[Zmagnette] Preservation

[Wayne & Isabel Hardy]

Amen to that performance difference..there lies my problem. I want the old ones look with the old ones performance characteristics too. Most modern radials are too stiff for our little car, and the ones that do have the soft flexi sidewall like the old XZX and Pirellis don’t look right..Douglas for one comes to mind. Seems to be the correct idea on performance and squishy sidewalls and super grippy tread, but they obviously weren’t made back then.
I’m thinking of trying the Vredestein sporty tire on the Magnette. It at least looks right.

Wombat

From: Steven Trovato 
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 10:55 AM
To: List for the Z Magnette Group - North America ; List for the Z Magnette Group - North America 
Subject: Re: [Zmagnette] Preservation

Wow.  Never thought to find the original owner and bring him/her along!  In the restoration spirit, if I can't find the original owner, can I find someone who looks like the original owner?  :-)  As for those XZX's, when places like Coker offer tires that have been out of production for a long time, they are catering to those folks who want to see that name on the sidewall.  They are not necessarily the same as the ones you would have bought back in the day.  They may be fine tires, but the performance will likely be different than it would have been with "real" Michelin XZX's.  

-Steve T.

At 06:46 AM 1/28/2014, Wayne & Isabel Hardy wrote:

  I have to add one comment to “show” cars presentation...A few years back, shortly after getting our present ZB on the road again and going to shows and MG functions, we were headed to the Texas MG Register gathering out in Waco TX, the home of Baylor U. AND home to the Dr. Pepper drink. Anyhow as a part of this first big showing, we invited over from Nashville, the car’s second ever owner, and daughter of the original purchaser and owner, located through computer search of names listed on old registrations. We sent this lady an airplane ticket, got her a room in the convention hotel, and here she came. She was first off pleased that the car was back in great working order and looking good, as she always had an affection for this little car. Her father had given it to her after 10 years of service as the family sedan, (and about 110,XXX miles) and she had driven it as family car then later as fun car for another 9 or 10 years and a second motor rebuild..the Dad had done a Gold seal replacement motor installation by the dealer for her when she became the owner.
  She ran the driving events , went to the dinners, hung in the bar with us and all the MGers and on show day she stayed with the car all morning in the show field and told everyone about it’s earlier history with a couple of neat pictures to back it up..one, the day the car was new, and she and sisters were picked up at school in England in the ZB. 
  Well no question about it, we won the favorite car of the show, as well as best in our class, (there’s that MG Variant again), but all of this was in my mind attributed to the presence of this lady who had been a part of the little car’s first 20+ years. She stood with us when we got our trophy too so as to be in club pics.
  So the moral is...I don’t know what!!! We just seemed to make a big impression on the other folks at the gathering, when all we had in mind was having some fun. Certainly no one else at this Gathering of the Faithful, had a previous owner as an accessory for their car from 1958.
  On that basis I try only to add or change things that I might have done in period, and not do much updating. Such as spending a lot od time and too much $$$$ for a real 1958-59 period Blaupunkt 3 band radio of the type that would have been installed as a sounds upgrade in 1958. Yep it plays, but the old car speaker should have been changed...It’s getting pretty “crispy” now. 
  Boy I wish I could find some real Michelin XZX tires from other than Coker’s Tire place, because these were always a popular add on option at the dealers around Houston at the time. Change to the XZXs for about $10.00 per tire when new was a bargain and a plus in the driving fun dept. too.
   
  Wombat (the windy one)


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