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MG MGA - A Couple of Simple Ideas

I had on and off thought off implementing emergency warning lights on my MGA but it sounded complicated, lights aren't very bright and battery could go flat.

This year I had an idea (rare) and after some searching on google I found my solution. I bought the light shown in the photo. The LED light flashes amber to 2 different patterns and fixes by a strong magnet to any reasonably level steel surface. It is made by Britax, famous for seat belts, and is powered by 2 'D' type batteries which are supposed to last for 300 hours. I then had the issue as to where to keep it when not in use but be instantly available when required. I keep it on the vertical flat under dash surface near where the bonnet pull goes. I am absolutely sure it won't ever fall off as magnet is so strong but even then I didn't think it should over the driver's legs.

My second idea I implemented before going on the MG Car Club's Caledonian Centre's week long trip to the Orkneys. My scissor jack is very bulky and takes out a lot of luggage space hence I mounted it on the chassis cross member behind the petrol tank using several few cable ties. A bit tricky to get the photo and may look confusing at first.

By the way you may note in the photo my petrol tank also seems to be held by a cable tie. No it isn't but when positioning the petrol tank straps I find using cable ties is a great help when tightening the straps. Get the straps loosely in position and fit long cable ties. Then as you lift the tank/straps you tighten the ties. It saves needing a third hand.

Some ideas for a slow news day.

Paul


Paul Dean

Thanks Paul. I bought the identical light a week or so after my visit to you earlier in the year. I wish I had had it earlier to be honest for when I had broken down at a busy roadside. I've still to implement your jack idea but it's on the to do list! Best wishes. Tim
TJ Prime

Is that the Britax B364?
Graeme Williams

Just out of interest--
The magnetic base of that emergency light, is it soft or hard and does it mark the paint---Why I ask is that I have a magnetic base on my uhf ariel and it has scratched the paint fairly bad where it moves a bit and I'm looking for something better to mount it on The cost of a light to nick the base off would be a cheap option compared to a sprayjob if it has a soft surface--and roughly what diameter is it-----thanks
William Revit

Paul

I bought a Kennedy KSJ010 1 tonne jack that fits neatly between the inner wing and the petrol filler pipe. I made am adapter so I could operate the jack with the starting handle and have one less item to rattle in the boot.

Cheers

Dave
Bolney Coupe

Thanks for the heads-up Paul, I had never even considered using the rear chassis cross-member as a place to mount spares and equipment.

Fitting the twin 12v battery set up on my car means that I have lost the storage box that used to be in the spare battery tray. So I have been looking to find somewhere to store those spares that it used to contain.

I hope the cable ties that you have used to fix your scissor jack into place are good and strong Paul. :-)

(Seriously though, dont forget to change them every year or so, the nylon tends to age harden over time.)

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Graeme - Yes it is is Britax B364 LED

William - The base is hard but I don't seem to have any problem with scratching the paintwork.

Bolney - I will investigate.

Colyn - Perhaps I will go to fabric straps. I know that the cross continental Aussie set carried 1 each of MGA and MGB rear springs. I think they carried the A spring across that member. I thought it was yourself who told me this originally. But I can confirm as I met and discussed it with one of the set during the Caledonian Centre's week long Orkney trip in August.

Paul
Paul Dean

Paul,
I don’t see a picture of the jack mounted to the frame crossmember. Can you attach it again?

Thanks
Jim
JL Cheatham

My contribution!
http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/dash/dt230.htm
Mike Ellsmore

Please remove the first "s" in the URL above.
barneymg

To protect the car's finish, just put a piece of paper or tissue between the magnet and paint. It won't significantly reduce the holding power. If the magnet is strong enough, you can even use some thin stick-on felt on the magnet itself. I've done this on magnets before checking for filler under paint.
Steve Simmons

This is a photo of the GPS/phone holder bracket with original mirror fitted, see USB and 12V outlet in left hand bottom corner (all easily removed for the purist)
Mike

Mike Ellsmore

Here is the photo of my jack that I appeared to fail to load first time.

Paul

Paul Dean

I couldn't resist adding this one that not only shows my car but John and Ros Bastian's MGB that had just been driven from Australia. Shipped to Bangkok driven to China then to Abingdon across the Silk Road. It had previously done the length of Africa and South America runs.

The shot by the way is at John O'Groats this August before getting the ferry to Orkney as part of this year's MG Car Club Caledonian Centre's run. There is a bit more of a story about this run that I will come to later.

Paul


Paul Dean

One thought... zip ties tend to get brittle with age, and are easily worn through on sharp edges. Perhaps a heavy cloth strap would be a better approach.
Steve Simmons

You will want to dismount that jack to clean and oil it occasionally. Stowed underneath like that. The first water puddle or even high humidity will make it go rusty. A flat tire in an inconvenient time and place is not a good time to have trouble with the jack.
barneymg

Paul

A 1.5 Ton axle weight jack seems unnecessarily large for an MGA. Perhaps a smaller scissor jack would suffice? It's what I have. I presume you carry loads of spare cable ties and a cable snip?

Steve
Steve Gyles

Yes I will either replace ties regularly or go for fabric ties. By the way I did use several more ties than required, and I have kept an eye on them

It is well greased so not too worried about this for my type of driving. By the way I had a Austin Maxi, which I did 30k miles a year, with its spare and it's release mechanism in a similar position, and I survived several punctuates.

Steve, Good idea on smaller jack. What do you use as 1.5 tons seems standard one on sale. I have smaller ones in past.

Paul
Paul Dean

1-1/2 ton is probably standard issue for low-line jacks, since you never know how people will use them. But you can buy an aluminum one cheap, and lose five pounds in the process. See here:
www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/travel/tp102.htm
www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/travel/pics/jack3.jpg
barneymg

This thread was discussed between 11/12/2017 and 17/12/2017

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