What plans do you have for the coming Weekend?
08-15-2017, 10:10 AM
#261
Pros:
MG ran great.
The weather was wonderful even late into the evening.
The lunch was wonderful - something called Pacific Cod Rubin and killer fries and a good pour!
The town was hopping and hobbling (mid-week seniors)
Tourist shops with lots of eye candy boats.
Good time.
Cons:
Made it 3 miles out of Saugatuck and the MG died.
Pulled into a farm and spent the next 2.5 hours trying to figure out what just happened.
Fuel: Check. Spark: what no spark! How can that be?
OMG. I was so thankful a guy that used to work on these cars in a shop 20 years ago stopped.
Swapped out the all-electronic Pertronix distributor and wires for the spare I carry - old Lucas and wires.
Spark: what no spark! How can that be?
Trouble light told us it must be the ignition coil, thanks to phone assistance from an MG repairs shop owner, and it was. Coil had lasted 20,000 miles.
Senior moment: I'm calling MGA friends who live an hour away to see if they had a coil.
Hell, shouldn't have had that second pour. I carry a spare coil! Just in a different spot from the rest of the parts.
Swapped the coil. Wire tied it to the oil cooler lines as it was too difficult to swap mounts.
Timed it using the 'old school' trouble light method and the hand crank (they came originally with the car just so you don't need a timing light).
I thought I would have to sleep with the farmer's daughter that night if not for the help I got. But then Donna might have run off with the great helper.
He was amazed at all the tools and parts I had. Over 40 years of driving these things you learn something.
Finally, on the road again.........hungry and tired but happy.
An hour wait in the first place we stopped to eat, on down the road, the grill had just closed, so after a drink it was - - we're just heading home hungry!
We would have ate more at lunch if we knew it was supposed to last for 12 hours.
250 miles and another story to tell. Travel in the MG is always an adventure.... we are going up North next week but this time with another MG owner.
MG ran great.
The weather was wonderful even late into the evening.
The lunch was wonderful - something called Pacific Cod Rubin and killer fries and a good pour!
The town was hopping and hobbling (mid-week seniors)
Tourist shops with lots of eye candy boats.
Good time.
Cons:
Made it 3 miles out of Saugatuck and the MG died.
Pulled into a farm and spent the next 2.5 hours trying to figure out what just happened.
Fuel: Check. Spark: what no spark! How can that be?
OMG. I was so thankful a guy that used to work on these cars in a shop 20 years ago stopped.
Swapped out the all-electronic Pertronix distributor and wires for the spare I carry - old Lucas and wires.
Spark: what no spark! How can that be?
Trouble light told us it must be the ignition coil, thanks to phone assistance from an MG repairs shop owner, and it was. Coil had lasted 20,000 miles.
Senior moment: I'm calling MGA friends who live an hour away to see if they had a coil.
Hell, shouldn't have had that second pour. I carry a spare coil! Just in a different spot from the rest of the parts.
Swapped the coil. Wire tied it to the oil cooler lines as it was too difficult to swap mounts.
Timed it using the 'old school' trouble light method and the hand crank (they came originally with the car just so you don't need a timing light).
I thought I would have to sleep with the farmer's daughter that night if not for the help I got. But then Donna might have run off with the great helper.
He was amazed at all the tools and parts I had. Over 40 years of driving these things you learn something.
Finally, on the road again.........hungry and tired but happy.
An hour wait in the first place we stopped to eat, on down the road, the grill had just closed, so after a drink it was - - we're just heading home hungry!
We would have ate more at lunch if we knew it was supposed to last for 12 hours.
250 miles and another story to tell. Travel in the MG is always an adventure.... we are going up North next week but this time with another MG owner.
Compare the first point under "Pros" with all the points under "Cons." Reconsider your definition of "ran great."
08-15-2017, 10:18 AM
#262
They have lots of colors and you can do all one, or add a border, or anything you want.
