Lewis Vanbibber's Journal

Hi guys
Thank all of you for the kind comments . It most certainly has given me a little boost to know the members are really interested in knowing an MG is being resurrected , as it were, from a burning hell . My old fart friends think I am a little bonkers to try to save Alfy . I admit , it has been a little tough ,at times,to get up and go to my shop , but being a hard headed Dutchman , I have had a goal to complete .
Son Bill, the Porche nut, has been in full support as he says it will keep me alive . Unexpected support has come from two of my daughters who can't wait to go riding in Alfy.
Cheers friends. Safty Fast

Glad to report Alfy moved under its own power today . After a little adjusting, my son ,Billy ,and I took a little ride around the neighborhood. Alfy ran very well with 60 PSI oil pressure and did not overheat.
Still work todo, but very happy that the old boy is alive and well.
Cheers. Lew VB

Hi all
Still working on Alfy and making progress. I have found the
upholstery to be difficult, time consuming and frustrating, but so far I have survived.From the Frame Up videos are a great help.
Alfy now has some clothes on his body. Perfect--- No ,but presentable. My aim has not to make a concours event car , but to save the old boy from being broken up for parts and lost forever , and be a nice driver.
Perfect has never been my aim on these old Brit Cars that I have restored , as I drove,owned and race these guys when new and remember them as not being of the best quality and a bit rough as new. But still loved them .
Hope to have not bent anyones nose , but remember these were inexpensive cars.
cheers lew

Hi All hope you all have had your shots.
Alfy continues to get daily attention for 2 or 3 hours and progress is showing . All fenders are off stripped of paint and primed as well as the tub. Gas tank cleaned straitened and primed.
Dealing with some tember issues and the doors fitting which
seems to be a real grimlin we are all faced with.
It has been a real challenge but worthy of the effort, in my estimation. My son , the Porsche fanatic, might differ with the old man .
cheers lew

An update to let you know Alfy is getting attention and is doing fine. A few hang ups ,but not bad. Finding parts is not as tough as I thought., but you do have to work at it. Our Canadian friend Hugh has been a big help as others in the group offering help , advice etc. Thanks guys.
The scuttle was the most difficult of the work on the tub. The fire did a lot of miss shaping of the sheet metal, but eventually it yielded to my enthusiasm and very big hammers. The doors were not bad,but everything required a lot of hand labor pounding, beating ,shrinking , swearing , band aids etc to get the job done.
The wood work is not difficult , but can be frustrating at times.
Got my virus shot with no side affects , except my arm was a little sore for awhile.
cheers

Still working away on Alfy ,usually 2 to 3 hours each day. I have been able to find most of the parts I need at this moment . Will need more later as I progress. Was able to get some needed parts from fellow member Hugh , our Canadian friend .
Other parts from Frame Up and Moss and eBay.
I am making some of the wooden parts , just because I like to do something that is specifically from me.
I am sure I may have messed up on some of the sites here , if so , yell at me . I don't mind being corrected , ask my wife of 60 years.
Also ,spent 20 years active duty and 5 years National Guard.
Spent a lot of time correcting the scuttle as it was a bit out of shape, to put it mildly .
The structure is not as bad as I expected ,but still a challenge.
I may never get this old guy finished , but son , Billy is a car nut and does not sell anything that has wheels. I think he has 29 cars including his high school car, an English Ford Panel . His first was a bug eye Sprite I gave him for his 16th which he drove from Long Beach, Ca. to New Hampshire , where we lived at that time.
cheers friends Have a Nice Day

Car Show in Grass Valley. My 250 GT