Just Driftin’

“To all the cars I’ve loved before, that wandered in and out my door, I’m glad they came along and I dedicate this column to all the cars I’ve loved before…”

1956 was the year that I really and truly got hooked on motor sport, I mean all aspects. Rallying, Hill Climbs, Mud Plugs, Ice Racing, (Rubber to Ice, and steel to Ice) Now that is a story for another time.

A friend of mine whom I had met at an earlier sports car club meeting came to see me at my place of business (A British car repair facility) and asked me if I would help him prepare his MGA for club racing. I said I would, and became part of his crew, it wasn’t until a couple of weeks before this teams first race that my new found friend, and budding race driver, came to mc and said, “I have a small problem”, the problem turned out to be, his parents did not want him to race and would not sign his registration entry form, you see he was only 17 years of age, so I signed the application (forgery) and off we went racing. As all you old pros know, after watching a few exciting races, being involved with the car, the aroma of rubber and Castrol R all around you, thoughts come rushing in, Wow ! this looks like great fun, I could do that!, I want to do that!, I will do that!. It wasn’t long after that particular day that I was the proud owner of a Brand New MGA. After hours of Porting and Polishing, lightening and Balancing, a Generator without any innards. Flat top pistons. Michelin X tires, and all that good stuff, 1was ready to go racing.

Safety in those days, for drivers racing on a shoe string (with very little money) consisted of a Parachute Harness belt, and what we called a Chicken Bar, this bar was indeed a MG Pan but it was intended as a grab handle to help you get in and our of the car, but we bolted it to the passenger side floor, where you could bend over and grab hold in case of a roll-over. Other preparations were performed after you reached the track, the reason you waited until you arrived at the track was, shoestring racers used their every day transportation for racing, in my case, the MGA. Getting the cat ready for racing was fairly routine, first you removed the windshield and installed a race shield, then the  bumpers and hub caps came off, trunk was cleared of all its contents (if you remembered) that is a two page story in its self!! The exhaust system had already been modified in that the rear muffler had been cut and flanged so it could be easily be replaced by a piece of open pipe which also had been flanged, so preparing the exhaust was quite easy. Then came the tape, the headlights, and the whole front end was covered. After all, this was your one and only car and had to look decent for your Sunday Rally the very next day.

The MGA was the most trouble free car that I have ever owned. This car was used in every kind of motor sport the fraternity could conjure up, after its initial preparation the only costs were for occasional rod bearing replacement (preventative maintenance only), brakes, tires, oil and filters and tune ups. No other major work was needed in the three years and 75,000 miles of competition and road use it was subjected to. Club Racing in the 50s and 60s was a lot different than to-day in that when you arrived on the starting grid you encountered 30 or more cars which looked and performed almost identically to your car. If you were a good driver you knew you had a fair chance of coming home with a trophy, because all the cars were subject to stringent rules of modification, and it did not matter too much, (unless of course you cheated, which was pretty hard to do) how much money you had, you were only allowed minimal improvements such as Porting (to a specific size) and Polishing of the cylinder Head and Intake manifold and very few other minor modifications. These rules along with less stringent safety rules made for very inexpensive and very competitive racing that almost anyone who got the urge to try their skill could afford A Cat Club which had about 30 members that I was a member of, had 8 to 10 members racing four or five week ends in the year, with another dozen or so members competing in Hill Climbs and Rallies almost every week end.

Time has changed the old way of racing our beloved British Sports Car, but when you think about it, time has really enhanced our chances of enjoying our Sports car. Parts are more accessible now than they ever were in the 50s and 60s. Some are even a lot better, therefore making the cars more reliable and allowing us to use them for what they where first intended, not to be cuddled and and put on parade once in a while, but to be driven and have fun doing so. You don’t have to look back and say “I wish I had been there” you are there, just get in that car and DRIVE it, because THAT is where the fun is.

Incidentally, the only reason that I sold my MGA, was 1 became the proud owner of a brand new factory “Sebring Twin Cam” this was the #4 unused back up car. I raced this car with some success at MOSPORT and other tracks. Another car that wandered In and Out my Door, but this is another story for another time.

by W.Harry Haigh, MarketingAdministrator