lhe MG TC was irresislil)!e- He ,,ad r«ad9th Moss Cut-Out CaZIZII.7 ab°,u' '^ road. ra"ies ''T* "rcld.**„ . _ _ " east, and organized one of the first heldSprmg CarReadiness 8 on lne wcslcoast ,„ tne summer of -48Sports CarGallery 9 The rally (which ironically ended inTech Tips 10 Santa Barbara) introduced Alto a groupMoss Motorsports 11 "f fellow enthusiasts. Aside from a pas-Gasoline Basics 12 sion 'or soor,s cars' they shared a cotn-10 Years ofMoss MotorinqZZ. 13 mo" Proble,n' Parls and service- Brilisl>The Club Scene 14 T? "^ "Th'0' ^h™"'.1"' a' "7_ ., _ . corner service station, and parts usual-EventsCalendar 15 lvhad ,0bespecla| ordered.British Interest 15Ordering Hours BackCover Perhaps Al sensed anopportunity to

combine his love for sports cars and a

chance to make a living. He had done anapprenticeship in front end alignment,and he had some equipment. Figuringthat a shop working on front ends andthe occasional TC might work out, he

rented a shopIn Los Angelesand hung outthe first MOSSMOTORS sign.The shop cameto be a hangout for hissports car owning friends, andmore than once

the shop closedfor an after

noon because

the "group"wanted to drive somewhere interesting.Al helped this loose association becomethe "Foreign CarGroup", one ofthe first sportscar clubs InCalifornia.

Moss Motors

was by now doinga good deal morethan just frontend work, and Alalso bought andsold a lew cars. In

1949, AlsoldaTC(for SI. 100!) to ateenager named Howard Goldman. Twoyears later. Howard bought a second TCfrom Al. which he still has. They becamefriends, and this friendship was to have

far-reaching implications.

Throughout the late 1950s, servicework was the primary function of MossMotors. However, since the TC had goneout of production in 1949, parts availability was becoming a problem. Albegan to buy up lots of "obsolete" parts,and ventured into manufacturing. With asupply of parts to support his own service needs. Al became knownjas asource of parts for people doing theirown work. With more and more peoplecalling for parts, it seemed logical to puttogether a catalog, and the first MG T-series catalog appeared in 1962. (Turnto page 6 for a peek.)

Howard Goldman had relocated 100

miles north of LA in Santa Barbara in the

late fifties, and eventually talked Al intoleaving the LA area in 1963. When Almoved Moss Motors to Goleta, just

north of Santa

Barbara, hedropped theservice portionof the business.

since the mall

order partsbusiness was

expandingrapidly. By nowAl was also

busy makingtrips to

1984 found us constructing a 12.000 ft warehouse. Eng|an°- l°ok-ing lor sources

of the discontinued parts his customersneeded.

Continued on page 6

Meet Harry Newton

acouple of years ago. an automotive writer visited us in Goleta to gatherinformation lor an article that appeared in Classic Auto Restorer magazine. In the course of the day, we learned that Harry Newton had ownedtwo MG TDs. two MG TFs, a ZA Magnetic an early, very' early. AH Sprite.

a pair of XK120s. and a Morris Minor 1000 Traveler. As retail sales manager andvice president at J.S. Inskip, he had. of course, access to the lull range of Nuffield.AustinHealey and Morris vehicles (not to mention Rolls Koyce and Aston Martin).

We were Impressed with Newton's style and enthusiasm which in his words,"have carried over to the back nine" Beginning with this issue of Moss Motoring,we will be featuring Harry Newton's column. We hope you enjoy his reminiscences... and we think you will. Please turn to page 4.

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 1

liT.M*1

Moss Motoring Is published byMoss Motors, Ltd.

Editor Laura Eltherington

Contributing Editor: Ken SmilhContributing Writers: DavidEicheloaum, Harry Newton, ChrisNowlan. Eric Wilhelm.

Although we make every effort toinsure the correctness ol technicalarticles. Moss Motors. Ltd. assumes

no liability for the accuracy, safety, orlegality of these contributions. Alltechnical material should be

weighed against commonly accepted practice. Any opinions expressedin this newsletter are those of theauthors and do not necessarilyreflect the opinions or policies ofMoss Motors.

Moss Motoring is © 1993Moss Motors, Ltd Allrights reserved.Moss Motoring Offices: 400Rutherford St., Goleta, CA 93117(805) 967-6401

Contributions Invited

Contributions are greatly appreciated and every effort will be made touse appropriate material. Items forconsideration should be mailed loour newsletter production office atthe address below (right down theroad from Moss Motors):

Editor. Moss Motoring400 Rutherford St., Goleta, CA g3117

Double-spaced, typed informationis preferred. We regret that we cannot return any material. We alsoreserve the right to accept or rejectany material on whatever groundswe decide: we reserve the right toedit or change any material to suitthe needs of our publication, withoutprior notification to the contributor."Letters ;o the Editor'' will be accepted for publication provided they areaccompanied by a name, addressand phone number.

Contributors whose material isselected for publication in MossMotoring will receive Moss MotorsGift Certificates in the followingamounts:

$100.00 Gift CertificatesTechnical Articles. Marque Reviews,Histories (cars, race reams, etc ) andPersonality Profiles

$50.00 Gift CertificatesBook Reviews, Club Article Reprints(humorous or general interest)

$25.00 Gift Certificates

Technical Hints, lips, Cartoons.Humorous Anecdotes. Puzzles andPhotos (not photo contest contributions^

Our PricingMoss Motors Spring OrderDiscount and Spring Sale Pricing isvalid from February 8th throughMarch 26, 1993.

Moss Highlight Pricing is valid untilsuperceded by a new price list.

How To Save!Buy at least S200 worth of parts-SAVE 8%

Buy at least S375 worth of parts-SAVE 10%

Buy at least S500 worth of parts-SAVE12%

Buy at least S750 worth of parts-SAVE 15%

Remember, you can save from 8%to 15% on everything we sell atMoss, during this sale period.

LETTERS

Family That RestoresBritish Cars Together...

Just a quick note to again say thankyou for my recent parts order arrivingso quickly. The parts were ordered formy daughter's 1979 MGB. which we arein the process of cosmetically restoring.She has lived through two other restorations (a 1950 MG ID and a 1961 Austin-Healey 3000 Mkl) when I've orderedparls from you. so she is pretty familiarwith you and the quality of your parts.When she was starting to get the ordertogether, we mentioned that you probably wouldn't have everything neededbecause of the variance of the partsordered. 1 mentioned that she shouldcall lo learn what was available. Shespoke to Chris Forester who very muchput her at ease with her first orderingexperience with you folks. Well, as itturned out, everything was obtainableand the order arrived today. Would youkindly also thank James for packagingeverything in a very careful way.

After many years with you lolks. youarc becoming almost boring: we never,never have to worry that items willarrive broken, wrong parts, etc. No worries at all! Thanks for your past concernfor the parts thai I've ordered and alsofor making my daughter's initial orderwith you so memorable.

John Downing IIIDowningtown, PA

Taking a Tour of Moss

During a recent business trip to LosAngeles, I took some extra time to visityour showroom facility in Goleta. Since Ihave been an active mail order customer, I was anxious to see the operation. Bob Cote was an extremely friendlytour guide, showing me through all thedepartments. Everyone was very courteous, and most took a few minutes awayfrom their activities to meet the "customer". I was impressed with the inventory of parts, some fast moving withshipments every day, and some rare, like

TD front fenders, just waiting for theright customer to call. The dollar Investment is obvious.

One of the objectives of my visit wasto see and feel the leather upholstery kityou sell for the MGA. You can imaginemy surprise when we walked throughthe telephone order area, and there wasone of your employees assembling aMoss leather seat kit to his MGA seat

back while waiting for the next call. Notonly did I see the leather quality, I got tosee the interior seat construction andget pointers from another "customer".

At the completion of my tour, Bohintroduced me to one of the Product

Development engineers who was in thelobby fitting a pre-production sampleheadlight rim on one of the display vehicles. Since I am also an Automotive

Product engineer. I took the opportunityto discuss my satisfaction with theAerolite pistons I ordered from Moss,and my disappointment with the waterpump I returned due to its non-originalconstruction (plastic impeller and aluminum housing). All my comments werereceived with obvious interest. I wouldlike to thank Moss for taking the time toshow me around and make me feel like avalued customer.

Pat Jenkins

Knoxville, TO

BRITISH HERITAGE APPROVEDMANUFACTURER & SUPPLIER

Moss RebuildDiscount!

If you're considering a completerebuild of your British sports car, wehave a special support programdesigned to simplify your restoration!We call It the MOSS REBUILD PROGRAM

and it applies whether you're rebuildingwith or without a new Heritage bodyshell. Those who register with ourrebuild program before 3-26-93 receivethe following great benefits:

• You'll receive a 10% discount on all

parts for your project car for the duration of the rebuild, up to one year.During sale periods the higher of thetwo discounts will apply.

• You'll receive a free rebuild Infor

mation packet which includes: a newMoss parts catalog, a rebuild journal forrecording costs and notes on yourrebuild, a price list, and a rebuild guide(for TR6 and MGB). We'll also supplyyou with a sturdy folder to keep yourrebuild records and photos In.

• We'll assign you a Rebuild Advisor.This person will be your direct contactat Moss, advising you on all aspects ofyour rebuild, including technical questions, ordering, and returns orexchanges when needed.

To qualify for the program is simple!Just place an Initial order for rebuildcomponents for a project car totallingmore than 52,000 or. purchase a TR6 orMGB body shell. It's that easy! If you'dlike to join our Moss Rebuild Programor you have any questions, please callour sales department toll-free at800-235-6954.

You must siijh up for the rebuild program before March 26.1993.

We're looking forward to making your,British sports car restoration as hassle^ 'free as possible!

Race Results PuzzlerJim Pfau, Salem, OR

Hell, the "All Vintage Meet at Donnigton Park" is successfully over. Unfortunately, our correspondentdecided to come back via the Isle of Sheppey, whenhis Amphicar went down just off the coast, and all

was lost. The Royal British Navy was able to recover only afew faded photographs and some notes from his journal.

