October, 2014

Richard Stanford’s 1974 MGB Roadster

Next MeetingOctober 6th, 2014 7:00 pm at The Weathervane in Bedford

(603) 472-2749

2continued page 14

Car of the Month

MGB Story

Miss Red Arrives the daybefore Christmas

She sure does make a presence.

by Richard Stanford

My wife and I have always been into carsand bikes. I grew up working in my Dad’sauto body shop learning to repair and re-store cars, so it came naturally to me. Wehave, over the years, owned and restoredmany Camaros, Mustangs, andCorvettes as well as motor-cycles. I owned an MGBroaster back in the mid 80s andrecently owned and sold a 1968BSA 650 Lightning, so we arenot total strangers to our Brit-ish counterparts. It howeverwasn’t till last year after aheart attack that I startedthinking about getting some-thing that both of us could en-joy and drive. So the searchwas on to find what I thoughtmade sense and fit all ourneeds; something fun to driveand fairly economical to re-store.

I have a good long-time friend Larry fromNew Jersey who I went to high schoolwith and who has always been into re-storing and racing vintage British cars,particularly Minis and MGs. I reached outto Larry and I told him I was looking fora steel bumper car as I think they havethat classic look about them. I guess itwas our lucky day or maybe fate, becauseas soon as I e-mailed him, he told me thatI should take a look at the one he wasselling on Craig’s list. Sure enough, thereshe was a 1974 MGB Roadster, the lastyear that they made the steel bumper cars.

He explained that aside from a so-so paintjob, it was pretty much an original 90,000mile car with a good interior. The seatsneeded recovering and the top would needreplacing as well. Mechanically he said it

would need tires as the car had been set-ting for the last ten years, but that shewas pretty much a driver. We agreed ona price that was about $1,500.00 to$2,000.00 less than all of what I had foundon line and around up here in New En-gland. Now started what turned out to bea bit of a nightmare to get it shipped up toNew Hampshire before the snow startedflying. Otherwise, it would have to waittill Spring. We all know how deep it canget up here with the snow. We settled ona price and a shipper and started the pro-cess. What ended up happening was thatbetween people not knowing how to shipor not knowing what they were shipping,

it end up costing about $200 more than Ihad originally estimated. But, three ship-pers and about three weeks later she (Redas we call her) finally arrived. It was arainy day, not unlike the kind these carssee on the other side of the Pond. We gotRed unloaded, paid the driver, took thesnow blower and cut a driveway throughthe snow from the main house out to thebarn to settle her into her new winterhome. Joal actually made a video of medriving Miss Red into the barn.

Next started the process of looking at herand getting her cleaned up to see whatwe really had here. We had decided thatwe would do a little bit every year start-ing with whatever was needed mechani-cally in order to get her road-worthy. Sowe cleaned up, sanded and painted thewheels, purchased new trim rings and lugnuts and got them mounted and balanced.

We cleaned the interior, which was invery nice condition except the seats, andfound a set of racing buckets to use untilwe reupholstered them over the next win-ter. They worked out OK for a tempo-rary fix. Next we changed the oil and fil-ter, adjusted the carbs a little to make heridle a bit better, and checked the lights.Finally, we fixed the horn and were readyto set out for our maiden voyage whenthe weather broke in the spring. Shesounded good ran well, except for thebrakes. They sounded pretty much metal-to-metal. The longer we drove the loaderthey got. We decided it best to head backto the barn and jack it up and see what

was going on. What we foundwas she needed everything. Sowhat I thought would be just padsturned into rotors, calipers, padsand, what the heck, replace thebrakes lines while you’re there.Now that she was road-worthyagain we started out on our ad-venture of what so far has beengreat fun. It was turning out tobe all we hoped it would be.

So far this summer we went toone of the local Friday nightshows here in Nashua whereanother couple approached mywife and I to see if we would beinterested in joining the New

Hampshire British car club. They told usabout an upcoming meeting and weagreed we would check it out. As a re-sult we joined the club and have met somegreat people. We have enjoyed the sum-mer going to the car show over in Hudson.We both had a great time. The day wasbeautiful and we again met some nicepeople all willing to help out with somegreat information as well. “Red” is noshow car by any means, but she may besomeday.

We are continuing to do more and moreto restore her every year and are havingfun in the bargain. Next we went on anice day-long club drive through Bedford,Amherst and Milford stopping at severaldifferent places, including a nice clothier,a local winery that Joal and I had alwayswanted to visit, and over for ice cream at

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BCNHMONARCHY

PRIME MINISTERRobert Mitchell

PRIME MINISTER EMERITUSWade dos Santos

CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

John Giese

NEWSLETTERJohn & Joan Giese

Owen & Virginia Christiansen

REGALIAJoan Young

SECRETARYNorma Karle

WEBMASTERKate Stanley Robinson

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORLouis Belanger

TECH SESSION COORDINATORWade dos Santos

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR(open)

PUBLIC RELA TIONS(open)

INTER-CLUB COORDINA TORBob Dougherty

CALENDAR COORDINA TORSue MacDuff

SHOW OF DREAMS DIRECTORBob Stanley

HISTORIANMike Sweet

www.bcnh.org

Contact information on page 4

AC – ALLARD – ALPINE – TVR – DAIMLER – MORRIS MOTORCYCLES – TRIUMPH – MG - JAGUAR – AUSTIN HEALEY

LAND ROVER – RELIANT SCIMITAR – LOTUS

BRITISH CARS OF NEW HAMPSHIREMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Visit us at www.bcnh.org

If possible, please submit a photo and article of your car to be included inThe Boot, Hood & Bonnet - BCNH’s monthly newsletter.

Any photos submitted will be returned.

Name_______________________________ Spouse______________________

Address__________________________________________________________

City____________________ State____ Zip________ Phone_______________

E-mail address____________________________________________________

Year, Make, Model of Your Auto(s)___________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Name of Referring Member_________________________________________

___ Paper Newsletter* or ___ electronic copy of the Newsletter

Please send application and $30 annual dues (payable to BCNH) to:Lou Belanger, 11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052

*Dues for those who want a paper newsletter are $35.

