UP S AV E TO 20% ON SELECT WINTER PROJECTS! ISSUE 3, 2018 Abingdon Autos The history of a cottage industry LIFE GOALS Going The Distance... MossMotoring.com 20% OFF Overheard in the planning meeting: “How can we announce Motorfest… …so we know it will get noticed?” Mark your calendar and join your sports-car-loving friends the weekend of June 8 for four-wheeled fun for the whole family! Registration coming soon! See The Special Insert Gearbox | Internal Engine & Cylinder Head | Clutch SALE VALID 10/1–11/9/18 4 7 10 14 The Hill Cottage Industry The MGA Effect British Car Myths What does it take to race on a An insider’s look at the history Snakeskin boots are optional. The difference between myth hillclimb? An understanding and community that made up Great memories come and reality may depend on significant other for starters. Abingdon’s auto legacy. standard. your experiences. On the Cover: there is more online! The tip of the iceberg. That’s what you’re holding in your hands. Few people have more fun The MossMotoring.com archive is chock full of stories and a wealth of technical than Julius Abellera. He lives advice. If you could just see the shelves and file cabinets of material each day Triumphully. we’re gradually digitizing… holy smokes! But it is worth it! Check out www.MossMotoring.com today! writers and photographers WE WANT YOU! hare your experience, wisdom and talent with British car enthusiasts across the country. Contributors whose work is selected for use in the magazine will Sreceive Moss Motors Gift Certificates! Now, since there is no way to print all the terrific stories and tech articles that are sent to us, we will place relevant and first-rate submissions on MossMotoring.com for all to enjoy and benefit. Sorry, submissions that are published online are not eligible for gift certificates. [email protected] The very best way to submit material is via email. Please attach digital photos at full size when possible. Film photographs and handwritten articles may be mailed to: Editor – Moss Motoring 16 20 440 Rutherford St. Goleta, CA 93117 Defining Moments Teen TR Tales With a Healey as your Raymond’s guardian angel $ wingman, even your license worked quite a few hours of 200 Gift Certificates plate has a story to tell. overtime. And spoke with a Three- to four-page stories and articles British accent. (approx. 1800 words). This includes: technical/restoration articles, historic accounts, Club and Event experiences and anything that will inspire or entertain. Please include pictures for us to choose from—the more, the better. Editorial contributions to Moss Motoring Published by Moss Motors, Ltd., are welcomed and should be emailed to 440 Rutherford Street, $ [email protected] 100 Gift Certificates or mailed to Editor – Moss Motoring, Goleta, CA 93117 Cover and main feature photography, general 440 Rutherford St., Goleta, CA 93117. 800-667-7872 interest stories or medium-length tech articles. Moss Motors assumes no responsibility Publisher: Robert Goldman for lost or damaged materials. Materials accepted are subject to such revision as Moss Motoring Team: required to meet the requirements of this $ publication. Unless otherwise specified, Editor: David Stuursma 50 Gift Certificates all correspondence will be considered Editor-at-large: Kevin Flint Tech tips, cartoons, illustrations, for publication. All materials accepted Creative Editor: Brandin Aguayo become the sole property of Moss Motors, humorous anecdotes and other odds-n-ends Ltd., which reserves the right to reprint/ Website Designer: Tyl er Wright that help make Moss Motoring great. republish accepted materials. Staff Photographer:Damon Schnepf © 2018 Moss Motors, Ltd. Contributors credited individually Some art created by Freepik LOUD PEDAL Are they spare parts or art? greasy old car parts. It was a gradual No doubt you’ll laugh at me for this, transformation. A spare master cylinder but I’m determined to fit within my new from my first MGB begat a spare SU space. My neighbor, a world-class pack carb, and then an old ball bearing which rat, can barely maneuver in his place. