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V8 Column for October 2002 published in Safety Fast!

The key news to report this month is a massive surge in new registrations with around two thirds of those registrations coming through the convenient online registration facilities on the new V8 Register website, and a brief report on the V8 Gathering at Silverstone.

New registrations of Abingdon built MGBGTV8s have come in from Michael Gillett (Flame Red 0344) from Dorset, Ben Millard (Arun White 0369) from Oxfordshire, Torben Neilsen (Damask 0460) from Denmark, Simon Wimble (Green Mallard 0557) from Devon, John Place (Damask 0813) from Berkshire, Richard Langton (Jaguar Blue 0871) from Suffolk who is just starting a restoration, Paul Tombs (Bracken 0966) from Surrey, John Wilson (Tartan Red 1092) from Yorkshire with a car modified for BCV8 Championship Class D, James Brooks-Fisher (Black Tulip 1098) from Sussex, Richard Smallwood (Bracken 1473) from Yorkshire with a 44,000 mile mint condition car, Peter Romilly (Old English White 1570) from Suffolk who is an enthusiast recruited by Monte de Bankes, Gundolf Speicher (Blue/Green 1579) from Germany, Andy Mathew (Tartan Red 1635) from London E, Allan Doyle (Damask 1667) from Germany, Paul Mills (Teal Blue 1681) from Essex, David Beresford (Damask 1720) from Derbyshire with a car previously raced by Tom Stewart which he is using for BCV8 Championship events, Roderick Hardie (Damask 1782) from Buckinghamshire, Edward Holl (Glacier White1802) from Hampshire, Mike Gibbard (Teal Blue 1857) from Oxfordshire, Gordon Rhodes (Teal Blue 2120) from Lancashire, David Green (Blaze 2137) from East Yorkshire, John Toomey (Harvest Gold 2231) from Berkshire, LiesJan Huysman (Tahiti Blue 2346) from Holland, Donovan Baxendale (Flamenco Red 2753) from London NW with the car formerly owned by our longstanding member Ian Lloyd who sadly passed away earlier this year, Brian Kirkness (Black 2866) from Midlothian, John Toomey (Harvest Gold 2231) from Berkshire and Adrian Menzies (Flamenco Red 2458) from Nottingham-shire with a car restored over recent years.

Registrations of MGBV8 conversions have come from Ken Willis (Tartan Red 3062) from Middlesex with a car fitted with a ZF auto-gearbox, Martin Price (Brooklands Green 3067) from Lincolnshire with an GTV8 conversion and V8 Roadster conversions from David Brinsley (Red 4186) from Cardigan, William Chubb (Black 4201) from Devon, Paul Wiley (Tartan Red 4223) from Surrey, Keith Harding (Black 4224) from Sussex with an Edelbrock/ Offenhauser, four pot brakes and uprated suspension, Chris Backlund (Ice Blue 4225) from Guernsey with a very attractive V8 Roadster conversion, Karsten Plenio (BRG 4226) from Germany, Adrian West (BRG 4227) from London N and Brian Kirkness (BRG Metallic 4259) from Midlothian. Harold Pease (Damask 6033) from the Isle of Man has registered an early Costello V8 Roadster.

RV8 registrations have come from Paul Johnson (Old English White 0016) with a very early dealer demonstration car (ADD403), Ken Oaten (BRG 0331) from Yorkshire with a UK spec car owned from new, Sven Stenquist (Woodcote Green 0509) from Sweden, Colin Stoward (Woodcote Green 0661) from Kent, Paul Knight (Oxford Blue 1072) from Surrey, Gordon Rhodes (Nightfire Red 1224) from Lancashire, Mark Laxton (Woodcote Green 1234) from Sussex, Peter Fox (White Gold 1289) from Avon, Erik Jeffrey (Woodcote Green 1457) from Catalunya, Bill Lowe (Woodcote Green 1703) from Lancashire, Keith Rowson (Oxford Blue 1764) from Hertfordshire, Stephen Kirby (Oxford Blue 1768) from Berkshire, Shirley Pelham (Oxford Blue 1932) from Sussex with a UK spec car, and Margaret Stretch (Woodcote Green 2217) from Hampshire witha car purchased from the RV8 reimporter Autoroute UK. HS Imports reported two cars (Woodcote Green 1682 and Woodcote Green 1743) in stock which had recently arrived from Japan. These registrations took the total registered with the V8 Register over 550 cars, some 25% of the total produced and we estimate 87% of those now in the UK, Europe and Australia/NZ.