British Cars of New Hampshire (BCNH) is an organization devoted tothe preservation, restoration and enjoyment of all British automobiles.

BCNH provides to its members and their families British auto-orientedactivities and social events throughout the year. Benefits of the club par-ticipation include monthly meetings, rallies, tech sessions, club socials,car shows and other events.

The club publishes a monthly newsletter, The Boot, Hood & Bonnet.News of upcoming events, club activities, car show results, technical tipsand articles submitted by members are included in the newsletter. Mem-bers also receive a discount on a subscription to the British Marque, amonthly car club newspaper.

A club logo window decal is provided. Additional decals may be pur-chased.

Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Weathervanerestaurant unless otherwise announced. All members are encouraged toattend and bring guests.

BCNH invites you to become a member of our active and growing clubby submitting the application above.

4

Disclaimer:As a matter of policy, British Carsof New Hampshire does notendorse any of the businesses thatadvertise in this newsletter.

Prime Minister’sMissive

Contact informationLouis Belanger 11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052 (603) 424-7835 80mgbman@comcast.netGinger Christiansen7 Sycamore Lane, Nashua, NH 03063 (603) 883-0288 gingchrist@aol.comWade dos Santos PO Box 840, Manchester, NH 03105 (603) 497-3911 wade@grolen.comBob Dougherty 28 Ledgewood Drive, Strafford, NH 03884 (603) 948-2078 Rdocmg@gmail.comJohn Giese 153 Crooked S Road, Lyndeborough, NH 03082 (603) 654-2565 johgie@tds.netNorma Karle 22 Partridge Lane, Londonderry, NH 03053 (603) 437-8931 karle01@comcast.netSue MacDuff 510 Sand Hill Road, Peterborough, NH 03458 (603) 924-1066 Lucymac1@comcast.netRobert Mitchell PO Box 270, Stratham, NH 03885 (603) 772-1116 RBMit-MM@comcast.netBob Stanley 64 North Shore Drive, Center Barnstead, NH 03225(603) 776-6698 tlckit@yahoo.comMike Sweet 50 High Street, Penacook,, NH 03301 (603) 753-9164 CoventryCat71@comcast.netJoan Young 204 Concord Hill Road, Pittsfield, NH 02363 (603) 435-8660 TWYJGY@aol.com

$1,307.83$65.00

$275.00-$206.16-607.60$834.07

Treasurer’s Report

Start BalanceMembershipRegalia salesNewsletterRegalia purchasesEnd Balance

August 15 to September15Club account

$11,420.14$210.00-$60.00

-$5000.00-$5000.00$1570.14

Show of Dreams accountStart BalancePorta-potty raffleRegalia purchasesHigh Hopes FoundationNH Food BankEnd Balance

Welcome our NewestMembers

Dennis & Susan Casey1984 Jaguar XJ6

What a joy it is to be the Prime Ministerof your Club.

At the regular September club meeting Ihad the privilege of presenting $5,000checks to both the New Hampshire FoodBank and to the New Hampshire HighHopes Foundation. Those checks repre-sent the product of your hard work in or-ganizing and supporting our annual Showof Dreams.

Every year I ask if we really need to puton a Car Show of our own. After all, wereally aren’t a “Show” club (most of usare “Drivers”) and you don’t have to lookvery hard to find a show almost anyweekend all summer. But the answer isalways the same. To us, it’s not “theshow” that counts – it’s the fact that itallows us to support such worthwhile ef-forts as High Hopes and the Food Bank.

Now, as we approach the end of “theseason” the one big event remaining isBritish Invasion up in Stowe. Only a smallpercentage of the Membership will actu-ally attend British Invasion, but there is agroup that goes every year and they thor-oughly enjoy it. Those who don’t – don’tgo. Again, the reason we schedule somany different activities is so that, hope-fully, each of you can find some thingsthat you enjoy – and take part in – whilenot feeling obligated to go to other eventsthat you wouldn’t.

But don’t put your cars away yet. Fall is

one of the best seasons in New Englandand we are still looking forward to manyhappy hours of motoring before we areforced to tuck in for the winter.

People ask me from time to time how weare organized and how things get done.Many times I have to answer that I reallyhave no idea! They just happen.

Of course they don’t “just happen” –somebody makes them happen. Mosttimes it’s “the usual suspects” – but notalways. When we talk about “activemembers” we mean that our membersare active!

I encourage you to check out the Eventscalendar on the www.BCNH.org websiteand in the newsletter to see all of the other“opportunities” that there are to get to-gether with fellow BCNHers – and mem-bers of other car clubs – to enjoy yourcar(s) and their fellowship.

As we have said so many times before,the reason this club has so many inter-esting things to do is because its mem-bers do so many interesting things.Please help us to keep that interest levelhigh.

The members who have the most fun arethe ones who are there to get in on it.

So Saith Prime Minister Bob

5

Minutes

The September Meeting was called toorder at 7:04 by Bob Mitchell, our primeminister / grand pooh bah. We decided toaccept the secretary’s report andtreasurer’s reports as published in thenewsletter. If you forgot to read them andcomplain it’s too late now.

The first order of business was to presentthe checks from the Show of Dreams.For those of you who slept through theAugust meeting we decided to donate$5,000 each to the High Hopes Founda-tion and the New Hampshire Food Bank.This is the first year we’ve supported theNH Food Bank and the 18th year of sup-porting the High Hopes Foundation.Thank you to all club members who came

out and showed their support, donatedtime and items for the raffle table. Weespecially want to thank the Show ofDreams Committee for all of their hardwork.

So, Bob presented the checks to JayWelch and Shaunae Nolet with the HighHopes Foundation and Nancy Millett ofNH Food Bank. The $5,000 donated toHigh Hopes is the cost of one wish so wegave a life experience to one New Hamp-shire child with a life challenging condi-tion.

