MGB Roadmaster

[BlownMGB-V8]

Bill, that shifter looks really great, fast work too! Steve, thanks for the report. On the radiator, I have a couple of ideas for a more creative solution if we do need something oversize, I guess we can try Pete's unit and see how it works. I'll get dimensions on it later, it really is a slick piece with the integral fan, I'm just not sure it's big enough. I'm also giving some thought to a design that might not require the front panel to be cut on the new body, I'll give it some more thought, try to mock something up and take some photos.

Re: Rick's idea of selling shares, is this something we discussed back when we were deciding the organizational structure we were going to use? The issue that comes to mind for me is the problem of private ownership of a non-profit organization and I'm not sure how we'd get around that. I think it would have to be a private philantropic society of some sort. If anyone has any information about such a creature please illuminate us.

IMPORTANT! We need to decide how we are going to transport Bill's GT. We need information. Help me out here guys, this needs to be done quickly.
Here's one (very) rough estimate. I got 13 mpg on the trip to Port Washington and back, which roughly equates to 3 miles per dollar. I mapquested Bill's address, roughly 2200 miles one way, 4500 both divided by 3 gives us $1500 in fuel costs. Is this the best we can do??

Jim

[MSDMGBV8]

FYI, I believe the first Griffin radiator for an MGB was built for my car back in 2001, it cost me $600.00. It does hang down a bit but I've had no problems with clearance or road debris and once I hooked it up with a 2950 cfm  16 inch "Perma Cool" fan and "painless" fan relay kit I haven't had any cooling problems even in 90 degree plus temperatures.

I have a top shot of the radiator here:


If you want I can take a photo of how far it hangs down and post it later.

[Citron]

Jim,
There is a GT in Alfred, MA for $650.  That is about 1000 miles from you or me.  Carl French has it and says the rust was repaired and then the car was stored.
If you want to drive to CA , I will ride with you, but cannot go until late August.  Classes here start Aug 25 and now is the rush time for admissions.
Hopefully someone else will be able to get the car from CA.

Steve

[Dan B]

Seems to me like shipping would be less than that, especially if there was a truck coming your way that was not completely full.  John Riffe paid $350 for a truck to haul his TR6 to Milton from Kansas City about 4 or 5 years ago.

[BlownMGB-V8]

I hope we can do it for less than that. Don't guess anybody has heard from Joe yet?
Here's a few shots of the radiator:

In this shot the radiator is positioned as high as possible, limited by the hood latches and water pump pulley as shown below.


Here's a shot of the back side


The core is 13 x 18 x 2-1/2" while overall is 17 x 19 x 3 and overall thickness is 7". It is a Griffin radiator. Does this seem adequate for a big block engine with 400 hp+?

Jim

[Bill Young]

Shame it's not a down flow, if you turned it on it's side it looks like it would fit much better even though the difference is only 2" between height and width.

[MSDMGBV8]

That is not the same radiator that I had Griffin build for my car, mine is a downflow, I'll get back to you with the specs, I probably still have the napkin that the original design was sketched out on.

[BlownMGB-V8]

It should be easier to manage the heat with a crossflow, the main thing here is whether the core is large enough.

I've sent out RFQ's for shipping Bill's car back here. So far the low quotes have been $1245 and $1125 all inclusive/no fuel surcharges. This is roughly $500 more than we have in the treasury. If we are going to do this we need some donations, at a minimum 6 or 7 hundred. It's time to pony up and bring out the wallet guys. Contact Steve DeGroat with your donations: sdegroat@truvista.net

I sent a private message to Joe but haven't heard anything from him on the shippers he has contact with. I also contacted Bill to ask him to give the car a close inspection. When I talk to him I'll ask if he can put a steering column in so it can be steered to load and unload.

Up to now we haven't asked for much from you guys, and look how far we've come. This truly has been an econo build. But you as a group decided to jetison the existing body in favor of one without rust and I agree with you. So now is the time to make it happen. We have the body, we need the money to bring it here. So please help all the other great guys in this group by making a generous donation now. One that will make a dent in what we're trying to get done.

I thank you, and all the great members of BADASS thank you.

Jim

[ex-tyke]

There is no difference in performance between a crossflow and a downflow radiator - it is solely a function of chassis packaging. If running a WP mounted fan, it could be a matter of maximizing fan sweep over the core. However if an electric puller/pusher fan is used the rad configuration is immaterial.
Jim's right - it's up to the membership to advance this project - otherwise it comes to a halt and we miss next years deadline.
I'll have a cheque for $100 in the mail by the weekend!

