MGA Forum

Since I last dropped a note here we hardly stopped moving. Another 2000 miles in the past two weeks, can't seem to slow down. Since June 12th we've gone from Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (Cape Cod area), Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York (Long Island area), Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. We have been visiting museums, cars and people, fixing cars as we go, getting into club meetings, tours, parades, car shows, and taking pictures of covered bridges everywhere in the northeast. The New England area is a hoot, but we could do with a little less rain.

I haven't forgotten about anyone yet (I hope). Still planning on a tour of Maine very soon, if we don't get derailed again. Anything happening up there? See photos and notes of our follies as we go at http://mgaguru.com/tales/mobile.htm

Barney and Elliot Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://MGAguru.com

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

Barney,

If you come up this way (NH on the way to Maine) I would be honored to meet you and buy you a beer. You have been a big part of my life for the last 14 years or so. I have read your site cover to cover (so to speak) and even spoken to you on the phone. I'll check back to see where you're bound in the next week or so. If you do come up this way, we'll probably be able to get some locals together. Even TC (team evil) might be able to make it!

If you come up this way, we have GREAT MGA roads up in the white mountains...take 93 up through the "notch" (Franconia Notch) then east past the Mount Washington/Bretton Woods along the presidential range to North Conway, back down to the Kancamangus highway and West back to Lincoln. Eat at the Woodstock Inn in North Woodstock. There are a great bunch of scenic mountain roads and small Norman Rockwell-y towns in the area around Center Harbor and Wolfboro.

Going up Route 1 through Maine (stay off of 95, route one is slower but much cooler) and all the way up to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park (great camping) to watch the sun rise as far east as you can go in the USA.

Of course, GT-39 is in Ottowa - which is back north of NY state and kind of the other direction, so that would be a great destination on your way back from Maine along the southern route in Canada - a bit of a long drive but gorgeous, esp if you can take a detour up to old Quebec on the way.

JIM in NH

Having grown up vacationing on Mount Desert Island and at Acadia national Park, I can't overstate how great it would be to tour that area in MGA. Barney, the only downside for you would be that you will be on McDonald's withdrawal while you're there. I'm sure they have free Wi-Fi elsewhere.

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Geoff Howard
http://mgaexperiment.blogspot.com
Now Playing on the Blog (8/8/2013): Don't Blow Your Top

Jim Mail,

Currently sitting in Lyme, NH, about 100 miles north of you. Send address and phone number. I could be there in a few hours. Maine can wait.

For the rest of you blokes, tune in on the what's been happening for the past few days here:
http://mgaguru.com/tales/mobile3.htm
http://mgaguru.com/tales/body_work.htm
Not a big secret just didn't have time to post it before today.

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

Barney,

I am home on Sunday, Emailing info.


JIM

Bingo. MGA guru will be in Nashau, NH Sunday afternoon.

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

Thanks for coming to see me Barney! I'll drive the car and follow up with you soon...but it seems to be running really well, and it was a great pleasure meeting you and Elliot. I hope camping at Greenfield is terrific - and good luck on your travels!

JIM in NH

Hey, y'all. We are finally in the southern tip of Maine going north. We intend to crawl along US-1 for a few days, as far as it will go, then make our way back down from north end of the state through the central part, or wherever we might wander. Any more MG enthusiasts in Maine?

See out latest follies here: http://mgaguru.com/tales/mobile3.htm

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

After the late June nose job and fresh paint and grille, we hit Nashua, NH, on 6/29. Also hit Historic Motor Sports in Candia, NH, on the 30th where I picked up some parts. Changed LF wheel bearings on the 1st, then visited Leyland British Auto in Arundel, ME. On July 2 we visited John Campbell of "Sports Cars" in Harrison, ME, finding there are plenty of MG projects and parts available in Maine. http://mgaguru.com/tales/john_campbell.htm

Been ducking rain, trying not to swim too much. Spent all day Thursday 7/3 doing web work. Moving back east to the coast today, expecting to visit Owls Head Transportation Museum today. I maybe wouldn't bother with that, but the MG world seems pretty dead as we go farther north. Anything happening with MGs in Northern Maine?

