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V8 Column for May 2002 published in Safety Fast!

This month we have another fifteen registrations from new members, a report that some warehoused reimported RV8s seem to be coming on to the market and news of the V8 Cotswold Tour in October together with a reminder that the dates for the Club's meeting at Silverstone have changed for the 2002 - it's July not June this year!

New registrations of Abingdon built GTV8s have come in from Barry Hamilton (Green Mallard 0210) from Northern Ireland, Matthew Harris (Green Mallard 0754) from West Midlands, John Head (Damask 1495) from Devon, Peter Shepstone (Damask 1724) from Devon, Marc Harwood (Silver 2205) from Hertfordshire, Michael Camm (Tahiti Blue 2393) from Avon and James Kelly (Glacier White 1500) from Renfrewshire. Andy Hamilton (Blue 4213) from County has registered an MGBV8 conversion. RV8s have been registered by Brian Powis (Oxford Blue 0361) from West Midlands, Andrew Malbon (Woodcote Green 0646) from Oxfordshire, James Rudgley (Woodcote Green 0696) from Bedfordshire, Nick Wardley (Woodcote Green 1263) from Yorkshire, Michael Simmonds (Woodcote Green 1504) from Berkshire, Laurence Rice (Woodcote Green 1961) from Wiltshire and Nigel Barker (Woodcote Green 2079) from Hertfordshire.

We have had a good response from members who have received their copies of Volume 5 and 6 of the V8 Workshop Notes series including Paul Bray (Damask 1021) from Australia and Franck Morand (Mirage Blue 1586) from France. Copies of both volumes are available now as an email attachment in Word97 format for £5.00. Printed and bound copies are only available to UK members at £11.00 including postage. All cheques payable to "V8 Register - MG Car Club" with orders to victorsmith@v8register.net or by telephone on 0208 392 9434 or fax on 0208 392 9673.

The plans are well underway for the V8 Tour of the Cotswolds over the weekend of Friday 11th to Monday 14th October 2002. The event will be based at the Stratton Court, a lovely, quiet, old hotel five minutes from Cirencester where a special rate has been negotiated for the three night stay to include dinner, bed and breakfast. The organisers Sue and Peter Beadle promise an enjoyable weekend touring around the Cotswolds, taking in a few of the many places of interest. So if you are interested in joining fellow enthusiasts and catching up with old friends and new, please send an SAE to the Beadles at The Fields, 124 Tuffley Avenue, Gloucester GL1 5NS.

They have had many letters of interest already and say booking forms will be sent out in May to members who have contacted them. Don't leave it to the last minute as previous V8 Tours have often been oversubscribed - 25 to 30 cars maximum.

The Sunday Lunchtime V8 Gathering at the Shoulder of Mutton at Hazeley Heath, just north of Hook in Hampshire, on Sunday 19th May is always a popular event. The landlord, Steve Thorning, is a former V8 enthusiast who still has a Y type and welcomes MG enthusiasts of all kinds. Bar snacks or lunch is available in the dining room.
Many V8 enthusiasts have mused over the years as to how the addition of V8 power transformed the MGB. Well the talk on the development of the V8 by Don Hayter at Sandford-on-Thames at the end of February was a magical afternoon followed by an enjoyable supper. Geoff Allen, the V8 Historian from the start of the V8 Register in 1978, joined Don and the question and answer session was fascinating. An article with substantial transcribed sections has been produced and copies will be available from Victor Smith. For 2003, Peter Buckles is planning a similar talk on the RV8.

Now cars for sale. Brian Field (Harvest Gold 0097) has decided it is time to sell his much campaigned rally V8. It is a pre-production prototype, originally a LHD car with the US emission kit fitted. It comes with many spares including a set of original V8 wheels. Contact Brian on 02920 623710. A details sheet is available from Victor Smith as an email attachment from Victor Smith. Chris MacFarlane (Damask 0662) is selling his concours V8 and has some spares too - for details call 01753 552619.

A V8 Tour for the V8 25th Anniversary Year is already being planned for the week before the Club's International MG Weekend meeting at Silverstone in 2003. All we need is for the F1 moguls to settle the motor racing calendar and we will then know what dates the Club has for that weekend meeting!

Now finally a reminder of the changed dates for the Club's annual International MG Meeting at Silverstone this year where by tradition the V8 Register has its principal V8 Gathering. This year the three day event will run from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July.