Nancy Millett told us that we provided10,000 meals to New Hampshire’s hun-gry with our donation. And since Septem-ber is Hunger Action month we are pro-viding the funds at a great time. Wouldn’tit be great to provide 15,000 meals nextyear? We have been invited to tour theFood Bank; maybe we can make that oneof our dinner drive destinations.

We had two new members in attendance.Jim Blackford has an Austin Healey 3000.Many of you will remember LindaBlackford and Roger Sienkiewicz whomoved to Arizona. Well, Jim is Linda’sbrother. Also in attendance was DennisCasey with a Spitfire and an XJ6.

Next we reviewed the past events. Billand Sue MacDuff participated in a Fol-low Me Rally put on by the Bedford NHHistoric Society. Many members enjoyedthe breakfast drive to Barbour, Haywardsand LaBelle winery.

Events coming up are the BBC cruise in,the dinner drive on the 21st, Stowe, the

www.v12s.com

Aluminum Alloy Cooling Fan SystemsPolyurethane Suspension Bushings

Electric Wire Harness/Loom SetsFuel Injection Rebuild Kits

LED Upgradesfor all British and European Classic Cars

Boston Cup and the NET Lobster tour(which is great and ends with lobster.What more could you want?)

The Cabaret Dinner theater featuring ourown fearless leader and sidekick JoyceHeck is on October 10th and 11th. Wealways have a great time.

October 19th is Lennon Fest at the BBCin downtown Portsmouth for anyone whowould like to go. There will be a group ofus who go.

We then had a discussion about the porta-potties at the Show of Dreams. Yes, thewomen confiscated the men’s room thisyear. So, we decided everyone deservesa comfy porta-potty and we decided tofund it by dedicating the money from ev-ery months 50-50 to the porta-potty fund.Instead of the winner getting 50% of the50-50 the winner will get $40 and the restof the money will be earmarked for theporta-potty fund. So, please come to themeeting and buy your not quite 50-50 tick-ets. If you really liked the porta-pottiesbut do not make it to the meetings youcan send a donation for the fund to JohnGiese and he will put it into the fund.

And finally the winner of the not quite50-50 was Bob Mitchell who promptlydonated his $40 winnings back to thefund. Yay Bob!

BCNH Membershipsreaches an all time

high of 205On October 10th 2013, we had a total 191memberships which was an all time recordthat hadn’t been broken in the previousnine years. We had 190 memberships in2004 which was the all time previousrecord.

The non-renewal rate for the last 14 yearshas averaged 25% with a range of 20%to 31% from 1999 through 2013.

This year, we had an extremely low per-centage of non-renewals which was 4%.In addition to that, we have added an ad-ditional 21 new memberships since the be-ginning of the year which brings us to thecurrent 205 memberships.

Previous membership totals at the end ofthe year were: 191 2013, 174 2012, 179in 2011, 180 in 2010, 169 in 2009, 189 in2008, 181 in 2007, 176 in 2006, 175 in 2005,190 in 2004, 165 in 2003, 156 in 2002, 152in 2001, 165 in 2000, and 152 in 1999.

Lou BelangerMembership Coordinator

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Blast from the PastDig through your old photographs andsend me a picture of you and your BritishCar from a long time ago.

johgie@tds.net

On the day I got my driver’s licensein 1969 I purchased my first car, a1964 baby blue MGB convertible. Ithought I was the coolest thing onfour wheels. To my dismay, I dis-covered that I own not a single pho-tograph of that car! However, be-fore I bought my own wheels I wasferried around by my then-boy-friend, who drove a 1967 MGB/GT.This is a picture of me and that GTtaken exactly 46 years ago, in Sep-tember of 1968. Sandy Dahlfred

Sue MacDuff in an early modelMGB circa 1968

Bill MacDuff in a 1969E-Type taken in 1970

OLD TIRESBy Steve Schultz North Carolina MG CarClub (Excerpt from President’s message)

Yes, summer is when the rubber reallymeets the road for LBC owners. Andspeaking of rubber, when wasthe last time that you, to use thelingo on the street these days,bought a new set of skins?Translated to somewhat moreformal English, how old areyour tires? Classic automobilesmay need to have tires replaceddue to age as opposed to wear.While your daily driver will nodoubt run down to the wear bars wellbefore the bonds holding the tire materialbegin to go their separate ways, tires onantique often need to be re-placed withplenty of tread left over. While there isno “expiration date” like on a half-gallonbottle of milk, as general rule of thumb, ifyour tires are more than ten years old,you will want to pay very close attentionto signs of impending disintegration. Thesesigns may include cracks in the tread or

on the sidewalls, distortions (or “bulges”),and changes in the “feel” of the tires suchas vibration. Many sources recommendthat after a tire reaches five years of age,annual inspections be performed and tiresreplaced if there is any doubt as to theircondition.

So how do you determine the age of thetires on your car? For tires manufacturedsince 2000 (and really, you probably don’twant to be rolling around on 14 year-oldrubber anyway) the week and year ofmanufacture are printed on the sidewall.Look for a series of letters and numbersstarting with “DOT”. The last four num-bers (often in a separate “plate” or sec-tion from the “DOT” but still immediately

Amy Sletten around 1978, taken inthe parking lot of Trenton State

College, (College of NJ)

following) designate the week and yearof manufacture. For example, a tire bear-ing the following code, DOT U2LLLMLR5107, dates from the 51st week of2007 (the last four digits being in formatWWYY where WW=week andYY=year). Note that the date may notbe imprinted on both sides of the tire, it

only has to be on one sidewall,so the date may not be easilyread-able if the “back” side ofthe tire is mounted facing out.And don’t forget your spare tireeither; these very frequently arerendered unsafe due to age ver-sus use.