From this, we have been able to ascertain the followingfacts, with the hope that our smarter readers will be able todetermine the results. (Note: all five cars were different marques, colors, had different tires, and stopped for different pitwork. Makeno assumptions: ie. Paddy Hopkirk.although oftenassociated with Minis,did not necessarily drive one this time.)1. Martin Brundlc drove the red car

2. Nigel Mansell drove the Mini

3. The green car ran Pirellis'1.i'addy llopkirk's car ran Goodyears5. The green car finished Immediately after the white car6. The MG had to stop (or a fuelpick-upproblem7. The yellow car suffered a tire failure

8. The third place car ran Bridgestones9. Stirling Moss finished first

10.The car finishing immediately beforeor after the Triumphhad to stop when Its bonnet came adrilt

11.The car finishingimmediately before or after the Sprite suffered tire failure

12.The car on Dunlop tires was delayed by an engine stay failure

13.Jackie Stewart stopped to replace a damper14.The blue car finished immediately behindSterlingMoss15. Cortina did not run Avon tires

What was the finishing order and characteristics of tlie fivecars? (Hint Make a grid!)

(Jimwillreceivea giltcertiricate forhis contribution-Ed.)

For answers, turn to Still Puzzled?", on page 12.

Rob Pudim, of Boulder,contnbulion

COwill receive a gift certificate for his

Store-N-Start

Gas Preservative

STOR-HSTART

CAM1-go**^^From the makers of Relead. Thispreservative will Keep gasoline freshduring those times when you seldomdrive your car or in wnter swagemonths. Keeps gums and varnishesIrom forming and clogging hosesand lines. Also neutralizes theeffects of copper tubing on gas. Willalso work great for your awnmoweror other gas powered equipment!8oz. can treats 40 gallons of gas.

220-395 Reg. S6.45

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 2

i,i

.'.[454fflgB9&gi

First Annual Moss British Car Festival, Sept. 23-25, 1993ook forward to a weekend ofpure fun! As a part of our 45thAnniversary celebrations, theMoss Motors British Car

Festival will take place the fourth weekend of September.

Imagine this, one of the finest rancheslocated In the heart of the beautiful,scenic Santa Ynez valley, will belong toMoss and our friends for three days ofreal excitement!

It's a great weekend for every Britishcar enthusiast! This Is also the perfectevent for the entire family, where you

acan all enjoy activities together or splitup and do things separately...there willbe something for everyone!

We plan to bring you events with aunique western flavor, such as a BBQand country dance night and a western"cook-out" breakfast. There will begames, rallyes (both fun-filledand mildlycompetitive), plus a hard surface slalom.We will organize a car show with a difference, tours of the wine country aroundBuellton. visits to the quaint Danish village of Solvang, and of course visits tothe Moss Goleta facility, where a range

Moss Rebuilt Carb ProgramOur Success Depends On You and Your Cores!

he success of this program is dependentupon the availability ofcores: the core charge

varies depending on the rarityof the carbs. We want yourcores back! However, we askthat carbs be purchased outright, so that only the correctcomponents are returned.Cores are returned directly toour rebullder, not to us here atMoss. The core charge isrefundable upon receipt of a setof complete, rebuildable carburetors. All of our rebuilt carbs areassembled to exacting standards byLawrie Alexander, a restoration specialist with years of experience with Britishcars. You may recognize the name,because he's the star of our popularvideo on the tuning, overhaul, and maintenance of SU carbs. Each set comeswith advice on installation.

MGA 1500 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU H-4 carbs. Price Includes a 5200 corechargt. 041-701 Reg.5525.00

MGA 1600/1622 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU H-J carbs. Price Includes a 5200 corecharge.041-702 Keg. 5525.00

MGB 1963-67 RebuiltCarburetor SetSUHS-4. AUD 135carbs (replaces orig.AUD 52 used for '63-'64.) Price includes a5I50 core charge. 04i-704 Reg.5475.00

MGB 1968 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU HS-4. AUD265 carbs. Price includes a5150core charge. 041-705 Keg. .5475.00

MGB 1969 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU HS-4, AUD326 carbs. Price includes aS150core charge. 041-706 Reg.5475.00

MGB 1970 RebuiltCarburetor SetSL"HS-4, AL'D 405 carbs. Price includes aS150 core charge. 041-707 Reg. 5475.00

MGB 1971 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU HS-4,AUD 465 carbs. Price includes aS150core charge. 041-708 Keg.5475.00

MGB 1972 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU HIF-1. AUD 493 carbs. Price includesa 5100core charge. 041-709 Reg.5425.00

MGB 1973 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU HIF-4. AUD 550 carbs. Price Includesa S100core charge. 041-710 Reg.$425.00MGB 1974 RebuiltCarburetor SetSU HIF-4. AUD 630 carbs. Price includesa SIUO core charge. 041-7H Reg. 5425.00

Triumph TR3-3A RebuiltCarburetor SetSU II-6. AUC 768carbs, with banjofittings on float bowl lids. Price includes aS200 core charge. 041-731 Reg. 5525.00

Triumph TR3A-4 RebuiltCarburetor SetThese are SU H-6. AUC878 carbs withpush on connectors on the float bowllids. Price Includes a 5200core charge.

011-732 Reg. 5525.00

of bargains will be available to all attending. Film vlewings are planned and perhaps you would like to take a trip in aglider from the Santa Ynez airport!

Hotel accommodations will be available locally, but If you wish to camp orbring your RV, you are welcome to settledown on the ranch Itself, where there Isplenty ol room to park your trailer. Foodwill be available and entertainment willbe provided.

This is not just for the MGs.Triumphs, Jaguars and Healeys, we welcome your London taxi, Riley. Mini. In

Marque Days,continuedfrompage IDon't worry about driving a non-Britishcar just for the trunk space; free shipping is available on all but truck freightItems. For additional information, ordirections, call one of our sale advisorstoll-free at 800-235-6954.

The Fun of the Fair

It has long been a tradition in Englandthat car gatherings take place not onlyto display those magnificent machines,but also for owners to pit their skills invarious forms, such as driving tests andfunkhanas.

In addition, many meetings feature alestive couple ol events which we areintroducing at our Goleta Marque Days.

• How rapidly can you change fourspark plugs in an engine?

• How quickly can you transfer a wirewheel from one side of the axle to the

fact, no matter what type of British caryou own. be it a Bentley or a Berkeley,then bring it! The cost will be modest,with Moss subsidizing the event to makeit affordable for every pocket! And.should you wish to spend longer in thebcautiiul California countryside or at thenearby beaches, we will provide youwith a comprehensive listing of localsites and scenery you really should notmiss! We look forward to meeting youall! Call your sales advisor for details, at800-235-695-1. See you there!

other? Prizes are awarded for the fastesttimes, but don't bring your own torquewrench or copper hammer, we will provide all the necessities. /Ml this, In addition to thej'lnewood Derby (bring yourbest car!). Who knows, we may evenhave Wellie-wanging in the parking Ipt!

Big Plans for 1993 -''April24 Britfest, MossECF. Sew JerseyJune5 Moss Motors MGMarque Day,

Goleta, CA

Aug 28 Moss Motors Triumph MarqueDay, Goleta. CA

Sept II Moss Motor* Air. tin-Healey/Triumph Marque Day,Dover. SewJersey

Sept 18Moss Motors Austin-HcaleyMarque Day, Golela,CA

Sept 23-25 Moss Motors British CarFestival, Buellton, CA

Oct 16Moss Motors Austin-HeateyMarque Day, Golela. CA

Call 800-23S6954 for details!

TR Register Le Mans Print

Le Mans Print

Thisbeautifullimited

> edition

4>"riumw

iC»I*BB2^2gl

Italy's Count Lurani-Aristocrat, Racer and MoreHarry Newton

Hhen Count Giovanni "Johnny"Lurani took the starter's flag atBrescia beginning the 1933 MilieMiglia, the young nobleman

already had been racing sports cars lornearly a decade. The previous year.1932, had seen the already famous amateur finish 9th overall in an Alfa Romeo6C 1750. The 1933 event saw British carscompeting for the first time In the thousand milecontest that was heldannuallyover open roads on a course that tookthe racers, often several hundred innumber, from Brescia to Rome andreturn.

Count "Johnny" Lurani was knownand well liked in England, where he hadposted impressive victories atBrooklands, becoming acquainted withmany top rank British enthusiasts. Itshould come as no surprise to learn thatthe wealthy Italian was thespark that placed a team ofthree MG K3 Magnettes onthe starting ramp In 1933.Five well regarded Englishdrivers comprised the balance of the "MG entry.Paired with Lurani wasCaptain George Eyston,while Sir Henry "Tim"Birkin. one of the famousBentlcy Boys, shared a carwith Bernard Rubin. EarlHowe and Hugh Hamiltondrove the team's third car.Tragically, 1933 was to bethe final year for Birkenand Hamilton, both ofwhom died within monthsof their Mllle Miglia drives.

minutes ahead of the identical MG ofHamilton and Howe. Both cars completed the 1.022 mile race over some of theworld's toughest roads In Just over 18hours, eclipsing Maserati's previousrecord by more than half an hour.

1931 saw Lurani again entered in theMiile Miglia at the wheel of one of thefour supercharged MGs entered. One ofthat year's MG entries was the very K3with which Nuvolari had won the 1933Tourist Trophy in one of motor racing'smost legendary demonstrations ofcourage and ability. The 1934 MllleMiglia effort ended with only theLurani/Penn-Hughes car taking thecheckered flag, the others havingdropped out along the way. In 1933.theMGs had been fitted with Powerplussuperchargers and high compressionengines that produced 114 bhp at 7,000

RPM. For 1934.Marshall superchargers were fitted, compression was loweredslightly and output

g was increased slightly, to 120 bhp at 6.500RPM. The MG'sWilson preselectorgearboxes hadworked faultlesslyboth years.

