A gruesome sight
The ZA gets worse before it gets better
I’m sure that my MG Magnette didn’t look this bad when it left the house way back in June. Pictures on my phone – which I proudly thrust into the face of anyone willing to talk cars – show a very nice car. Albeit one that doesn’t go and needs work. Then I visited it in the body shop, and it looked – on the outside at least – like it was in a properly sorry state.
Some people would think that this analogy is a bit much, but I’m sure others will understand when I say that it’s what I imagine watching a loved one undergo surgery might feel like. You know it’s going to get better, but until then there’s a mess and innards where they shouldn’t be. And since there’s no NHS for classic cars, there’s a bill to contend with as well as a heavy heart.
The last one was six pages long and necessitated the sale of my beloved MG Midget ( CCW 9 May) and yet another cap-in-hand trip to the long-suffering Bank of Mum.
The good news is that I am now very proud of the engine – or will be once it’s all back together. After being stripped, various parts have been steam-cleaned, bead-blasted and etch-primed – the list looks like the menu at the spa I treated The Boss to on her birthday.
It’s been painted, too. I’ve gone for maroon on the chemically-cleaned block – that was the colour my dad had it – and gloss black on the other bits and pieces.
The hard bit is walking into the garage and seeing where various rusted panels have been removed. The lower offside A- and B-posts have had sections cut away and templates have been made for the offside inner and outer floorpans. Patches have also been welded into the offside front wing.
People I think highly of assure me that the metal work is the hard bit (and I’m not even the one doing it!) – so maybe when it’s done on that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
Not having the Midget to drive isn’t helping, but I am determined to persevere, however long this takes.