1962 MGA 1600 MK II
I washed cars for a MG Jaguar dealership in Fremont CA starting in1968 from when I was 14-17 years of age. This car was traded in on a new car when I was about 16, the owner of the dealership called me at home and said they just got a car for me. The dealership was a family owned and operated store and they took good care of their people. My parents took me down to see it and we took it home.
I drove the car to work, school both High School and to our local University. Having purchased it with my hard earned money ($1.25 p/hr car washing wage) I was quite careful with it, as it was a very good CA. car. It was sold new at Burbank Sports Car Center in Burbank CA, it has the dealer badge just behind the right front wheel opening. And still retains it’s original license plate frames from Burbank Sports Car Center.
At the time I also had a motorcycle which I spit the drive time with and drove the car through college. In 76-77 I bought a 1965 Porsche 356 C Coupe. My father once told me, “never get rid of your first car because you will never get another one like it”, so it got parked in his garage! I did not live at their home so it got very little use. As time passed I purchased my own home in 82 it now had a place to stay with me. At the time I worked for Ferrari of Los Gatos and always had nice things to drive, so again very little use, maybe 50 miles a year, just enough to keep everything working.
In 85 a restoration shop wanted to do paint and restoration work for Ferrari of Los Gatos. I gave them my MGA as a test case to make new again. They painted it and freshened up things as needed. Everything was painted; showing no signs of the previous green paint. The car looked and still does look beautiful.
The car had an 1800 B engine in it and I replaced it with an fresh very well built engine from Greg Solow’s Engine Room in Santa Cruz CA. Greg was a very successful vintage racer running British cars with a great reputation for his motor work. It is very quick for a MGA. I installed a Stebro exhaust in 72, which it still has. I replaced all 4 wire wheels some time back and they are in great shape with little miles on them. Since the car has so little use it tracks, steers and just drives the way one should, a real pleasure with the top down on a sunny day.
The car drives and feels much younger than its’ years due to its limited use. It has never been damaged and is rust free, the only bodywork is from a hand depression on the aluminum trunk lid from me pushing it at one point and forgetting the trunk was aluminum.
It has just been serviced, all fluids, tune up whatever was needed etc., runs great. I just replaced the two 6 volt batteries and a new original style steering wheel as the original one had cracks in the plastic.
Please call Scott Cote 408-234 8888 with any questions or requests for additional information.