Once you are confident thatyour tire will perform as needed upon re-quest, may I suggest getting out there andtrying to wear out the tread before yourtires age out? For summer is the seasonto get out and enjoy your MG or othermarque! Here are hopes for many sunnymiles under the summer sun and manycool nights with the top folded back (orthe windows down for you hardtop/GTfolk) and the katydids singing!

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Sent in by Laurie Gallagher

Researchers for the Massachusetts De-partment of Transportation found over200 dead crows near greater Boston re-cently, and there was concern that theymay have died from Avian Flu.

A Bird Pathologist was hired to examinethe remains of all the crows, and, toeveryone’s relief, confirmed the problemwas definitely NOT Avian Flu.

The cause of death appeared to be ve-hicular impacts.

During the detailed analysis it was notedthat varying colors and types of paint resi-due appeared on the birds’ beaks andclaws. Analysis of the paint residues de-termined that 98% of the crows had beenkilled by impacts with trucks, while only2% were killed by automobile impacts.

Massachusetts Department of Transpor-tation then hired an Ornithological Behav-iorist to determine if there was a specificcause for the disproportionate percent-ages of truck versus car kills.

The Ornithological Behaviorist veryquickly concluded the cause stating,“When crows eat road kill, they alwayshave a look-out crow in a nearby tree towarn of impending danger.

The conclusion was that while all the look-out crows could say “Caah,” none couldsay “Truck.”

Cylinder Head Re-Torque

by Don Schmidt

The requirement to re-torque cylinderheads depends on the gasket construc-tion, not on the type of fasteners used.The Gasket manufacturer will specifywhether re-torque is required optimumengine durability. Use the gasket makers’specifications not the engine servicemanual instructions. Use the servicemanual torque values though.

If you determine your cylinder head needsre-torque, make sure the engine is com-pletely cold. Back off (one bolt/stud at atime) 1Ú4 to 1/32 turn so that the prevail-ing torque (amount of force to loosen)decreases significantly. NOW re-tightenthe fastener to the full specified torquevalue. Repeat for each bolt/stud/nut.

Some engine builders recommend that youloosen/tighten in normal Manufacture’srecommended torque sequence. However,since you’re effectively doing one bolt/stud at a time, it doesn’t matter if you fol-low that pattern — as long as you re-torqueevery fastener. Just using a torque wrenchto increase tightening an already tightenedbolt/stud is a waste of time on cylinderheads. Thatmethod will result in inaccu-rate head bolt clamping force (tightness)because of break away torque is highlyvariable.

Clamping force is mostly affected by gas-ket structure which is the governing fac-tor in fastener torque required to achievea given clamping force. Checking wheellug nuts just by pulling them tighter hasbeen the accepted method of verifyingtightness ever since car wheel shave hadlug nuts. Which is the more critical fas-tener? Does that have a bearing on thepreferred method of verifying tightness?I have no clue! But each of these proce-dures has proven best for its particularapplication.

From the Tally-Ho of the Big Bend MGs

Research News TECH TIP fromDave Quinn:

Light Up the RoadNot Your Wiring!

One of the weakness’ in the MGA elec-trical system is the failure of the com-pany to install fuses between the head-lights and the dash switch. To overcomethis oversight, you can, and should, installinline fuses or relays. I choose the latter.Victoria British sells a heavy duty head-light harness as a plug kit (p/n 10-679)for $29.95 plus shipping. The harness isinstalled between the headlights and theswitch to protect the switch from over-heating. The kit consists of a relay switchto each headlight. The wiring and relaysallow the additional pull of power to runsealed beam halogen headlights from thebattery instead of through the dash switch.It improves safety while providing betterlighting. The kit is rated at 90/100w,whereas the original wiring was rated at40/50w. The relays increase the powerby a factor of 1.2 times, or 44%.

Before installing mine, I spoke with RickAshley, WDMGC Chairman and MGelectrical expert to ensure the relayswould work with either a positive or nega-tive ground. He said they would and herecommended following the kit’s instruc-tions with black to ground. He suggestedrunning the two red wires to the remotestarter solenoid’s battery side rather thanall the way back to the battery, simplybecause it is much closer. 95% of the in-stallation can be concealed under theheater air intake duct. The conversionincluded installing Sylvania 7” sealed beamhalogen headlights for $19.00. From A-Antics: Volume 38; No. 2

Classic British Cars

8

Spring Tech Sessionby Charles Dyer

(reprinted from the MG T-Party Times)

On May 7th, the MG T-Party’s 2011 eventseason officially began on a beautifulmorning for the annual joint Tech Sessionwith BCNH. Norma and Rod welcomedboth clubs to their home in Londonderrywhere a good turnout of club membersand their British machines were more thaneager to greet the sunshine of a warmspring day.

The morning began (after coffee) with apresentation by Jim Miga, proprietor ofThe Garage Valet, a one-man auto-de-tailing service that makes house calls,bringing his professional expertise right toyour driveway to revitalize your classicswith hand administered washes, special-ized cleaning agents, clay bar contami-nant removal, polishes for removing mi-nor scratches, waxes for protection, inte-rior detailing and careful use of othermagic elixirs. Bob Mitchell’s early SeriesI Jaguar XJ6, in a dirt-showing Navy Blue,provided a good demonstrator-test vehiclefor Jim’s gentle touch and detailing skills.Starting with a detailer spray wash to re-

move heavy dust, Jim moved next to aclay bar, proceeded to a lightly abrasivepolish, and finished with a liquid wax.Explaining each step of the process, Jimfielded lots of questions about favoritebrands (Meguiar’s), proper technique, andwhat each product did. Particular discus-sion centered on “why clay?” and what itdid for the finish (hint: it removes hiddencontaminants that otherwise adhere tothe surface and yields up a perfectlysmooth finish). Lots of opinions aboutwhat products work well on which sur-faces, both exterior and interior (Pledgefurniture polish for wood dashes and trim),and even favorites for cleaning up underthe bonnet (brake cleaner). Bob’s Big Catnow has one smooth rear quarter panel,as that’s all we had time for, but he hasalready made arrangements to have JimMiga “The Garage Valet” come visit hiscollection of vehicles at home to finish thejob. See Jim’s website at:

http://www.jimmiga.net

Jim does new cars as well as old ones,but has a special passion for and substan-tial expertise in the unique needs of clas-sic and vintage cars.

