It would be easy to get hooked on the EV classic MGB Restomod

| November 21, 2020

Check out rbwevcars.com

Made a new car guy connection when discussing the Packard

| August 29, 2020

On Friday afternoon I stopped in to talk with Rick Benhase, the guy looking at the Packard transmission for me. He is a truly old car nut and can’t seem to get rid of his “fleet” once he buys or fixes them. This applies to more than just cars, too (read below if you must […]

Chasing vacuum leaks in the Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel

| August 22, 2018

It is probably something one should get use to with an older Mercedes Benz, but it can be frustrating and tiring to say the least — that is fixing vacuum leaks. The 1982 MB 300D Turbodiesel is a great car and has a limited number of electrical components compared to newer vehicles. That in turn […]

Visiting parents and tinkering with MBG timing and carb

| July 22, 2012

It was nice to spend Saturday at home after traveling this past week although I did enjoy Thursday evening with Brenda’s mom and dad and then Friday evening with my mom at the rehab/nursing facility. Mom is improving a little bit … emphasis on “little.” Hopefully we are turning the corner? Surprisingly I actually do […]

One MGB carburetor problem solved but another shows up

| November 5, 2011

First the good news … the problem I have been having with the idle was as expected due to the Weber carburetor and after taking it apart and cleaning the jets with a small welding tip cleaner has been fix. The engine idles like a kitten (although a hungry cold one left outside – a […]

Taking apart and cleaning the MBG Weber Carburetor jets

| November 5, 2011

Having trying all the suggestions offered up by my car guru friends, but still unable to get the MGB to purr at idle without the choke, I’m giving the carburetor jets a thorough cleaning on Saturday. I’m hoping that either something small is blocking the jets or some kind of varnished gasoline or gunk is […]

Hmm … re-powering the MG … but will it fit?

| November 2, 2011

Since I’m having a few problems getting my carburetor/idle issue corrected on my tiny MGB, perhaps picking up a new engine might be a solution? Mopar® to Highlight Cubic Inches and Horsepower at SEMA – 800 horsepower V-10 Crate engine takes center stage at SEMA – Gen III High Output HEMI® V-8 with 590 horsepower […]

Fooling around with the Kodak Playsport Zx5 in camera mode

| November 1, 2011

Kodak Playsport Zx5 macro focus testing (click for larger) While shooting some video with the Brenda’s Kodak Playsport Zx5 this past weekend I thought about the excellent autofocus camera on the new iPhone 4s and decided to test the macro focus on our my wife’s all-weather camcorder; if the lighting and distance is right, it […]

The continuing MGB Weber 32/36 DGV carburetor problem

| October 29, 2011

As I continue to diagnose and tinker with my MGB and the Weber 32/36 DGV carburetor and manifold kit that replace the Zenith carb, I’m still having problems figuring out why it will not idle off of choke. So as long as I have the choke on, the car will idle hot or cold at […]

Diagnosing the Weber carburetor on the MGB

| October 25, 2011

Compression on all four cylinders is good after machining the head (photo with Kodak Zx5) I’m still trying to figure out why I’m having a problem with the MGB idle and setting the carburetor. After finally calling Bob at Brit-tek, I thought I would send a video (below) which helps to describe my Weber carb […]

Watching football, rugby, baseball and a less than simple assembly

| October 24, 2011

This past weekend felt like I was spinning my wheels and wasting time. A little cleaning around the house, watching some football and rugby (below), some brief tinkering with the carburetor on the MGB (which is still not right) and finally assembled Brenda’s “inversion machine” – don’t ask.  The latter took most of Sunday afternoon […]

Enjoyed stopping to see a new friend’s 1966 MGB

| October 20, 2011

  While traveling this week, (and watching out for wild, exotic animals) … I stopped to visit with a car friend I met online and to see his 1966 MGB. He has been sitting on his little British car since the 1980s and wondered what I thought it would take to get it back on […]

Similar MGB to ours made an appearance in a 2010 movie

| October 6, 2011

I haven’t watched the movie “A Little Help,” but did noticed that Chris O’Donnell was driving a mid-seventies MGB with a similar color to ours – you know that, “yellow vomit” color. (or since I’m talking MGB, perhaps it is “colour”) I’m not sure just because the MG makes an appearance that I’ll be renting […]

Continuing to enjoy the slow rebuilt of the MBG

| October 2, 2011

Friday night and Saturday morning gave me a few more hours to disassemble the MBG engine once again, although this time I also removed the head. As noted previously, the #2 intake valve was sticking in an open position taking compression to zero. Under further inspection, I can see that it doesn’t seat correctly … […]

Good news and bad news for the MGB idle problem

| September 28, 2011

So much for the carburetor tuning and electrical issues that have frustrated me lately (posted yesterday) … it wasn’t the problem. Can you tell what the problem is from this photo? I’ve been struggling to figure out why the 1975 MGB would not run smoothly at idle … now I know …  the problem is […]

MGB engine rebuild photos on Microsoft Skydrive

| September 20, 2011

While still tweaking the new WordPress install, I wanted to test Windows LiveWriter and the online Skydrive set-up for ease of displaying a gallery of photos. It may be an easy way to upload and include photos, but I’m not all that pleased with how it works. The below photos are a few after starting […]

Carpe Diem

| June 10, 2005

Reading a post this morning in a forum I visit regularly and daughter reading a tribute article about a figure skater got me thinking about ‘today.’ Am I making the most of each day? To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, Lady, were no crime We […]

’75 MGB lives!

| May 9, 2005

Mother’s Day 2005 was a good day for both mom and son. Taylor, who is turning 16 this summer, had a great day as he had an opportunity to drive our 1975 MBG we have been working on this winter. Last month we were able to finish the mechanical work on the engine and without […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog