An Engine Rebuild For a Good Cause: Q&A with Dick Moritz

Back in November we introduced you to Dick Moritz and Dale Spooner, the spearheads of the hearty project that set to document the rebuild process of an MGB engine on the MG Experience Forum. Once completed, the engine will then be auctioned off and its proceeds will go toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation®.

We’ve been following the forum thread as both Dale and Dick guide the community members through the various steps and methods in rebuilding the engine. With the supplement of photos and short videos, the project is as inclusive and immersive as it is informative. It’s no wonder the community response has been so amazingly positive.

Two months and #256 thread posts later, we briefly caught up with Dick to see how the process has been coming along.

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Moss Motors:  What has been the most rewarding part about taking on this project?

Dick Moritz: The number of MG owners who have learned of the program and offered to help support it any way they can. As you’ve seen from following the thread, folks have had some awfully nice things to say about this effort. The collegial and generous response has been most gratifying.

MM: On the other hand what has been the most difficult aspect about the project so far and has that affected how you approach it?

DM: Actually we had difficulty finding a suitable cylinder head for the engine build. We received heads donated from several members that turned out to be cracked and unusable, and finally received one that will work nicely.

MM: The response to Dale’s method and work has been outstanding. How has the thread affected his business, if at all?

DM: Amazingly enough, Dale is so good that he is literally sold out. Several members have asked if he could work for them and he has had to turn them down due to his backlog of work. So all the time he is spending on the machining and photography and videography is strictly philanthropic, and not done in the interest of promoting his business.

MM: How have your goals changed or shifted (if at all) since when you two first started the build?

DM: Probably the biggest change has been in the depth of explanation of Dale’s procedures, and why he does things certain ways and why others choose to do things other ways. That’s become pretty involved….

MM: Do you have an idea of when you will hold the auction?

Dale still has a little work to do, after which he’ll ship all the pieces to me for assembly and documentation in the thread. Realistically I’m sure it will be March, give or take…

MM: Is there anything else you’d like to include in this update?

DM: Just that Dale and I have been deeply moved by the generosity and concern voiced by the MG car community. You’ve read the posts. It’s quite clear that the MGExperience is a wonderful forum, with members all across the globe, and we have folks like Moss Motors and Glenn Towery who offer up valuable items in the interest of supporting such a worthy cause. It really is heart-warming…

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It truly is and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of such a collaborative effort.

We want to thank Dick for taking the time to update us and we look forward to seeing more posts from Dale and Dick on the MG Experience thread, which you can follow here.

Read the first Moss Motoring post about the project here.

By Carly Bonilla-Flores