We spent two dayswith "Johnny" Luraniin 1991, first at a con-corso di eleganza onMilan's Via dellaSpiga, where the 86year old legend was ajudge and his daugh

ter's 1914 Standard was one of the threedozen entries. Then, the following daywas spent at the multi-faceted aristocrat's villa north of Monza. where theveteran of hundreds of competitionevents between 1926 and 1956 showedus the trophies and other momentosthat chronicle one of the world's mostillustrious automotive careers. Includedwere six class victories in nine MilieMiglias. three Targa Florios, one partnered in a Healey with Aldington ofFrazer Nash fame. In the Luranigarageat Cernusco. we had the chance to view

lORScc, 120hp.amazing!Team strategy dictated that Birkin

and Rubinshould set the early pace inthe hope that they would lure main competitor Maserati to self destruct. Whilethe plan worked, the Birkin Hamilton carbecame a casualty at about the onethird point between Siena and Rome.Tuffanelli and Bertocchi were forced toretire their second place Maserati 4CTR-1100spider at about the same time, dueto an overworked gearbox. This put theLurani Eyston Magnette in the classlead, where they remained to the finish,arriving back in Brescia less than two

Mallory DistributorBen Trovato, Santa Barbara, CA

•the last Issue of Moss

Motoring, we looked at the merits of retro-fitting your Lucasdistributor with a Crane/

Allisonpointless ignition system.While the Crane electronic ignition

system is probably the best thing thatever happened to a Lucas distributor,any improvement is still built upon thefoundation of a Lucas distributor.

Let's examine another alternativeignition system for your British sportscar, the Mallory Dual-point Distributor.What makes the Mallory unique amongpoint-type ignitions, is as the nameimplies, it has two separate sets ofpoints to do the work of one. What is theadvantage ol using two sets of points? Inthe Mallory distributor, oneset ol pointsopens the primary circuit and the othercloses it. givinga longer period of dwell(the period of time that the points areclosed, expressed in degrees).

The dwell period is the time when thesecondary windings In the Ignition coilcharge the magneticfieldup for anotherhighvoltage blastwhen the pointsopen(20,000-40,000 volts!). So,Itcangenerallybe said that the longer the period ofdwell, the higher voltage of spark. Onmost four cylinder engines, the dwell|wriod is about 60 degrees: the MalloryDual-Point distributorhasa dwell periodof 72 degrees, so even if you choose toyour stock coil, you will still have a"Hotter" spark, as the coil has more timeto charge itsell up than with a conven

tional distributor. Thisis accomplished in theMallory unit by the following process.

In the Mallory fourcylinder distributor,the point cam haseight lobes and as itrotates, it opens theprimary set of pointscompletely, triggeringthe coil. The lobe thenrotates another eight ,degrees and opens thesecondary set olpoints. Shortly afterthe secondary set hasbegun to open, the primary set closes, and the ignition coilstarts charging even though the secondary set Is still open! After the secondary set has closed the process startsagain for the next cylinder.

Why not just crank open the pointslor more dwell in your stock distributor?Well, this would have an adverse effecton the ignition timing and the pointswould wear in short order as they aredesigned to work at a specified gap, allof which would result In a loss of performance and economy. Another feature olthe Mallory Dual-Point distributor is thefact that it has a fullcentrifugal advanceunit rather than the part centrifugal,part vacuum advance system used onstock Lucas distributors. This featuremay make it illegal for use on pollution

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 4

This "rebodied" K3 can often beseenatvintage racesNibbio I. a Moto Guzzi powered specialwith which the nobleman establishedmore than a dozen small displacementworld records In the 1930s. Nibbio II, asecond streamliner engineered and driven by Lurani. is on permanent exhibitat the Biscarctti Museum In Turin.

The walls of Count l.urani's garagearc covered with signatures of morethan 400 automotive greats who havebeen guests at Cernusco during nearlythree quarters of a century.

Notable among Count Lurani's othermotor sports accomplishments were theintroduction of the gran turismo classification in the Milie Miglia shortly beforeWW II, as well as the creation of FormulaJunior, for which he was honored atElkhart Lake in 1988.Though he nevercompeted in the United States. Luraniserved as an FIA steward al Sebring several times. Perhaps the closest he cameto actually racing in this country was inthe 1940swhen he turned some practicelaps at Indianapolis at the wheel of aMaserati.

1933. Chassis #003. wasentered by Its presentAustralian owners in the1991 Milie Miglia retrospective. In fact, the annualMilie Miglia retrospectiveincludes among its manyentries more cars of Britishmanufacture than from anybut the host country. Italy.As for "Johnny" Lurani. henever has become involvedin this latter-day rally thattoday Is perhaps the topevent on the worldwide calendar of vintage auto

events. It doesn't present enough of achallenge to lure him from the memoriesof his nine real MllleMiglias.

About the K3 MagnetteThe K3Magnette pictured here, with

which owner Gary Byrd frequently competes.in vintage races, is a bolt-by-boltauthentic reproduction made mostlyfrom genuine period MGparts. This fineexample is actually more Original" thanmost surviving "genuine' K3s. These 6cylinder. l,086cc thoroughbredmachines contributed much to MG'searly racing heritage. What is purportedto be the actual Lurani/Eyston MG from

Questions for EveryBritish Car Enthusiast

How many K3 Magnettes were built?How many survive? What, in addition tothe Milie Miglia and Tourist Trophywere their major successes? What wasthe highest finish by a Jaguar and Inwhat year? Do you know the same forMG,Austin-Healcy. and Triumph?

Name This Column

With Harry Newton's new columnappearing, we arc faced with a dreadfuldilemma. What will we title it?Suggestions we have heard so farinclude: Four Wheel Drifts, Wrack andOpinion, Down Shifts and RetardedSpark...

Our next press closing date of Aprilfirst is rapidly creeping up on us. Thefirst person (in case of duplicates) tosend in the winning name will receive agift certificate for S50.00. and of course.willalso receive the fame and notorietythat such an honor decrees.

Send your entry (as soon as possible)to: Editor. Moss Motoring. 400Rutherford Street. Goleta. CA 93117.

, Pays,

controlled vehicles

(check your localand state lawsbefore using thisunit on the street)but it makes it perfect lor use withhigh performanceengines equippedwith sldcdraft carburetors that oftenlack a vacuum port

_, for use with a stockdistributors. TheMallory unit is also

I easily adjustable fortotal amount of ignition advance, andcomes preset at 28

degrees, allowing the serious enthusiastthe ultimate In tune-ability. The MalloryDual-Point is supplied without a drivedog or gear, which must be transferredfrom the old distributor. Mallory hasbeen makinghigh performance Ignitionsystems since 1932.and was even a popular modification to MGTCs when theywere new!

v

Today, there is a Mallory Dual-Pointdistributor to fit most British cars, so Ifyou're looking for the ultimate in highperformance Ignition systems, look nofarther than the Mallory Dual-Point distributor. (Note: For maximum performance. I recommend using the Lucassports coil, #143-200" and a Lucas premium quality ignitionwire set.)

fiours'(Ben will receive a gift certificate for

his conlribulion-Ed.)

Mallory ApplicationsThe 4-cylinder model can be used on

most British sports cars (1945-'80)where sufficient room exists. (Will not fitTR7.) The 6-cylinder model (its Austin-llealey 100-6 &3000 and Jaguar XK120-140-150 only. Wealso stock replacementpoints, rotors, caps and condensers.

4-Cylinder 143-180 5157.506-Cyllnder 543-040 5169.50

Not legal in CA on post-106Spollulion

MM44QsBSSB

K]Q©m2)5ft7 (£)[? ^ffiJS L^G®Li3y Roadster Production Begins

»^ 3-Main Bearing "B"-Series Engine

y 5-Main BearingEngine Introduced

y Jaeger GaugesReplaced with Smiths

v' Laycock Overdrive Available as an Option

*/ Fiberglass Hardtop Available

• Increase from 10 to 12 Gallon Gas Tank

\t External Door Handle Changes from

Pull-Out to Push-Button Type

• MGB GT Launched

• Front Anti-Roll Bar Standard

\r* Reverse Lights Standard• Salisbury (tube-type) Axle Introduced on Roadstery Padded Dash • Electrical System Now Negative Groundy 4 Synchromesh Gearbox Standard

y First Emission Control Equipment Installed

y Ignition on Steering Column

• Reclining Seats

• Head Restraints

y New Folding Top(folding top framenow standard)

}/ New Rocker Switches

• New Grille w/ Vertical Center Bar and Black Mesh

• Door Arm Rests • Radial Tires Standard

• Matte Black Windshield WipersW 1974'/2 Federal Rubber Bumpers Introduced

y MGB GT is No Longer Available in the USA

• 12-Volt Battery Replaces Dual 6-Volt Batteries

y Single Zenith-Stromberg Carb

y Catalytic Converter Standard in California(mid 1975)•y Electric Radiator Fan

k Recessed Grille

• Split Rear Bumper (1970 only)

y Rubber Buffers on Overriders

• Automatic Self-Retracting Seatbelt Standard

V Telescoping Hood and

Trunk Stays

y Revised Dash

and Center

Console

y Smaller 4-Spoke Steering WheelStereo Speakers in Door

Clock Set in Dash

y Limited Edition

y 80 MPH Speedometer

• Last MGB Roadster Manufactured

October 22, 1980

• Spin-On Oil Filter

• Side Marker Lamps

• Rostyle Wheels

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 5

tf/[«»13EB5H2g

45th Anniversary, •mtinned from pageThe business continued to grow as

Moss expanded by adding parts and catalogs for the MGA. the early MGB. Austln-Healey. and Jaguar XK 120-140-150. In1977. we purchased 48 tons of "obsolete"inventory directly fromStandard TriumphIn England. The shipment filled four 40foot containers, and It was the singlelargest factory buy-out of factory TR2-3-4spares. In 1978, we published the world'sfirst comprehensive TR2-3-1 catalog, illustrating and listing virtually all the partslikely to be required, even if the partswere not available at press time. Thismade the catalog a valuable restorationaid and reference guide, and set the standard for future Mosscatalogs.

By 1978.Moss Motors was supplyingparts for British cars to customers all overthe world. It was a big business that hadbecome more work than fun for Al. WhenHowardGoldmanoffered to buy the business, Al took him up on the offer, and wentinto semi-retirement. Al's still on theBoard of Directors, and he spends muchof his time restoring (and racing) his collection of vintage British sports cars.

