Typical Al-ism, waiting for the new owner to open the toolbox.
As has been said before, Al Moss was a notorious practical joker. When we first heard he was putting his TC up for sale, I called immediately to see what was up. As the conversation drifted to the TC itself, I asked about its condition. Al’s famous last words (not literally his last words), “I’d drive it across the country tomorrow.” Perhaps my response should have been “Okay, but how many quarts of oil will it take?”
Fast forward a few months and Al’s TC is now our TC, by which I mean it’s sitting in my garage, marking its spot, as I beat back any and all efforts within the company to make use of it for the test fitting of parts. The car may belong to Moss Motors, but it will not be used to test fit mud flaps, fuzzy dice, or LED light bulbs.
What it will be doing is visiting the occasional show, like Queens English in Los Angeles. Of course, by the time it
Test fitting parts before final assembly.
got back from that show, I was reminded of another conversation with Al, about the oil leaks.
Robert: “Al, there’s oil coming out everywhere. Didn’t you tighten anything?”
Al: “It’s that damn rear oil seal conversion. I bought it from the guy who designed it and had him do the install. It’s messed up.”
Robert: “Aren’t you the guy who designed and installed it?”
The conversation devolved from there. All the oil kept “devolving” too, back into the earth from which it came. After the Queens English show, we came into work the next morning and found not so much of a puddle, but more like a lake under the car. Something had to be done.
Of course, there were leaks in other places than just the rear main seal. The blower was leaking, the oil filter housing had drips, but the clincher was the oil pump. It had a leak which could only be dealt with by lifting the
Installing the rocker assembly.
motor. Everyone say it with me. “If you’re going to remove the bonnet and lift the motor off the mounts, you may as well…” So we did a cylinder leakage test and, inevitably, pulled the motor for a refresh.
In spite of all the years spent on races, rallies, and general blasting around, the car still carries its original engine. If an engine could only talk. Actually, this one was, and it was saying rebuild me please. And so, just as driving season was about to pick up steam, the one and only Al Moss, drive it across the country tomorrow engine, was sitting in pieces on the bench.
It’s all better now.
As to Mr. Moss and his claims, I’m sure he was technically correct. I’m sure it could have made it across. What I’m not quite sure about is whether or not Al has played his last practical joke. It’s still possible he has fiddled the distributor or fuel pump to fail, but not until driving past a large crowd of MG enthusiasts. Some of Al’s jokes were meant to be subtle. Some of them weren’t.
Ready for its first run.
As a PS to this story, I should point out in no way do I feel Al meant in any way to mislead. I was lucky enough to know him at his best, and as a mechanic, that was as good as anyone in his day. Whether Al knew he was sick before offering the car for sale, I do not know, but there’s no question in my mind, when he last put THE TC together, he did as well as he could at the time.
'“I’d Drive It Across the Country Tomorrow”' have 12 comments
June 25, 2013 @ 2:00 pm Len Bonnay
Robert,
I enjoyed watching the video of you driving Al’s car to work. I am not sure if you know but Al removed the engine he used all the time which was a TF 1500 (XPEG) with a Moss supercharger. He did so to install the original engine just prior to consigning it to RM auctions. At that time Al was not at his best healthwise.
Up until you acquired the TC for Moss Motors Al had told me that only 3 people were ever allowed to drive his TC. That was apparently true up to 2008. At that time a 4th person was given the pleasure as he was building his own TC and picking Al’s brain. That individual was me!
Glad to see it is where it belongs- at Moss!
Len Bonnay
December 2, 2020 @ 6:04 pm Dennis
Hi, because of the blower did you do anything to the brakes?
June 26, 2013 @ 10:41 am Scott Fisher
I’ve seen that car so many times at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Historic Races there. (Figured that since I have a T-Series AND a Miata catalog from y’all, it was appropriate to use the track’s full name…) I always loved that Al had a little picture of the crankshaft — no doubt from a Moss catalog — taped over the point on the tach beyond which man does not dare to tread.
This makes me yearn to have my TD’s engine rebuilt, upgrade the brakes and bushings, and bolt on one of your superchargers. (For the record, was the blower in THE TC an original Shorrocks, or is it one of yours?)
