Road Ink Archives - Just British

My Start with Land Rovers – Way Back

December 23, 2016 Michael Carnell 2

This article first appeared on my new Land Rover Log, but I thought I would run it here just for your consideration. I didn’t just dream up this current Land Rover desire out of nowhere. Nope, back in the mid-80s when I was in college, I bought my first car – an MGB. I loved that car and drove it everywhere … until I drove it into the back of a stopped car as I was coming around a curve on Lockwood Boulevard here in Charleston. I won’t say the folks in the stopped car were doing anything wrong or wanting to get hit, but I will say that at least one of them got out of the car already wearing a neck brace.

Shedding Some Light on Sun Visors

July 8, 2016 Michael Carnell 2

Another video of me messing with parts of my Triumph Spitfire – in this case a sun visor. I figured this might be of use to someone, so I shot it before I got down to work. Please pay no attention to the cat, Churchill. He just can’t stand something going on that he doesn’t know about. Anyway, in this short video I dissect a sun visor, a much-abused sun visor, from a 1978 Triumph Spitfire to give you some idea how they are made, what goes wrong, and how they can be repaired. Although this is the visor from a Spitfire, the same basic construction holds true for most British cars of the period such as MGBs, MG Midgets, TR6s, etc. Oh, and the gentleman I make reference to in the video who makes the Plexiglas visors is Andrian Page. […]

Old Cars, Young Souls – A Mitty Story

June 22, 2016 Emilee Coomes 1

I met Ian Crawford and Emilee Coomes in Louisville, KY last week. What great folk! While talking with Ian he mentioned that Emilee had written a story about their road trip to The Mitty a few years ago. I am honored to publish her story her. Oh, and thanks for the beer. 😉

MG and Triumph at Gene Gillenwater's in Washington Courthouse Ohio

Summer Road Trip 2016 – Part 1

June 17, 2016 Michael Carnell Comments Off

The primary purposes of this road trip were (are? I am still on it) to see my friend Gene Gillenwater in Ohio, to attend the MG national meet in Louisville, KY, and to simply get out and drive and see some countryside. I have done all of those, and I am still on the road! The first leg of the road trip took me from Charleston, SC, over some of the worst roads I have ever seen, through North Carolina and a bit of Tennessee up into Virginia. Seriously, the roads in my own home state are the worst I have seen and are in dangerously bad shape. We should be ashamed of ourselves. The second leg of the trip was from Bristol, VA, through Abingdon, VA, because no self-respecting British car fan could pass up going to Abingdon, and […]

Triumph Spitfire Door Handle Mechanicals

June 9, 2016 Michael Carnell Comments Off

Welcome to our new post category – “Road Ink“. The first of this new category is a short video on the innards of a Triumph Spitfire door mechanism. These mechanics are notorious for going out of alignment and even breaking. When this happens, you can no long open the car’s door from the outside. Quite frustrating, trust me! What is even more frustrating is that the fairly simple repair parts are not available for purchase. You either get to fork out over $200 for a complete unit, or attempt for use used or alternative parts. This latter choice is what those of us not made of money would prefer to do, but since this unit was always viewed as a single item by Triumph and BL, documentation is scarce. Hence this video. I just want to take a few moments […]

What Are Your Roadtrip Must Haves?

May 20, 2016 Michael Carnell 10

Spring has sprung – heck in my area it might as well be summer – and it that time when a car lover’s mind turns to roadtrips! This is especially the case since in about three weeks time the MG 2016 All Register Meet will be kicking off in Louisville, Kentucky. Sadly, I will not be driving an MG to this meetup, but I may very well be taking my 1978 Triumph Spitfire on this roadtrip. Hey, don’t hate, at least it is older British. With the contemplation of such a trip come the thoughts of what I should take with me. What tools, parts, and precautions should I be packing in the trunk for those roadside repairs or hotel parking lot tune-ups? Now the list will, of course, differ based on the car and its age and obscurity, but […]