November 2012
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November 2012 A wet starting grid at the season finale of the BTCC. 2012 Branch 1009 Issue No 176 Website: www.1009mg.org.uk Events Calendar. 2012 . November 7th Wednesday 1009 Club Night at the Empress of Blandings, Romsey Road (A31) Copythorne, Cadnam. 16th-18th Fri—Sun Classic Motor Show, at the NEC, Birmingham. 21st Wednesday Mid-month meeting at the Rose & Crown, Brockenhurst. December 1st Saturday Club Xmas Dinner Dance at the Sway Manor Hotel. 5th Wednesday 1009 Club Night at the Empress of Blandings,Romsey Road (A31) Copythorne, Cadnam. 19th Wednesday Mid-month meeting at the Waterloo Arms, Lyndhurst. 2013 January 1st Tuesday New Year’s Day walk …..TBA 2nd Wednesday AGM provisional date (to be confirmed) 16th Wednesday Mid-month meeting (to be confirmed). Other events November. 16th/17th/18th Classic Motor show at the N.E.C tickets Fri £25.00 Sat & Sun £18.50 Secretary’s Notes, . Our Annual Xmas Dinner and Disco at the Sway Manor Hotel on Saturday night De- cember 1st will complete the final chapter of events for 2012. It looks to be one of the best attended in recent years and if previous experiences are anything to go on it should prove to be another great night. Can I just remind all those members who have booked that they need to be at the venue for 7.30pm. The Dinner is served at 8.00pm followed by the presentation of our Club Person award before the Disco starts proper. You can then all dance yourselves silly and perhaps loose a few of those festive calories. Thank you Robin and Karen for organising this year’s event. All couples have also been asked this year to bring a secret Santa gift to the value of £5 in the form of cosmetics, toiletries etc suitable as a donation to residents at Shirley Women’s Refuge. It might be an idea if gifts are handed to Colette on club night rather than at the Dinner Dance, we can discuss that tonight. Please make sure your gifts also have an appropriate label – thank you. Don’t forget your nomination for the Club Person trophy need to in by tonight. Now we have to start planning ahead to the 2013 season. There is still no definite idea put forward for a walk on New Years day. The weather and the effects of the night before will determine the outcome but it has always proved popular in the past. Any good suggestions will be gratefully received. Needless to say this brings me on nicely to preparations for the New Forest Run 2013. Although the date and venues have been set we still have no sponsor. Thinking caps on please and let’s come up with some suggestions. We need to set aside a date in the new year for our first ‘Run’ meeting and anyone prepared to help out will be most welcome. There have been a lot of suggestions made already but we need to determine what will be acceptable or not. January 2013 club night will be devoted entirely to our AGM. The function room upstairs at the Empress has kindly been set aside for us and so, weather permitting, if you can make it we would be very happy to see you there. On behalf of everyone at the club I would like to offer Linda and John Anderson our sincere condolences on their sad news. Our thoughts are with you. Roy Interesting Car Facts Arnolt MG Club member John Hubbard was recently asked by a local collector to help renovate his Ar- nolt MG. …….Wait a minute – what is an “Arnolt MG”? Old timers can skip this part, but newer members might be surprised to learn that some folks back in the ‘50s thought that they could improve on factory MG products. Yes, it may sound like heresy today but the theory was that MG – in spite of its mostly wonderful engi- neering – was lacking in a few areas. Now don’t forget, this was back in the days before Mustangs, Camaros, GTO’s and the like. It was back in the days of boxy Plymouths, Studebakers, Desoto’s etc. There was no such thing on the market as a “sport sedan”. What to do with Momma and the kids and still have a neat car? And S.H. (“Wacky”) Arnolt was one of those dreamers with an answer to that question. