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MG MGA - Fuel filler cap - lockable or not?

Hi guys,

what are your thoughts on lockable fuel filler caps?

are they a good idea?
are they easy to fit?
are there alternatives to the Moss lockable filler cap fuel filler pipe that seems a bit expensive?

your thoughts, as always will be most gratefully received,

cheers,

Grant :-)
G Hudson

Grant,
My personal opinion is, unless you live in a high crime area they're not worth the money. Drove without one for years and never had anyone steal gas! When I bought my roadster it had one fitted. The cap has it's own hinge and a collar that slips over the filler neck after the original cap is removed. It's held in place with a couple of set screws. Not too hard to fit, but a bit fussy as to the location of the hinge section on the filler neck. I wound up taking it off when I installed a refurbed filler neck and new stock cap.
Cheers,
Gerry
G T Foster

Grant

I am of the same opinion as Gerry. Ask yourself how often the car is left unguarded in a high risk area. mine is in a locked grage all night and the company car park (monitored by CCTV) during the day.

The only counter to my argument is that I paid £1.18 a litre for Shell V Power (98 octane) yesterday. That tankful is the most easily removed valuable item on the car!

Steve
Steve Gyles

The problem with a locked fuel cap is that in a high crime area, they don't bother with the cap - just a lump of wood with a nail in it - and whack underneath and catch the fuele as it runs out - or cut the fuel line , perhaps even easier. Both have happened to friends of mine .
I'm with Steve here, when will you leave your car unattended? Anyway, I put an additive in my fuel so anyone who is looking for unleaded will have a shock - as it wrecks their cat.
Cam Cunningham

I'm not sure my 98 would do the modern car much good either.

You must live near Toxteth Cam. You seem to know the methods! Have you seen an MGA on bricks with wheels removed yet?

Steve
Steve Gyles

Actually one incident wasn't too far from Toxteth - the other was in Manchester . And don't forget Steve - Liverpool has been the capital of culture over the last 12 months - cars are left on stacks of books now - LOL.
Cam Cunningham

Grant, I was of a similar mind and quite liked the chrome Aston filler with locking cap inside(I have one on my Mk2 Jag - wouthout locking cap) . Then I saw a NOS Wilmot and Breeden cap together with adaptor plate on eBay Motors for under 50 GBP that IMHO would suit the MGA better.

However, in the end I decided not to bother. I have non lockable caps on all my classics and regularly park unattended when I go shopping etc. Even though this is a low crime area, I also leave the cars outside overnight when I am down in Lancashire.

I believe our cars are generally a low risk and not likely to attract the wrong kind of attention unless they are left unattended regularly in the same place.
Neil McGurk

This thread was discussed between 17/03/2009 and 18/03/2009

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