1974 MGB GT V8 - the homework continues...

Sound like a bunch of old wives bitching away 😂😂😂

My wife is perfect. I never get any of this sort of grief


Yeh righto. Who am I trying to kid 😬

Right, where were we? 😂

Some good and bad news for me tomorrow...

the bad is that I'm off to the dentist first thing in the morning ☹️

The good news is that it means I go right past my powder coater... So tonight this got stripped ready for its refresh


Small little jobs are often some of the most pleasing, just need to refresh the gauges now.

He's not letting it go, is he? 😂

And here's one I did earlier...


I dug out my other dash to check a few things... Sorry JB, no pink fluff in this one either 😂.

I actually prefer this style of dash with the toggle switches and slightly different design. I'm not sure it will fit however given the difference in brackets and narrow steering column opening. Regardless I thought I'd just check a few of the differences just in case it might be doable. Without the shell and test fitting with steering column etc. it's ultimately hard to say. This being an MG though, I'm sure someone may have done it so just need to keep researching. In the meantime I did spot a few differences:

Bigger gauges: 100mm vs. 80mm


Slightly different oil and water temp gauge


And of course the radio blanking plate is in place instead of air vents.

Will see how the other one looks when it comes back from the powder coaters.

Next job, sorting the gearbox, engine and fuel injection...

The early dash does look nice, there is something cool about having the ignition key in the dash to me mine has a mix of the bigger gauges but with the rocker switches instead of the toggles

Ive not been on here very much at all recently, so have missed lots of updates. This looks an interesting project, the v8 part certainly has my attention. Whats happened with "the other one" - I will look for the thread and it may become apparent when I read it.

If only I could get away with that, although have a feeling the medical bills might equate eventually


The latest parts hunt for the MG is still focused on the dash, more specifically a rev counter for the V8. The good news that I think I've finally found a supplier who actually has some in stock other than just saying they have and then saying it'll be a 6-9 month wait for delivery once you put in an order - just why?! 

Will get this week out the way and then see where we are with the other outstanding bits, going to have to turn my attention to the engine soon which should be fun.


Talking of this week, (and bear with me as this might be slightly melancholy), but certain life events make you realise that sometimes life is too short etc., I've therefore decided that as I'm taking time off work anyway I'm going to make a little detour while on my travels to go see a certain 'restorer' who's been holding my brother's split screen hostage restoring my brothers split screen since 2011... bit of a long story given changing circumstances on both sides, however the pressure has been upped the last couple of years with frustratingly little effect. 

Now I'm a fairly patient individual, but this time restraint is definitely going to have to be the order of the day, I have a plan, just need to make it happen. Wish me luck... and no I won't name and shame until I have it on a trailer and safely away.

How it was the last time I saw it nearly 8 years ago to the day... hate to think what state it may be in now.



Annnnyway the point of all this - don't let things/life slide by, if you have a dream/plan/project/bucket list whatever... get out there and make it damn well happen.

Here endeth today's lesson, normal service (pink fluffy interiors n'all) will resume shortly 😂😂

Was a bit of a topsy-turvy week last week with various goings on, however there were also a few pleasant surprises thrown in for good measure. So apologies, not much MG content in this update, however there is some if you look close enough

The funeral for my aunt was last Friday, and so a decision was made to head up on the Thursday - yes we chose the hottest day to travel up in a land rover with no air con... that was fun!

However we left early and made our first stop just after 9am at the aforementioned VW restorers as intended. Unbelievably and contrary to my expectations, he was there waiting for us and we ended up having a very constructive chat about what needs to be done before the van gets taken elsewhere. As expected however not a lot had changed since the last time I had seen it.



A deadline has been set for it being moved so we will see if he delivers on what was agreed. Progress perhaps... we shall see.

Next it was on to Shropshire where we ventured to the severn valley park for an ice cream and a bit of a break, I must admit it was all rather pleasant, and I was mildly jealous of those on the river - seemed a much better way to travel on such a hot day


The last leg was to head to my aunts and uncles house to drop off the vintage crockery that we lend out ready for the following days garden party before retreating to the hotel for a swim and a cool down.

The next morning was spent sorting various bits, before heading over to the house in preparation for the service. As I was a pallbearer with my brother and cousins there was a few things to run through. On arriving at the house however I was met with the sight of a familiar car, which although I recognised, given everything else going on I couldn't think where I'd come across it. (this is in no way unusual in my family as we all have petrol running through our veins!). Anyway, thoughts turned to the task at hand and we were soon bound for the crematorium in Wrexham.

The service all went as well as these things do, and afterwards while stood around chatting in the sunshine with sunglasses on, I spotted another familiar sight that made me realise exactly where I'd seen the aforementioned car...

Think something akin to this picture, albeit without the boiler suits, caps and pipes


and the car was this one


Yup, none other than Frankenhealey 's support crew scimjim and Phil H  - it's a small world! Bit of a interesting circumstance to meet but was great to chat to you in person gents. Jim, sorry I didn't get chance to say goodbye, you were deep in conversation with Brian and I was needed to ferry my bro back to the hotel, but I hope saturday went well. As it happens we did come back via your part of the world but as the sat nav was having a fit and was telling us it was going to take an absolute age, we thought we'd best crack on in heading to see @grumpynorthener as arranged. Next time perhaps.

The rest of the weekend was decidedly uneventful (well ish), in part as I'd managed to injure my back quite spectacularly in the hotel gym before we left on saturday (I know, I know, no sympathy for such stupidity). That meant I wasn't allowed to stay at home alone on the Sunday and was instead made to accompany her ladyship to a horse thing for a change (apparently it's all cars normally!), so on Sunday I found myself at Hickstead watching horses go round in circles and occasionally jump over things.


To be fair it was a pleasant enough day out, and probably a good thing I wasn't left to play at home, I did however manage to convince her to come home via screwfix so I could pick up some supplies ready for the next MG job (tenuous link to actual thread topic done!)


More on that next time.

Lastly, as there are a few of you reading this who appreciate all things steam as well as petrol powered, due to her involvement in the various shared passions of my uncle's (see above for links to the Reliant Sabre & Scimitar Owners' Club), and having lived in Pickering for a number of years, she was also heavily involved in The North Yorkshire Moors Railway, partly from when my uncle worked in the shed and drove, and latterly as my cousin and her husband are also still involved. So on Saturday, my cousin's husband arranged for a little tribute to my aunt with a wreath and headboard on one of the trains he was driving. The shed team, booking office staff, team room ladies all came out and bowed their heads as the train went past, the headboard is to be given to my uncle to hang in the garden she loved, the wreath was put in to the engine as it worked hard up the last hill going into Grosmont on it's last trip of the day as a fitting send off. All incredibly emotional by all accounts but she would have absolutely loved it.

RIP Aunty Fliss