In time for his son’s wedding, a POOLE man finally completed a car restoration – after 27 years.
Broadstone-based designer David Townend began restoring the 1974 MG Midget in 1994, the year his son Michael was born.
David originally paid £ 300 for the little red sports car, which he describes as “an old wreck that was parked in a field for years.”
He says that back then it was “one thing people did – paid stupid sums for an old wreck”.
As a classic, it would now be worth over £ 5,000.
In a love affair, the UK-made vehicle will make its first trip to Burley Manor for Michael’s wedding next month.
Michael says the car was “always in pieces” in his father’s garage as he works full time juggling life and work.
The restoration was originally supposed to take two years, but David said, “The car stood there the whole time, but it wasn’t a priority as life gets in the way and the body overhaul process needed to be done properly.”
When rebuilding the car, he faced a number of other challenges, including rust and sourcing the right parts.
Michael says “a lot of work and a lot of heart” went into the restoration and that means even more as his father will be the best man at the wedding.
Although the project took 25 years longer than planned, David said the wedding gave him “the kick-start I needed to get it sprayed professionally”.
He said, “It’s been a lot of money and I’ve been laid off a couple of times over the years, so money has always been an issue.”
The almost finished vehicle was painted white for the wedding.
David says it is “great that it is done” and that it is “time to move on to the next” if he is allowed to.
The wedding, which is in four weeks’ time, has been postponed due to the coronavirus, but that means the car will be ready on time.
