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MG Car Club of South Australia
CLUB REGISTRATION NEWS From .. Geoff Goode
CLUB REGISTRATION FOR HISTORIC VEHICLES – JUST 3 DOCUMENTS
rom now onwards , Historic Vehicle owners have only three documents to worry about when log book updates or renewals are required ( at the end of the Club ’ s current financial year ) in January and February next year . No need to present your car for reinspection or bring in a stat dec . We , the inspectors , need to see just three things : your new membership card to show you are continuing as a financial member , your blue rego papers for us to stamp to prove you are the owner of the vehicle ( and that only this club issues the log book ) and finally , your log book , for updating or replacement . The red printed date on the front cover shows when replacement is due , still at a cost of only $ 5 . It ’ s now that simple . So , in the new year , we will be available for receiving subscription fees and updating or replacing log books on Saturdays from 10am to 12 noon on the following dates : January 6 , 13 and 20 , and February 3 , 10 , 17 and 24 . Please note , nobody will be at home on January 27 . Normal operations resume for the remainder of the year from March to November 2018 on the 2 nd and 4 th Saturdays of each month , finishing for the year on December 1 and 8 . Alternatively , you can post in a stamped self addressed envelope , log book and blue rego papers with your subscription payment and the renewal notice . Don ’ t forget to include $ 5 in your payment for a new log book if your old one is about to expire .
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On MGA matters , last time I mentioned what I consider to be the optimum wheel rim and tyre selection for the MGA . Part of the reasoning behind the rim choice is due to the advantages offered by radial ply tyres , not envisaged when the MGA was conceived in 1952 . This tyre design has the capacity to give significantly more grip , especially on wet roads . Soft , pliable side walls and firmer base result in a more stable tread pattern under load . This allows greater slip angles to develop before a more abrupt breakaway takes place under higher cornering loads , albeit at higher speeds than was possible with the old cross ply tyres . So some changes are advisable . Now I know many of you , but not all , are thinking I would only drive my precious MGA at moderate speeds . Well , unforeseeable circumstances leading to emergency braking or obstacle avoidance may exert forces that exceed the load carrying capacity of the original 48 spoke wire wheels . A spoke or two may break , which means a rebuild of the wheel itself to avoid it breaking apart . I have experienced broken spokes and seen fatigue cracks in these wheels , so for safety sake , I would suggest you either get rid of them or stick with cross ply tyres . Since most of us would not contemplate reverting to an inferior tyre design , might I suggest you save up for wheel replacement as an important safety measure for you and you passenger . The 72 spoke 5 inch by 15 inch wire wheels could come from the MGC and we know they should have wider rims and tyres to compensate for that heavy engine , so perhaps you may find an owner willing to update his or her car and trade the old wheels and tyres .