The picture from the Pier should show Tynmouth Abbey in the background! The traffic in Sunderland at 10 am was well behaved but they do keep adding additional bus lanes, just to confuse. I suspect that some drivers thought that I would be better off using those lanes!

I left home thinking that I must get a bigger car and that if some tourist offered me a wad of cash that I would take it. As the day went on, the thickness of the required wad increased! - car went very well approx 75 miles after I had driven backwards and forwards along the sea front a few times. I managed to sneak on to the Pier when no onee was watching but was unable to find the chap who had the key that would let me have a ride on the sand.
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Ian Grace
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Location: USA

Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Lovely shots - thanks for sharing.
Ian Grace
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Posts: 5035
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Location: USA

Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Spent the weekend finalizing M 145 and pottering in the garden - Saturday was a beautiful day - very rare in Seattle this time of year. I got the fabric saloon out to take some reference photos for Martin Redmond who is about to fabric his body. Then I got the XK8 out, gave it a polish and took it for a blast up the mountain pass - took it up to 105 which is the fastest I have dared drive it so far. I backed off, but it was just getting into its stride, and that was up hill. The thing is electronically limited to 155. It ran as smooth as silk - just an amazing car.

I'm still waiting for the packet of goodies to arrive from Mike Dowley for the fabric saloon, but in the meantime, I'm swapping out the front road springs which are flat - there is only about half an inch between the rubber bump stops and the chassis. So I'm fitting the front springs from the McEvoy and will have the fabric saloon springs re-tempered for the McEvoy.

Just received Ronald Trumpi's rally entry for July - he and his wife have booked for Prescott and the Sunday tour. I've also been sorting accommodation options for the Midland Weekend and a visit to Cliveden on Drive-it-Day, of which more anon.
Ian Grace
Site Admin
Posts: 5035
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

This morning I worked on a major website update to include the Summer Rally and Midland Weekend web pages, updated Events page and also preliminary details of our Drive-it Day gathering at Cliveden House, so plenty of Minor motoring to look forward to!

We are STILL looking for some Minors to represent the Register on 29th of THIS MONTH - at Nuffield House and in Oxford for the Morris Centenary. So far, we have Mike Jones who will be taking his Semi-sports to Nuffield House, but we URGENTLY need a SV Minor for the day, and also an OHC and SV Minor for the Oxford Morris Centenary Cavalcade on the same day. I can provide full details for anyone who would like to be part of making history on this day with their Minor. And to encourage entry, I'm offering a FREE VMR car badge for any entrant who does not already have one - I have already sent one to Mike!

So come on guys, let's not see the Centenary of the very first Morris to leave the works pass us by!

This afternoon will be spent finalizing M 145 (a week late :o ) and I hope to get the March Newsletter distributed in the next day or two. Then it is all hands to the pump to complete planning for Cliveden, the Summer Rally, Pre-War Prescott, the Midland Weekend and M 146. Busy days at VMR HQ!

And this morning, word came from our member Col Schiller in Australia who has just booked with his family to join us at the Midland Weekend and our Summer Rally, driving a Morris Major! He has just acquired a very interesting Minor - but more on that anon.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Spent some time yesterday trying to clear space in the garage so I can get some work done. Our son William hasanded a job locally and will be moving up to Seattle from Portland next weekend. The first thing I am going to do is loan him the Sprite which will make a lot of space. I hope to have enough room to lay out the McEvoy chassis and start serious work on it. It is so tempting to get it blasted, painted and work towards a rolling chassis, but I think I'll tackle the body first, jigging it up on the unrestored chassis frame.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

This week so far at VMR HQ - and it's only Wednesday. :o

Collect M 145 from the printers, envelope, label, insert Summer Rally entry forms for UK members, insert subs chasers as necessary, pack and ship worldwide

April Newsletter – write and circulate (hopefully later today)

Update forum, upload membership list and chassis register (7 new vehicles added this week)

Answer numerous e-mails - members lost their usernames/passwords, technical and membership queries, etc.

Organize next visit to Gaydon to extend the Genome

Major re-work of the Northern Weekend and e-mail everyone about the situation

Plan the nav rally and our scenic tour route for the Summer Rally (required by the RAC MSA by 20th May), contacting/liaising with numerous venues along the route before exact route can be finalized, including the cream tea venue for the conclusion. Working with the Gilg family on the expedition theme for the day, and their marshaling for the day

Complete the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and associated flight safety paperwork for the Hurricane display at Prescott, and return to MoD

Process latest Pre-War Prescott entries - 43 and counting

Promote Pre-War Prescott on the MMM forum

Prepare a flyer for Pre-War Prescott and work with the printers on the format

Start preparing material for M 146 incuding perparation of an article re the first MoT carried out by a garage in ther sixties which was a Minor - working with the garage and the family to obtain photos, etc.

Organize a new trade stand for Prescott (Colour Boutique)

Record latest subs received

Process latest accounts sent over by Alex Dempster for Oz/NZ members

E-mails sent to six potential new members

Liaise with SU to have Pre-War Prescott included in their upcoming Newsletter

Liaise with The Automobile for two half-page adverts for Pre-War Prescott

Liaise with the VSCC and LCES to have invites included in their next Newsletters/magazines

Liaise with the Hillman Aero Minx group for club presence at Prescott

Store Drive it Day reports and photos for M 146 and the Newsletter

Update the Gilg web page with daily diary entries

E-mail 11 delinquent members from 2011, and process two re-joins subsequently received

Liaise with Ian Patton at the BOC and Frank Ashley regarding numerous planning issues for Prescott

Liaise with the Air Training Corps regarding their bringing a flight simulator to Prescott

Complete and submit FBHVC membership for the Register

Liaise with LCES competition secretary to promote their Summer Rally at Old Sarum in June
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