MG Maestro EFi Jonathan | 03 Jun 2007
Downgrading
I think it’s probably fair to say I appreciate my comforts. Before I’d even put my MG Maestro on the road it had already inherited an impressive list of extras, many of which weren’t even available when it was new. Electric windows and sunroof, cross spoke alloy wheels and an upgraded stereo and CD changer are all on the little list of luxuries that have found their way into my humble eighties run-around.
Trouble is, instead of the Maestro I’m now driving a modern Rover crammed with every possible extravagance. It’s so refined it’s actually pretty boring to be brutally honest. When I get into the MG I want to be transported back in time… with a bang! So I’ve started to remove one or two of the non-standard additions beginning with the later grey centre console that was very prone to cracking in favour of the car’s original smaller item. Almost famously it used to have the digital instrumentation and trip computer from an early MG Maestro, great for novelty value but I never did quite get it working accurately. There were mixed reactions when I replaced it with the standard dials and I’m still in two minds over whether or not it belongs in this car.
It’s quite a novelty having to wind windows down on warm days (manually!) or adjust the seat position by pulling a bar upwards and making determined shuffling motions to persuade it in the right direction. As more and more toys become standard on even the most basic cars it’s little things like these that are already becoming a part of the whole retro experience. Not a sat nav unit in sight.