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Homecoming Parades

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78MGB

78MGB

Jedi Hopeful
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How many of you have had your MGB in a homecoming parade with one of the young ladies seated on the back? Any negatives?

What gear did you drive with in the parade? Over heating a problem? I have an electric aftermarket fan now, but not sure how it will work in this type driving.

Would appreciate your advice.

Thanks,

78MGB
 
Make sure your liability insurance is in effect and that you have high limits (no kidding!).

Having folks ride on the back of the cowl/back seat area in a convertible is very dangerous. Slight blips of the throttle or a hiccup can easily cause the Homecoming Queen to tumble over the boot onto the pavement.

You don't want to hurt the Homecoming Queen, very high litigation potential! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif

I actually saw this happen once, although it was not in a parade. Girl fell off the back of an MG, broke wrist.

If you let them sit up there, find some way to tie them into the car so they won't fall out!

Good luck!
 
1990 - Daughter was on high school homecoming court..we used my '79 Vermillion MGB...left the tonneau & its bars off & laid a 'tartan' plaid Pendleton wool blanket over the folded top & part of the body in front of the trunk lid where she sat comfortably...got a young friend to drive & I rode shotgun as I had to escort her from the car onto the football field that night....usually in 2nd gear, occassionally in first....I had worked with the young fella before on shifting techniques...most of the time it just pulled itself along in 2nd without any help from the accelerator pedal (except up hills & after turns).

When she was on homecoming court in college, they used brand new matching Corvettes for all the girls.
 
Thanks for the replies. Mostly what I was thinking. Guess I better contact my insurance agent and go do some test driving in second gear. Also worried about over heating. It started to when I stopped for awhile with the motor running. This is why I got the electric aftermarket fan, but have not had the car idling for very long.

Thanks again,

78MGB
 
If a '78 with OE automatic electric fans is overheating when you were "stopped for awhile", installing an electric aftermarket fan is just a band aid! You didn't solve the problem, you masked it!

You probably need to do one or all of these: replace the fan thermostatic sending unit, clean your radiator, replace the thermostat & hoses, back flush your engine, check to make sure the mud shield is in place - in other words, make sure the engibne cooling system is operating as designed....& throw away that aftermarket fan which actually constricts air flow over the radiator when its not on!
 
It came with only one original fan. I think that was the problem. Did everything you suggested except replacing the thermo sending unit. It seemed to work just fine. Have had no problems since the aftermarket unit was installed, but I have not just let it idle for an extended length of time either. Oh, it was like 100 degrees out when it started to get hot. A quick drive cooled it in no time. Found out then that the one fan was not going to cut it. Got a really good deal $$$ on the fan, so I thought I would try it.

Can you tell me an easy way to replace the two OEM fans? Getting one out was a major pain!!!

Thanks,

78MGB

PS:Tony really appreciate you and others with so much knowledge about MGB's taking the time to teach the rest of us. No matter how MGB challenged we/I may be.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]It came with only one original fan. [/QUOTE]
They all had 2 fans from the factory - if a dealer installed AC, they took 1 fan off & added a fan to the water pump pulley...if yours only has 1 fan, a DPO removed the other - unless you have AC!

Getting them out is pretty simple - remove the wire mesh 'grille' over them, take off the 2 bolts holding them to the radiator slam panel & tilt out between the radiator slam pael & rubber bumper - unless you have AC!
 
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