Chevrolet Corvette MGA

Sports car enthusiast Keith Raphael, who lives in sunny California, is the proud owner of an MGA-based hot rod that he built and perfected in his own back yard over a 30 year period. He tells Mike Taylor his intriguing story of finding, building and cruising in his MGA V8.

Keith begins his tale by saying: ‘I was born in the southern coastal town of Long Beach, California and have never moved very far from the Pacific coast. My first car was the family’s 1961 Ford Falcon. Of course, I instantly threw on some magnesium wheels and tinted the windows, installed a new stereo and attached surfboard racks to the roof. At that time The Beach Boys were my all time favourite music group.’

Later, Keith moved on to owning a Ford Mustang, and then he purchased and modified a Ford Econoline ‘surfer’ van. ‘I fitted it with a V8 motor and painted the bodywork in a pearlescent white with blue flames,’ he continues. ‘Naturally the surf racks were attached to the roof, but, I longed for a sports car. At that time my dream was to own a Ford Cobra, but as a teenager that was financially quite out of my reach.’

In the event, Keith’s sports car ownership came via a slightly novel route. ‘In 1975 I fulfilled my passion for owning something sporting when I was just 20 years old,’ he continues. ‘Back then a friend of mine who knew I had a fancy for sport cars told me he had to vacate his home. In his back garden was, he told me, what he thought to be an Austin-Healey and would I be interested in buying it? Naturally I was intrigued, and arranged to meet him at his home. He led me round the back – with weeds and dead grass knee high, it was not an enticing prospect. ‘