The primary purposes of this road trip were (are? I am still on it) to see my friend Gene Gillenwater in Ohio, to attend the MG national meet in Louisville, KY, and to simply get out and drive and see some countryside. I have done all of those, and I am still on the road!
The first leg of the road trip took me from Charleston, SC, over some of the worst roads I have ever seen, through North Carolina and a bit of Tennessee up into Virginia. Seriously, the roads in my own home state are the worst I have seen and are in dangerously bad shape. We should be ashamed of ourselves.
The second leg of the trip was from Bristol, VA, through Abingdon, VA, because no self-respecting British car fan could pass up going to Abingdon, and then on through Kentucky to Ohio – just outside of Columbus.
Somewhere on the mountain grade outside of Blowing Rock, NC, I scraped a huge hole in my exhaust. It was about an inch wide by two and a half to three inches long. Let me tell you, that as loud. Thankfully Gene is a talented fabricator and welder, so I only had to endure about 6 hours of that sound. Too many, yes, but what are you gonna do?
Preparing to leave home
Near Blowing Rock, NC
Near Boone, NC
She seems lonely out there amidst all those unfamiliar cars. Bristol, VA
4 AM out the window in Bristol, VA
Not a bad view of the edge of the mountains.
The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA
Even though I was in a Triumph, I still had to stop in Abingdon!
Somewhere in Virginia. Or Kentucky?
Vintage Austin Healey Racer on its way to Indianapolis most probably.
OK, this I do remember is Kentucky. I think.
A road. I know for certain that this is a road.
In Louisa, KY I stopped for gas and came across a red British phone box. I took it as a sign that I was supposed to be there.
And if you scrape a hole like this in your exhaust header, your little 1500 cc Spitfire will sound like a Harley Davidson that had too much Taco Bell for lunch.
Made it to Ohio, safe and sound. And … helped my friend Gene rescue this poor 78 MG Midget out of a field. It seemed happy to get out of there.
Sunrise over farm fields in Ohio. Really, have to admit it, quite a pretty area.
Michael Carnell is the editor and founder of the Just British Online Motoring Magazine. As a lifelong British car enthusiast, he has owned or driven British cars of all ages from Austins and MGs to Jaguars and Triumphs. He currently owns a 2017 MINI Cooper S 4-door, a 1966 Vanden Plas Princess 1100, and a 1979 MGB with V6 and 5-speed. But there is always room for more - no matter what his wife says.
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Our video of this week this time comes by way of Ohio. Well, it comes from the MG Cars Channel actually. The video is a wrap-up of the recent MG Gathering of the Faithful (GOF) that took place last week in Akron. Although the weather turned rainy, it sounds like a good time was had none-the-less. You can see more details of the event at the GOF Central website. Make sure to check out all of the cars winning awards on the awards page. The 2018 GoF Central will be held at Lake Delavan, Wisconsin, beginning on June 27th. More info is available at the official site. Michael CarnellEditor at Just BritishMichael Carnell is the editor and founder of the Just British Online Motoring Magazine. As a lifelong British car enthusiast, he has owned or driven British cars of all ages from […]
The 31st annual British Car Day in Dayton, Ohio, billed as the “Midwest’s best British car and motorcycle show” will be held on August 1, 2015. This is a Saturday, and the show will run from 9 am to 4 pm at Eastwood MetroPark, 1385 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Make plans now to attend as there will be a popular vote car show, vendors & swap meet, full-service concession stand, dash plaques to first 325 entrants, spectators admitted free, and children’s activities. For more information or to register, hit the official site at http://britishcardaydayton.com. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
October 25th is the day. The British Car club of Charleston will host our 31st British Car Day at the beautiful Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park on Sunday, October 25th, starting at 9:00am. There will the amazing silent auction tent, food on the grille, plenty of fun stuff and lots of great cars. The family can enjoy the pier at the park and views of the Charleston harbor. For those of you who don’t know, this is my home club, and the club I founded over thirty years ago with a great group of friends. So, yes, this event is special. I will be there, of course, with “Catherine” my 1966 Vanden Plas Princess 1100. Well, and maybe my 1978 Triumph Spitfire. Also, since the rains in South Carolina delayed the Grand Strand British Car Show up in Myrtle Beach to […]