MG Magnette "Bumble" The Next Chapter
Discussion
OK, I have taken the plunge, I have decided to get back into Classic Saloon Car Racing and I have purchased Bumble.
I have not been racing since the 90's, back then family and family finance became the priority, with the children now making a living for themselves the pendulum has now swung back the other way.
I have dusted off my kit, alas my rather nice Arai helmet is no longer MSA compliant and for reasons I don't understand my FIA race suit seems to have shrunk about three sizes since I packed it away in the loft! Both need to be replaced.
Helpful chap at the MSA informed me that I need only take ARDS Theory to get my licence back and my doctor pronounced me fit but quite mad at the same time.
I collected Bumble last weekend, since changing hands in the Spring of 2015 it has been pretty well absent from the racing scene however over this period a lot of time and money was put into it and it is pretty well race ready. I'm going to do the HRDC Touring Greats series next year and I'm planning to get out in their last race this year, Donington on Oct 13th and I will find a test session beforehand.
There are a few odd jobs I need to attend to in the meantime the first of which is fiddling with the door slam plates, what a faff, one door works well, one not so bad and two simply get stuck with the catch in the ajar position.
A few snaps from when I unloaded the car last week, I will post more as things progress. Really looking forward to it!
I have not been racing since the 90's, back then family and family finance became the priority, with the children now making a living for themselves the pendulum has now swung back the other way.
I have dusted off my kit, alas my rather nice Arai helmet is no longer MSA compliant and for reasons I don't understand my FIA race suit seems to have shrunk about three sizes since I packed it away in the loft! Both need to be replaced.
Helpful chap at the MSA informed me that I need only take ARDS Theory to get my licence back and my doctor pronounced me fit but quite mad at the same time.
I collected Bumble last weekend, since changing hands in the Spring of 2015 it has been pretty well absent from the racing scene however over this period a lot of time and money was put into it and it is pretty well race ready. I'm going to do the HRDC Touring Greats series next year and I'm planning to get out in their last race this year, Donington on Oct 13th and I will find a test session beforehand.
There are a few odd jobs I need to attend to in the meantime the first of which is fiddling with the door slam plates, what a faff, one door works well, one not so bad and two simply get stuck with the catch in the ajar position.
A few snaps from when I unloaded the car last week, I will post more as things progress. Really looking forward to it!
Thanks for posting, good luck with the racing and I look forward to regular updates, as I’m sure others also. Great looking car, can you post up the specs please?
As a recent new owner of a rather more humble Magnette zb for road going duties I am amazed just how good these cars drive!
As a recent new owner of a rather more humble Magnette zb for road going duties I am amazed just how good these cars drive!
Another recent ZB buyer here, although the car is currently near the back end of our restoration queue. I'm hoping that your thread will be an inspiration!
Funny how the cars that I wouldn't have been seen dead in back in the day are now desirable. Why didn't I realise that a set of banded wheels, a wood rim tiller and a pair of D700 spots would have made a ZB even cooler than the Anglia I was driving in those days?
Funny how the cars that I wouldn't have been seen dead in back in the day are now desirable. Why didn't I realise that a set of banded wheels, a wood rim tiller and a pair of D700 spots would have made a ZB even cooler than the Anglia I was driving in those days?
I grew up with and learned to drive in a ZA Magnette. Don't you just love that instrument panel! Over the last few years I have been dreaming of buying another and adding a Rover V8 and aircon plus power steering to use as a regular car. It's a while since my last project but I'm not sure I have enough steam in the boiler these days to follow it through.
crankedup said:
I have been taken by surprise this season at steam rallies I attend. My recent purchase ZB attracts plenty of interest with the younger suggesting the car is ‘cool’. Older people tell me that the ZA/ZB were a firm favourite amongst the stock car facing fraternity in the 1970’s.
Yes, they were very popular as saloon stocks back in the day. A mate of mine raced saloon stocks in the late 80s/early 90s and one of the other racer's dad used to race Magnette's as stock cars back in the day. His mum hopefully still has her road-going one that I saw at a classic car event in Croxley Green in 2016!
My mate even had one around then that had been modified for track use complete with a roll-cage and an uprated and over-bored MGB engine, but he sold it before he ever got around to tracking or racing it.
They just look so right!
[quote=Mr Tidy]
Yes, they were very popular as saloon stocks back in the day.
A mate of mine raced saloon stocks in the late 80s/early 90s and one of the other racer's dad used to race Magnette's as stock cars back in the day. His mum hopefully still has her road-going one that I saw at a classic car event in Croxley Green in 2016!
