Bench Service
University Motors can rebuild (and has rebuilt) nearly every component part of your MG, from dynamo to fuel sending unit, from carburettors to differential. We receive component parts across the front counter, through the US Mail or UPS, and by truck. Use the BENCH SERVICE pages to estimate the cost of your component repair. Please call us BEFORE sending your part so that we may give special instructions, or cost or time estimates.

Birthday Party
University Motors celebrates its birthday annually on the Saturday that falls closer to January 25th. While University Motors applied for a sales tax licence in August 1973, it was not until Saturday, January 25th, 1975 that University Motors opened as a full time business. This is a fun event for MG owners and club members. The shop is at its cleanest! We have chili and a cake, soda and adult beverages. The party begins at 12:00 Noon and runs until about 5:00pm. The raffle proceeds are presented to the local MG Foundation (MYASTHENIA GRAVIS - a muscular disease). Check the dates for our next Birthday Party on the EVENTS page!

Core Charges
University Motors prefers to rebuild YOUR original part. Yet, for some BENCH SERVICES, we can provide a rebuild assembly first, then accept your used “core” later. The “core charge” is taxable for Michigan residents. Specific core charges are detailed in the BENCH SERVICE pages. We will refund the core charge after we receive the rebuildable core with its identification tag.

Early Summer Picnic
University Motors sponsored the “Early Summer Picnic” for nearly as long as the MG Summer Party. The Picnic was always the first Sunday AFTER Memorial Day. It was billed as a local, low key, Sunday afternoon event. It is now sponsored by the West Michigan “Old Speckled Hen” MG Car Club.

Estimates*
The prices given in the following pages are carefully researched and documented estimates. As each individual service or repair is slightly different, however, these prices should be used as a guide.
*es.ti.mate: a general calculation; especially an approximate computation of probable cost.
An Estimate is NOT a quotation!

For Sale Board
University Motors has a very large “FOR SALE” board in the vestibule. We will post any advertisement for MGs or MG parts delivered to us by hand, mail, fax, or email. During the Spring and Summer, as many as a dozen people per day read the ads. We clean and organize the board several times per year. Please do not call and ask us to read the ads to you - drop by and visit!

Guarantee
All of our work is completely guaranteed. We wish that every job that left the shop every day were perfect. Every job that leaves our shop is guaranteed to be right! We will repair our own work. We are very good at what we do! QUALITY SERVICE demands an extensive guarantee. This is our pledge to our customer. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our shop or your work - or if you experience any problem with our parts, our service, or our staff, you should contact John Twist immediately!

Hours
University Motors is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, but closed Saturdays during the “winter.” During “Summer Hours” which extend from the first of April to the end of August, we are open Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 1pm.

Line Service
University Motors has maintained, serviced, and repaired MG sportscars for 25 years. We are a British Motor Heritage® Approved Workshop (one of two in North America). We have the tools and equipment, the training and the experience to service or repair nearly any part of nearly any MG. We are a Registered Repair Facility in the State of Michigan. Use the LINE SERVICE pages to estimate the cost of your repair. University Motors works on an appointment basis - please call to schedule an appointment for your MG.

Parts Sales
University Motors maintains an extensive inventory of new, used, and rebuilt; factory original and modern replacement; body, mechanical parts - and accessories.

University Motors has many suppliers to ensure an uninterrupted flow of proper parts. We inventory over 2500 different parts. Our shelves are filled with original BMC, BL, Rover, Heritage, Lucas, Smiths, SU, Lockheed, Girling, Borg & Beck, Moss, AP, Glacier, Vandervell, Armstrong, Amco parts and more! We have been a Moss Motors distributor since 1985.

We have thousands of used parts, gleaned from over 100 “recycled” MGs, stored throughout the shop and in our storage barn.

University Motors is a service business. We DO NOT offer a mail order service for either new or used parts. We do offer rebuilt parts under our BENCH SERVICE exchange program. We are pleased to assist you on the front counter for new and used parts, and we DO appreciate orders for Moss parts.

