Wednesday 9 January 2013

ME AND MY CAR/MOTORCYCLE #9

This month's entry comes courtesy of MG Enthusiast magazine, who very kindly sent us this entry from Bob Featherstone, with his impeccable-looking MGB roadster. Bob wins a copy of MG MGB & MGB GT - The Essential Buyer's Guide for his efforts. Please keep your entries coming in, and you never know, it could be YOU in this space next month!

Bob Featherstone, three years the Chairman of the Exeter Area MGOC, likes his MGB to be original, but that does not mean 'as it left the factory'...

"I am a bit of a romantic about my MGB Roadster. I am not a purist by any means, but I do enjoy my car being ‘original’ – not in the sense of ‘as-built’ but in the ‘unique’ meaning of the word. If you just look at a row of MGBs, you can tell that over the years each car has slightly changed. Each one will sit slightly differently and just look back at you in its own distinctive way. After all, they vary in age from just over 30 years old to 50 and their ownership histories vary enormously so, they have every right to appear different.
When I saw that Vic Birch was advertising a brand new replacement wing design, it reminded me of Jacques Coune’s design of the Berlinette. The Belgian designer offered MG the chance of a new look coupe version of the MGB roadster in 1964, but the designs were turned down for being too Italian – then MG went instead to the Italian design company, Pininfarina! Coune's car included beautiful, faired-in headlamps and that is exactly what the VeeBee wings have. It was that look which attracted me, although the VeeBeeWing design is certified separately by the Patent Office. I knew right away that I had to have them fitted; the car would still be a classic, yet definitely more individual.


So my first task was to gain approval from my wife Lorraine, followed by confirmation from my usual car mechanic/engineer, Jeremy Board of London Road Garage in Ottery St Mary, Devon, that he would do the job for me. (I'm nott very mechanical!) Those agreements having both been achieved, I then ordered the wings from Vic Birch of VeeBeeWing in Tiptree, Essex.
In almost no time at all the wings were with Jeremy, and I was thinking it would be great to take along my new-look car to Blenheim Palace and the 50th Anniversary of the MGB. Like anything to do with MGs, nothing is straightforward and the job is only for those with bags of experience. Fortunately Jeremy specialises in MGs and looks after many of the Exeter MGOC members’ cars.
My B is a ’77 roadster in shiny black with over 80k on the clock. It had a rebuild in 2007 just before Lorraine and I bought it, and we have tried to improve it slowly year by year. In other words it is a pretty average and normal situation, typical of many MGBs and their owners. But now look at their car. Is it a Sebring? No, the wings have been remodelled and the headlamps have been moved back for a more streamlined look and the cowls are made from PETG, which can withstand high impact, as used in car and motorbike racing. But this is not a competition car, just a handsome head turner.
If you fancy this look on your B or C, roadster or GT, rubber or chrome, you can have the car that MG almostmade – just call Vic Birch. I must say that I have no connection with Vic other than as a satisfied customer, but I do like the result. MGB50 at Blenheim Palace was a rather soggy September Sunday, but at least my ‘new’ MGB was there – and attracting admiring glances.
" (You can see more on these wings here).

Bob selected MG MGB & MGB GT – The Essential Buyer's Guide by Roger Williams as his prize!

A small investment in this book could save you a fortune ... With the aid of this book's step-by-step expert guidance, you'll discover all you need to know about the car you want to buy. Unique point system will help you to place the cars value in relation to condition. This is an important investment - don't buy a car without this book's help.

More info.





Do you have an interesting car/motorcycle with a story to tell?
We want to see it! Send photos & description to prize@veloce.co.uk
We will pick one a month, and any we feature will win an Essential Buyer's Guide (worth £9.99 / $19.95) of your choice.
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