Monthly Archiv: April, 2016
After 48 years of ownership Hugh Pite is beginning to restore his 1933 MG J2.
He bought and drove the MG in London in January of 1968 and shipped it to Canada thereafter.
What might look like a rough example, is actually a jewel.
These pre-war MGs are exceedingly rare and seldom found in such a complete state. Hugh’s car is matching numbers and sits exactly how he found in 1968.
Futhermore it uses a rare overhead camshaft, crossflow engine which that was distinct from the later T-series.
MG’s 1933 model year was the first to incorporate sweeping fenders, the same shape which defined the TA, TB, TC, TD and TF which followed.
Hugh displayed his J2 at this year’s Restoration Fair and Swap Meet by the OECC South Island Branch and plans to do a sympathetic restoration that will maintain MG’s original integrity.
The best car show on the island is the Restoration Fair and Swap Meet by the OECC South Island Branch.
It brings out the great people in the area, their great British cars and others from afar.
One such character is Ken Finnigan came down to sell the leftovers from his racing days. He was a regular racer at Westwood and told stories of his MGA Twin-Cam that could out-do all the Healeys, but when the AC Bristol came around it was hard to beat.
For the show my dad prepared the ‘850’ mini racer and we had a beautiful Triumph TR6 in the for sale area.
Our Best of Show would have to be Hugh Pite’s 1933 MG J2 Roadster. More on that later.
This 1966 Jaguar Mark X 4.2 will soon be scrap metal for future appliances.
That’s right. We are parting it out for a new heart in our engineless E-Type FHC. Peder Mansson is also getting the steering box for his cars in Switzerland.
But don’t fret too much because this big Jag (the biggest model they ever made) has sufferred from rot, including a leaky window seal that soaked the harness, gauges, switches and wooden dashboard for years.
The engine swap isn’t completely straight forward. The engine and cylinder head are identical units to the E-Type, but the engine mounts, water pump, exhaust headers, oil pan, oil filter housing, intake manifold and carburettor linkage are different.
With a minor rebuilt and repaint we are one step closer to getting the FHC on the road.
