Well, those of you that were interested in the fabled MGB GT I occasionally tried to sell can be tempted no longer. Saturday it was driven away from Greenbrier Valley Airport in Lewisburg, WV, under cover of darkness and in freezing rain, heading northwest 600 miles toward Chicago. I hadn't laid eyes on the car in four years and had not actively driven it, according to the registration card inside, since 2005. I live several hours away from where the car was stored at my Dad's house and fortunately he was willing to get the car running. Ethanol crusted up the carbs, so he sent them to me, I did my best to uncrust them, and mailed them back. The buyer mailed some snow tires and lug nuts to me and about a week before his arrival, the car was being tested by Dad up and down his driveway. The snow tires turned out to be a very good idea.
My first time seeing the car in four years. Worse than I remembered.
Friday it snowed about 6 inches. Schools were canceled and I left work at 9:00, not due to the weather, Dad and I were heading south to North Carolina to pickup my new car...s. When he graduated college and got a job running logging operations in the swamps of NC/SC for Georgia Pacific, he traded in his '63 Beetle for a new 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport. How my Beige Camry Mom went for the bright red Ford, I'll never know. When asked, all Dad said was "Everyone is young once." I've been looking for a '72 Torino for over 30 years. The styling was only made for one year, so finding one is not that easy and finding one that's not rusted out is really hard. Then Clint Eastwood made that movie with one and then The Fast and Furious 39 also had one and now the car I passed on in 1999 for $3000 is going for $20,000.
Mom and Dad's Torino - Their first new car.
While working to sell the MGB, an ad for a Torino came up on Craigslist. It was red, a fastback from southern California, and next door in Ohio. The ad was placed on Feb. 9th and I found it the next day. I mentioned it to Dad on the 12th and he recommended that I call. I did and it was sold already. Perhaps nostalgia had kicked in because he would call every few days to update me on the MG and to tell me of a nice Torino he found in New Mexico or Florida. Then, a few weeks ago, one popped up on FaceBook Marketplace. It was only two states away and could be driven home. The ad also mentioned an included parts car. I mentioned this to Dad and again "You should probably call about it." I contacted the seller on Friday March 1st. "Someone is supposed to come get it Tuesday." I offered to come get it Monday and the seller didn't respond. Strike two. Dad said "Call sooner next time." It was a long weekend. Last Wednesday Dad called to make sure the MGB buyer was still coming and asked if I'd checked up on the NC Torino. I said I didn't want to seem too eager. He said, "If want a Torino, you probably should call." The seller responded, "Yes, still here. Two other buyers both backed out." Arrangements were made and Friday morning, south we went.
What initially looked like a Joe Dirt-mobile turned out to be an unmolested survivor. Original engine, trans, carb, AC, interior, and, obviously, paint. While checking the fluids, the seller provided some new information - the included parts car over in the barn was a Q Code car aka Cobra Jet Torino. I glanced at Dad and nodded with raised eyebrows. Sure enough, the VIN confirmed it.
Once dragged out of the barn, we discover that the "parts car" was only missing the radiator, grille trim, and PS pump. The body is completely solid. On the trailer it went and off we headed, me driving the blue one and Dad pulling the trailer. The car was suffering a semi-clogged carb and coughed, sputtered and bucked occasionally. Oddly it did not like to cruise, the symptoms presenting much worse. However, if accelerating moderately, the car smoothed out. No pulling or shaking, just arrow straight down the road with that floaty 1970s luxury. As I gazed out the windshield, peering over the expanse of bulging rusty steel acreage before me, I began to notice the thrumming 351 Cleveland housed beneath was emitting a very 70s brand of smog and most of it was entering the driving compartment. I then recalled the seller saying, "It does have a leaky exhaust, but it should go away once it warms up." It didn't. No amount of thermal expansion could close the inch-wide gap, long-ago cleaved into the low hanging exhaust pipe by some angular rock firmly embedded into the red North Carolina clay. I rolled down the windows and stopped for gas.
We just made it onto I77N when the skies opened up. A sprinkle at first and then a downpour and with it came the dark grey gloom of dusk. I found the headlight switch and surprisingly they worked and the wipers jumped into action as well. Of course the elderly rubber wiper blades, being baked to extra well done by the Carolina sunshine, only smeared and distorted the oncoming traffic. With no visible light coming from the instrument cluster, I used my phone to periodically check the gauges. Yes, all still there. Some working. When the rain no longer allowed me to maintain even 50mph on the interstate, I pulled off at a rest area and swapped wipers with the parts car.
This must be how Top Gear and Roadkill do it. Appearing to be blazing the trail alone, but actually just the lead in a caravan of support crews with spare parts, mechanics, dry clothes and warm food. I changed out the wipers and carried on. Of course the replacement wipers provided no improvement, so I wrapped the driver side in shop towels and carried on. Much better. Eight hours done in the saga, only four to go.
With windows still rolled down and me damp, the sun setting, and us heading north, I was completely cold. I fumbled for the heater and when switched on, the vents emitted nut shells, mouse turds, and other fluff, but no heat. I could see snow covering the countryside though the open windows and it was time for gas again. Thankfully Dad put a pair of coveralls in the truck, so slipping them on and slipping back behind the wheel, I could continue the World's longest game of solo Freeze Out. It got a little more airish though the mountains of southern WV. I sat on one hand like a mother hen and steered with the other until it became numb and rubbery. I alternated hands between the two positions for the remainder of the journey until we made it to Lewisburg, our destination. The last time I made this drive north in a Torino was exactly 40 years ago. In March of 1979 we moved from SC to WV.
Saturday the MGB buyer arrived for his fly and drive. In true Lucas fashion, the previously working headlights failed to work, so we tested and tinkered in the rain and ultimately hotwired them so he could get in the road... in the dark... heading north. "Aye, Calypso, the places you've been to..." I've been there too, yesterday in fact. Our bodge would eventually kill the new battery, but I'm pretty sure he made it home. I think he did.
Sunday lived up to it's name and the warm weather allowed me to check out the Torino a little more and tune it up a bit. I also wanted to cover the surface rust since it will be a while before I can paint the car red.
Cabinets, Doors, and More. We realized about half way through that Lowe's also sells Safety Red... Overall I'm thrilled with the weekend adventure. Hopefully the new owner of the MGB will get more use out of it than I did. Now I only need to sell an MG Midget, maybe a Triumph Bonneville, maybe a 911, and probably the extra Torino. Maybe.
