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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Roadmaster

http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&archiveyear=36_2007.dat&access=&subject=36&subjectar=36&source=T&thread=2007040716030628069

Seems we let the thread drop off into the archives, but the above link should bring it up.

To bring things up current, at the V8 meet we came up with the name of, "British American Sportscar Historical society" or "BASH". A second suggestion was "British American Derived Automotive Sportscar Synergy" or "BADASS" which I must admit goes rather well with the character of the cars. So we have a choice to make and I'd like to hear opinions.

We've had more contributions. Graham Creswick who many of you know and who owns a stunningly clean 302 MGB gave me a $100 check at the meet and a local MG owner, Tom Craddock contributed $10 to the cause. These funds bring us up to $212.23 and is enough to justify opening a bank account, something I will do as soon as the incorporation papers are filed. As well, Dan Masters assured me we could have the Jag rear end which he has, we only need to transport it and that shouldn't be much of a problem. If you'll recall, Dan has also assured us that when the time comes to wire the car he will take care of us. Also Jim Stuart reassured me that he has a nice set of aluminum wheels for us, again we just need to get them here from Maryland.

Curtis (V8 Newsletter) has asked me to write an article on the car which I should be able to complete in about a month, and that brings to mind a request I'd like to make of all of you. As each of you who has visited the newsletter site knows, Curtis had developed the newsletter website into something we can all be very proud of, and which we use as a resource on a regular basis. Frankly most of us are quite amazed at what he has accomplished and very much want him to be able to continue a labor which he obviously loves. It just so happens that we can make that happen if we act in concert. I had him explain to me some of the details of how the site can generate revenues and the long and short of it is just this. If we all will make one minor change in our browsing habits we can very easily insure the future of the Newsletter.

http://www.britishv8.org

There is a Google search block on most if not all of the Newsletter pages. If you will make the Newsletter your portal for Google searches (possibly your home page), you will cause the Newsletter to be paid a good bit of money. I forget the exact numbers but if you run a search from the Google block on the Newsletter page it can result in somewhere from a quarter to a dollar or so of revenue, particularly so if you follow the top three search results that come back. Each of these search result is worth something like thirty cents (the links lower on the page to Newsletter articles would not generate revenues of course). And these searches can be for anything you would normally search for, not just car related stuff. In addition there are links across the bottom of the page from left to right. Advertisers bid for these positions and the left ones generate more than the rest, say around a dime or so each time you click on them. I do not recommend that you go click links just to run up the score because that won't work anyway, but I do recommend that you at least check them out from time to time. If we'll all do these things there will be no more worries about financing the newsletter, and perhaps at some point in the future as our sport grows we can even give Curtis a paid position. Personally I can't think of anyone better suited to take us into the next decade. As long as you are going to run searches anyway, you might as well be sending the advertising money to the web site of your choice.

There was a great deal of interest in the Roadmaster project shown at the V8 meet, including some very good potential sponsors. Everyone voiced considerable amazement at what we've been able to accomplish as well as encouragement to continue. It seems we've hit upon something that has popular support, and which has generated a lot of excitement. Those who have been to Florence to help with the car and contributed in other ways are the Founders of the organization and I'd like to call on you for additional support. Carl has expressed an interest in coming back to the "scene of the crime" so to speak and do some more work on the car. I wonder if anyone else realizes the importance of this milestone?

In order to succeed we must persuade people to come and help. But everyone is watching us very closely to see if we will rise or fall. Their main criteria to judge success is the actions of those who have been here. Did they like it? Was it worthwhile? And of ultimate importance, would you do it again? Carl has answered this question in his own inimitable way, but only to me and my presentation of it could be biased. What I would like to do is call on each of you who have been here to assure everyone that you do indeed believe it to be a worthy cause, that you are confident of our success, and that you are or at least would like to plan a return trip.

Now I'm taking quite a risk by making this request. In fact I'm putting the entire project in jepoardy by doing it and keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that I've not made the biggest tactical blunder of the campaign. But I'm doing it because I believe in Carl, Steve, Pete, Dan, Dan Jones, and all of the rest of you who have contributed but have not been able to come to Florence. I know you guys believe in the project and will not let me down, provided you see this message. So I guess I'd better make sure you see it. Anyway, if you would, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd add a note here to let folks know how you feel about it. Don't be swayed by how I'd like it to sound, just give us your own opinion and I think that'll be a big help.

Oh, and don't forget to let me know which name we should use.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I like the BASH name. I do hope to get up there again. I will have to waite till fall before I can get free again.
I am not good at body work, but will help with whatever.

Steve
Steve

Either name is cool with me!
Michael S. Domanowski

Presently BASH holds a razor thin lead. I'll wait until Monday to file, other names are welcomed as well.

Work has resumed on the steering and should be completed on schedule.

Jim

Jim Blackwood

We have learned that BASH is associated with 19 organizations of various types while BADASS has no known associations, making it the stronger of the two acronyms. Thus the balance is delicately tipped in that direction. Comments solicited.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I don't care what you call it, just the idea that a bunch of crazies can & will contribute what they can to build something outragious like this is truley amazing.

Hopefully, it will be completed and show up at a V8 meet, but the progress so far is really a wonder.

Jim, you are a very sick person, and I mean that in the very best way.
Jim Stuart

On the name right now we have:
BASCHS (British American Sports Car Historical Society) BADASS, (British American Derived Auto Sportscar Synergy}
BAS, (British American Synergies)(known internally as Badass)
BASEHEAPS (British American Sportscar Enthusiasts Historical, Educational, and Preservation Society)
TACHS, (The Anglo/American Car Hybrids)
BHH, (British Historical Hybrids)
and whatever else anyone wants to be on the ballot. Comments?


We have an immediate need for a steering shaft universal joint from a late model MGB, which is needed to complete the steering modifications and allow work to continue on the project.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I like TACHS ,but what about TACHO. The Anglo/American Car Hybrid Org. Barrie E
Barrie Egerton

I like (BAB) Bad Ass BEAST.

Bill Guzman

I think we should try to comply with Robert's Rules of Order to the extent possible in a loosely knit online organization, so with that as the basis of our articles of incorporation and voting procedures I recommend the following in this specific instance and we can revise them if we like after incorporation is accomplished.

Those who have made contributions (or pledged contributions which have a reasonable expectation of being fulfilled) as of the date of incorporation are the Founders of this organization. As such they may take any necessary actions required to ensure the initial success of the organization prior to and immediately following incorporation. Founders and later contributors shall be members.

One principal officer will be elected initially, who will serve as secretary, treasurer, and president. After incorporation election of additional officers may be done upon request of five of the members.

Until such time as objected to, election shall be by simple majority of the votes cast with no requirement of a minimum number to form a quorum. All members shall be eligible to vote, any votes offered by non-members may be taken as advisory.

Voting shall be accomplished in a combination of two ways: By posting on one or more forums where discussion of the issue to be voted on was had, provided reasonable attempts are made to inform the members equally, and by email addressed to the principal officer.

The purpose of the Corporation shall be to promote knowledge in the general population regarding the synergistic effects of combined American and British Technologies and the effects of that synergy on humankind, specifically directed to but not limited as those involving British Sports Cars and American engines. The Corporation shall not be limited to specific means of accomplishing that objective but may use any means legally available to it, specifically including construction of a display automobile incorporating those technologies.

Corporate member's meetings may be conducted online or by any means available including at the annual British-V8 meet.

This organization is to conduct itself in accordance with the principles and applicable regulations as a non-profit organization.

This concludes the initial draft of the Articles of Incorporation, or Bylaws. Any recommended changes should be submitted within 24 hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Now on to the vote. There are two items on the agenda:
First is nomination of the principal officer,
Second is nomination of the organization's name.

I suppose some liberty may be taken with the second as we've had a number of recommendations already, but in at least an attempt to comply with Roberts, let's open nominations anyway. I will reserve the right in this instance to add prospective names to the ballot.

I will keep nominations open for 24 hours, and then allow 24 hours for voting afterwards, unless anyone objects.

Should anyone feel that adequate discussion has not been had, upon notice I will suspend nominations and re-open discussion.

Your nominations Please.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I have been nominated as principal officer, waiting for the nomination to be seconded.

BADASS has been nominated as a name choice, we will dispense with seconds there.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

My nomination has been seconded and I nominated Carl as second in command, exact office to be defined later.
Reprint from V8Buick:

From MGE:
"You might repost where we can make a contribution by Paypal, I'll do one right away. I did contribute some sheet metal so I am assuming I can make a nomination, but I will get some cash in the kitty. Keep up the good work! I'll have an SBC update soon.

