24th December 2007
The Magnette Register wishes you all a
Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
17th December 2007
Hi all. Nearly four weeks without an update, but an event of death in my
family forced my time.
But here am I again and I'll try to update the last days of the year regulary
before we head on for a new season.
First we start with an new Pic of the Month. Secondly I have another story about
a V8 Custom Magnette for you...
20th November 2007
Our Magnette gallery was
going close to 500 cars. Before I started a counter I thought I better count
again and - yes we already hit the 500.
Exactly 535 Magnettes
are on the gallery now! Not too bad I think and it's still growing. Is your car
still missing? Please send a picture. (I still wonder why I counted wrong
before...)
Other matters:
We are just 28 days off christmas, so the right date to think about gifts.
There's a new DVD available:
The DVD is aimed at people who are considering purchasing a Magnette or those
who already own one and are interested in the sympathetic improvements possible.
The introduction gives a brief history and shows how to differentiate between
the models before proceeding to the main menu.
Firstly John Shorten shows where rust horrors can lurk using a stripped body
shell while a complete car shows the areas under discussion.
Secondly Lou Shorten lets the viewer into some secrets of sucessfully fitting a
new roof lining, the entire job being demonstrated as she talks.
Finally, a thought provoking section mentioning some improvements, many of which
are available as commercial kits, sources of more information and little details
such as how to align the bonnet.
This DVD is now available for £10 plus p & p from Lou Shorten who will be
handling all sales. Phone 01603 872436 or e-mail
mg.specs@btinternet.com
15th November 2007
Ibiza NOW is a non-motorsport magazine that had a nice article about Brian Pollard's Magnette restoration...
11th November 2007
Its always funny. From time to time I start looking thru my various folders
on my computer and discover stuff I haven't published yet because I lost it out
of my eyes. But as long as I find it sometime I have something to bring here.
This time I have more pictures and details of #
27219, a V8 conversion from
Australia...
And for the gallery: # 32113 of Mike
Beck, UK
3rd November 2007
After a long time I found enough time to put some more cars to the gallery.
They spread all over the period from '54 to '58:
# 34208 seen on ebay,
# 27175 a ZB from the Netherlands
# 22648 seen on ebay,
# 15333 belongs to Ted Peel, Queensland,
AUS,
# 10592 was for sale
# 1221 also seen on ebay
With 481 cars on the gallery we are next to the 500. Can we reach it this year?
If you haven't sent a picture of your Magnette please do so and share your
Magnette with us!
1st November 2007
The date truly shows us that the season is coming to an end - at least on the
northern hemisphere. I personally still enjoy my Magnette daily as we have a dry
autumn here. But this might change very soon.
Well, what does this update bring? First a new Pic of the
Month.
Secondly I received a nice mail, which I thought you might like to read as well.
It gives a nice sight into the good old times when our Magnettes still were
young:
I just pulled up your site and thought it was amazing that anyone kept track of
the lovely Magnette. Owned a 1958 Magnette and will try and get some data on it
from the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles as I don't anything on it anymore.
The car was unique in that, according to an MG dealer in San Diego, CA, it was
only one of two imported into the US with a Manumatic transmission. You are
probably aware of the system I am talking about--shift lever, but no clutch
peddle. When I purchased the car it was readily apparent that shifting from 2nd
to 3rd was not smooth. I went to the local MG dealer who surprised me by telling
me who I bought the car from even though I had not mentioned his name. That is
when I found out that the car was quite unique. Being a LT in the US Navy at the
time, left me with little money and I could not afford to have it fixed. The
dealer recommended I become an expert on the system and gave me the repair
manual on the Manumatic transmission for nothing! He was right about
becoming an expert. Shortely thereafter I discovered that one of the solenoids
on the activation system did not work and after some time disassembled the
solenoid and discovered a broken wire. Once repaired the shifting was a smooth
as glass. It was a wonderful system and worked well until I sold the car to a
Chinese gentleman in Taipei, Taiwan where I had been sent for duty. One
story of the problems with this cars transmission might be of interest. I
overhauled the engine before leaving for Taiwan and drove it to San Francisco
for delivery to the car shipping agent for the US Navy. When I tried to climb up
some of the San Francisco hills it was apparent that something was wrong as
there was little real power. Took the car to the MG dealer in town to have the
carbs tuned up. When I called to pick up the car, they stated it wasn't
ready. This went on for two days and I finally had to tell them that I had to
pick up the car for delivery to the agent and we were leaving for Taiwan on a
fast approaching flight date. They told me that the car would not shift and that
there was something wrong with the transmission and that is when I asked them if
they were familiar with the Manumatic transmission system. Of course they said
yes, but that was not the problem. I asked to see the car and they said their
insurance would not allow me to enter the shop. The talk became rather heated
and I had to finally talk to the owner. I told him to have the car pushed into
the street so that I could look at it. The bill was going to be $450 and the car
would not run. He finally let me into the repair garage and while he watched me,
as did the other mechanics, I removed a large spring they had placed on the
throttle linkage to get the car to idle. Once that spring was removed, and I
made one other minor adjustment, the car shifted perfectly! They had done a
terrific job on the tune-up, saying I had not balanced the carbs properly which
was my main problem. They test drove the car and were amazed at how well it
performed. The dealer, taking pity on my circumstances, reduced the bill to a
normal tune-up and we went on our way. I wish now that I had never sold
it as our family had some really great times in that car. I do wonder what
happened to it in Taiwan. If I find out more, will pass it own and
hopefully some photographs. P.S. The one think that made the car a standout was
the fact that it was a beautiful black, and that I had put a Ford T-Bird trunk
mounted luggage rack (chrome and stainless steel) on the roof of the car which
completely changed the lines as you looked at it--very elegant, but certainly
not stock. Capt. Edward O. Buchanan, USN (Ret)
28th October 2007
Please welcome Martin Hewstone and # 32081 on the gallery.
