Jennifer Orum has owned her 1970 MGB roadster for about 12 years.
This isn’t the first British car she has owned, but it is her first collector’s car.
The West Vancouver resident wasn’t always a car fanatic, but she did notice cars when she was younger. She just couldn’t afford them. Her interest in vintage cars has grown over the years, and she is now a member of the MG Jaguar Club, and was a co-organizer for the group’s August show at Waterfront Park.
Getting a classic car is one thing, notes Orum. Lots of people have classic cars, but along with ownership comes the opportunity to be involved in car clubs and car events, she says, adding: “That’s equally as important as the car itself.”
Orum made sure she bought a car that was in excellent shape so she wouldn’t have to worry about too much maintenance.
But if you enter car shows, which she has, you have to put effort into keeping the car looking good, she explains. Having an excellent mechanic, which she says she does, helps. Orum’s MGB is now a “driver,” and travels about 6,000 miles a year, usually to car shows.
But it’s off the road from about November until March because of the weather. However, the little red roadster has driven in bad weather and it held up fine.
“These cars were built to drive,” says Orum.
It’s a very reliable car, but it’s important to put an effort into keeping it in good shape, she notes
Although she doesn’t usually do repairs herself, she does carry spare engine parts in the “boot” (trunk) when she travels in case she needs a replacement and is stopped somewhere that doesn’t service British cars.
However, “these engines are pretty simple,” she notes. There are no computers onboard, so repairs are not as complicated as they can sometimes be on newer cars.
Orum says roadsters like hers represent a bygone era when cars sported unique design.
“These were iconic cars from back then. They were just part of a lifestyle,” she says.
