Description
"Maisie the MGC" is for sale! Undoubtedly one of the very best MGCs, Maisie was built by Simon Wilkinson, the renowned MGC guru of Colne Classics as his personal car and works demonstrator.
Surprisingly, Maisie was originally a Met Police traffic car, one of 19 MGCs the Met bought in 1969. After her unlikely beginnings and four further owners, Simon purchased the car and set out to build "the ultimate MGC". The whole car was stripped before the body was mounted on a spit and sent for blasting. Hundreds of fascinating digital photographs are available of the restoration process.
New sills, floors, wings and doors were sourced, the car was painted in etch primer, primer and fully seam sealed before the top coat of beautiful pale primrose was applied.
Every part of the car was reconditioned by blasting, painting or plating before being reassembled using new hardware.
The engine was rebuilt to "fast road" spec using an AH2 cam, every part carefully balanced and a lightened flywheel was installed. 123 Ignition takes care of the spark distribution, whilst the overdrive gearbox, differential, steering rack and kingpins were stripped, serviced and rebuilt.
Suspension is taken care of by parabolic springs at the rear and Gaz shocks at the front and a brand new set of premium tyres have recently been fitted.
Cooling is handled by an aluminium radiator and electric fan which maintains a steady temperature on even the hottest days when stopped in traffic.
When she was completed, Maisie was set up and tested on the track. Simon reports that at 120 MPH, "there was still plenty more power available" and estimates Maisie to be capable of 140 MPH, although I am not quite brave enough to test that particular claim!
Maisie has been awarded many accolades, including being featured on the cover of Classic and Sportscar magazine, being awarded the concours d'elegance at the MGC Register rally, invited to feature in the MG Car Club marquee at MG Live and the "MG Timeline" at MGB50 and in my ownership, being invited to display on the track at the Goodwood Members' Meeting.
Maisie was also featured in a YouTube article, which can be viewed by following the link below, which was created by Classic Car Stories in which Simon gives more details about Maisie the MGC.
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I have adored having the opportunity of owning this very special car over the past couple of years and we have had many fabulous adventures together. Sadly, changing personal circumstances means Maisie must now find a new home, so if you are looking for a beautifully restored, comfortable MGC with surprisingly spirited performance which keeps pace with modern traffic with ease (at 70 MPH, the engine is only doing 2200 RPM!) and a classic car you can have the confidence to do long distance adventures in, Maisie might well be the MGC for you.
When I first became the custodian of Maisie, I found I was compelled to photograph her from pretty much every angle and at every opportunity whenever we were out and about! So I set up an Instagram page chronicling her adventures. Please feel free to view the photos on Instagram @MGC_Maisie
Suffice to say, Maisie is not your average MGC and would cost an absolute fortune to replicate!