Howard Gosling (Vermillion 4002), a former chairman of the V8 Register, appeared on the Sunday at the MG Car Club's International MG Weekend meeting with his Huntsman V8 Roadster conversion with the recently installed JE Developments' 3.9 litre engine. Five laps during the MGB REgister's 40th Anniversary Tour of the Circuit demonstrated the extraordinary power and acceleration of this machine. We will have a full review with power and torque curves in the next four page V8 Newsletter due to be published in the December issue of Safety Fast! It is a neat and very professional installation. (Photo: Victor Smith)

Gordon & Ingra Rhodes (Teal Blue 2120 and Nightfire Red 1224) from Lancashire with Gordon enjoying his glass of Hook Norton! (Photo: Victor Smith)

The V8 Gathering at Silverstone in July saw just under a hundred V8s parked up next to the V8 Marquee on each day. A welcome sight was the increasing number of RV8s with many new members who enjoyed the warm, dry weather. Long distance visitors included Franck Morand (Mirage 0158) and his daughter Segolene who had flown back to France from Thailand and then driven over in their V8 via Newhaven to be there.



Franck Morand (Mirage 0158) who had travelled from Thailand to France and then driven over to be at Silverstone 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)

The V8 AGM on the Sunday saw a new V8 Committee elected which included the welcome return of Jim Gibson as V8 Secretary. Full details of the V8 Committee members and their contacts are published on the V8 Register website at www.v8register.net but for any members without internet facilities, just call Victor Smith and he will send you a copy in the post.



V8 AGM at Silverstone 2002 - the tall fellow on the extreme left is Adrian Hand (V8 Regalia), in the centre in the red sweatshirt is David Brown (V8 Treasurer) giving his report on the V8 Register finances, to the right is Clive Wheatley (V8 Spares Member) looking thoughtful, then Peter Buckles (V8 Chairman) in the white shirt and shades, to his left is Jim Gibson (V8 Secretary) taking the minutes and on the right hand side in the red shirt Monte de Bankes who reported rumours of DVLC proposals to tax cars whether or not they were on the road! That would certainly not be popular with classic car enthusiasts! (Photo: Victor Smith)

Finally as part of the celebrations for the V8 Register 25th Anniversary in 2003 we are planning to publish a new Members' Directory listing vehicle data, telephone numbers and county or country details of those members who have agreed to the circulation of that data. All members sending in an update of their registration details - car number or VIN, colour and registration plate together with your name, current address, telephone number and email address before the end of November will receive a free copy. You can use the online form at the V8 Register website, obtain a registration form from Victor Smith or simply send that information to him by email, snailmail or fax.

[This version of the V8 Column due to be published in the October 2003 issue of Safety Fast! is slightly longer than the copy sent to the Editor because it had to be cut down to fit the half page/750 word limit for monthly register columns]

 

Member List 2003
All members who send in an update of their V8 Register registration by the end of November will receive a free copy of the Member List when it is published in 2003. Send your registration update to Victor Smith, V8 Registrar using any of the four available methods:

  • Online by filling in the Registration form on this website.
  • Email the information above to victorsmith@v8register.net
  • Fax a page with the information to 0208 392 9673.
  • Mail a page with the information to V8 Registrar, V8 Register, MG Car Club,
    PO Box 251, Abingdon-on-Thames
    Oxfordshire OX14 1FF    .