21st October 2007
Please welcome Darryl Robert Purvis from Australia and his Magnette #
9132 on the gallery.
Also # 10872 that was on ebay recently. Very seldom we have two cars with
following numbers, but we already had 10873...
17th October 2007
Recently there was another very early Magnette for sale on ebay. # 556 has been added to the galley.
11th October 2007
Well, it nearly took as long as shipping a Magnette to Down Under but at least here it is:The report of the Magnette weekend at Wagga Wagga in Australia from Malcolm Robertson
8th October 2007
# 27219 is another interesting V8 conversion from Australia that as been added to the gallery.
2nd October 2007
Unfortunalety this months news start with bad news:
Long time president of the Luxembourg MGCC and Magnette owner Ton Matthuis died
last weekend in an accident in his M.G. in Italy. His wife survived with broken
legs.
Our sympathies are with Fredry and the family.
The Norwich report has been
updated with another picture of Dr. Furnato and his wife, who brought his car
exclusively to this show! The car # 23152 has also been added to the gallery
with another picture.
Although a new picture of the month.
27th September 2007
You know we report about everything that has to do with Magnettes more or less. Carsten Wivel from Denmark found a link of someone, who is going to use a Magnette bonnet to build a custom car...(scroll down a bit).
26th September 2007
Yes, I'm still alive,but there's so much work around... Here's another event report. Grant Howlett reports from Norwich, where 36 Magnettes attended, one from Japan....
11th September 2007
August saw another Magnette event on Europe mainland. Here's a report and pictures from the "Continental Z Tour"...
4th September 2007
We had many pictures from the Peking-<Paris rally during the last weeks. So I
thought it was time to show something different from another continent, before
we show the last P2P slideshow.
Steve Hanegan from Canada sent a
nice report about a rally and some nice explenations about the area!
I like this and I wish more of YOU sent pictures about the area they live (and
drive) in. Why not share your favourite landscape with us? Let's do a new
gallery! Come on, start now!!!
1st September 2007
A new picture of the month added...
26th August 2007
Another Peking-Paris-slideshow. Now we cross Russia into Poland....
19th August 2007
Last weekend my Magnette was used for a wedding again. Here's a picture at the wedding gallery.
15th August 2007
Today we tie up with sand storm pictures from Mongolia, the crashed rescue vehicle(!), and more pictues from the wilderness and most natural andscape of Mongolia including a uncommon way to transport cars.... Enjoy more Peking-Paris pictures....
6th August 2007
More fantastic pictures from the Paris-Peking Rally. See the start at the Chinese wall with nice grid-girls ;-), how they got stuck in sand dunes in Mongolia and a sand storm at night....
5th August 2007
Does anybody have the email of Ian Metcalf from Buckinghamshire? He sold Magnette parts recently (dashboard to Australia). Unfortunalety he gave an uncomplete email when registering. Please help, sounds we get a new interesting story...;-)
1st August 2007
New picture of the month added...
30th July 2007
Jose de Sousa kindly sent me a DVD with his best photographs. I will show them in different slideshows over the next days. Let's start with pictures of the cars before the start in Beijing....
20th July 2007
Please welcome #28668 and Arthur
Leonhardt from Western Australia on the gallery, also #17021
and Dave Graham, Ottawa Canada, #20295
and John Derrick from Bristol
The following cars were on ebay recently and might have new owners: #15540,
#17659 , #26763,
#30968.
17th July 2007
Another interesting Magnette on the gallery: This time a supercharged Magnette. See #7477
10th July 2007
Another entry to the wedding Magnettes gallery...
9th July 2007
A month ago I presented some pictures of a nice V8-converted Magnette. This report has been updated with some more information given by Andrew de Bernes
8th July 2007
Here's a report of a wet Silverstone....
4th July 2007
Here's another report from the Peking-Paris saga, unfortunalety with some delay....
3rd July 2007
Well, that really was an long weekend: Thursday driving to Koblenz to meet
Jose, Friday heading off to Luxembourg, Sunday
driving back home
and yesterday having a chat with Malcolm Robertson from Australia! This is the
reason I'm a bit slowly with updates from Silverstone and more... So far
here's the Pic of the Month and a pic showing Malcolm and
me this morning... And a nice pic
looking in the mirror this morning....
2nd July 2007
Just returned from the Z Magnette Day with some pics and a short report... Fully monthly update later...
