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Rich Belfay’s comments about his first drive and my reply, prompt me to start this thread. I bet there are some fun stories out there about the first time you took your MG out into the real world.
Here’s mine…
My first test drive in my Duchess was November 1982. I had it all done except for the interior…but just couldn’t wait any longer. I put a plastic milk crate on the floor and drive it around my condo complex.
Satisfied that it actually worked…I finished it up, then drove it for real for the first time in December 1982. It snowed! Not alot, but the car did get christened with a dusting of white stuff!
27 years later, she’s still running strong.
PMOSSBERG 39881.3830092593 Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
And on his behalf, here is Rich Belfay’s first drive story, copied form another thread…
From Rich….
I went about 25 miles, top down. A little chilly still, around 50 degrees. It was kind of nice to have a working heater. The car perfomed perfect. Lots of power, smooth shifting, nice ride, frost heaves and all. I have to say that the V6 is plenty powerful for this car. I can leave it in third or fourth and just step on it even at the lower speeds and it just goes. Nice!
I got plenty of stares, smiles and beeps. It does attract attention. More fun to come as the weather gets better here in the North East.
Rich
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
I had been looking for a TD replica for almost 2 years after my wife said she wanted a TD. I didn’t want the hassle of re-doing a real one, I just wanted to drive! I called about one listed in the paper and after talking to the owner decided it was worth a look.
I got the wife to drive with me the 120 miles. She noticed the tool kit, winter gear, etc and figured I was serious. She said later that when we pulled up and she looked at my face she knew it was going to be an easy sale. It was….
April 15th, 42 degrees, windy, no side windows, long underwear, leathers, and stocking caps…. Beyond cold at first, but when I got a few miles down the road, didn’t notice as much. After 10 miles, didn’t notice at all. At the first rest break, the wife said, “Are you going to keep that silly grin going all the way home?”
I did,… and it’s pretty much still there!
Ringo
Ringo39881.5252199074Paul,
Nice idea on the first ride. Could evolve into a first ride of the spring string as well. Have to tell the story of my first real ride in this car. I trailered it about 10 miles to a friends garage in December. Worked on it on the trailer, got it running (first time since 2001) repaired the clutch cable and one COLD Sunday morning my son and I drove about 35 miles to my house. I wasn’t even sure the brakes would work although the pedal seemed pretty firm. The car rode great! The only problem was that the steering had really tightened from lack of use. A little scary because it took about the same effort to straighten the wheel as it did to turn. It has since been heavily lubed and now steers easily.
Had the top up, side windows zipped, heater on and felt like a couple of sardines. My son is a big boy and I filled the drivers seat pretty well also. It was still fun, considering that a few weeks earlier I really had NO idea what I had purchased and whether it would run at all.
I jumped in it that afternoon and drove it another 25 miles to where it has been stored all winter. The quick trip in the earlier note above was the first time since the maiden voyage.
Many more to come. I’d love to hear of other adventures. Loved Pauls story about the make-shift seat!
By the way, snowed about 8 inches here today
Rich
Ringo,
Just went back and read your comments. Great story! My wife is still a little uncertain, but once the warm weather comes I think she’ll love it. She loves to drive a stick shift!
Rich
Ringo…I love your story! Even better than my own first drive snow story.
Along the way, in over 25 years with my kit TD, I’ve driven it in probably worse weather than my daily drivers. That’s what happens when you are driving home from somewhere, in this case Indianapolis, and run into the absolute worst rain storm I’ve ever driven in. You’ve no other car…so you gotta grin and bear it. I can’t say I was grinning the entire time. But there was an element of fun in it!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Rich,
I didn’t take the seatless car on the road. But even around the complex where I was living at the time, it was a challenge. With no back rest, even mild acceleration pushed me back off the milk crate. Funny then!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
My First ride in my Fiber Fair MiGi I have wanted one for 35 years It all started the first time I met my wife”s Grand father.
He had one in his garage,A 52 MG A real one with 1200 miles on it ,he bought it in 53 when my wife was born .He drove in A ditch and towed it home and there it sat till 1979 I would see them once or twice A year they lived about 80 miles away I would look at ever time we went there one day it was not there when I asked where the MG was “I gave it away no one wants an old foren junky car — ” It took me 28 years after that to find one I could aford A Fiber Fair TD chevy 1.4 L red. after 12 weeks of working on it I was ready for a drive up the road good thing I had to roll her home the fuel pump stoped working the next time the shifter broke and only had 2nd gear my wife and I drove home slow all she said her grand father was wright any thing that said MG was trouble , this was our third one ,Midgets ,and a B . We finley got it wright it is now a good dependable driver.