Next, BCNH member Wolfgang Schuler

reviewed the advantages of LED TailLight/Stop Light/Turn Signal and frontParking Light/Turn Signal conversions onour classic cars. He brought along a vari-ety of specialized LED bulbs (negativeground systems only) for different appli-cations. LED’s are directional so special-ized units are assembled to replicate theproper function for each application, someusing multiple LED’s in a single “bulb”.Wolfgang’s business also specializes inhandcrafted aluminum alloy electric fansystems for the likes of Jaguars, Porsche,Ferrari, and Lamborghini, and goes by thename of V12s—“Our Electric Fan Sys-tems cool 600 hp v12’s – they’ll coolsyours too!” See his website at:

http://www.v12s.com

After all the tech stuff came Burgers &Dogs and lots of home-made dishes toshare. There were plenty of cold bever-ages too. Just after lunch was served theskies decided to open up. The heavy raindid not put an end to the big smiles orgood times as we simply moved indoors(or for the hard core among us) back outto the garage for more socializing and cartalk. Many thanks to Rod and Norma forhosting this tech event once again.

Hazard flashers for a ‘T’

Several years ago, Carl Cederstrandwrote an article in Octagon Topics(10-25-1989) entitled Hazard Switch andturn Signal Wiring for the T-series MG. Ihad all the intentions of making the modi-fication for the added safety it would pro-vide. However, since delay is the neces-sity of invention, I procrastinated and con-tinued to worry about the inadequacy ofthe little fender lights. Then one day, as aHarley Davidson motorcycle was turn-ing left in front of me with a very brightturn signal, it came to me in a flash – soto speak. “Why not?”, I thought, and Iproceeded to install Harley turn signalson my TF.

For the front, Harley Davidson turn sig-nal units, Part #68766-94, fitted with flatamber lenses (Part #15-1151) were ob-tained. These were mounted on pedes-tals attached to the bumper brackets just

outside of the overriders. They are wiredto function as parking, turn signal andhazard warning lights.

For the rear, Harley Davidson turn sig-nal lights, Part #68760-94, fitted with flatred lenses (Part #15-116) were installedon brackets attached to the outer edgesof my AMCO luggage carrier. They arewired to function as tail lights, parkinglights, stop lights, turn signal indicators andhazard warning lights.

For the front, at the terminal of the wir-ing loom, the one-way wire connectorsthat lead to the fender

lights are replaced by two-way connec-tors (Moss Motors Part #161-600). Then,the new wires required can be added andtaken forward for a neat and orderly in-stallation. The rear lights are connectedthrough the rubber body of the existingtaillights and the wires are brought rear-ward through a plastic cable housing be-

tween the rear fender and the splash pan.

The central rod in the luggage car-rier must be replaced with a longer rodto accommodate the additional width ofthe brackets and locking nuts. Stainlesssteel rod, threaded at the ends, is pre-ferred. In order to maintain the uprightposition of the brackets when the luggagecarrier is lowered, holes must be drilledand tapped in the luggage carrier stand-arms for the placing of Allen headsetscrews to keep the rod from turning.

This modification will probably not meetwith the approval of my T-series puristfriends, however, those who drive theirMGs will appreciate the increased factorof safety and the added feeling of secu-rity due to the improved visibility you haveon the road. -end-

From our Friends at the Southeastern MGT Register, LTD (mg Talk; Volume 39;Number 4).

9

From the InformedSource: Relays 101

Rod Schweiger, Wind Machine,January 2011

Sorry Safari Touring Society

I received an email the other day from anSSTS member asking how to install awarning alarm on his MGB that wouldremind him to turn off his headlights muchlike all new cars do. My reply was to usea relay to control the alarm so that it wouldonly sound when the ignition switch wasoff and the lighting switch was on. Soundssimple enough, but the MGB ownerthought that too complicated. This hasinspired your Informed Source to emergefrom a long hiatus and review on howautomotive relays work and how a motorhead can use them on any old car to per-form modern functions. I will also tell howto wire and install the headlight alert.

I must admit that twenty years ago I wasignorant of what relays did until I took anautomotive electronics class presented byToyota. The class was total immersion,and lasted eight hours a day for five days;exhaustive but informative. Before myenlightening, I knew that late MGBs havetwo relays, one for the ignition and onefor the electric fans. I knew they weretrouble and that when they failed the re-sult was a no-start situation or overheat-ing. Those troublesome relays used on theelectric fan MGBs were mechanical re-lays and that was the problem. Today,relays are electronic and are virtually foolproof if used properly. New cars use doz-ens, if not hundreds or perhaps thousands(if you count the microprocessors) of re-lays to perform any number of tasks.

Let’s start by defining what a relay is. Arelay is a remote control switch that canuse a low current circuit to control a highcurrent circuit. What does that mean?Example: someone at Abingdon must havedecided that the late MGB with its manyelectrical improvements was putting toomuch current through the ignition switch.To fix this they used a relay. Instead ofrunning the high current through the igni-tion switch perhaps causing early failure,

the IG SW used low current to triggerthe relay so that the high current goesthrough the relay instead of the switch. Arelay doesn’t have to be triggered by cur-rent flow. It can be wired so that it is con-trolled by a connection to ground.

The relay on the MGB that controls theelectric fans reads a connection to groundcaused by a temperature sensor and theradiator that grounds the relay when thecoolant temperature reaches a predeter-mined value and turns on the fans. A re-lay can also be wired so that the controlcircuit can cause another circuit to turnoff instead of turning on and that’s howwe will use the relay to make the head-light alarm work. But first let’s see whata relay looks like. A relay is a little blackbox about an inch square with a mount-ing tab that projects from the case (seeFigure 1). On one side of the relay arefive terminals that re numbered 30, 85,86, 87, and 87a.

