It lives... No, not really.

The next day after work I removed the Zenith Stromberg “Firepot” of a Carburetor to see what condition it was in before messing with anything else. The float bowl was leaking like a sieve, and I discovered that the o-ring that seals the center drain plug was completely rotted. I picked one out of the shop bit-bucket where I toss all my un-useless stuff. It looked like something that I removed from the Harley but fit just right.

I threw it back on the car and tried it again. The float chamber was no longer leaking, but it was still flooding badly. So back off it came and I opened it up. I found 2 out of 3 tiny rivets holding the float to the needle arm had given up the ghost, leaving it to flop around inside the chamber. Interesting.

Rather than mess around with something I wasn’t going to use any longer, I borrowed the smog-check-special carb from our other MG just to see if I could get it started. My hope is to get this thing smog and street legal, and drive it. Even commute in it. I don't know why I do these things. But the carb went on, the fuel pump filled it with 4 year old gas, and then the car started right up! The motor had good oil pressure, and also a spine-tingling squeal originating from the back of the engine. Ooh boy.

The star of the show however was the huge cloud of blue smoke coming up from the engine compartment as it warmed up, rolling out from under the front fenders, spewing out the back and even drifting up from the floorboards. Ooh Boy.

I recalled Hillary saying “The motor is pretty much shot” and thought to myself “aren’t all MGB motors? Ha-ha-ha…" but no, he wasn’t kidding. This one was pretty bad.

The squealing noise got louder and I saw the curtains next door part for a second, so I shut it off. The smoke kept coming though. And coming… It looked like an old steam train warming up for a trip up the mountain. “Holy crap!” I cursed, waving at the smoke as if I could do anything about it as it drifted across the busy street and towards the local tree-hugger’s house.

Last thing I need now is the fire department showing up like it did for the gear-heads down the street last Christmas. They closed the garage door to keep their smoking car from attracting attention as they worked on it, but when it started coming out of the chimney and every window in the house the fire department showed up. They opened the garage door to find a sea of emergency vehicles and rescue personnel staring at them, as they stared back with bloodshot eyes. Thank god I’m not like THEM I thought. Carbo-monoxide-o makes me mellow man... like WOW man.

(Tip: Growing and/or mowing your grass helps keep neighbors from getting too nosy)

I was standing behind the MG when I looked down and saw a HUGE comet shaped pile of rust originating behind the exhaust, and leading towards my unaware-as-of-yet-spouse’s smart car. And, ALL OVER the front of her smart car. Ooh boy. Where did THAT come from? I looked into the tailpipe and saw speckles of daylight everywhere. Ah. Interesting.


“Honey? Can I borrow your keys? I called out.

“Sure, where you going?”

Gotta go pick up some parts real quick. Be right back.” I answered, and secretly stopped off at the car wash.

“How sweet” she said later when she saw it all clean.

Yeah, that’s me. Mr sweet. I’ll buy you dinner…

“Ok, now what did you do?”




















Next: Hammer, Screwdriver & Vise grips

Previous: Work on the Race MGB Begins


From the Beginning: The Hook... (Part 1)