I found these two vintage MG Midget ads (ca. 1976) on the internet. What a fun little car. Wish I got to drive it more often! ;p 

 

There's still a little bit of snow on the ground, but that didn't stop us from taking the top down on the MG today...

Brad and I took the Midget out for a spin today, and a visit to the car wash. It was fun driving it! This is the first time I was able to get behind the wheel for any distance. It's certainly much different than driving any of our other vehicles. We noticed that there were a lot of people gawking at us. I wasn't sure if this was because we were driving a neat little British sports car, or if they thought we were nuts for driving a convertible in the middle of the winter as the snow was beginning to fall...

We picked up the MG from our mechanic yesterday. It didn't need anything major - bleeding of the brakes, a switch, a few seals, that was pretty much it. The car received a clean bill of health, and nothing major needs to be replaced anytime soon. That was welcome news. You just don't know what you might have on your hands buying any used car, especially one that is 29 years old. I also received our first batch of MG parts - a few things that need to be replaced (various lights, a doorknob, odds and ends).

We received a call from the notary and are supposed to be receiving a title soon. If the weather holds out, the new car should be on the road very soon. Weather forecasters are predicting the possibility of a bad storm on Monday, unfortunately. It's always hard to say for sure what's going to happen so far ahead of time. Nevertheless, the MG is now being stored under a car cover in the driveway for the time being. We had a stretch of milder weather, but snow is again covering the ground. At least the dogs seem to like it...

It's been a few days since I've updated this blog. As you can see from the first photo, the weather has taken a turn that is decidely more winter-like. Par for the course in February, I suppose. I just keep telling myself, a few more weeks, and the snow will disappear (hopefully - PA weather can do anything this time of the year). Interestingly enough, the weather on Cape Breton Island looks a little nicer than what we have here!

It looks like I won't be able to drive the new MG legally for a few more weeks anyway. When we bought the car, we transferred the title at a notary in Pittsburgh. Apparently we now have to wait 4-6 weeks for the state to issue us a new certificate of title in order to register & insure it here. The waiting is killing me, but maybe it's for the best. In a few more weeks, spring will be here - a much better time to take out the new convertible. Right now the MG is at a local mechanic getting checked out. Hopefully we'll find out just what we have on our hands very soon.

MG Midget advertisement, ca. 1976 

Chris, my father, and me with his new MGB, ca. 1977 

New car!

I am happy to report that I've just had a childhood dream realized. My dad had an MGB convertible in the 1970s, and since then, I have ALWAYS wanted one of my own. My husband surprised me by announcing that I could get one as a Valentine's Day present (I don't know what I must have done to deserve a present like this!). After recovering from the shock of him wanting to add another vehicle to our fleet (which now numbers 6 vehicles), the search for a proper MG commenced.

We scanned the auctions on e-bay, bought a few copies of Paper Shop and the various auto classified mags, and looked elsewhere on the web. I finally found an MG in the Pittsburgh area which sounded like a pretty good deal. The price was right, and from all accounts, the vehicle was in pretty good shape. It was a 1976 MG Midget, which is actually a slightly smaller model than the MGB. I didn't know how tiny this car was until we pulled up and saw it in person. It makes the clown car at the circus seem small in comparison. Let's put it this way, I'm pretty short, and I tower over this thing. My waist is actually higher than the hood, and I can lean over the roof very easily. This is the only car that I've ever had that feels like it is just my size!

On Wednesday, Brad and I left the house at 4am and drove out to Pittsburgh. I had pre-arranged a U-Haul auto transport trailer in the area. The Discovery had a tow hitch, and the U-Haul rep said there wasn't anything else we needed. We found out that was not the case when we pulled up. Apparently we needed to buy a trailer hookup kit for the lighting, brakes, etc. for the Land Rover. We were told that this was a Land Rover-specific item that could only be obtained at the dealership. After a few phone calls, we found out that the nearest dealership was reportedly in eastern Pennsylvania, that is, at least a 5 or 6 hour drive! Brad refused to believe this could be possible, and looked through a Land Rover manual in the vehicle. Lo and behold, he located a Land Rover dealership that was located in Sewickley, PA, which coincidentally was located about 1 1/2 miles from the U-Haul franchise. We shelled out $260 or so for the trailer hookup, which U-Haul installed for us, and finally were on our way to pick up the MG.

We were pleased with the car... that is, until we began to load it onto the U-Haul auto transport trailer. This MG is so tiny that its width was barely enough to fit onto the steel wheel supports of the trailer. I watched in complete horror as not once, but twice, the car actually fell off the trailer as we were trying to load it (there is one scratch to show for the experience). Somehow the car made it on the trailer, and Brad strapped down the wheels. We then drove back across the state, trying to avoid potholes and rough road, and hoping that the car was stable enough on the trailer. I would never transport this car on this kind of trailer again - anyone who is thinking about purchasing a Midget should take note!

Luckily we made it home without incident. We got the car off the trailer without any problems, and already went for a spin. Brad thinks that the MG handles like a "typical British sportscar". I don't know if that's a good or bad thing...lol. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting to know my new car, inside and out. I hope spring comes here soon, as this should be a lot of fun.

A shot of the vehicle with the top down. I don't think we'll be trying this at home for another month or two yet... 

Luckily the MG also came with a tonneau cover...pretty cool! 

The Discovery was pressed into service to tow the vehicle. Eventually we'd like to get an auto trailer to tow our other vehicles as well. 

Notice that the width of this car is just about the width of the supports on the U-Haul trailer. Potential MG Midget buyers: you may want to rent a different type of trailer. I wish I had known this beforehand... 

Finally home, and just unloaded off the trailer 

The trio of windshield wipers is very interesting! 

Shot of the interior - this is it, just 2 seats, and a very small space behind them, maybe big enough for 2 small bags of groceries. Getting into this space is a bit like fitting your body into a bobsled - awkward at first, but afterwards it's fairly comfortable and cocoon-like. The best part was watching my 6'1" husband getting into this..hehe. 

I really like the chrome luggage rack. It's needed, as there isn't much space in the trunk for anything but the tire. 

We just took it around the block for a spin. Next, it's off to apply for an antique registration, and a visit to the MG mechanic in town to give it the once-over. I'm also keeping a running list of the various little bits that need to be replaced (things like wiper blades, a doorknob handle, weatherstripping). We now have our hands full with antique British vehicles... I think I'm up for the challenge!