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Stephen's Story
Enjoying such a fine behind the scene role thanks to my ghost writer (eh Martin!) the reasoning behind why I like MG’s, or more correctly the MG B GT, has never really had to surface. Having read other stories of childhood interests with the MG marque, I find it difficult to relate to the passion and buzz that was felt by so many at such an early age…to be honest I preferred falling out of trees and dare I even mention Steam Trains?…it almost seems like I would have to be confessing to the wider public about a along suffering addiction I would have had, but such an addiction didn’t exist.
Thinking about
it, this was an odd thought, but how had
I become interested?
Quite honestly,
I don’t know. At college, I was too studious/ hung-over (!) to really
appreciate anything- apart from enjoying life too much.
Perhaps my earliest mutterings of MG, I can recollect, reverts back to
University and random, topics of conversation.
I’m fairly sure that I’d even gone as far as to say when I can afford
one I would buy one. Needless to
say the money and opportunity never arrived at my door until 4 years later.
In that time I had the (mis)-fortune of owning several knackered or
slowly knackering cars. Three of
which were VW Polo’s!
After blowing
up an engine after a run from Oxford, kicking the exhaust of the second and
floating the last through the worst floods to hit North Yorkshire in a
Century….and countless other Basil Fawlty moments I had decided that I no
longer needed a car once I left student life.
The idea was to commute with my new job and be a white collar worker; if
I was to own a car it would be a BMW Z4 or even a Lotus Elise S2….
Having started
my job off the back of one hell of a rough time I was in no mood for
compromise...I needed to escape a busy head, I needed my own space and I needed
something to focus on. The first step was to join a rowing club, the second was the
MG B GT…
As with everything I have owned, I like things to work. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a perfectionist nor hugely fussy on looks, so if something does the job but looks a mess that’s more often than not ok with me. Owing to what had gone before I wanted a car ready packaged and ready to roll. Naively, I bought what I thought was the genuine article….lock stock and barrel this was for me! (see picture below)
However, this
car seemed a good idea at the time…like most things I guess the demon was in
the detail....another story for another time!
Needless to
say, I met up with Martin and Phil and the rest they say is history…ok,
elaborating a little. The aim with
the second MG B was to replicate the first, but do it in such a way that I could
escape, learn and enjoy at the same time. The
first car was the inspiration the second is perspiration.
Before starting
any work on the car after its purchase, most jobs I estimated, I could tackle
head first leaving worry about what I had done till later.
This method of work its where I get my enjoyment from.
However, a full dismantling
and re-build of the front suspension following a broken wheel bearing is not for
the faint hearted by any stretch of the imagination.
I urge anyone who is even thinking of taking on anything outside of their
mechanical capabilities to consult a qualified mechanic.
I am very fortunate in that I met Martin who has helped and guided me
enormously in getting the car to the stage it’s at in such a short period of
time.
Customising the
car is really a very personal and subjective business, none more so than the
criticism/encouragement from your peers. But,
having gone from novice owner to my current status- grease monkey? I have to
reflect and say its been quite a journey. Prior
to buying the B, a car in my league was simply metal with wheels which either
worked or it didn’t (often it didn’t).
Although many pictures of the car in its current condition aren’t
available for viewing (I will eventually in another 4 months post some up!- see
the Easter weekend jolly) I have to be
honest and say I’m rightly proud of what I’ve done.
For the moment, I think the expense on the car has (touch wood) stopped.
For the time being at least I’m out using and enjoying the car as it
should be used.
As always there are and will be loads of future projects to tinker with a few of them include EDIS, sorting out the rear valance and back number plate fixings, a new exhaust system, perhaps wire wheels, interior improvements, wiring replacements, rear luggage conversion, roll cage, catch tank, 4 point harness and the list goes on…for the time being though, watch this space …