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

As planned since last note We spent two more days running up the east coast of Main, then the better part of one day in the north before making a bee line back down to Bangor tonight. Have driven over 1000 miles in the past three days. The best we could find of MGs during that time were 13 of them in Owls Head Transportation Museum. Early this afternoon we had a report of an MGB owned my a lady in Presque Isle, ME, but could not get contact information.

See reports of all the fun to date here: http://mgaguru.com/tales/mobile4.htm
Now over 8000 miles in the past two months.

Monday evening 7/7 we expect to attend BCNH club meeting at Weathervane, 393 Route 101, Bedford, NH. That's a bit out of our way, but has a fixed schedule. New direction from there is up for grabs again. Any suggestions? We are contemplating New York State (away from NY City), and then central Pennsylvania.

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

Barney,
Fer cryin' out loud, Pittsburgh is only three hours from "central Pennsylvania" and Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix starts next weekend (and continues all the following week, before the grand finale in Schenley Park on the 19th and 20th.

C'mon, Barney. What's a few hundred more miles after 8,000?

What are the admissions fees for those events? I bet it would buy a lot of fuel.

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

Funny you should ask. Last time I checked, the first weekend, at what used to be called BeaveRun Raceway (now called Pitrace or some such a thing) is $20. The big weekend (19th & 20th) is FREE to spectators (and we get over a quarter million people that weekend, attending the various events at Schenley Park.. Entry fee (actually a charitable donation, since all proceeds are donated to The Autism Society and the Allegheny Valley School for Autism) for British Car day is $35.00. The Waterfront Car Cruise is $10 to enter a car. Countryside Tour is $75, but it's been sold-out for quite some time, now (but I may be able to get you in, if you are interested). Check out www.pvgp.org for more details on all of the events.

Okay Bud, we are closing in on the date and location for Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. We have an appointment for 6:00 pm Tuesday in Atoona, PA.

I have information for British Car Day (by Western PA Triumph Assoc) on Saturday 7/19, and British Car Display Day pm Sunday 7/20. The price is right, especially with the parking privileges, so I would like to attend this event. I can figure out how to get in and out of town. The remaining issue is where to stay in or around Pittsburgh, at least for Saturday night.

Meanwhile we have been having a jolly good time with our adventures. Especially working on the 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile much of the day Saturday. See recent photos and notes here: http://mgaguru.com/tales/mobile4.htm

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Barney Gaylord - 1958 MGA with an attitude - https://MGAguru.com - barneymg@mgaguru.com - Ph: 630-946-3841
(Please email me direct, do not leave a PM on the public server).

That's great news, Barney! When do you plan to arrive in Pittsburgh? I'll check with some PVGP officials and see which hotels might still have vacancies (some local hotels have become "friends" of PVGP and may still be holding some rooms at a discount rate for PVGP attendees).

In addition to being defined by it's rivers, Pittsburgh is also divided by them. Most folks pretty much stay on their side of the river, as far as all of their shopping, dining and working goes. No animosity between North Hills, South Hills, etc. It's just that our knowledge of where things are, on the other side of the rivers, is often somewhat limited. I'm a South Hills guy (although I actually live 25 miles WSW of the city, in a rural area) and am very familiar with places to stay, places to eat at and good routes to get into Pittsburgh and out to Schenley Park. Some of my other MG friends, from the North Hills, are intimately familiar with areas on the other side of the Mon (Monongahela River).

Bottom line is that I recommend staying around the Canonsburg/Bridgeville/Upper St. Clair/Bethel Park area and can get you some hotel contact information in those areas. They are good, safe communities where your car will be safe and you will be 30 minutes from Schenley Park (other than staying right in Oakland, where the park is located, you're pretty much going to be 30 minutes away from it, whichever side of town you stay on).

We will be in Indiana (PA) on Thursday afternoon, for lunch (PVGP Countryside Tour). If you want to meet us there, at The Coventry Inn and tag along for the afternoon (a donation is appropriate), you are welcome. We will be having dinner near Washington, PA., at a place called The Century Inn, which is also a great place to stay (really nice B&B inn, established in 1794.....seriously, 1794).

I'll PM you my cellular number and you can give me a shout, when you get a free minute, tomorrow and we can discuss whatever questions & needs you may have.