MGAs on thte MG Cars Channel -

MGA wasn't a "type" anymore, not an A-type- simply an MGA! Born out of racing and wind tunnel tested, the MGA waited in the wings for many months. The first MG to go above 100.000 built.
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www.shelburnefilms.com/mg-cars...

[@harrylime5147]

I have a 1958 MGA that I have owned since 1968, when I was 16 years old. One of the other kids that worked at the gas station with me, I just bought it a couple months earlier and had it towed to the station to work on it. He was putting a fuel pump in it, but it would only blow bubbles into the gas tank. He didn’t realize it had positive ground. Disgusted with it, he traded me cars. I had a 1959 Pontiac Catalina convertible that I had paid $50 for with a blown transmission that cost me five dollars to fix with a used torque converter.. at that time, my MG was the original green, not British racing green, it was a brighter Green. That was my car in high school. OK Asian only, I would ride the daughters of the chief of police where I lived to school, one would sit in the passenger seat, the other one sat on the armrest. This paid off because I occasionally sprained the law while driving my MGA, and the chief of police fixed three of my tickets. While exploring the world in my MGA one sunny day, which I did often, I saw an MG a sitting under an apple tree that had a hard time on it. Weeds were growing up through where there used to be a floor in that car. It was an aluminum hard top with the Plexiglas rear window. I don’t know if it’s the factory issue hardtop, but the shape is exactly like the MGA coupe. I got that tub for $50. I did have a cheaply made knock off hardtop on the car, but I didn’t have it attached correctly and it lifted off and the following garbage truck ran over it.. we both stopped, and after seeing that it was DOA, the garbageman and and I just threw it into the back of his truck. The rocker panels were getting rusty so Took the car to a foreign car specialist, for him to do a two-week fenders off restoration/paint job. That was 1972, and it cost me $600. I change the color from the original green to appliance white. When the car was finished. A friend of mine took me in his 67 Camaro to pick it up. We were driving along a two lane country Rd. past the local drive-in. My friends Camaro was following me. There was a Barney Fife policeman directing traffic into the drive-in as the sun was setting. As Crypt past the police officer that was standing in the middle of the road, he yelled,STOP... it was pretty loud since I was right beside him when he screamed. I nailed the brakes, but my friend following in the Camaro didn’t. His Camaro ended up on top of my trunk.. I looked up at the cop and screams WHAT?????!!!!!. He said in a very low tone whispering voice,”put you’re lights on sir”...I turned around and took the car right back to the body shop. There was a recovered stolen MGA I had learned about sitting out back of a car wash nearby. The man told me I could have anything I wandered off of a car for $100. I took the engine, transmission, driveshaft, rear axle housing. Shocks, dashboard, things like that. I wish I had taken the whole car which I could’ve had. That was a 1600 engine, which I had board/new pistons and rings. Crankshaft cut, main bearings line board, new clutch, things like that. I had the motor done to factory specs, even then, I knew that the factory knew more than I did, so I left things pretty much stock which I Did and still do to this day. . In 1974, I was driving on a 2 Lane Rural Road.There was an approaching pick up truck more into my lane than in his lane. The driver was leaning over to the passenger side of his vehicle like he was digging in his glove compartment as he was not looking where he should’ve been. I did a knee-jerk reaction and cut the steering wheel to the right which put me into a spin. The car came to rest broadside against the cables of the guard rail On the opposite side of the road. The damage was minor, the cable of the guard rail slightly dented the top of my right rear fender, but the steering has been very tight ever since that day. That’s when I had the car painted the color it is to this day, Tartan or tarter red.That is one of the factory colors available in 1958. Since the steering had a problem even after I had changed the steering rack, I stopped driving the car, especially since I also had a 1967 GTO convertible at that time. So here we are, 44 years later at the moment. I’m retired now, and I still have not gotten around to finding out why my MG is so hard to steer, it’s like a truck that the power steering quit working. I never got around to fixing it back in 1974 when the spin out happened, because at that time, I was on my sixth or eighth motorcycle at that time. I got into road racing motorcycles. six championships later, 2 National championships later, 104 motorcycles later and still counting, I still haven’t fixed it. I do crank it over every time I’m in the garage with the handcrank. Last time I started it was probably 20 years ago, when I had to drive it out of my 1 car garage, to put my Saab 900 in the garage to change the transmission. All I had to do was put gas in the completely empty gas tank, and put a battery in, turn the key on, when I heard the fuel pump change pitch, I cranked it over and it started almost immediately. So here we are in 2018. my passion is motorcycles. I talion Moto Guzzi , Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, I love them. I’m the guy you would see running to work in the rain when the temperature is 40°. I had planned to travel by motorcycle when I retired. But that all changed after I hit my second deer while riding my motorcycle. I have the first one at 70 mph while riding my 850lb bmw..Thankfully I was going straight, and the deer did not come over the windshield or get tangled in the front wheel. I had been in collisions on the racetracks, so I suppose my subconscious knew what to do, and that was, don’t touch any levers,, don’t panic, just relax and coast to a stop. Which I did in the dark. Then I panicked. That’s sort of changed my thinking on riding around the country on a motorcycle When I retire.. But two years later I hit my second deer while riding my motorcycle to work,but only at 25 miles an hour. It’s funny how I knew exactly what happened, and I coasted to a stop, this time more mad than scared. So now that I am definitely not going to travel the country by motorcycle, I am getting more and more interested in my MG.My sons that are grown and have their own kids now want me to get the MG back on the road. I have owned the car for 50 years now. I thought I would have more time when I retired to do just that. I want to put a fresh leather interior in it, completely redo all the brakes ..it does not need a paint job or engine work.. But at this point, my ambition is to have ambition.

