MGB Roadmaster

[ex-tyke]

Rick,
RE:   >> At least I'm not required to wear a dress, Graham!
             ...watch it or I'll sick Madsen on you....

[BlownMGB-V8]

Moderator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.

Curtis, this is exactly why I'd like you to chair the committee, and I'd like to have some web savvy members on board. You know the details of how this should be done and your committee should be able to take your directions and do it, each one contributing their own small part. Can I count on you to oversee this piece of the puzzle? And because it is to our benefit to do so, I'll authorize the committee to assist where it can in taking some of the workload off you in connection with the BritishV8 website. Towards this end, feel free to recruit anyone you like to join us.

Rick has accepted, pending spousal approval. (Man I hate it when that happens...but what 'ya gonna do?) so his committee is practically up and running. So far this is coming together pretty well as everyone is interested in helping.

One last thing I can think of is that we should have a search committee to find components we need for the car. I'd like Carl to chair that committee. This should be a somewhat large committee I think in order to spread out the workload of determining what we need and finding the best way to get it. So I'm going to appoint a pretty long list of members:
Pete Mantell
Dan Jones
Kelly Combes
Jim Stuart
Arthur Mitchell
Jack Morris
Brad Carson
Mike Domanowski
Dan Blackwood
That gives us 10 people and Carl, if you want someone else on there or if someone else wants to be on there just let me know and we'll add them.

Your BADASS President,
Jim

[BlownMGB-V8]

OK, I was wrong there is another committee that I need to form. The Detail Committee. I bet y'all can guess what that one is since one of the single biggest challenges facing us is to get people to come up and work on the project. I intend to name three people to that committee but I haven't settled on who they should be yet, it can wait for another day. But the purpose of the committee is clear, it is to organize work details for Roadmaster Weekends.

Now, some of y'all may be wondering why the sudden emphases on occifers and committees. The answer is very clear and very simple. As president of this organization I am responsible for what gets done as well as what doesn't. When that meant only waterblasting the shell of a car it was a fairly simple thing to manage and I didn't mind carrying the full weight of that responsibility. But the scope of my responsibilities have expanded over time and it should be clear to anyone, especially you, the members, that it is now more than any one man can be expected to handle by himself. We are now at the point where I have two and only two choices before me. My first option is to delegate some of the authority and responsibility to you the members, and this is what I am attempting to do. My only other option is one that I am trying as hard as I can to avoid and which I am not prepared to exercise at this time, and that is to resign. But it is very clear to me that if I am incapable or unable to exercise the first choice the time will soon come when the second option is forced upon me. So I am depending on all of you to help me avoid that second choice.

That is the reason for the sudden interest in committees. By serving on or chairing a committee you are doing what you agreed to in the summer meeting at Port Washington, that being to support the project. Everyone there acknowledged that I cannot do it alone, and everyone there was in agreement that the membership had to help. So if you would, please accept appointments to the committees and serve on them as if you have something to contribute, because you do. This is your organization. I serve at your discretion. And like you, I can exercise my right to serve well and faithfully, or to avoid involvement. I choose the former, because that is what real men of good conscience do. Now as a committee member you have the full authority of the organization, the duty to exercise that authority, and the responsibility to exercise it well. I hope I can count on all of you, my good friends to do just that.

Now I would like to take just a moment to touch on the plight of the BritishV8 Newsletter. We all know and appreciate the great work Curtis has done in bringing the newsletter into the modern age. We are astounded at what he has accomplished with the website. But Curtis has overextended himself. Those of us who paid attention know this, and we saw it coming, yet we stood by and let it happen because we didn't know what to do about it. Well Gentlemen, the time has come to take action, and we'd better be right about what we do, because the newsletter is in crisis and if we do not act decisively and correctly we will not have a newsletter, and we will not have a website. This is a great concern for BADASS, as this is our permanent home, and nobody wants to see us homeless. If this great website is to continue we must step up and take actions to save it.

I have recommended to Curtis that he consider the concept of delegating and see if that can be used as a vehicle to save the newsletter. I have recommended that our Internet committee be given the authority to assist in that effort. Now I am asking for all good men who have any skills that might be put to use in that endeavor to step forward and unite, that we may do what must be done. Contact me, contact Curtis, post on this thread, send an email or pm, but please, step forward. We all have a lot to lose if we let this slip away.

Jim

[mowog1]

OK...I'm in as "Ways and Means".

Who has a copy of the NLC that they can share with me so I can look into the legalities of individual shares.

