Dad's 1963 Mgb Returns Home, Restored Again

Charles Haynes' manful someone rear ordered this Iris Blue 1963 MGB after seeing i simply similar it inward a sales brochure.

The prodigal 1963 MGB. A boy restores, as well as hence sells a classic, 25-year-old MG that belonged to his manful someone rear since it was new. Twenty years later, the son, Charlie Haynes of Guntersville, Alabama rediscovered the 1963 MGB, that his dad bought, in a Hemmings Motor News ad. As fate would bring it, the Iris Blue MGB caught Haynes’ oculus simply similar it caught his dad's oculus during his mid-life crisis.

  Charlie's story follows, inward his ain words.

Charlie Haynes' dad, Charles, washes his "mid-life crisis" 1963 MGB.

My Dad's MG  
  This story begins amongst my wife's recovery from what nosotros idea to survive a life-threatening illness. To celebrate her start solar daytime out of bed, I suggested an afternoon outing inward nearby Huntsville, Alabama. She could store at her stride spell I amused myself at a bookstore until she returned. I ordered a java as well as constitute a table. As usual, I scanned the flight as well as motorbike magazines, as well as and hence looked over the magazine rack for other entertainment. Staring dorsum at me was a Hemmings Motor News. Although a faithful reader of Hemmings many years ago, I hadn't fifty-fifty looked at i for at to the lowest degree v years.
  I went similar a shot to the MG department to discovery out what MGBs were selling for these days. While doing so, I saw the next desire ad:

"... Iris Blue 1963 MGB roadster, minute owner, restored past times start owner, 82,000 master copy miles, consummate books as well as records. Call ... inward Atlanta."

Could it be?

  Well, I remembered selling a 1963 Iris Blue MGB roadster to a fella from Atlanta inward 1988. Could this survive him? My married adult woman returned presently afterward as well as I told her nearly it. She suggested I telephone yell upward "because she had never forgiven me for selling the automobile as well as idea nosotros should larn it back." In reality, I didn't desire to sell it at the fourth dimension either, but I was finishing an experimental aircraft that needed an engine as well as i used Lycoming aircraft engine at the fourth dimension equaled i 1963 MGB roadster inward immaculate condition.

  I called the Atlanta telephone publish as well as a familiar phonation answered. Don had been trying to discovery me to come across if I wanted to repurchase the car. I had moved, though, as well as all my former telephone numbers were useless to him. He said that he had retired as well as was getting out of the automobile collecting business. He had sold all his collection except the MGB. To survive honest, I had called alone out of curiosity as well as actually didn't desire the automobile over again every bit I had "moved on" from hobby cars since 2004 as well as had fifty-fifty sold my plane inward 2005 after xvi years of reliable service. The longer nosotros talked, however, the to a greater extent than reasonable the cost became. To brand things fifty-fifty to a greater extent than interesting, my Dad began to speak to me ...

Mid-life crisis
  I was inward graduate schoolhouse at Penn State inward 1963 (a long story inward itself for an Alabama boy) when my manful someone rear had a mid-life crisis. He called to tell that he had bought a novel MGB without fifty-fifty looking at i inward the flesh, alone seeing a sales brochure amongst a pretty bluish roadster on it. He had ordered the i inward the brochure. Since I was nearly 1,000 miles away, he figured that I wouldn't survive dorsum to wreck it for him. He did, however, drive it to Pennsylvania for a visit, as well as after to due west Texas after I had begun a oil technology scientific discipline career out there. My dad commuted inward the MG to his truck driving chore at the steel manufactory for several years, manifestly posing a foreign sight inward a "Buy American" travel locale.

  In the slowly 1960s I was betwixt jobs hence I interrupted my career to larn a PhD at the University of Texas as well as and hence joined the technology scientific discipline faculty at The University of Alabama. One solar daytime inward 1975 Dad called as well as said that the MG was available but needed some work. He had the "hots" for a Ford F-150 pickup as well as was out of garage infinite hence the MG had to go. Having alone i automobile at the time, my married adult woman as well as I were alone likewise happy to larn it fifty-fifty though it had seen ameliorate days. I did some basic repair to larn inward rubber for daily use, set a inexpensive pigment chore on it, recovered the seats, as well as used it every bit a minute automobile for several years. In the early on 1980s I decided to rebuild it, hence that started a 3-year ground-up restoration project. By 1985 I had an as-new MGB. I as well as hence turned to the structure of an experimental aircraft as well as past times 1988 it had progressed to the bespeak where an engine was needed if it was to survive finished as well as flown. What could I usage to fund the engine? An advert inward a automobile magazine was hastily placed:

"1963 MGB roadster. Iris Blue. Family owned since new. Ground-up restoration inward 1982-85. As-new condition. Call for details."

