Tappet Chatter March 2016
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March2016 TappetTappet ChatterChatter Tappet Chatter Journal of the MG Car Club of Canberra Number 406 March 2016 0413 646 321 2 MG Car Club Canberra March 2016 Tappet Chatter Number 406 March 2016 Contents: Official Journal of the MG Car Club Canberra Inc President's Piece 5 ABN: 49 156 199 381 Editors Message 7 Torque 8 Correspondence to: Guest Speaker for Feb - Jill Brown 12 Post Office Box 4141 Weston Creek ACT 2611 MG’s on Holidays 14 Wheels 2016 18 Monthly Meetings are held What are the Least Sporty Sports Cars 19 on the second Thursday of Club Run to Uriarra 24 each month, (except Club Calendar 26 January), at St Peter's Midweek Meanders & Other Events 27 Anglican Church Hall, cnr of Sporting Report 28 Parkinson St & Watling Pl, Weston at 7:45pm. Governments 25 Year importation Rules 37 Natmeet Post Tour 39 Banking Details Club Weekend Away 2016 40 BSB: 633-000 Book Review—I Like Old Cars 43 Account: 144920741 Help Line 46 Account Name: MG Car Club Marquet 47 Canberra Inc Acknowledgments – the editorial team says thank you to all who contributed articles and photographs for A ‘Lunchtime Natter’ is held at the magazine. Weston Park, Yarralumla (first Please send contributions for the April 2016 magazine picnic spot on the right) each to the Editor by Friday 25 March 2016 at: Tuesday from 12.30pm. [email protected] The MG Car Club Canberra Inc. accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of Cover photograph articles, correspondence, opinions and advertisements contained herein. Articles may be copied for publication by Car Clubs, but an acknowledgement and due accreditation is expected. Printed Post Approved 100003009 Club Vice President, Kent Brown pushing on in the rain at Wakefield Park on Saturday 27 Feb 16 March 2016 Tappet Chatter 3 MG CAR CLUB CANBERRA INC. LIFE MEMBERS: Margaret Brown OAM, Peter Daley, Malcolm Robertson, Ian Holden, Brian Oxley and Kent Brown. COMMITTEE 2015 - 2016 President: Greg Whitfield 0498 107 658 [email protected] Treasurer: Laurie Gardiner (02) 6293 4191 (h) 0418 488 931 [email protected] Secretary: Trevor Clement (02) 6231 3353(h) 0411 102 759 [email protected] Vice President: Kent Brown (02) 6255 4943 or 0412 558 029 [email protected] Committee Member: Graeme Rossiter (02) 6288 2477 (h) 0431 930 710 (Display Events) [email protected] Public Officer: Trevor Clement [email protected] Committee Member: Mark Horsfield 0415 400 044 (Editor) [email protected] Committee Member: Trevor Finklaire 0408 612 336 (Social) [email protected] NON COMMITTEE 2015 - 2016 CACTMC Delegates: Graeme Rossiter [email protected] Brian Calder [email protected] Social Coordinators: Trevor Finklaire 0408 612 336 [email protected] Graeme Corbett (02) 6299 4920, 0437 679 497 [email protected] Sporting Secretary Kent Brown [email protected] Registrar CRS Greg Whitfield 0498 107 658 (Northside) (Historic Plates:) [email protected] Robert Chilman 0412 024 228 (Southside) [email protected] Regalia: Peter & Val Long (02) 6227 0643 [email protected] Club Library: John Cooper (02) 6288 8093 [email protected] CAMS Delegate: Kent Brown [email protected] Natmeet Coord (2016) Graeme Rossiter [email protected] Club Car Trailer: Laurie Gardiner [email protected] Tappet Chatter Distribution: Robert Chilman 0412 024 228 (Southside) Club Workshop & Equipment Laurie Gardiner (02) 6293 4191 [email protected] Webmaster: Mark Horsfield [email protected] 4 MG Car Club Canberra March 2016 President’s Piece wenty intrepid members of our club joined a similar number of Syd- T ney region Austin-Healey folk on a recent two week drive tour of Tas- mania. More of our experiences (and photos) of the tour will follow in due course, but I might just mention two memorable events. Both events relate to mechanical issues. The first occurred within a couple of hours of disembarking the Spirit of Tasmania on day one of the 14 day tour. We came across Graeme and Jo Corbett pushing their Triumph TR3 off the road in the middle of nowhere. It appeared to be a catastrophic gearbox failure with a tow required. Here is where old meets new! Firstly a phone call for roadside assistance (not entirely successful first off but after some very long waits on hold this was all sorted by the NRMA out of Sydney). So now we need someone who knows how to fix a Triumph. So onto Jo’s iPad (still in the middle of nowhere) Google Triumph Club Tasmania which provides a contact “Peter” and phone no. The situation is explained to Peter