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MG MGA - 3.9:1 crown wheel & pinion set, £4

While visiting my mum recently, I dug out several issues of "Safety Fast," the old BMC house magazine that ceased publication after the Leyland-BMC merger. In the September 1968 issue was a "special offer to Safety Fast readers." Included were the £4 MGA crown wheel and pinion set, an MGA 1500 domed-top piston set, also £4, and an Italian-made MGA wood-rim steering wheel for £3. I was kicking myself for not having had the foresight to buy this stuff when my car was much newer, but then I saw the note: (U.K. readers only.)

Ken
k v morton

Discontinued?

I get my Safety Fast! every month

Appologies for the name not being typed in italics, don't think that is possible on here. :)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

This is not the current club publication; this is the old "Safety Fast" that was published by British Motor Corporation before the merger with Leyland. "Safety Fast" covered MG, Austin Healey, Mini, and various other BMC cars. In 1970, British Leyland replaced "Safety Fast" with "High Road" which covered the entire BL lineup. "High Road" was to be targeted more at the family man than the enthusiast driver.

Ken
k v morton

Ken

What is your source of information on Safety Fast?

My understanding is that it has been an MGCC magazine since 1959.

http://www.mgcc.co.uk/about-the-club-topmenu-85/safety-fast-magazine-topmenu-222.html

Steve
Steve Gyles

See here also:

http://www.mgcc.co.uk/about-the-club-topmenu-85/mg-club-history.html

It seems that F. Wilson McComb, an MG employee, edited Safety Fast for the MGCC in-house at Abingdon from 1959.

Yes, MG came under the influence/control of BMC/Leyland, but it was always an MGCC publication.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve,

My source is the November 1968 issue of “Safety Fast” that I am holding in my hand. The cover says “FINAL ISSUE OF ‘SAFETY FAST.’ Inside, the contents page says “© BRITISH MOTOR CORPORATION 1968.” On page four, “Idling” by editor Stuart Seager begins, “Well, this is the end of the road – the very last issue of ‘Safety Fast,’ nearly ten years since it was first published in April 1959.” Stuart goes on to explain that “all the existing BMC, Triumph, and Rover ‘user magazines’ are to be replaced by one British Leyland magazine, to be called ‘High Road.’” The stack of ‘High Road’ magazines in my library attests to the fact that my ‘Safety Fast’ subscription was converted to ‘High Road.’

But really guys, I wasn’t trying to start an argument about ‘Safety Fast’ magazine. I just wanted to point out that in 1968, you could buy a set of 3.9:1 differential gears or a set of domed pistons from the factory for £4!

Ken
k v morton

Thats interesting I hadn't heard that before so now I am thinking was it around that time 1968ish that British leyland stopped thier support of the MGCC and thus would not have been using Safety Fast as a works/club magazine anymore.
Bet there are hundreds of people know though?
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

‘Safety Fast’ was the “Official organ for the M.G. Car Club and the Austin-Healey Club,” but it was owned and operated by BMC, at least until November of 1968.

I'll see if I can scan the entire November 1968 "Idling" article and post it here.

Ken
k v morton

Ken

Fascinating. It all seems to tie in time-wise with the MGCC being forced out of its Abingdon offices and having to go private. Good bit of history there.

Going back to your £4 CW/P set, and to put it into perspective with the cost of living prices in the UK at the time; 3 years earlier, in 1965, as a trainee RAF Officer Cadet I was being paid £6 5S and 8d a week (£6.25 in today's money). £4 equated to a 1/6 of my monthly take home pay. I guess the modern ones are a similar ratio for the ordinary worker.

Sadly, I have to admit that I still have my pay statements from those days and everyone I have had since!

Steve
Steve Gyles

Here's the first page of the November 1968 “Idling” column by editor Stuart Seager, writing about the demise of 'Safety Fast,' at least as a BMC publication. Perhaps like Mark Twain, reports of 'Safety Fast's' demise were premature.

Ken

k v morton

Here's the second page of the November 1968 “Idling” column.

Ken

k v morton

Forum members,

those are called BMC Safety Fast in MGCC circles.
Starting January 1969 the MGCC started Safety Fast! as the club mag. It was quite slim in those days.
I'm still looking for some copies of the BMC Safety Fast for my collection, so if any of you has some spare issues and want to take part of them ask me first please.

Siggi
Siggi

Siggi,

I have most of 1968. I'm not ready to part with them, but I could look at scanning them.

Ken
k v morton

Ken,
Will you order a couple sets of that 3.9 setup for me? I would really appreciate it, and would probably double your money for the effort involved.
Mike Parker

Mike,

I wish I could. But even in 1968 I couldn't order the gears or the piston set because the offer was for U.K. readers only!

Ken

k v morton

Well now I'm really disappointed.
Mike Parker

Maybe Steve or Robert can order it for you!
k v morton

The MGCC does have some spare archive copies. They sent me dozens of copies from the 80s for conversion into html and they don't need them back. Might be worth dropping them a line to see if they have any older copies going spare.

Steve
Steve Gyles


I was in contact with MGCC Abingdon a few years ago, I got quite few but they left me with a few missing,sorry. They turn up on ebay from time to time, so i'm watching.
from 1969 till now I should have all as a member.
Ken, got all 1968 copies, thanks.

Siggi
sorry for disturbing the 3.9 diff story
Siggi

Hey, I had no idea that the magazine itself would be such a big topic! Besides the "Safety Fast" and "High Road" stash, I also turned up boxes of my old "Sports Car Graphic" magazines from about 1964 to 1970.

Ken
k v morton

I think the MGCC has a full set on file and I believe one other full set exists with a member, I think I know who it is but I wouldn't like to start any rumours that were not correct.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

This thread was discussed between 13/04/2011 and 17/04/2011

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