Articles contributed for publication in the revitalised Safety Fast! What are the concerns with biofuel for MG enthusiasts? The questions on many MG enthusiasts' minds are what are the concerns with biofuel, what damage has been seen with SU fuel system components and what alternative materials have been used for replacement parts? (Double page) 281111 More January 2012 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Bob Owen How old can tyres be before it is wise to change them? Over time the suppleness of the rubber reduces so that by around 7 to 8 years old the ageing effect on the rubber will have reduced the flexibility of the rubber to something that begins to have characteristics similar to that of wood with consequent adverse effects on handling and ride. (Single page) 231111 More With the Editor Safety Fast! Victor Smith Using Jubilee clips correctly and choosing the correct size Ian Jennings, who runs L. Robinson & Co (Gillingham) Limited in Kent (the manufacturer of Jubilee® Clips), provides a useful guide to using their clips and choosing the correct size for an auto application. (Single page) 120811 More December 2011 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Ian Jennings Power steering options Fitting power steering to a classic MG is a topic often raised, particularly in relation to the RV8 which many people find heavy to steer. Hydraulic power assisted steering (PAS) systems have been available for a while, and some RV8s reimported from Japan have been retrofitted there with the MGF EPAS (electric power assisted steering) system. With a new EZ EPAS conversion available in the UK, how do these systems compare? Victor Smith reviews the available options. (Double page) 051111 More December 2011 Safety Fast! in V8 Newsletter Victor Smith Profile of Barry Sidery-Smith - a life with MGs and a skilled racing competitor Another in the series of profiles of Club personalities. Sent to Editor in February 2011. More Published 2011 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Profile of Paul Batho - a generous Club volunteer with a passion for a range of MGs Another in the series of profiles of Club personalities. Sent to Editor in February 2011. More Published 2011 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Does you distributor need the Doctor? Over the last couple of years many MG enthusiasts have experienced the frustration with unreliable replacement parts for their Lucas ignition systems. Bob Owen and Victor Smith visited Martin Jay, the Distributor Doctor, in Somerset to see how he refurbishes distributors and supplies good quality spares. More January 2011 Safety Fast! Bob Owen Victor Smith Could the RV8 have had PAS originally? With the increasing interest in PAS retrofits, Victor Smith looks back at a PAS installation carried out for MG Rover in 1994. An article based on documents of the time which records the story. More Published? Victor Smith Guide to buying a classic MG A five part guide to the essential checks you will need to make when buying a classic MG. Part 1 - Introduction. More Part 2 - Doing your research. More Part 3 - Checking the car that's for sale. More Part 4 - Negotiating the deal, checking the documents and payment. More Part 5 - Buying or selling at a classic car auction. More Together with a draft webpage with links to checklists and other support materials. More (completed 20.1.09) September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Memorable MG Route 5 - Dalwhinnie to Kyle of Lochalsh via Spean Bridge & Invergarry Fifth in the series of routes driven for pleasure with interesting sights to see and teashops and pubs to stop by for refreshment. Under preparation In progress Victor Smith Brake fluids for classic MGs An analysis of the available information and an objective assessment of the available fluids together with the views of people with technical capabilities and experience with hydraulic systems on motor vehicles. (released 23.1.09) More January 2009 Safety Fast! Bob Owen Memorable MG Route 4 - Silverstone to the Gaydon Heritage Motor Museum and back Fourth in the series of routes driven for pleasure with interesting sights to see and teashops and pubs to stop by for refreshment. More November 2008 Safety Fast! Paul Plummer Profile of Ron Gammons - Club Vice President and past Club Chairman Another in the series of profiles of Club personalities. More Sent to Editor on 5.8.08 October 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith So you want to buy an MG RV8? Another article in the successful series in Safety Fast! covering the Factory MG RV8 model. More October 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Frustrations with tracing and solving a starting problem Dave Wellings (Black 0974) from Yorkshire describes a frustrating route to solving a starting problem on his MGBGTV8. But it's a tale which fellow members could very usefully recall should they ever meet similar difficulties. More Sent to Editor on 10.4.08 Pending Dave Wellings So you want to buy an MGBGTV8? Another article in the successful series in Safety Fast! covering the Factory MGBGTV8 model. More September 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Tyre sidewall markings explained Understanding the markings on the sidewalls of tyres will help you to choose the right tyres for your car. Here's a guide to those sidewall markings using a 175/80 R14 88H tyre as an example. More August 