by "Leonardo DiCabriolet" (leonardodicabriolet)
Published 02/25/2017 at 00:02
by "Leonardo DiCabriolet" (leonardodicabriolet)
Published 02/25/2017 at 00:02
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STARS: 4
Several years ago my grandfather passed away and he had been in the middle of “restoring” a MG Midget. Something like this but in a more eye searing yellow.
Anyway I use the quotation marks because he was in the midst of swapping in a Buick 3800 Series II engine, otherwise known as the supercharged version. This didn’t have any significance on me at the time, as I was still pretty young and wasn’t that ingrained into this hobby, but now I think that was just the coolest thing. Unfortunately, I didn’t even think to ask my parents at the time if we could keep it, so the car ended up being sold in an estate sale. I really don’t think whoever bought it would bother finishing the swap, but nonetheless I check the craigslist local to where he lived fairly consistently to see if it’ll pop up. Seems like it’ll just be one of those things that never comes to any fruition. On the bright side should I ever find it, I still have a spare key for it.
"Birddog" (maintmgt)
02/25/2017 at 00:24, STARS: 2
I had a “round arch” Midget and dumped it because of pressure from certain family members.
I was 6'-3" and 250ish at the time and learned what “fits like a glove” means first-hand. It was the perfect sports car. It would do everything you asked when pushed to 11/10.
I can only imagine what your Granddad had in mind with a Buick SC 3.8 swap.
"arl" (arl1968)
02/25/2017 at 07:24, STARS: 0
Props to Gramps! Jalop before our time.
I’ve got a few stories from my youth about cars that “got away”, or were available and I was too young to know better (or have any money besides $5.00 to buy comic books and play Asteroids at the arcade).
The one that pains me the most is a neighbor of my Dad’s who had a small garage full of Jaguar E-types. There were 5 or 6 Jags, all dusty and starting to rust that he had rolled into this small garage. He opened it up once for Dad and me to show us the Jags. I remember just standing there looking them thinking “These are pretty cool cars”. None of them ran as far as I know, and he never restored any of them.
I never talked to the old guy again. When I asked Dad about the old man with the Jags he said he had died and the family sold everything off. Sigh.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/25/2017 at 08:37, STARS: 0
Wow, a Buick swapped MG would be killer! Hopefully you’ll find it someday. It may well be sitting in someone’s garage in the exact state your grandpa left it in.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/25/2017 at 15:30, STARS: 0
Your screen name is great.
"Leonardo DiCabriolet" (leonardodicabriolet)
02/25/2017 at 15:50, STARS: 1
Seems to be how most of those stories go, family probably didn’t even know what they had.
"Leonardo DiCabriolet" (leonardodicabriolet)
02/25/2017 at 15:52, STARS: 1
One can hope, shame there weren’t any records of the sale or I might be able to track them down.
"Leonardo DiCabriolet" (leonardodicabriolet)
02/25/2017 at 15:52, STARS: 0
Thanks! Just kind of pulled it out of my ass the night I made the account lol.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/25/2017 at 16:31, STARS: 0
For some reason, makes me think of Alain de Cadenet (of Victory by Design fame).
"Leonardo DiCabriolet" (leonardodicabriolet)
02/26/2017 at 03:22, STARS: 1
Name sounded familiar, I think I remember him from the Speed channel.