Page 14 - April 2023

MGA Dreaming BStory and photos by Russ Welty and Chip Hanback

I first became acquaint ed wit h Barney?s work when I was
researching informat ion for my MGA. His websit e MGA Guru is an
incredible body of work. I had quest ions so I cont act ed him and
we immediat ely made a connect ion. He was very helpful. A last minute special event in March,

When he called me recent ly and said he would be coming t hrough with special guest, adventurer, and
t own and want ed t o st op by and hang wit h me in my garage I was the MGA Guru Barney Gaylord,
act ually excit ed. " says Russ Welt y. provided living proof that if you can
dream it you can do it.

In 1977 Barney Gaylord purchased a 1958 MGA immediately recognize Barney as a character
with 150,000 miles on the clock. He paid $800 for straight out of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the
it. In 1986, after a 1200 hour restoration, the job Willows. When J. Thaddeus Toad urged friends
was done, with $9,109.52 in costs. The odometer content to stay safe at home to " Come with Me,
was rolled back to zero and the fun began. I'll Show you the World!" it's easy to picture
Barney throwing out an identical challenge. Toad
Barney, who describes himself as 'formerly of
originally started out with a horse and a gypsy cart
Naperville, Illinois, now a citizen of the world', has
but soon advanced to a motorcar. Barney 's
traveled more than 700,000 miles in his MGA on
horsepower is provided by his trusty British sports
what has become a permament road trip;
car but the impetus for adventure is the same as
translated, he's been on the road for nine years
Toad's. Story continues on page 16.
and counting. Son Elliot is his navigator; a small
tag-a-long trailer carries everything that they Special thanks to club member and MGA
fan Carl George for holding the event on
need.
short notice at his Franklin based garage.
If you know English literature you would 14