I was 22 years old when I purchased my MGB from the Harmon Bailey dealership in Raleigh – mid April, 1965. I was about to graduate from college and had accepted a job that would take me to Kingston, NY for a few months until my department moved to RTP. The car’s first service at 3,000 miles was at a dealership in West Hurley, NY. For the next 17 years the car was a dependable daily driver and accumulated over 172,000 miles commuting and touring the east coast. It was garaged in 1982 suffering a few ailments that had made it unreliable. It had been a loyal companion for a long time and I could not bring myself to part with it. Twenty-five years later, and after my retirement, restoration began. My goal was to return it to the appearance it had when I drove it off the lot in 1965. Notable challenge was the dark blue interior and top. They were not available from the usual sources. Eventually, I found a top, but the upholstery had to be custom made. The dark blue tonneau is original and still in use.
As a side note, the 1965 MGB was designed to have push button door handles. Mine was built in October, 1964 and has pull door handles. No doubt there were some door assemblies left in the bin from previous years. Fortunately, the car has the 5 main engine also new for 1965.
Photos start with the condition before and after the restoration. The last 4 photos are of my children in 1973, again in 2016, my grandchildren reenacting their parents’ pose, and finally grandson, Logan, who seems to have his mind on making this a 3rd generation car.
