Cars!

[Nathan_in_DC]

Has anyone else here taken a foray into classic car ownership? Since I'm living in the UK for a bit, I figured recently that I would take advantage of the relatively inexpensive classic car market and get a proper British car. I found a 1978 MG B GT for sale down in Bristol, after a test drive and a good once-over, it appeared mechanically sound and of acceptable cosmetics for the price. I picked it up to have as a weekend project and to have something more exciting to commute in than the 2011 VW Golf I had been driving the past two years. It's been interesting so far... It's rather straightforward mechanically, easy to work on, and spare parts are inexpensive and easy to come by. Quite fun to drive, too! And when I move back to the States I'll hopefully have an interesting, and relatively unique (what with it being right hand drive and all), souvenir! Anyway, let me know if you have anything old or interesting!

[rookzie]

Nice looking ride, Nathan!

Of all the MG series that I had seen and ridden during my growing-up years in the 1960s and early adulthood during the '70s, the GT was by far my favorite.  I never owned one, but a neighbor of mine in North Nashville owned an orange one.  I used to look out the window of my home and ogle at that thing, when he took off and shifted gears.  During my years in Greater Boston I also used to see them pretty regularly (1969-72).

While I never owned an MG, I did own two cars related to it ─ both being model Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII (BJ8).  They were built when the British Motor Corp. (BMC) was still extant, before the Leyland takeover.  Nearly everything mechanical or electrical had the  Lucas, Girling, and SU branding.  I got my first Healey slightly used in spring 1968, during the latter part of my junior year in high school.  That one I got rid of before I returned to Tennessee in late 1972.  The 2nd one I got in 1977 from a guy in the Glengary district in SE Nashville, and I finally sold it in late 2015 (pic below).

While the BMC / British Leyland stuff was pretty straight forward to work on, those cars could be temperamental as Hell, during damp weather, primarily because of their moisture-prone contact-point distributors ignition.  My first one used to embarrass the Hell out of me, when I drove through a puddle and the car would stall out.  I'd then have to manually unclip the cap and wipe it dry, until I got wise and applied silicone sealant to the cap seat and to the cable boots.  I don't believe the '78 GT's were offered with the optional overdrive unit ─ not sure ─ but both my Healeys had the electro-hydraulic Laycock unit attached to the rear of the gearbox.

Anyway, enjoy!