During the late seventies we greatlyexpanded our Research and Developmentprogram. So many critical componentshad been discontinued that it was obviousthat manycars wouldbescrapped,simplybecause they could not be repaired. Wetook on some major projects, marking thebeginning of our large investment in tooling and precision machine work (the firstcompany to do so, since the factory quitmaking original parts)! Now, British MotorHeritage works closely with Rover CarsPLC (formerlyBritishLeyland)to continuethe supply of factory original parts.Frequently, original tooling is transferredto small firms that will continue to make

the parts In smaller production runs.These parts are then distributed throughasmall group of firms, each appointed as a"British Motor Heritage ApprovedSupplier and Manufacturer". Moss Motorsis a charter member of this organization,and the first In the US.

Moss Motors,better than

ever in 1993,after 45 yearsof British

sports cars!

By 1980, It became clear that there wasa need for restoration quality upholsterykits. We opened a complete upholsterymanufacturing facility in Lompoc, a smalltown 45 miles north of Goleta. There, original cars were carefully stripped of theirupholstery, which was then taken apart ascam at a time. From these original examples permanent patterns were made, andthe shop went into production, makingseats, panels, tonneau covers, and carpetsets.

In 1982, wc opened our New Jerseywarehouse, in 1987 we bought the MGACentre in Darlington, England, whichreproduces MGAparts. Including the MGAbody shelL

By 1988, Moss was one of the largestsuppliers of vintage British sports carspares. The sales staff had grown from 4

to 18. with a total stall ol over 100, and12,000 square feet had been added to themain warehouse in Goleta. We had finallysettled our New Jersey warehouse andshowroom in a modem Industrial park InDover. New Jersey, which is directlylinked to our national headquarters inGoleta. CA. That same year, Rover CarsPLC (formerly British leyland) decided tocease distributing factory parts through

their facilities in New Jersey andCalifornia. They offered to sell off theirentire multi-million dollar Inventory of"obsolete" spares, and we bought the lot.It took months to process the transfer ofInventory, which was shipped in eight 40foot containers, each packed to the roof.

Our last major expansion took place in1989.when we acquired the Classic BritishSports Cars Group Ltd. Known as CBSS.this group includes some of the mostrespected names in the industry. Cox andBuckles. Ltd. was Britain's foremostTriumph specialist. They had tremendousstocks of original spares, and. like Moss,had been reproducing discontinued Itemsas well. Triumphtune, a company specializing in high performance and comi>etitionparts for Triumphs, was known all overthe world (or their "special tuning" parts.The Sprite. Midget. B. C. V8 Centre

(Richmond. Bristol. Birmingham), BarryStafford's MGParts Lid. (Manchester) andNaylor Brothers (Shipley) made up therest of the group. Naylor Brothers wasbest known for their wide range of partsfor the MG T-Scries. This group, nowknown collectively as Moss Europe, Ltd..have made Moss Motors the world'slargest supplier oi British sports carspares.

The British sports car market is unique,and although It's changed over tiie years,the world-wide love for British sports carsseems undiminished. They have appreciated in value, most costing far more nowthan they did when new. Nonetheless,there are fewer of them each year as theyare lost to accidents or simple deterioration to the point where a restoration is notfeasible. The biggest problem is rust; abadly rusted body/frame can usually berepaired, but then cost more than thevalue of the car.

British Motor Heritage has provided asolution unique in the history of the automobile. BMH has produced new bodyshells for the MGB (both roadster andGT). the Midget, and most recently theTRG. With a new body shell with state-ol-the-art rust-proofing, many more of thesecars can be saved. So far, every stiell produced was virtually pre-soW.

As to why there Is such a demand forthese cars, it's difficult to say. Some arebought as investments, some arc bought"because it's the first car I ever owned".And (or the tinkerer. it's a car withoutmiles of wires, hoses and sophisticatedelectronics. There Isn't much that youcan't fix with a simple toolbox. Everybodyhas their own reason, but perhapsHoward Goldman said it best: "The beauty of the English car. is that the carneeds you."

Pricing...1945 vs. 1993 (Its Somewhat Surprising)David Eichelbaum. Marketing CoordinatorHhcn a 1960-era

order form wasreceived theother day,

everyone was amazed.We haven't used the partnumbers or the addresson the form for nearly 30years! When we processedthe order, we noticed thatthe price was just a fewdollars more now, than itwas back in the 19G0s.Since it piqued our interest, we thought that a closer look at some otherprices would be interestingfrom a couple of perspectives.

Firstly, everyone knowsthat Inflation plays a role Inrising prices throughout the years. Thechart shows pricing of ten randomly(believe It or not) selected parts that wehave fairly consistently had in stocksince 1972. in approximately ten yearincrements. From a purely scientific perspective, you can see that not only havesome prices risen, but some have fallenand some have stayed relatively similaras well.

There are several interesting caseshere like the "TR4" Emblem and MGLower A-Arms. where remanufacturinghas actually allowed us to lower pricesover the years. Other Items like MG TRadiator Stays, which weren't even list-

Mo66.Motou.JM>.

• ' -:

Working in the British Car Part Business,We Don't Take Inflation for Granted!

Part 1992

165-400 9.95Lucas Fender Mirror

451-700 19.50Radiator Stay

855-125 15.95TR3 Radiator Duct Assy.454-620 144.95 132.0015" 60-spoke Painted Wire Wheel

Part 1992

601-090 10.80-TR4- Emblem

45-1-155 28.50 33.50MG T Glovebox, flocked

24.95264-020 14.95MG T Lower A-Arm

386-200 19.95L'nisyn Tool

385-940 5.95 6.00 n/aMGATool RoUStraps

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 6

1983

11.75

22.75

1972

n/a

n/a

10.45

11.00

ed In our 1972catalog, haveonly risen inprice by $1.55in almost tenyears! And ofcourse there

is the Point

Set for MGs

that started

this theoriz

ing: when wesay that wereally try tohold prices -we mean it!

In 1983 a 60-

spoke wirewheel cost

' S132.00.today the

same item is only $14.95 higher, a percentage of only 11%.

The other Interesting thing we hear alot around here is how expensive parts(or our British sports cars are getting.But when you really think about It, canyou actually buy a hood hinge (or yourAcura for the same price as the $28.50TRG Item? Can you buy a bumper for aFord for the same S78.95 that buys abeautifully chromed MGB one?Haveyouever replaced a tail lamp lens on a modern car? In most cases you have to buythe complete lamp assembly whichcosts literally hundreds ol dollars. AnMGB rear lens is $13.95.

1983

10.95

17.95

17.50

1972

10.95

n/a

n/a

40.50

When you come right down to It, It Isreally quite cheap to drive, or evenrestore any British car. I used to drive aMazda RJC-7. and over a two-year period Ireplaced a clutch, master cylinder, taillamp lens (It fell off and was immediatelyrun over by a truck), electric radioantenna, and probably something else Ican't remember. The sum total was over$1000 dollars. In the past year and a half

I've been driving a 1968 TR250. and mysum total of parts that actually neededto be replaced due to wear, amounts toseveral oil filters and a muffler totallingless than SI00.0*

So. I'll take British car prices overmodern car prices any day of the wcekiWhat about you?

Classic-Fied AdsWeaccept advertisements for BritishCars only; no parts ads. replicasor exporters,please.One time insertion is $35.00. Publication is quarterly, the deadline for the nextissue is April 1,1993. Wesuggest you place your ad well in advance, and please limit itto 50wordsor less. Carswhichare realistically priced have a better chanceoi beingsold.Dueto spaceavailability, ads receivednear the deadlinemaybe heldfor the nextissue, late ads willrun in the next issue unless the advertiser specifies current issueonly.Please includeyour name,address, state you are located in, and phone.Sendpayment with ad to: Classlc-fied Ads. 400 Rutherford Street, Goleta, CA93117.

1981 TR7: Excellent condition, low high performance engine designed forRoad Rally. A beautiful car, photos available. 713-996-1934

low

miles, one ol the last 50 produced, rarefactory teal color, factory Bosch fuelinjection and handling package. Mustsee and drive No disapooinlments.S'J.SCO/offer 414-662-328(5.

1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III:Britishracing green, new paint, new woolcarpel, runs Terrific. 56K miles $22,000firm George Harvin, Rt. 8. Henderson.NC 27536. 919-430-2974.

1959 TR3A: ID»TS 50868L. white exterior, red interior. 69,000 miles, needs carburetor reshaft, minor paint and bodywork. Recent work includes rebuild o'hydraulic c'utch cylinder, (ront and rearbrakes, and cooling system. Have softand hard top and side window frames(not yet rebuilt). Asking $4,500. 513-528-6440 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Phil.

1980 TR8: Fuel injected convertible,less than 12.000 miles. Pos^edcn (dark)green. Goodyear Eagle VRs on Shelbywheels (original alloy wheels also included). Never been in wet weather, no rust,perfect running and booy condition. Timeto move on to other toys Si3.000 or bestoffer. 518-758-1539.

1952 MG TD: Show quality, red withblack seats and top, completely restoredframe up 100 miles since restoration,

1970 MQB GT: Original owner,154,000 miles, engine and body greatshape Original paint, needs some touch-up, original upnoistery, needs somereplacement. Gold book prices, thismodel from $2,000 fair to $4,900 excellent condition Asking S3,400, the suggest "good" value Ken P-outy. 707-546-9920.

1961 MGA 1600 Roadstar: NewGrey paint witn special order Greyleather interior. Rebuilt engine and transmission. Nice CA car, nice price $8000.805-963 0915.

1962 Austin-Healey Sprite: 948 ccengine Ncv\»!oo, paint, and batteryRuns and drives. Ncco to clear garagespace for Miata (I know it's b'asphemy.but...). S3.5C0. 609-424-9037.

1959 Austin-Healey Sprite: Ex-60'sslalom car Mary mods. Runs good,needs work. Factory hardtop. Extra parts.$3,000 or best offer. Jin Glover. 619-582-1946. evenings

1962 MGA 1600 MKII Roadster:Garage kept, excellent condition. Redwith red interior and black top $10,000or best offer. Andy. 410-666-7214.

!A[ti*f3Ee!n2igl

Austin-Healey Sprite Mkll! 9th Iti the Moss Car Collection!Before cutting out we recommend that you spray-glue mode! to a piece ofpaper to stiffen it. Carefully cut out the car with X-Acto knife or scissors.

