Just have to brag a little...and give a little history on my car. Bought my
'79B in June of '93. Had been sitting for unknown period of time without
running.
Top up, but split, got rain inside. Windows up, interior and carpet a mess
from this
and the Texas sun. I had seen it sitting behind a auto repair shop. Asked if
it was
for sale. Yep, $500. Does it run? No, some parts missing from the engine.
Let me
look- no valve cover, no thermostat housing. Most else is complete. Body in
good
shape - no visible rust, no bondo, just minor parking lot dings. Would he take
$300?
He jumped on that, so I probably could have had it for less. Took it home,
stripped
the interior, the exterior, removed the engine. Delivered body shell with
wheels to
body/paint guy. He is experienced on MGs. Does a really nice job, tells me
this is
the most rust-free MG he has ever worked on. The paint I selected is a dark
green
metallic - what I feel that the dark BRG would be today in a metallic. I know,
it's
not original, but I like it. (Original color was Brooklands Green in '79 -
a lighter, brighter green - almost but not quite John Deere green - I didn't
like
that color. Original interior was Autumm Leaf or Biscuit before all the
mildew.) The
new color looks great with black top, interior, carpet, and black bumpers.
After three years of on and off working on weekends, evenings, etc.,
last
night was the time to light it up. Totally rebuilt engine, Weber downdraft,
header.
Removed the spark plugs, spun it over until the oil pressure came up.
Installed the
plugs, static timed it 10 deg BTDC, let the fuel pump fill the carb bowls.
Worked
the accelerator a couple of times to squirt fuel into the manifold. Crossed my
fingers, turned the key, and vroom! it ran! Great sound - Ansa free-flow
exhaust -
no front muffler courtesy of some PO. Wife comes out to garage, panics when
she
sees all the smoke rolling out of the engine compartment. Assure her it's OK -
just the paint burning off the header. (Why do they paint them anyway?) Wife
says - "Why is it so loud?" Hey - sports cars should sound like sports cars.
Ran it
for about 20 minutes at 2000-3000 rpm to get the camshaft bedded in right.
Now, pour
in the brake fluid, bleed the brakes, put in the driveshaft, maybe take it for
a test
run this weekend. Getting close - and life is getting better.
Thanks for listening - just had to spread the good news.
Wayne Kube
'79B soon to be on the road
Plano, TX
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