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MG MGA - jack pouch

Did the jack supplied with the MGA come in a pouch or bag? If so, what was this made of?

Thanks! George
George G.

George, from what I remember reading somewhere is that the jack was rolled up into the larger tool wrap and strapped in with the other tools. Wrap itself was some sort of latex or vinyl black exterior wrap and interior liner was a heavy jute material. Hopefully others will pipe in to confirm or correct.
Nick Kopernik

George

I am not aware of a specific jack bag during my many years of jack cataloguing. I also saw no reference to anything in Barney's tool section, although there is one picture showing a large bag amongst a display tool layout that could tie in with Nick's comments. May be Gordon Pugh can supply the answer.

Steve
Steve Gyles

In CLAUSAGERS, there is only one photo of the jack in the trunk, but it is not shown rolled up in the tool kit. The comment accompanying the photo states: "In this photo, the tool bag is strapped in place and the jack sits on show". Can one construe from this statement that the jack should be tied up in the tool pouch and for this photo it was removed to display it? There was also a statement that supplementary tools were available in a roll up as dealer installed options, but nothing regarding jack storage. Did find this regarding the materials used to make the tool roll and an interesting comment re a jack bag: "The hardest thing to reproduce was the material used for the toolroll and jack bag. The original was made from a latex covered hessian/jute material....." This was found at the following site:

http://members.optusho me.com.au/inpoint/page4.html

Another "jack" site which may be of interest is:

http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/shelley_jacks.htm


Nick Kopernik

Nick

Your last link is my database site!

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve, and a great site it is; must have taken a very long time to get the detail in. Wonderful work!
Nick Kopernik

Reason I asked is that there is a "British car jack bag" on ebay now, item number 271906896672. Not sure if the seller really knows what it is, and it seems to be made of canvas, different than the original tool roll or spare tire cover on the 1500 cars.
George G.

Nick

It all started by accident and because of banter by the guys on this BBS back in the early 2000s. In those days MGA information on the MGA was just coming to life on the internet. I wanted to know what jack I needed for my 1958 MGA. I got a lot of bits of information and eventually sorted it. One of the chaps suggested I put my findings on my newly formed website, which I did. In short time I started getting data sent to me by the various MG Registers, and the Healey and jaguar clubs. Then someone asked about values; then handles; then other make of jacks etc. I ended up having to buy an anorak (British term for a hobby addict?). There are now 14 databases covering 450 British historic car jacks with links to about 250 cars. I get about 160 emails a week, including saved searches. I guess I spend about 10 hours or so a week on it. Talk about a labour of love, but nothing compared to what Barney has produced.

Why did I ever want to know what jack I needed!!!!!.... and no, I have no intentions of adding jack bags to the databases!

Incidentally, there is good money to be made from rare jacks. A Shelley LJ225 variant for the E-Type recently sold for $1800.00.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I'll have to keep my eyes open for opportunities to buy these. Never expected that they could become so valuable!
Nick Kopernik

George

I have done a lot more searching both on the internet and my documents and have been unable to find any more info on a jack bag. Sorry I cannot help more. Nevertheless, I will be interested in the outcome and will put something against the entry in my Shelley database.

Slightly off topic, but still all about jacks and values. I got an email from a professional tools vendor who did some sums comparing the relative values of specific jacks against the cars they were issued with. He has an original and very rare C-Type Jaguar jack. He reckoned it should be worth $103,000.00!!! He declined to tell me at this stage what make and variant the jack is. Shame, I might have one in my garage!

Steve
Steve Gyles

George

Having said I could not help you, I just found an interesting Austin Healey document in my archives. It showed the original toolkit for the some of the 100 series around the time the MGA made its appearance. The Healey at this time used the Shelley LJ23, the same as the early MGAs - you did not mention whether your jack is the LJ23 on early cars or the LJ225 that was issued with the last MGAs (the bulk of the cars used the King Dick B1077).

Anyway, the attached picture shows the Healey 100 toolkit with its own jack bag and handle bag for the LJ23. Two types of bag material were used: a very thin oilcloth type material and a slightly heavier light-weight leathercloth. Both were black.

The Healey's later LJ225 (same variant as ours) did not have a bag. It was attached to the trunk wall with a woven strap.

The question is of course can you read any of this across to the MGA? It is worth remembering that the Healey went down the Abingdon production lines alongside the MGA and shared many bits from the supply bins.

Steve

Steve Gyles

Steve, interesting information. My jack is a King Dick B1077, I sent you photos of it about 2-3 years ago. In my own limited research on the bag subject, I found that Scarborough Faire offers a jack bag, not actually stating that it is a reproduction however. Perhaps I'll contact them and ask. It looks like the one in the photo you posted. Also, Todd Clarke's MGA Technical Guide has a very good description of the tool roll and its contents, but says nothing about a jack bag, and Todd has a lot of MGA detail info available.

George.
George G.

George

Of course you did; I should have realised. I was just researching Shelley. I have cross-checked the King Dick B1077 with Austin Healey and some 100 Series cars used the jack from 1954 until about October 1955. Their concours reference guide says that all 100 series cars had "....a jack with handle (with tool bags for each)". So I guess what I said in my previous post is also relevant for the King Dick.

Makes you wonder if MGA took over the supply of the King Dicks when Healey finished with them in October 1955. That could account for only very early MGAs having the Shelley LJ23.

Steve
Steve Gyles

My original tool kit (long since sold off) had a large bag that was wide enough to hold the screw jack lying down, and long enough to hold the disassembled 3-piece jack handle. Since the "handle" end of the bag was mostly empty, the smaller tool roll was always rolled up and stuffed into the "jack bag". The whole assembly they sat on top of the spare tire and was attached to the the bulkhead with a pair of web straps. Since both jack and handle fit nicely into the large bag, there seems to be no reason for them to have any other separate bags.
barneymg

George here is a picture of a jack bag. Hope this helps, Duncan

A Dickinson

I thought of this thread as the attached link of a recent A auction does have a couple of photos of original tools and their storage pouches:

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22792/lot/63/


Nick Kopernik

Two more candidates for a "jack bag" are on ebay now. Item numbers 181954597013 and 172022223446.
George G.

George, the first of those is the same as the one in my MGB that I believe is original.

I don't know about the second one, but I believe the jack and handles were put in the large bag as shown above by Duncan and in Nick's link. That looks like the most original and unmolested tool kit I have ever seen!


Neil MG

This thread was discussed between 29/07/2015 and 13/12/2015

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