2008 Victor Smith What a gas with an RV8 With the relentless rise of petrol and diesel prices at filling stations over the last twelve months, the idea of converting a car so you have the option of running on autogas is increasingly attractive. Autogas is a much cleaner fuel than petrol. The article reviews dual fuel conversions carried out by Clive Wheately mgv8parts. More July 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith The drive for a V8 Roadster Ralph Coulson's tale of how he searched and found a V8 Roadster. More June 2008 Safety Fast! Ralph Coulson Costello V8 Roadster - an imaginative development of an MGB Lawrence Wood explains how he moved rapidly to acquire a beautiful example when it came up for sale on the V8 website and the pleasure of owning what is becoming a rare model. More May 2008 Safety Fast! Lawrence Wood Memorable MG Route 3 - Great Shefford to Hook Norton over the Berkshire Downs Third in the series of routes driven for pleasure with interesting sights to see and teashops and pubs to stop by for refreshment. More April 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith BCV8 Championship - a successful Club racing series that began almost 35 years ago For approaching thirty years, BCV8 enthusiasts have been a group clearly set on enjoying both the fun on and off the circuit - with some notable offs one should add! The annual dinners in the early years were some of the most lively and enjoyable social events you could have attended and that spirit and sense of fun clearly continues today. Here Victor Smith (BCV8 Secretary 1973-77) recalls how it all started and remembers some of the characters at the time. More March 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith From dream to reality! - V8 Roadster conversion project V8 Roadster Conversions are very popular with V8 enthusiasts and come in a variety of specifications. Here Geoff King (Tartan Red 4309) from Kincardinshire provides a fascinating tale of how his project was conceived and carried out over a three year period to produce an award winning V8 Roadster with a wonderful specification and performance. More February 2008 Safety Fast! Geoff King Overdrive on third gear on the MGBGTV8 is not so rare A writer compiling a new buying guide to British sportscars had included a draft section on the MGBGTV8 model with the comment - "overdrive only on top". Well many V8 enthusiasts with a chrome bumper V8 have overdrive on third gear as well as top so know this is a much quoted but sadly mistaken claim. With the help of Peter Beadle and Ron Gammons, Victor Smith clarifies some of the myths with overdrive on third gear with the MGBGTV8. More January 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith How to give your MGB V8 power - book review This totally revised third edition of a book regarded for many years as the authoritative guide to V8 conversions is now even better. More January 2008 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Memorable MG Route 2 - Milford on the A3 to Goodwood Aerodrome along the A286 Second in the series of routes driven for pleasure with interesting sights to see and teashops and pubs to stop by for refreshment. More December 2007 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Profile of David Newton - auction report contributor for Safety Fast! David Newton clearly enjoys classic car auctions a great deal. His fascination with the cars and items of automobilia on offer, his enthusiasm for auctions and meeting fellow enthusiasts there and the sense of excitement with what is a live marketplace have drawn him to many auctions over the last decade and more. His series of reports on recent auctions has been a welcome new feature in the revived Safety Fast! More November 2007 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Memorable MG Route 1 - Newbury to Castle Combe on the old A4 First in a series of routes driven for pleasure with interesting sights to see and teashops and pubs to stop by for refreshment. More October 2007 Safety Fast! Victor Smith TE low brake fluid sensor - a vital safety device TE Electronics have developed an ingenious device to monitor the brake fluid level on classic MGs from the sixties and seventies so you have early warning of low brake fluid levels that may cause brake failure. More September 2007 Safety Fast! Bob Owen How can you comply with the DVLA car tax and SORN requirements if you can only tax or SORN a car two weeks beforehand? The concern is that a new tax disc (VED) can only be obtained or a Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN) made from the 15th day of the month when either the VED or SORN expires. So if you are away on holiday or overseas during that two week period and are not able to obtain a new tax disc or make a SORN, you face the risk of an automatic £80 fine from DVLA for an overdue road fund disc or failure to SORN the vehicle. So how does a law abiding motorist stay law abiding? More Published in 2007 Safety Fast! Victor Smith Your expert guide to MGB & MGBGT problems and how to fix them - book review This is the first in a new Auto-Doc TM series of vehicle maintenance books from Veloce Publishing which aims to provide a single publication that covers the majority of faults and problems enthusiasts are likely to encounter with a particular model. More December 2003 Safety Fast! Victor Smith

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