Brad"

Bob, you or anyone else who wants their vote to count can make a contribution by paypal and will be considered a Founder up until the election deadline. After the deadline they will be a member but not a Founder. Members have the same rights as Founders but not the prestige nor the responsibilities. The address to use is: Jim@BlackwoodLabs.com and put MGB Roadmaster in the subject line.

We now have the following names nominated:

BADASS (BRITISH AMERICAN DERIVED AUTO SPORTSCAR SYNERGY)
(discussion to modify the name is now opened)
BASS (British American Sportscar Society)

BAHH (British American Historical Hybrids)

and are accepting others until at least 7:00 tonight EST and perhaps beyond that.

And do we have a second of Carl's nomination?

Jim
Jim Blackwood

"And do we have a second of Carl's nomination?"

Second!
Dan Masters

Thanks Dan,
Carl's nomination has been moved and seconded.

Does anyone wish to nominate additional names?

The names discussed but not nominated include:

BASCHS (British American Sports Car Historical Society)
BAS, (British American Synergies)(known internally as Badass)
BASEHEAPS (British American Sportscar Enthusiasts Historical, Educational, and Preservation Society)
TACHS, (The Anglo/American Car Hybrids)
TACHO, (The Anglo/American Car Organization)

These or others may be nominated.

At this point I do not feel we have allowed enough time for all concerned parties to be current with actions here so I feel it best that we extend the deadline. One more day won't hurt us, even two if we feel it necessary. So I recommend that we go another day and then entertain motions to close nominations.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I thought it might be good to list the Founding Members, but first, I'd like to note that Brad Carson has donated $25, that in addition to the matching panels that he sent us.

Our newest member, who sparked discussion of name choices for the organization is my brother, Dan Blackwood, who attended the V8 meet driving his nearly cherry TR4-A/IRS. I think he enjoyed it. I donated $5 for him and left it up to him to determine what form his contribution will take. Professionally he produces training videos for the state of W.Va. but if not for Dan I don't know if we'd have more than one choice on the name. So on with the rest of the membership, in roughly chronological order, as well as I can remember it.

Carl Floyd
Eric Enneking
Jimmy Litterell
Curtis Jacobson
Dan Masters
Steve DeGroat
Pete Mantell
Bill Guzman
Michael Domanowski
Rick Ingrahm
Kelly Combes
Bill Young
Brad Carson
Ted Nagel
LUV455
Edd Weninger
Michael B. (Woodie)
Dale Spooner (Motion Machine)
Spring Grove Sheet Metal Co.
Fast Cars (Ted Lathrop)
Allen Mandeen
Dan Jones
Tom Craddock
Graham Creswick
and me of course.

I think that makes 25 Founders, a good number and strong individuals as well. We'll be fine. But should anyone feel his contribution is say, less significant than he is comfortable with there are three choices: say nothing, decline membership, or make another contribution. I recommend the last.

Also until we execute the voting deadline should anyone wish to join and vote you can do so by contributing as in the post above. Boy what an opportunity THAT presents to stuff the ballot box. I think we'll be OK with it though.

Right, so I've had to write it twice and now I'm off to bed.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

We've had no further activity so perhaps we should consider motions to end nominations.
Jim Blackwood

Nominations closed. Voting open for 24 hours.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

BAHH, one vote for. Bill Young
Bill Young

I vote for BASS

rick
rick ingram

I vote for BADASS
Dave
D M Tetlow

Dave, your vote is advisory since you aren't a member, but if you want it to count as a regular vote you can do that by making a donation this evening.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Count one for the BADASS

Kelly

z
Kelly Combes

The results of the vote are one vote each for the three names and one advisory vote for BADASS which could be taken to break the tie. (I abstained) Instead, in accordance with rule #1 (Founders to do what is required to cause the organization to survive) I will combine BASS and BADASS and we will use both terms to refer to the organization, depending on circumstances.

The only votes for the officers were those cast by me and I voted for Carl and myself so we are elected.

I would have liked to have seen more participation but we managed to do what we needed to do so we can call it a win. I'll get the papers filed in a few days.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

We haven't had any luck so far with finding a late model MGB steering universal joint. That's the item we need the most right now. If anyone can help with that it'd be great.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I am supposed to have one. Let me look when I get home after 7:00 pm.


steve
Steve

It's 8:30. I haven't found it yet.. Will look agoain in the AM.

Steve
Steve

Have you found one yet Jim? I have the one from the '76. Let me know if that'll work for you... if i recall it's 3/4" 48 x 3/4" 48. If that'll work, let me know where to mail it & I can send it out on Friday.
x Ficalora

That would be great Rob, I think any one from a RB car would be what I'm looking for.

Send it to:
MGB Roadmaster
Blackwood Labs
9406 Gunpowder Rd.
Florence, KY 41042

We all appreciate the contribution.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Hi Jim
I have only just got back on line.
Serves me right for not reading all the comments.
Sent a small donation. :-)
All the best with the project.
Hopefully see you at Valley Forge or Elkhart Lake next year.
Dave
D M Tetlow

Glade to see that you found the joint you needed. I still have not found it, but can now quit looking for it.


Steve
Steve

Thanks Dave. I'd have responded sooner but I wanted to count the funds first. That puts us at $292.23 cash on hand, which matches my records exactly. Regrettably I haven't gotten the papers filed yet, been concentrating on replacing the main clutch in an old D4 Cat dozer. But perhaps I can get on it this evening later, then open a bank account. By the way, that would make you and Rob our very first Regular Members. Thank you and congratulations.

I've been testing out my pressure washer and so far it is doing quite well. The pump is supposedly rated 3500 psi and 4 gpm and with the 16 hp Onan opposed twin I'm using to drive it, it feels like that much at least. I don't know if I can get the Roadmaster into a position where I can wash down the undercarriage without soaking down the Lab but that's the way I'm headed with it. If I can manage it that will make it a lot nicer to work on. I can position it at the 16 ft. doorway but some way to rig a curtain around it would be a big benefit, and I don't know if I'd be better off spraying out or in. So that's another puzzle to figure out.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Mr. Ficalora, are you there? My apologies if you are someone other than Rob, I made an assumption there which may not have been warranted. I hope to hear from you soon.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Pressure washing of the car has begun.

Jim

Jim Blackwood

I've prepared the paperwork for filing, the official name of the parent organization will be:
British American Deviant Automotive Sports-Car Society, Ltd. and for short, BASS or BADASS, whichever seems most appropriate. I will wait until the end of the week to mail it in in order to allow ample time for any discussion before taking final actions.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

As the August Roadmaster Weekend draws to a close I am happy to be able to report some progress on the project. Nobody showed up to help this month, but we made some headway nonetheless. Friday saw the removal of the front and rear suspensions (front crossmember and steering still attached), lower wiring harness, lines and such and a general cleanup of the removed and some spare parts as well as some pressure blasting of the bottom of the car. Saturday I took a day off and spent most of the day in front of the TV and today, well I did some work on the bathroom. Somewhere along the way I managed to put away the parts that had been cleaned as well as removing the doors, trunk lid and dashboard of the mock-up car. At some point I will turn it over on the cart and use it to mock up the rear suspension for the Jag IRS.

There are a couple of items we should discuss:

In terms of weight, perhaps we should consider if we wish to try to get the weight down around what the stock vehicle had. It's possible to do that. In a week or two when the papers come back from Frankfort I can begin contacting manufacturers about sponsorship so here's how the weight game plays out. If we are able to drop 80lbs with heads and intake, and Allen's 455 is 50lbs lighter than our 430 that leaves us 70 lbs heavier than stock. There is a great deal of weight in the front suspension, much more than is necessary. The obvious solution, if we could get one of Ted's units we'd actually end up around 10lbs lighter than stock. But Ted can't just give us one. I don't know to what degree he can help us but there are two possible routes here. We can raise the money to buy it or we can find other ways to lighten the front suspension. Probably the route we take will be determined by the amount of money we raise, but I'd like to get a feel for what our members would like to see happen in this area.

The next thing I would suggest we discuss is air conditioning. I'll admit that I've not looked into it very deeply but a GT would be a very good candidate for it and we'll be disassembled enough to make for a fairly easy install.

