It sure would be AWESOME if one of you would volunteer to research this car, and turn your research into an article for British V8 Magazine!
(updated) MGA V8 (Buick 215) for sale on Los Angeles Craigs List (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/car/776343347.html) (32 photos)
(http://munitechmotorcars.com/61~MG~C~46/DSCN7571.JPG)
very "AC" looking front fender treatment:
(http://munitechmotorcars.com/61~MG~C~46/DSCN7572.JPG)
(Notice also the nifty "3500" fender badging!)
When was this car really hot-rodded and by whom?
The Panasonic AM/FM/Cassette looks early to mid seventies to me...
(http://munitechmotorcars.com/61~MG~C~46/DSCN7582.JPG)
I wonder why the boot lid badge has been changed to say "GG". (Cool, huh?)
(http://munitechmotorcars.com/61~MG~C~46/DSCN7575.JPG)
Please note that we can't add these photos to our photo gallery without copyright permission.
Also, I'd really like to include more photos of mechanical details.
(The ad shows too many "glamour shots", and doesn't provide much technical or historical detail.)
It would be extremely cool if vintage photos could be found to document the history of this car!
We need an "owners name", since that's how we index the photo gallery and HIWD articles.
Hint: the "How It Was Done" template would provide an "executive summary" of the car's features.
Here's the link to that: http://www.britishv8.org/How-It-Was-Done.doc
Hint: note that the photos are actually hosted by this car dealer's website: http://munitechmotorcars.com/
For reference on what your article might look like, you may like to refer to these two articles:
George Snively's early MGB V8 conversion (http://www.britishv8.org/MG/GeorgeSnively.htm)
Tom Schnerk's very early Healey conversion (http://www.britishv8.org/Other/TomSchnerk.htm)
Come on now... surely you've always wanted to write (or research) for a car magazine.
Why not volunteer for this fun and easy little assignment? No experience required!
Rob Ficalora has volunteered to make the phone calls. What a great guy!!!
I saw this car, or one exactly like it for sale at the Silver auctions at Hot August Nights in Reno the other weekend.
Regards
Tony
Probably the same car. I called & talked with "Bo" from the company that had it. He didn't have any info on it & either didn't have or wouldn't share the previous owner's name let alone contact info. About the only thing he'd tell me is they'd shipped it off to an auction in Nevada.
Link to more information on this car: The Gyro Gearloose Special!
http://californiaclassix.com/archive/61_MGA-V8.html
Great info Jerry & welcome to the board! Is it your car? I tried to get the scoop on it a couple of years ago but hit a dead end pretty quickly. That's a great story/history of the car!
Drop dead gorgeous!
Gyro Gearloose is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic chicken created by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. He is part of the Scrooge McDuck universe, appearing in comic book stories as a friend of Donald Duck, Scrooge and anyone who is associated with them. He was also a frequent star of the animated DuckTales. He first appeared in the Carl Barks comic Gladstone's Terrible Secret.Gyro is Duckburg's most famous inventor, even though his inventions don't always work the way he wants them to. His outrageous productivity is presented as a factor in the quality of his inventions; because he always comes up with new ideas, the fact that his inventions often lack an important feature, will often cause trouble for Scrooge or Donald who have bought the invention. He is known as being good-natured towards others. Gyro is often assisted by his Little Helper (or just "Helper"), who is a small anthropomorphic robot with a light bulb for a head. Besides Little Helper, he has also a thinking cap, a combination of a roof-top and a nest, with three black birds living in it.
Some of Gyro's relatives include his father Fulton Gearloose, his grandfather Ratchet Gearloose, and Newton Gearloose, his nephew. Occasionally there have been stories about Gyro's girlfriend Matilda. In some stories, Gyro's primary rival is Emil Eagle, although he is also antagonized by the Beagle Boys and Magica De Spell.[1] With his inventions, he is also a very important ally of Donald Duck's alter ego, Paperinik, in the Italian Disney
More than I ever guessed I wanted to know! Entertaining though.
JB
Methinks Maloney has a gearloose!
Useless information is what I excell at! It's the improtant details about things that really matter that are my weak link...
I wish it were my car! There are some really nice mods cleaning up the body. I'd love to see under the hood, though.
