Congratulations, and Good Work!
Regards,
Chris
At 06:24 PM 3/1/98 -0500, Ed & Kris Curtis wrote:
>I will start at the beginning. In the autumn of 1960, a farmer in
>Illinois who owned MGTF 1500 HDA46-7949, loaned the car to his
>brother-in-law for a short trip. Several days later, the car was
>returned with a broken crank shaft. The engine was removed and taken
>apart, an old TD engine purchased to get the crank shaft, but then no
>further work was done on the car. It was pushed into the barn and the
>farmer's son played racecar driver in it and broke just about everything
>that was glass or chrome or looked like it needed to be hit with a blunt
>instrument.
>
>Fast forward to 1995. The farmer and his wife are getting a divorce and
>one of the few things that he gets is the bedraggled and much ignored MG
>which he had to move to his place of business. Enter a used truck
>dealer from Holland, Michigan, who was there to buy two mobile cranes.
>The TF was thrown into the deal somehow and the cranes and the TF and a
>"pallet of parts" put on the flatbed truck to return to Holland. After
>the man's mechanic and body man refused to have anything to do with
>rebuilding the car, he decided to sell it.
>
>Enter Yours Truly. Several weeks earlier, in August of 1995, I had sold
>my 79 MGB and sworn off foreign cars. This man's brother came to me and
>asked if I would like to take a look at an old MG. If there was ever a
>time I needed to be out of my office, it was then. Needless to say, I
>fell in love with the car. I had to have it in spite of the lack of
>many of the engine parts, the sad condition of the car and the family of
>mice living in the passenger side uphostery (is it any wonder that my
>wife has named the car "Minnie").
>
>Fast forward to today. The car now has the rebuilt engine installed in
>the renovated and repainted frame. The new tires are installed on the
>renovated suspension and brake system. The rebuilt transmission is
>connected to the engine and the rebuilt rear end. The new wiring
>harness has been run as far as possible to the car - no fenders so no
>head or tail lights. The renovated gas tank has fuel in it and is ready
>to supply the new fuel pump and then the rebuilt carbs. The new battery
>is wired in place.
>
>With the help of a good friend, the timing and points are set. After
>cranking the engine without plugs to assure oil pressure, the engine was
>started and ran like a clock. The car was then driven around the yard.
>This is the first time the car has moved under its own power since 1960
>- 37 and a half years! My wife says that I was grinning like an idiot.
>
>And that is how I spent my Sunday afternoon.
>
>Ed Curtis
>'55 MGTF
>
>curtis@hayburn.com
>
>
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