MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Nice Pics - Not all bad news

During my overheated drive I also had some time to stop an take some pictures of my car in a nice neighbourhood with the fresh interior restoration I did.
I am proud of the job.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gramosgarzon/MGARestored19July101014PM#5495807473990788066


Also just installed the 'fake white-walls', which I find look great (even though I know some of you hate them).
If any of you are interested I can tell you where to get them. They are called Porta-Walls. Saw it in VW forum and are cheap and quick to install.


I find it's now got that 20ft. beauty. ; )

Gonzalo (proud of himself)
Gonzalo Ramos

You should be proud, Gonzalo. Your car looks great.
Andy Bounsall

Have to agree with Andy, you have made a superb job of your car Gonzalo.
It looks fantastic.

Owning an MGA has turned out to be a great hobby for me. My car didnt need anywhere near as much doing to it as yours did when I got it but it must have taken me 8 months or more to get the bugs out of it so that I could trust it on longer journeys.

And now, almost 3 years later, there are still always some little thing to fix or improve on the car which keeps it interesting makes it into a real hobby.

Another real benefit is that I have been able to meet with some really great people who also love MGAs like I do.

Just wish I had got back to driving an MGA sooner!

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Andy's correct, you have a right to be proud. Well done!
It's been fun following your adventures. You are quickly becoming a veteran. These cars have a way of doing that to you.
Has it been worth it?

Cheers,
Gerry
G T Foster

Definitely worth it!
But something tell me I have still only scratched the surface. I don't know the car that well yet!

I can say there are something I can do quite fast now... ;)

In my case I wanted to have this experience before I have kids and they eat up all my time...

I still have not meet too many MGA owners in my area but I met all you guys who are very knowledgeable.
Hope I will get to meet some of you some time!

Gonzalo

Gonzalo Ramos

Your car is really awesome Gonzalos; you do spectacular work and you have proven that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a beauitful car but after all the work its probably getting close.
Richard Taylor

Richard, as a reference, I bough the car for $10k and I have spent about $2k on parts for it and $800 changing the clutch. That was mainly the interior and couple of bits and pieces.
Considering my labor is free I think I did a good deal!

I had planned to re-do the paint but maybe it will stay as-is for a while longer.
Need to leave something for later...

Since Feb I have done about 1000miles, and enjoyed every single mile!
Gonzalo Ramos

Well done Gonzalo - the paint in the photos looks as though you have already had it done! I think you have learned more about your MGA in the few months you have had it than I have in the 7 years I have had mine .
Cam Cunningham

G'day Gonzalo,
Your car looks stunning and the whitewalls give it a touch of individuality that reflects your youth. I fitted some of these to a Jag I once owned and within a week I shredded them against the kerb. So, much to the amusement of my mates I drove it with whitewalls one side and blackwalls the other.:)
Good idea to have MG fun before children. I can guarantee there is no way to fit baby seats to an A and kids soon grow out of being bundled into the tiny boot.
Some years ago my 30 year old son decided the A was a 'chick magnet' and took an interest in my well worn but original 1600 and is even more excited now he has seen yours. Must be the whitewalls!
Nice to see a young guy having fun with old toys. John.



j mcmaster

Gonzalo, your pride and joy is bbbeeeaaauuutttiiifffuuulll. Well done mate. I liked the whitewalls, can you give me more details on where to get a set. Their website or email address will be appreciated. Tks.

Frank
F Camilleri

gonzalo....agree with all the comments. She looks a beauty and the work you have done in such a short time is extraordinary!!
...also good to see a young bod enjoying this lovely machine. Most are old f..ts like me who have dreamt since the fifties of owning one and now have to crack the knees and climb in like bent pins...
Neil Ferguson

Bringing back embarrassing memories Neil,
3 years ago I had just collected my car and offered to take a great friend and neighbour for a run in it.

I had collected the car with the soft top up and I wasnt so sure how to drop it down so I had left it up for the first couple of weeks.

My friend was due for a Rt hip replacement op and I had just torn a muscle in my Left leg so we both kind of fell into the car, me on the Rt side to drive and him on the left. (not so much space to get through with the soft top up especially when you cant bend your legs much!)

Well the run went ok and he made all the right kind of impressed noises until we got back onto my driveway and he tried to get out of the car.
I have to admit that I laughed at him for a few minutes and once I got my breathing back under control I thought I had better get out to give him a hand.

Thats when I realised that my knee wouldnt bend enough for me to get out either! So much more laughter later I decided that I would have to crawl out head first sniper fashion which put me elbows deep through the flower beds! Very messy!

So then I had to stumble around to the passenger side and pull my neighbour out by pulling under his armpits. ( not a problem because, as neighbours go, he is pretty clean! )

Well I think I pulled a bit too hard as he came out a bit quick and we both ended up un the otherside flower bed!

