John S's Journal

Yesterday, after getting the GT up the driveway and under the carport alongside the garage, I got my first real deep dive into the condition of the car. It had some seat covers and I had taken a brief look before buying it, so I suspected that there was a good chance that they would be decent.
Well decent is a huge understatement! Same thing for the pillow dash, the door panels, the radio console, and the headliner. The only thing on the inside that really shows it’s age is the carpet.

I figured that I had better get started with a good vacuum clean after donning a mask and gloves. The mask because of the smoky wildfire air and there was evidence that some mice had been in the car at least temporarily. Some loose tissue debris as well as some De-con. Got the larger debris by hand and this is where a little bit of the back story and history of the owner reveals itself. Spare keys under the original rubber floor mat, a couple of Salem area newspaper sections from August 8, 1985, an old lottery scratch-off ticket, an old Oregon map, a newsletter for Salem contractors, a car parts receipt, a gas receipt for 9.8 gals of gas for a total of $12.60, a Craftsman double ended box wrench, a small red fuzzy dice, and a long pencil with flat sides. The last is significant only because Albert Porter was a cabinet maker and was still working at the age of 92. He’s 98 now and lives in the house that he built with his 92 year old wife Hanna. Albert or “Bert” has recently had a stroke and is quite frail so I didn’t get a chance to meet him, but his son was going to tell him that I bought the car to fix and enjoy. Something that he didn’t have much time for because of his strong work ethic and his busy cabinet business.

Most MG owners give a nickname to their cars. My first MGB was an impulse buy - a Pagent Blue 1979 Tourer and it became Mae B.
As in, maybe I’ll try this MG ownership out. I kept it for a few years but never really did much with it. It ran fine but then I got busy and it never really resonated with me probably due to the fact that it had those big black bumpers fore and aft. Next up was the 1970 split bumper Tourer that I just happened to spot in a local Craigslist ad and decided to check it out. It needed a clutch, had a dead battery and the paintwork was a respray that was done quickly years prior. A yellow car that had a red engine bay because one of the previous owners was going to paint the car red but fell ill. The current owner needed it gone and I decided to have it towed home. It became Ella B. after my oldest grandchild whose last name starts with B. That car is now being salvaged unfortunately.

Which brings me back to this car. I’m thinking of calling this one Bert. I also thought about Woody because of the PO’s occupation. Also thought about Al. I can hear Paul Simon singing “You Can Call me Al”. There is also Porter. His last name and the name of his cabinet business. I drink a porter now and then so who knows? I’m gonna ponder a bit.

I pondered a bit more and it hit me. Ashley seems to tie in with all aspects of the car. Lots of smoke and ash as I drove up to Kaiser, Oregon to look at and then again to bring home. Ash is a beautiful hardwood and a possible source of cabinet frames and doors. And Ashley sounds rather British. My Flame Red 1971 MGB GT will henceforth be known as Ashley. I’ll drink a Porter to that!