S1997

Wow Dave, was anything salvaged on the red MGA?
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ME! Here is an excerpt from a article that was published in an MG publication. It starts off talking about my present White car.

When I bought the car it had 83 miles on the odometer after it's frame off total restoration. Two months later I entered the car in a national show and it tied for the First Place trophy in the 1500 category at the North American MGA Register's GT-30 in Mackinaw City, MI. If I were approaching our old car hobby from an investors point of view I would have sent the car off to auction right then and there. After all it was mint, had matching numbers, mostly new correct new parts and only a few hundred miles on it. But, no thanks. MGAs are my hobby not my investment. As a definite sports car romantic, I believe that no matter how nice the car, they are made to be driven. Cars may be just metal and fluids to most of the world but to me and I suspect some of you they are more than that.

You may be wondering, so how does the red 1600 tie into all this. As a confessed romantic, my original red MGA was like a member of the family. It had taken my kids to meets with one in the my wife’s lap and one on the floor between her legs. Do that today and we would be locked up. It took my son around the track at Indy. It had taken us to numerous national MGA meets. There was GT-4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14 and so on all over the eastern half of the US and hundreds of local events within the state. You don’t get memories like that with a garage queen. Well, you may recall I salvaged every part I could off my beloved red car. In the five years since that national I have swapped out all the original ‘white’ parts for every ‘red’ part I was able to save or rebuild. The list includes the engine, carbs, transmission, differential, front brakes, wire wheels, seats and any other part I could. These changes raised the car's horsepower from 68 to over 100 hp while keeping within the original spirit of the car. These are all period improvements, mostly MkII upgrades that had been proven and tested over thousands of miles of driving. Having spent hundreds of hours on the car replacing items, correctly rerouting lines, and correctly relocating items, it no longer feels like I'm driving Nico's car. I'm claiming ownership now. Red lives on!
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Well done! I've have always considered red to be the prototypical sports car color! I once had a bright red Triumph that I loved to drive on the open road and in the mtns. Now I'm reduced to driving a yellow and you're reduced to white!

Kyras

I finished cutting and placing lead on my stained glass project last night, just in time to take it to class and solder it. I'm very happy with the colors of the glass now that I can finally pick it up as one solid piece and see light coming through it. I didn't do the greatest job fitting the glass and lead together, or soldering but it's not bad for a first lead project. Could be my last lead project. I really prefer foil. Anyway, next class I'll learn how to putty it and clean it up. Then it'll be ready for the wooden frame to be assembled around it. I've missed way too much exercise time trying to get this project done.


On Saturday, I spent way too much time grinding holes in some of the glass so I could put glass pebbles inside. It would have been okay but then the heat of the solder cracked some of the glass when I soldered the pebbles in. I decided to live with the hairline cracks after redoing some glass and having it crack once again.

^4-27-2013. I ground the holes out of the glass, foil wrapped the pebbles and the holes, and then soldered the pebbles in.







^4-30-2013. Lead is all cut but not soldered.



^4-30-2013. Lead is all cut but not soldered.



^Lead is soldered but not puttied.

valentine

Beautiful color combo. Love it.

S1997

The colors remind me of some of the work of an artist in this area who does both church windows and residential stained glass,.
http://www.stephenwi...ce/works/9.html

Lainey

Great job, Patty. Jim, Dave, those pics are really scary. So glad you are still with us.

Ally wanted new decor in her room. She went with black, white and gray. She is looking for a picture to hang in there. She liked this one I took on Saturday, and I played around with some filters.

Black and white looks pretty good, I think, and the pencil sketch might be an option too. Not sure how that will look printed up. I'm thinking a black mat and white frame but we'll see. I'm not sure which one she will like best.

Kyras

Thank you Val, Jim and Lainey. The gaps are going to disappear when the putty goes on, or so I'm told. Definitely a learning experience.

MsPerky

This pic is not for quality, but to show you how far up the scaffolding is on the Washington Monument. It's all the way to the peaked part now. How would you like to be working 550' in the air!

S1997

Looks like a Mars rocket now.

valentine

Nice pic, Deb. I have a hard time climbing a stepladder so I know I wouldn't be working up that high.

Lainey

Not for me, Deb.