ISSUE 1, 2019 Driving and Dashing Winter fun in a British car Repair & Rebuild! Save up to 30% on a wide range of products Little Car Big Heart 60 years of Mini MossMotoring.com REPAIR & REBUILD IT'S TIME TO GET SAVE % SALE VALID 1/7– 2/1/19 SALE UPYOUR TO HANDS30 DIRTY Come See Some Old Friends June 8 – Petersburg, Virginia Learn more about Motorfest and register at MossMotors.com/Motorfest Motorfest is more than a car show. It’s a • British Sports Car Show & Awards fun sports car reunion with friends from all • Mazda Miata Show & Awards A Great over the country, good food you don’t have to • Moss Warehouse Tours Summer cook, and the doors of Moss Motors are open • Bounce House For the Kids to you. We can’t wait to show you around! • Music Dj, Vendor Booths, and More! Event! BRAKES // COOLING CHECK OUT THE INSERT INSIDE ▷ FUEL // WIRING HARNESSES 4 9 12 16 Warm Winter Mini Turns 60 Safety Fast! Mini 1275 GTS Memories Learn about the origins of Inspection For a time, South Africa one of the most iconic and built perhaps the best Mini For most, snow and British Leave your worries delightful cars ever made. of them all. cars do not mix. Ever. But (and your excuses) behind. that wasn't always the case. On the Cover: there's more online! The tip of the iceberg. That’s what you're holding in your hands. Rytis Petrauskas from Lithuania The MossMotoring.com archive is chock full of stories and a wealth of technical piloted his 1965 MGB the past two advice. If you could just see the shelves and file cabinets of material years in the Rallye Monte-Carlo we’re gradually digitizing… holy smokes! But it is worth it! Historique. Full story coming soon! Check out www.MossMotoring.com today! writers and photographers: WE WANT YOU! Share your experience, wisdom and talent with British car enthusiasts across the country. Contributors whose work is selected for use in the magazine will receive 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 440 Rutherford St. Goleta, CA 93117 19 22 $200 Gift Certificates Small Towns Dog Days Three- to four-page stories and articles (approx. 1800 words). This includes: Rethink your travel plans. Man's best friends make technical/restoration articles, historic accounts, Small Town America great Motoring Challenge Club and Event experiences and anything that welcomes you! companions. will inspire or entertain. Please include pictures for us to choose from—the more, the better. $100 Gift Certificates Cover and main feature photography, general interest stories or medium-length tech articles. $50 Gift Certificates Tech tips, cartoons, illustrations, Editorial contributions to Moss Motoring Published by Moss Motors, Ltd., humorous anecdotes and other odds-n-ends are welcomed and should be emailed to 440 Rutherford Street, [email protected] that help make Moss Motoring great. or mailed to Editor – Moss Motoring, Goleta, CA 93117 440 Rutherford St., Goleta, CA 93117. 800-667-7872 Moss Motors assumes no responsibility Publisher: Robert Goldman for lost or damaged materials. Materials Correction: accepted are subject to such revision as Moss Motoring Team: required to meet the requirements of this In the previous Moss Motoring it was stated the MGB publication. Unless otherwise specified, Editor: David Stuursma was the first production monocoque chassis by MG, all correspondence will be considered Editor-at-large: Kevin Flint when in fact the honor belongs to the Magnette which for publication. All materials accepted Creative Editor: Brandin Aguayo become the sole property of Moss Motors, debuted in 1953 and was designed by Gerald Palmer. Ltd., which reserves the right to reprint/ Website Designer: Tyler Wright republish accepted materials. Staff Photographer:Damon Schnepf © 2019 Moss Motors, Ltd. Contributors credited individually LOUD PEDAL by Robert Goldman Moss Secrets… Revealed? h yes, back in the day… Back strategy, if you can get in there early and of knowledge may be more diffuse in in the day, we used to wait get customers to remove all the original future, but we all benefit, so long as the ten years after a car was out parts, to be replaced with accessories, knowledge is not plain lost. of production before creating then 20 years later you can sell them In my own limited contact with the Aa catalog. It wasn’t so much a written back all the original bits. Now I’ve gone market, little snippets of information, policy as a guideline. The feeling was and done it. or the right question asked at the right that no one would care about said Speaking of giving away the farm, at moment, can have a profound effect. vehicles until they had aged past their the Motorfest Friday evening Pre-Party Two years ago, I was asked if Moss “disposable lighter” phase (use ’em up this June, we’re going to do something a would ever get serious about Jaguar. I and throw them away). Fortunately, by little different. You are going to be there, couldn’t tell the questioner at the time, the time Mazda put their iconic Miata of course. This year’s pre-party will be but his question helped affirm in my out into the market, we had outgrown held at the nearby Pamplin Historical own mind we were doing the right thing that thinking. Park. For the evening’s program, among in negotiating to buy XKs Unlimited. It only took us five years to figure other things, we will host an open Q&A More recently, at the JCNA out Mazda had something there, and session with members of Moss Motors’ International Jaguar Festival held in we should start paying attention. What senior management. Santa Barbara, a Jaguar representative seems like only yesterday, in fact, As I write this, the first generation was asked about making higher level, happened 25 years ago. 2019 represents of classic British owners are passing out more expensive “concours quality” the 30th Anniversary of the Miata, and of the hobby. In recent years, within parts. The question ended up with me. our 25th selling parts for them. As with Moss, we have had several long-term I had about one minute to answer, but the evolution of our British catalogs, the staff retire as well. Several individuals, was complimented by a couple folks passing of years means each new Miata on whom we have all relied for their afterward for my forthright answer. catalog offers a greater selection of knowledge and enthusiasm, are no With Motorfest, I hope, we have a mechanical repair and restoration bits. longer with us. Going forward, the chance to strip away a little of the At the risk of giving away the magic connection between owners, clubs, mystery of what we do and why. beans of classic sports car parts selling and vendors needs to evolve. Sources Making obsolete parts for obsolete cars is a unique challenge. Here is your chance to work with us in mapping out our future together. Will we answer any and all questions, regardless of subject? As Captain Kirk once said: “You can ask.” And even if we can’t prove humans really did land on the moon, stick around until Saturday. There’s gonna be one heck of a good car show on Saturday. That part I can guarantee. MM Last year we celebrated with Michael Grant as he transitioned to retirement. Michael headed our technical department and was with Moss for a total of 31 years. Along with his creativity and humor, Michael’s Healey expertise and enthusiasm are sorely missed. MossMotoring.com 3 Dashing through the Snow MG Vintage racer and all-around MG enthusiast, Frank Mount in his youthful days, frolicking in the Canadian snow with his MGTC. There's something magical, and When I received the following The frosty photos accompanying the more than a little taboo, about driving story from Jamie Boss, I didn't mind story each have their own tales to tell, a sports car in the snow. Onlookers that he didn't have any snowy photos and I hope they bring back wintertime think you're nuts and would never do to go with it. I can picture the snow memories many of you I'm sure can that if it were their car. Or so they say as covered scenes clearly in my mind easily recall. they continue to stare at the sight of it. through his words. Happy New Year from Moss Motors! MULTI-TOOL ast year, my ancient lawn tractor finally died and left me without Lany way to clear my driveway. I needed something that was geared low to push snow. Something with more than twenty horsepower. I needed something that was small and nimble that I could maneuver into tight spots. Wait, what was under that cover? Yes, my little British car! I’ll clean up the whole neighborhood! — Cliff Maurer 4 MOSS MOTORING "I put this Sprite together from two separate wrecks. Won my HOMEWARD share of gymkhanas with it." BOUND By Jamie Boss ost young men in high school were passionate about something.