My wife came outside when she heard all the fuss and Im sure she thought we were fighting!

Well I suppose we were fighting, but we were both on the same side, 2 old men vs 1 MGA!

And I suppose to be honest, the MGA won!

He has had both hips replaced recently and so we havent had a second attempt yet, but maybe with some sort of crane and with the top down, we may just give it another try!

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Colyn..last week i was in London and walking past St Martins in the field and there was a Tai Chi lesson going on ..so I joined in with my wife. Reckon it is compulsory training for all over 60s venturing into an MGA.....or grease nipples on the knees!
Neil Ferguson

Well done Gonzalo- your car certainly looks good and I admire your enthusiasm .I must admit when you first bought your car I thought you may have bitten off too much. I have followed your exploitsand admire the way you have tackled the problems and you have proved that hard work and enthusiasm can be rewarded and you now have a very good looking car enjoy.
Paul.
P D Camp

Gonzalo: I have had an ongoing concern that us old f--arts are not doing enough to pass along the appreciation for these old classics to the younger generations. So I'm curious: what was it that made you just have to have an old MGA? What was it that caught or piqued your interest to the point you did something about it, and with an MGA, instead of, say, a midget, MGB, big Healey, Triumph, etc.?

Outstanding job! I admire, and am inspired, by your determination.

--Jack





JM Morris

Well I am glad judging by the comments that I started this hobby early, while I still am able to jump in and out of the car easily! ; )

Jack, its funny you ask me that question because I was talking about this with my wife yesterday.
In fact when I started to work (in the UK), I had a flatmate who owned a VW Beetle. It was restored but not very well, and he used to drive me into work in it. As usual he used to have issues and kept breaking down, but he was not at all technically gifted and always had to take it to a mechanic or ask his Dad (who was technically really good) to repair it for him. That got me thinking; I could probably own one of these classic cars and do a better job than him as I have always been quite a handy/technical guy.
I am an Aeronautical engineer by profession.
Also when I was a kid I used to help my neighbor restore old motorbikes on his driveway. My Dad used to tell me off cos I would come back home stinking of petrol!
Then when I was living in France I wanted to buy a British car... In fact I was looking at a Triumph Spitfire...but did not have place to keep it, nor the financials.
When I moved to the US (Oct 2009), I said to myself, this IS the opportunity of owning a classic car.
Originally I was looking for a 1965 Convertible mustang, looked also at Corvettes, etc. I went to try a couple, an despite their big engines, I felt they drive like c**p with the original suspension, and really felt like an OOOOOLD car.
I still love the 1950's Corvette though! ; )

Also my wife was not too keen on muscle cars.
Then I went back the British car route, not thinking that USA would be the place to find one, but it is!

Regarding the choice between English cars, originally I was really fond of the Big Healeys,i.e 3000 but they were definitely out of my budget (i.e. for a toy car).
Also my constraint was that it needed to be fully functional (give or take) at time of purchase, as I don't have a workshop and do all the work in the condo garage.
MGB I don't like, doesn't look as 'classic' to me, which is a shame because it is cheaper and probably more reliable.
Triumph TR3 is also nice, I like it but only if I already have an MGA.
Midget does not look as exciting to me...
Jaguars are also nice. I was looking at an E-type at some point, but I could get over the fact that is looks like a turtle...quite a peculiar shape. (No offense to any Jag owners, just my personal opinion).

MGA has to have the most beautiful lines, and everything in it is relatively simple. It is a nice little car that you can ACTUALLY drive around, park, go to work, etc. You can't really do that with those huge American Classic cars or Jaguar type cars and is not TOO expensive...so that if something happens to it you CRY forever.
I live in Miami, and there are a lot of Ferraris, Lambos, Aston Martins, etc, but the MGA turns more heads.

I look regularly on the Classic Auto pages for classic cars on sale, and I have not to date seen any other car (within a reasonable price range) that I would rather have than an MGA. Except the MGA Coupe.
When I first arrived to the forum thought some of you guys were crazy for owning SEVERAL MGAs, but now I understand.

Also MGAGuru, is a big plus for this car, without it, any issue in the car could turn into a nightmare. It allows MGAs to be generally better maintained.

I have just recently bought a 'Panther Lima Turbo' for my Dad in Spain who also go bitten by the classic car bug and have sent it in a container to him (Originally he wanted a Morgan, but was rather expensive). I doubt he will be able to find as many resources on this car. BTW if any of you in Europe have an Panther let me know I will put you in contact with him.

So to go back to Jack's question, I think for a younger generation to be and keep interested in Classic cars and restoration, this is something you need to have experimented or come across when you were young and have enjoyed it.