Payment
University Motors expects full and prompt payment for all services rendered and for all parts sold! BENCH SERVICE customers may send a check with their component, but as each repair IS slightly different, we find it much easier to work with a charge card. LINE SERVICE customers must always make full payment before collecting their MG. Sometimes line service extends into weeks (or months). In these situations we ask for weekly payments. RESTORATION customers are required to make a modest “down payment” on their project, and then to promptly pay their weekly bills.

Restoration
University Motors completes half a dozen partial and full restorations each year. A full, ground up, “frame off” RESTORATION, in which every single component of the MG is disassembled, restored, and refitted, takes 400-600 hours and costs upwards of $50,000. We offer a “rolling restoration” and, for the MGBs, a “production restoration,” both of which are substantially less expensive than a full restoration! We have completed a full restoration in as little as three months.

Restoration Consultation
Each model MG requires a different sequence of steps to ensure the highest quality for the least amount of time, and for the least amount of money. We are pleased to sit down with you and thoroughly discuss your project, one on one. Two hours of discussion will allow a complete overview of whatever project you have taken on. We bill our time at our normal restoration rate.

Shipping
Please call BEFORE shipping your part to us for BENCH SERVICE. Drain all fluids from your component! If the component has ANY vestiges of fluid, double wrap in garbage bags, then DOUBLE BOX to ensure safe arrival. You MUST include a letter with the box which has your NAME, ADDRESS, SHIPPING ADDRESS if different, HOME PHONE, WORK PHONE, FAX NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS, YEAR and MODEL, ANY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, and YOUR CHARGE CARD NUMBER (or CHECK).

Summer Party
The University Motors MG Summer Party, the penultimate of North American MG events and, in fact, the largest MG meet outside of England, has taken a break for several years. John and Caroline, hosts of the Party, needed a break after 23 wonderfully successful, annual gatherings. At its peak, the Summer Party drew 550 MGs from near and far. Each year a different model was featured - eg: TC; TF; MGA Twin Cam; MGB LE; Sedans; Originally Owned; MGC; MGA Coupe; etc. There will be a Summer Party Reunion in several years. During the hiatus, we urge the former participants to attend the Abingdon Summer Party, sponsored by the Chicagoland MG Club.

Technical Book
The University Motors Technical Book, a compilation of articles authored by John Twist, costs $35.00 postpaid. The Technical Book is prepared for the February Technical Seminars. This book is one of ten (or so) MG technical publications which every MG enthusiast or mechanic should own. The Technical Book is an evolving publication - the annually updated version becomes available every February. Order this publication directly from University Motors.

Technical Hour
John Twist offers technical consultation every day, Monday through Friday, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST. This service is provided at no charge, and most questions are easily answered. Some truly difficult queries require more than the three to five minutes that John allows for each call. In these situations John may ask the caller to return the call the next day (allowing him time for research or pondering). Sometimes John prefers to continue the conversation in the evening when he has more time to address the problem or outline the repair.

Technical Questions by Email
John Twist is online and can answer your technical questions by email. The questions and answers are posted in the Q&A section of this website. John wishes he could answer every question in a timely manner, but this is NOT the case. If you need an immediate answer, call John during the technical hour!

Technical Questions by FAX
Technical questions requiring a reply by FAX (whether received by FAX or by phone) cost $5.00. Please include your credit card number with your inquiry, or have the number available to give over the phone.

University Motors Ltd
University Motors Ltd is a Michigan Corporation (1989), and is registered as a Motor Vehicle Repair Facility (F 138 655) with the State. John H Twist and Caroline S Robinson are the owners. University Motors Ltd is an Approved Heritage Workshop (1998). University Motors Ltd is a recommended workshop by members of the North American MGB Association. University Motors Ltd has had MG Car Club Trade Membership since 1995. University Motors Ltd is a member of the Ada Business Association. Also on premises is the R H Graham Porter Memorial Automobile Library.

Valuations
Insurance companies, bank loan departments, or divorce attorneys sometimes require an “official” Statement of Valuation. John Twist will prepare a detailed Statement of Valuation for your MG. We charge one half hour at shop rate for this service. Call for an appointment.