Dispatch 87 - Summer 2025

VE Day

Firstly a very appropriate item bearing in mind the recent VE celebrations this last May.

I was contacted by a film company, via the website, who were working on a documentary for the anniversary of VE day and scanning newsreels etc. from the time. The registration RV 2104 was spotted in one film and traced to the D Group and I was asked if it had survived. This is of course Tom Goodyear’s D0494 finished just a few months ago.

To say Tom was pleased to get the picture and the story, as we were, was an understatement! It certainly adds to the history of the car. It is thought to be driving along the Mall with Regents Park in the background. The number of young lady ‘passengers’ is said to be thirteen – who said the D couldn’t move with 4 persons on board. The chap driving looks RAF and it would be good to find out who he was.

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News and views

Did anyone spot the D Type for sale on Ebay back in March? This was D0478 being turned into a J2 look-a-like some years back and sold for £5200 with a host of bits. It has gone to a good home and is to be rebuilt as a D.

Regular readers will remember a few mentions over the years of the car with registration number UG 4653 running around in Japan as a C Type look-a-like with a D0442 guarantee plate on the fire wall. See picture in Dispatch 78. Well, eventually I got in touch with the Yorkshire Archives in Wakefield to find out which car the registration belonged to originally, only to discover, ironically, that about half a dozen records around and including UG 4653 are missing! The saga continues.

And talking of D0442 the actual correct car is UG 281 a racer in the hands of Chris Edmundson and seen here along side fellow racer Onno Koneman in D0495 pictured at the March 30th VSCC meeting at Brands Hatch.

Both cars have often graced these pages from various races over the years but unusual to get them side by side! Yet another fine picture from Colin Murrell.
Bill had a good response to his brake article in the last Dispatch (87) and is continuing his experiments!

Drive it Day was on April 27th, must admit I didn’t venture out in one of the D’s but did attend in an MG but have had no reports from other D owners?

Head Stud Conundrum

A piece from Huw Davies (D0353)

After blowing a gasket between cylinders 2 and 3, the removal of the head reveal some sorry looking head studs. D0353 has an M/D block with 5/16 BSF blind threaded holes for locating the head studs, but has been fitted with a later crossflow cylinder head that utilises 3/8” OD studs. Hence the need for stepped studs.

Now Sports and Vintage list a stepped stud in their parts catalogue, but a conversation revealed they were a special batch and would not be repeated.

Discussions with other Triple M suppliers also turned a blank. Leaving the option to drill and tap the block to accept 3/8 BSF studs as a fall back, a search for stepped studs ensued. I am glad to say that David Colwill Engineering in Nottingham came up trumps. Not only did he entertain my long dialogue over the phone – only later did I realise that the drilling for the two corner studs was counter bored and required a subtle change in specification – but he also produced the necessary sleeves that increase the diameter of two studs for positive location of the cylinder head.

I can recommend him based on this experience. He can be contacted on 0115 8371815 or 07534 355045. The photo shows one of the nine removed stepped studs (far left), the new David Colwill manufactured stud (centre) and a 5/16 stud that was used as a final tenth stud (far right).

Bits and Pieces

Haydon Edwards has for sale a rebuilt 7/37 diff and unused since. Four new SKF bearings and pinion thrust washer; backlash all set.

Price is £275, can be collected from Newcastle or Sutton (South London). Contact Haydon direct on haydon.s.edwards@gmail.com for more information or pictures.