Steve, Bill, and Bill.....I'll be in touch.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Thank you Rick, on behalf of the entire organization and myself. I will dig out our incorporation paperwork and any other documents we have, send you what I think applies and also send all the documents to Graham so that as Secretary he will be in possession of all of our documentation. It is as minimal as I could legally get by with, (I felt that would be the least limiting) and I don't believe we have any official bylaws because it wasn't a requirement of incorporation. All of the documentation should also be in this thread btw or on one or all three of the old forums,(links to those are on the first page but the Enthusiasts forum has moved it to the archives) with the exception of the actual incorporation form. I'll try to do that before Friday, as we go on vacation then for a week or so. I think what you'll find is that you have to look to relevant law regarding ownership of a non-profit.

Steve has the most current membership list, Graham you need to get a copy from him.

We should have an online depository for all official documents and records. I need volunteers for the internet committee and for the Detail committee. We should be thinking about a membership committee as well and that should pretty well finish it up.

Chairmen, I am counting on you to exercise your position. Remember to delegate tasks to your committeemen, and when you do, allow them to be responsible for that task. I will do whatever I can to help you when you need it, but I have my job to do as well, so as long as we all pull together on this we'll make the most progress. Thank you.

Jim

[Citron]

Graham,
I will get you what I have as a members list next week.  Leaving for the beach tonight.

What is the status on getting the BGT from CA?

Steve

[mowog1]

BlownMGB-V8 Wrote:
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> Chairmen, I am counting on you to exercise your
> position.
> Jim


Hey...no one said ANYTHING about exercise!

[rficalora]

I'm happy to help list stuff on ebay/craigslist.  Will need the best pics we can get of the parts.

I could still use the patch panel from the right fender.  Let me know what you guys think is fair for that.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Well Rick, you might have to exercise your elbow a little....

I've just sent out an email to our occifers and committee chairmen, please let me know if anyone doesn't get it, all of our official documents are attached. I also made some suggestions on what I see as the most important initial issues for the committees where I thought that was a good idea.

I may be out of contact off and on for a few days, but please keep in mind that we have a Roadmaster Weekend coming up the 30, 31st of August (Friday is also available). Once our Detail committee has been formed though it will have the authority to schedule work days at the convenience of the membership.

Now about the car: Max Fulton noted that the pinion flange on the differential sat off center a little. I have jacked the car up and looked at it, and indeed it is 1/4" off center. Investigating further I discovered this to be a result of tolerance build up between the body, the crossmember, and the compliance of the bushings, about half of which we may be able to remove by careful assembly. However, we decided to replace the flange yoke with a (Dana 44 or Spicer) U-joint yoke and felt that the location and diameter of the driveshaft tube could be made to clear the handbrake bolt without too much trouble, since it will be a fixed location. Nothing else has been done with the car, as I have been trying to get caught up on my roadster. However, once I have the half-shafts shortened on my car I will finish up the IRS assemblies on both.

I have recognized that prepping the new GT body and sending it out while using the existing body for assembly of the headers is going to be a convenient way to proceed. That approach puts considerably less emphasis on getting the header materials. Plus we can work up the coolant system before the body goes out. However, we really do need a starter to make sure we have adequate clearance, and it can be an inoperative one or a loaner for test fitting. I found this post:

>I have a stock chevy mini starter on my BBB and it works perfectly.You need one for the 80s up with the 153 >tooth flexplate.

>I did check and found that the chevy mini's with the duel bolt pattern will bolt right on and work with no >problems.And yes even some of these come with a spacer to get the pinion in the poper location.These can >be found some times at a starter/alt. repair and sales outlet.

>The sarter i am using is oen that come off a GM 3 liter Hyster lift truck but is the same as you would find on a >88 305-350 with the 153 flywheel.


I hope one of you can come up with something we can test fit. It doesn't look like there's room enough for the stock starter. I understand one of these mini's sell for about $99 but haven't checked the auto parts places yet.

Jim

[mowog1]

I received the mailing with attachements today....I've not yet opened the attachments.

Who has the BADASS logo as was on the t-shirts....can I get a copy for BADASS letterhead?

[Citron]

Jim,
I can't make the Roadmaster weekend this month.  It is rush time for admissions at the college.  Hope someone will go.

Steve

[mowog1]

BADASS Ways and Means committee members:

Steve DeGroat, Bill Young, and Bill Guzman:

Please send me via e-mail your own e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

mowog1@aol.com
217-469-2007 (home)
217-373-0702 (work)

Thanks!

rick

[BlownMGB-V8]

Some more good news. Graham's check came in, so that's another hundred in the till. Also I just got off the phone with Pete and he has volunteered to chair the Internet committee. Pete doesn't claim to be any more web savvy than many of us, but he shouldn't need to be, as he should be able to rely on his committee members to find the best ways to proceed. I've recommended Graham, Dan M, and Curtis as potential committee members along with anyone he feels would be an asset and they can organize as they feel appropriate.