–Scott Fisher
June 26, 2013 @ 3:23 pm rgoldman
Scott,
Al’s car has a Shorrock blower. In terms of power output and reliability, there is no question our modern kit is the winner. Being a vane type compressor, the old Shorrock design does not like to turn very fast, or make gobs of boost. However, as anyone who has ever driven a TC at 80 miles per hour down a two lane road will tell you, the TC doesn’t exactly need a lot of extra power.
I started driving a Shorrock equipped TC over 30 years ago. It is a car purchased from Al Moss, with the same blower which has been on it since about 1955. In my world, it’s not a TC without a Shorrock supercharger. As I write this, it occurs to me I beat Al, in my first ever gymkhana event, while driving that other Shorrock equipped TC. It’s one of those scenarios where if you asked me then what I thought of some day owning Al’s car and posting videos of it on Youtube, my response would have been “Yeah right. By the way, what’s Youtube?”
July 9, 2013 @ 7:40 am Barc Cunningham TC1315
Wonderful story about Al and I enjoyed the drive on that great road. And he did drive across country in the TC for a NE’MG’T Register GOF in Toronto.
July 10, 2013 @ 1:02 pm steve
Wonderful video – Not that am implying anything but just wondering what is your best time up and down? I mean it would be a sin of some sort to have that car and that road and not know…
Steve Rotfeld
July 10, 2013 @ 3:03 pm Al Harris
Wonderful video! Brings back memories of when I drove TC’s between !953 and 1961. I had 6 of them over the period. One of my favourites had a Judson supercharger. The sound above 3000 revs was like a siren when centrifical force took the vanes to their full extent.
July 12, 2013 @ 12:15 pm wayne strong
I was interested to hear about your judson supercharger, I’m currently restoring one and would love to see any pictures you might have of the installation.
Thanks
Wayne Strong
July 12, 2013 @ 9:55 am Ray Peterson
In 1987 the GOF was held in Spokane Washington. Al drove the TC to the event. At the silent auction there was a packed house. About half way in it was announced that there was a late item up for bid. A super charger!!! The bidding got quite hot and heavy. Then Al went storming up to the podium. As a joke several of his friends had “liberated” his super charger! Al really didn’t think it was funny
July 15, 2013 @ 10:50 pm Bruce Blondin
I loved the video. It brought back memories of driving the pass back in the ’60 ‘s in my clapped out
Henry J , it also used a lot of oil. By the way what was the name of the little tavern on the back side of the pass ? Ah, yes. The Cold Springs. I’m restoring a ’55 Austin Healey 100M. The body is the final chapt.
to finish. Looking forward to cool Autumn afternoons and long drives in Napa Valley and juice of the grape.
July 22, 2013 @ 7:15 pm Terry Meyer
I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Moss but still very much regret his passing. Moss Motors first came to my attention in March, 1963 when I was in need of a new crown and pinion for my TC when expensive noises forced me to seek assistance in Chicago. I was driving from New Jersey to Alameda, CA to report to my ship, USS Hancock, and I while grinding westward on the Illinois Turnpike remembered Lester MG, then known for racing MG specials. Lester himself drove the car around the block, identified the problem as differential and not gearbox, and marveled, as they drained the metallic slurry, that I made it to his shop. He had Moss Motors air ship new parts immediately. I continued my cross-country drive without a hitch, and reported aboard with plenty of time to spare. I have remained a Moss customer ever since (customer #P101741) and continue to own the same car, which very probably is the only MG TC in the Florida Keys. (Several years ago I e-mailed a longer account including attached photos of a 2008 restoration but never received an acknowledgement and figured you probably get too many stories of this kind, anyway) Maybe Mr. Moss was ready to drive his TC across, but I’m not so sure I’d have the guts to make the crossing again today , though the car is in infinitely better shape now than it was then!
July 23, 2013 @ 8:52 am stuursmad
Terry,
Thank you for your comment. It’s wonderful to read of customers’ memories that go back decades! I apologize that we failed to send you a response to the letter you wrote previously. Please know that as the current editor of the Moss Motoring magazine I would be delighted to read your experiences and either consider them for print or share them here online. If you’d like, you are invited to write to me directly anytime.
Sincerely,
David Stuursma
editor@mossmotors.com