Fold down tabs, then fold over rear body panel first, gluing ortaping tabs inside to hold body curvature.

Tip: cut slots in body before folding car.

Fold 90

Fold rear bumper in " " shapeto line up with slots in rear ofbody, then fold over ends and fitinto slots on side of body.

Grill, headlight and bumper fold detail.

Cut top and bottom offront and rear overriders

and fold out.

LnJFold 90- up -

—, . r- Fold up to body curve.

Fold 903 down

Fold 90= down

Locate windshield in

slots on cowl, curving itto make it fit, and stand.

Tip: Make long folds using aruler for a straight-edge.

Pre-form the curve on the top of the fenders then tape/gluethe back edge of the fender to the body matching up thebottomand bodycrease. Nowroll over the fender top and fittabs along hood, following the curve of the headlight.

Tip: Tape completed model to cardboard base.(Blackor dark gray looks good.)

Triumphest 1992 - In Our BackyardKen Smith, Moss Motors Club &Event Coordinator

he beautiful Santa Ynez valleyprovided the backdrop for thelargest West Coast gathering olTriumphant owners. in

Buellton. central California.

Organized by the Central CoastTriumphs, the meet was favored by glorious weather and attended by driversfrom over a dozen states. We were alsoable to greet Malcolm McKay, theDeputy Editor of Classic Cars magazinewho traveled from England to attend!

Thursday afternoon saw the firstarrivals, and by the time the excellentcar show took place on Saturday, therewere nearly 200 TRs and other Coventryproducts in attendance. A very tightfunkhana (so tight even the organizercouldn't "clean" it), plus a rally throughthe spectacular scenery around SantaYnez (which included a"smog" check for the participants) were some of theother highlights of the meeting.

The now-famous MossMotors pinewood detrack was utilized at a

Triumph meet for the lirsttime, for some fierce competition between delicate

model Triumphs(and others!) and our notorious Moss"Feely Bag" contest attracteda larger entry than in previous years-it would appearpeople are becoming moreknowledgeable about whatgoes where on their TRs!

The Moss hospitality room and partsdisplay was crowded throughoutTriumphest and we had the pleasure ofoffering Iree breakfast each morning tothose registered for the event. Thissadly did not include the party olGerman tourists, staying at the HolidayInn, the H.Q for Triumphest. who wandered in. despite one of them claimingthat he had owned a Triumph someyears ago! Highlights of the Moss displaywere the story of the new Heritage TR6body shell and the major part MossMotors played in its inception, plus theappearance of not one, but twoTriumphs inside the hotel, which formedthe centerpiece of our show! We couldhave run another competition to answerthe question "How did you get theTriumphs Inside the hotel-and to yourroom?" The answer was, 'with difficulty", but it was well worth it. Sincerethanks to Bill Burroughs and Mr. and

a->-:?L„ rg

Mrs. Steven Chandler

for the loan of their

cars over the weekend.

A superb banquetrounded out the event

and the Moss Motors

Triumph Enthusiast ofthe Year was presentedto Marty Lodowcr of theTriumph Register oiSouthern California, a consummateenthusiast who edits a great magazine,organizes events and in general, promotes the cause of Triumphs yearround. He also owns a rare and beautiful

Triumph 1800, which is driven to manymeetings around the state.

Speaking of this award, one of thepleasures of our weekend at Triumphestwas to meet again with "Digger" Davitt ofthe D.C.T.R.A.. a real stalwart on theclub scene for many years and a regular

good guy.

"-£**

"Digger Davitt Memorial Trophy" and wewere delighted when they gave us permission to do this.

Since that time we have had contactwith all the major Triumph Clubs on thewest coast and elsewhere, and solicitedtheir views.Without exception, theywere all supportive of the idea, a coupleof clubs even sent us petitions signed bytheir members urging us to do just this!So It gives me great pleasure to informyou that the former Moss MotorsEnthusiast ol the Year award, will henceforth be known as the "Digger DavittMemorial Trophy" and it will be awarded annually at Triumphest in Digger'shonor and memory-

Triumphest 1993This year's grand event will be held In

Sacramento and hosted by the TriumphTravelers Sports Car Club from October7lh-l0th. 1993. See you there!

Open 7•ays,ongerlours!

Withover 200 Triumphsfrom all over the USA it was TRheaven.

Sadly, shortly alterthe event Digger passedaway suddenly and wehere at Moss Motors

felt that we would like

to acknowledge Digger'scontribution to the

British sports car movement, and that sometangible reminder ofhim should accompanyus all to future

Triumphests. We therefore spoke with Digger'sson, Richard, and his

widow Mary Jane, withthe proposal that werename the award the

Sprinq 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 7

!iT.M*fuTO3i£g|

Removing Your Car From MothballsCraig CodySanta Barbara. CA

s I awoke this morning, brightsunshine had replaced the torrential rains, and given a cluethat British car weather was

Imminent. With nothing else on myimmediate agenda. I decided to preparemy MGTD for the 1993 motoring season.As many of us do, I had simply parkedmyfaithful companionlast fall,intendingto "mothball" it for the winter. Well,there It sat, neglected and ignored allseason. I first sat down with a pad andpaper, and made a twelve item list ofthings to be done.

a

1 . ires

Inspect tires for wear, cracking anddamage. Check wire wheels for bent orbroken spokes, check disc wheels fordents on the rim. (Don't forget the sparein this step.) Inflate to proper P.S.I.

2. Cooling SystemUse a hydrometer (available very

cheaply at your local auto parts store.)to check the coolant. This is not Just"antifreeze"; it helps your radiator coolthe engine efficiently on hot days.Visua'lly inspect glioses for cracking andthe fan belt for chafing and cracking.Drain and flush the cooling system ifneeded. (Make certain to dispose of oldcoolant properly, it is toxic waste.) Mostauto parts stores and service stations

have facilities for disposal of wastecoolant and oil and will take It from youcither for free or for a small lee

3. Engine OilEven if you changed the oil just a few

miles before laying your car up for thewinter, it is a good idea to change the oiland filter; there are acids and all kinds ofnasty contaminants held in suspensionin the oil. Condensation may cause moisture to accumulate in the sump, and create corrosives that can damage yourengine over the long term. Again, please

dispose of the old oil and filter properly.

4. Battery

Disconnect and remove the battery.Clean the outside of the case and the terminals. Check the electrolyte level andtop up with distilled water as necessary.Check the charge and condition of thebattery with a battery hydrometer andcharge as necessary. Be careful whenworking with the battery, the acid istough on clothes! Now is also the time toinspect the battery cables, the same acidthat eats your clothes can cause perishing of the cables, giving you the "LucasCurse" which In most cases is caused bya poor connection. That white powderyou might see is dried battery acidwhich may be cleaned away using clubsoda. The cable ends should be tightlyattached with no signs of fraying.

5. Brak;..-.

This is probably the single mostimportant system on your car. It doesyou no good to go if you can't stop! Thewheels and brake drums should beremoved and the system inspected forwear and leakage. Replace pads andshoes as needed. Now is a good time tototally flush the brake system (our E-ZBleed. #386-860 is really handy for this.)Brake Jluid is ".hygroscopic", this meansthat it attracts moisture from the air.

This moisture will con

dense in the systemcausing corrosion andeventual brake failure.

You might also want tochange to Silicone fluidat this point. Thebrakes should beadjusted per theinstructions in yourshop manual. If youdon't have one, buyone! This is probably themost valuable tool youcan have. You needn't be

a mechanic to understand the basic procedures outlined in a good shop manual.

6. Transmission andDifferential

Drain and refill the transmission anddifferential with proper fluids to specifications in your shop manual. Now is alsothe time to visuallyInspect the U-jolnts.

7. Clutch

Mechanical clutch mechanismsshould be checked and adjusted,hydraulic clutches should be Inspectedand the fluid replaced just as you didwith your brake system.

8. Fuel SystemDrain the old gasoline from the tank

and keep it to use in the lawn mower.Gasoline can lose a lot ol it's punch overtime- Fresh gasoline will make your carrun better. When you start the car, besure to check for leaks in fuel lines and

at the carburetors. To avoid problems,the next time you store your car. useSlore-n-Start gas preservative. #220-395.

9. Lights andElectrical System

Re-install the battery, and try out thehorn, lights, etc. Check the fuses andmake certain you have a spare set. Ifyour car has an electric (uel pump, you

UT British SpOrtS CarS JniLeeJone.s.Art Depart,,,™,He've been printing your British sports car photos and comments over the last few years and have

decided (bypopular employee demand) thatwewant togetInonthepress,too! Ineachissue, wewill befeaturing your fellow British car enthusiastsat Moss in all processes of owning these lovable andsometimes hair-tearing automobiles. Well try to show you some oltheprojects we're working on. and

perhaps give you ideas (or your own British sports car maintenance or restoration.So, Ifyou're driving a pristine andrestored Concours car. ortaking infrequent andguilty glances at thatbasket

caseIntheback barn, watch for ourequally cheering andfrustrating tales of(movie Intro music here) keeping ourBritish sports cars on the road!

T Ken SmithMoss Club & Event Coordinator

My 1979 MGB Is bright Inca Yellow (and I meanbright). When the gentleman in the large Chevyland yacht proceeded to reverse into the MGB (withme still in the driver's seat and parked). I even putmy hand out to stop him. getting my fingerstrapped in the process. All he could say was "It's sosmall... I never saw your car!"

The trailer hitch hit the door and creased It sobadly, a new one was needed - the paint match wasa nightmare - and then came the task of getting thestripes right. Moral: Beware of large cars bearingtrailer hitches

• David EichelbaumMarketing Coordinator

Well, Jill made me get up early on a Saturday morning to meet her for this photo so I'm not responsible forhow it comes out! Today I'm planning to replace thefuel tank float on the TR250 because I can't ever tellhow much gas I have anymore! My typical weekendconsists ofcleaning and polishing the TR250 and playing around with the five year TR4A restoration In thegarage forawhile. ThenI usually go fora nicelongrideon my Triumph motorcyle.

