Barn Find Unicorn 80s Turbo Classic Car - Will it run?

[@mikejba]

Honestly, these vids are just so lovely. With all the turmoil in the world news at the moment, episodes like this really warm the heart. I am very sorry to hear that John passed away, best wishes to his family and friends.

[@justsomebloke6784]

With all the bollocks going on in the world, this was a heartwarming interlude of people having a good time. Cheers Johnny for giving John a great goodbye. My own Father passed recently, and a few days before we took him for a bacon sandwich at a local burger wagon that has been there for 40 years, and drove him round his old haunts (as much as they still exist), then went for a pint in a marina overlooking loads of boats(he was a naval architect for the first couple of decades after leaving school), and now he's gone I remember that day fondly. John's stories and good humour were a treat, and I hope his family will take comfort from watching him so happy.

[@99AmethystZJ]

Sorry to read about your dad but nice that you could have a run out and make another memory or two, hope you're all ok as a family and talk often of him eh👊

[@Ro32da72]

What a lovely thing; right towards the end of your life, to have a tour round some of your old memories - beautiful. Sorry for your loss ❤ but now that day is a happy (if poignant) memory for you too. My Dad died 3 years ago, and every time I borrow a tool I still stand in his garage and 'ask him' if it's ok.

[@thestuster1]

That is a heartfelt comment. ♥️

[@robboddcc3003]

John was clearly absolutely chuffed that you were there to spend the day with him, his son and his cars. A lovely tribute to him 👍

[@Ash-ky8jo]

I am sure this guy was MGJohn on Pistonheads, and his knowledge on the forum was fantastic. He hasn't posted for a while, and i wondered how he was doing, so this video was great to see and i was sad to learn of his passing. What a collection of great cars. It is nice to see his son has learned a lot of his knowledge and shares the same enthusiasm for the future.

[@adamjohnston5250]

Yeh it was him

[@asdreww]

Ah no way, yeah I recognise his name. RIP

[@angeloah]

This one hits hard as I am currently helping my ailing father in law. Going through memories and writing down stories, listening to him recall and reminisce. We are short on time if you get me. Great work and rest in power.

[@matt-beale]

So nice to see the owner smiling and happy to see His car running again. I hope His family manage to get the car back on the road in his memory soon.

[@adamclark7536]

This reminded me of my Auntie who passed away recently. She had a Montego for many years. Lovely to see the dedication being passed down the family. RIP John.

[@coolhand1983]

My Dad's name is John, he's from the South West (Bristol), and we had a B reg MG Montego Turbo in the mid 90's.... (Reg was B240 TKL). He's also very unwell these days so I hope that's where the similarities end! 😢 The car was actually pretty cool! Digital speedo that counted backwards when you got to 70mph! Rest in peace John, my condolences to any family reading this

[@MartinStephenson1]

Glad you could get this car running before John passed away, it obviously meant a lot to him. Thanks to the family for allowing you to post this fitting tribute to his obsession with MG.

[@theloneranger2101]

To say this was a Wonderful video, is very must an understatement Jonny. You really did make MGJohn a very happy man that day, and also his family. This video will now have some very happy memories for his family to cherish of that Wonderful day, of that I have no doubt. Well done Jonny, you're a ⭐. Thank you MGJohn RIP.

[@richcretrogti618]

Love watching your barn find videos Jonny, not only for the cars but also for the people and to hear their ownership stories. RIP John. The car community is a wonderful thing.

[@zilspeed]

I don’t remember the Steve Soper advert, but do remember journalists of the time rubbing their eyes in disbelief at the idea of feeding 150bhp through driven front wheels. It was surely the limit of what could be done, was the view. Now, that’s a pretty normal number for a fwd car.

[@Android-vk8yh]

First of all, massive condolences to John's family. What's a great guy? Just loved seeing his dedication to the MG Mark, really enjoyed the video and got really choked to hear his passing. I lost my father and wish I could still work on cars with him now. So glad you got to get the car out and start it for him. This brought back memories for me. I had a montego as one of my first cars. It wasn't my choice but I loved it.

