MG Oil DRIPS 

Seven members of the CCMGC attended TMGR’s GOF in Corsicana, May 16-19: Tom Luin, Joe and Karla Vining, Bruce and Denise Whiteside, and Eric and Bev Van Note. Although the rain on Thursday night had been perilous for some, most of our group enjoyed a caravan from Round Rock on a beautiful Friday afternoon. We stopped in Rockdale for Mexican food, arriving in time for pizza in the parking lot that evening.

The show Saturday morning was in downtown Corsicana, where several blocks were set aside for our little British cars. As the day warmed up, attendees appreciated the shade trees lining the main shopping district, while enjoying dozens of classic cars paralleling historic store fronts. 

A sandwich lunch and business meeting were held at a church meeting space convenient to the show. Some members enjoyed a rallye that afternoon, while others chose to beat the heat by driving through Corsicana’s historic carriage district or relaxing in their hotel rooms.

The Saturday evening banquet was held at the Corsicana Opry. Several members participated in the live and silent auctions, and we all congratulated Tom Luin on his second-place win in Premier Class. The Lucas gods were with us on the drive home on Sunday, which was pleasant and uneventful.

And no, Joe didn't really break down in front of the auto parts store. That photo op was just too good a visual gag to pass up!

--Submitted by Bev Van Note

NAMGBR’s MG2024 was held in Katy, Texas, April 21-24, at the Holiday Inn & Suites adjacent to the Katy Mills Mall. The Houston MG Club was the local host, and they did a masterful job of deflecting heavy rainstorms to allow attendees to visit with old friends we have met over the years attending various national events. The usual complement of drives, tours, tech sessions, and the infamous John Twist Rolling Tech Session provided some 135 entrants with many opportunities to learn more about our beloved MGs.

If you have been to any national event where John Twist does his Rolling Tech, you know that the line is quite long and requires great patience to get before The Master. CCMGC member Bruce Whiteside was early in the queue, and he got under the tent just before noon. While John took a short break to eat a WhataBurger, he started looking Bruce’s LE over and asking Bruce some questions that most of us could not hear. There were probably 20-25 folks crowding around the car trying to hear John’s comments. As soon as the burger was gone, John set about checking the timing and other basics, correcting a few things as he went. When he got to the carbs, he pulled out a two-foot rubber hose (no Uni-Syn allowed) and set about tweaking them until the car was idling very smoothly. John then checked for any carb shaft leaks with some carb cleaner and found none. However, he did discover a leak in the booster pump for the master cylinder. All done, Bruce got about an hour of John’s time and some nice comments from John about his car.

In addition, to Twist's tech session, our own Dave Braun offered a session on rebuilding SU carbs.

The Wednesday night awards banquet moved along at a quick pace. CCMGC was well represented, and trophies were awarded to the following club members:

Crystal Johnson, 1^st Place, 70-72 MGB

Debbie Olson, 1^st Place, 74 ½-76 MGB

Bruce Whiteside, 3^rd Place, 79-80 MGB LE

Joe and Karla Vining, 1^st Place, All MGA

The 2025 NAMGBR will be held in Crystal Lake, Illinois, July 28-31.  See the preview video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1az4ZkU8HdE. Let's caravan for the long drive! 

 

 

---Submitted by Joe and Karla Vining

Saturday, April 27, was a great day for a drive to Kingsland for four couples in the CCMGC: drive leaders Scott and Trish Hardy, Doug and Nancy Breneman, Andy and Jennifer Hempel, and Joe and Karla Vining. Thanks to Scott for a great route with lots of wildflowers and an awesome brunch/lunch spot. If you haven't had a chance to visit Hooper's in Kingsland, the group recommends that you make the drive. It's well worth it!

---Submitted by Karla Vining

Nearly 40 CCMGC members and guests gathered at Champion Park in Round Rock on Sat., April 13, for the annual club picnic. A big thank you to Joe and Karla Vining for planning and organizing another successful event. Eric Van Note and Bruce Whiteside grilled burgers, and club members provided sides and desserts. The weather for our gathering was perfect! Light breezes and a mostly sunny day made for an enjoyable time and a perfect complement to the fields of wildflowers nearby. 

Scott Hardy, Denise Whiteside, and Bev Van Note agreed to continue serving in their respective positions as treasurer, secretary, and website content manager. However, with the departure of our current president, Martyn Atterton, as he prepares to move back to England, and with Joe Vining stepping down after several years in key positions, the club needs new leadership. Since we currently have no candidates for president or vice president, the conversation about filling those key leadership positions and about what members want from the club going forward will be taken up at the May meeting. 

On a purely personal note, Eric and I have been part of this club for more than 15 years. It's a cooperative, fun, and helpful group. We pitch in and assist each other with events and meetings when needed (just like we did for this picnic). But the group won't run effectively, and perhaps won't continue to run at all, if more of us don't step up. Please consider volunteering! You'll have plenty of help when needed! 