The down side is that both of these items will take some cash to make happen, and then there is the paint and engine parts, so I should probably propose a budget over the course of the next month. I suspect we'll be going cheap on as much of the project as we can unless we can get one or more sponsors with deep pockets, and even then the idea is to keep the budget at a minimal level. I'd love to see us complete the car with only say 2-3 thousand in cash outlay, and to tell the truth, if we cared nothing for how it looked when finished we could probably do it for much less than that. But that would be with no new paint or interior, a used engine, and a bit nose heavy.

Still, the whole rationale for the car was that it can be done, therefore it must be done. And if it must be done then we can't be too picky about "how" it is done. At this point my motivation is to get the car out of my main doorway so that it doesn't block the breeze and I can get my roadster back into the Lab, and before I can do that I need to finish the pressure blasting. I'd hoped to do that this weekend but I expect by mid-week I'll be finished with it. Then comes strengthening of the floor structure, sills and rear suspension mounts. Once that is done my attention will go back to putting in the engine and what happens to the rest of the car will be very much dependent on those of you that make it happen. In the end we will have a car that can be put on the road, I can pretty well guarantee that much but beyond that it's up to you guys.

Hopefully in October we'll get the 455. In case we don't, over the course of the next couple of months I'll clean up the 430, run compression checks, and probably pull the heads and begin teardown unless compression looks OK in which case it'll get buttoned back up and held in reserve in case we don't get the 455 or money to buy rebuild parts. In that case we'll just use it as is and hope it doesn't smoke too much. The mock-up car has replacement floors which were anchored in with screws and we can use those or parts of them. Pete has pledged some sill parts. Spring Grove Sheet Metal can probably be counted on for some shaped parts for reinforcement. And I'm guessing we can come up with some donated paint and primer for the bottom of the car, quality unknown. And that gets us back to the suspension. I hope that by Thanksgiving we will have found a way to transport Dan's Jag IRS up here and we can start to fit that up. I would like to have that installed by around the first of the year. Assuming we retain the stock front suspension that could be done about the same time. I have the reamer so if a rebuild is needed it poses no difficulty other than buying the parts. That will give us the spring and early summer to come up with a set of tires, get the engine in and prep the car for next year's V8 meet as a static display. I think that is very achievable and should generate enough interest to help us finish the car by the following year, right on schedule.

Jim

Jim Blackwood

Is the 455 in Oklahoma? My brother will be coming back from Nebraska in late Oct or early Nov, he could drop south and pick it up, maybe.
Let me know the location of the 455 and I' see about getting it.
Do I remember correctly that is need to go to Richmond ,VA?

Steve
Steve

Thanks Steve, it's good to have a backup plan. Allen Mandeen is in Eureka, Kansas so I'm hoping that wouldn't be too far from your brother's route. Check with him if you would and if he thinks it's possible I'll get you contact info for everyone presently involved in transporting the engine.

You are correct that it needs to go to VA. but Dale wants it in pieces. Also I've not yet checked on availability of aluminum heads, and I believe Allen said the engine is in disassembled form but I'm not real sure about that. If we get the parts we need machine work on to Carl's house, Dale visits that area every weekend.

I won't approach any serious sponsors until I have a lock on the non-profit status but that should be finished in a week or two. I'm hoping the deductibility of funding or parts will make the sponsorship decision easier. Right now I'm waiting on Frankfort to OK the business license.

Jim
Jim Blackwood


Sorry Jim... i'm back now (sort of)... I was in california 3 weeks ago; Austin 2 weeks ago; NYC last week & Singapore this week... but i'll be home on Friday & will send the u-joint... really sorry for the delay; I forgot that i'd made the offer & hadn't checked back at this site till today. I hope I didn't cause you any delays. I sent you an email to get the mailing address.

Rob
x Ficalora

Jim,
My brother can get to Eureka between Nov 5 to 10. He will have a trailer with him and can pick up the 455 and bring it to SC.
Where does Carl live? Is he in Marion, NC? If so, that would be an easy trip for me. I can take it to Richmond if necessay.
The trailer my brother will have is an open utility trailer. I guess the weather will not hurt the motor?

Let me know how to get with Allen.
My e-mail is sdegroat@truvista.net

Steve
Steve

Steve,

If your brother goes thru Knoxville he could drop it off a Dan Master's house & I could go get it.

I am in Kingsport, TN (northeast TN, near NC & VA state lines). My brother is in Kennesaw, GA & I have inlaws near Anderson, SC, if that helps any.

Dale's machine shop is in Danville, VA, but he visits Abingdon, VA quite often.
Carl Floyd

"TOM!, Oh TOM! Now where did that boy get to?"

I have to admit, that scene has played through my head often since the beginning of this project. How, in heaven and earth did Tom get those other boys to whitewash that fence? I've painted white fences and first hand I can tell you there ain't no way! No way possible I'd ever lift a finger to paint ANY fence white, and if it's someone else's I'm gonna RUN!!! Friend or not. So how? HOW? Couldn't be that they were just weak minded children, we've read the stories and know that they were brave and bold companions and friends. Oddly, there is not even a flicker of discontent or complaint. They clearly did it willingly and enthusiastically and were proud of their handiwork. So HOW?!!

There can only be one possible answer. It was a challenge to their Manhood. A challenge and a competition. That is the only possible way that each of these stout fellows would have virtually fought each other for the right to demonstrate his prowess with a brush and bucket. Only in this way could we see the outcome painted in the story, and there's little doubt that the stories were based at least in part on actual events, along with a keen instinct for human nature. Looks like Tom was on to something there. Not only did he get an onerous task done, he entertained his friends in the process and they all had a good time. That whole concept just seems so applicable to the BADASS MGB Roadmaster project.

I'll freely admit, it's not all fun and games. In fact, most of the fun -n- games only starts after the motor does. Let's look at the pressure washing as an example.

So far I've spent a total of about 2 hours pressure washing the bottom of the car, including somewhere between a half hour and an hour today before I destroyed the drive belt on the washer. Before that, aside from fairly normal teething problems I had the absolutely hilarious opportunity to watch the lower double groove 8" pulley jump off the pump at max engine speed and "Burn Rubber" across the gravel, fetching up against the lip of the concrete floor and continuing to spin at a high rate for a goodly while before finally stopping. Priceless moments to be sure, but hardly enough to keep me interested in a task which, if approached without the right frame of mind could be as onerous as Tom's fence, even if I did get the better of the machine.

"Frame of mind", is indeed just what it's all about. Approaching the car as a painter with a canvas before him is a much happier place to be, and it is somewhat similar. There is indeed an art to removing the crud from under the car. And though the canvas is not blank, it is a canvas nonetheless. Every pass of the wand leaves its mark, with the pattern of it's author written in the fine print of the finished job. And there's a kind of enjoyment to be had in learning to create small patterns that do what you want, while varying your location and method as you progress.
At the same time there is most definitely a machismo element to it. Stamina is required, some strength, good balance, muscle control, and a willingness to take on the challenge to see through and around the spray to take the actions that you intend. In a way it is not unlike a whitewater trip. Despite what the guide says, you know darned well that first spray of water to the face is going to be uncomfortable, But the trip promises a feeling of accomplishment, of stretching your limits, doing what you thought impossible and coming back safe and sound despite the risks. You may prove to your friends just how great your prowess really is. You may laugh in the face of danger. You may prove yourself the greatest among your peers. And for these rewards you are willing to do it, more than willing in fact, perhaps even enthusiastic.

And so it goes on the BADASS project, in every phase. Are we not the best there is? So we'll do what can't be done, we'll exceed expectations, and burn our psyche into the job by excelling at every stage, small and large that we set ourselves to accomplish. We'll do this because we are MEN! And because the Badass BBB MGB is the most macho expression of our art conceiveable, which we are able by our strength and skill, to complete and then in true form, enjoy.

Want to know what keeps me going on a project? That's it in a nutshell. Hope you liked it.

Jim

Jim Blackwood

Steve, I sent you an email with contact info for Dan Masters, Carl, Allen, Bill, Dan Jones and Dale.

If you and Carl could assume the mantle on this part that would make it easier for me to concentrate on finishing the cleanup.

Thanks,
Jim

Also, Rob it's good to hear from you. I responded to your email, the address is also posted not too far down the thread. No problems with the delay, I just reordered the schedule to fit.

J

Jim Blackwood

Carl,
I will check with my brother, aka Eric, and see which route he will be taking home. Eric lives in Cololumbia SC. If he is not coming through Knoxville, I can bring the motor to some place handy for you or Dale.

