John McKeating's Journal

Well, I got a new friend for my MG. Now I have two projects! Will the fun never end!?!?

I have finally found a fender I can afford. The $800 Moss item is excellent of course. The $550 item on ebay was a great price, but since the rest of the car cost less than either of those it was a hard sell at my house. This perfectly good donor is from a fine fellow on ebay, also. Now I have to figure out how to pay for a course in welding at the local Community College.

I got my first "new" bit for MG77 the other day. It's a replacement boot lid. The old one had been fairly demolished in the rear end collision that had made PO permanently park the little car. The actual part was cheap but mailing it from Indiana to NY cost quite a bit. Aw well, it got here in one piece and sits in my garage awaiting B-Day (Body Day).

Well, we got MGB77 home and I said "Jackie, hop in and steer while I push her off the dolly, and hit the brakes when you hit the ground." However, due to an unfortunate earlier incident with a project car, Jax would have none of this, and so I prepared to shove the car off the dolly. It had been sitting for 13 years, so I suspected the brakes were frozen. Nope. As soon as I began to push, leapt from it's dolly and charged off down the driveway at a rapid clip with me alongside. (Please see photos) Jax was fairly miffed at me, but luckily the only casualty was a rhodedendron bush at the corner of our house. Car was duly pulled/pushed to a more suitable parking spot. MGB77 is home.

I knew this would be fun.

We moved to Upstate NY last March and I immediately began my search for a project car. MG's had been among the hottest (and most expensive) hot cars to own for a kid growing up in Belfast. Finally, with my family grown and my career idling along, I have the time and a little money to spend on my boyhood dream - an MG in my garage. I bought a Damask Red '77 off Ebay. Nasty body damage to the left rear fender and rear boot lid and valance ensure I will have to learn something about bodywork and welding. A dirty and tired engine bay speak of the mechanical work ahead. So judging from the time frames listed here in the MG Experience Journals - I should be in for two or three years of weekends full of MG restoration frustration, greasy fingernails and busted knuckles.

I can't wait.