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The Steering Column
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Left Hand Drive
from our President
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 So I was thinking this morning, that a nice cup of coffee in the morning is a real pick-me-up. The interesting thing is that I didn’t start drinking coffee until I bought my Saab in 2005. You may wonder what drinking coffee and a Saab have in common, and you’d be right for questioning the correlation. It turns out that the Swedes make a pretty nifty cup holder. The cup holder was an articulated couple of pieces of plastic that popped out of the dashboard. It was an engineering marvel.
So it seemed a shame not to put such a beautiful device to use! So I started drinking coffee simply to use this nifty cup holder.
By this point you’re probably wondering what on earth this has to do with an MG. Again, you’d be right for wondering. Somebody once asked me what was the most satisfying thing to fix on my MG. It turns out it was an easy question to answer, for me: Blinker module. When we bought our MG, the turn signals were lethargic, so say the least. While waiting at a stoplight, it would blink maybe twice. Using the blinker to change lanes was more-or-less wasted effort, as no other driver would see it! I ordered new blinker modules (while I was in there, might as well replace the emergency flasher as well), and installed them in the parking lot at work, during a nice sunny lunch break. Simple fix, big difference!
OK, again you’re probably wondering where this is all heading. Am I right? Well, let’s just say the 2nd best “fix” I did on the MG, was to buy a cup holder. Now it’s not a complex Swedish design, but now I can happily motor to work, my cup of coffee by my side. What more does one need?
Safety Fast!
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The Steering Column
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Right Hand Drive
from our Vice-President
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My grandson Mason is now driving. Yikes, looking at this statement in print is scary. He isn’t as excited about it as I was at his age. I could not wait to drive. It meant I was no longer a “kid”. It meant freedom, freedom to go wherever I cared to go. Looking back I realize that I never went anywhere. Sure, I cruised around with three or four friends going no place in particular looking for a car full of girls. I think we were like the dog chasing a car. If we ever caught it, what would we do? We never did find out. We would pool our change (yes change as in coins) together a buy enough gas to drive all night. Well, not all night. I was still a kid in the eyes of the law and my parents.
I don’t know what Mason’s plans are once he gets mom’s old car. He may do the same thing I did, blindly drive around with no place in particular to go with a few friends looking for that car full of girls. I choose to believe he will be more mature than I was, and not be driving to find that car full of girls. But, if he stumbles on to that car full of girls, it will only add to the pleasure of a summer-night drive. He may even enjoy driving as much as I did, and still do. I did not get my MG until many years of wishing for one had passed. I enjoyed driving before I had my MG, but driving my LBC is surely more enjoyable.
Now I have a dilemma. Mason does not drive stick. I would let him drive Maggie (with me by his side of course) but I don’t think I would not be the best teacher. I tried teaching my daughter how to drive (with an automatic transmission). Each trip out ended with yelling and tears, and my daughter wasn’t happy either. I think his father should rent a car with stick and teach him. This will save my relationship with my grandson and also protect Maggie from grinding gears.
Here’s to every memory of our first drive, whether it was a beater, mom or dad’s old car or your first MG. Keep cruising.
~~ Ray Hansen & Maggie
(AKA Little Red)
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September 2016