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw If that isn’t bad enough, he’s got storage away, etc. The justifications to keep old locations all over the area, and greedily parts tracked the growth of my little eyes my space whenever he comes by. British car addiction. “I may need that I’m not going there, but I’m not out of Robert Goldman some day.” the woods yet either. Fast-forward nearly 40 years, and In hopes of better space utilization, f you’re old enough to remember moving from one location to another has do I go to the local big box and buy the stop motion animation classic, become an exercise in getting those old, some of those compelling plastic storage Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, broken down boxes, leaking greasy parts boxes? One can spend an awful lot on you may also remember the Island out of long since burst seams, from point those. All the while, there is another Iof Misfit Toys. In my new workshop, A to point B one more time. This latest vexing question, how do I decorate my I’m nearing completion of the I-beam of move was the last straw. I’m in what I space? "What if I were to…" and the Redundant Intake Systems. It’s similar, think will be a long term location. It’s I-beam of Redundant Intakes is born. but different. time to empty the boxes, chase out the You see, that big ole I-beam holding up At some point in the process of spiders, and organize. After a lifetime the mezzanine is begging for decoration. maturation, my childhood definition of moving from one temporary storage The Jag tri-carb set won’t fit in a little of toys changed from Hot Wheels to location to another, the need to organize plastic storage bin. The Triumph PI is strong. system is escaping its broken down New space: need more stuff. cardboard box, and maybe the two would look kinda cool on display. Drill baby drill. Using my time honored method of measuring once and drilling twice, the I-beam has taken form. Each item on the beam has value as car parts, but I’m starting to wonder if any will ever find a home. Jags cost too much to buy one just so I can use my carb set. The dream of adding PI to a TR250 died when someone asked Brian Furestenau, of Group 44 fame, for advice on installing Lucas fuel injection on his 250. Brian’s brief response: “Bring a big fire extinguisher.” Then there is the Healey factory intake manifold for a 948 Sprite. Except, I have a ’64 Midget, with a 1275 and Moss supercharger. I should have sufficient starter and generator cores to last my lifetime, and yours. However, they make poor decorations. Perhaps, as I slowly organize, other bits of “art’ will come to light. I have all winter to think about it. After all, the I-beam represents three full shelves of now available storage space. This is working great. MM Two Years on THE HILL By Walt Peterson arly August 2016, Polish in 1955 in an ex-Grand Prix Maserati. Mountain Hillclimb, Saturday Back then, the race was called the morning, Green light. Off Breakneck Hillclimb. This event on the start line. No bog. No public roads was stopped, then revived Speed is velocity. Ewheel spin. Then a smooth shift to in 2006. second gear. Revs build like the Hill, Speed is not emotion. rising quickly into the fast lefthander Volunteer Angels Speed is the application at Turn 1. In third gear at 4,500 RPM, After the impact, corner workers of skill to sound principles. I approach the apex. Sure and strong are at the car immediately. I unbelt and the Healey 3000’s straight-six produces climb out to catch my breath and survey – E. Paul Dickinson gobs of torque. Suddenly it happens: the damage. A worker hands me the a red flag waves in my vision, like a beehive turn signal lens, unbroken. I sharp stick about to poke my eye. I react glare at the woman holding the red flag quickly and wrongly, lifting the throttle but don’t say anything—just a case- and stabbing at the brake pedal. The hardened stare. back end of the Healey comes all the Unloading the Healey from the way around, swinging the left front rollback in the paddock, people quietly fender into the Armco barrier. stare, sorry for me but glad it is not Like the corners of “Weatherly” their racecar. A hillclimb represents a and “Giants Despair,” Turn 1 will unique type of motorsport. Drive hard make or break a run. Get a fast launch enough and it is not a question of if you and a strong pull to take the first turn at will go off the road in competition. You speed, keep that rhythm and the time can count on it. And there are no soft clock at the end will reflect the start. offs, no getting back on the road and But my third run is going to be the finishing the run. There are culverts, finish of the competition this weekend. phone poles, guardrails, drainage After the morning rain I was poised ditches. to break the class record in Vintage II, In August, the Appalachian roads but now the weekend has become a look like a green cathedral with sunlight flat tire, a crumpled front fender, and streaming through the trees, but an Walt Peterson | 1962 Austin Healey 3000 the bling of a broken headlight on this hour later the sun will move and the mountain road.