I guess most people would find it funny that a 6’5’’ guy would have such an interest in British cars. It is quite clear that Mother Nature really intended for me to be behind the wheel of some classic American muscle car. But sometimes your heart is blind to your perceived physical limitations! When I…
I just got back from the Sussex British Car Field day, in Sussex Wisconsin. For a few weeks heading into it, I was really torn. I kept asking myself: A – Do I go? B – Do I show? C – Do I show the MGB? D – Or do I tow and show a…
What exactly does it take to make a club work? I honestly can’t say I’ve seen it all over the last 40 years but I may have come close. My first observation is this: all clubs and volunteer organizations, be they car-related or history-related or interested in knitting humorous cummerbunds, whatever, generally have the same…
On February 20, 1961 while on a Navy deployment, I purchased my first new car in Kowloon, Hong Kong—a dove gray, right-hand-drive MGA roadster. At that time foreign car prices were less overseas and particularly in the free port of Hong Kong, one of the best places in the world to buy almost anything. Low cost…
I have always loved British cars, especially Jaguars. I purchased my first Jaguar when my son, Brad, was 12-years-old with the thought that it would be his first car and a solid metal one from bonnet to boot—protection if he were ever in an accident. It was not in the greatest shape but at that…
The first MG TD I ever saw was Peter’s, my brother-in-law. I lived in Florida but was back in England to visit family—this was about 20 years ago. Peter had owned the car for a long time, had bought it restored and, as he said, “It’s the only thing left from my first marriage.” He…
My 1978 Spitfire 1500 trip odometer reset knob is oddly located below, and to the right of the steering column. Being below the dash board, it is nearly invisible to the driver. In fact it was several months after I brought the car home that I actually discovered that it had a trip odometer (trip-o-meter)…
My brother, Cal, has owned his 1959 MGA since High School. It was his first car in 1974 and he cherishes it now as he did then. He called me to say that his beloved had developed a cough upon acceleration and asked for a little advice and assistance. My father introduced the family to…
In the mid 1970s I bought a tired, rusty 1969 MG Midget that probably should have been scrapped. However with effort and many Moss Motors parts, it was made into a passable looking driver that is a lot of fun. However, though the car ran well, it has backfired when decelerating or shifting gears for…
British sports cars were wired really, really weirdly (Say that 5 times.) The earth was negative on every American car I had ever forced an 8-track tape player into, and I was sure that my skills could be applied with no less success on the Austin America I had just acquired. After all, it said…