No we don't have salted roads here, no snow, rarely freezing.
It has held up just fine. As long as you don't jack your car up on one tile, no problems.
Sweep and mop to clean well. I bought a mop but have yet to use it.
No we don't have salted roads here, no snow, rarely freezing.
It has held up just fine. As long as you don't jack your car up on one tile, no problems.
Sweep and mop to clean well. I bought a mop but have yet to use it.
I'd like to do tiles rather than paint, but I'm concerned they would not hold up to the jack.
08-15-2017, 11:30 AM
#263
Registered User
LB, RaceDeck can give you more details, but I believe that while having the tire on a single tile would not be a problem, they don't want the area of weight to be smaller than the bottom of a tire. Think of laying the head of a sledgehammer on your leg. You could support it;s weight without problem. But if you put a nail under the head and applied the same weight, the nail point would push into your leg and puncture it. So I think if you were to jack up your car you would want to spread the weight of the jack or the jack stand out over the tile, or tiles. I would just put a block of wood under the jack or stand, 12"x12" minimum, to spread the weight.
08-15-2017, 11:56 AM
#264
LB, RaceDeck can give you more details, but I believe that while having the tire on a single tile would not be a problem, they don't want the area of weight to be smaller than the bottom of a tire. Think of laying the head of a sledgehammer on your leg. You could support it;s weight without problem. But if you put a nail under the head and applied the same weight, the nail point would push into your leg and puncture it. So I think if you were to jack up your car you would want to spread the weight of the jack or the jack stand out over the tile, or tiles. I would just put a block of wood under the jack or stand, 12"x12" minimum, to spread the weight.
Thank you. That is very helpful. I wonder if something as simple as a 1/2 inch sheet of plywood would be sufficient? I'm not adverse to thicker plywood in general, I am just concerned that as I add height under the jack I lose clearance on what is already a tight fit.
08-15-2017, 12:06 PM
#265
Thank you. That is very helpful. I wonder if something as simple as a 1/2 inch sheet of plywood would be sufficient? I'm not adverse to thicker plywood in general, I am just concerned that as I add height under the jack I lose clearance on what is already a tight fit.
08-17-2017, 08:05 AM
#266
I'm flying back to Denver this afternoon to be present at the Loveland house Inspection and the HVAC inspections I've booked for tomorrow. Then I'll hang out at my son's in Niwot until I fly from Denver to Kansas City, MO on Sunday to see the eclipse on Monday. It's supposed to be 90 and humid. Ugh.
08-17-2017, 08:32 AM
#267
Not much happening this weekend. Saturday weather looks "iffy" Sunday nice, which may mean Rick has to play "catch up" around the yard on Sunday. Grandson's opening day for soccer is Sunday. Maybe I'll try to catch a game. It seems as if that's the only way I can see him. He will be 11 in a week or so, and is just not very interested in hanging out with us lately. 
I'm taking his sister for a haircut after work today, she will then have some burgers and sweet corn on the deck with us. I invited him, but he shot me down. My role as Grandma has diminished of late...it kills me. They grew up too fast.
I'm taking his sister for a haircut after work today, she will then have some burgers and sweet corn on the deck with us. I invited him, but he shot me down. My role as Grandma has diminished of late...it kills me. They grew up too fast.
08-17-2017, 08:35 AM
#268
Spending the weekend getting the S ready for a Labor Day road trip to Florida.
08-17-2017, 05:31 PM
#270
LB, RaceDeck can give you more details, but I believe that while having the tire on a single tile would not be a problem, they don't want the area of weight to be smaller than the bottom of a tire. Think of laying the head of a sledgehammer on your leg. You could support it;s weight without problem. But if you put a nail under the head and applied the same weight, the nail point would push into your leg and puncture it. So I think if you were to jack up your car you would want to spread the weight of the jack or the jack stand out over the tile, or tiles. I would just put a block of wood under the jack or stand, 12"x12" minimum, to spread the weight.