Thanks
Steve
Steve

I was able to spend about 1-1/2 hr waterblasting the GT underbody today. That's about as long as you can go before the hands start to tingle or vibrate and not go away for awhile so it was a good time to stop. I'm starting to figure out how much gas to put in at a time and I think I should get a smaller tank just as an automatic timer. Anyway I made good progress and a few more sessions like that should finish it up. May take me a week, or it may take me a month. Right now I just don't know. I'm uncovering all the defects we'll need to address anyway. I'm pretty uncertain about the advisability of stripping the body, but since I've run into some red tape on the incorporation the inquiry on that is delayed another couple of weeks and by that time I hope to be finished with cleanup which should make it an easier decision.

I mentioned on the Experience board that we need to cut a hole in the roof. Oddly enough nobody has posted to ask why, which has me wondering. Maybe they just figure that if I think it's needed then it is? Flattering to think that way, but probably self delusion. Anyway that's all there is to report right now. One or two more blasting sessions and I'll post another photo.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

OK Jim is it for a sun roof or for spotting the traffic police helicopter?

Some years ago Maidstone Sports Cars fitted a nice sliding steel sunroof to a B GT. When closed it looked much better than the Britax/Webasto type.
David Witham

Well David, neither actually but thanks for asking and a good guess. It's for the eight ball shifter knob. And the next obvious question is....
(There may be some who already recognize where this is headed, if not don't feel too bad as it's an old corner of automobilia and somewhat obscure.)

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I've been scratching my head for days wondering what you were up to. Eight ball shifter with a loooong handle? The Rat Fink has been hired to drive the Roadmaster?!



Carl Floyd

Well there you have it, a picture worth a thousand words :-)

I guess eight ball gave it away, and we have to have an eight ball shifter why? Well because Andy's first reaction to the car was to offer to find a 6-71 blower for it. How could I turn that down? Now the rest of the package might be a little tricky, but the BADASS MGB Roadmaster with a blower and not an eightball shifter? How unthinkable is that?

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim, I think "they" are looking for you.

Kelly Combes

No Kelly, they found me a long time ago. I was more or less escorted out of Delaware back in '74, luckily I was headed overseas and the states hadn't yet linked up. Since then I've been in full time stealth mode. Like that's even possible with the roadster these days, but for a couple decades it was flat black and that close to the ground was kinda hard to see. I've slowed down a lot though and that has helped. Paying all that "road tax" makes it hasd to afford upgrades for the car.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

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Staffing/Managment Group
nomaEncomoBet

I've asked the webmaster to remove the spam from this thread, hopefully it can be filtered out. If not I guess we'll have to start a new thread.

Great news on the car, the water blasting is finished, except possibly for some minor cleanup. I will attach a photo of the finished result.

I was asked if this process was a viable alternative to sandblasting and other cleanup methods, and the answer is yes and no. It depends on several factors and may be a good choice in some cases but not others. In terms of cost, where $400 was quoted for sandblasting, it would mostly depend on whether or not you had the pressure blaster on hand. If you had to go rent one, perhaps not. This is not the sort of a machine that you would want to run for more than 2 hours at a stretch max. After about 1-1/2 hours it takes 1/4 to 1/2 hour for my hands to stop vibrating from the pulsations of the spray nozzle, and the photo below is the result of close to ten hours of work. Some cars will take more, some less, and the pressure and volume of the blaster needs to be a bare minimum of 3500psi and 4gpm. Any less and it's a total waste of time. So if you did rent one you wouldn't want to do it by the day. It will remove the undercoating, seam sealer and other debris, but it is a dangerous machine and will also remove flesh if given the chance. But it will not remove strongly adhering paint.

So it largely depends on your goals and the water blasting is mostly suitable for cleanup of the undercarriage where repairs are to be made or fresh paint applied after roughening up the primer and wire brushing any surface rust. If a complete paint job is to be done and stripping the old paint off the body is needed however, the advantages of pressure blasting the bottom first would be considerably less.

As usual, I pretty well got the technique perfected just in time to finish up. I found an old pair of military surplus rubberized wet weather bibs which I kept around for the motorcycle and a pair of rubber boots I bought for the concrete I need to pour and keep putting off, and those along with a long sleeved cotton work shirt worked out real well. Layered with the shirt outside and boots inside, my socks stayed dry and only slight dampness got to my short pants while the cotton shirt let me stay cool and diverted a torrent of backwash. Then I simply took off the shirt and hung it up to drain, stepped out of the bibbs and boots and into my sneakers, pulled on a t-shirt and was back to normal. Easy.

Anyway, enough of that, here is the photo. Oh, and before I forget, the U-joint that Rob F sent arrived a few days ago and looks to be in very good condition, so once the floor is cleaned up and the backstop put away it's back to the steering. Well, that and putting together the foot pedal for the TIG setup, rigging extension cables on the spot welder, drive plate for the mill's Y axis, transferring diesel from drums to the storage tank, fixing the hydraulic leak on the dozer..... Never ends does it?

Jim

Jim Blackwood

It looks great Jim. I think the water blasting will give better results in the long run. With sand blasting there is always sand working its way out for years. And, it can stretch the metal in thin areas.
Are there any components that can be worked on from afar?

Kelly
Kelly Combes

You are probably right Kelly, and for this car, where we are modifying the U/C anyway (IRS)and painting it, and will come back later to paint the car after it is back on it's wheels with all modifications and repairs completed it does make sense to do it that way.

On the off-site work, You and Bill have both expressed an interest in this and I think it is something we can do. Everything in the interior needs work. Not being familiar with GT's I neglected to remove the headliner before water blasting (what do I blame that gaffe on, senior moment?) so the headliner is shot... literally. The dasboard is toast, seats are cracked, lower dash also, steering wheel needs touch up, and most of the inside panels are a little ratty. Anyone who would like to take on any of that work is warmly invited to help. Since it is a pillow dash that would be an opportunity for someone to exercise their creative talents and I have no preconceived notions of what it should look like. The only thing I ask is that if you pick something to work on let me know so we don't get duplication of efforts. (Which reminds me, Bill and Steve have you talked?)

We also need to transport Dan Masters' Jag IRS up here before Thanksgiving if possible in order to have a rolling display for the next V8 meet. Can anybody help with that? It's going to take some time to get it narrowed and mounted and then the U/C needs to be painted.

So far for Roadmaster Weekend (29th and 30th) this month we have Graham coming in from Canada, Dan B (my younger brother) from Charleston, WV, Eddie Cole who lives close by, and hopefully some of the local club members. I will be suggesting that Roadmaster Weekend can provide a good meeting time and place for the BCCoGC South, not to supplant the regular meeting but to encourage more participation on this side of the river. If that succeeds then we can always count on a good crowd for Roadmaster Weekend and will have established it as a regular event. That should really help keep the project moving along.

Tomorrow I will be resubmitting the paperwork for the org, with requested revisions and expect it to go through this time. Third time's the charm, right? It takes about a week to hear back from them so in terms of the timeline everything looks about right. So let's keep it going guys, your words of encouragement mean everything.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Sorry I can't make the Roadmaster weekend. I'll be having a pint in Southern Ireland about that time!
Kelly Combes

Jim.

I don't know what you have in mind regarding mounting the jag IRS, but strongly recommend discarding the original cage and welding in a new crossmember/top mount for the diff. You can get most the the mounting kit from hot rod component suppliers.

Another important factor is to discard the trailing arms as these cause rear bump steer, and replace them with radius arms located on the chassis directly in line with inner lower wishbone pivot points.

You will need to buy or fabricate two locating bars from the bottom of the dif for which there are mounting plates available and angle the bars up to a couple of points on the chassis rails and this will provide proper location.

An added bonus of doing away with the cage is there is somewhere to route the exhaust through rather than having to run it under the diff which does not give much ground clearance.

Depending on the final ride height required you can use a straight crossmember or one with a kick up if you want the car low.

Kevin
Kevin Jackson

Jim,

Picture of installation in car with low ride height

Kevin Jackson

Thanks Kevin, that information should be most helpful. No doubt I'll have a few questions once the unit is here. Kelly, I had no idea you were such a traveler! Feel free to stop by any time.

I've test fitted the u-joint and determined that the pinion shaft will need to be made 1-11/16" longer and that the RB pinion is approx. 4" longer so one of those wouldn't work. Luckily I have a straight stub from the mock-up car to weld on and lengthen the pinion so that won't be a problem and as soon as the lathe is freed up should be able to make the necessary mods. Then it will be on to modifying the firewall cone.

