Hello everyone out there,
This is just a story about losing my virginity to a Midget.
About 3 or 4 months ago I purchased a '76 Midget in fairly good
shape mechanically speaking, and really good shape body wise. Only one
month after buying the car I put it into the shop to replace a worn slave
cylinder. One more month later it was back in the shop again- this time to
have its' head rebuilt. I started thinking to myself "This car is getting
pretty expensive!", but I just couldn't convince myself to give up on it.
I'd heard a lot of negative comments in regards to MG's over the years from
two of my uncles who's lives consist almost entirely of buying, restoring,
and eventually selling cars,(mostly American). I surely never in my wildest
dreams thought that I would one day be the owner of a MG.
I purchased the Midget after "blowing up" my girlfriends Dodge colt
one fine morning, it was to be her temporary replacement until we were able
to buy her a new car. I ride a bicycle to work everyday being that I work
so close to home, so I hadn't any real need for a vehicle. The car was
purchased with money I had received after leaving my last place of
employment. Over the past few months I've put a considerable amount of
elbow grease into the restoration process- I fixed a few electrical
problems, sanded and primed most of the pockets of rust, cleaned the
remaining paint job up with rubbing compound and waxed it 3 times, sewed up
a large tear in the drivers seat, took all of the gauges out of the dash
and thoughroughly cleaned them inside and out, and dreamed about rebuilding
the engine to be a high-performer.
THE EXPERIENCE
Yesterday the rear tire of my bicycle went flat on my way to work.
At the end of the work day I tried unsuccessfully to temporarily fix the
flat with the help of a can of generic "Fix-a-Flat". After a 10 hour day
of work, I just wanted to get home and relax instead of walking to the
nearest gas station to pump my tire up and hope that it would hold enough
air to get me home, so I called my girlfriend to have her pick me up. About
a half-hour later I recognized my cars headlights coming down the road, I
dissassembled my bike, put the top down, loaded the bike behind the seats
and proceeded home.
This particular night was to be a spiritual experience for me.
Driving down the mostly deserted street on the way home that night with the
top down and a "nip" in the air, I happened to look up and see the stars. I
couldn't even begin to explain the intense level of peacefullness I felt at
that moment. Suddenly everything was clear to me, (in regards to the car
that is), I realized just then in a flash what owning a MG is all about-
it's not about high performance parts that look stylish,
or having a souped up, great looking car that can do 0-60 in 7 seconds
after an investment of a couple of thousand dollars. It's about driving
down the road at a nice cruising speed with the top down, wind whipping
through your hair, taking in all of lifes splendor and majesty with the top
down behind the wheel of a simply intoxicating British work of art.
Since this experience I've decided against a $600.00 Weber, $200.00
Mallory distributer, ect.Just give me a plain old Midget-in all of its
natural beauty with all of the stock standards. I love the feeling that
overtakes me and puts me totally at peace with everything when I'm
"cruising" in the Midget down a tree lined mountain road with the top down.
And after this experience I wouldn't dream of changing a thing "out" on the
car. I love her just the way she is.
I plan on rebuilding the engine and tranny soon keeping all stock
parts internally, and externally.
GOD, I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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