New possessor flies in
  The prospective novel possessor flew inward on a commercial aircraft, walked across the aerodrome to my hangar, looked the automobile over, gave me a check, dropped the top, as well as drove it dorsum to Atlanta. He made the trip OK, though I feared that the MG mightiness non larn inward to its novel habitation without a tow truck. I called nearly iv hours after to come across if he made an uneventful trip. He said it was i of the best he could remember. We kept inward behave upon into the 1990s but lost contact inward 1995 after I wrote him bespeak for start dibs, if he decided to sell it. Meanwhile, I wanted some other MGB as well as scratched the itch past times restoring a 1971 roadster for its owner, a 1976 roadster that I cosmetically restored as well as sold, as well as rebuilt a basket-case 1964 Tartan Red roadster that was likely my best work. I sold it inward 2004 during a toy-clearing episode earlier moving to our novel retirement home.

Haynes' 1963 MGB underwent a minute restoration when it returned to the menage unit of measurement inward 2008. 

Back to the acquaint fourth dimension ...  
  My married adult woman as well as I, at nowadays into our 40th twelvemonth together, took a tow dolly to Atlanta, got the MG, as well as headed habitation to Guntersville. It was inward remarkable status considering that it was at nowadays 45 years old. Each fourth dimension nosotros stopped for gas or goodies, some fellow, of my vintage would walk up, examine the car, comment on its fine condition, as well as elevate that he longed for the "good 'ol days" when he was immature as well as had an MGB. I likewise had aged a lot over the MG's life but it looked perpetually young.

  As I drove it roughly town over the side past times side few months, several small-scale things were set on the to-do list. It silent looked immature but had a few aging problems. Finally at that topographic point were plenty of them on the listing that some other teardown would survive necessary. I started this circular of rebuilding inward December. This time, travel is confined to the within of the car, amongst removal of everything possible inward the interior, including the musical instrument panel, all instruments, cables, wiring harness, heater, firewall accessories, all hydraulics, chassis alignment, as well as renewal of anything that is soft as well as worn. The floorboards are beingness resealed every bit well, silent master copy as well as silent without rust holes. The projection is at nowadays completed, although it actually never is ... The former reliables, Moss Motors as well as Victoria British, are silent inward line concern hence proficient reproduction parts were available. The e-Bay store, unknown at the fourth dimension of the final restoration, is rife amongst MGB parts novel as well as used. We entered it inward a local automobile present inward August as well as won s place, hence it has reached the proficient residuum of beingness a daily driver every bit good every bit a present car.

  Is dad talking to me nearly all of this? Is he enjoying the strangeness of it all? Can't actually say. I'm non superstitious past times nature, but sometimes inward the eventide when the workshop is real repose I tin lav await at his smile caricature on the wall as well as almost withdraw heed him. He has been gone since Oct 30, 2000. I decided to drib past times the nursing habitation roughly vi that eventide to await inward on him as well as had a foreign feeling that he was inward the procedure of leaving us. At 10 p.m. they called me to confirm it.

"I'm certain he is amused"
  Dad was a real religious man. If he was able to claim his "heavenly reward" as well as is capable of celestial observation, including the powerfulness to come across through earth's supposedly dingy atmosphere, I'm certain he is amused past times my seemingly perpetual MG maintenance. He would bring enjoyed this foreign plough of events. Sorry it didn't laissez passer on off spell he was amongst us.

  Dad, this may survive my final fourth dimension roughly on MGB restoration, hence what create y'all mean value nearly this advert ...

"1963 MGB roadster. Iris Blue amongst matching original-style interior as well as tops. Everything works. Owned past times my menage unit of measurement for 26 years as well as past times others for xx years, but loved as well as maintained past times both. Restored inward 1982-85 as well as 2008-09. Should final a hundred years or to a greater extent than given proper care. Call ... "

Story submitted past times Charlie Haynes; Guntersville, Alabama

Know of a automobile or a junkyard I demand to take in or desire to transportation me photos as well as information nearly a barn find, automobile or junkyard?  

Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com.

Share this post