Fig. 1 Common electronic automotive re-lay showing the five terminals

On the top side of the relay by the mount-ing tab is a schematic. See Figure 2 be-low. There are two circuits in a relay. Thebottom one in the schematic is called thecontrol circuit.

Fig. 2 Schematic on top of relay

Terminal 86 is attached to power and ter-minal 85 is connected to a ground. Whenpower is applied to #86 a magnetic switchcloses and makes a pathway from #30 to#87 completing that pathway. Whenpower is removed from #86 the pathwayfrom #30 to #87 is opened and a path-way is formed from #30 to #87a. Nowwe are ready to use a relay and a RadioShack Piezo Buzzer part #273-070 to builda headlight warning alarm. Refer to myhand dawn wiring diagram, Figure 3.

Fig.3 Wiring Diagram - Headlight Buzzer

The buzzer’s red + lead is attached toterminal #87a on the relay and the black-wire is attached to ground as is #87 onthe relay. Terminal #86 is connected tothe ignition switch so that it is hot whenthe switch is turned on and #30 is attachedto the headlight switch so that it is hotwhen the light switch is turned on. #87 isnot attached to anything. The result is thatwhen ignition switched is turned on thebuzzer doesn’t sound. When the lightswitch is then turned on it still doesn’tsound. If you then turn off the ignitionswitch with the light switch still on therelay makes a pathway to #87a and thebuzzer will sound until the light switch isturned off. You may find that the Piezo

Buzzer is too loud at 105 decibels. A pieceof duct tape wrapped over the front open-ing of the buzzer reduces the sound to anacceptable level.

Reprinted from mgTalk newsletter ofThe Southeastern MG T Register, Ltd.

10

Show of DreamsMeeting Notes

August 23, 2014

by Diana Stanley

Thanks to Bob Mitchell and Clark Taylorfor Hosting the August Show of Dreamsmeeting at Historic Motorsports.

The meeting centered around the conclu-sion of the 2014 Show.

To start, we have received very positivereviews from 75% of the vendors attend-ing the show. They really enjoyed thenew venue, the set-up of the vendor areawhich lead to the covered food court.Each vendor expressed interest in return-ing to the 2015 show.

Dave Alukonis, president of the HudsonHistorical Society has spoken with Pinch(Joe) Polenchar telling him that HHS andthe Hudson School Board (owners of thefield) enjoyed working with the club andSOD committee. HHS would like to seethe SOD return to the Alvirne Hill HouseField next year. With that being said, thecommittee has submitted the applicationto request Saturday, July 25th, 2015 HHSand The Hudson School Board for ap-proval. As soon as that approval is re-ceived the committee will begin the spon-sor/vendor search and notifying BritishCar Clubs.

Pinch Polenchar has acquired a list ofpossible new food vendors to add to twowe had on the field this year. He at-tended Hudson Old Home Days and no-ticed the edge of the field was lined withcolorful feather flags which drew atten-tion to the event. With that idea in mind,Norma will be researching the cost offeather flags and Judy Pevine will con-tact Jag of Exeter to see if we might bor-row some flags from them.

It was obvious that the Ladies RoomTrailer was a huge hit. The committee isresearching renting a larger trailer to in-clude a Men’s Room and Ladies Roomfor 2015.

One suggestion, which will be discussed

at the club meeting, is the possibility ofsetting aside the club’s portion of the 50/50 raffle money from each club meetingto be used to pay for the trailer for the2015 show. This subject is open for sug-gestions.

The committee is also researching a handi-capped access unit to accommodate thatneed.

The Hudson Historical Society requirethat the breakdown crew remove the trashcreated at the show from the field. Thiswas a challenge for several members whotool several bags home to dispose ofthem. For 2015, the committee will re-search into a more efficient way to re-move the trash, i.e. Waste ManagementDumpster Bags or a sponsorship from atrash removal company. Any suggestionson this subject are welcomed.

The availability of the show Posters wasdiscussed. This year the posters werelate because we changed the show venuewhich put us back to square one in theplanning of the show. The posters for2015 should be available earlier for clubmembers to print and distribute.

Suggestions for the 2015 FeaturedMarque(s) : Morgan, MGT Series, Rolls/Bentley.

Dave LeBlanc will contact the leaders ofthese various clubs to assess the level ofinterest in attending the show.

Wayne & Maggie Bolen have been do-ing a great job as the leaders of the RaffleTeam for the past several years. Thisyear they noticed a decline in the revenuefrom the Raffle. They will be compilinga list of the most desirable higher value(over $100) items they believe will sellmore raffle tickets.

Norma Karle will be adding a new classto the registration form list. “Other Class”will be included to cover those cars whichdo not fit under any other heading, i.e.Citroen and Saab Sonnet. We realize

that these cars are not British but theytook the time to drive all the way to theshow and we could not turn them away.After all, our goal is to raise funds for thetwo charities and their registration feesadded to what was earned.

Joan Young has been the lead at the Re-galia table for the past few years. Thisyear the Regalia team sold over $2,000.00worth of show tee shirts, hats, BCNHpins, umbrellas, license plate frames andscarves. Joan has also taken orders forBCNH Lobster shirts, BCNH denimshirts, BCNH jackets. If you are inter-ested in any of these items, please seeJoan at the club meetings or check thewebsite for e-mail contact information.

The committee decided to skip the Sep-tember SOD meeting and resume themeetings in October and November.

The October meeting will be held at thehome of Bill Greenan and Pam Boyer inStrafford, NH (date & directions to beposted later.)

The November meeting will be held atthe home of Dave & Cheryl LeBlanc(date & directions to be posted later.)

Thanks to all who attended the meeting.

11

For Sale: Various Morris Minor parts,including engine and transmission, doors,bonnet, hood. Call John 603-225-6915.

