almost every day the summer of 1980 when she was teaching summer school. The summer of 1979 while visiting my parents I bought a 1961 roadster in Marion, IA. It didnõt run very good but I thought it was just carburetion. Using a tow rope, my brother and I drug the car 20 miles to my parentõs farm where the car sat in the barn until the spring of 1980. I brought the car back to Council Bluffs and found out the head had a burned valve. I put an early B engine in and have driven the car off-and-on for the past 21 years. This is the car know as łOld Blue.˛ Blue has always been my favorite, especially when I have nothing else to drive. People ask me when I plan to restore it; I donõt see that ever happening. I love to repair Blue with used parts. Blue has some new used leather seats, some new used carpet, some new used tires, and a new used steering wheel. The main problem with Blue is I donõt drive it enough. Seems like it always needs water, oil, or brake fluid, or some repairs to keep these fluids in the car and off the garage floor. Old Blue has been to car shows in Lincoln, Topeka, Kansas City, Independence, St. Joe, and Indianapolis. Oil pressure on the open road drops to about 28 lbs. so it really is time for a new used engine.
From 1990 to 1995 I did frame-off restorations on two more MGAs. The 1961 was white with red interior, tan top; the 1962 was champagne with black interior, black top. Both cars had custom MGA steering wheels with walnut or oak that I made for the grip area. That was tough to figure out but it is always fun to add personal touches to a car. I sold both cars in the Kansas City area in June 1996.
A new house has the tendency to get in the way of car restorations, but after a few years away from restorations I bought a 1962 MGA in Ankeny, IA that had been restored about 20 years ago. The person I bought the car from wrecked it after only about 500 miles and it had been sitting in a garage ever since. I bought the car in February of 2000 and got it ready for the road by August of 2000. The car is white with black interior and a grey top and has been faithful for about 6000 miles. If I said it was my favorite Old Blue would be jealous.
I suppose Jane deserves at least a paragraph. We got married some time between MG #2 and MG #3. She had an idea what it would be like because when we were dating I had an MG engine in kitchen. She showed faith and support by loaning me money when a łgood deal˛ came along. On our first MG ride Jane came with this hat. She pulled it on and we were off for 25 years of MG excursions, and it still hasnõt blown off.
The MG trips to Lansing, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Independence, St. Joe, Nebraska City, Lincoln, Des Moines, Chariton and St. Paul have all been memorable. (Many fond memories are of traveling with Shorty and Pat.) I enjoy the restoration process as much as driving the cars. Taking a sad neglected MG and rebuilding it has been my summer vacation. Planning trips to British car shows gives me a goal and a time line to work towards. Anyone who has seen my shed knows that it is an addiction.
In Memory of Jim Curtis
We were saddened to learn of the death of Jim Curtis. Jim joined us a few years ago, and was frequently at Friday Fish. Jim was a pleasant fellow who took great joy refurbishing and driving his MG Midget. Jim had not been active recently because of heart problems, but was recently on the mend and looked to be involved again. Our thoughts and prayers are with Pat and their family.
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