Dispatch 57 – Winter 2017

7 years ago

NEWS AND VIEWS

Where has 2017 gone – December already! Firstly, Bill and I wish you and yours a Delightful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. The big news is that the car pictured in 1939 shown in the last issue, and below,has been found safe and well! Needless to say grandson of the wartime owners Tony Selman is delighted! So, another survivor added to the list.

Thanks to the DVLA I was able to make contact with the owners but at the time of writing I am still awaiting confirmation of the chassis number.

The car is in the Caister Castle Car Collection at Caister near Great Yarmouth; probably the largest and certainly the best privately owned motor collection open to the public in the UK. They have a website – search under Caister Castle Car Collection – and scrolling down the home page reveals a picture of the D sandwiched between a J2 and TF as shown here:

Before you go dashing off to look at it the Collection is closed for the winter so do check opening hours before you travel.

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NEWS AND VIEWS

Amazingly another previous owner of a D made contact with the current owner as reported on the Triple M Register website. This was Chris Blood’s now virtually complete salonette, D0407.

The son of a former owner, Andy Munson found the car by googling the registration number earlier this year and got in contact with Chris to bring his parents to see it. Well Mr & Mrs Barry Munson duly arrived on 10th November and were overwhelmed to see the car again after 70 odd years having not seen it since they owned it in the early 50’s!

Needless to say the Munson family were very grateful to Chris for the re-union and congratulated him on the fine restoration. Hopefully we shall all see the finished car in 2018 Chris? Maybe at Prescott in July?

I’m busy changing to a new computer and a new Group website so updates etc. will be a bit delayed including the diary page! But here are the first couple of meetings for next year of interest:

7th January: MG Info & Spares Day at Expo Houten Exhibition Hall, Meidoornkade 24, Houten, Netherlands. Info: 0031 6 1034 8183.

11th February: International MG & Triumph Show & Spares Day at the NAC, Stoneleigh in Warwickshire. Triple M gathering at the Triple M Register stand at 12 midday.

RUST REMOVAL

Gary Krukoski (D0263) sent me an intriguing picture of a front wing (one of a pair I’d sold him some time back) soaking in a plastic tank to remove the rust. Turns out this is Rust Removal by Electrolysis, a new method to me so I asked for further details. Gary recommends watching some of the numerous videos on YouTube before attempting it as there are some important rules and safety issues. But basically, the method is fairly straight forward as follows:

His first picture shows the tank set up – can be very large or fairly small depending on the size of item to be de-rusted – some scrap metal parts are required as a sacrifice (NOT copper or Stainless Steel); these are wired up in series and connected to the Positive side of the battery charger.

Second picture shows the part to be de-rusted this is hung by wire – must not touch the sacrificial metals and is connected to the Negative side of the battery charger.

Third picture shows the water and washing soda solution. Do Not use baking soda. The mixture is 1/3 to ½ cup of soda to 5 gallons of water – or 5 millilitres to one litre. The final picture shows the mixture bubbling away next to the sacrificial metal. Gary uses a fairly large battery charger but any size will work.

He initially puts the part in for several hours – this will help soften any paint on the part; this can then be scraped off with scraper or wire brush. The part is then put back in the tank – the time depending how rusty the part is. After removal clean with Scotch bright and clean water to remove any rust film. A further time in the tank will get the rust out of corners and seams. Depending on the size of your item it can take a few days to complete but the procedure does most of the work and leaves the item ready for repair or paint.

The use of good rubber gloves and safety shield is recommended. Must be done outside – away from heat or flames as fumes are given off. Search on YouTube for Rust removal by electrolysis – some show smaller parts being done in much smaller tanks. Maybe the weather in this country precludes large items soaking outside for hours as most of the videos are American!

BITS & PIECES

Followers of the ‘parts for sale’ page on our website page will have already spotted the following items which, at the time of writing are still for sale:

A pair of brand new, but old, front wings in alloy at £850, not cheap but cheaper than current prices; pictured here:

Contact is Mark Green . Another item being sold by Mark is a fully rebuilt Petrolift in primer at £200 and also pictured here:

Also new on the webpage are brand new, made to order, in aluminium, front undertrays; top and bottom pictures shown here:

These are being made and sold by Paul Robinson who can be contacted on 01509 415691 or 07510 342452. Mention ‘Dispatch’ if you contact either of the above.

On the corner brackets, for filling the gaps in the corners of the rear undertray, in the last ‘Dispatch’ I should have explained that the picture from Peter Frost showed 2 new ones in place and the four old ones in the middle. Some people may have been confused!

And Vincent Dransart in France has very kindly sent me his four original old ones. Pictured here. Overall the mild steel metal is 4.1/4” long by 1” wide – the turn up is 1” long leaving the upright 3.1/4”. The material held on by birfurcated rivets appears to be dense black felt about ¼” thick.

Lastly in this section can all those K and L readers please check their screen support uprights, it has been suggested that the one in the picture shown in last edition, and here, fits one of those models!