Dan,
This is all part of the "trying" experience of owning a LBC. It DOES make you a
stronger person - trust me. ;)
I went through what you're going through when I was 16-24 and finally gave up.
Now I've been able to save and make enough to get back in the ring and get in
front of the ball. This time around (six years later) I have a regular car
(although it hasn't been driven but twice in the past month!) and the money to
throw at it in an attempt to get ahead of the repair game instead of behind.
The key for me is that ever since I saw an MG, I loved it and knew that I had to
have one. If you really love the car, you can make it work... just gotta hang
in there and be patient.
By the way, dare I ask what DPO means? I sort of figured darn previous owner?
<G>
I have my own previous owner story... this car I just bought was supposedly a
one-owner car, 113K miles, rebuilt engine at 90K miles. Hah. I found at least
six other names that the car had been registered under - although granted the
woman had passed the car to her daughter, son, and plus she had at least three
different names from various husbands. I also found that the engine had never
been rebuilt - or if it had, she had been taken for a ride. There is also fire
extinguisher material under the carpet and behind the stereo. "No, the car had
never had any problems except for when they had the engine rebuilt." Hah. If
only that car could tell me the real story... she says it's been in storage off
and on for the past two years. I understood why when I went to pick it up. She
had to pay off the mechanic. Oh, and about that smog test it passed last week.
Amazing how it FAILED when I took ownership. :)
Joanna
Dan Dwelley wrote:
> Aaaggghhhhh!!!
> My 1999 isn't starting off well. I set off to work on my 77 Midget
> yesterday, the weather was a little warmer than it has been, and figured I'd
> tackle the brakes. The DPO had told me that when he rebuilt the front end,
> he had done the brakes as well. I figured I'd top off the master and check
> for air or leaks. As I pressed on the brake pedal, I heard a hiss...knowing
> that this meant there was a leak in the system somewhere. I decided to start
> at the wheels to look for any break fluid...as I slide under the car...what
> did I find? The drivers side calliper isn't even BOLTED to the A frame and
> the break line rubber hose is just barely screwed into the calliper!!! I
> slowly turn my head and look over to the passenger side wheel and what do I
> see?....A dangling break line and NO Calliper is to be found. (I'm guessing
> that either the DPO didn't put it on OR he did the same as the drivers side
> (didn't bolt it in place) and it fell off in the 40 mile tow home). To my
> surprise, not really, a new calliper is $100! I swear this car isn't going
> to nickel and dime me to death, it's going to $100 me to death...Is it just
> my bad luck or is every part on these cars $100 or more?
> I so desperately want to get her running but I can't even catch up with the
> DPO's F*#K ups! I hope, I hope she'll come around and be nice to me...at
> least let me get her running before I find something else that needs to be
> fixed.
>
> Trying to keep my spirits up.
>
> Dan Dwelley
> 77 Midget
> Alexandria, Va.
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