V8 Column for March 2006
published in Safety Fast!, the award winning monthly magazine of the MG Car Club

RV8GT SEEN DOWNUNDER

RV8GT (Woodcote Green 3200) at Lambton Park in Newcastle. (Photo: Meryll Redman)

An RV8GT has appeared at a classic car event in Australia at Lambton Park in Newcastle where it attracted a great deal of attention. It is the handiwork of two Hunter Region Club members, Peter and Lois Dever, who had a wrecked RV8 and a spare 1972 MGBGT shell in the garage. Meryll Redman, who has an MGBGTV8 (Damask 0232), reports the metamorphosis was inevitable and an exciting addition to the V8 scene downunder.

V8 Events coming up in 2006 include the Brooklands MG Day on Sunday 9th April, Sunday lunchtime V8 Gatherings at the Hazeley Heath on 21st May and again on 20th August, the annual V8 meet at the Goodwood Revival over the weekend Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd September, and the V8 Lincolnshire Tour 2006 over the weekend Friday 29th September to

Monday 2nd October. Contact Al Barnett on 01306 875786 for event details or Mike Taylor on 01778 440785 for the V8 Lincolnshire Tour.

Dehumidifiers has been a recent topic on the V8 Bulletin Board and longstanding members Dave Wellings and Gordon Hesketh-Jones both noted a unit produced by a UK company, EBAC, had proved a good performing and reliable unit. Bob Owen advised that if you have a wooden garage, or an ash framed car for members who have an older MG, the low relative humidity created by the dehumidifier also protects against woodworm. Like any living creature they need water so with air at a relative humidity of 55-60%, the moisture content in wood will settle around 10% which is too dry for woodworm to survive. Bob Owen calculated the cost was around 80p a day when the weather was damp. Peter Garton in Germany had found a DiLonghi unit to be fine. Other members recommended a Carcoon (Dr Gavin Bailey) for winter storage and a table fan on a timer (Victor Smith) to make sure the air is kept moving through the car. Gordon Hesketh-Jones also has a hygrometer in the garage and his EBAC dehumidifier is set to keep the RH reading at between 55% and 60% as mentioned by Bob Owen. Peter Berry posted a note saying his electric dehumidifier, with an adjustable humidity sensor, draws in damp air at the rear and blows out dry air from the front, straight under the V8. In the Autumn the collection tank (approx 12 litres capacity) fills in 3 to 4 days.

Many V8 Register members who read the RV8 maintenance piece in the February issue of MG Enthusiast have been in touch to say they were stunned the article failed to mention the V8 Register or the RV8 Workshop Notes series. I understand it was a mistake on the part of the journalist who prepared the piece despite his having been in touch with me shortly before publication!