Hi fellow SOL'ers!
Now that I'm finished with that pesky Ph.D. stuff and have a "real" job,
I can again devote my full attention to MG's. As it turned out, I could have
finished my degree a year earlier if I had devoted all the time spent on the
complete restoration of my 69 MGB towards doing my research. Of course, in that
case I wouldn't have ended up with such a nice car to drive around. Besides,
it is psychologically beneficial to blow off the workstations and take a big
wrench to something.
Re: the discussion of useful tools ....
I find that one of my most valuable tools has been my old lead knock-off
hammer. After years of doubting, I've convinced my spousal-unit that a big
hammer can indeed solve most mechanical problems.
As of this weekend, both the 68 and the 69 MGB's are now residing in New
Mexico. I had a blast driving the 69 out - 32+ mpg over the 1100 miles from
the Bay area. Not bad for an average speed of 63.7 mi/hour, including gas/food
stops. All highway MG's need an overdrive. The 68 has been here doing a fine
job of providing all my transportation needs ... but, I feel better having a
backup unit in place. I promised them (the 68 in particular) that I would find
them a nice warm garage to live in if they made it out here okay. They were
still a bit sore at me for having to be outside while I lived in the garage for
five years at Davis. What luxury - a clean, finished garage. Fortunately, I can
live in the house that got thrown in with the deal. I now have to
deal with registering and insuring in NM - the posted Farmer's info was
useful. Any other suggestions/recommendations? I'm hoping that it won't be as
much as in CA.
The original plan was to trailer the 69 out here when I drove the UHaul out
two weekends ago. It wouldn't fit on the auto trailer that UHaul offers. In
fact, I can't think of many cars that have enough clearance to get up that
short of ramp and on to the bed. Anyhow, I'm glad it wouldn't fit because
I would have missed out on my cross-country blast. Besides, I wouldn't have
wanted the trailer on the back of that huge UHaul truck when I hit the major
snowstorm at the AZ-NM border. What a mess that was - It was snowing like
crazy with trucks jacknifing all over. I was first on the scene of a bad
accident and had to deal with a victim until professionals arrived 45 min
later. It would have bummed me out if he had died after all that. One of
the police later told me that he was going to be okay. It took
another 4 hours to clear the road so I had to drive the very un-snowworthy
truck in front of 5 miles of backed up truck traffic on unplowed, unsanded
roads. Fortunately it turned to rain by the time I got into Albuquerque. I
now know why the UHaul slogan is "adventure in moving". After so many years
of driving little MG's, it was fun the play trucker at the wheel of a big
diesel.
I can see that this note is starting to get pretty long... Now that the cash
flow is in the black again, my MG projects can be moved from the back to front
burners. Starting tonight I think I'll delight the phone company be phoning
Brown and Gammons to place an order. I left off halfway in the middle of an
engine project and its time for phase two of the brake uprating program.
I'm encouraged about the local MG consciousness. My morning run took me past
two MGB's in just the immediate neighborhood. I wonder how many are in the
garages. I've also seen/waved_to several well maintained Brit cars.
(I'm sorry I can't address this to the Maintainer-of-the-List personally - he's
doing a great job)
please change my mail address
from: sanders@iris.ucdavis.edu
to: sanders@pogo.lanl.gov
(this might change in the near future when I can get my machines at the
Med Center hooked on the internet.)
John Sanders
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