Does anyone know how to do a GT windshield removal? All the glass needs to come out.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim,

I'll have the Jag IRS to you well before Thanksgiving. It's in Michigan now. I've got several critical honey-dos to complete before I can break away for a few days, but I've almost finished them and then I'll be heading up to ted's for a visit.

I have already modified the cage for use in an MGB, cutting away most of it.

Kevin is dead-on about the radius rods. Jaguar got by with them by using large rubber doughnuts on all pivot points, which disguised the bump steer, passing it off as a "smooth" ride. NOT what we want in the Roadmaster!

Roger Williams has some good info on this in his MGBV8 book.

Another item of concern is the pinion angle. I'm certain, but I haven't conirmed it yet, that the pinion angle is zero with respect to the ground when the lower pivot arm for the lower trailing arm is parallel to the ground (as it must be). However, CWI http://cwiinc.com/ sells optional lower pivot arms which will give you the correct pinon angle yet retain the zero angle on the lower trailing arms. There is also some good info on the CWI site.

It could be left as-is if you want to mount the engine at a zero angle to match.

I also have a five part article from Street Rodder magazin on the Jag IRS - complete ID info, break down, and rebuild info that I'll bring with me when I bring the IRS.
Dan Masters

I have E-mailed Bill. I have spoken with my brother. He can pick up the 455 and drop it off in St. L., Kingsport. , Knoxville or bring it here to SC.
I will e-mail all my contacts doing transport and see where it should be taken.
The Jag reaend is at Dan's? Is her near Knoxvill?
I am going to have to work FULL time for 3 whole weeks in late Sept and early Oct. I may be looking for a road trip after that and can pick it up and bring it to you. I'll get with Dan.
The porject is looking good.

Steve
Steve

Steve,

The Jag is in Michigan. I live in Alcoa, about 12 miles south of Knoxville.
Dan Masters

O well. I realy don't plane that big a road trip.

Thanks,
Steve
Steve

By all means Steve, come on up! Maybe you and Dan can get here at the same time. Then if we can just get Carl to make the trip...
Moving on.

Dan, I think the engine isn't angled down nearly as much as it was in the Buick. Almost level as I recall. I'm not sure of the angle but next time it's in the car I'll check it. That's something I should have written down. It'll be a little tricky though with it on the rotisserie... I'll have to give that some thought. It's all relative to the body of course. Perhaps the best course would be to install it level and then change out (or modify) the arms if needed. From what I just looked at, there are lots of ways to skin this cat. Should be interesting.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim,

Yes fairly well travelled but nearest I've been to you was Florida about 15 years ago when the the kids were young. Great holiday, and some of the most hospitable people in the world, there are few places in the world I've been to where total strangers would invite you to their homes for a bar-b-q party, we stayed in Sarasota on the beach and it was delightful.

Heres a link to the site with the Jag IRS installation although he has gone with the straight radius arms without big rubber bushes which in my opinion, will give some strange handling problems.

CWI Inc. was one of the sources I had in mind for you, they can certainly supply the crossmember and diff mounting plates.

One thing to be aware of is that the top diff mounting plates are not normally centre of diff and you will need to mount the crossmember on the diff to ascertain the half shaft positions and then work out where the crossmember needs to be mounted in the car to maintain original wheelbase. You will need to calculate the finished ride height to decide whetger you need a straight crossmember or one with a raised centre as in my original pic.

Good luck with the project, and speedy progress, if I was a bit closer I would love to lend a hand.

Kevin.

http://chevroletpower.cz28.com/photo5.html
Kevin Jackson

Thanks for the link Kevin, that is the first clear shot of the forward links that I have found, and I need to know the correct terminology for them. I'm assuming the inner links are bracing rods and the outer ones are the radius rods. Interesting arrangement. It would seem to me that the radius rods should be anchored as near as possible on the centerline of the inner pivot for the lower control arm to prevent toe-in changes during suspension movement. The inner braces I suspect could be anchored just about anywhere as they appear to be a torque link for the diff.

I'll have to look at the space available for the top mount, and I will most likely use a new design for it as I would like to avoid as much cutting of the body as possible. That design doesn't look particularly compact. It may not be possible to avoid removal of the battery boxes but with something in the range of 2-3" above the stock diff at ride height it shouldn't be that hard to mount the Jag diff without cutting sheet metal. Since we'll be going for a stock CB ride height there should be adequate clearance for a well designed mount. I'm not seeing much in the way of torque resistance against longitudinal twist of the diff housing, perhaps I'm not looking in the right place for it.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim,

Yes battery will need to be located and you are correct the radius arms in that install will cause bump steer problems and in my opinion and others I consulted the torque arms or lower location bars should be angled outwards and up to the chassis rails to the rear of the rear bulkhead if that makes sense.

There are either solid top mounts or ones with isolating bushes available depending on how solid you want the installation to be, you could if you have the equipment and skills availabe fabricate most of it yourself but if you shop around it probably won't be too expensive.

The parts you need.

Crossmember.

top diff mount.

lower diff mount

Braces between wishbone pivots front and rear of diff

One pair of radius arms to triangulate the lower wishbones plus pickup points to be welded to rear bulkhead and chassis rails.

One pair of torque reaction rods plus pickups for the chassis rails.

A pair of adjustable rod ends to mount the radius arms to the new chassis pickup points.

This is starting to sound complicated but its quite straightforward once you've worked it out.

Kevin

Kevin Jackson

Very helpful. If the one set of torque arms is expected to take the combined load of rotational forces in both the x and y axis, it would seem that the installed angle would be highly critical. It seems simpler in concept to provide torque resistance separately on each axis, which would allow more leeway in link end positioning and could possibly be done without increasing the part count. At least finding suitable attachment points to the diff doesn't look like a problem. Incidentally, the concept used in a 3 link where the 3rd link attachment point is offset to the side to give equal traction to both wheels under acceleration does not seem to apply here as the hubs are divorced from the diff mounts in the vertical (z) axis so what is the purpose of the top mount offset? Convenience perhaps? I'm guessing it is offset to the ring side.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim,

No the offset is fore and aft, generally the wheel centreline is 1" forward of the crossmember centerline. This seems to be the same with several I looked at.

The crossmember is 2" High x 3" Deep, and width to your given dimension.

Kevin.
Kevin Jackson

Jim,

Check out Roger William's book on giving the MGB V8 power - he has a section on using the Jag IRS, with pictures from Evan Emaya's car. I think I have some more pictures of Evans car from underneath as well.

BTW, the gear ratio of my (our) Jag unit is 3.7:1.
Dan Masters

Dan,

Did you mean 3.07 which is quite common the Jag diffs usually have a small tag on one of the bolts denoting the ration and possibly a second one for P/L or P/lok for a limited slip diff.

The range of ratios is normally 2.84/1 3.07/1 3.33/1 and 3.54/1 I'm not aware of a 3.7/1 which would be very low for any of the Jags.

Kevin.
Kevin Jackson

Good suggestion Dan. I pulled Roger's book out from under the coffee table and had a look. So it appears that we can keep the battery boxes, but doing so may require some creativity with the radius rods. That doesn't scare me too much, I'll just have to see how badly they want to occupy the same space. I really like the Hoyle design. Looks like they went all out on it. I don't expect to go that far, but I'll be looking at it for hints. One thing they did which could be worth copying was to widen the lower arms enough to eliminate the need for the radius rods. How important a role the addition of a top link plays in that however is uncertain. And if the existing cage has already been narrowed using that might be the best.

Incidentally, I talked to Ted about the possibility of using his front suspension. He's going to work some figures and see what kind of a deal he can make us on one, taking into account that the discount will be a contribution to the project. We'll have to cover material costs at the very least, but it wouldn't take too many contributions to be able to get one I'm thinking. If we go that way I'll post a target amount and how far we are from it so we can all track our progress as we get closer.

Also, Ted's January party will be taking the place of the Roadmaster Weekend that month and I hope to see everyone there.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Kevin,

If you hadn't questioned me on it, I would have been 100% sure it was a 3.7. However, now that you have questioned me, I'm not so sure. I do know that the TR6 the Jag unit was planned for had a 3.7, and the Ford 9" I now have is 3.7, and 3.7 was what I wanted. For the TR6, with 16" wheels and humoungus tires, 3.7 is about right. How well it would work with smaller tires on an MGB is to be determined.

