A Wife’s Tale

At the start of our marriage our first MG was a 1973 Midget registered LHW 5L. We owned it during the two hot summers of 1975 and 1976. It was Mustard yellow with chrome bumpers. After two years we decided to have children, so we had to sell the Midget because we needed more space for a carrycot.

The first MG

The memories of those two years were of a wonderful time and the enjoyment of the wind in our hair, was not to be forgotten. It left my husband with a longing to own another MG some day. Twenty two years later he still had strong feelings about owning an MG once again.
In November 1993 my husband came home from work and said he had been speaking to a colleague who was to retire at the end of the month. This chap had stored in his garage an old MGB Roadster, which had languished there some 12 years. He told my husband that he intended to restore the car once he had retired. My husband knowing this particular fellow well, said if for any reason the plans for restoration changed he would be interested in purchasing the MG.
A few months later March 1994 my husband had a phone call, I could hear him talking about going to look at a car. When the phone call finished, my husband popped his head around the corner and said “I’m off to have a look at an MG.” Some hours later he returned home and said that his retired colleague had decided not to restore the car and was going to emigrate to Spain. So if my husband wanted the car, he had five days to arrange for its collection. My husband agreed to this and bought the car for £500. I thought that there can’t be much of the car left for that sort of money. So the following weekend my husband and brother-in-law towed the MG to a friend’s garage some five miles away from our home, until they decided what was to be done. It had turned out that when they went to collect the car it had been partially dismantled. So a number of journeys had to be made. At this point I still had not set eyes upon the MG.
The following day I had an even bigger shock when I arrived home. The garden wall was gone and there was a big hole in the ground. My husband reassured me that this was how a garage was built. I was always proud of the garden, I had put a lot of work into it to encourage birds, butterflies and not forgetting the hedgehog which had sheltered under the fir trees. Each day from then on the garden deteriorated, it was not a pretty sight, in fact it looked as though a bomb had hit it.
Eventually, things started to look better, the flooring was laid, then slowly the walls were built, then the roof was put on, with the doors following close behind. Three months later, the garage was completed. Perfect, I thought, somewhere for my car to go. No more scraping the ice off my windscreen in the winter. The car should start easier because it would be kept warm in a nice roomy garage.

The following day I was on my way home from work, thinking to myself that I could drive straight in to my new garage. When I pulled up outside, the big door was open and to my astonishment, inside, there was this heap of rusting metal. It looked similar to an MGB Roadster. “What a heap of old rubbish.” I said to my husband. “You built this garage for this heap of rust.” He laughed and said to me. “Wait and see, it will one day look magnificent”. So the work began. The first thing my husband did was to dismantle every part and label each component and place it in a box. To my surprise I took part in the labelling, cussing to myself what a waste of time it was. The electrical components, the steering wheel and the seats were all removed, even the tyres. Absolutely everything was removed. The MGB was placed in the middle of the garage as an empty shell on axle stands. I could see holes everywhere, in the floors, in the sills, in the doors and through the wings. Well, what hope was there?

Extensive surgery was required to get the body shell back into shape   Many new panels had to be welded in

My husband spent every moment he could working on the MGB, I did not mind, at least he was not far away if I needed him. I suppose he could have beendown the pub, but he was happy working on the MGB and having plenty of cups of tea. Over the next two years, he concentrated on the body work and suspension. Cutting out all the rust and replacing with new parts or fabricating smaller sections and welding it all in place. Each month there would be deliveries of spare parts from far and wide, each time something new arrived I thought to myself, there goes my new kitchen.

Cross member rebuild invades the kitchen

Eventually, the body and suspension were completed, still looking sorry for itself the car was collected by the local spray shop to be professionally spray painted. While the car was away being sprayed disaster struck. After dismantling the engine it was found that there was a large crack emanating from one of the cylinder head bolts and running down into the water jacket and oilway, there was nothing that could be done. My husband rang around to get a price of a replacement engine from various places, for the same specification engine for this year of car a1967 three synchromesh gearbox model. Eventually, a friend at work remembered that one of his neighbours had the very engine my husband was after, so with a bit of haggling a price was agreed for this unit. As soon as the engine was off loaded from the boot of the car, my husband stripped it down. Everything was OK. The following day the various parts of the new engine were sent to a local restorer for reconditioning. A few days later the MGB returned from the spray shop, it had been painted a lovely Tartan Red and lacquered, it was now beginning to look the part. A recognisable MGB Roadster.

Rear axle and door hinges get the full restoration treatment

By the third year things were starting to come together very quickly. A complete new brake system was fitted to the car. The wiring loom having been returned from being renovated was fitted. Once my husband had rebuilt the engine and gearbox it was gradually lowered into the engine bay, which involved the whole family helping to place it in the right position, without scratching or damaging the nice shiny paintwork. Then all the various electrical components went in along with the newly restored dashboard and all its ancillaries. As each stage of the rebuild was completed the MGB looked more like a car again. Then the black leather car seats with red piping were fitted as so were the black carpets. On their return from the chrome platers the bumpers and all other chrome parts were put back into place. The chrome shone, standing out in contrast against the red background.

Engine was refitted without scratching the immaculate paintwork

Interior trim nearly complete and ready for the seats to go back

Cockpit trim completed

The windscreen and frame was completely refurbished and placed into position with the windscreen wipers, steering wheel and gear stick following on. The side windows were put in and all the trim panels were fitted. At every stage each part was lovingly placed back in position on the MGB. And last but not least, the four new wire wheels and tyres were fitted to the car. The car was then lowered to the ground, it was now complete with the exception of starting the engine. Petrol was then poured into the tank, the batteries were connected and the ignition turned on for the first time in 15 years, the engine turned over and then after a few attempts it burst into life.

A hearty sounding throb came from the garage, at last the MGB came to life. My emotions were overwhelmed. After three years, it was running. The first ride was tremendous. Other MGB owners waved to you as they drove by. At long last we were back in an MG sports car with the wind blowing in our hair (what was left of my husband’s hair that is). Now the new garage does not look so bad with a brand new MGB Roadster sat in the middle. My husband was right it is a truly magnificent sight.

Ready for the open road

S G Spokes