[@stikkiedd67]

So moving that unicorn needs recommissioning and needs dedicating in memory of John .. Car Perverts are giving people who mourn both cars and owners with pride and a heavy heart 💛💜

[@bentaylor9021]

Lovely video. Lots of memories. I never knew John or the family but I’ll admit that I shed a little tear there at the end. Not of sadness but the emotion of knowing that man got one last chance to hear that old car of his run. He clearly had huge love and knowledge of the Marque. Thank you for sharing this with us and my best wishes to the family 🙏🏻

[@123jrh1]

brilliant , love the longbridge cars, i have 2 rover 200's a 1992 214 sli and a 1992 rover 216 cabriolet( possibly the oldest) registered april 92, john is a credit to the community. really pleased he got to see the montego run . rest peacefully john

[@GlennJ1881]

I had an 85 (B) MG Montego 2.0 EFI in Black with Red striping early 90's. What a lovely Car it was but kept on having Fuel Pump issues. Very sad to get to the end and see John had passed. So pleased he got to see it run one last time. RIP John McFeely

[@stepheng8779]

Sorry to read that John had passed away. Thanks for his family allowing us to see this lovely car and the rest of their collection & it was great to meet John ❤ You could tell he enjoyed the day hearing the car running again. Cheers Jonny and love to all, RIP John ❤

[@UploadingOCD]

Not only that your barn finds episodes are fantastic, the owners are such an interesting and graceful people. So sorry John passed away.

[@kevincochrane]

Lovely video, Jonny.. I worked on a number of those Montegos back in the mid 80s.. Brings back some happy memories.. Be nice to see this one return to the channel once the recommission is complete.. 🏁

[@marklucas3025]

What a terribly sad ending! Thoughts to the family. I guess at least John got to see his MG Montego running again. Terrible shame.

[@Canalsman]

The joy on John's face, and the happy chuckles, say it all. That was a lovely thing to do and I commend you for it Jonny. Seeing that car brought memories of my own about these MG derivatives of the 80s. They were scorned widely at the time but were immense fun to drive. I had the pleasure of buying two Turbos, Metro and Montego, in 1983 and 1985. They looked great on the drive alongside each other, one in Red and one in White. They were huge fun to drive and surprisingly quick. If Cecil Kimber, who created the first MGs from bog standard Morris cars, was aware of the 80s successors I'm sure he'd be proud. Great cars worthy of wearing the badge.

[@MartinThorn-v8r]

What a lovely bloke and family, will be such a nice memory for them in difficult times.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Not going to lie but the tribute to John gave me a cold shiver down my spine, had i not read the comments before the end i would have been in tears. A great episode Johnny and what a lovely man John was and his family. RIP John.

[@craigrobertson7938]

Thanks again for this Johnny. I always feel it is a privilege for the person or family to let us see what they have. Sometimes I think oh it’s not a car that I’m interested in but almost always it isn’t about the car but the people. Always interesting to hear about their life and why they have that car. Good to see his son there and hopefully he will be able to keep the cars together and running. Sad to hear about John passing. He had more passion and knowledge of these cars than the people who can the company.

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Thank you. That's really lovely to hear.

[@GentilsGarage]

This video made my day. A lovely bloke (interacted with him in the past on the MG Forums) and will be very much missed by the community, but more importantly, but his family who I send the best wishes.

[@zogzoogler]

Worth the vid just for the sound of an SU searching for fuel. Memories of working on Minis metros, Itals and Maestros with my late Father. Condolences to the sons❤.

[@kevmackintosh7953]

What a lovely video, so glad he got to see that car run. So happy for his family that you could help give them what will be such a happy memory, I bet he talked about it for ages afterwards. So sad for their loss though, he seemed a lovely guy. I hope the car gets back on the road in his honour.

[@andydunn1878]

I’ve never been an austin rover fan but i do like watching videos on 80-90’s cars. I’m so glad john got to see it run before he passed away RIP John.