--Photos by Joe Vining and Bev Van Note

On January 24, CCMGC members visited Moment Motors in South Austin for an informative and interesting tour. Moment Motors, started by Marc Davis in 2017, converts classic cars to fully electric operation. Marc explained that they begin with highly restored cars and laser map the engine bay, trunk, and (sometimes) interior. That data is then used to design electric motor placement and, more importantly, the number and placement of batteries to be installed. As Marc says, it’s a case of “more batteries, more range,” but also more weight, so suspension modifications are the norm.

Marc pointed out that the high cost of conversion makes relatively low-cost cars like our MGs unlikely candidates. The cars we saw included older Mercedes SLs, Porsche 911s, a Jag E-Type Coupe and an Austin Healy 3000. They were also working on a beautiful 63 Corvette Split Window.

Depending on needs (and budget), Moment can make the car direct-drive with just an electric motor and no transmission, or they can attach the motor to the existing transmission.

The shifter on several of the direct-drive cars had been changed to a panel with just three buttons: park, forward and reverse. 

After the tour, most of the club members attending went to a nearby taqueria for a nice lunch and great conversation.

Thanks to Henry Reynolds and Joe Vining for organizing this outing and to Marc Davis for sharing his expertise!

--Article submitted by Eric Van Note; photos submitted by Scott Hardy, Joe Vining, and Eric Van Note

A fun crowd gathered at Maggiano’s Little Italy at the Domain for the Capital City MG Club Holiday Party on December 3.  The group was full of good cheer as we enjoyed a tasty Italian lunch and a lively gift exchange where everyone went home a winner.  A British flag blanket was the most popular item – exchanged 2 times.  Our newest club member, Sam Duckett, went home with the blanket. 

Wonderful door prizes were donated by British Parts Northwest.  Lucky winners went home with items like an MG tool bag, a leather gear knob and much more.

British Parts Northwest’s generosity also included a gift certificate valued at $150, which was raffled off with all proceeds going to the Central Texas Food Bank.  Eric Van Note was the lucky recipient!  The club raised over $200 for the Central Texas Food Bank. 

Rick South, Ken Parris, and Eric Van Note recently lent a hand to Will Evans, whose TD needed some brake work. Got Will's car back on the road, enjoyed some pizza together, and had a great time working together.

--Photos submitted by Rick South and Eric Van Note

The 31^st Texas All British Car Day show was blessed with wonderful blue skies and mild temperatures.  After the traditional Friday evening gathering at the Brass Tap in downtown Round Rock, Saturday featured an exciting road rallye, punctuated by an eclipse, and a BBQ lunch at Southside Market in Elgin on Saturday.  This year’s show was held at the Live Oak Brewery, just a stone‘s throw from the Austin airport, and included a first-ever swap meet.  Over 100 entries had assembled by 10:00 am that morning with all of the usual favorites--MGs, Triumphs, Austin Healey’s, Jaguars and Mini Coopers--but also a strong showing of Aston Martins. 

CCMGC was well represented in the afternoon awards ceremony.  Club members Eric Van Note and Bruce Whiteside won first for the Saturday Rallye.  Cars and their owners taking home the gold included Joe Vining and his MGA, Crystal Johnson and her chrome-bumpered MGB, Rick South in the rubber-bumpered MGB category, and Nick Roccaforte in a combined MG/Triumph GT category. Second-place winners included John Mulloy and his MGA, Eric Van Note in the chrome-bumpered MGB class, and Henry Reynolds for his rubber-bumpered MGB. Third-place winners were Tom Luin and his MGTD, Ed Rogus with his chrome-bumpered MGB, and Andy Hempel with his MGB-GT. 

(Left) Bruce Whiteside and Eric Van Note take first in the Rallye

(Right) Rick South earns first in late-model MGB class

--Photos submitted by Henry Reynolds and Joe Vining

--Article submitted by Joe Vining and Bev Van Note

The Gregarious Garrulous Garage Guys and Girls gathered on Sept. 16 at the Van Notes' and Vinings' garages, followed by lunch at Mesa Rosa. We began with coffee and donuts at Eric's, where he showcased collectables such as a telephone from the MG factory and a handcrafted wooden MG toolbox . At Joe's, members enjoyed posters, photos, and other racing memorabilia from his time racing in SCCA events, including Aquafest in downtown Austin. 

--Photos submitted by Scott Hardy, and Eric and Bev Van Note

At our August meeting, Gary Potter addressed the known problem of oil leaking from the rear main scroll seal on the crankshaft after driving some of our little British cars. 

Drip pans for the T-Series are now being fabricated and sold online for about $75. Their solution takes care of the issue for the T-Series, but there are no commercially available solutions for MGA’s. However,  Gary has designed his own MGA drip pan, fabricated out of 22-gauge steel. Below you'll find the template and pictures of his design.

Many thanks to Gary for sharing!

 

--Submitted by Gary Potter