I'll start at the beginning - About 1992, I bought, for $640, a 1973 MG Midget. Those in the know will recognize this as a chrome-bumpered, RWA (round wheel arch) Midget. It was white. I negotiated the seller/DPO down from about $800-$900, by showing him 'all' the cash I had in my pocket.
I didn't have a lot of money at the time, being about 29 years old, and a new father. But, I rationalized the purchase, based upon two factors: owning a British sports car, specifically an MG, was a family tradition, I was fulfilling my destiny, AND I had spent the money my paternal grandfather had left me on a house for my wife (down payment), and I ought to buy myself something before it was all gone (ignore the fact that I frittered away most of it by being unemployed for 11 months after college. Without subjecting myself to too much self-loathing and critical reflection, suffice it to say that I looked down on the people who worked at the pizza place across the street from my apartment, so while I looked for a 'career', I'd just watch TV. Imagine the employee discount on pizza/beer.) But, I digress...
One day, while perusing the 'classic cars' section of the want ads, I spied the Midget, and immediately set off with a friend in tow, to drive my truck back. I wasn't going just to look. I was going to buy!
After a couple of surreptitious passes, I pulled in. Talked to the owner, took it for a test-drive, went away to 'think about it'. In reality, I went to the ATM to get more cash. We negotiated - he gave me some song-and-dance about having to confer with his 'partner', but when he saw the cash, he pounced. And away I drove, stopping to put gas in the little car.
On the drive home, on the interstate, I noticed the carpet in the passenger footwell floating up and down. (Note: this is BAD.) Reaching over, I lifted the carpet, and there was the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System, going by at 60mph. Floorboards were rusted out!
Things only got better. I discovered that the side marker lights had been removed and the holes taped/Bondo'd. Keep in mind, this was before I knew much about the model changes, etc. This was very confusing to me. In addition, the driver's side headlight shined on my garage wall much higher than the passenger side. That was because the front bumper support on that side had been bent, and moved about an inch or so above parallel.
The kicker came when I went to the local British car expert and argued that my car was a '73. I didn't know that a '73 had round rear wheel arches and a '71 had square wheel arches. Mine were square. (I THOUGHT that VIN # plate looked loose...)
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