Wow, I am beginning to look like a newbie...my computer is being mean to
me..sorry to waste the bandwidth,
Kevin
I tried to send this before, but my forwarding of the mail made it into
"attachment mode"...my mistake.
Here is some info that I thought that would be of interest to MGA
newbies on the list.
cheers
Kevin Richards
Hi Eric,
I am so glad that you are a previous MGA owner who is getting back into
the hobby. First off, let me say that I am 27 years old, just got
married, and I have a 62 MGA MKII that is in mid restoration. I have a
wife who is just as keen about the MGA. That makes life all that much
better. I have a few website suggestions that will pretty much give you
everything you ever wanted to know or need for your MGA.
First, the MG enthusiasts site, here you can review the history of the
MGA, and other MG's...I definitely suggest the Picture gallery. You can
become a member for free, and, with your password entered, you can
bookmark your "member's only" page which gives you instant access to the
classifieds (cars and parts for sale)..which I have used to not only
sell, but buy parts for my car, also there is a bulletin board, or BBS,
which is also invaluable...check it out, it is a fantastic resource.
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/index.html
Next is NAMGAR, which is the North American MGA Register. They are a
fantastic group that is dedicated to the preservation of the MGA. I am a
new member, and let me tell you, the $25/year dues are totally worth the
price of your membership. Classifieds here also, just meander around the
website. They have annual meetings where everyone gets together, from
around the country and the world! You can check if they have any history
on your car, from previous owners, etc. Once registered, you have a
registry number, and that stays with the car forever. I am constantly
amazed at what great people they are.
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/namgar/
OK, now for parts. There are many out there, but the best for technical
assistance, and knowledge of parts, these are the people. You can call
them and request a catalog, or download it from their website below,
just click on the MGA icon, and go from there. They are great people,
and have just about every part imaginable. They also have a great
section of "tech tips" have a look around on their website.
http://www.mossmotors.com/
Now, for the picky restoration parts, there is a gentleman called Todd
Clarke that can, and has made just about any type of clip, bolt, screw,
etc for the finer points of restoration. I bought his battery boxes, and
they were like they were made in Abingdon (england). He is not on the
web, but you can call him at 215 348 0595. His email is
ClarkeSpares@worldnet.att.net, and his address is 90 W.Swamp Rd,
Doylestown, Pa 18901. He is truly the best quality in the MGA world. And
very reasonable also.
Now, for one of the best sites as far as tech info and pics on sill
restoration (which you will need to do ;0) ), is Frank Graham's site. He
is restoring an original Sebring race car, and he lives in New Jersey. A
really nice guy. and this is his website:
http://safetyfast.homestead.com/home.html
Now, for all things technical, here is the guru, Mr Barney Gaylord. Not
only is he a total MGA nut, but he is probably one of the finest, most
helping people in our MGA world. Email him with a tech question, and he
will give you a dissertation that is worthy of a workshop manual. Here
is his site:
http://www.ntsource.com/~barneymg/mg01.htm
And lastly, but not least, ther is the MG mailing list. This is by far
the most useful of them all. It is like a live email newsgroup, or
list-serve. If you are unfamiliar, it is like a mailing list that you
are a member of. You can either subscribe to the list, and receive
emails periodically throughout the day (up to 50-60), or you can
subscribe to the digest version, which sends you one email, once a day,
with all of the day's list emails in it.
You can find subscription info here: and its free!
http://www.team.net/www/mg/mgmail.html
(just take a minute to read the hello message you are sent regarding
rules and translations of list "jargon" and abbreviations, it will save
you a headache later.)
Trust me, you will be absolutely psyched about the wealth of info out
there for your use!
This should be a good start. Don't forget to bookmark the sites, and get
yourself the Moss catalog and the Clarke catalog, you will not be
disappointed.
Cheers
Kevin.
If I think of more websites, I will forward them to you.
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