Wood-panelled ’53 MG lives again in expert hands
Parts came from US, UK and Phoenix
JUST last year, a vintage MG was lying in a heap of separate parts on a garage floor in Kloof.
It took eight months and hours of work by car enthusiast Rajesh Thulsie to renovate the classic tornado-red MG.
Since the age of six, Thulsie has been immersed in all things MG.
She attracts more attention than a fire engine wherever we go
Together with his seven brothers, Thulsie has been renovating MGs for most of his 48 years.
“It began in the early ’70s. I was surrounded by a family who did repairs to their own vehicles. All my brothers were instrumental in teaching, guiding and assisting me with all my restorations.
“One of my older brothers, Jay, bought his first MG in 1970. This was my first encounter with the brand. I think it was the fact that it was a convertible and had so much character that stuck with me,” said Thulsie.
The father of two, from Tongaat, rebuilt the 1953 wooden MG from scratch, and proudly declares that “every nut and bolt has been put in individually by hand”.
Thulsie, who was aided by his son Shivek and friend Peru Naidu, said his pleasure was derived from keeping it in the family.
Thulsie has carried out other restorations, all MGs, including a green 1948 model, which took six years to fully restore.
“It was hard to let go of that one but I felt like the time had come,” he said.
Thulsie has similar plans to sell his 1953 model but only, he said, to help fund more MG restorations.
When he got the car, it had no engine or gearbox, so the improvement specialist built them on his own — all to the car’s original specs.
Parts arrived in Tongaat from the UK and the US — but some of the pieces came from a source a lot closer to home.
“The inner wood panels were designed by me and a woodwork man from Phoenix made them up for me. The carpets and upholstery with the MG emblem were all stitched by a woman in Phoenix.”
It is largely constructed of wood — the main cockpit of the car is made of an ash wood frame, as are the frames of the doors and floorboards — but the body and chassis are steel.
As extras, Thulsie has fitted chrome wire wheels, Lucas tripod inserts in the headlights, vented bonnet tops, wooden inserts in the glove boxes and stainlesssteel insteps.
A stainless-steel exhaust system and an electric fan aid in keeping the motor cool.
The hand-built engine boasts 1 250cc four cylinder, twin SU inch-and-a-half carburettors, four-speed transmission and a 12-volt electrical system charged by a generator.
All the bits and bobs, said Thulsie, add to the hypnotic pull of the vintage vehicle.
“She attracts more attention than a fire engine wherever we go.”