FOAM-FILLED BGT

Reading through Rob's first instalment on the BGT, I was dazzled by that engine colour – someone was having fun!

I just thought I would answer Rob's question on the lumps of foam he has found in the C-post area. This was a standard feature where MG stuffed oddly cut lumps of foam up between the inner and outer panels of the C-pillar, I presume for sound deadening purposes. These can collect water, or can catch restorers out when they are doing welding repairs to the tops of the wings around the rear windows and the heat starts to cook the foam!

I too have a dislike for the Britax glass sunroof that was such a common aftermarket fit in the early 1980s. At one time, in the motorway unit I was working there must have been 20% of the guys had one of these fitted to their daily transport because the local agent was doing a really cheap deal. I remember that after a while rain water ingress was a problem for quite a few of the fitted cars and it was never fully sorted, so best of luck with the GT.

Your Aerodynamic feature made some very good points, and also revived memories for me of 1978 when BL Special Tuning launched their first MGB spoilers, the front under part number STR0189 and the GT rear lip under STR0190. The front spoiler design has been copied to death with various additions, but that can be seen as a compliment as I remember clearly the supporting blurb that said the standard MGB had a Cd of 0.42, but fitting this new front spoiler reduced it to 0.38. The rear bib on a GT with the front spoiler already fitted reduced the Cd slightly further to 0.37. I fitted one to my MGB, and whilst the reduced Cd didn't show any obvious increase in speed, it did have an amazing impact on the car's stability, especially on a particularly exposed section of the M42 on my daily commute which was vulnerable to the prevailing south westerly weather – on breezy days I could feel the car being moved about, but never again once I had fitted the front spoiler.