My first ride ever was in my replica during the test drive the day I bought it. When I test drove it, the interior was out of the car, we placed the seat bases in and used the seat belts to hold us down. My son was with me and his seat was low and mine was high. I did replace both seat bases with new lower bases that sloped back once I bought the car. The bases that came with the car were factory fiberglass, but one had been modified and the other was not. On the bottom of the base it was clearly marked for VW, which my car is not based on. When my car was new it was the display car at the Memphis Airport. I am right at six feet tall and made modifications to give more leg room. My seat bases are about two inches lower than factory so my eye level is centered to the windshield. I moved the backrest as far back as it will go, which will not let me adjust the angle of the seat, but it is fine. I had never been in or actually around an MGTD or replica before I bought mine. I had seen them on the road and in my dreams. I waited almost 50 years before I got my replica. When I was three I received a toy MGTD, and wanted one ever since. I never dreamed it would be 49+ years to wait
James
Wow, some great stuff here…I read a few time that we were all enamored with the TD at very young ages. That goes for me too. In fact, it’s how I got the handle “Pink MG”. That’s in another thread on the names of our cars.
I was born with 10w-40 blood. I never remember NOT being totally cativated by cars. Models Cars, Slot Cars, Go-Karts, Race Cars, Radio Control Cars…JUST CARS MAN!!!
When I was two in 1951, we moved to a new construction sub division at the Central Jersey Shore town of Neptune. The man across the street, John Ransom, work with my parents at Fort Monmouth. He was a sports car nut and worked part time at a place called Heinz Foreign Cars and Clinic. A rare dealership in 1951. Mr. Ransom drove home many different foreign makes, but mostly a new, red 1952 MG-TD. He gave me a ride aroound the block in it when I was just 3. That was it. I fell in love with British Roadsters.
I’ve owned Spitfires, TR-3’s, MGA’s and B’s, Sprites, Healey 3000 and even a Sunbeam Tiger in my early driving years (mid-late 60’s), but never a TD or my favorite, the TF.
Life has a way of passing us by quickly and before we know it, we’re closing in on 50. So, in 1998 I got my first TD replica, now belonging to Bill Collins. I didn’t do the initial build, but bought the unbuilt kit from a fellow New Jersey Replicar Club member and paid him to build it. I had no time or the space then. I was caretaker of my 88 year old Mom who was ending her 8 year long battle with cancer.
I hesitate to tell this story, but here goes: The car got built and I drove the 250 miles one way to the guy’s house to get it and tow it home. I drove it for about 3 miles around the south central PA country roads and then hooked it up to the tow bar for the drive back to the Central Jersey Shore. I quickly noticed a few problems with the shifter, brakes and power output, but expected a few small glitches anyway. So, I wasn’t too worried.
After sitting for a few days, I was able to get the car’s title transferred. It took about 6 weeks to get the plates and get it legally driveable. It was late November by then. A nice day came along Thanksgiving week, so I took off the afternoon from work and headed home it take it for it’s first “long” drive along the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers, then along the Ocean and back to my house, about 20 miles in all.
The drive started OK. Despite a chilly day, I was not going to let the cold bother me. As I cruised the engine seemed to labor more and more as if it was getting tight. After about 3 traffic lights, it would stall at idle. I figured it needed a carb adjustment, so I kept it revved at lights and made it home. I decided that the suspension had to be corrected before it got driven again though. It rode like a brick and pushed like a snow plow.
The next day, I took it to the Auto Hobby Shop at Fort Monmouth to make some adjustments. I never made the 2 mile ride…the engine seized just inside the main gate. I walked to the shop and a buddy and I rope towed it into the shop. I dropped the oil strainer on the VW motor and it was full of gray, metalflake muck. I pulled the cover off the oil pump and it was full of the same stuff. It had been driven less than 30 miles.
I wont get into the rest of the debacle, but the car got parked for about a year as my mother worsened and finally met her demise. Over the next year, I completely disassembled the car and installed a brand new 1776cc performace long block, a Freeway Flyer transaxle, all new suspension/steering/axles/hubs/bearings/wheels/tires, 4 wheel disc brakes and many other mechanical improvements. It became a great little car when I was done. I missed it for a long time after Bill took it home to Rutherford, NJ.
My current Chevette based BCW TD was bought not driveable in August 2004 and is still apart. It’s the Connecticut Schweppe’s Sweepstakes car. It’s restoration was interupted by divorce, but we won’t go there either. When I get it done, I’ll write about it’s first ride with me at the wheel…or my son!
Mark,
I was hoping your first ride story would include the explanation of your “pinkmg” screen name!
For all of you in love with TDs since childhood and even those who were smitten later in life, I strongly recommend you pick up a copy of “The Red Car” by Don Stanford, first published in 1954. It’s a great story of one young man’s introduction to an MG TC. Awesome story!
It was reprinted as recently as 2000. Amazon has the reprint for under $25. Copies of the original printing often sell for $50 to $100!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
OK here’s the “Pink MG” story.