Looking back over the articles on the Jag, I see that I had circled 3.54 on the list of available ratios, so maybe that's what I have. If so, that would be just about perfect with 15" wheels and large tires. We'll need to run a calculation to see what works with it, once I find out for sure what the ratio is, using the spreadsheet at http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/design.htm (scroll down to the botton of the page).

Jag IRS units were available with ratios up 4.54 aaccording to CWI, but not in the XKE.
Dan Masters

Do not make the mistake in using jag gears as they are the same as Dana 44. If you have an early jag with a coarse spline pinion gear you will have to pick up a new yoke for the fine spline gears that are made now. The bearing kit is the same as this was a Dana 44 made under license. Call around to your local 4 wheel drive shop and ask about a Spicer gear set. You will find out they are much cheaper.
Steve Mack

Dan/Jim

Did some more checking on ratios, there was a 3.77/1 but on the smaller engined 3.2L XJ40 model if the onre you have is from an XJ6 I suspect that it will be a 3.07/1 which was the original MGBV8 ratio and with the power and torque of your beast will be fine/
I'm running the 3.07 with 6 x 15 wheels and 195/65 tyres and its fine with a good 1st gear approx 40MPH

There was also a rare factory ratio I think of 4.07, the 4.54/1 you mentioned I believe is a Dana rear end.

Heres a Link to Nick Smallwoods site, he kept the cage but said he would ditch it if he did another, he also didn't triangulate the radius rods.

http://www.mgbv8.co.uk/

Kevin
Kevin Jackson

Setting up a different gearset isn't a problem provided we have the gears. I have the shims and the setup bearings, it's just a lottle time consuming but not bad if you aren't working under the car.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim,

There are some more pictures of the MGB/Jag IRS at http://www.advanceautowire.com/jag/jagirs.zip

Caution! It's a BIG file, 16.1MB
Dan Masters


A number of threads back, there was mention of wanting some aluminum heads for the 455. I'm assuming 340 alum heads won't fit?
JM Morris

JM, I don't believe the 340 ever had aluminum heads, but if you have a set of them I'd sure be interested in talking to you.

The 455 has different bore centers to accommodate the larger bore so no, a set of SBB heads of any description will not fit the block. I've put off asking about heads until the corp filings are done, and guess what, the paperwork just bounced again. Seems they don't want any attachments. There's only about enough room for 5 words in the blank for "purpose of the non-profit" so all I can figure is that they're entering it into a database and that's all the room they've allowed for it. But the good news is that according to the bylaws contributors are founders up until the actual incorporation, meaning that all contributors up to this point are founders rather than just members and for about another week as well. So get those checks in guys, you'll be a founder and we need the cash for the front suspension.

I looked at those photos and there are a few things I'll insist on doing differently. The straps used for the forward braces aren't a real good solution to resist upward rotation of the pinion under acceleration first and foremost, and I'd like to avoid cutting the frame rails. There are a few other details, but I don't want to pick. I'm very glad that Evan took the initiative to do the conversion in the first place. It's tough being a pioneer and a fella sure deserves a little credit when he pulls something like that off.

Jim
Jim Blackwood


My mistake--I have the alum. 300 heads. Would these be useable to the "trust"?
JM Morris

JM, in terms of actual use, no. But in terms of trading stock, yes certainly. In fact if they are better than the ones I have for my roadster I'll make a donation and sell the ones I have now, putting the proceeds into the Roadmaster fund. That is so long as there are no objections to me doing that. Otherwise I can just sell the ones you contribute and put the proceeds in the fund. If those arrangements are acceptable to you and you want to contribute the heads please let me know.

On the subject of contributions, Dave Tetlow has contributed another $100 and we had to pay $4.20 to Paypal. This leaves us with a current balance of $392.23 which is actually quite good for an organization of this type this early in the game, although it is considerably short of what we'll need to finish the job. Also I have again made the requested changes to the filing papers which will go out in the mail today. Hopefully I got it right this time and can then move on to registering our non-profit status with the IRS.

There's been some progress on the car. The steering pinion shaft has been lengthened and is back in, the steering column hooked up and the cone bolted onto the column and in position for tacking to the firewall. First I think I'll pull the cone back out and add some metal to the bottom half as there's about an inch to make up there. But it's coming together nicely.

For Roadmaster weekend, coming up Saturday it appears arrivals should begin after lunch and we hope to have visitors through Monday. The more the merrier!

Jim
Jim Blackwood

New photo.

Jim Blackwood

That looks good. This project never ceases to amaze me. It will actually work, won't it.

Steve
Steve

Absolutely Steve. Was there ever any doubt? With one of the more challenging aspects of the conversion now behind us we can take on some of the more mundane tasks like sheet metal replacement. Guess I'd better build that remote clamp for the spot welder now and get the foot pedal for the TIG finished, looks like we'll need them.

Of course it is worth remembering that the factory relied heavily on gas welding, and if it is done carefully and not in a rush it makes perfectly acceptable welds. That is how I did my roadster. But if we can have both that is even better. Incidentally, I now have the parts washer sink completed and only need to get the 10-15 gallons of solvent to fill it with. That's a milestone, I've been carting that old double drainboard stainless sink around for 20 years, ever since finding it alongside the road in rural W.Va. It uses an industrial recirculating pump mounted to the outside of a 30 gallon drum with nearly 10 gallons below the pickup. I think it will work very well. Next improvement for it is a through-the-brush discharge. It already has a steel cover, angle-iron stand, faucet and power switch with outlets. Total cost, something like 10 bucks for fittings and such. I also hooked up power for the hydraulic unit, which I will connect to the press as soon as I get the fittings worked out (and perhaps take the press outside and pressure wash it). Total cost there is zip. But again, it's taken awhile. A fella can put together a pretty decent workshop on a very small budget if he has some space and is alert for things he can use, and things like 3 phase power are simpler than you might think.

Sometime next spring we are planning to pour some concrete here. Part of that will include pouring a floor in the old double car-port, which already has sides and one end. Then simply adding a door, filter, air handler and lights will give us a very nice paint booth which could come in very handy when the time comes to paint the Roadmaster. So we need to find out who among us has some good graphics skills, because I think we need to at least consider the possibility of doing the paint ourselves.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim,
Sounds good.
My brother has now left for Nebraska. I will be getting in touch with all those who agreed to help with the 455.
My brother can drop it of any place in Tenn.
For one reason or another he is driving MY 1985 Jag with the Chevy v8. That gives me some leverage tohave him go whre we want.
Now, Do you want the engine to get to you before going for machine work?

Steve
Steve

Steve,
Good question. I guess it depends on several things including transport. If it does come here, I can get Dan B. to take the necessary parts to Carl where Dale can pick them up so it is a question of getting it here. The other approach would be for someone down that way to assume responsibility for disassembling the engine, getting the block, crank, rods and perhaps the heads to Carl so Dale could pick them up and the remainder of the parts up here.

Probably bringing it up here is the best approach, so yes I suppose we should be working on that.

Also, Dan M., it looks like I'll be going to Ted's winter party in January, so if it isn't convenient to get the Jag IRS here before then I can pick it up when I go there.
-------

It's been quite a weekend and I'm still recovering. I spent half the day yesterday mostly lying around waiting for the soreness to go away. For a weekend that was touted as being aimed at socializing, we sure were busy. Biggest weekend yet, by a factor of about 3. Graham came in a little after lunch and while we were standing and talking in came Denny Williams from Hamilton Ohio which is on the north side of Cincinnati. (For future reference when you come for Roadmaster Weekend, go ahead and follow the driveway on out past the small white barn and around a gentle right hand curve through the yard (there is a road of sorts) up to the Lab which is a rather large white metal building. That's where we'll be. Coming to the house is fine too, Edith will just recommend going out to the Lab though so you may as well do that to start with.) Denny drives a nice black RB car with Miata seats. He won the air horns at Townsend and they were installed in the car.

Anyway Graham and Denny both wanted to make their time count so we set right to work. Denny started right in on removing the usable sheet metal parts from the mock-up car while Graham began completing the strip-down of the GT, meanwhile I bounced around from one to the other, fetched tools, and set up lunch. In short order we began to see some impressive results. Turns out the mock-up had been fitted with a number of Steel-Craft panels and much of the assembly work was done with sheet metal screws. So once I have a chance to do a bit of straightening the list of panels we should have on hand includes floors, lower sills, diaphragms, rockers, and 3 of the four fender doglegs. Some of the parts got bent a bit later when we separated the rockers from the diaphragms (a rather difficult job) so one of the rockers may need a good bit of straightening but the panels are solid and we really got a lot of good parts off the old car. The only thing left to remove is the trunk floor but we should probably cut away the bad one first.

