I owned a 1952 MG YB for a couple years at RAF Alconbury UK what a treat to drive! Most of the time I used the crank to start as the was a bad connection at the battery that was fixed with a replacement ground wire. Ours created a buzz when we drove it to Cambridge to see Bonnie and Clyde.. it looked the part of the vintage cars in the movie. Alas a stop at the Red Lion was ruined by the theft of the classic quartz radiator cap. Once I fell asleep at the wheel and missed a sharp turn at the bottom of a hump-back bridge at 5am. I woke to find the MG bumper stuck in the snow and mud at the bottom of a ditch. I used my ice scraper to dig a wedge in the mud to insert the starter crank… the half turn was enough to restart the motor. By increasing the idle with the choke and putting the trans in reverse I was able to steer/push it up the bank. I was barely late for work… happily I had a spare “inspection” in my locker. Another disaster averted was hitting a giant hog that was standing in the road. With fog so thick I coul barely see the cats-eyes and all I saw of the hog was a big gray shadow. When I got out the MG to investigate the hog was already getting up and was squealing. All thought of reporting the farm animal damage to the farmer was abandoned. In the light of day I could see the evidence of the event… the was a large bruise on the fender… with the gray paint scratched down to the bare metal. Following a ninety mile trek to find Sherwood Forest it was apparent the doughy MG was not a family car… in warm weather the electric fuel pump would stick and the engine would stall.while I was adept at jumping out of the car in Cambridge rush hour – pop the bonnet- wack the top of the fuel pump by the time the glass reservoir was filled with gas .. MG was running again. Less impressed was my bride and our baby. There was a buddy that had several cars shipped to Kansas. Soon my MG was entourage to New York and new adventures. The 59 Ford Aglia I replaced it with,just wasn’t the same.
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