NEXT GENERATION DIARIES
Growing up in a family with seven broken-down classics convinced Jonathan Chinery that he needed a reliable car. So he bought a 44-year old MG Midget that had been sitting outside unused for three years – on April Fool’s Day…
ENGINE 1493cc/4-cyl/OHV POWER 65bhp@5500rpm TORQUE 77lb ft@3000rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 101mph 0-60MPH 12.2sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 26-31mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, four-speed manual
HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN YOUR CLASSIC?
‘My dad was a serial classic car buyer throughout my childhood. I’ll always remember his Ford 100E and Humber Sceptre, but mostly it’s his classic Land Rovers that sti k in my mind. I started work on dad’s 1973 Series III Lightweight, which he took off the road with a blown cylinder head gasket some eight years ago, but that has developed into a ground-up restoration so I don’t suppose that I’ll be driving that car anytime soon. I needed a classic that I could use right away. My friend and his dad both had MG Midgets, which I really liked. His dad’s car had been his daily driver but had stood on his driveway under a cover for three years since his back problems made getting in and out a painful experience. On 1 April – yes, really! – we pulled the cover off and charged the battery and it started right up and ran really nicely. That really impressed me and I agreed to buy the car on the spot.’
WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR?
‘There wasn’t much rust at all, and inside it just needed was a clean to get rid of the dust and cobwebs. I set to with a full service, replacing the fluids and the plugs and re-gapping the valves. For reliability I checked the cooling system and replaced the hoses and for safety I serviced the brakes, steering and so on and replaced all four tyres.
‘Then my friend and I set off for Gaydon to celebrate the Midget and Sprite Club’s 40th anniversary. Apart from needing to tighten up the clamps on the new hoses when they started leaking coolant, the car has been trouble-free. I walk to work but really enjoy using my MG every week for… well, everything really – getting around after work, social things, driving to Midget and Sprite Club regional meetings and attending classic events.’
WHAT WOULD YOUR OWNERSHIP TIPS BE?
‘Things such as maintenance, spares, specialist insurance can all seem a bit daunting for a young first-time classic car owner at first. The best thing you can do is to join a club; with luck there will be a national club catering for your marque and it may even have a “youth” section. But also, see if there’s a local classic car club that you can get involved with. As well as the social side, you’ll get the cost of membership back many times over with the value of advice and insurance discounts.
Fellow members are amazing – when you’re unsure about a task, someone will have always done
