My friend Jeff was kind enough to donate a period license plate frame from Seattle BMC, the local MG dealer when this car was new. It is now mounted on Reg the 1963 MGB, as you can see. It adds a nice period touch–even if my car was sold new in San Diego.

I removed the license plate mount assembly to make the job easier, and it seems that when this car was last painted (cheaply in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1973–no kidding) they didn’t remove the plate; it’s still the factory color back there! This is two philips-head screws, mind. When I finally get around to the bodywork, I’ll be repainting the car its original Old English White, which is much mellower and “of the time” than the appliance white that’s on there now.

Note the lichen collection. We have a pair of robins who have been trying to build a nest on the pillar for the carport–it falls down every day, and every day they try again. It’s been more than a month now…the insult “bird brain” has its genesis with creatures like this!

Here’s a slide show (click “more” to see it) of machines spotted at the Vancouver All British Field Meet on May 17, 2008. It was a beautiful day but I stupidly forgot sunscreen and got severely burned as a result. It was a nice show in a great setting. I got rid of all of my Canadian money, too, before coming back, a real achievement for me.

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What is the guy in the Jaguar doing? How many miles did he drive cross-country (with his five-inch ground clearance) to reach the lad he’s talking to? Did people really herd cattle in traditional dress through the 1960s? Where is this left-hand-drive car supposed to be? Africa? The Indian sub-continent? The Steppes? Argentina?

(If you look carefully at the car, it’s clear not all press cars were carefully vetted. The door fit is questionable, as is the bonnet. Makes it quite clear that most E-Types that are “show quality” are much better now than they were when new!)