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MG MGA - I done another bd thing, I'm on a roll

Hi Folks. I "done another bad thing" I wrote another MGA poem, Guess I'm on a roll. Anyway, this poem describes the true story of my purchase of a butchered MGA, which I restored, and put (more or less) back to stock configuration. (I hope readers don't linch me!)
Cheers! Glenn, with a formerly V8 powered MGA


MGA WRECK

Back in 1980, in the year of our Lord,
I was somewhat depressed, and little bored

A fun British toy I need to find
Said a little voice, in the back of my mind

Was car searching real hard
Then discovered, in a yard

Under dark skies of gray
A run down 56 MGA

Been in storage almost 15 years
By seller’s word it so appears

Residing in boxes inside the hulk
Pretty much seemed to be the bulk

Of parts dropped off, and pieces removed
Stored safely by owner, it obviously behooved

Speaking of the dumb previous owner
Which in this case, is really no misnomer

He butchered this classic, inside and out
It’s clear to see, and without a doubt

MG four cylinder was hoisted out
By the DPO, the insensitive lout

Shoehorned in it’s place, a 350 Vee Eight
This kind of butchery, I have to hate

Heater shelf area was torched away
Probably in much less than a day

To fit a alien V-8 part
Into Syd Enever’s beautiful art

Also installed, a Chev 4 speed tranny
To send horsepower to the live axle fanny




Inner wheel wells were also taken
For extra room under bonnet to be makin

So the bulky V8 manifolds would fit
And that’s exactly where they did sit

The MG interior was completely trashed
The once straight dashboard, bent and bashed

Real leather seats, gashed, rotted, and torn
Can this car ever be successfully reborn?

Coachwork peeling, rusted with dings
Is it possible? Can I fix all these things?

Instruments, switches, essentially wire dangling
Guess I’ll have to do some fancy finagling

So the DPO drops the cost
Of this once fine vehicle, almost lost

To the wrath and ravages of father time
And the DPO’s bent and twisted mind

Yet despite the butchery, corruption and rust
Beneath the dirt and mould and dust

Lies this treasure, this car, this gem from the past
Restoring it properly could be a real blast

This broken, rusting wreck silently talks to me
About former days of glory and what it again can be

Tons of work yes, but think of the fun
Driving the roads again, giving her the gun

Though really a complete and utter mess
This car still has an MG’s soul, I guess

Finally settled on money, the amount, $375 dollars
You wouldn’t have wanted to hear my wife’s hollers

A wreck like this, are you out of your mind?
I think she wanted to kick my behind


Years of work and lots of money
My MG is now a veritable honey

Restored back to stock
Now people just gawk

At the beauty, and curve of line
And really, that just suits me fine.


Written by Glenn Hedrich
Glenn

Cabin fever...so soon?
D Sjostrom

Hi DS. Well, I do live in Canader eh?
Glenn

Ahem... may I?
Steve Simmons

Glen, your poetry does show that you have other talents other than restoring MGA's. I suppose that when the snow begins to fall there's not much else to do up north than wax poetic.
Bill Young

Hmmmm,well, perhaps Glen could wax his car instead......:>)
Not that I think the poetry is bad.....I mean, what the heck do I know from poetry? I just hope all the sharp implements are out of reach.
Ah yes, its going to be a looooong winter.

Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

Hi again Steve. Sure, why not? Royalties are the pits anyway. cheers! Glenn
Glenn

Hey, I put your name as the author. Now you're famous!
Steve Simmons

Hi Steve. Surely you mean infamous, Perhaps like Edsel Ford? lol. Glenn
Glenn

Hi GT. The only sharp implement of current use is my trusty pen......errrrr what pen?......make that word processor. cheers! Glenn
Glenn

Glenn,
Great stuff! It reminds me of one I saw in Windsor Ontario, where the guy had hacked it all up, cut all kinds of sheet metal out from the engine compartment, scrapped the entire interior, dash and gages included, no conv. top frame, all chrome and trim gone, and strangely the alum. hood (bonnet) skin was missing, only the steel frame part was left. When I looked at the trunk (boot) lid I saw why. They had pressed those 2 teardrop shaped areas like on the circa '58 'Vettes. He told me he was going to make it into a mini Corvette with a 327 V8 in it. The VIN no. plate was torched out along with the heater shelf and he somehow got it registered under an engine number of a 1600 engine that was sitting in the engine compartment, but not attached to anything(this was a '57 1500 supposedly). The entire body was rusted to smitherines. AND he wanted 4,000 dollars for it !! There wasn't enough left there to be good for a restoration or a parts car. It was basically a nothing. It's amazing what some people will do!
Ralph
'57 MGA
(restored from an original unmolested wreck)
Ralph

This thread was discussed between 22/11/2004 and 23/11/2004

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