For you Older guys, I can imagine there is a nostalgia involved in re-creating a car that was around when you were young. This is not the case for me, as most of the cars that were around when I was young (born in 1980) are not as beautiful and worth restoring.
Most of the people around me, can understand how working on an old car can give me any satisfaction...they see it as a PITA.

I was always helping my Dad do DIY at home or on his car, that is where I got my basic skills on working with tools, etc.
If your sons or grands-sons so interest in your car ask them to help you...they might get interested some years later!


Well, pretty long story but hope it was interesting for some. Probably my longest post!



As a last note, I got my 'Fake Whitewalls' from www.mooneyes.com but there is also
Get the 15" by 1.8", they fit PERFECT on the wire rims and will not flap about.
http://www.mooneyesusa.com/white-walls-p-1870.html

There is another supplier;
http://www.lucasclassictires.com/PORTAWALL_GUIDELINES.html

They are cheaper, and would have got them but they were out of stock when I ordered mine.



Unfortunately I can't used the car as a chick magnet cos I just recently got married. ;(
I would have loved to test it driving down Ocean Drive on Miami Beach... ;O
Gonzalo Ramos

interested in this chick magnet stuff...must sneak away from the trouble-and-strife... and cruise past the local lawn bowls club .....to see if I can get a blue rinse to smile at me.
Neil Ferguson

Gonzalo, I got the same ones from Mooneyes about three years ago. Make sure you dry the tires and edges of the port-o-walls when you clean them; otherwise the black of the tires will start to bleed into the edges (not that something like that happened to me). Dennis


As a last note, I got my 'Fake Whitewalls' from www.mooneyes.com but there is also
Get the 15" by 1.8", they fit PERFECT on the wire rims and will not flap about.
Dennis Suski

Is this what you had in mind Neil? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9Zu2qh0Vo
Lindsay Sampford

Lindsay--you crack me up! LOLOLOL! My brother called 'em "blue heads".

Gonzalo: So I guess the answer is--we have to get out and show/drive the cars. Natural attraction will follow.

--Jack
JM Morris

Great story Gonzalo.
Many of us loved the MGA when we were younger too, I bought my first one in 1975 (a 15 year old MkI coupe). It was the only sports car I could afford that would keep up with more modern cars of the day and that I could easilly fit my slalom kayak onto the roof.
At the time I never thought of it as a "Chick Magnet", it would have been much more accurately described as "Rust-Magnet".
Although to be fair to the car, there was so much plastic filler on it I dont think it would have even attracted a magnet at all!

You are right though, the car is just so much fun to drive and to own and it sounds as if you are having a lot of fun with yours.

Keep up the good work Gonzalo and your posts on this forum, I have really enjoyed reading them.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Well done Gonzalo. As another of the members who where born after their cars I have to say that it is not just a group of old farts, there are some young ones too!!
I went through a similar process than you although I did manage to buy a spitfire in University, even though I could not afford it!! My MGA was bought in the US even though it was then shipped to Germany where I was working at the time.
You will now have to watch out as I have found that having one old car is not enough!!

I think the shape of the car gives it an appeal to women, much like the E-type, and not just the blue-rinse variety. My wife loves the car and so do a lot of her friends, in fact it was one reason my wife initially went out with me!!

Enjoy the car and carry a toolkit. With regular MGA usage the Tai-Chi is not necessary!!

Neil
Neil Purves

What with Gonzalo's "Chick Magnet" and Neil Ferguson's "greased nipples" this forum gets more like a porn site every day!

Oops! Well er! that is, ahem! so other people who have seen those kind of things, tell me!!

Better go now!

Signed

Anon!!!
Colyn Firth

I think the fun with the car has just started.
Now that most of what I wanted to do to it is done, I just need to keep it running.

Also this forum is very important a psychological support in those difficult days where the workshop manual is just not enough.

BTW I wasn't the one who started the chick magnet thing.

Well, tropical thunderstorm over Miami today and this weekend... I fear for my MGA getting wet and rusty!
Gonzalo Ramos

I've owned my 1959 MGA roadster since 1977. While I've owned a number of other sportscars over the years, nothing has given me such pure automotive joy as my MGA. I originally purchased the car because the girl I was dating at the time (who now has been my bride for 29 years) family used to one. I thought if I owned an MGA, she'd like me better. I'm still not so sure it helped. Shortly after we were married, my new wife rendered the chick-magnet feature inoperable. Oh, well. I love her and the MGA still.
K Cobley

Gonzalo,
I'm with you the white walls look great with the wire wheels If I ever get mine repainted it will have a very similar look. Congratulations you did a great job. I bought my "A" when I was 18 years old (back in '81) and let me tell you it was always a chick magnet!
Chris Velardi

This thread was discussed between 20/07/2010 and 29/07/2010

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.