Denny really put the effort into getting those panels for us. It was hard and nasty work but he dove right into it with gusto. Meantime Graham had taken on the removal of the front fenders from the GT and we soon had them up on the top shelf out of the way, along with the pedal assembly and the wiring harness. Along about then we broke for lunch. I had set up a kitchen of sorts at one end of the shop with a gas grill and folding table and had the burgers and dogs ready along with the fixins, so we just washed up, grabbed a drink and had a bite to eat. Edith and Matthew came out and joined us, and Matthew stuck around afterwards to help out however he could. After lunch we turned the Mock-up around and Denny attacked the other side and soon had the parts removal completed, but apparently he was on a tighter schedule than I realized because just about as soon as he had washed up and got a reasonable amount of old rusty MG crud off, he was headed for home. I felt a little bad about that. We really didn't have the sort of time we should have had to interact. For one thing, Edith wanted a close look at his seats, and I also would have liked a closer look at his car. Denny, could I persuade you to write up a "How it was done" article on the car? I was hoping to get a chance to look it over, then thought maybe it would be on the British V8 site, but apparently not. If you could come I'd really like to see you at the October Roadmaster weekend (27-28), and if you'd like I'd be happy to pay you a visit at your convenience.

So by late afternoon Denny headed out and probably not a half hour later Dan B. came in from Charleston, WV in his beautiful '64 TR4-A roadster. He set right in helping remove glass and interior and between Graham, Dan, and myself in short order the GT was ready for rust removal. We removed the front crossmember and then attacked the sills with drills, saws, angle grinder and prybars and made good progress as you can see in the "after" photos. Graham is a rather good mechanic it turns out, and we made steady progress. Somewhere along the line the beer came out, then the lawn chairs, and we proceeded to discuss the affairs of the world in general, eventually moving to the house where Graham took the guest room and Matthew gave Dan his room and moved to the leather couch which is quite comfortable.

The next morning, after a good breakfast we went back out and engaged in strategy, discussed various issues of the project, and although I cannot exactly recall I believe we may have done a bit more work on the car, until at about lunch time Graham packed up and headed on his way. Now you'll have to forgive me if my version doesn't exactly match the facts because things began to run together a bit for me at some point. Dan stayed over another day and we worked on his port injection EFI system for his TR4-A, so after Roadmaster Weekend was officially over we continued on for another full day on that. Things went well there also and about one more day's work should be enough to see that system in operation. He has adapted a GM log-and-runner intake and will use a MegaSquirt controller for his system, with a ford F-150 frame mounted fuel pump. The system should resolves his starting and driveability issues, and may give better economy as well. In the process we also upgraded his fuse box and power distribution, but we ran out of time and had to stick the carbs back on for the return trip.

So all in all, a tremendous success. I very much regret that I didn't have the camera ready and waiting to get Denny in the shot before he had to leave, but maybe we can fix that at a later weekend. As you can see we are now down to the body shell and we even made up a set of door braces despite it being a GT just to be on the safe side. The rockers and lower sills are removed and everything is cleaned out and ready for the painstaking and meticulous work of removing the upper sills and floors as well as the trunk floor. The existing floors are replacement panels and have been stitch welded along a side lip above the spot weld area and this is going to be somewhat difficult to remove cleanly. I'm open for suggestions as to the best way to get 'er done.

So a big THANK-YOU to Graham, Denny, and Dan B. for all their hard work and efforts to make the September Roadmaster Weekend a success. I'm the first to admit I'm learning as I go on this and I'm trying real hard not to screw it up. So if anyone has any ideas for how we could make it better I'm all ears. When you're here, whether to help out with the project or just to socialize, try to keep in mind that this is a participant driven event, so if there is something that you'd like to do, most likely it's just a matter of doing it. Co-conspirators are easily found.

Jim

Jim Blackwood

Photo

Jim Blackwood

Nother photo

Jim Blackwood

Yet another photo

Jim Blackwood

Jim,

You need to log out of this system before you create a link to this BBS.
Carl Floyd

Jim
I will be in touch with the others about the 455.
I may just have it brought here and tear it down and deliver parts where ever.
The projest looks good. You are doing stuff I have never even considered trying. I hope to make the Oct days, but I may have to cook and gofor as I have never even tried to straighten a sheet metal part.

Steve
Steve

"You need to log out of this system before you create a link to this BBS."

Done. The link has been edited. Thanks for reminding me.

Steve, since you are handling that end of it, go ahead and do what works the best for you. I have no particular need to see the engine before Dale gets it. But if you would, get the serial numbers so we can confirm that it is a '71, and if you can get some weights that would be a good thing also. I'd like to be able to find out if it is lighter than the 430. We can do that by the bare engine or by the component, whatever suits you.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim
As usual I don't know what is going on here at home.
On the Raodmaster weekend I will be taking my granddaughter to ride the Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC.
Sorry I will not make it.

Steve
Steve

Funny how that works, huh? Well Steve, I hope you have January on your calendar. I suspect we'll want to have our semi-annual business meeting then. Probably take less than a half hour (maybe a lot less) to take care of business but it'll be an important meeting, and one of the things on the agenda will be to set the date for the other semi-annual meeting.

Good News! The paperwork finally came back from Frankfort approved! We now officially have corporate status. BADASS, LLC has arrived. Next step is to get non-profit status with the IRS, I'll start on that this week. That will be done before the end of the year, so everyone who has made a contribution so far, whether in terms of money, materials, parts, or in some cases time will be able to take a charitable deduction for this year.

Nothing new on the car, I had to go out of town for a law seminar and just got back. Job 1 will be to pick up the workshop and I'm going to try to get that done today, and then I want to spend some quality time with my roadster. I need to renew my insurance and then I'm going to get some stock springs ready to swap in. Time to get back to the original ride height and see how I like it.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

JM Morris, are you still there?

I've recently decided (like today actually) that I'd like to build a new blower induction setup for the SBB and if I get a partner in that I'll want to mock it up on the 340 with '64 300 heads in which case it'd help to have an extra set. So I have a use for your 300 heads if they are in good shape, even though the Roadmaster project would only be able to sell them. Would you like to sell them to me? If so what are you asking? Thanks,

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I submitted the following yesterday for posting on the website and in the newsletter of the local british car club.

<quote>
Roadmaster Weekend
Last weekend of every month

For October, we have invited the officers and members of the British Car Club of Greater Cincinnati to pay us a visit, preferably Saturday afternoon or evening. Around 6 or 7 PM should be good, but for anyone who wants to come by and cant make it then the entire weekend is available.

I attended the October meet of the BCCoGC and made a presentation which was well received, outlining the purpose of the Roadmaster project and what we are doing with it, as well as offering the club the opportunity to use the Lab as a meeting place to enable them to organize a southern chapter of the club if they so desire. I was given assurances that some of the officers would pay a visit, after which we will discuss what options are available.

As a part of that weekend, should attendance justify it we will do a tech session on the 455 big block Buick swap into an MGB-GT (probably informally), and as usual the grille will be standing by for our use, drinks in the cooler, etc.

The location is 9406 Gunpowder Rd, Florence, KY. Directions follow:

From I-75, take the Mt. Zion exit (southernmost Florence exit) and go west on Mt Zion Rd. about mile to a stop sign at Gunpowder Rd. If you come to a red light you went the wrong way.

Turn right on Gunpowder and go 6/10ths of a mile. On the right you will see a white fence with stone pillars and a concrete driveway. If you pass Sunnybrook on the right you went too far.

Turn right into the driveway and follow it over the crest of the hill where it will degrade to gravel. Continue on out past the small white barn, making a gentle right hand curve up to the large white metal building and park. You are there.