Guys, it's an honor and a privilege to serve on these committees because it's a chance to do something good for your friends. I know a lot of times it may seem like you don't have any idea what you can do to help and it seems like a bother and a waste of time when you have more important things on your mind. But many hands make light work, and if you just make a phone call or send out a few emails, by the time you multiply that by our number we become a much more powerful force. Plus these phone calls are mostly going to be to people you like talking to anyway and what could possibly be bad about that? Maybe asking someone if they can help seems like a hard thing to do, but when you realize that they are expecting you to ask them, doesn't it just give you something else good to talk about?

We have two committees yet to fill. Detail and Membership, and I'm asking for volunteers or recommendations. Here it is almost September and nothing's been done on the car. Personally, I sort of doubt anything will be done on it until we have a Detail committee setting up work weekends. So until we set up the Detail committee I'm skeptical of anything else getting done on the car at all. When that happens is up to you guys. More on Membership below.

I haven't heard anything from Carl as to whether he can chair the Search committee, maybe because I haven't gotten around to a personal invite. Sorry Carl, my mistake. Well, I'm just a volunteer same as the rest of you guys so I hope that's excusable. Can you do it Carl? We sure need you. We also need to know how much the Inop car transport companies Joe gave us can transport Bill's GT for. If they can get us down around 7-800 bucks I'd think we're suddenly in the ballpark.

Now a little something on membership. Today I went over to the lodge to help out with a yard sale and since I was taking Matthew along I took my roadster. Almost immediately it drew a crowd, and it seemed I couldn't get much done for answering questions so I took the bottom of one of these foam boxes you take food home from the restaurant in and wrote on the bottom, "Like this car? Go to: BritishV8.Org  1971MGB/215Olds" and I was left in relative peace after that. But the crowd around the car stayed, ebbing and flowing as people came and went, most of them reading the placard which I had placed under the wiper. The car attracted people in off the street who then bought food and drinks, and many of the curious were younger drivers.

We have talked about how we need to attract younger drivers to the BritishV8 group and this will benefit BADASS as well. So this is just one small example of what we can do to move the cause along. Make up a dash plaque to leave in your car when you take it out. You KNOW people are going to look at it, it's like a magnet already, so why not use that magnetism to do some good for our entire group? They are our friends, right? If we all do that one small thing I don't imagine we'll have much trouble attracting new enthusiasts. Do we need a membership committee for this? Not necessarily. Should we have one? I don't know, and there's no reason why I should have to make all of the decisions. It'd be easy duty if anyone wants it.

Jim

[Dan B]

Here's an idea... Since Bill's donation of the car body is in CA, and it is to be painted in Terry's shop, also out west, why not have the western contingent of BADASS complete the bodywork through the paint stage?  All the mechanical fitting can be done on the body that is in Florence, then transferred over.  Eastern US Roadmaster weekends for the next few months could concentrate on mechanicals, and western US Roadmaster weekends could concentrate on bodywork.

Thoughts?

[rficalora]

that's seems like the most efficient flow in terms of transportation expense, but any cutting, welding, etc. needs to be done before body work/paint.  Not sure how that could be accomplished if the shell doesn't make it to Jim's 1st.

[BlownMGB-V8]

I can give exact specifications for the body mods. There are only three things other than location of the radiator and the fender flares that need to be done, and I can mock up the radiator mounts and give exact specs for that too by the time you guys get to it. I can ship the fender flares and the steering cone section which is a simple cut-n-weld modification. That leaves the right side bulkhead mod which is a simple matter of taking a 1/2" slice and shoving the corner back. The engine mounts are easy enough, drill a hole through the frame rail, weld in a length of tubing, and weld a cap on top of the rail and I'll provide the parts and hole location. If we miss the mark a little we can tweak the engine plates to line up. What's left? Oh yeah, header holes. That's done with a holesaw and I can make a template.

There's an outside chance I could have found some aluminum heads. They have been damaged, the engine was dropped off a truck so they'd have to be welded and I've only just made the inquiry. No telling how that'll come out. But they;re full-on TA racing heads which means they have the short exhaust ports. If we're able to get them, that would mean there would be enough room for a log type exhaust manifold or possibly even RV8 style headers. I'll keep you all advised. I have been too busy the last few months to be able to call sponsors and pursue deals but I'm hoping that will change. I do enjoy talking to those guys but I'll admit I have to work up to it. I want to be at my best before I pick up the phone to ask someone to sink hundreds or thousands of dollars into a car he's never even heard of before. If they enjoy talking to me maybe I have a chance but I don't dare touch that dial if I'm even a little down. Anyway, that means we should probably leave the inner fender mods for last.

