The Dark Wob

True & I think if you check a car registered as MOT exempt on the DVLA site it doesn't show the history. I won't find out as when my MOT exempt bike gets rebuilt it won't go near an MOT station.

I have registered mine as MOT exempt but it still shows the MOT pass. I bet the DVLA software engineers loved all these corner cases!

My VW T2 is the same, it was built in 1968 but still has MOTs.

I'll do the same with the MGB when/if it eventually returns

Hooli wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:28 pm True & I think if you check a car registered as MOT exempt on the DVLA site it doesn't show the history

You can still bring up the history of my old heaps, and they are registered Historic, so MOT/tax exempt. On the tax check site it says the MOT info is "unavailable" or something to that effect.

Ahhh ok. I've not tried as I've still not swapped my old bike over.

Just to close this thread off this year, the old girl has been put back away in storage. I still need to go back to disconnect the battery (or just remove fuse 4 to cut the radio power) and put drip trays underneath.

Incidentally that's a good picture that shows how useless those lights are.



That is probably it now until Spring next year. Upon which she'll need an oil change and grease points seeing to. I might even get the original rostyles properly refurbed and tyres swapped on over the winter (she's on a second hand cheap set of rostyles). Also maybe get the light wiring seeing to.

She does need some bodywork doing, most notably under the drivers wing on the trumpet. Also the offside rear suspension mount is looking a bit on the crusty side too. Depending how far I get and go with the Dolly bodywork, the BGT maybe pulled out and worked on this winter. Providing we actually ever end up moving.

cros wrote: ↑Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:28 am You can buy a new pair of springs for around £100 including vat & carriage which probably means that a factory somewhere is knocking them out for about £15 apiece; probably just about good enough to support the car when sitting in the garage.

Came across this company at the NEC They do replacement leaf springs, manufactured in the UK down in Cornwall Not cheap though
https://britishclassiccarparts.com/coll ... spring-set

He reckoned that the price that Moss sells their springs, he can't even get the raw material for. Not least as the MGB are 7 leaf springs. They stock springs for many other cars and compared to many other stockist of far Eastern imported car parts they are competitive. However the MGB seems to be the bellwether for cheap car parts.

I personally never heard of them until today. Not sure how good a reputation the company has. Tempted to buy a set as mine as pretty low nowadays if they're any good. The quality of the leaf springs define how the car drives, so will pay to have good quality ones. Not least because I like to drive my cars hard and I definitely don't want a failure.

Just looked at Jones springs and GB springs who both claim to manufacture in the UK. However neither seem to have prices for parabolics to fit an MGB even though they do list this type of spring in some guises. The Cornish springs look very expensive. Foreign made springs don't have to be rubbish, the notion that a country turning out millions of I-pads is incapable of manufacturing cart springs is absurd- you simply get what you pay for.
I've had parabolics on landrovers for 25 years and a set on the MGB for about a year. They are better and remain so for much longer, though not by the margins claimed. There's so much shite written about MGBs, one criticism being that with the modern steel spring wind-up is a problem. Millions of new vans and most mid-sized HGVs with greater power and a longer spring work without an anti-tramp bar.

I have read a lot about MGBs and heard a lot of bores slating them . I always assumed they were horrible to drive, until I drove one ten years ago and was pleasantly surprised.

I guess that maybe sometimes it's because they're worn out.

My VW T2 was terrible at first but after a lot of time and money, mainly on renewing the suspension but also the gear change it's really nice to drive now. Mind you I suppose it depends on what you're used to.