Library News

From Harry Dickson

I have to confess that it is almost impossible to write a report, knowing you haven’t read my last one, and that you won’t read this one for over a month just having read my last one; but here goes anyway.

Thank you to Geoff Laurie for his donation in January of some fine copies of the MG Enthusiast magazine. I hope you take the time to read some of the articles contained therein. The magazines are available in the magazine rack in the Brigit Maquire room.

This month I have purchased, and by the time you read this, hopefully received, some excellent titles. The first is:  Practical MG TD Maintenance - Update & Innovation.

A great little book, with details of practical updates that can be made to an early MG TD— without destroying its character. Some of the upgrades were made to the cars while in production and will already be present in later TDs, but overall this book will help TD owners to enjoy their cars in today’s traffic environment and will avoid many of the niggling period characteristics that can make the TD less than practical in daily use. See Mike G if you suffer from any of these problems and are looking for advice!

Next: The Man in the White Suit - The Stig, Le Mans, Fast Lane & Me, by Ben Collins.

When the Black Stig disappeared off the end of an aircraft carrier in 2003 on the TV program Top Gear, we were introduced to The White Stig. Faster, stranger, harder to keep clean, and ever since, millions have wondered - who is The Man in the White Suit? Well, they`re about to find out. (Apologies to Jeremy Clarkson) Ben Collins caught the car bug when he was young, kicking his dad`s boss in the gentleman’s area for not giving him a company Jaguar. This was the attitude that eventually led him to spend seven years sharing a cupboard with Jeremy Clarkson`s underwear, James May`s PhD thesis and Richard Hammond`s hairspray. Because he was The Stig.
Now he tells all about life inside the iconic white helmet. What it was like to guide a blind ex-RAF officer around the Top Gear track; pit a drug dealer`s Mitsubishi Evo against a Trojan tank; set a Vauxhall Monaro against Chloe the dancing Ninja; and race double-decker Routemasters against bendy buses. Not to mention all the inside stuff on how the amazing driving sequences are made to put the Top Gear show to air. He also reveals how he got to be there - setting a Dunsfold lap time faster than Michael Schumacher`s. Breaking records with the best of the best at Daytona and Lemans an awesome story, told by an amazing man; you decide for yourself if he should have been paid more!

Then we have Keith Martin on Collecting Austin-Healey, MG & Triumph

Keith Martin (Again, not who you think it is) is a respected authority on collector cars and he uses all of his experience in the field to provide advice to prospective Austin-Healey, MG and Triumph owners in this book. It is a good read and offers an excellent insight into the joys and pitfalls of ownership of a traditional British sports car.

But wait; there’s more: Maintaining an MGB in the 21st Century - Barrie`s Notes.

If you own an MGB or are thinking of buying one, then it's definitely worth buying this little gem. Written by a qualified engineer, Barrie Jones (Not him, another one) and MG expert (he's had 19 MGBs), it's a hands-on book that tells you the things you won't find in the workshop manual. It doesn't cover everything, but what it does is invaluable. Don't buy another MGB without it!

 Finally: Classic Car Electrics

A classic car owner can often manage

 electrical repairs on the old car, things were simpler in pre-electronic days.

This book explains the workings of classic car electrics and maintenance procedures from simple servicing to fault finding. It is packed with useful hints and tips to keep your classic on the road and in peak running condition. It covers all models from the `30s to the `90s with an in depth coverage that is easy to understand. And then came computers, so not a book for “F” owners.
The bit you have all been waiting for is finally here; the Joke of the Month.
A Blond, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighbourhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do.
“Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?"
The Blond said, "How about $50 “
The man agreed and told her that the paint and ladders that she might need were in the garage
The man's wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, "Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house”
The man replied, "She should. She was standing on the porch."
A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
"You're finished already?" he asked.
"Yes," the blonde answered, "and I had paint left over, so I gave it a second coat”
Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50
"And by the way," the blonde added, "that's not a Porch, it's a Ferrari."
The next day one of his employees rang him and said,
 "Boss, I can't make it to work today. I have a headache, stomach ache, and my legs hurt"
The man says, "You know something, I really need you to come in today. When I feel like that I go to my wife and ask for sex. That makes everything better and I go to work. Try it!”
Two hours later the man calls back and says,
"I did what you said, Boss and I feel great!  I'll be right in to work!  And by the way, you have a lovely house!"

Two for the price of one—

Welcome to 2011: I hope that you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

The cataloguing of our library is now completed and we have a list of our complete collection.

Mike Greenwood tells me it should be on the Website shortly so explore the webpage and see if you can find it!

While compiling the list, I was not able to suppress my surprise at the generosity of many of our membership. Many books on a motoring theme have been donated to the library over the years after the original owner has completed their restoration or research, and made the decision to allow others to benefit and enjoy the fruits of their work without the need to spend vast amounts of money. Their gift to the club allows others to enjoy their cars just a little more.

However, several books and DVDs are outstanding, or have been borrowed over a longer than normal period, which has stopped others from using these resources that we have available. I do not propose to instigate fines at this stage but there is the story of the resident of Bathurst fined $5 000 for having an overdue book of some 50 years.

Fortunately, our oldest outstanding item only dates back to 2004.

I would therefore ask you all to check your “collections” and “hunt” around for any books or DVDs that you have and see if they belong to the club and return them.  As an ex-banker, I would dearly love to balance the books so to speak.

On the positive side, you may find that you have several books or videos involved in some way with motoring that you would like to donate. I am only too happy to oblige and will give an acknowledgement in the Reports that follow of any member that is so inclined. To start the books rolling, I am donating “The Complete World According to Clarkson”. For those of you who have lived under a rock for the last decade, the author is Jeremy Clarkson, a presenter from the Top Gear television show. Love him or hate him, he is prepared to make his opinions known to the world in this three volume set, on topics from saving the Panda Bears to fighting with the United States Air Force. He literally has an opinion on everything and makes money by putting them in a newspaper column in the Sunday Times.  This is the collection of those opinions/observations which endear him to some and infuriate others, my wife included. Borrow and read it, and judge for yourself.

SPARK PLUGGING THE CLASSICS By Stan Dibben

This little gem was suggested by El Presidente himself (He made me an offer I could not refuse). It is simply THE guide there is on how to read spark plugs to diagnose engine faults, and to select the correct grade of plug for your engine. A small but effective book that explains the difference between modern spark plugs and those from the classic period. It also shows how to select modern plugs for use in older engines. This short booklet simply explains everything most classic owners need to know about spark plugs, the types available, the difference between hot and cold plugs, and the relationship to the ignition system such as coil or magneto.
All the likely states of your spark plugs are illustrated, explained and remedies suggested and there is also a table of the common plug equivalents, showing hotter and colder plugs.
English author Stan Dibben spent 25 years in the spark plug industry when many of today's classics were still in everyday use. He gave spark plug application advice across the whole range of engines – cars, motorcycles and motor sport - to garages and owners.
Before that Stan was a racing motorcyclist and Sidecar World Champion, worked for both BSA and Norton, and started life as a professional electrician and musician – he even found time to help Donald Campbell and Bluebird to a World Land Speed Record!

MAD MINIS

This book takes a sideways look at the world of Minis by featuring 30 of the world’s most extreme and unusual Mini-based cars, and may give ideas to those who may be contemplating doing the same to an F. Coverage ranges from Belgian extrovert `Mad Frank’s` twin big-block V8-engined example to bike-engined Minis, including along the way an ice-racing car, a rear-engined Honda Vtec-powered example, a stretch limo, a hearse and a three-wheeler. The humorous text provides a description of each car, technical specs and a brief explanation of how each car was built, along with a profile of the owner/builder. A good laugh and it was cheap too.

RESTORATION MANUAL FOR MG Midgets & Austin Healey Sprites

This is a comprehensive guide to the restoration of MG Midgets and Austin-Healey Sprites from the highly respected publisher, Haynes. It tells you how to renovate bodywork and chassis, interiors, how to give new life to mechanical and electrical ..

Book Review MGC Abingdone Grand Tourer

by Graham Robson

JULY 2010

Welcome to the first of what I hope are many reports advising of new purchases in your library. This month we have six new books on offer.

Richard Hammond’s Car Confidential is an entertaining look at the highways and byways of motoring with Top Gear presenter, Richard Hammond. From how to pass your driving test and deal with other road users, to the best vehicles to take your final journey in; it even explains why you should not buy a MR2 in a very entertaining fashion!

The Odd, the Mad, the Bad and the Curious; it’s the guide to everything you need to know about modern motoring.

For our F Troop members, the MGF and TF Performance Portfolio is a  compilation of magazine articles which tells the story of the MGF and its successor the MG TF from 1995 to 2005. It includes road and comparison tests, long term tests, model introductions and updates, performance data and specifications.

  The Little Book of MG provides a concise history of MG from the early Morris Garages days to renewed production in 2007 under Chinese ownership, from Nuffield to Nanjing. It is packed with information for the MG enthusiast.

Spotlight on MG Downunder is an appreciation of MG in Australia with original text by Barry Lake, reproductions of magazine articles and a host of photographs. One for the MG enthusiast.

The MGF and its successor the TF are popular little sports cars and many are now available on the second hand market. This book is a concise guide to buying a trouble-free MGF or TF and describes the cars, the development and options over the years and the possible pitfalls for a prospective buyer. If you are looking at buying a used MG, this book could save you many times its price.

Finally, I loved the cover and just had to buy it. These are the cars so fast and powerful, so superior in design and performance, that they could only be called supercars. Since legendary British motor journalist L. J. K. Setright christened the first, the Lamborghini Miura, in a review, others have followed from the finest automakers in the world: Bugatti, Porsche, McLaren, Maserati, Ferrari, Koenigsegg. And these are the supercars profiled in this book, with over 200 colour photographs, detailed descriptions, performance specs, and curious facts about each.
From historic classic cars to the latest breakthroughs in design and technology, this exhilarating survey of the supercar should thrill any high-performance auto enthusiast.

Ask a Committee person if you would like to borrow a book!