Diana and Mr. Powers

“That is the ugliest car I have ever seen.” These were the words spoken by my wife Melody as the car hauler pulled into the driveway with my latest acquisition, a 1970 Lotus Europa S2. The car admittedly was less than stellar; scuffed Bahama Yellow paint, doors askew, cobwebs draped from the mud splattered undercarriage, the car improved slightly when we were looking at it from a normal angle in our garage. Maybe it just helped that the light was fading to dusk.

Prior to this, shortly after we married, I was eager to find an old car to restore. Having previously owned a Ford Model T and numerous sailboats requiring restoration, the latest a 36′ all teak ocean-going yawl, the time was right for a lifelong dream of restoring a classic British sports car. I would peruse Craiglist, Ebay and Hemmings, showing Melody listings and explaining the merits of each one. Money was tight, as was the space in our garage. Eventually we settled on a white 1962 Austin Healey Sprite, retrofitted with a 1961 bonnet, located only an hour away.

Melody, although a car aficionado, had never owned any vehicle more than 2 years old, even when we were in high school. I remember being very impressed that she drove a 1984 Escort, practically new when we were dating. Her impression of the Sprite? “That is so cute!”

So the Sprite quickly became referred to as hers, partly because she went to the DMV to title it so she was now listed as the owner. Since we were Anglophiles and avid fans of the Austin Powers movies, the little Sprite was named, like all our cars, becoming “Mr. Powers.” But although Melody enjoyed riding in and driving it, she was eager to assist during its many renovation projects, each one successful at getting Mr. Powers to a better state of operation and aesthetics.

Instrumental in keeping our interest in the Sprite was joining our local SE Michigan Austin Healey Club. Naturally gregarious, Melody instantly became a favorite at meetings. The club is a great source of information and inspiration, particularly seeing the other member’s cars beautifully restored. Our club elected me to the position of newsletter editor by the 4th meeting we attended.

But back to the Lotus. The last time it ran was about 15 years ago. After diligently working on the car for 40 days and 40 nights, it finally roared to life on Christmas Eve and was taken on a hesitant drive around the neighborhood. From there work proceeded quickly, and even Melody admitted the Lotus looked quite a bit better. But a few hundred miles made me realize the Lotus wasn’t for us. For one thing, it was still Bahama Yellow, albeit with a cool Lotus Green center stripe. Second, it was hot. And not hot in a good way. On the first few warm spring days, it was warm inside with the Hermes modified Renault engine just behind the seats and somewhat claustrophobic. When the windows were lowered for some fresh cool air, it tended to suck exhaust through the newly opened original vents above the tiny rear window. Third, its transaxle occasionally made some ominous noises during hard cornering.

Having read the children’s book, The Red Car, over and over again as a kid, I had always dreamed of owning a red MG TC. The previous Christmas not only yielded a copy of that beloved book (from my beloved!), but just about every car tool I had ever commented on during our weekly viewing of favorite car TV shows like Wheeler Dealers and Chasing Classic Cars. So we determined together that ultimately we would like to get some sort of MG T-series automobile.

The Lotus was thus listed and sold via Ebay, off to a new home in California, and we began the search in earnest for an MG. Early on, the search was refined to an early TD model for reasons of cost, parts availability and better handling. It was not until the middle of summer 2012 that the right one came along, a 1951 MG TD, located in Florida and found through our local club affiliated with the New England MGT Register. So that August we travelled to Winter Park, Florida to see the car and meet with the owner. While we were there we had the good fortune to attend the monthly meeting of the local MG T club, which included meeting the mechanic that undertook the essential maintenance on our “new” car. Christened “Princess Diana” prior to being loaded on the truck bound for Michigan, we were filled with excitement and a little trepidation.

Despite being much loved by her last owner, Diana was a good example of a car that appeared to be in great shape but proved disappointing to drive. The accounts of its speed and handling noted in The Red Car seemed entirely absent. Expecting at least equal performance to our 1098cc Sprite, the MG couldn’t even keep up with traffic. So we began a systematic approach of analysis and correction: new ignition components (usually running on 3 cylinders) rebuilt carburetors (mostly running on one) set timing correctly (several degrees retarded). The correct air cleaner/intake was sourced and installed as well. We then proceeded to handling issues: rebuilding shocks and springs, straightening, balancing and powder-coating the wheels, new tires, and pedal bushings (which would have been oh-so-easy had someone done them when the body was off the car!). Last to be corrected were some minor aesthetic issues and getting the doors to close properly with a solid click.

Finally the MG was ready to go. Trips in 2013 included a 600 mile journey to Northern Michigan and when Moss Motoring caught up with us at the September Battle of the Brits in Milford, Michigan, Diana took 3rd in her class! This show was the first we took both cars to and we enjoyed dressing up for our respective years, with Melody in a vintage 1960’s dress and go-go boots, and me arriving in the MG with the windscreen folded, wearing goggles, helmet and string-back driving gloves (this past years’ Christmas presents from Melody!). We are looking forward to many more tours, trips and shows with our respective clubs next season.

So what’s next? Melody has always wanted a Morgan, and I am particularly partial to the 3 wheelers. However, we both would like to find a pre-war car to go with our 1925 house, and one that has more than 2 seats! We feel this is important in order to expose more people to the hobby; taking kids for rides gives them a memory they will have a lifetime. I have also found that no matter where you go, something about an older car, especially an open one, invites a great deal of interaction with others. People are amazed to see someone in the hardware store parking lot set the spark and throttle, hand crank the engine and drive away in an early vehicle. It’s a great teaching moment especially for kids and as with all older mechanical things, I love explaining an aspect of operation or function of these great vehicles to bystanders. Thanks to companies like Moss Motors, it’s easy to keep these cars on the road for us and others to enjoy.

By Ken Klemmer