MG Car Club of South Australia
CONDITIONAL REGISTRATION
called a “show stopper”. Some know
this sort of incident by other names,
none of them pleasant or worthy of
mentioning, so I won’t.
REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR
F
or the remainder of this year, if
you continue to register your
car on Conditional Registration you
are not required to present your new
registration papers for updating our
records nor are you required at this
time, to have your new registration
paper stamped by the Club. Simply
update your log book with the new
dates.
Use the space on the left of the
“Commencement Date” and “Expiry
Date” fields to write in the new dates
in the current membership year.
However, please remember to bring
your new blue registration papers and
proof of payment to the log book up-
date period for the next membership
year to the clubrooms (when making a
subscription payment in January/
February) or when a new log book is
required, whichever comes first.
Anyway, upon pulling the starter knob
I heard a weird noise, a sort of groan.
Pulling the knob again, a sound of tin
dinner plates being rapidly struck,
emanating from under the bonnet. A
couple of members rushed over to
see what had happened and to offer
advice.
No it wasn’t the fan against the radia-
tor or some foreign object. Nor the
clutch either. It was in fact, the re-
straining spring that hides within the
starter motor pinion gear. This spring
normally holds back the pinion from
the ring gear immediately the engine
starts, at the top of the spiral drive.
Mine failed this important step as the
spring had broken and with the pinion
gear bouncing on and off the ring gear
on the engines flywheel, made the car
undriveable. I might add, breakage of
this spring is a rare event, thank
goodness.
If you require a new log book during
the year (and re-inspection), please
come to the clubrooms on or before
the date shown in red at the top of
your log book, on one of the sched-
uled inspection times, from 10am to
12 noon on the second or fourth Sat-
urday of the month until December.
In December it will take place on the
first and second Saturdays. Remem-
ber to bring the blue registration pa-
pers, proof of payment and your old
log book for cancellation.
So what to do? Climb under the car
and remove the starter motor or call
the RAA? I weakened as night was
falling and called the RAA. Two hours
later, we were home again in North
Adelaide after a nice ride home in a
tow truck.
The question is, can something be
done to get out of having to call for a
tow?
Obviously, removal of the
starter motor would help, but can it be
pulled out without removing the oil
filter on an MGA? If that is required, it
presents a major issue for one
stranded on roadside.
On a completely different topic, some-
times adversity can bring out some
good. At Crafers, on the night of the
last month’s T-register outing, a drive
to Alan Golding’s place at Murray
Bridge, I suffered what is politely
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