My mate even had one around then that had been modified for track use complete with a roll-cage and an uprated and over-bored MGB engine, but he sold it before he ever got around to tracking or racing it.
They just look so right!
A few stocks from Google
Yes, they were very popular as saloon stocks back in the day.
A mate of mine raced saloon stocks in the late 80s/early 90s and one of the other racer's dad used to race Magnette's as stock cars back in the day. His mum hopefully still has her road-going one that I saw at a classic car event in Croxley Green in 2016!
My mate even had one around then that had been modified for track use complete with a roll-cage and an uprated and over-bored MGB engine, but he sold it before he ever got around to tracking or racing it.
They just look so right!
A few stocks from Google
Fan-bloody-tastic Mike - what a great purchase and every good wish for your future relationship together.
i used to race against (try and keep up with) Bumble at MGCC meetings back in the 70s and 80s.- I still have Bertie the B but competitive days on the track are now a thing of the past.
Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!
i used to race against (try and keep up with) Bumble at MGCC meetings back in the 70s and 80s.- I still have Bertie the B but competitive days on the track are now a thing of the past.
Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!
LordBretSinclair said:
Fan-bloody-tastic Mike - what a great purchase and every good wish for your future relationship together.
i used to race against (try and keep up with) Bumble at MGCC meetings back in the 70s and 80s.- I still have Bertie the B but competitive days on the track are now a thing of the past.
Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps not so quick with me behind the wheel mind you!i used to race against (try and keep up with) Bumble at MGCC meetings back in the 70s and 80s.- I still have Bertie the B but competitive days on the track are now a thing of the past.
Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!
I found this early picture which I would guess is 70s/80s, any idea where it was taken? Downhill left handers not so common and not one I can place.
Lowdrag
There are a number of V8 Magnettes around....One superb one in France, one being done in the Antipodes and turned into a two door Coupe (after a fire I think!) and at leastone in the UK.
A number of Oz & US cars have aircon, often when the car has an 1800 MG engine transplant
The MG Experience Forum (Magnette section) has some good threads.
There are a number of V8 Magnettes around....One superb one in France, one being done in the Antipodes and turned into a two door Coupe (after a fire I think!) and at leastone in the UK.
A number of Oz & US cars have aircon, often when the car has an 1800 MG engine transplant
The MG Experience Forum (Magnette section) has some good threads.
Well I have got my race licence back, I had to do an ARDS theory test which was straightforward enough, my original licence pre-dated ARDS. I also made a trip to Demon Tweeks, helmet, suit and harness, £1,500, ouch! The new transponder arrived today, this is something else that is completely new to me, I need to register and fit it.
I have a number of odd-jobs to get done on the car and I'm starting to get together a circuit spares box of bits and bobs plus a slave battery with Durite connector. I have booked a test session at Donington on the Friday before the October HRDC Touring Greats Pre-60 race which I hope to be accepted for. I really am going into this pretty blind, I have no idea how it is geared, what temps/pressures it will run, what to set the tyres at or what gremlins it will chuck up. Having purchased from a dealer there was zero info on set-up. It is pretty noisy and I have to confess leaves me slightly apprehensive as to how it will fare on static or drive-by.
I was Googling for history on Bumble recently and noticed a comment about it having been featured on the cover of Throughbred & Classic Cars in 1978 and by luck an Ebay search came up trumps. Cars for sale in this edition included a DB4 at £4k, a Healey 3000 at £3k and Series 1 E Type at £3.5k. The Classic Choice feature was the Magnette ZA/ZB where prices were guided at needing work £150-£250, good £500 and showroom "soaring" to £1,000+!
I have a number of odd-jobs to get done on the car and I'm starting to get together a circuit spares box of bits and bobs plus a slave battery with Durite connector. I have booked a test session at Donington on the Friday before the October HRDC Touring Greats Pre-60 race which I hope to be accepted for. I really am going into this pretty blind, I have no idea how it is geared, what temps/pressures it will run, what to set the tyres at or what gremlins it will chuck up. Having purchased from a dealer there was zero info on set-up. It is pretty noisy and I have to confess leaves me slightly apprehensive as to how it will fare on static or drive-by.
I was Googling for history on Bumble recently and noticed a comment about it having been featured on the cover of Throughbred & Classic Cars in 1978 and by luck an Ebay search came up trumps. Cars for sale in this edition included a DB4 at £4k, a Healey 3000 at £3k and Series 1 E Type at £3.5k. The Classic Choice feature was the Magnette ZA/ZB where prices were guided at needing work £150-£250, good £500 and showroom "soaring" to £1,000+!
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