Well John,
I must say I couldn't agree with anyone more than I agree with you! I,too,
have a Farina MK III Magnette (listed on the farina page) plus a '59 ZB
Varitone, '59 A Rdstr., 70 BGT and '74 BRdstr. plus several other non
LBC's. I am the second owner of my Farina and without a doubt, it is the
favourite of my fleet. It is so unusual, yet will house five full size men
without a problem. While I don't think it handles as well as my ZB, nor is
it as quick (my ZB has a 3 main 1800 engine), I feel it has the best
"personality". I do think any MG fan should indeed check into the saloons.
With two kids, they make travel possible.
Safety Fast
Bill Wilson
Southern California
-----Original Message-----
From: MGMagnette@aol.com <MGMagnette@aol.com>
To: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Monday, July 26, 1999 9:31 PM
Subject: When it rains, my feet are dry.
> Dry because I'm in a Magnette.
> I rarely get to post to this board because my MGs never seem to break
down
>anymore. Unlike when I had that MGB-GT when I'd post twice a day.
>(refresheeverryones memory: Stolen, fell off a truck, caught on fire, lost
a
>wheel, stolen again, and finally ridden of)
> I thought I'd let anyone who cares know that I am restoring my 1959 MG
>Pinninfarina Magnette. It is not a Z Magnette, it is a later vehicle that
>was imported in very small numbers mostly to special order customers.
> It is a remarkable car in many ways. It has the MGA mechanicals, a
>Pinninfarina body based on the then current Morris Oxford and Austin
>Cambridge, and a bespoke interior. When new it cost half again as much as
an
>MGA.
> I was stripping the rear fender of the car today and saw something
>interesting. The fenders are not special pressings. They are Morris
Oxford
>items, cut down, with another part welded in and lead loaded. Remarkable
>amount of hand labor. One side was done very well, the other not so
>professionally! The fenders are so hand made they border on crude in the
way
>they are welded together on the tops. Absolutely remarkable the amount of
>hand craftsmanship... Ofcourse none of the "crude" shows when the light is
>mounted.
> If anyone has ever thought about painting a car themselves, go for it.
>Stripping was easy using air tools, Airplane solvent, and a sand blaster.
>Painting is easy using a proffessional HVLP gun. This just isn't hard
work.
>I've almost got the hang of my welder that I might just touch the car with
it
>tommorrow. Painting is much easier now since paint "flashes" (or dries) so
>fast now with catalyst paint. No time for bugs to get on the paint.
> I am now going to implore Midget MGB and MGA owners to get the
respective
>sedan versions. Midget owners should get MG 1100 Sports Sedans, MGB owners
>need Farina Magnettes (they match, really) and MGA owners need Z-series
cars.
> I have an MGB and a Jaguar V-12 XJ-S and had an MGB-GT and I there is just
>nothing like an MG saloon. They are just neat as can be and are so much
fun.
> Before I took it apart to paint and restore, I used to drive my Magnette
all
>winter in snow rain whatever. It was great, and I cant' wait to do it
again.
> Once its back on the road (sometime soon I hope) the V-12 Jag... an
>exciting car by most peoples measure (and an absolute bargain... look in
the
>classifieds) will just have to sit! Because I'm gonna be driving my MG
>Magnette day after day after day till the paint falls off. These cars are
SO
>under-respected.
> What am I gonna do wwith another MG??? Drive it like mad. If you have
>the urge to buy another MG get a sedan. It can live outside, you can drive
>it on nasty days. Nothing makes a rainy day cheery like playing with the
>floor mount dip switch and turning you wipers on with a little black
>unlabeled switch. These cars don't even leak, they are just awesome. The
>leather wool carpet and walnut smell when you get in on a damp day is so
nice
>and inviting. The back seat is very handy! And the trunk, on the Farina
>Magnette atleast, is much bigger than anything you'd see on a modern car.
> All in all, in effect, there is no better investment than an MG sedan.
>The return might not be fiscal, but it is a purchase you will never regret.
>Silent MG sedan owners or lusters I encourage to pipe up and concur! It
is
>time to trumpet the MG sedans! They are just so damn neat.
>
>
> John
>http://www.mgcars.org.uk/farina <--- check out that site and tell me
what
>you thhink
>
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