Wanted - I am looking for a 1960-1964Morgan Plus 4 two seat roadster. I canbe reached at 903 495 1362 orm.rhodes@lamarnational.comMichael Rhodes

Wanted - 1969 seats for sale for my TR6Matt Jadud (440) 334-6687

For Sale: 1972 MGB runs but needswork-floor boards.John Monahan 603-253-7614

1972 MGB - Asking $4,000. Blue,Needs floor boards, etc.John Monahan (603) 253-7614

1958 TR3A - The car is a strong dailydriver. No rust (a bit of rough paint on thenose over the radiator, though). If youknow Hagerty Class 1-4, this is a class 4vehicle. Average sales prices for the lastcouple years have been 14K or more.Asking $12,500. Have owned it for 21years. Just bought a TR6 and have to getrid of one of them (no room in the barnfor winter storage of both). The car is inHanover NH, but can easily make thedrive to anywhere in NH (if sold).Roger.D.Sloboda@dartmouth.edu

Sadly selling my 1977 MGB because Ihave too many! I have driven this car forthree seasons and it was just inspectedagain this week.It has a great look and a very nice interior.It runs and drives well. It has always beengaraged and the top is new. It has a fewblemishes that are cosmetic, which areminor and overall, not obvious; a trunkcrease and minor rust on one rocker. Thiscar is really fun to drive, as MGs are, andis quite attractive, turning headseverywhere! priced to sell at $5,700amysletten@aol.com , (603) 472-8005

1960 MGA 1600 coupe - Good lookingcar w Stone Gray exterior, and black wred upholstery. Rust free car, originallyfrom Oklahoma, 26,000 miles since 1981renovation. Upgrades and recentimprovements: oversized radiator, waterpump, t'stat and cap; oil pump andpressure relief valve; fuel pump and Vitoncarb bowl seals; stainless steel exhaust.Owned for 38 years; it's time for a newowner to pamper the car for another 38!$18,000obo, Dave Housermgs4dave@tampabay.rr.com

For Sale: Four MGs: A, B, MidgetDick Moody 603-660-0393rmoody341@aol.com

2000 Jaguar Type S. Black V-8 -automatic power windows, steering,brakes, mirrors; Power tilt, telescopicsteering wheel, cruise control; AM-FM,cassette, CD changer; auto headlights,auto wipers, GPS, power moon roof;leather seats, real wood trim on dash,102K miles, Southern car – NO RUST -- $5,500. Call Chris – 603 883-0288

McLean Enterprises Inc.

Sales & ServiceOrderingInformationFax

Over 30 Fine British Sports Cars in stock14 Sagamore Road (Rte.1A) Rye. Nh

Check out our Web Site at www.britbits.com

603 436-1989800 995-2487603 433-0001603 433-0009

MG • Austin Healey • Triumph •Sunbeam • Jaguar • Morris MinorSales & Service • Parts, New & Used • Gifts • Clothing • Accessories

Brit Bits at

12

13

by John Giese

Wikipedia

In some states, it is not against the lawto overtake vehicles in the presence ofsolid yellow lines if it is safe to do so.For example, State Law also allowspassing across the double yellow linewhen no traffic is on the opposing side,however, one must pass quickly and re-turn to the proper side. Pennsylvaniaalso permits passing on double yellowlines when not also posted with “Do NotPass” signage. However, this is unusualas most states have a ban on crossing adouble yellow line except when turning,or when pedestrians, bicycles, or otherobstructions in the road make it neces-sary. Overtaking another vehicle acrossa solid yellow line is usually considereda serious traffic violation in most states.

NH Rules of the Road, SpeedLimitations section 265:60

II. Where no hazard exists that requireslower speed for compliance with RSA265:60, I, the speed of any vehicle not inexcess of the limit specified in this sec-tion or established as hereinafter autho-rized shall be prima facie lawful, but anyspeed in excess of the limit specified inthis section or established as hereinafterauthorized shall be prima facie evidencethat the speed is not reasonable or pru-dent and that it is unlawful:

No exception for passing.

True or False

When the first car in a line of cars stopsand then goes at a stop sign, the nexttwo cars do not have to come to a fullstop before proceeding through the stopsign.

False: This is an urban legend. Accord-ing to NH Rules of the Road 265:31 Stopsigns; Yield Signs, II. Except when di-rected to proceed by a police officer ortraffic control signal, every driver of a

I DIDN’T KNOWTHAT

vehicle approaching a stop intersectionindicated by a stop sign shall stop beforeentering the crosswalk on the near sideof the intersection or, in the event there isno crosswalk, shall stop at a clearlymarked stop line, but if none, then at apoint nearest the intersecting roadwaywhere the driver has a view of approach-

where - London EnglandCredit - Adrienne Mendonez

ing traffic on the intersecting roadwaybefore entering the intersection.

14

September27th Lobster Tour with New EnglandTriumphs

October3-5th Speckled Hen Run, Kitzhof Inn, WDover, VT

6th Meeting at Weathervane, Bedford10-12th British Legends Weekend,Cape Cod British Car Club11th BCNH Breakfast Drive TBD11th Peterborough NH 275Anniversary Parade & self driving tour

BCNH 2014 Calendar of Events

October EventsThe New England Triumphs’ Covered Bridge Tour of Central MA has beencanceled.

The 3rd through the 5th is the Speckled Hen Run at the Kitzhof Inn, West DoverVT. Guests enjoy camaraderie on Friday evening and go on a driving tour Saturdaywith a stop for lunch and dinner that evening at the Inn. We have done this andit’s great fun. http://www.kitzhof.com/

Our BCNH Meeting is on the 6th. Our last Cruise In at the British Beer Companyin Manchester is on Tuesday October 14th and it would be good to have a lot ofmembers come for the season’s end. http://www.britishbeer.com/manchester/

There is a Breakfast Drive scheduled for the 11th and Dinner Drive scheduledfor the 19th with no plans yet. This would be a good time for us to get out andenjoy the Fall foliage, suggestions are welcomed.

