What can the BMTA do for British car fans?

I get to wear several different hats these days, including that of chairman of the board for the British Motor Trade Association. We're a trade group that serves the British car hobby--shops, suppliers, dealers, publications, websites, clubs, etc., etc. Our national conference is on the horizon, and it's a great opportunity to share ideas, find new solutions, work through problems, etc.

So, a question for fans of British cars: Any specific needs? Is there a parts problem that we might not know about? Is there a void in the market that needs to be filled? Basically, if you had the industry's ear, what would you ask for?

(Also, if any businesses want info about attending, either drop me a line or check out www.britcar.org.)

Thanks.

Help clarify the relationship between British Motor Heritage and Steelcraft repair panels.They are no longer distinct organizations and I wonder if some liberties are being taken when filling orders based on what is on the shelves.

I deal with a lot of people doing tinwork on MGs and note that obtaining BMH panels is no longer a straightforwar propositon.

Apparently the synchros available for most Triumphs these days are crap. Properly sized ones would be nice.

And cam followers (aka flat tappets or lifters) have been in the crapper as far as quality for a long time. There is absolutely no excuse what-so-ever for this.

We've had this discussion in the past... While it's hard to put a finger on a specific situation, there needs to be a shift away from worrying about price and more on quality/durability/improvement. I'd rather spend $50 on a redesigned light switch that will last vs $20 on a accurate reproduction of the crappy 'designed-to-a-price-point' original.

I heartily agree.

I have a 60 MGA that I have had for 17 years. What I would really like is a more centralized knowledge base for problems/repairs/mods.

I, and I imagine plenty of others, am interested in what mods can be done to make the cars more usable and drivable in modern traffic. Specifically, I'm contemplating tightening up the suspension with MGB stuff, trying to figure out how to adapt a 5 speed, and potentiall a fuel injection system.

I think 5 speed conversions need an update, everything I see around is mostly T9s, which are hard to get here. If someone made a conversion kit using something like a Miata box, which is more modern and common, I think it would be popular among the LBC crowd.

ISTR a lot of the Miatas don't have an overdrive ratio on 5th gear.

Do you agree that you are a canoe salesman?