Bill Schultz's Journal

Well, it was one year ago this week I bought and brought home my current 1974 B. I picked it up in Watervliet NY, just above Albany. The 80 plus miles to its new driveway was uneventful except for the awful noise of metal dragging on asphalt as we were passing through Stockbridge MA on the Mass Pike. Stan, the friend I hired to help me pick up the car with his car dolly, had the same look on his face as I did, thinking it was the drive shaft, exhaust system or worse when a please look cam over Stan's face. "I know what it is" he said with a smile as we pulled into the emergency lane. We both hopped out and he told me to stand on a part of the dolly, which immediately lifted it up and he bent over and inserted a oin in the hole supporting the pivot point on the dolly. "All set" he said and off we went to the final destination for this trip, my home.
From Nove of 2016 until May of 2017, I dumped 2 pints each of Mystery Oil, Brake Fluid and a quart of acetone into the cylinders, hoping for the engine to UN-seize, Nothing worked, including pushing the car up the driveway with my Saturn Ion with the MG in 1st gear. The rear tires would drag of the right one would spin a little, which I could not imagine was anything good to be doing.
Meanwhil, I sorted out minor electrical problems for the lights and started running new lines, replacing the rear shoes and calipers and pads up front. Right side is done still must get at the left side.
In May I started planning on a rebuild of the engine and then I saw an ad on facebook on the MG Appreciation pages for a used, running 1800 from a 1975. Surprisingly, it was at a small MG shop just 30 miles from my place, I called Geoff and made a deal after confirming the compression was good. I was ready to pick it up when my left eye's Retina decided to let go. Emergency surgery and six weeks later, I was back at it.
I picked up the motor and pulled the froze '74 and the tranny out of the car. I replaced clutch components and had the flywheel trued up. Swapped the face plate so the new mounts would fit the frame of the '74 and replaced the rear mount on the tranny. One of the more fun jobs to perform on these cars, but all was being re assembled and installed by October, I had also replaced the jets and seats and needles in the carbs. One of the carb, the front, was pretty tight as far as the piston movement in the vacuum dome. I sanded the edges of the poston and it seems to be free moving now.
After installing the tranny and motor, I attached the battery and turned the key, Click, Click. That's what it did before I did all the work on it. You would think I would have had the started tested while it was out of the car for weeks, but noooo. So, I had to pull the started and replace it with one I got in less than 24 hours after ordering from O'Riely Auto Parts. Great store.
I put the new starter in as the temps were hovering around 47 degree's. My goal was to have the MG running before the snow flies, oh, I do not have a garage.
I installed the new starter, reattached the battery, turned the key and Whir...Whir went the engine. That wonderful sound of an MG motor sounded like the most wonderful thing I have heard in a long time...it is to THE WEEK that it turned over, one year before, when I bought the car and brought it home.
Now, two day after the started being installed, November turned into February with 14 degree temps and wind chills to 4 degrees! When more seasonable temos return, I will finish attaching the overflow lines and other assorted lines under the hood, attache the lawn mower gas tank to the carbs and start the adjustments to get it running, Oh, the floors will be done in the spring, I started cutting them out in the summer...rusted through. Also the gas tank need a good examination and I will purchase a new fuel pump over the winter...Ah, but I just feel good that the engine turnds over and I am that much closer to going for a ride...