Background of the Roadmaster project

A group project by members of British V8 and others, the Roadmaster project was conceived as a means of educating the public about the synergies between American and British technologies, particularly as it related to sports cars. The first MGB-V8 having been built using the smallest V8 engine ever produced by Buick, we decided to go full circle and build one using the largest Buick V8, the 455. This was anything but a whim. The Buick 455 is perhaps the lightest and most compact big block engine, and has the same general layout as the 215 or Rover V8. Measurements and test fitting showed that the engine will indeed fit, and weighing indicates that the change in vehicle weight with the conversion should be in the range of -10 to +200 lbs at the front of the car, depending on optional lightweight components used, well within a safe margin for the swap. Naturally we are leaning toward the lighter end of the scale. The GT body was chosen to give an added safety margin for body rigidity since this is the first swap of this type. Contributors donated major components and work began in the summer of 2007, as well as incorporation of a non-profit entity to take ownership of the project. At this point the stripped down body shell is mounted on a rotisserie and has the engine and transmission mount points in place, the steering modifications largely completed, much of the rusted panels removed as well as the undercoating, and is close to being ready for replacement sills and other panels. We have two engines, one of which is on a stand and used for fitting and the other in the process of being transported for teardown and rebuild. A Jaguar IRS has been donated and will be brought in this fall and fitted to the body. The timeline calls for completion of a rolling chassis for display at the 2008 British V8 meet in Michigan, and completion of the car for the 2009 meet.

Upon completion a rotation schedule will be set up among the contributors who wish to participate and the car will pass from one member to the next for the stated time period, during which the member will take custody, drive the car, take it to local shows and in general display it to the public, thereby fulfilling the goals of the organization.

For more information see the following discussion threads:
http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=126109

http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&archiveyear=36_2007.dat&access=&s&subjectar=36&source=T&thread=2007040716030628069

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?40,538455

http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=thread&access=31856785204047&subject=36&source=T&thread=20070806023524333

Jim Blackwood

<end quote>
Jim Blackwood

More news. The following is a repost from the MG Enthusiasts board:

I just got off the phone with Mike Tomaszewski of T&A Performance, and a very informative talk it was. I now have a much better understanding of what our potential sponsors are looking for when they consider a project such as ours. Understandably, they want a concrete idea of what the project entails, who is involved with it and at what level, and what benefits they can expect to receive, as well as assurances that the project will actually be brought to completion and generate the publicity that was promised. They want someone to step up and be willing to take responsibility for those assurances and see to it that all promises are kept. All of which makes perfect sense if you think about it.

So there are some things that we need to do. In saying "we" a lot of it is work that I will have to do, but there is some that I can't do, or that provides an opportunity for some of you to help out with.

One of the biggest concerns is publicity. The fact that we have the British V8 Newsletter on board is very helpful. [http://www.britishv8.org/] Curtis, a document from you to us stating what level of coverage of the project the newsletter is going to provide would help a great deal, especially if it includes circulation statistics, growth rate and stuff like that. If the sponsors of the project are going to be listed in the articles, footnotes or some other way he would like to know the details. The next two annual meets should provide excellent opportunities for coverage, and I can write articles for the newsletter's use at your request for any of the upcoming issues. In fact I'll volunteer right now to submit an article for the next publication. Mike also wants to see what the car will look like and I think we can use existing photos to show that. Someone should contact the editors of a few of the glossy car magazines as well to see if they are interested in covering the project, and again Curtis, this could be developed into an opportunity that could benefit the newsletter and it's editor should you choose to avail yourself of it. But whether by Curtis or another, contact needs to be made. Most helpful would be if we could find one with a photographer within range of Cincinnati to come and shoot the project. I was told this step really should be done first so that a complete presentation can be made to potential sponsors. There is a lot that we can do to show them that we really are a responsible and dependable organization and that their advertising money is well spent. Believe me, when material costs are a part of the package the presentation has to go to at least one more level of scrutiny for budget approval, and a complete presentation package that represents us well is the only way that we can be persuasive at that review since we will not be there in person. I can put together that package, but you can help bolster the presentation by providing me with materials that I can use. And if someone finds an editor who is interested then we need documentation similar to what I am asking Curtis for. Apparently this is common in the magazine industry.

On the topic of sponsor's space on the car. This is something I suggested and we really have had no debate about it, but in talking to Mike I brought up the idea of magnetic signs since it seemed be an easy way to get artwork. That didn't go over real well and I got a bit of a lecture on all the various reasons why. The main problem is the ease with which magnetic signs can be removed, so it's possible that adhesive signs will be fine, but again, someone with a flair for graphics needs to step up to the plate. Using sponsor's existing logos and such all we need do is generate the graphics files and an adhesive sign is only a day away. (edit:The one potential advantage of a magnetic sign that I see is the ability to have it on the unfinished car body at the next British V8 meet where it will be on display as a rolling chassis. Paint work is not scheduled to be done until after that meet.) From my perspective, if the sponsor isn't comfortable with it though I'm not either, and I have no objection to doing all of the artwork in paint as long as we can find someone qualified to do it right. There again, the right graphics files can be easily converted into masks for use in airbrushing the artwork so we still need someone to do the graphics. I have one or two possible prospects locally for paint work who I will approach as soon as we have a usable presentation package put together. We are going to have exactly the same issues there as we have with T&A and this time we can be ready in advance which will look much more professional and competent. The same goes for any of our other potential suppliers, whether they be Moss, D&D, Fast Cars or whoever, and for that matter all of our loyal friends who have already stepped up each deserve no less.

I was highly impressed with Mike's forthright attitude. I consider him to have already made a substantial contribution to the project just by the manner in which he entertained the request and responded with valuable information. I feel confident that with the right presentation we can count on some level of support from him and can count him as a valuable asset in terms of helping us understand how to get things done in the context of sponsorship. This is doubly satisfying because his company, T&A Performance [http://www.taperformance.com/] has built a strong reputation in the aftermarket for quality and service, and should definitely be among the vendors that we as converters turn to for quality parts. In our corner of the world, quality has become a watchword as we see the bar rise on the best conversions. Who would have ever thought that we would see over $100,000.00 spent on a conversion, but that much has been done and more. So it is good to find suppliers like T&A who are dedicated and responsive to their market.

Now again I need to ask for your help and support. Sometimes it's hard to know what to do, but if you can think of just one thing, no matter how small, that you personally can do to help move the project along, that's all I could hope for. As we see to the small details the large ones will take care of themselves.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

repost:

Now that we have complied with the legalities it's fitting that we take care of some of the lesser details. To that end I reconciled the kitty with the spreadsheet and opened an account at Key Bank. I was a few cents off, seems I'd been picking up stray change and tossing it into the pot. At any rate we now have $352.40 on hand after making expenditures of $81.96, which includes the $40 filing fee and $42.13 worth of small parts that I donated the money for. (steering clamps) If this site will allow attachment of a spreadsheet I'll attach it below.

I'd like to ask for someone to act as secretary/treasurer. It is not appropriate that I do those duties beyond the formative period of the organization and there are others in our group much more qualified to do those things than I am. Duties would be to keep track of the money and the other donations primarily and I'd be much more comfortable with someone else to help with that. The first person who comes to mind is Steve DeGroat. Steve, I don't know if you would be willing to take that on or not, but to my mind you'd be a fine person for the job. There are several others in our group who should be able to do a good job also. Can we please have some discussion on this? Then I'd like to open nominations.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Jim: Sorry it's been so long. I will donate the 300 heads to the project. You handle as you see fit. By the way, I also have the crank and front cover. I may even have the rods and pistons. Would you like to have it all?

JM Morris

That would be fine JM, if it isn't going to cost you too much to send. I'm sure we can someone willing to give cash for parts.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Suggestion: Put the crank on Ebay & donate part of the proceeds. That way you are not out the shipping cost on the crank.
Carl Floyd

That's a good suggestion, but JM, you handle it any way you'd like. You are in Tennessee so you may not be far from Carl or Dan Masters, and Steve is coordinating the transport of the 455 parts so it should be possible to hook up and get them all together in one lot before bringing them up here. Or, if you prefer to just ship them the address is:

Roadmaster Project
9406 Gunpowder Rd.
Florence, KY 41042

I'd suggest that you send me an email at:
Jim@BlackwoodLabs.com
and include your phone number, address and email address. That would make it a lot easier to coordinate and we should have the contact info for our records anyway.

I can deal with putting the items on ebay to sell and then deposit the funds and let Steve (as our new secretary/treasurer) know about the sales and deposits so he can keep track of it all.

As for the heads, if they are better than the ones I have I will pay BADASS, NLC the going rate for them (as determined by vendor and ebay prices) and sell the ones I have. If not, I will sell them and deposit the money.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

We are moving to the British V8 forum as the Official permanent site for BADASS, NLC and the Roadmaster project. I will periodically make updates on this site, but for current information go here:
http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,166

Jim
Jim Blackwood

This thread was discussed between 06/08/2007 and 23/10/2007

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