[rficalora]

Jim, I just sent Joe an email letting him know to check his PM's here.  Hope he got home ok.

[mowog1]

Joe's home...he got home in good shape, travelling through the UP of Michigan and surving a few really good thunderstorms.

He's posted over on the MGBE a couple of times.

[BlownMGB-V8]

We exchanged messages. Joe is going to see what he can find out today. The current low bid to transport the car is $1075 and there are a bunch of bids clustered within  a hundred of that. I think Steve said we had seven hundred and change in the treasury, Graham's makes eight, so we need at least three more.

Consider it an investment. How often have you paid a hundred or more to go on a thrill ride? OK, maybe for you and someone else. And how long did it last, a few minutes? Maybe half the day if you count all the preparations. Here you're getting in line for a once in a lifetime experience, at the very least one that you will pilot yourself through the autocross course, and if you like, a thrill ride that will be sitting there at your beck and call for weeks at a time! Heck, you can't hardly even get a rental car anymore for much under a hundred a day, how can you resist an offer like that? Have I ever failed to live up to even one of my promises to any of you guys? You can believe me when I say that this car will be finished. Even if by some odd quirk of fate I wouldn't be around to do it, it's far enough along that it would be a travesty of nature NOT to finish it!

So come on guys, send in the dough.

Election of the secretary: Carl, Steve, somebody second Graham's nomination already. Then we can vote him into office. Got to comply with the formalities.

Headers: We need materials to build a set of headers and this SHOULD be done before we send the new body off to Terry for paint. Tubing bends, header flanges, collectors. You guys need to get us those parts. 1-5/8 tube is fine.

 Here's an interesting bit of news. On perusing the TA Performance website I've discovered that their casting for the Stage II and higher heads have a shortened exhaust runner. Instead of the runner curling down beyond the outside wall like the stock heads do, they terminate at that wall in a similar manner to say, a SBC head. What does this mean for us? Not a lot. But for whoever builds the next BBB car it means a great deal. These heads leave enough room between the port and the inner fender to make the first bend, meaning a set of RV8 style headers can be built. Even better, the rear port will very probably clear the unmodified steering shaft! Someone who would build such a car, and pay the price tag of $2500 for those heads might also very well buy the aluminum block, and at this point a genuine supercar is in the works. Considering the end product, it would then seem quite reasonable to begin with a reinforced BMH shell, Ted's front end, the TA engine and end up with a car worth well over 100K. It's the car MG NEVER could have built.

So come on guys, get those donations in.

Jim

[MGBV8]

I'll gladly second Graham's nomination.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Since there have been no other nominations I declare nominations closed unless someone immediately protests. All in favor of Graham? Well I vote for him, that beats the other candidate. So congratulations Graham, barring any protest you are the new Secretary. We won't make you wear the dress though.

Jim

[Bill Young]

But at next year's V8 meet he should sit on the president's lap and take dictation shouldn't he? He's got my vote as well, sorry was late getting in on this ballot.
I'm about tapped for the time being, but when the personal treasury tops up again after paying the credit card bills from the V8 meet I'll try to at least come up with the cash for the U bends if nothing else. Don't know about buying a share though. I'm not through with my contributions to the cause by a long shot, but even if my total isn't up with some of the others it's still a bit on my car budget. So far it's been $200 in cash, one pair of Omni flares ($30 plus gas and shipping), a power brake assembly ($50 plus shipping), and the seats ($150). Someplace along the line that should be worth a share I guess.

[Citron]

I, too, will vote for Graham.  I will need his shirt size to try to get him a BADASS SECRETARY shirt.

Steve

[mowog1]

I think that "payment in kind" would be acceptable for a share, as long as the governing body (read officers) are in agreement with the individual transactions using an agreed formula for all such transactions.

I do believe that we need to find a means of creating a cushion for expenses (planned, unplanned, mandated, etc) to make this a viable project....which means the collection of cash.

[ex-tyke]

Looks like the leading candidate for BADASS Secretary wins in a landslide, mostly attributed to his well run campaign platform of free beer at Hooters.
Unfortunately, once elected, campaign promises aren't worth squat but I will extend an appreciative thanks for the votes of confidence.
Also, the likelihood of wearing women's secretarial apparel has about as much chance of happening as a Bill Guzman V8 conversion.

[MGBV8]

ex-tyke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Also, the likelihood of wearing women's
> secretarial apparel has about as much chance of
> happening as a Bill Guzman V8 conversion.