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page B

1955. at the factory with MGAs on theassembly line al right, and Magnettes tothe left, ready lor finishing touches.

may want to check the condition of thepoints, they can corrode and cause thefuel pump to operate less than efficiently.

10. Hinges, Latchesand Locks

A squirt can of light oil and somewhite lithium grease will help them operate smoothly.

11. Clean and Polish

Of course you will want to have yourpride and joy nicely cleaned Inside andout for the first drive! This Is the time to

replace the wiper blades. They tend todry out and crack after periods of disuse.

1 2. License andDocuments

When the new tags came in the mail,did you put them on, or are they still inyour desk? It is embarrassing to have toexplain to that nice officer that you really do have them...someplace. Put theregistration and insurance card in theglovebox!

Now, go for a drive and enjoy! Happymotoring...

(Craig will receive a gift certificate forhis contribution-Ed.)

•HBfeA Bob CoteSales Department

I purchased my Austin-Healey 3000 BJ7 from a gentleman who had owned it forthree years and was in theprocess of a slow restorationand then "just lost Interest".He and his wife wanted the car

lo go to someone who wouldlake care ol it and finish therestoration. Right now I'm inthe process of repainting theengine from red to the originalHealey green and strippingpaint from parts that wereincorrectly painted.

Sports Car Gsflervports Car Gallery features your memorable British sports car photos (or iseveral) in each issue ol the Moss Motoring. Please send your photos and jthoughts to; Editor, Moss Motoring Sports Car Gallery. -10(1 Rutherford St.,Goleta. CA 93117.

^ Not everyone's favorite MG.but I love my1976 Midget.Purchased for$300.00 and about$3500.00 later, 1now own mydream car...fast,fun and wide

MBBHBiHBi ' '«

The only thingthis car had goingfor it was a rust-

irce body. Itrequired frame-up restoration, includinga transmissionand engine rebuild,as wellas a complete interior restoration.

I'veowned a Spitfire anda 'Bbutneither compares to theMidget for puredrivingpleasure.

Thanks to Moss (lots of free advice, great prices on hard-to-flnd-parts) a goodmechanic/consultant (I.R Auto, Bridgewatcr. NJ). and an MG graveyard (MG Ts.Boonton. NJ)for making mydriving fun again.

You know. I testeda Miata fora littlewhile andchose to restorean MC.theyjustdrive so much better!

Jon Fourre. GreenBrook NJ

A This ismy 1976 British Raring Green Triumph TR6.1 bought the car in 1987 fromtheoriginal owner with 36,000 miles ontheodometer. Thecar was Infairly goodcondition at the time, but alter 4 years Idecided that Iwanted it to be in excellentcondition.

Ihud myTR6painted last year, and added a newconvertibletop. carpet and aroll-bar. Thevinyl dash is inperfectcondition, as are the seats. Interior panels,trimandboot. Theengine anddrive train areinexcellent running condition; theonlymodifications I havemadeare to switch frompoints to an electronic ignitionand toadd air conditioning.

Since then,Ihavewonover20awardswithmy Triumph that nowhas89,000miles on the odometer.

DidI forget to mentionthat 1drivemyTR6everyday?Kenny Justiniano, Fort Walton Beach. Ft.

The MGB Heritage PortfolioSix Classic Reproductions of Famous SalesBrochures for the MGB and Related Models

reatedbythe British Motor Industry's Heritage Trust,this interesting selectionol multiple pagedad material, producedto markthe 30thanniversaryof the original MGB and the introduction of the MG RV8 shouldbe part ofevery MGB owner's collection.What production literature willyou receive

in this elegant portfolio?

I.) Theoriginal 16-page launch brochurefor the Superlative MGB". Thiswasthemost detailed and luxurious of the early MGB brochures.

2.) The brochure marking the introduction of the MGB GT in 1965."For the manwith the Octagon Spirit - magicin a new shape".

3.) The smaller 8-pageversion of the original MGBbrochure, this particularedition dates from 1967 and

was the first brochure lorthe MGB roadster Mk II.

4.) Also dating Iron,1967. this was the first MGCbrochure and describedboth the roadster and GTversions of this model.

5.) Marking the introduction of the face-lifted models in 1969. and unusual InIhat both roadster and GTwere featured In the samebrochure.

6.) There was nevermuch brochure material forthe MGBGT V8: apart froma simple one-sheet leaflet, itwas only featured in theMGB GT"brochure, this 1973publication featuring theoriginal chrome-bumper V8.

Heritage MGB Portfolio212-125 849.9S

a

Not So Pitiful MGA •

I have only been a member ofthe British sports car family since

t April when I acquired this piU-little '57 MGAorphan.

.I've been along time customer of yours! Just thought I'd send apicture of my I | tJct'ors^eTS 45 vears'VwTshigh school carfor your Sports Car Gallery. • „'™5', ' lor 1* ye*rs' ' J?"?

,. .. . • exceedingly surprised and gratiiiedIvehadthis carsince 1973! The color isPearlescent White. For many years itwas "^^^^^^^i^i^i^nniiw bythe Interest andchallenges that

orange, andwhen Iwould show it. Ialways ended uptaking 2ndor3rdplaces! Since I thls'"tie fellow hasprovoked. Ididn't think myphotography wasadequate toenterrestored it for thesecond time and changed thecolor. 4 shows and (our firsls .vo"r photo contest, but Iam sending you some before and after shots that will per-Places- naps *how others how much Ihave enjoyed working and driving this fine little car.

Thanksforhelping, ****" as *e invaluable assistance Ihavereceived from the peopleat Moss Motors.Richard Britschgi, Undenhurst, II Bi" Parker. Waxahachle, TX

MG RV8 Sales Brochurenhe great news for British sports

car enthusiasts everywhere isthat the MG has been reborn

If with the introduction of abrand new model based on the old MGBV8.Officially known as the MG RV8, thismodel Is what today's MG should havebeen, had it never gone out ol production.

While the MG RV8 is not currentlyslated for Introduction lo the US market(although it largely meets all current USfederal regulations), we are proud tooffer [he genuine 28 page full color salesbrochure. Printed on large format artpaper, this brochure is guaranteed tobecome a valuable collector's piece inthe years lo come. The photography ismasterful, while the text is both interesting and informative. This is a premiumquality brochure, fitting for a car thatretails lor the equivalent of $40,000 inthe U.K., definitely not the type ofbrochure handed out in the U.K. toevery random sports car owner!

The real purpose for us here at MossMotors in olfering this new car brochureis to share our enthusiasm and support

for what has already been achieved byBritish Motor Heritage and the Rovergroup on a very limited developmentbudget. Imagine what could be done ifthe Rover group really thought therewas significant interest in new MG andTriumph sports cars?

We would like to encourage each andevery British sports car enthusiast inthis country to send a brief letter orpost card expressing your support forthe development of new MG and/orTriumph sports cars for the Americanmarket. Your voice counts, so take astand today and spread the word. Pleasewrite to Rover Cars, CommercialDivision. CanleyRoad,CanleyCoventryCV5 6QX England (It's about 50 cents forletter postage or 40 cents for a postcard). If you're feeling ambivalent aboutshowing your support, order up abrochure today...seeing is believing! TheMG RV8 Is truly a car each and everyone of us would love to have parked inthe garage!

MG RV8 Factory Sales Brochure213-250 S4.95

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Pace 9

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mm -4

Moss MGA Wins Class In La Carrera Pan AmericanaAfter three consecutive attempts at

the grueling La Carrera Pan AmericanaRally, the Moss sponsored team of JuanManuel Munoz Ledo and Luis JoaquinGonzalez placed 1st in class.IOth overall,for an unexpected upset. This was nosmall accomplishment since the CarreraHan America is widely considered to bethe world's most challenging vintagesports car race.

(time, speed, distance) sections throughall heavily populated areas. The courseincludes treacherous mountain passesand poorly maintained roads, as well aslong straight flat stretches though thehot Mexican desert.

The Carrera Pan Americana Is therecreation of the famous trans-Mexican

road race of the early 1950s. The modern version is over 2000 miles long andconsists of staged all-out high speed sections coupled with controlled T.S.D.

While the event is open only to vintage cars produced prior to 1960. considerable modifications arc allowed In

some classes. In (act. some of these cars

are more closely related to modernNASCAR machines, at least under all thevintage sheet metal and chrome. MGAscompete in the under 2-llter, basicallystock, Sport Menor A Class, which intheory is the slowest class. This makes

1992 MG-Triumph Challenge at Willow Springs, CA

On December 6th and7th I attended a race at

Willow Springs International Raceway, CAwhich was dubbed theMG-Triumph Challenge. Itsure seemed like something that I would beinterested in. and I wasright...it was!

Hosted this year bylocal clubs, it was like

going back in time withMGBs and TR4s everywhere I turned. It was

very cool and windy atWillow Springs, as It's inthe middle ol theCalifornia desert, rightdown the road from

Edwards Air Force Base.But that didn't seem to

affect anyone who wasracing. They were all in

bright Nomex suits withembroidered names and

team affiliations, drinkinghot cocoa and having aterrific time.

We were extremeiywell represented at theevent with our sponsoredcars. Including Billllalsletts MGB. whichtook second In class. Bill

Burroughs' white TR4A (aKastner look-alike) didn'tfinish due to an unexpected fresh air vent openingup in the side of hisengine! Moss' owii RobertGoldman raced his supercharged Sprite with vigor,Jonathan Lane drove hisgreen & white MGB, andMordy Dunst drove ahard race in his red TR4A.

We arc proud to be the

major sponsor of overtwenty racing teamsacross the United States,as well as quite a few inthe UK, where rallyingand such is a popular pastime. II you are a licensedSCCA (or other sanctioning body) driver, have atleast one season of com

petition under your belt,and would like to be con

sidered for Moss sponsor-ship. then we'd like tohear from you. The moreyou tell us about your racing success, the betterchance you have. Goodluck in 1993! Write lo:

Moss Molorsports

c\o David Eichelbaum

Moss Motors, Ltd.

7200 Hollister Avenue

Goleta, CA 93117

Expanded Eastern Service,cnnlinued from front cover

you need is on the shelf on the EastCoast.

