The MG project was started in November, 2012, and was completed (or at least as completed as these things get) on July 3, 2014. It was just under 20 months from beginning to end, although I didn't work on it continuously during that time. The car has required remarkably little "sorting out," probably because I tested individual parts of the car as I completed their restoration. It's a good-running, reliable car, and I'm enjoying it immensely.
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Although the car was driveable late on July 3, 2014, I didn't test drive it until early on the morning of July 4. Since it seemed OK, I drove it later that day in our neighborhood July 4th parade. It attracted a lot of attention. In the first picture below, I'm getting ready to go to the parade's staging area. In the next three, we're parked and waiting for the festivities to start.
A few cars have arrived. We all mill about, admiring each others' cars and talking. The Corvette parked in front of me was spectacular.
Here are a couple pictures from the 2015 parade, in which it was a participant as well.
I entered the car into the 2015 Belmont Shores Car Show in Long Beach. The cars lined up in the early morning, waiting to enter; the line was easily a mile long. The show was organized by a hot-rod group, so most of the cars were american hot rods and customs. There were only a half-dozen British cars, including one other TD.
The cars were placed along Second Street. My TD lucked into a prime location near the west end.
The TD at Home
The TD has the honored spot in the garage. The other cars sit outside.
Below, the car is parked along our street. That is a functional hitching post in front of a neighbor's house. It's left over from the early days of the neighborhood, when horses were still used regularly.
Don't you often see MG TDs parked along city streets? The house in the background (not ours) seems perfect to have a 1952 car parked in front of it.
I drive the TD around the neighborhood a lot. I like to drive to the top of Signal Hill and look out over the City of Long Beach; it's a spectacular view over the entire city and along the coast. It's also a nice setting for photographing the car.
Videos
Here is a video of the TD taking a short trip around the neighborhood. Sorry about the wind noise and lens flare; I'm using just a simple snapshot camera in video mode.
The Car Has Been Sold!
I bought the car for the project, not to keep it for the long term. I had decided, when I started the project, to keep the car for a year or so, then sell it and move on to something else. With that in mind, I listed it on eBay in December, 2015, and sold it in January to a person who had seen the eBay listing but didn't bid at that time. Coincidentally, he lives in Texas, the state where the car was first sold.
Below are some pictures of the car when the shipper picked it up. The truck was HUGE!
The car was loaded onto the upper level, which tilts down to form a ramp. I had my heart in my throat for this operation, as the wheel spacing is just barely great enough to fit the ramps.
It was a lovely car, which received compliments every time I took it out. I'm a little sad to see it go, as I have a piece of myself in it. But I recognize that I just don't have the time or energy to keep it in pristine condition over the long term, so this is the right thing to do.
What now? I may do another restoration, or just enjoy having a single prima-donna car (my '67 Porsche 912). We'll see.