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about him: “ Stanley H. "Wacky" Arnolt was a Chicago industrialist, who began importing for- eign cars in the 1950s to the United States. Though sold as American cars, the cars were true hybrids, with British mechanicals, Italian bodywork, and U.S. sales and distribution, as well as in some cases final assembly and body work. SH Arnolt Inc. was a licensed automobile manufacturer in the State of Illinois. A fortuitous meeting with Bertone at the Turin Auto Show in 1952 resulted in four collaborative efforts between Arnolt and Bertone. The first was the Arnolt-MG, a four seater Bertone bodied car based on the MG TD chassis and XPAG 54hp engine. The Arnolt MG was designed by Giovanni Bertone, his son Nuccio, and Giovanni Michelotti. Of a planned production of 200 cars, 103 have been documented as built between 1953 and 1954 (67 coupes and 36 convertibles). Out of this total, the whereabouts of 36 are unknown and three are known to have been scrapped (as of 1993). The initial price was $3,145. In 1954, MG informed Arnolt that it could no longer supply chassis and engines due to demand for its own complete cars (as well as the replacement of the TD by the TF), so Arnolt began looking for a larger engined car.” OK, so now we know what we are talking about. This particular car is a convertible, #27 per the data plate,1of 35 made, and received a cosmetic restoration a few years ago, to include a repaint, new top, and some interior work. John Hubbard recently supervised an engine rebuild and front end rebuild. There are some questions about the authenticity of some exterior trim pieces as the car sits today as you see it in the photos. But it has these features: steel body tub and fenders with aluminum hood, doors, and trunk lid. Wheel hubs modified to accommodate Italian wire wheel hubs, and non-MG braking components (quite probably Wolseley – as in moWOg units ). Leather sets, not from a MG-TD, and provenance unknown at this writing. And it has a back seat, something lacking in factory MG-TD’s. Interestingly enough, the instrument panel is from a standard MG-TD (but installed upside down) with MG-TD gauges but a custom formed dash board. Steering wheel is stock MG-TD. Also true of the tail lights. Arnolt MG’s are just one more interesting chapter in the evolution of MG’s. Other well known modifiers were Lister, and (others). Not to mention the various coach builders such as Tickford, Vauxhall, and the like. And, P.S., if you didn’t already know it, Carroll Shelby got his start in the automotive world driving hot-rodded MG’s. It’s great to know that some enthusiasts are still maintaining cars like this; if you meet it on the road, give it an “MG” wave as now you know what it is. Editors notes. NEW YEAR’S DAY WALK. As most of you know we have a nice walk on January 1st to see in the new year and blow away the cobwebs, if anyone has any ideas for a walk then put them forward for discussion at the next few meetings. Thanks to Jon Holt for sorting out this day out with myself and Andrew Kettle, an early start saw us on our way to the season final at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent. It was a cloudy but warm day as we got to the track , the traffic had been good, and we were directed to the VIP car park. A short walk to the reception at the trackside lounge saw us pick up our passes to the lounge and the seats at the Desire Wilson grandstand ( nice if the sun comes out ). During the day the weather went from bad to worse , the first touring car race was damp and the second wet with the final of the day more suited to boats than cars, very wet. Coffee was the first thing we sorted out in the kitchen of our lounge where a total of 16 people had gathered to watch the days racing. As usual there were the supporting races with Porsche, Ginetta ,Clio and formula Renault putting on a good show throughout the day, between the main touring car events. Apart from the weather a good time was had by all at this season final shoot out. Gordon Shedden, Matt Neal, Jason Plato and Andrew Jordan could all win this years championship . Pole in race one was Tom Onslow Cole. The winner was Matt Neal with Andrew Jordan in second and Tom Onslow Cole in third...Jason Plato finished in eighth and Andy Neate thirteenth. Pole in race two was Matt Neal. The winner was Aron Smith with Gordon Shedden second ( & fastest lap) and Matt Neal third…...This gave Shedden the championship title as no one else could now make up the points to win. Jason Plato finished fifth and Andy Neate twelfth. ( wetter race saw the MG’s finding it hard to set up for these conditions ) Pole for race three was Matt Jackson.