On those occasions where an itemyou need is not on the shelf, we suggest you place the order on a"Backorder OK" basis. We will shipwhat we have from New Jersey,which means those parts will get toyou quickly, with a minimum olexpense. Parts not in stock In NewJersey will be shipped (at no additional charge) automatically fromCalifornia, usually on the next business day. By using both warehouses,we can generally get you everythingyou need quickly. II we happen to be

out of stock on both coasts, youmay cancel the backorder at anytime lor a full refund.

We've been talking about phoneorders, but quite a few of you like todrop in and place your orders overthe counter. We are always delighted lo see you, but we suggest youcall first to make sure the parts youwant are available. Even with a larger warehouse, and more parts on theshelf we can't guarantee that everything will be there (but there willcertainly be a good chance!). ^^^_

RKHHK&Bgffigl

MOTORJuan Manuel's 10th overall placing allthe more commendable.

In a race traditionally dominated bybig American V8s, Porches, and AlfaRomeos, Juan Manuel and Luis' classwin Is Significant indeed. With topspeeds ol 140 m.p.h. at 7250 r.p.m.. theperlormance of their MGA coupe far surpassed the performance of the factoryprepared MGAs that competed at Lemans and Sebring in the 1950s. To maintain these speeds over 5 days and 2000miles is truly remarkable. Juan Manuelalso credits the Moss Coil-Over Front

Suspension design for his superior roadhandling , particularly over difficult terrain and road conditions.

Notable performances were alsoachieved by informal teammates Ronand Malcolm Gammons ol England, intheir MGAcoupe placing 4th (20th overall) while Jonathan Edwards and DavidLampton, Irom the San Francisco Bayarea, placed 7th in class (28th overall) intheir MGA roadster. An Austin-Healey100-4 driven by John Harris and JohnChatham from the U.K. were also successful with a class win (17th overall) inthe larger-engined Sport Mayor Class,while Steve Lawrence and Julian Mastersof Santa Barbara, CA placed 3rd in thehighly modified Open class (12th overall) in a Jaguar XK120. Congratulations,Juan Manuel and Luis on a well earnedvictory!

News from Bill Haislett & His Moss-Sponsored MGBThe fifth VARA event of the 1992

Vintage Racing season was theSeptember 25th weekend In Las Vegas.From a finishing standpoint and laptimes, it was my personal best and agreat weekend.

I finished second in class In mySaturday heat with 23 starters. My firstheat race on Sunday brought anothersecond place finish with better lap times.The third and final race of the weekend

found me chasing the leading Porsche(which I have been chasing all weekend).He spun oil and I took the checkered flag!

Bill Haislett. Pasadena, CA

1958 Sebring 12 hr - pre-grid line up 30minutes before the Stan (Photo byGwlbert Dybvad.)

I95S. Al Moss stans to buy up obsoleteslocks, and moves into manufacturing.

19b 1 MG ID engine assembly atthe factory

1951: Al Moss sells his AllardDistrioutorsnip and focuses onservice work in Los Angeles.

1973-76 Triumph TR6Steering Wheel

Steering Wheel

This is an excellent reproduction «_

Under The BonnetHelcome to Under The Bonnet, our quarterly technical column dealing with

the basic maintenance and repair of your British car. We'll be covering topics here that have been the cause ol recurrent problems and questions bycustomers as well as our own stall members. While much of this informa

tion may be rudimentary to old-time mechanics, we'll be exploring various shortcuts as well as talking about tricks-of-the-trade not mentioned in manuals. If you'dlike us to cover a particular topic, please write to: Under The Bonnet. 400 RutherfordSt.. Goleta. CA 93117.

MGA Seat Bottom Foams

Use tnese seat foams when re-jpholstenngany I7GA roadster seat to restore thai "new"feel that tired worn out foam can't give.Excellent quality, reproduced in dense molded Icam as original.MGA Seal Foam. L/H

641-925 Reg. S39.95MGA Sea: Foam. R/H

641 935 Reg $39.95

Back to the Basics -, Gasoline!

Eric Wilht-lmTechnical Services

He all use gasoline, but rarelygive it much thought. We havecome to accept the lack of lead,seasonal volatility changes,

local (inferences, and the presence of"gasohol". But most of us still have someconcerns about how these affect ourcars' performance and what adverseaffects they may have on the components of our cars' iuel systems. Now thatwe have become used to unleaded gasoline, gasoline is again being reformulatedto meet the requirements of the CleanAir Act Amendments of 1990.

In order to understand the whys andwherefores of gasoline reformulation, itis necessary to know something aboutgasoline. Modern gasolines are complexmixtures of components to satisfy therequirements of all different types ofgasoline engines, operating requirements, and climatic conditions with onlya few different grades of gasoline - a miracle ol chemical engineering we oftenoverlook.

Octane is the measure of a fuel'sability to resist detonation (engineknock, or ping). For automotive gasoline,this Is expressed as the familiar Antiknock Index (or "pump octane") whichwe see on the gasoline pumps. This isthe average of two different measurements ol octane which reflect the octanerating ol a particular fuel under differentconditions. The octane requirement ofany particular engine Is dependent onfactors such as load conditions, altitude/barometric pressure, temperature,humidity, air/fuel mixture, and ignitiontiming. Using a grade of gasoline of higher octane rating than necessary does notgive better fuel economy or greaterpower; it just costs more. Using gasolineof too low an octane rating can result Inengine-damaging detonation.

Volatility Is probably the nextmost important property ol gasoline.This is the fuel's tendency to evaporate,and must be carefully controlled lorproper driveability. Winter gasoline ismade more volatile than summer gasoline to provide good cold starting andwarm up performance. Summer gasolineis formulated to minimize vapor lockand hot starting problems. Less volatilegasoline is also provided for high altitude areas, where less temperature isrequired to produce a given rate ol evaporation. From a pollution control standpoint, Increased volatility producesgreater evaporative losses, which leadto smog formation, while severely-decreased volatility results in poor starting and warm up characteristics (requiring overly rich air/fuel mixtures to run)which increase exhaust emissions.

Cokrosivity must be controlled loensure that fuels do not adversely affectfuel system components. Some carsexperienced corrosion problems withsome types of gasoline which containedmethanol. This is no longer a problem,as what little methanol that is currentlyused In gasoline Is combined wilh othercomponents to eliminate this problem.

Sulpher Content must be limited to prevent excess exhaust emissions,engine deposits, formation of acids within the crankcasc. and to reduce emission's caused acid rain.

Phase Separation Tempfrati.re

specifications arc used to determine thewater tolerance of gasoline containingethanol or methanol, as these alcohols

can absorb considerable amounts oiwater.

ADDITIVES are used in very smallpercentages to improve the quality oiluels. Detergents remove Iuel systemdeposits; deposit control additives andfluidlzcr oils control intake valvedeposits; anti-icers prevent Iuel linefreezing: corrosion inhibitors minimizefuel system corrosion: anti-oxidantsenable longer storage with minimal gum

Triumph Sports Owner'sAssociation Badges

TSOA Badge, Black/RedTSOA Badge, BlueAVhite

These are genuine new oldstoc* /}•' 3*yTSOA badges that we came TRIUMPHacross while on a trip to England. "Jjj,,^'This is historically interesting since ~--~the TSOA was a North American only driver'sciub! Formed m the late fifties, it was laterabsoroed oy the current Vintage TriumphRegister, which is still strong today. This willprobably be the last ever chance to acquire oneof these highly collectible and sought afterbadges in brand new condition. Red'Blackbadges are aporoona'.e 'or IR2-3. ana theBlue/White badges are acproorate for a:er TR3and TR4.

r-'r-'i.'-tr;!,

229 460

Reg. $27.95Reg $27.95

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 12

formation; metal deactivators minimizethe effect of metallic components ofgasoline, and lead replacement additivesminimize valve seat recession.

Oxygenates are being used moreand more, and In Increasing percentagesas a component of gasoline blends.Their use has been mandated in certainareas since as early as January 1988 toreduce carbon monoxide emissions, andhave since been mandated for use in the

fall of 1992 for many areas throughoutthe country.

While most components of gasolineare hydrocarbons, Iuel oxygenates arealcohols and ethers, composed ol hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Their advantages In gasoline include high octane ratings, clean burning, reduction In COemissions, and thai they are replacingenvironmentally dangerous and healthhazardous aromatic hydrocarbons suchas benzene, toluene, and xylene. Themost common Iuel oxygenates now inuse arc methyl tertiary butyl ether(MTBF.) and ethanol.

MTBE is currently present inapproximately 25% ol all gasoline sold inthe U.S. It does not increase the volatili

ty of most gasoline, and is not as sensitive to water as the alcohols. At 15% vol

ume in a blend, MTBE raises the octaneby up to 3 octane numbers. MTBE is produced from methanol and isobutylene,and eliminates the unfavorable characteristics ol high volatility, questionablematerials compatibility, and low watertolerance associated with the use of

straight methanol.

ETHANOL has been used in gasolinesince the 1970s, when it was used as agasoline extender during times ol gasoline shortages. These blends wereknown as gasohol. After that, it has beenused as an octane booster, and mostrecently, as a means of reducing COemissions. A blend containing 10%ethanol by volume will show an increasein pump octane ol 2.5 to 3 octane numbers. Ethanol has the advantage ol beingeasy to produce, and is a renewableenergy source produced by fermentation of agricultural products, primarilycorn.

Other oxygenates include tertiaryamyl methyl ether (TAME), which is produced Iron) methanol and isoamylene,ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE), made

1975: Pre-production TR/ factorytesting. Notice the wooden slats dis-guiding the body

1975: We added an in-house

machine shop to produce smallerscale obsolete items.

from ethanol and isobutylene, andblends of methanol plus various cosol-vents to offset the undesirable effects ofstraight methanol.

From the standpoint of operating acar. the effects of reformulated gasolineare surprisingly lew. and usually minor,il noticed at all. Unlike early methanolblends, current formulations seem tocause no problems with corrosion,water tolerance, elastomer swelling anddeterioration, and volatility-inducedproblems. Older cars may encounter fuelfilter clogging when first using ethanolblends, due to the solvent effect of the

ethanol on fuel system deposits. This iseasily rectified by changing the Iuel filter, and has the very positive effect ofcleaning all the accumulated grungefrom your fuel system! Fuel mileage onolder cars will often show a slightincrease, due to the leaner burning andmore elficient combustion characteristics of the reformulated fuel blends.

