Road Tripping

Preparing for extended trips in your LBC

By the Moss Motors technical staff

Planning for a loooong trip? Sod’s Law says that anything you take probably won’t be needed. That said, certain items are must-takes. These parts and accessories are listed below, as are some tips for making your trip as enjoyable as possible.

Rick Malsed solved MGTD storage issues by building a custom trailer for his 10,000-mile trek.

Preparation is Key

Although the perverse minority of Brit car fans relish MacGyvering their way out of break-downs in out-of-the-way places in the pre-dawn hours, many mere mortals often find the trip-enjoyment coefficient proportional to the amount of preparation. Remember your scout training and plan ahead.

OE dual 6-volt MGBs that now have a single 12-volt battery can use a plastic Moss battery box to create additional storage space.

Routine maintenance should go without saying, so we won’t belabor the obvious. An extended shakedown run is always recommended before venturing out into the wide-open spaces for days on end.

Concerning actual spare parts, the modern electronic age (not to be confused with the halcyon Lucas era) has allowed many long-distance tourers to leave the proverbial kitchen sink at home. Armed with a cell phone, a GPS, an auto-club membership, a valid credit card, and a Moss Motors catalog, Brit car enthusiasts needn’t take up as much valuable luggage space with spare parts as they used to. Thanks to UPS Red Label service, Moss can overnight parts to people in need on the road.

A gallon of emergency gas can be wrapped in plastic and nestled in the trunk. Remember that gas degrades over time, so be sure to use it before the petrol turns to varnish. And always carry a charged fire extinguisher, just in case Mr. Lucas morphs from the Prince of Darkness into the God of Embers.

Electronics are also invaluable in trip-planning too. Fold-out maps and road atlases still keep co-pilots/navigators occupied, but a global-positioning system (GPS) is their modern-tech replacement. The gizmo age also makes it easy to network with enthusiasts who live along the intended route. Just drop an email to car clubs in the path of travel to get recommendations on dining options and repair shops. Having local contacts ahead of time provides peace of mind while on the road.

Buddy System

Another self-apparent key to success is traveling en masse (or Safety Fast in Numbers to those of you in MG clubs). People who caravan with same-model vehicles often split up common replacement parts: someone takes the distributor, another packs the alternator, and so on. Other common spares include a water pump, radiator hoses, heater control valve, fuel pump, spark plugs, points, condenser, rotor, distributor cap, plug wires, carburetor parts, starting fluid, and an emergency freeze plug.

The collective consciousness of traveling in a pack will undoubtedly create new and innovative ways to get all necessary gear into a British sportscar. Then all that’s left is to get out and go.

A temporary spare can free up some trunk space. (One from a Saab 900 or Datsun 240/260/280 will fit an MGB just fine.) Alternately, place your jack, lug wrench, and any spare parts that’ll fit under the stock spare tire before securing it in place. Then use a Moss Trunk Tote to organize remaining bits.

Fender-well storage: small items can be stashed behind an MGB’s windscreen washer bottle. Things like dashpot oil, spark plugs, fuel filter, small bottle of water, fan belt, and possibly odd tools will fit in there. Parts like a distributor and a water pump could be tie-wrapped by the MGB’s master cylinder, by the radiator support brackets, or by the absorption canisters.

Moss’s Space Master cargo organizers are a versatile storage solution for British boots; they hold spare oil, a jack, flashlight, and more. The double-decker method is another approach: using a spare-tire-height toolbox and waferboard can create two-tiered storage.