[@johndavey72]

So sad to hear of John's passing but l think you really made him so content and happy Jonny . I'm sure his family also appreciate your appreciation in seeing his dreams come true . Thanks Jonny , and sweet dreams John .

[@nathanspivey4514]

I have commented on multiple barn find videos, but I absolutely love these. It's only when you watch an iconic car like that that you think to yourself 'shit, when was the last time I actually stopped seeing these on the road'.

[@gazp2194]

Its good that he got to see it run . Sad that he passed away 😢. His legacy lives on in his family

[@michaelsaville7693]

I loved mine, I still have the watch, key fob, tie-pin, tie and booklet which came in a presentation box when I bought it, heading down to BAE Bristol on the M5 was always a joy 🙂

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Do you really?

[@BlackBuck777]

Sold my box of treasures on eBay years ago- the tie was quite handy but the watch not so great. Be worth a fortune now 😊

[@michaelsaville7693]

Hello Johnny, Yes, I lost the box which also had a keychain, the MG badge is worn from where it would rub against my shirt cuff, I can take pictures if you would like to see them. Its shape was based on the TA-TB & TC radiator grill.@@TheLateBrakeShow

[@wolvoman1]

RIP John, so glad you got to see the MG Montego running.

[@1unsung971]

Story telling at its best. Wonderful as always. Bravo Johnny Smith. Thank you!!!!

[@retromechanic2238]

Deepest condolences to Johns family. How wonderful he was able to see this little beauty run before he passed. That memory will stay with the family forever. Great video!

[@James-gf9jl]

A geekish observation is that the red Montego Turbo Steve Soper was driving came off the road in 1996. That's probably about right, as the new cars I drove in the early to mid 80s - BMW, Renault, Ford, Mini - only lasted about ten years.

[@jon81crowe]

Sorry to see he passed. Lovely video. I hope you're able to further support family get it back on road

[@deadlockvlogs]

Wonderful to see this. I absolutely adored mine, back in the mid 80's as a 21 year old lad! Just checked and it's currently SORN'd, which is a positive sign that it hasn't been scrapped. D476 UJK, if anyone on here has it. Very sad news about John. I hope the car gets restored and treated the way it deserves to be.

[@kennadod2080]

What a lovely thing for him to see it running before he passed. It's great to see people have such passion for certain cars and makes. RIP John

[@Carrera-gp9od]

Excellent video , what a nice family , I’m glad john got to see it running . Well done Jonny !👍🏻

[@andrewmartin7421]

What a lovely tribute to John and his family. ❤❤

[@gibbykirwan7788]

Now that's a blast from the past. My mate had one shortly after passing his test. We had lots of fun aged 18 tearing up the country lanes in it ❤

[@roverrichy2011]

this episode captured my heart. Lovely warm family so sad to hear about John what a legend he was right such a lovely rover car community you definitely made his day Johnny I am a big fan of rover/Mg I still have an mg zs v6 04 it's my daily you deserve an award good job boss 👍🏼

[@matthewoliver9055]

Sad to see he passed, great that he got to see it running, keep up the great content.

[@69butternut.]

My condolences to John's family. It's great to see a person with a passion/obsession for anything but I particularly enjoy car enthusiasts. You can tell he really loved seeing the car brought out of the shed and seeing it tinkered with and running again. Just brilliant!

[@richardhargrave6082]

Another great barn find, nice family as well Got flashbacks looking at the interior, I had a MG Maestro EFI, with those damn metric tyres! So glad that John saw it run

[@phildini4929]

First the Maestro Turbo and now this 😍😍 You’re spoiling us Mr Smith!

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Sad footnote....didn't get to ride in the Montego Turbo again. But at least you made his day Jonny....you did a good thing! 😉

[@skylined5534]

I didn't realise the man that was MGJohn had passed away, awful news. Condolences to his family at a very difficult time. I remember reading various posts on the MG Rover org forums and he was always a very knowledgeable chap and very helpful. I actually purchased one of his modified heavy duty UJ equipped shift linkage for my old 620ti, proper rifle bolt action as he would have said! Great video, as soon as I realised it was a Montego I knew it'd start with little to no trouble. Despite the smack talked about to them and other AR vehicles they're plenty reliable. RIP Mr McF.

