1969 MGC GT
Forsome inexplicable reason both of our daughters have turned out to be car enthusiasts.
Tanya bought her Y-type while still a student working part time at McDonalds and later added a very nice MGB GT which she found while living and working in London.
We subsequently restored both cars but she no longer has them, nevertheless they are in the excellent hands of current Club members.
Older daughter Anne has had her Triumph Dolomite Sprint since the early 1980’s and in 1989 acquired a US import MGC GT. The car had only been on the road in California for ten years but must have lain in the open for another ten (probably in some desert location judging by its dryness and the amount of sand in the nooks and crannies!).
In any event, a complete restoration was commenced at the start of 2004 and completed by Christmas 2005. The car was in basically excellent condition so we could see the potential to finish it to quite a high standard. As a result, the entire car was stripped and every component returned to factory specification.
The situation with the engine was unusual (although, as it transpires, perhaps not for MGC’s) in that the crankshaft and camshaft had to be reground but there was no perceptible wear in the pistons or bores!
The (overdrive) gearbox and other running gear needed only minimal attention as did much of the ancillary equipment. Naturally a new steering rack was fitted and the car rebuilt to right hand drive specifications with components obtained in the UK (eg Silverstone International Weekend, etc) including such items as a dashboard and brand new instruments!
An old (?) friend from teenage years, Phil Spencer, made his usual superb job of the seats and door trims and also the leather-bound steering wheel. The rechroming was also superbly done by A-Class Metal Finishers, many hard-to-get parts (ie nearly everything for an MGC) were sourced by MG Sales and John Ellis of ECBS is unsurpassed for clutches and brakes. The paintwork is our version of the factory Mineral Blue, a very attractive dark blue more reflective of the car’s character than some of the other colours.
There had been no chance to properly road test the car before Daph and I set out after Xmas to deliver it to Blackheath (where Anne lives) in the Blue Mountains, a distance of nearly 1000 miles. Unfortunately in northern Victoria and western NSW we encountered the hottest weather (ie mid-40’s) for some years and I was concerned that the long hot drive would result in something in the "new" engine "nipping up". However it is a tribute to Brian Scottney-Turbill, who was in charge of the engine reconditioning, and Brian Martell, who helped in engine assembly, that the car performed faultlessly. Although the engine temperature was over 200 F for much of the time the car used no water and oil use was imperceptible!
Although I am a great admirer of MGB’s, there is no doubt that the C is a much more effortless and comfortable touring car. None of their supposed handling shortcomings are apparent at normal road speeds, in fact both Daph and I (except for the heat) enjoyed the trip. It is hard to say why these cars did not sell in greater numbers, perhaps there should have been more marketing emphasis on the "poor man’s" Aston Martin approach but then Astons, despite their formidable reputation and status, have never sold in great numbers so maybe the MGC was never going to be a volume seller!
Barry Bahnisch