I do have a '59 MGA (my first car ever) that will get a V8 at some point. I just ran across this link doing research on this site: http://mgaguru.com/. More than you probably ever want to know about an MGA there.
Then I saw this old post while searching for Buick 215 pics.
I've been reading British V8 for some time now, just thought I'd make what contribution I could until I get my own MG8 on the road....My wife has never seen it run.
mIne has been off the road for 5 yrs. Would be driving it had I not broken the axle on a test drive. Still, it's been fun during the project too.
Had a friend of my wife & her husband come by to visit and look at the car. They came over in the MG A he'd restored. Knew we were in for an interesting discussion as he shared how he'd worked to ensure it was restored 100% original. I couldn't help but imagine a BOPR under the hood the whole time.
No wonder Mr. Maloney NEEDS Curb Service, he'll pour the ice & mixer and omit the main ingredient! "The devil is in the details"
SAFETY FASTER!
WOW! that's a great car. I love MGA's, but I'm not in love with the front end treatment.
Kelly, we'll have to be cautious lest Mr. Maloney launch into a discourse on the merits of Gyro Gearloose versus Mr. Dickel or my Irish friend. ;-)
The MGA is a beautiful car, but did not notice any detail on powerplant.
Now as far as Mr. Maloney, if he would refresh us all on the orgin of this "Curb Service" debacle. It is not a recent thing and I do not remember when it originated. Maybe it is a figment of my imagination?? :)
QuoteLink to more information on this car: The Gyro Gearloose Special!
[californiaclassix.com]
Looks like the story's been told, Curtis.
I love looking at swaps that were done back in the 50s and 60s. Here's some more pics of the GG Special: http://motoringinvestments.com/Z115.htm
Rick
My Nasty Healey: http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,8264
Bill Young---I have it on good authority that Gyro Gearloose was a very stong proponent and consumer of George Dickel and that exellent Irish Whiskey---In fact, investigation reveals that these two specific items were the main contributors to his early demise-
Kelly--As the intial purveyor of "Curb Service" I would think you would be somewhat familiar with the term. To refresh, the concept of Curb Service was born in Townsend in 2006 (I think) It started when an innocent lad from SW Ohio was wandering the parking lot drooling over all the cool rides. An interloper from Alabama happened upon the scene and offered the lad a we bit of Dickel as an offer of friendship. The interloper immediately disappeared, and of course the naive lad from SW Ohio was expecting him to return. Minutes passed, then hours passed and the much anticipated Alabama interloper never did return with the promised beverage. Of course, in the intervening minutes and hours, the lad from Ohio was forced to consume large amounts of BASS ale to help enhance the spirt of the event and ease the pain of not obtaining the promised beverage. Hours later, when the Alabama Interloper returned to the parking lot, he was questioned about the undelivered promised Dickel. The Alabama interloper retorted, "Man, we've been drinking the Dickel up in my room...what did you expect, "Curb Service"?" After receiving this message of enlightment, the lad from Ohio went to the Alabama interlopers room and consummed the remaining few ounces of George Dickel. And that boys and girls is how the concept of "Curb Service" was born----
Now, moving forward, a much revered lad from Kansas City has embraced Curb Sevice with enthusiasm....in fact...the Young enthusiast greeted the SW Ohio boy as he entered the parking lot at Indy last year with a serving tray, a towel, two glasses and a bottle of the revered Irish Whiskey... and they both consummed the whiskey, on the curb, with great satisfaction..now there is a man with values!!!!
And that folks, it the origin of "Curb Service" and the ensuing episodes in this continuing saga! Tune in, more to follow in Townsend.
Hi Brian,
I would love to know where abouts the "3500" badges on the front cowl were obtained from as I, also, have built up a 3500 V8 MGA roadster and these badges would look great on my car.
Cheers and Thanks
Frank Hiscock
Cootamundra
NSW
Australia
Found a video of the car running: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecFQ-IeoLbc
Sweet!
Barney Gaylord has a bit of the history on his MGA site.
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/variants/vt107s.htm
Info still available n the archive of the Californiaclassx site.
http://www.californiaclassix.com/archive/61_MGA-V8.html
I'm doing an article for one of the major Healey clubs on modified cars. Really interesting to see how V8 cars go back to the '50s. This stuff has been going on for a long time
Gotta love MGA conversions! Thing about them, they are constantly evolving...