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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819 |
The most often used item in my
motor maintenance kit was a four-pound lump hammer.
You mean the one made of lead that was supplied with those infernal Dunlop knockoff wheels - the ones one couldn't knock off, but would frequently FALL off on their own at inopportune times? THAT four-pounder?
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
That's the one. It would repair most known and all unknown faults, especially non-starting engines. After I while, I only had to get it out of the boot, and the car would start again. 
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Monitor lizards?! HA! [slurping-a-fly e]
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
Humph. Kids, just kids.
In MY day my MG-YT roadster came equipped with a solid copper hammer. The furnishing of lead hammers marked a severe downturn in the capacity of the British sports car to enthrall those persons of the XY persuasion.
Said car, called Toad because of its resemblance to the car driven by Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows, also had a built-in jacking system, with a large perpendicular hydraulic cylinder bolted to the frame near each wheel. Of all the odd things I remember about this car, the one of which I was fondest was the little cat's-eye at the top of the two running lights. Each lens, which was glass, said King of the Road around the circumference, scarcely more than an inch or so around.
I weep every time I recall in my mind the sound of the crankshaft breaking while under no particular strain at all.
TEd
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819 |
I weep every time I recall in my mind the sound of the crankshaft breaking while under no particular strain at all.
Either you're much older than you let on, Ted, or said automobile was well past its prime upon your acquiring it.
In any case, I'm surprised that your recollection wasn't somewhat lower in your anatomy, considering the riding qualities of said vehicle.
Geoff, the former BMC-trained mechanic (Which explains some of my odd tics and dementia)
This reminds me of the time I had to fabricate a new generator bracket for a Lotus. Upon presenting the owner with the bill, I inquired if he attanded yoga classes, and, when told to assume the Lotus Position, he sat with his arms outstretched and his feet pinched together. The owner, still looking at his bill, bent over at the waist, exposing his derriere, and said, "Oh, no, THIS is the Lotus position!"
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Either you're much older than you let on, Ted, or said automobile was well past its prime upon your acquiring it.
No, no, Geoff - the MG-YT was produced, in small numbers, between 1949 (I think - might have been '50 before the tourer came out - but the saloon version was definitely late '40s) until about 1953. There were only about 800 produced altogether - I have exact figures at home, but not here at work. Most went to America, but quite a few went to Oz and Zild. It was designed in 1939, but the World War got in the way of production. The MG-Y series was brought out as a stop-gap until they could produce something a bit more modern - which was the MG-Z saloon, a very curvy looking beast with a far-too-small engine for its body weight. But the Y series were beautiful cars, and I can totally understand and empathise with TEd's tears when it broke down so terminally. (actually, spares and repairs were not too expensive over here and the XPAG 1249cc engine was very easy to work on - but that was possibly not the case in US of A.) [/motor buff long bore] 
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Dear long bore...no, wait--that was a rifle, sorry! Only 800 made? Wow, that's not many. Did you used to have one? Do the letters MG stand for anything? Are they still made?
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Oh, thanks, Bingley. I won't make that orangutan mistake again, intentionally.
According to the AHD I've here at school, either spelling is fine with your correction the preferred, but mine is acceptable, too, because of too many who've made mistakes, such as I. Also, in the etymological breakdown, it shows orang/man and hutan/jungle from Malaysian. No mention of the orangutang of much debt and high interest, at least in this quarter.
(It might be fun to write some verse using all these variations along with orange, tan, tonne, ton, tune, Iran, a tongue, ting, tang, Tang ----possibilities would be humorous and endless.)
WW
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
orang is better translated person than man because it can refer to anybody of any age or sex, i.e., man the species. Man in the sense of adult male human would be lelaki (actually male, adult is assumed unless you say different, lelaki = man, anak lelaki = man child = boy).
Bingley
Bingley
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Yes to both questions, Jackie. I had the saloon version (sedan version, to you USns) of the same model - also very rare. MG stands for Morris Garages, which was the name of a car dealer selling Morris motor cars in the 1920s and '30s. Their head Salesperson, Cecil Kimber, produced an alternative body for the old Morris Cowley (another fine motor!) and labelled it witht the initials of the firm. It sold well, so the exercise was repeated with many of the Morris cars over the years. Occasionally, MG have brought out a model that wasn't "badge engineered" (i.e., a standard chassis with a sexier body - and probably a higher tuned engine) - notably the MGA of the 1960s (although that shared many mechanical parts with other BMC cars. The MG-Y series was based on the 1937(?) Morris Ten chassis, but with a totally new body and trim. Its engine (the XPAG,) which was a fine piece of engineering, derived from a design by Wolsley Cars, which had become part of the same firm in the late '30s. The current offering of MG (now owned by Rover Cars) is the MGF, which is alos an individual design, but using a tuned version of one of the Rover engines. They have also just brought out some MG-badged, tuned versions of one of the Rover Saloons, in the original traditions of Cecil Kimber. (To those who find this boring, blame Jackie for putting the nickel in my slot!) 
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