NEWS AND VIEWS

Well this year’s Stoneleigh was certainly well attended and I think they managed to sort the traffic problems out – certainly I didn’t see or hear of any problems! At least 5 D owners present at the large informal Triple M gathering at midday around the Triple M Register stand. As usual not much for sale for pre-war cars but a lot of delivering and collecting going on between interested parties!

The next outing should be MG Era Day at Brooklands on April 2nd – unfortunately I shall miss it but would appreciate some photos if any D Types are there. After that it is ‘Drive it Day’ here in the UK on April 23rd, again pictures of any D outing then would be welcome.
Interestingly D0477 has been owned for the last 2 or 3 years by the grandson of the original owner – Mrs J. V. Rushton. The car has been in the States now for many years and was tracked down when seen in old family photos! It was restored by Don Martine (see link on our website) and bought from him by Simon Rushton; no doubt very much a family heirloom now! (see picture in ‘Survivors’ on the website).

Of the free items mentioned in the last Dispatch – the tonneau cover and hood bag in pieces went to the States, and the instruction manual to India! Thanks again to Alaster Bentley.

Good to see a D Type (albeit to ‘C’ spec!) out on the track. This superb picture is by Colin Murrell and is of D0442 driven by owner Chris Edmundson. The occasion was MGs on Track at Goodwood 18th February this year.

Couple of restorations making good progress are firstly D0456 by owner Vincent Dransart in France. Compare these two pictures with the picture of it as bought currently on the ‘Survivors’ page on our website. (shortly to be changed!).

Also D0258 pictured here in Germany, being restored by Volker Tilly, who incidentally was at Stoneleigh.

The body is now back on compared with our website pic – another website entry needing updating!

Always pleased to receive any D Type pictures whether to update the website or just for the files.

On that topic as some of you may be aware the Triple M Register is putting all its records onto a database, which will have owner access, and is endeavouring to update current owner records and collect a picture of the chassis number shown on the front offside knuckle – ideally together with pictures of the guarantee plate and bonnet hinge. The current engine number would be appreciated to! I am a Sub-Registrar responsible for D Types and J1s and for a lot of cars we already have this information but over the course of the next month or so I will email to those D Types where these items are missing.

BITS & PIECES

Remember the electronic alteration to the ‘Petrolift’ explained in the last edition – well for those not up to the changes John Emmett is now offering a readymade board with full fitting instructions for just £10 including UK postage – contact me in the first instance.

It is obviously a successful change as John has had a modified pump running on test for more than 24 hours! For those who would like to have a go at getting the parts and making their own board up the parts list is as follows:

• Hall Switch – Allegro A1121
• Power Fet – FQU30N06L or similar
• Diode – any 30+volt 2Amp
• Capacitor – he used a surface mount ceramic 10 microfarad 25volt
• Resistors – again any surface mount 330R

All readily available from Ebay or Maplin.
We mentioned several Dispatches ago that Peter Frost was contemplating making some side/head light switches as original, well he has, after many difficulties with some of the parts, achieved it as per this picture!

He tells me there are only 10 and there will not be anymore! So first come first served – £60 each plus postage. Contact Peter direct on frostpeter@talktalk.net

Another welcome part being manufactured, this time by our Dutch friends, is the ignition switch, again totally as original as per this picture:

By the time you read this they should be for sale on the MMM Group site www.mgmmm.com there is a link from our website to. Price is 100 Euros plus postage.

I saw both the above switches at Stoneleigh and can vouch for the superb quality of them.

ORIGINAL KNOCK-ONS

Some of you will be aware that D Types, and maybe some other early models (?), had ‘straight eared’ knock-ons as opposed to the more normal and later ‘bent eared’. Chris Blood has an original for sale (£35 plus postage contact Chris direct at cblood@thebloods.fsnet.co.uk) as pictured here which has prompted this piece.

Bill Grayling’s D0253 came with the originals and he spent a great deal of time and money having them correctly restored, re-engraved and plated as shown here:

The spare wheel knock-on was just plain with no engraving but also ‘straight eared’, the MG badge was to appear on later models, as pictured here also from Bill’s car.

Needless to say originals in good condition, considering the hammering they get over the years, are in short supply as inevitably they were replaced with ‘modern’ ‘bent eared’!

LAST WORDS

Out of interest, we all know the rarity of the ‘shutter’ oil gauge (see the Jaeger advert reproduced in Dispatch 41) but how about this Smiths version; picture sent in by Chris Blood (D0407 salonette). I’ve never seen one before but at least the Smiths logo on it matches the speedo one! Has any other D owner seen one or has it fitted in their car?

Finally, some of you will have noted that the diary page on the website has been updated for this year so hope to see you at a future event – in the meantime enjoy the spring!