Dan, I think that was a great idea, and Rob, you're right, that's the key to making it work. You guys are the best.

Jim

[74ls1tr6]

Where in California is the car body?

Calvin

[BlownMGB-V8]

Bill is in Camarillo, CA. Some of you western guys should take a trip out there to look the car over real close, and figure out a place to work on it. If you need it, I think I have a spare steering column that might work on it.

How do you guys think we should set up the Detail committee in light of this new development?

Jim

[mowog1]

BlownMGB-V8 Wrote:
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> How do you guys think we should set up the Detail
> committee in light of this new development?
>
> Jim


Regional representatives....by time zone?

[BlownMGB-V8]

I think that's a reasonable idea.

I hope we can get some people to volunteer for that, I'll be here, in case anybody wants to. I don't see much activity directed towards getting things moving on the west coast but maybe in time something will happen.

The concept of Roadmaster Weekend probably needs to change. This year we've seen participation in roughly one out of four scheduled weekends and not only does that make scheduling difficult for me, it may induce a sort of apathy, since the next one is always there. So I'm canceling all scheduled weekends as of today. It will be up to the Detail Committee to schedule the next one.

On a positive note, I've been able to do a little work on the forward link for the IRS. It's slow going but that's allowed me to make a few helpful revisions.

Jim

[Dan B]

Just to stir things up a bit (acting like my big brother)  I just fired off an email to Horsepower TV.  Here is the text:

"Joe and Mike,

I don't know if you have heard of the little nationwide project undertaken by some of the British V8 people, so I am sending you a link to the forum:

http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,166

This is the thread that is taking the car through the conversion from a stock MGB-GT to a fire breather with 455 Buick power!  On the thread you can read about the organization and its desire to achieve synergy with great handling British sportcars and good old American V8 muscle!

Currently the body for the car is being prepped in California, and the mechanical work is being done in Kentucky, with volunteer members of the organization working as time permits, traveling weekends to the garage where the car is.  All the parts have been donated or paid for with donated money or other parts that were sold for the needed revenue.

This project is truly what your show is all about.  You may want to do a segment or two on it.


Dan Blackwood
South Charleston, WV

1966 TR4AIRS EFI
1980 TR7 DHC"

[mowog1]

Dan B Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just to stir things up a bit (acting like my big
> brother)  I just fired off an email to Horsepower
> TV.  Here is the text:
< snip>

Excellent.

Other potential outlets are My Classic Car (after the porject is down the road a bit) and Car Crazy.

Stacy David (formerly of "Trucks!") is also doing  a program for SpeedTV (I think); this may be right up his alley. (He recently featured a V8 Miata).

[BlownMGB-V8]

It looks like our committees are becoming successful. We have empowered our members by giving them positions of responsibility and they are taking the reins and moving the project forward. I love to see creative approaches like those above, and there has also been a good bit of activity on a more concrete level. Our members have found what may be a suitable GT at what may be a reasonable and affordable price and are currently in negotiations with the owner.

All of this activity tells me that forming the committees was the right thing to do, even if the structure may not be the best. Well, what can I say? It's all still pretty new to me too and I gave it my best shot. But at the winter meeting I expect I'll hear some suggestions for restructuring, which again, will be a good thing. And  let me just apologize to anyone who felt I overstepped my bounds. I'm sure you're right and I probably did. I guess it goes with the territory. The important thing to remember is that it is your organization, and it is from your decisions that the organization gets it's direction, whether by general consensus or by committee. I'm just a temporary custodian and it is an honor and a privilege to serve in that capacity. I'll try my best to make the correct executive decisions to achieve our objectives, but it is the will of the membership that rules.

Anyway, I hope there will be some good news for us soon, so stay tuned.

Jim

[Citron]

JIm,
I paid for the 69 BGT today.
It looks good to me.  I will pick it up on 9/6/8.  What shall we do with it then?

Steve

[BlownMGB-V8]

That's excellent news Steve. Since a number of us will be in Townsend in about a week, I'd suggest you tow it there and we can get it up here from there. Pete mentioned shuttling it up here, that would allow your car dolly to stay with you. Otherwise I could use that to tow it here, so those are a couple of options.

Jim