The MGA With An Attitude
MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (August 16 - August 31, 2026)
Sunday, August 16, 2026 :
Moved 80 miles farther east over night, sitting in Gretna, Nebraska today. Added new Part Numbers tech pages for the clip to secure the MGA thermometer signal pipe to the lower bolt holding the heater valve (or blanking plate) on the MGA engine cylinder head. Originally a two-piece clip with part numbers AHH5802 andBHA4081, there is now an aftermarket part number BHA4081K for a clip assembly, and alternate part number 281-920 (from Moss Motors).
 This clip was introduced in February 1958, two months before introduction of the MGA Twin Cam. Makes me wonder if they found a vibration fracture problem with the thermometer pipe during Twin Cam engine development (food for thought).
Revised the Care and Feeding tech page CF-125 for Production Changes For MGA by Date, Chassis and Engine Numbers, to show the introduction point of this clip. -- Moving along in the evening, landing in Shelby, Iowa by sun down, no fuel needed yet.
Monday, August 17, 2026 :
Moving 3-1/2 hours more east today with fuel stop in Des Moines, IA, then stopping in Davenport, IA for late lunch.
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 :
Early morning heading east on I-80 to to cross the Mississippi River at Le Claire, Iowa, planning for fuel stop and breakfast at
Atkinson, Illinois. Traveling well, getting good fuel economy, we decided to continue on to Utica, IL before fuel and late breakfast. Then the road changed with a sign declaring "Accident Ahead". As motion slowed to a crawl, we were forced off next exit at Annawan, IL, re-routing onto the parallel highway US-6. Okay, I-80 was closed, so we would likely get back onto the interstate at the next entrance ramp. Uh, nope. The I-80 bypass detour signs just kept going on US-6, passing three more entrance ramps. We were finally directed back onto I-80 east at Spring Valley, IL, 40 miles after the exit point. Never could figure out what kind of accident would close 40 miles of interstate highway including three interchanges.
We must have had a good tail wind for the past two days, because the next fuel stop at Utica, IL gave us 264 miles with only 10 gallons of fuel, and 26.4 mpg is pretty good when towing the trailer at expressway speeds. Having gone 50 miles farther than originally planned, we could stop here, with not too far to go tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 :
One hour up the expressways, I-80 and I-55, put us in Romeoville, IL in time for breakfast. We seem to be developing ,or following, a bit of tradition. We like to drop in for Wednesday Night Garage Club at "Tommy's Garage" in Lagrange Highlands, IL, whenever we're in the area with an open Wednesday. Can't wait to see what these guys are tinkering with now, so we shuffle on into town for 6-pm meeting. The white MGB-GT is Tom's Son's project car (his first car , I think. Looks like it is driving condition now, just missing front wings.
There's om's GM-MGB with V-6 engine and 5-speed gearbox, LED headlights, RV8 interior, and bunch more modern upgrades. The guys got a head start on us, munching down pizza before we got here.
Another new toy out back. Looks has picked up a project truck to tinker with.
The CMGC club project car is still progressing (slowly). We were pushing, shoving, nudging, bending hinges, realigning the bonnet, pulling forward center of the grill to get the grill badge to clear the nose. That worked out okay. Still needing the release cable and latch pin with spring.
Some time pop riveting fasteners for the side moldings. Dash and panels are mostly in, seats still loose,and more trim work remaining.
Warm evening,lots of friendly chat. Pushing dark, we were heading east and south and east and south some more on expressways, heading over to northwest Indiana.
Thursday, August 20, 2026 :
Looking for early breakfast in Merrilville, Indiana, but first WiFi spot had the doors locked. No biggie, move east to Valpraiso, IN, but the next place had the WiFi not working. Heading for another place we knew in LaPorte, IN, we ran into a road closure onUS-2. During the detour we accidentally ran across a new McDonald's in Westville, IN, and stopped to check that one. It works, and it looks like all new, pretty sure it wasn't here five years go. -- Late afternoon, a short run south to Hanna, Indiana to visit brother. Will hang out here tonight.
Friday, August 21, 2026 :
Moving on mid day, east on US-30, diverting around north side of Fort Wayne, IN, one fuel stop on the fly, and continue east to Love's Travel Stop at Woodburn, Indiana. A bit surprised we didn't get out of the state yet, but no rush.
Got a phone call at 3-pm with first report of a vehicle failure en-route to MG International 2026 convention in Sandusky, Ohio (which of course is where we are heading). One MGA driven by Mark Ahistrom from Cornelius, NC, heading north a few hours from home. The car has been running okay for several years and several thousand miles since it had fresh rebuilt clutch assembly installed. Driving perfectly well, accelerating or climbing a hill in 3rd gear, just up-shifting from 3rd to 4th, clutch down, shift out of 3rd, does not go into 4th. Coast off the road to safe cover. After that the clutch will not release, so it will not shift into any gear with engine running. We did some over-the-phone diagnostics, and my best guess is the clutch disc delaminated and jammed a piece of friction material between disc and flywheel, or between disc and pressure plate. Everything else works fine, including clutch slave cylinder travel, except the clutch will not release. Driver's choice, looks like it will be towed at least three hours back home to repair shop Elite Vehicle Restorations in Denver, NC. Pity, that one will miss the convention and car show.
Saturday, August 22, 2026 :
Checking the MG International 2026 web site Sunday schedule latest information to decide what time of day we would like to arrive to check in and pick up our registration packet, and where to meet for start of the Sunday evening driving tour.
- - - https://mginternational2026.regfox.com/register
Say WHAT? Looks like the entire Sunday events list has been deleted from the convention daily schedule. Now the convention is only Monday through Thursday? What happened to Sunday Arrival day? We have been planning our travel schedule for the past two months based on Sunday arrival. We know a few other people who have reserved a room for Saturday night to be on site Sunday morning. -- With the recent changes to the event web site, any contact information has also been deleted, so we can't even call or email anyone to ask. And of course it is too late for anyone to cancel a hotel room reservation for Saturday night. Looks like we now have to drag our feet for another day, and then arrive very early Monday morning. -- Then I looked on the MG Council web site:
- - https://www.mgcouncil.com/all-mg-2026
And it still says, "Join us August 23-27, 2026" (starting Sunday), with a link to: https://mginternational2026.org
And that web page is now failed. The MG Council web page has a "Contact Us" link that lists two email addresses, if anyone was inclined to try that at such a late date. They didn't even send en email to people already registered for he event to tell them that Sunday was cancelled. Do I sound a little PO'd?
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