Back in 1952 the other person in my family enamored with the ’52 MG-TD was my mother. My Dad like big cars and could not fit into an MG, thinking they were ridiculous excuses for a car. He was 6’8″ tall and weighed 300 pounds. Although he sometimes car pooled with a guy who had several Crosley’s. Go Figure
I used to ask my mother, “Mommy, when I grow up, I’ll buy you any kind of car you want.” She’s always answer, “OK, you can buy me a pink MG.”
Although none of the 3 replica’s I’ve had since that first CMC VW based car were actually pink, they are all called the “Pink MG” in my mother’s memory. They all have used my New Jersey vanity license plate “PINK MG” too.
Well it wasn’t my true first drive, but since I am the proud titled owner(thanks to my dad, and seriously thank you dad!) I was able to take my MG out for the first time yesterday.
Wow!! What a rush. I spent the past week going over her. I changed the oil, ran gas treatments, replaced filters, polished, primped, adjusted the carb mixtures, etc…. I took some small rides, just a mile or two, but then just said screw it! I drove it for about 50 miles today. fast, slow, small curvey roads and wide open highways. It perfomed like a brand new car! If there wouldn’t have been a windshield my smile would have been full of big Arizona bugs for sure.
I turned down the radio and just enjoyed the glub glub sound of the crane cammed engine while I stared down the boxy hood passing the desert scenery.
I can’t help but to think of my Dad and all the things he tought me about cars, and the cherished time that I spent with him in the car every time I get to drive it. I look forward to sharing my passion for “Stella” with my wife during Sunday drives to the Ice Cream Parlor, and to classic car shows in the immediate future. My MG is not only an inherited passion but a great joy and future heirloom! I can’t say enough how much fun these cars are, but then again, you already know!
Die hard MG Replica Fan!
Geoff
Geoff,
Ain’t it great??? I’m really glad to hear that it arrived safely from NY and you’re now able to enjoy it any time you want. Very well written too!
Your description of “staring down the boxy hood” was perfect! I think that look is one of the most fun things about this car. It makes the ride like nothing else you drive. Yesterday it was ~ 70 degrees here and sunny with only a few clouds. With that combination I also get this nice distorted refection of the sky in my chrome Headlight housings. Sweet!
Enjoy!
Rich
RichBelfay39953.3935416667
Yeah Rich,
The reflections in the chrome, and gelcoat as you pass by the scenery definitely add to the experience. I noticed that on the highway the lack of aerodynamics (perticularly in the front fenders) makes for a shakey ride. Other than that, for an 1800# car it drives like a dream.
My Crane cam definitey makes the Idle a little rough but makes up for it in the take-off speed! I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of going from 10-20mph or 50-60mph in no time flat. What a thrill!! I think as I put miles upon miles on Stella, I will in turn take miles upon miles off of my personal stesses.
Looks like I found a personal psychiatrist in my car!
Livin the dream,
Geoff
Geoff,
Great Imagery! You know, I think the V6 is an advantage because I find it to be very stable at highway speeds. I haven’t gone much over 75, but it’s a smooth 75. I have to be a little careful. Bright red sports cars going fast are a bit of an attraction to the State and Local “Serve, Protect and Make the Ticket Quota” brigade.
The weather here has been great this week. My car barely has time to cool off between rides.
Rich
My Brother-in-law & his wife & kids came over yesterday. The kids immediately jumped in the car. For about five minutes she was more interesting to them than both Wii “Star Wars” games and the carnival up the street.
Both the bro-in-law and sister-in-law wanted to drive her. I took video with the cell phone during the latter sojourn.
Hey Folks
Just a quick note with the exception. All you heros driving your new found toys home in the snow, rain, or with siezed engines. Well, I saw my first MG in 1953. I’ve never been the same since. Dr. Cass gave me a ride around the block and I was done! Never managed to own one though. Well in 1985, I saw the BCW replica, which seems to be the most dimensionally correct of most of the replicas. Well I’ve been looking, on and off since then for a BCW. About two years ago, probably about this time of night, I google searched MG Replicas, and low and behold, found one on Craigs List, in Virginia. I called the guy next morning, and bought it site unseen. This was about the time gas was 4 bucks a gallon! It must be 6 or 7 hundred miles from here to Virginia! This is going to cost me a small fortune to truck down there from NH, and haul the thing back. I’m thinking I must have had a major stupidity spasm. I actually found a trucker who agreed to deliver it for 500 bucks, and the seller agreed to split the cost with me… The guy arrives 4 or 5 days later, and says you drive it off, I don’t touch them Norm (the previous owner) drove it on the flat bed. Started right up, needed a few minors, but passed inspection. I’ve driven her to work frequently (about 30 miles). Love putting the winshield down. It’s been a long 53 years, but worth the trip! We’ll get some pictures as soon as we figure out how..
Neil Flaherty, Gilford NH
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