[@belgreenhills]

Godspeed John. lovely old man - May he rest in peace. He was obviously a true car guy. Thanks for sharing.

[@radioactivepotato2068]

Eight hours behind a strimmer, sat down in my shed to stew and a cuppa... This, nine minutes ago. Life be good.

[@callanjohn7902]

What a lovely passionate family, RIP John such a lovely guy. Thanks for a great video, really enjoyed

[@PaulBaker85]

I remember that car! As an acquaintance of Martin, I've been aware of it for years; got photos of John in convoy with us (in Metros) driving that Montego to the MGM show in 2005.

[@stuartblack9258]

Brilliant episode RIP MGjohn❤

[@simonlloyd3936]

Had two mg montigo (not turbo) back in the day loved them sporty saloon for the family man , interior nice red seat belts, towed our caravan no problem, 👍

[@MrHiggim]

Super video Jonny. I especially like the music - 80s synth vibes that Mr Porter would be proud of 😉

[@4200timeB]

That's pretty awesome..the cars the family .... good stuff. Ohh man bummer , really cool that we got to see the ol man on here before he passed .

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

Gotta put some love out for the BYD numberplate - which ironically make pretty much modern MG's ..

[@jfen1974]

Fantastic story and so nice that John was involved before his passing. Lovely family

[@josephkelly4893]

Lovely to listen to gentlemen like John, kudos to Jonny for finding gems like these (as well as the cars).

[@euth]

Lovely episode. "Fond" memories of our bog standard montego and seeing John's face light up when it started... lovely

[@KevinJones-ye3vw]

Really liked how happy John was to see , & hear it run again . Great video ...

[@TrashfordKent]

That choked me up a bit, I'd not read the description fully, great video and tribute RIP John and thanks Johnny for the video.

[@GarryMcGovern]

Ahhhh no, just seen the end. Sending my love to all the family - the boys are clearly going to do John proud with their evident continued enthusiasm for the marque, inherited from their Dad. As others have said, lovely video - fair play to all.

[@andrewgurney6019]

Lovely story and family, rip John.

[@AntonHoward-mx9sb]

Great result again, and how lovely for the old boy, bless him ❤

[@danielmoore2475]

Nice he got to see that before passing. We could see it meant a great deal to him, R.I.P.

[@d3lboy]

RIP John. 😢 Condolences to his family.

[@anonlincracing2484]

Just want to say I share the same fascination in MG cars and have a particular unexpected love for them thank you John what a collection true godfather of Morgan garage

[@neillangdale829]

Awsome vid Johnny, such a entertaining watch, getting them going. never knew they did a montego turbo Nice tribute at the end.... R. I. P

[@virgilrytaar9083]

What a lovely man, my dad had a brand new 1 in '85, it arrived while we we both on holiday separately in Corfu, I got home 1st and got to have the maiden voyage, I was 21 at the time and thought I was was sitting pretty.I had a Mk1 3.0 GT Capri at the time but the MG blew my mind, it felt different world fast. I'd still happily drive 1 today. I've had some crazy stuff since but that black Montego left a lasting impression. Happy days

[@paulhardman2515]

Super cool cars! I'm glad he's saved them The interior seats remind me of my big brother's 85 Mustang GT!

[@chriscox5087]

Great video! Watched this thinking that all your barn finds are great, but particularly when theres a great human story involved in them too. ... and then the sadnews at the end. So glad you got it running for him.

