George Furst's Journal

I purchased this car in January 1990. The car spent all of its life in the Texas and Oklahoma area. I was able to trace ownership back to 1978 when it drove to the top of Pikes Peak with Dan Bell as the driver and owner. turns out that I am the sixth owner of the car.

The car was originally Teal Blue and I have returned it to that color (it was painted refrigerator white over the teal blue when purchased) and restored the mechanicals. The car had no rust as it lived in the pan handle area of Texas, but plenty of red Texas dirt everywhere. The date of manufacture was 13-14 December 1972. It was dispached on 27 December to St. Louis, MO but did not sell until sometime after Oct 15, 1974, at least that is when the radio was installed for Continental Cars, the British car Distributer for central U.S. located in St. Louis, MO.

The car has rare Ochre interior with new Moss purchased leather seats and a new Moss ochre interior kit recently installed to replace the thick tan rug installed in 1989. Mileage was 47606 on purchase and now is 61585 (2015). The car number is GHN5UD306457G. The body number is MGBU 507122 with engine number 18V-672-Z-l/8609. Commission number is G23N070177. It had wire wheels and a tonneau cover as options according to the BMIHT certificate.

I have compiled a history of the car but have been unable to trace the original owners. I have talked with all the owners after 1978, the date the original owners traded it. The car is the only MGB in South Korea and attracts a lot of attention. Some admire the car but many cannot understand why someone would drive such an old car. Unfortunately it was registered as a 2003 MGF when we moved here in 2003 and therefor has to meet the 2003 emissions requirements. The registry also put a new serial number into the front right hand frame rail.

I think the car sold after the 1974 MGBs came out. It was sold at the dealer Royal Imports, 2705 South Georgia St. Amarillo, Texas, the name of the dealer on the front page of the owners manual that came with it when originally sold. The reason I believe it was sold that late is the handbook given the original owner was published 9/73 for the 1974 MGB. So I think the car was sold sometime in 1974 in spite of the car having been made in December 1972. Therefor the original owner owned the car for four years and sold it or traded it in 1978 when Dan Bell purchased the car from a used car dealer. Another reason that I believe the car was sold in late 1973 is that the original radio was put in in late 1973 for Continental Cars, the Leland Distributer for the Central states of the US. Because it was in the pan handle of the US, there was no rust on the car, only lots of dirt caked to the bottom of the car.