MGB GT

During the latter half of my ride home today, I was followed by a green, chrome-bumpered MGB GT. I wasn't in the Midget, so it wasn't as cool as it could have been.

For some reason, I've always had a soft spot for these cars. It's basically a fixed-roof version of the B that boasts seating for four. So it was basically a practical version of the B. They are much more rare.

Below are two photos of the MGB GT.

High Speeds

This weekend I covered a lot of ground, literally, with the MG. First, at work on Friday, I was assigned to drop off a print job to a client in Easton. Through miscommunication of the directions, I ended up driving on Route 33 for about 15 miles...in the wrong direction. Although I was sad I couldn't get to the client in a timely manner, I had fun enjoying the Midget at such high speeds. At one point I may have driven the fastest I've ever in the car. In fourth gear, I was at about 4700 RPMs. Since my speedometer is somewhat vague at high speeds, I couldn't tell the exact speed. But it had to of been well over 70mph. Possibly 80?

The sprint was brief as it got kind of scary. The car ran great that day.

Then on Saturday, Greg joined me on a trip down to Bally to get my dad a gift card for Father's Day. It was a scenic and enjoyable trip. We even saw an old Mini cabriolet which Greg managed to capture with his incredulous photography skills.

British Motorcar Gathering, Hellertown

Well, I woke up extra early this morning because I was planning to attend the 15th Annual British Motorcar Gathering at Reservoir Park in Hellertown. I asked my dad to go and he was game.

He skipped church and headed up with me. What a fantastic route. We headed up 309 and turned onto Passer Road which led us through miles of winding, wooded roads. We went sans GPS and found the place okay. It was 95 degrees today.

We got to the show and I registered my car. The cars were organized by class and positioned in different areas of openness throughout the wooded park. I parked next to 7 other MG Midgets, many of which I've seen before. We chatted with fellow owners, ate some hot dogs for lunch (very reasonably priced), I bought a shirt, and we perused the other classes. The highlight for me was the number of Minis that showed up for this. There were probably 8 or so. There was a red one that had a Suzuki motor (aptly named a Minuki), another 70s red one, a heavily modified cabriolet with a body kit, and my dream Mini (blue with white stripes) which had Riccardi seats in it (whatever). I spoke with a couple who was showing a 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman (hers) and an all original 60s Mini in white (his). The guy seemed nice enough so I asked if I could sit in it. 

I really want a Mini.

All in all it was a good time. We were there from about 11:00am to 3:00pm and stayed for the awards. Three cars from each class were given plaques, and out of the 8 Midgets, I wasn't one of them. The drive home, although very hot, was quite enjoyable.

This was the main MG section.

Here are all the Midgets that showed. Look at that sweet orange one at the front!

I love this car!

This Mini is all original. It is officially the first Mini I ever sat in. It won't be the last.

This is one of the many MGBs at the show. My dad is considering selling his Benz for one of these. There are more convenience accommodations in the cockpit (cup holders, center console, etc); more room in the boot and the cockpit; and overall it's perhaps a more practical car than its little brother.

A New Neighbor

My dad was right. Coming home one day, I spotted another MG Midget atop Clover Lane. How cool!

Yesterday, I was taking my Mom somewhere, and I decided to drive up to show her and to get a closer look. It was parked at the curb of a neighbor who is constantly working on cars (as his business.) (He is actually a horrible neighbor: loud music, sheds in the driveway, very odd lawn ornaments, etc). Anyway, the owner (my neighbor's friend) was outside and we got to talking. Turns out he got it as part of a trade when selling his car. He knows nothing about British cars and intends to sell it.

It's a 1976. The top is new, the paint is 8 years old, clutch and brake lines recently replaced, and a bunch of other stuff recently worked on. It is very solid, in terms of rust. And it has 77,000 miles on it. However, the owner said it idles extremely rough, "not nearly as good as yours is now," he said. I don't think I'll ever hear someone say that again!

He said he was thinking of selling it for $3000-$3500. Which seems about right. So there's no money to be made if I  bought it. What's nice is he's throwing in a bunch of extras (body panels, windshield, various other parts) but what I perked up about was a 5-speed transmission. He said he'd consider selling it separately. Realistically though, I wouldn't buy it. I'm just ecstatic when the car is running normal as is.

Anyway, I took some shots tonight before it got dark. Upon closer examination, there are a lot of things I dislike about the car:

-the color

-the rubber bumpers

-the wire wheels

-the painted-over MIDGET lettering

-the mud flaps (who puts mud flaps on a Midget?)

-I believe the luggage rack is meant for an MGB, a Midget rack should have 4 slats. I don't like that the middle slat covers the MG emblem.

However, I do like that it looks very clean and rust-free. It has the same interior as mine, but with a wooden steering wheel and wooden shifter knob. The interior was in comparable shape to mine.

All in all, it was neat just see another Midget. After I took some shots, I ran down and took some pictures of my car so you can compare between the rubber-bumpered 1500 Midgets and the chrome, RWA, 1275 Midgets.