On newer cars, fuel economy maydecrease typically by no more thanapproximately 1.5 to 2%. The benefits tothose of us who drive our old cars are

double - less pollution and better gasmileage. That combination is hard tobeat.

(Most of the information for this articlewas kindly provided by The RenewableFuels Association, and included a veryinformative booklet entitled 'Changes inGasoline II" which I recommend to those

readers desiring more information ongasoline and how it is changing. Il isavailuble for S2.00 from: Technician's

Manual. Downstream Alternatives. Inc.,P.O. BoxdOO. Bremen. IS4650&01'JO-Ed.)

Order Br 2pm

YOUR LOCAL TIME AND

WE'LL SHIP YOUR ORDER

OUT THE

SAME DAY!

1963: Austin-Healey made agood showing in this year'sAlpine Fair/'

1977 Moss purchased 48 tons cl'obsolete' inventory IromStandard Triumph in England.

1

Trie Triumph TR4 provedquitea popularsports car both in the UK and USA.Although thisbeautyemerged Irom thefactory in 1962. it wasn't until 1978 thatwc came up with a complete and comprehensive MossTR2-3-4 catalog, inspiringus tosearchoutobsoletepartsjustas they were becoming unavailable'

Catalog UpdateWhat's New This Spring!

•n the pipeline as we reach pressare several new publications.Look for our first edition of theSpitfire Mk IV-1500 catalog, our

all new TR5-250-6 catalog and an updated version of our Jaguar XK120-140-150catalog. The Triumph Accessory catalogshould reach TR enthusiasts rightaround the time you read this, and ourall new New Product/PriceUpdatewillbe bringing you tons of new items andinformation this spring.We've got an all new edition of the TR2-3-1catalog, a completely revised MG TC-TD-TF edition, and a brand new AustinHeaJey catalog in the works. Furthernews at a later date about these^^mlast three biggies. jfiH

Moss Motoring - We've Brought You BritishCar News and Events Since 1982

aur love of British sports carsis the reason most of us workat Moss, and while there are

lots of other companies outthere providing you with spares (oryour favorite car, we are proud tohave set the standards other Britishsports car companies follow.

One of the many unique fea- We pulicish dozens

year. Although the majority of Mossemployees drive a British car (or atleast own a 'fixer-upper"), il neverceases to amaze us just how important British sports cars are to somany drivers around the world!

While our quarterly newsletterstarted out

lures that we've offered youover the years is our freequarterly newsletter filledwith British sports car news tech tips, cartoonsand events, stories, articlesand technical data from felloventhusiasts both here at Moss —Moiors and around the world!

While 1993 is the 45th anniversarylor Moss Motors, this year is also thetenth anniversary ol the MossMotoring. Although our publication

and dozens of

customer articles,

as a vehicle

lor ourquarterlyspecialoffers, wefeel that it

has developed into

and photos each year.

one of the few British-only large circulation publications in the UnitedStates and vicinity. Our EventsCalender actually started as aresponse to customers calling our

started out [airly small, we've been sales advisors and demanding (pleas-adding features and pages every antly, no doubt!), any information atyear, and hope that you've appreclat- all about car shows near lo them.ed the changes! We receive Incredi- When you've helped customer afterhie amounts of mail from our cus- customer through a long term carturners, and, althoughour space may restoration, and you finally see abe limited, we publish dozens and photo of the (inished car. you deli-dozens of customer articles, tech nately want to helpthem find a placetips, cartoons and photos each year, to show off that beautiful car! NowOur annual photo contest has grown we're told by many clubs across thefrom a total of 20 photo entries in country that our calendar is used as1986 to over 300 entries this last a clearing house for British (and

other!) event days.

We have quite a few future plansand improvements up our sleeves lorMoss Motoring and hope lo remain avital link in the British sports carinformation world! We hope youenjoy this peek at some of the features that have been so popular inthe last ten vears!

Dashpot Oilfor SU & Zenith Carbs

d

"ASH POT (*

Mw!F nallytake all theguesswork out ofwhat type ol oil touse in dashpots!Soecia ly formu-a:ed by the

Penrite Oil Co. InAustralia fo' all

SU and Zenith-St'orrberg carburetors. You don'thave to use

y J"C -ie oi anymore. 125ml sjp-

ply shojld ast a long time.

TR6 Emergency Hood Cable Still Puzzled?Eichelbaum

meous Product Coordinator

I

David EichelbaumSpontaneous Product Coordinator

hey say that necessity is themother ol invention. If that'sthe case, then hope that ourTR6 Emergency Cable Kit,

0807-088, is one product that younever need - but pray that you have itinstalled if the worst happens.

You've got to promise not to tellanyone what I'mgoing to tell youhere, as it's slightly embarrassing. Acouple of weeksago I was cleaningthe engine compartment ol myTR250 (I've beenaccused of beingsomewhatoverzealous in this

department).Anyway, to getaround It more easily. 1 removed thehood release cable

and bracket so I could clean behind it.

Do you see this one coming yet?Slam goes the hood, and I hop into thecar to head off lo an afternoon matinee. Oh oh...

Several hours later. I had my hoodopen again: after I removed the head-

Conlinued from page 2Here's the solution to Race Results!

light buckets and loosened the hoodhinges from inside to raise the hoodenough to get at the catch with abroomstick! You can't even do this ona TR6.

Since 1 missed my movie and reallydon't want to do this again, 1went andgot another inner cable and routed it

to the catch rightalongside theother one (whichwould have beenfine if I'd Justremembered to

hook it up!)

Don't let a bro

ken cable keepyou from gettingto your movie (orgetting anywherefor that matter).Order one of thesekits and install itright away. It's notfancy nor flashy,

but it may save your day. Kit includescable with cable stop, grommet, andInstallation instruction sheet. (Butplease don't tell anyone how or whywe created it!)

TRG Emergency Cable Kit

Place 1 2 3 •1 5Color Yellow Blue Red White BR GreenDriver Sterling Paddy Martin Nigel! Jackie

Moss Hopkirk Brundle Mansell StewartCar Triumph Sprite MG Mini CortinaPitwork Tire Failure Bonnet Pud Engine Replace

Adrift Pick-up stay damperfire Type Avon Goodyear Brldgestone Dunlop Pirelli

TR2-3B Control Head Assemblies

Beautiful reproductionof tne horn and turnsignal assemDliesused on side curtainTRs Exactly as original with Bakelite housing anddiecast, chro-ne pla'.ed turn signallevers, these assemblies have avery "period" look to them and arcdifficult to distinguish from originals. Supplied complete with correct color-coded wiring harnesses

already installed and fittea w.th Lucas bul'ct connectors too'ugright into originalmam 'larnesses.

Control Head Ass'y, Adjustable Wheel667-530 Reg.SU9.95

Control Head Ass'y, Non-Adjustable Wheel667-480 Reg.St-59 95

.if.

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 13

liH4&lSERgfl&@

The Club SceneKen Smith. Club & Events Coordinator

Around the World in theMossmobile

was planning the 1993 itineraryfor the Moss RV, and the placeswe expect to visit on our travels around the U. S. A., as we

attend the wonderful meetings you haveplanned for the coming season, when mycolleague Jamie Pfeifer drew my attention to an Interesting fact! Estimating themileage we expect to cover is always difficult, and as a guide, we referred to thedistances covered during the last threeyears the Mossmobile has been on theroad attending club events. This totalledsome -18.000 miles!

Jamie made the point that this Isequivalent to travelling round the worldalmost twice, which had never occurred

to me before! I must say that we haveenjoyed so much bringing a little bit ofMoss Motors to you through the visitswe have.made with the RV to yourevents, that the miles have seemed to flyby. OI course, we'd rather have coveredthe miles in a British classic sports car,but then we wouldn't have been able to

bring you all the goodies and other stuffthat we can carry in the RV.

So what's in store for us all this coming year? Well, we have a new President,the economy looks as though it's turningaround, and there arc dozens of fantastic British car events to look forward to!

We here at Moss urge you to get out anddrive your car to at least one of themeetings in your particular area.Contact your local club if we've not listed a meeting near you in our comprehensive listing of events on the nextpage. Again, if you don't know whereyour local club Is located, give us a callor drop us a line and we'll try to pointyou in the right direction. I cannot stressenough that hall the enjoyment of own-it.g a Triumph, MG, Jaguar or Healey isjoining and enjoying the fellowship ofbelonging to a British sports car club.You'll find that help and support arefreely available, technical problems can

be solved by your fellow club membersand the social scene in these organizations is a great way to meet a whole newbunch of nice people. Maybe you wishto show off your car in Concours events,or go and try a little bit of competitiveauto sport suchas slaloms or

gymkhanas(even go racingin your car!) orjust visit an areaol outstandingscenic beautywith a bunch of

like minded people and havelunch.

Let me giveyou an example.Recently, ourlocal club met

one Sunday morning and travelled inconvoy to an old western saloon in a little town called Pozo. Here we saw the

old west still active in 1992! Outside wasa tree where they used to hang the desperados of the day, and they had photographs of how the saloon looked in thelate 1880s. A bluegrass band playedwhile we ate the largest burgers we'dever seen, and met some ol the localcharacters, who were something else!The whole place was full of the atmosphere of a western novel.

Leaving the saloon, we then all travelled together up Pozo mountain, wherethe scenery and the views were justspectacular. After, we returned to one ofthe club member's houses for an infor

mal tire kicking session (thanks Ken &Martial) before driving home in the twilight glow, top down, following a reallybeautiful day. The moral ol the story Isthat we. by ourselves, would never haveeven found the saloon or the scenery if ithadn't been for our local club stagingthe outing! So. join your local club - takepart In their program, and I guaranteeyou'll be a much better person for it!

77?e TorontoMGCarClubcelebrates MG'92in Ontariowithrousingsuccess!.

1977 and the MG Factory 'A-Block' inAbingdon. England.

1977 marked the start of Moss' hugecommitment to the reproduction andmanufacture ol obsolete car parts.

Spring 1993 Moss Motoring, Page 14

The search