Charley Williams
Charley Williams
Name: Charley Williams
Location: Redding, California
TCs owned:
1948 TC 6126 / XPAG 6779, Apple Green / Black
Original owner was Charlie Moreaux of Wisconsin. Sold in the 1960s to Bill Gault in Canoga Park, CA, an avid TC Motoring Guild member. Bill Watkins of Covina, CA acquired the TC in 1988 and began a comprehensive restoration. Was on display at the Riverside International Automobile Museum from 2010-2014 and Charley bought it in November 2015.
Charley writes:
My first car was a 1952 TD that I purchased shortly after graduating from high school in 1960. I spotted it sitting on a vacant lot with a for sale sign and though it looked spent, I knew that was the car for me. It was powder blue and someone had painted a black and white checkerboard on the grill. I scraped up the $500 asking price, which was a fortune for me at the time, and proudly took her home. My dad was less then overjoyed with my purchase. He was of the generation that held a strong belief that only American made cars were worth buying and that I was in for a headache with my “foreign” car.
When the first weekend rolled around I hopped in the car and set out for a 100 mile round trip drive to bond with my new car. The route I chose included a section through Mt Lassen National Park with a summit passage at 8,500 feet. This was the beginning of a learning lesson I would not soon forget. The ride in a “modern” car of the time would have been a few hours. It took me well over 12 to complete. Climbing the hills at altitude was grueling. I could have gotten out and walked faster in many sections. The other thing I had not counted on was the cold. I didn’t plan on being at 8,000 feet after dark and was dressed for the warm valley floor where my trek began. By the time I reached home it was near 3:00 a.m. and I knew what was in store for the powder blue MG. LOTS OF WORK!
Dad had taught all us boys how to work on cars so up on blocks she went. The hood came off. Radiator removed. Engine pulled. Dad worked at a local auto parts store so the engine went to their machine shop to be rebuilt. While all this was taking place, the headlights and grill slats went to be chromed and the rest of the car went to the paint shop to be transformed from powder blue to jet black. My aunt helped fabricate a new top and covering for the side curtains and I restored the dash.
With my “new” gorgeous jet black 52 TD all reassembled and tuned to perfection, I set out again for the trip to Lassen Park and this time it was a grand ride.
After all these years, I wish I still had that car. I’ve always really liked the looks of the TC and shortly after selling my sailboat I made up my mind that if I found one I liked I would grab it. The opportunity presented itself in November 2015 when a 48 TC in British racing green, in excellent condition, caught my eye. According to the dealer, the car was needed nothing other than a new owner so I snapped it up. When I got it home, remembering my earlier lesson with an MG, I decided to take if for a short drive. When I got back I knew what was in store for the TC. LOTS OF WORK!
Now, almost a year later, my little green 48 TC is a joy to drive and I plan on a run up to Lassen Park in the near future.