Hmmm, you might be wearing that red dress, yet.   ;-)

[mowog1]

MGBV8 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ex-tyke Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Also, the likelihood of wearing women's
> > secretarial apparel has about as much chance of
> > happening as a Bill Guzman V8 conversion.
>
> Hmmm, you might be wearing that red dress, yet.  
> ;-)


LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BlownMGB-V8]

mowog1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think that "payment in kind" would be acceptable
> for a share, as long as the governing body (read
> officers) are in agreement with the individual
> transactions using an agreed formula for all such
> transactions.
>
> I do believe that we need to find a means of
> creating a cushion for expenses (planned,
> unplanned, mandated, etc) to make this a viable
> project....which means the collection of cash.

I agree Rick, so I can appoint you as Chairman of the newly formed "Ways and Means" committee. I'll also appoint Steve DeGroat, Bill Guzman and Bill Young as your committee members, feel free to pick whoever you think would be able to help you and we'll appoint them as well. You have full authority to investigate any and all ways and means of funding the project and the organization. I trust your judgment implicitly. There is one thing I'd like to mention which you'll have to investigate concerning this share idea, I don't think a non-profit can have private ownership because it's function is to benefit the public. I'm not sure how to reconcile that with your ideas but I'm sure you can find a solution. We've also discussed such methods as dues to raise funds, your committee members can fill you in on that discussion. Feel free to explore any and all options and we'll be expectantly awaiting your committee report when you are ready. Thanks, on behalf of BADASS, the MGB Roadmaster Project and all of our contributors, sponsors and members.

Jim

[ex-tyke]

You're on a roll, Jim, The next positions up for grabs are the "Office without Portfolio"  and the "Minister of Silly Walks"
     Perhaps the focus should be on disposal of non essential car parts from project BADASS through Craigslist, ebay, V8 forum classifieds, etc.
   BTW, funds sent to your attention on Saturday.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Thank you Graham, could you pm me and let me know if that was via mail, etc? I'll watch for it.

You are quite right about disposal of non-essential assets. What do we name the committee? I could put you, Carl and Rob on it.

We also need an internet committee. I have the following email:

"Jim, thanks for the additional feedback -- much appreciated.

I have taken a look at the link you sent. I have built several sites with the requirements you guys need. I have actually built an entire mortgage companies intra-network. Basically, it handled all of their day to day tasks ranging from processing to loan officer lead/file management. I have also a lot of experience working on shopping cart style web sites.

At any rate, it looks like you need a small combination of those. Are you looking to combine all of that stuff as a backend link where your group of associates have access or it is all for the public (including the list of tasks and parts). It seems like you would need several pages... one for the donations and sales of t-shirts. One for the backend for your group to keep track of tasks and parts needed, along with scheduling working weekends. You can also put together an entire smaller site which has a shopping cart on the front end, and some management features on the backend. It could also incorporate a message board directly on your domain. Anyhow, that is something you can think about.

I can show you some examples of shopping cart sites I have built:

http://www.thebestbabydolls.com -- currently in progress

http://www.antiquejewelryco.com/shop/catalog -- they are in the midst of launching

If you wanted something more simple than the full sites above,  yet still effective for getting initially setup to sell shirts online and build some funds, at the same time manage some tasks etc... I would be willing to help get this off the ground for  about $350.  Down the road, you could always expand it into an entire site/community.

Let me know some of your thoughts!

Best Regards,
Steve Schwartz
Director / Developer
Innovative Solutions LLC
http://www.think-is.com"

This is to give an idea of what could be done in that area. Curtis obviously should be on this committee as well as Kurt if he wants to be, and Dan Masters would be a good choice I think.


Suggestions anyone?

Jim

[Moderator]

Shopping cart front end? When Paypal is free and easy to set-up? Sounds like a waste of money to me, unless you're keen to create a full-time business. If t-shirts are that lucrative, I need to start selling them too!

If what "Roadmaster" really needs is a message board of its own, I could set that up for a lot less than $350.

[mowog1]

ex-tyke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You're on a roll, Jim, The next positions up for
> grabs are the "Office without Portfolio"  and the
> "Minister of Silly Walks"
>      Perhaps the focus should be on disposal of
> non essential car parts from project BADASS
> through Craigslist, ebay, V8 forum classifieds,
> etc.
>    BTW, funds sent to your attention on Saturday.


At least I'm not required to wear a dress, Graham!