On the weekend of the 10th-12th the Cape Cod British Car Club is once againhosting their British Legends Weekend with a meet and greet on Friday nightfollowed by two tours to choose from on Saturday and show on Sunday on thegrounds of the Heritage Museum in Sandwich.http://www.capecodbritishcarclub.org/event-1751705

The New England Triumphs are also hosting a Fall Rallye that has been changedfrom October 25th to November 1st with a rain date of November 2nd. Theevent will be a Tour with a twist. Along the way there are rally type questions toanswer for points. There will be small prizes for 1st,2nd,and 3rd. The event isscheduled to start at Kimball Farm on route 70 in Lancaster, MA with the Tour/Rally to start at 11AM (assemble about 10:30). There will be two “stages” eachabout an hour in length. The event will end at Yanzgee River Restaurant onroute 110 in Littleton, MA approx 1:30. There will be a lunch buffet available atone’s own cost and awards will be presented. British cars are not required butthere may be bonus points for those who are driving them. BCNH members arewelcome. http://www.newenglandtriumphs.org/calendar.html

14th Cruise In, British Beer Company,Manchester, NH19th BCNH Dinner Drive TBD

November1st Fall Rallye with NET

3rd Meeting at Weathervane, Bedford8th BCNH Breakfast Drive TBD

16th Freezin Fun for Kids, Cape CodBritish Car Club

Car of the Monthcontinued

Hayward’s. We have just been having agreat time and are kind of sad that sum-mer seems to be passing so quickly. How-ever, we have had no major break downs(knock on wood) and look forward tomany more adventures over the late sum-mer and fall.

We are currently still doing little improve-ments like replacing the glove box latchand readjusting it. We also installed radiospeakers and replaced the original steer-ing wheel for a very nice wood grain one.Over the next winter we have plans toredo the original seats and then Joal willbe able to drive Miss Red as well. Wealso have to replace the top and rebuildthe front end. Future projects include con-tinuing then the restoration of allmechanicals first and then body whichluckily seems to be fairly rust free. Thereare a few minor spots here and there, butthe floors and rails are solid. The bodywork and painting I will do myself. Thisis turning out to be a great project, but aproject it truly is. For myself it is a laborof love. What I enjoy most about it is thatyou can actually work on these older cars.With some time and patience you canbring them back to their original glory. Myintention is to do this project a little differ-ently than ones that we have done in thepast. I am not going to worry about mak-ing Miss Red an A-1 show car. Instead Iam going to focus on having fun andmeeting some great people along the way.

To order your BCNH name badgecontact John Giese at:

(603) 654-2565 or

johgie@tds.net

15

By Sue MacDuff

This year Peterborough is celebrating it’s275th anniversary with a parade featur-ing vintage cars so it’s a perfect opportu-nity for us to show of ours. Staging willbe at the Elementary School on HighStreet at 9:30. Below you will see therewill be a lot of activities. I will also havedirections for a self driving tour of the areathat takes about an hour so you can go atyour own pace or join with others. Comeenjoy our lovely area and bright fall col-ors if Mother Nature gets out her paint-brush. Let me know if you are thinking ofcoming so I will have enough directionsheets available.

Lucymac1@comcast.net.

Saturday, October 11th, begins with a largeparade featuring William Diamond JuniorFife and Drum Corps, The Lexington

Minute Men, 10th Regiment British Sol-diers, 6th NH Regiment, dozens of floats,marching bands, antique vehicles, and lo-cal dignitaries. Following the parade, a fullday of activities will include the WilliamDiamond Drum and Plaque dedication,special exhibit at Monadnock Center forHistory and Culture, Col. Ebenezer

Peterborough Hinsdale’s Garrison Company, TempleBand concert, farmer’s market,Peterborough High School multi-classreunion, musket firing demonstrations andmilitary drills, child activities, and a foodcourt. A fireworks display sponsored byThe Peterson’s Real Estate brings a grandfinale to this celebration in downtownPeterborough.

William Diamond was a RevolutionaryWar drummer at Lexington and BunkerHill. He is most famously portrayed asthe young drummer in the ‘Spirit of ’76’painting by Archibald Willard. After theRevolutionary War William Diamondsettled in Peterborough where he farmed,married, and raised his family. He is bur-ied here alongside his wife, Rebecca.

All activities on Saturday, October 11th,are free and open to the public, unlessotherwise noted.

Shuttle buses will be operating on a pre-scribed route between parking areas anddowntown.

Where’s The HelpWhen You Need It?

Since last month’s issue of the Boot, Hoodand Bonnet was filled with fantastic pic-tures, I’m taking this opportunity to saythank you to those who helped with the

Blind Driver’s Obstacle Course.

Where’s the help when you need it? I’lltell you where. Thank you Wil Bernstein,who donated all those cardboard boxesthat we used for obstacles. They werecar friendly and forgiving when bumpedor flattened. Who helped me paint those

obstacles? Thank you Cheryl Bernsteinwho sat beneath the shade of the treesduring those hot days. She said shecouldn’t paint! Ha! She could and did agreat job. Who loaned us those trafficcones to keep the drivers on the straightand narrow (and also the twisty andturny)? Thank you Mike Collier and theNorth Atlantic Audi Club.

Every pair of extra hands and donationshelps more than you can imagine. Sothank you - thank you for a grand job ofhelping to make this year’s Show ofDreams memorable.

Ginger Christiansen

This Speckled Henwondered into the yard of

Pam Boyer

Remebering the Ruxton

1929 car with front wheel drive

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/automobiles/collectibles/remembering-the-ruxton.html

British Cars of NH presented $5,000 checks to Jay Welch and ShaunaeNolet for High Hopes Foundation and Nancy Millett for NH Food Bank.

The money was raised at the Show of Dreams.

British Cars of New Hampshire51 Durgin Road

Chichester, NH 03258