By Tom Morr Photos By Eric Wilhelm Now rubber-bumpered Bs can go retro thanks to a new chrome-bumper conversion kit. If you’re lucky enough to own a pristine MGB, keep it that way and watch its value increase. For everyone else who doesn’t have a megabuck auction car or 90-point show-stopper, any modifications that enhance…
By Ken Russell, photography by the author After spending more than thirty years in the repair and restoration of all sorts of British cars, the word has always been, “Keep it Original.” Today, this is still true. However, I invite you to consider changes that can be made, to the betterment, in areas unseen. For…
By Kelvin Dodd Jag XJ-S Axle ID I am working on the rear brakes of a Jaguar XJ-S. How do I determine if it has a Dana rear end? —Cliff Singer Take a look at the side of the rearend assembly where the stub axles come out of the differential case. The flange that holds…
Not rocket science nor brain surgery… Old carpet stinks. Particularly in roadsters, ancient fibers can develop terminal cases of mold and mildew. Decaying cut-pile not only looks and smells bad, it can contribute to human respiratory problems. Luckily, re-carpeting is one interior-resto job that can be competently done by the conscientious British sportscar owner. Highlights…
Ballast Resistor The purpose of the ballast resistor is to reduce voltage going to the coil. Not all cars have a ballast resistor. If your coil has three wires connected to it, chances are that one of them is for a ballast resistor. If the ballast resistor is bad, the car may start but die…
I’d like to share with you some of the other fixes I’ve made over the years to my 100 to prevent it from leaking precious fluids. In previous articles I concentrated on the engine. This time I want to talk about everything else that can leak that refined Cretaceous crude. The BN1 three-speed gearboxes all…
I have driven my 1966 TR4A for many years with nothing but the bare minimum in maintenance. Recently, I decided to park it for a couple of months and commence on some repairs I had been putting off. First choice was the horn, which had not worked In several years! With an inexpensive voltmeter, it…
Here’s a time-saving and cheap idea that is sure to help out any British car owner when working in his/her garage. Simply save an egg carton and use it as a separator/part holder to hold small parts and keep them organized. There is no cheaper container with as many compartments! Also I use a soft-bristled…
Are you having trouble installing your new seat diaphragm to an assembled seat? Try this: modify a large (preferably old) screwdriver by cutting a slot in the blade to accept the diaphragm hook. This is then used to force the side hooks into place. On my TR6, it was preferable to turn the front and back…
The Laycock A-type overdrive is a two-speed hydraulically controlled planetary transmission. Direct drive is always controlled by spring pressure. That is, the spring pressure you see when you put the gearbox and overdrive units together, created by eight springs. The overdrive shift is always controlled by hydraulic pressure. Unlike a regular automatic transmission, which works…
