Learning Curves

Steve Gyles is no run-of the-mill classic car owner. He has used his MGA as daily transport for several years and that’s without a hood. He’s no stranger to the MG sports car life, having owned a TC and PA in the past, and has also been a veteran in other ways, as a fighter pilot for 25 years.

It was back in 1993 that he decided to restore an MGA. He realised that he would need some car-related skills, so he enrolled on evening classes at his local technical college. “I did courses on welding, metal fabrication and body refinishing,” he recalls. Subsequently he purchased a MIG welder, compressor and spraying equipment.

He approached California Classics of Hull (CCHL) for the starting point of his MGA restoration. CCHL has been importing MGs and other classics from the drier climates of the world since the '80s. During October 1996, Steve inspected some photos of a Mk1 1958 MGA that had been abandoned in a barn for 22 years. At the time, UK-based MGA restoration projects were selling for around £4,500 and were generally in need of new panels and lots of welding. CCHL was offering a sun-dried MGA