[BOUNCE mgs@Autox.Team.Net: Admin request: /^subject:\s*help\b/i]
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 14:08:15 -0400
From: pjbcs@juno.com (Patricia J Ciancio)
Subject: Help for a New Owner of MGB
Hi All,
I am the proud new owner of a 1980 MGB - green with tan interior, 70,000
miles (10,000 miles on a new engine). Help. That's putting it mildly!
I checked the web & found this list through the NAMGBR site. I'm signing
up for membership and hope that they will be able to help me also.
So here's my problem. I am not a mechanic - must I be one to truly enjoy
this wonderful car. I am the third owner of this car - almost all the
miles were put on tooling around the rural countryside of CT and MA, USA.
Well I live in the NYC Metropolitan area - major traffic problems until
I can hit the northern highways. I've developed a problem with the car
-trouble starting it and stalling at traffic lights and then being very
difficult to restart - the other day I had to have the car towed home.
Major bummer. I also seem to be leaking oil or other liquids - saw them
on the floor of the garage and driveway. Yesterday my fiancee and I
spent the day washing and waxing the car - it sure is beautiful. But now
I'm afraid to drive it anywhere. Is there anyone on this list that lives
in Bergen County, NJ or Rockland County, NY that knows of a good mechanic
that works on MGB's? I have a great mechanic for my other vehicle (GMC
Conversion Van) but he really doesn't know about "these British Cars" -
as he puts it! I've checked our local telephone directory but none were
listed. Help me please - I love this car and want to use it daily now
that the weather is finally decent! Can anyone recommend a manual that I
might purchase to help me out or help "my" mechanic out? Are these
vehicles very difficult to work on? I am somewhat mechanically inclined
and did a bit of work on my 1969 Fiat Spyder (Cheapy Italian I know -
couldn't afford an MGB back then) a gazillion years ago. I refuse to
let this car go and am willing to go to auto mechanic night school if
necessary. My fiancee gave me this car as pre wedding gift - he is a
real car nut - not a mechanic - just loves older cars. This is his first
experience with a foreign car though and he can't help me - besides he
lives in CT now. One of the mechanics in CT that is a British car nut
told him to have a mechanic replace the fuel pump, distributor and
carburetor - to go back to the "older" system - something about a "fuel
enhancer" thing-a-ma-jig on the later models that probably was causing
my problems. This guy supposedly is very knowledgable about MGB's and
has done this on his own car. He claims it will run like a charm if I
have this done. Has anyone out there in cybeland heard of this? I'm
really getting frantic - I NEED to drive this car - I'm sure you can all
understand this. I would like to find a reliable mechanic close to home
if possible - if not I guess I could have it towed to CT ( East Hartland
to be exact - near Granby, Winsted) and repaired there.
Any suggestion and/or help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Please please help me. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to
read this majorly long request for help.
PJ from NJ
Proud new owner of a 1980 MGB
|