[@ralphbillick1210]

Harry Lime Just do it man, the ambition will come the day you pick it up and drive it again for the first time all over again ❗️🇺🇸

[@Dentropolis]

Thanks for your story. I was 17 in 66 when I bought my 61 1600. I changed it from appliance white to British Racing Green.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@Dentropolis I bought my 1956 MGA when I worked for the MG dealer, British Motors of Monterey.Bad motor, paid $75 for it. Installed 3 main B. All new interior, all the mechanics etc. I It was an odd green with red interior... I repainted it white. I sold it and bought a 69 MGC GT. I miss the MGA.

[@vcom2327]

Thanks for the great story ! I also had an MGA as a college student. What beautiful lines, and did it handle well . I raced it in local timed lap tight course races when it was 20 years old. It did better than new sports cars with twice the power. I moved to Europe at age 25, so the car sat in storage for 30 years. After only changing the oil and battery, flushing out the fuel system and changing spark plugs, it started on the third try. I truly regret having ever sold that amazing car.

[@thomaswebb9705]

The sexiest shape MG ever produced. My wife is a car enthusiast (thankfully!) and she can walk past a lot of cars at a show, or on the racing grid - but she stops to look at a MGA every time...

[@sirrombi]

puddles postmodern jukebox

[@rndball5457]

Impressive cars to be sure.

[@geoffmower8729]

My 59 MGA was a 1600 now an 1800 and has disc brakes in the front its like driving a time machine I love it.👍

[@yodheyvavhey9525]

Great presentation! I also had a few MGA's back in H-school days so this video was particularly nostalgic for me I must say. Keep drivn all you MGA guys and stay free!!!

[@joseb2435]

MG # O verdadeiro carro esporte!

[@MGA1David]

Very good video

[@forestghost7]

I'm "babysitting" a stunning 62 Mk II Deluxe for an absent friend ... as an MGB GT owner (72, configured for highway use) I must say it's grown on me despite the feeling of driving a farm tractor 😂😂. I hop out of the A into my BGT ... feels like a Lexus by comparison LOL

[@2Truth2you]

Brilliant!

[@hotchkissart]

I`m putting an air horn in my 62 MkII. MoWog says...Drive Safely Fast and carry a Big Horn!

[@forestghost7]

I did that to my BGT ages ago ... and blinding LED headlights 😈. must be heard AND seen ... respect to MoWog haha!

[@Dentropolis]

From info at 8:20 part of this video was done in 1994. End of the video indicates 2015.

[@SB-000]

I used to have a1959 MGA coupe or as I called it a hard top. I still have the ballot for knocking of the spinners on the wheels to change the tires.

[@gregghorner9107]

I hear those coupes get very hot inside.

[@steveachorn8895]

Cookie swirl

[@nutmegct]

Always wondered ... why the MGTD was followed by the MGTF. What happened to MGTE?

[@ShelburnefilmsMG]

Believe it or not, the "management" thought it sounded like " tee-hee, tee-hee"

[@nutmegct]

@@ShelburnefilmsMG Thanks. Interesting for sure. Do you remember where you read that info? Thanks. Tom M.

[@bobeden5027]

There is no "T" in Abingdon.

[@jett3332]

YOU AINT LIVED UNLESS YOU OWNED A MG AT SOME TIME IN LIFE.

[@polygamous1]

Why did MG went from the Beautiful MGA to the MGB?

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Ride quality, safety, power.

[@olddogcitypound5859]

I own 3 mgs today but alas no MGAs... two B roadsters and one G.T.✌

[@DLee1100s]

..the first time a British company made more than 100,000 cars? I think not. Please check your facts, people actually believe stuff they find on the internet these days.

[@bobeden5027]

they were built in the UK and were built with ALUMINIUM!

[@steammachinist]

Only the bonnet boot and doors were skinned in aluminum.