who then does some homework and calls back a little later with the name of Goldstar Motors, a nearby business in Launceston with a very good reputation for fixing old British cars! Tow arrives a little later, car delivered to the workshop, a hire car organised by NRMA for Graeme and Jo but still uncertainty as to what was wrong and if it can be repaired. Lo and behold, as we check into our hotel in the early evening, Corbetts drive in with their rental with the news that the Triumph has been fixed and able to be picked up the next day. It appears a bolt had parted from the gear selector mechanism. Put back in place (without having to remove the gearbox thankfully) it was good to go with no more problems on the tour. Event two involved an Austin-Healey of our motel neighbours. We could smell a very strong petrol odour but had no idea of the origin. When their boot was opened to unpack it was all very apparent with their luggage floating in a pool of petrol. A gasket in the sender unit atop the petrol tank had failed; not enough to stop the vehicle running but enough to leak what appeared to be several litres of fuel into the boot. A big clean up ensued with those more knowledgeable in repairs of the marque identifying the issue then obtaining some gasket offcuts from the very helpful garage nearby then using a se- ries of improvised tools (a safety pin was mentioned…), making a new gasket which fixed the heavy leak so much so that several days later the AH went past us heading home on the Hume Highway at a rapid rate of knots with not a care in the world! These two events illustrated a couple of very different things. Firstly, how the failure of a mechanical component of a 55+ year old car was eventually repaired via access to the internet at a remote roadside location with the process involving faceless parties spread across the continent. Who would have thought? And secondly, the absolute value of friendships and the generous assistance available to us in times of need, not only in our respective car clubs, but across that very special breed of motor car enthusiasts to which we belong. It really warms the cockles doesn’t it? In your Marques...get set...Go Greg Whitfield March 2016 Tappet Chatter 5 6 MG Car Club Canberra March 2016 Editors Message Hello travellers of the MG Road, First off this month I must make an apology to Keren Clement and Malcolm Noad as I misspelt their names in the March edition of Tappet Chat- ter It only seems like last week was January, but we are now well in to the cur- rent year with a flurry of events well under way. Sunday Club Runs on the last Sunday of each month have kicked off (check the schedules on pages 26 and 27), as have the Midweek Meanders on the 1st Thursday of the month. The first tour for the year has concluded with 20 club members doing the Tassy tour with the Austin Healey Club, and from all accounts , a wonderful time was had by all, and there were not too many mechanical problems. Next months issue should see a tale, tall, but true published in Tappet Chatter by the adventurous group. Our first Motorkhana for the year was a rousing success thanks to Kent Brown, Chris Hillman and the hoard of volunteers that went out to help. A fun time was had by all. Photo’s have been posted on the website. The Clubs annual Weekend Away is fully subscribed, and the final details are being applied to the Tour fee and itinerary. It should make for a fabulous couple of days. What happens away, stays away ! Natmeet 2016 in Perth is not far off. As a matter of fact, I know some folks are already on the road heading counter clockwise to make sure they get to Perth in time. The Perth club have done an outstanding job keeping us up to date on what is being planned and how best to make the most of our time in the West. Not to mention the detailed planning that has gone into the Post Natmeet Tour, which you can find out more about on page 39. Until April Drive Safe and drive for fun. Mark Horsfield March 2016 Tappet Chatter 7 Torque MG Car Club Canberra on the Web Website: (http://mgcccanberra.org.au) View our website for information on upcoming events, past events and Gallery's Facebook Social Page: (https://www.facebook.com/groups/MGCCCSocial) See what other club members are doing, interesting articles from around the web, or, just catching up or chatting. Workshop Tools and Trailer Natmeet 2016—Perth WA Do you need to borrow tools from the Graeme Rossiter is the club workshop or hire the club car club’s go-to-guy for all trailer ? things Natmeet 2016.