My experience with a British

[PAVAN KADAM]

Peculiar for a thread name, but this again is a out of the blue experience.

I get a message one day, i call up the person, a very British accent but a very strong South Indian Kannada Name.

Meet Mr Beliappa, a extremely honest car enthusiasts who's grown amidst lots of cars in his life time and mostly American and British cars.

After talking to him, i found a strange co-incidence, he was my Boss's Super Boss way back in 1998-99. We forget cars and we start discussing more of our office days and after some time he mentions" PAVAN i need to tell you something, i have one car that i got it to Bangalore 11-12 yrs ago, and now it needs restoration"

Not one more car......!, but as i say, Automobiles are intoxicating and cant stay away from them, i agree instantly and tell him, i'll get this car rescued. After a brief meeting, we conclude that we take some action this Sunday on the car that's been stored far the past 11 yrs in Windsor Manor Hotel basement parking.

I reach there by around 7:30 pm,with my mechanic and my younger Bro to see what can be done.

Now let me stop talking and let some pics do some talking.

The car in the below pic is :

1958 MG Magnette
Left Hand Drive
Side valve ,4 cylinder ,
BMC-B series engine,
1489cc Petrol Engine
64 Bhp @ 5400 rpm.
with a Max speed of 87 mph

[gowda79]

Pavan, now you have become a recognised Restorer of the Cars and started getting calls from all over the place good going. Looking at the pictures the car requires lot of atttention.

Now tell us for 11yrs the car was parked in Windsor Manor parkingwith charges or without charges.

[Mpower]

Looks like all you need is a good wash and some polish. Thats in really good nick.

[SuperSelect]

What a find Pavan ! Hope you do take up this project, among all your other current pre-occupations .
Say what is that bright coloured line just below the doors ? Camera playing tricks - looks like a light strip !!

[Spitfire]

Thats a beautiful car. Congrats Pavan.

I think its an earlier model MG Magnate, a 1953 perhaps. Also the grille and the front bumper are different.

Hmm... we will have to wait for the gurus.

Go 2 tone on this one looks amazing.

There was an exact model in Goa, which was eaten up my rust and has now dissappeared.

[jaygeetee]

That is some beauty! Please please restore it and keep us all posted.

[manishalive]

Wow another restoration, BTW how do you find time in between work and family

[pulsar56]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Looks like all you need is a good wash and some polish. Thats in really good nick.

Agree to that!
What kind of restoration does it need? Exteriors seem fine and well maintained!

These days I am getting attracted towards vintages.I guess I am getting old!

Do keep us updated on the progress.

[Stanher]

A lovely, well-preserved car! 'doesnt need any extensive work from what I can see!
Although its a Madras car, I suspect it's been in Bangalore most of it's life, considering the lack of any noticeable corrosion on it!

Originally Posted by pulsar56

These days I am getting attracted towards vintages.I guess I am getting old!

Hey watch it pal! We consider them fighting words here!

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by gowda79

Looking at the pictures the car requires lot of atttention.

Originally Posted by Mpower

Looks like all you need is a good wash and some polish. Thats in really good nick.

Originally Posted by SuperSelect

What a find Pavan ! Hope you do take up this project, among all your other current pre-occupations .
Say what is that bright coloured line just below the doors ? Camera playing tricks - looks like a light strip !!

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Thats a beautiful car. Congrats Pavan.

Originally Posted by jaygeetee

That is some beauty! Please please restore it and keep us all posted.

Originally Posted by manishalive

Wow another restoration, BTW how do you find time in between work and family

Originally Posted by pulsar56

Agree to that!
What kind of restoration does it need? Exteriors seem fine and well maintained!
Do keep us updated on the progress.

Originally Posted by Stanher

Although its a Madras car, I suspect it's been in Bangalore most of it's life, considering the lack of any noticeable corrosion on it!

Too many questions to answer, let me start

1) This is a 1958 MG Magnette, sharing the 1500 BMC petrol engine with the Morris Oxford and the good ole Landmasters

2) The car is from Madras and its come to Bengluru 11 yrs ago, and straight into the parking lot of Windsor Manor Hotel and totally shut off from the whole world. I pity this chap for having lost out all this while.

3) Yes i have taken up this project, i cant resist an Automobile restoration for what ever reasons, Its not as easy as everyone feels. Keeping all your team on its toes every time on every car at every time, phew... and all above this my regular day job and my family commitments. Somehow i feel plain lucky that things are falling in place, or maybe i am managing myself better

4) The car maybe looks neat on the photos, but it actually requires a simple ground up restoration. 11 yrs of oblivion, you cant expect the car to have a bath and start sprinting on roads.

5) I am taking a simple approach on this restoration, which i'll keep posting regularly.

Last Sunday, my mechanic tried infuzing life into the stationery car, first by getting all the tyres inflated and fixing them on the car, giving all the bearings a good diesel bath and some grease to get them in motion. Serviced the carb, and borrowed my fuel pump to do the fuel pumping job. Most of the vital parts in the car had rotted over the years, so Sunday night nothing happened.

Next day morning 6:00am we go there again, fit the new battery and the carb. Few cranks( BTW the keys were lost) at the starter, the car started breathing. OH MY GOD, after few minutes a loud rooooaaaar woke up the Hotel :> 7:00 am we start driving the car for the first time in 11 yrs out of its dingy underground home "Windsor Manor Hotel"

Faced a bit of niggles enroute 15 kms to the mechanics house, but we made it to his house by around 9:30 am(that was too long)

I have now started the First Part of Restoration, it goes as below

1) Brakes- maybe all new units, complete setup from Amby
2) Suspension - resetting all the coils and installing new shockers
3) Engine - valve grinding/new plugs/plug leads/points & condesor,engine oil, and few more vital parts
4) Gearbox- Gear box oil/new clutch from amby(suits like OE) bit of work on gear box to reduce humming.

This is the first stage , will keep everyone updated as time flies.

[swift8847]

Dude, appreciate your spirit.

How many projects/restoration apart from your actual work are you handling right now?

Do I get to see the latest project if I am around your place?

[ajmat]

Before you proceed - who owns the car? What happens if the owner apeears from nowhere, reclaims car and bang goes all your good work!

[manishalive]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Before you proceed - who owns the car? What happens if the owner apeears from nowhere, reclaims car and bang goes all your good work!

It is not his car. Pavan is giving his expertise in saving one more car, i think that is good enough for a praise.

[aka_iitd]

Great great and great
Pavan, Is it possible for some of us come down and see the restoration work.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by manishalive

It is not his car. Pavan is giving his expertise in saving one more car, i think that is good enough for a praise.

Agreed but not evident whether the owner is in on this restoration