Deborah VanTilburg is all smiles behind the wheel of the 1980 MGB.
WAPAKONETA – Gary VanTilburg has owned four convertibles, but none of them drove as nice as the 1980 MGB he picked up a year ago.
“It handles especially well and is just enjoyable to drive,” he said of the two-seat roadster.
When VanTilburg purchased it from a man in Cleveland, he knew the car needed some work. That didn’t deter him.
“I like fixing up older cars,” the 68-year-old VanTilburg said. “The guy was about halfway through replacing the original four-cylinder engine with an Oldsmobile V8 when he decided to sell it. It did turn out to be more work than I anticipated, but other than tires and some interior work, that was all it needed. The outside was clean, free of rust. A good waxing brought the shine back into the paint.”
The MGB is one of the most affordable classic cars made. The British Motor Corporation built more than a half million MGBs between 1962 and 1980.
British Motors played up the motto of the MGB being “safety fast.”
Unlike other roadsters that have been criticized for being “so small you wouldn’t want to be in an accident while driving one,” the MGB has been remarkably safe for being a small car. Autoweek magazine notes the MGB sported many safety features, such as a crumple zone and collapsible steering wheel, years ahead of American-made cars. More so, the MGB was a unibody car, where every part is welded together.
The biggest challenge VanTilburg sees with the car right now is teaching his wife, Deborah, how to drive it.
“We’re working on that,” he said. “She loves the car.”
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News; 205 W. Market St., Suite #100A; Lima, OH 45801.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
ONLY ON LIMAOHIO.COM
Check out cars we’ve featured and discuss your memories on the Real Wheels page at LimaOhio.com/tag/realwheels.