[@jamesjross]

That metro was the model of my first car! the 1.1s (pre engine swap). This video made the hairs on my arms stand up on more than one occasion. Thanks. and Thanks to Mr McFeely, May he rest in peace knowing he will live on in the memory of those who loved him xxx

[@EVDaysOut]

RIP John. I am so happy that he saw that gorgeous car outside

[@markwalton8644]

Sorry to hear of the loss of John😢 He has obviously passed on his Passion for the MG marque to his Sons. I'm sure they will rebuild this Classic in his Name. RIP❤

[@scottstrails9369]

Back in the day we had these regularly dumped on our garage forecourt in Liverpool following the fashionable ram raid crime waves of the day at shopping centres pre bollard and cctv times,cops were always slow on the follow up with the aftermath,cars sitting for weeks before any activity ..Thanks again

[@williamfullman2639]

I swear you show always brings GOLD that I've never seen in the states thanks for such great content

[@chargeheadsuk]

Another great barn find. Love a retro motor 👍⚡️🇬🇧

[@russellstatham6558]

What a shame.he looked so happy on the video,seeing it running again.hope is son keeps them all on the road as memories.Just for his mum & dad & himself. Lovely video of a car family who cared about a british brand.well done john r.i.p❤

[@chrisparish9145]

Another wonderful Barn Find video. John seemed like a lovely man with a lovely family. May he rest in peace and his family draw on each other for strength.

[@Soapy555]

I see how much this channel has consumed your soul Jonny. It brings a tear to my eye. Big love to you

[@merqury5]

Well done honouring a car dude on his last lap. Beautiful gesture.

[@sidwallace6053]

Haha I had one of them,in a white,Jesus it rusted quicker than it went especially around the sills,digital dash board ahead of its time,went well mind you,cost me £2100 back in the late 80s,scrapped it for 300 quid

[@d.c.Jones70]

You could see what that meant hearing that car run great video and best wishes to John’s family.

[@michaelcarr304]

That took me back. Mine was a black 1985 model, bought new from Natocars in Bridgwater. Took it to Germany on posting (Army) and threw it up and down the autobahn at 130mph Had the speedo replaced twice because it kept breaking - the spring apparently. They started fitting 150mph speedos soon after this. Mine spent a lot of time off the road unfortunately. Never did get to the bottom of it, sometimes it would just cut out at 90mph and wouldn't let you go any faster. I sold it in frustration eventually and bought a Charade GTti. That said, in the early-'90s I (with some hesitation) bought a second-hand MG Montego (non turbo) that my brother picked up at the auction. It never put a foot wrong and made up for all the trouble I'd had with the turbo model. RIP, John. Condolences to the family :(

[@richharper8159]

I’m hoping the ‘BYD’ reg plate is not lost on everyone. Being where the MG brand went.

[@adriandeb2710]

I had one of these a D reg, one of thr best cars i have owned, RIP John, sorry to his family .

[@ochayethegnu2915]

So sad to read that John died. I’m glad you had the opportunity to give him a great day.

[@2cvstan995]

What a lovely film and brilliant to see the Steve soper, Ian ogilvy video #ElegantStylishCar getting an airing!!

[@grayfool]

Very nice guys and a terrific car. Haven't seen one for yonks. Nice one Jonny.

[@CLP2102]

Love seeing all these cars we missed in the US, RIP JOHN

[@cervelo9465]

Rest in Peace

[@tytzup5397]

Nice. Every joyriders dream when I was a lad. You could steal them literally with your bare hands.

[@burnzy3210]

My first car was a Rover 25 with all of the ZR bits added on and a few sensible mods, it was a great little car. Would absolutely love an MG ZT now but mr khan has made it financially unviable for me to own one here in London.

[@laurensnieuwland4657]

This dude's awesome! I want to be his friend... Sidenote: There's a very rusty example of an MG Metro Turbo for sale in Germany right now. Don't have the welding skills, otherwise I'd have bought it myself, but I thought maybe someone here might want to take on the challenge...

[@jimhutton4352]

Rest in peace John. Looks like your collection is in good hands ❤

[@Connor123J]

Seemed a proper genuine fella, and a true enthusiast. RIP I hope his lads get it back to its former glory ❤

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

John's lads are already on the case reiviving the Monty

[@Connor123J]

@@TheLateBrakeShow they certainly come across as having their Dad’s passion so I’m sure it’s in trusty hands. Great that you managed to get it fired up too, I’m sure that was a very special moment for John.

[@robmcknight2154]

So sad, but also lovely to see a fellow car enthusiast seeing his car run after all those years ,god bless sir