Hello all,
I just thought I'd tell you kind folks about my adventures in the 'B the
past few days.
After getting the new lifetime warranty alternator (It's a rebuilt
Lucas!) on the car, I realized it would be stupid to pay for plates,
insurance and inspection for a car that would drive two or three days, then
sit till October while I went and got me some education. I needed gas in
the car, so I pulled a plate from another car and went very stealthily
around, getting some gas and giving rides to the same family members who
said, "You'll never get that car running!" and "You paid HOW MUCH for
that?!?" The smiles were abundant, and I even got to put the top up in the
rain to see how much water the car leaked (not much - I was surprised!)
Anyway, I fell in love at the gas station. I had the top down, the sun
was out, and I had just left the store part of the gas station after paying.
And there my MGB sat, in the sun, with a few interested onlookers watching
the car. the way the sun shone, and the car sat will forever be etched into
my mind - it was the second time I ever fell in love with an MGB. (The
first was with a pine-sap covered '77 MGB in Florida). I was in awe of the
car and everything about it - not it's perfection, mind you, the aura of the
octagon. If you don't get it you never will; maybe you just had to be
there.
So, I carted relatives around today, as they sat and told me how cool
the car was. The older ones griped about the noise and wind, but I noticed
they did so with a smile! My friend is going in for knee surgery Tuesday
morning, and he thought it'd be cool to take the MGB for one last spin
through the boonies. On my way back, the front wheel began to shudder, so
we cut our run short. It turns out the front wheel bearing has about an
inch of play in it - with the tire on the ground! No wonder it felt a
little squirrelly! (Not the best way to end a good MG summer, but better
than finding out on the highway or at the inspection station!) So, the MG
two step begins again - take two steps forward, take two steps back...
Anyway, I thought I'd share, as I had planned to park the car tomorrow
anyway, since I need to take the truck back to NC on Wednesday. My plans
are as follows - come home in October over fall break, get the wheel
bearings fixed, get the car inspected, plated, and insured, then drive it.
I'll be home over Thanksgiving to road test the car even more. Then over
Christmas break, I'll drive the car as much as humanly possible (Maybe
making some "Nog" trips - remember that, anyone?) After Christmas, I hope
to have all the major bugs worked out of the car, as I plan on taking it
with me to NC for the spring term of my senior year...So I need to make sure
the little car is roadworthy and not doing the two-step on my wallet!
Sorry for being so long winded, but when you only see your MGB for a few
months at a time it's hard not to gush...
"Share and MG and a smile!"
Michael S. Lishego
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/3706/
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