MG Car Clubs - Graeme Smith - Bog

MGCCWW STARTMechanics are the foundation of MG car clubs in Australia.And maybe elsewhere too. After the Second World War the rich people bought sports cars.That meant mainly MG TC's. After a couple of years they sold them and bought something else. The mechanics who looked after those cars then bought the TC's cheaply. They could keep them going and also modify them, which they did.It was people such as these who also competed in races, hill climbs and trails. MG Car Clubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.Were founded on this tradition. Wagga Wagga came much later when mechanics like Ron had old MGB's.Gradually cars improved and became more complex. The old art of being a mechanic started to change. Some people became car sellers, and others restored old cars (like Dick).Others upgraded their skills by working in big garages and others were left behind. My start.Back in 1997 I was teaching Parkes. My family lived in Dubbo where I went during the school holidays. There MG owners used to park in a group in the main street, Macquarie Street. They'd chat and look at one another's cars and occasionally go for a drive. They were mainly MG TC's and TF's. I never saw a TD for many years. There might be fewer in Australia than the other T series as most went to USA.Used to admire the MG's and got to know some of the people. One was another teacher who had a TF.I had about enough money to think about buying a car. Some of that was compensation for my deafness.That had happened a couple of years earlier. There was one owner wanted to sell his TC.It looked great in pale blue with cycle guards and it went well too. So I thought I'd buy it for my first car.Then I made a mistake. I went home and told dad. He thought I'd kill myself in one of those. Next thing I knew I was the owner of a 1954 FJ Holden. It was cream with brown upholstery.I also had to get my licence. So I went for that the next day but had a minor bingle and failed the test.Went back the following day and passed. Haven't times changed?After four months of driving the FJ.I knew if I kept that car much longer I really would kill myself. They just couldn't handle. The motor was OK but it leant over at alarming angles when cornering. It had too much power for the chassis. That's why people used to put sandbags in the boot. The rough roads didn't help either.So I bought my first MG a 1954 TF. I showed it to my dad after I took delivery. This was the first of six MG's I have owned. I enjoyed driving the TF but became attracted to the idea of additional power. So a year later I traded it on an Austin-Healey 100. Although there were only three gears it had overdrive. A flick of the switch and the Healey and I were overtaking.However there was a penalty for that power. It wasn't long before I had four worn tyres. In addition the car had a fatal flaw just as the FJ Holden did. It could handle all right BUT it was far too low. The underneath of the car would scrape roads and gutters everywhere.Except on the highway.So it was time for another MG. This time I swapped the Healey for an MG TF, which was in immaculate condition. It was a 1500cc model too.Although you'd need a stopwatch to tell the difference from the 1250cc version.I had this car for a number of years, using it as my daily driver. Eventually there was a blown motor.That was the end of my MG motoring for many years. My next MG is another story though.Because that purchase also was the beginning of a car club.