Mga 1500/mga 1600

[Excaliber]

,,yeah,,,thats the ticket,,,for the wife!

Ha HA!

Ernie

[Hal Copple]

Back in '66, i bought my first car, a Triumph TR-4. At the time, my first wife's older sister, a stewardess for Pan Am, had an MGA. My wife's mom confided to me that she was glad i drove a Triumph, as it was a "man's car", not like the lady-like MGA Luane drove.

Drove my 'R-4 44K miles in the 11 months i owned it, sold it and got a 'B.

This is perhaps how women saw the two cars.

[Excaliber]

I never was that "keen" on the looks of the early TR's myself. Not sure why, maybe the low slung doors or irregular lines. They did make a "bolder" statement in their design than the smooth lines of the MGA. I had a GT-6, that was a nice looking car. Later a Bug Eye Sprite, TR-6 and a 1500 Sprite. After I wrecked the GT-6 the motor went in the 1500.

My TR-6 vs a 240Z. I got beat in a street race, that was a wake up call, the times they were a changing. The end of an era was at hand.

Ernie

Edit: Heck I was thinking of the early TR's,,,2 and 3's? Wasn't the TR-4 much like the TR-250 that led to the TR-6? That was good looking body style. Yeah, I could see how a "Mother" could make that comment, concerning the two cars style (like THEY have a clue)!

[casaleenie]

Hal,

I think you have the story reversed.... The Triumph was the "Girly Man" car, not the MGA... You're mother-in-law was just trying to keep the peace....

[KobraKarl]

Cough........Cough...............AHEM!............ ..As someone who owned both "back to back" I can assure you the only thing "girlie"about either of these cars was all the girlie "backside"I drove home in them................ or ...........does that mean i'm a cross dresser?

[Excaliber]

KobraKarl,,,,if you were a Gashole,,,then yeah,,,you might be cross dresser, ha ha!

Ernie

[good2go]

Its amazing how many of us had an MGA. I actually had 2. The first was my second car. I got it the summer I graduated from high school. It was the summer of 1963 and I wanted a 260 Cobra but couldnt afford it and the closest thing in my eyes was a 1959 MGA 1500. This was in Hawaii and I drove it in the Hawaiian weather with leaks and all until Uncle Sam called in '65.
I bought my second one in 1966 in Sacramento where I was an airman 2nd class and actually did my first autocross in it. The biggest challange were those 2 damned 6 volt batteries with about 10 miles of cable. I made E-4 in 67 and bought a used '63 split window Vette. It had no heater, no radio, and big finned aluminum brake drums. I had no idea at the time but I think it was a very special car. I auto crossed and did the Georgetown Hillclimb in it. Got out of the service and started school and sold it and got a VW Bus. Maybe I did inhale>>>>>>>LOL

Dave

[Excaliber]

Ha ha,,,,,you know, we never did grow up,,,,,just looked for more horse power in the same kind of package.

Ernie

[KobraKarl]

Spot on ,there Ernie

[smokintires]

I've been a British car fan for 15 years when I bought my first MGB for $150. I performed a ground up restoration on that car and sold it to purchase a 74 B from the original owner with 32,000 miles ! In between those cars I purchased a rust free MGA and performed another ground up restoration. The MGs are fun little drivers, but I really wanted some horsepower, so am going the Cobra route. I really need to sell some of these cars (still have the A and the B) but the wife won't let me!

There is a big following in MGB circles converting the 1.8 4-cylinder to a V-8. Alot of guys are using the aluminum Buick/Rover 215 engine, but the Ford 5.0 is getting more popular. Hmmm....... maybe my next project. Those interested check out:

http://www.britishv8.org/
or
http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/ge...ect=36&thread=