Day: 12 August 2025

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland – August trip 2025 – days 1- 5 of 10…

Following our drive up on Friday and stopovers in Ardrossan, we headed over to Glengarnock for work on some of Alan’s fleet on Saturday and Sunday.

Head gasket replacement and cambelt service carried out on his 2001 MGF 120 mpi ‘Bugsey’ who was being a little bit of a beggar. Only ever heating when stood at traffic lights, it passed all pressure tests. We’d already replaced the thermostat and the ECU temperature sensor on our last visit. Turns out that the head gasket had gone into cylinders 3 and 4, but once replaced it was better, but still not right. The only thing left was the possibility that the impeller on the water pump was slipping. Once water pump removed the impeller was fine, but the outlet hole to the block was full of old sealant! All now running as it should with fans coming on and off.

Alternator fitted, front bumper swapped, reverse-light switch fitted and one of the hood clamps drilled out and retapped on his 2003 TF 135 Sprite.

HT leads and coil packs replaced on his newest acquisition, a 2002 Mk I MGF 120, that we had last seen in May in Acharacle.

Front brake pads replaced on his 2006 TF 135 in Twilight.

Really great to see Alan and Andy as always and have good catch-ups. Plus cuddles with Mable aka Molly, but very sad not to see the lovely Brucie dog.

Monday was another busy day, we started on Paul’s 2004 TF 135 over in Twynholm, in the morning.

Underfloor coolant pipes replaced, minor service carried out, Kmaps remap put on and a check over. He’d bought it from Trophy cars last year and it’s a really good example. Great to hear stories that he’s been enjoying some runs out with the ‘MG Fun’ group up here.

Really great to meet Paul and Karen, big thanks to them for their warm welcome and fab hospitality.

From there we went over to Tongland where it was great to meet Paul, (sorry for the early wake up!) for a cambelt service on his fairly new acquisition of a 2004 TF 135. Fab to have doggy fusses with beautiful Holly dog. We look forward to seeing Paul next year, at the workshop, for some further work.

That brings us to today and our call in Coylton, this morning, following a departure from some very nice digs in Ayr.

Really lovely to see Colin and Hilda again for work on their year 2000 MGF VVC in Wedgewood. We’d gone supplied with a set of spheres as he was unsure if they required replacing, but the car still had plenty of bounce. Just needed a hyaragas top up. Plus he’d been experiencing some problems with the radiator fan, a local garage had put an override switch in, but it was still randomly overheating, especially when stuck in traffic. Following all our usual checks it could only be one thing, and it had gone to cylinder 1.

Head gasket replaced, when they’d fitted the override switch they’d made it that it was the only way to switch the fan on or off. Jon rewired it, so that it would use the correct engine sensor and also enabled to be overridden should it be needed.

What a lovely day, with lots of chat and lots of food and some sunshine thrown in too. Thanks both.

A very picturesque run over to our next digs, where we’re in Abington for the night, before heading on to the next calls of the trip tomorrow… – https://ift.tt/ljSk16F