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Maggie wasn’t much to look at. In need of love and attention, yes. But to young Tom McCooey, strapped in the driver’s seat, smelling brittle leather and gripping the huge steering wheel, the old MG Magnette in the garage was more than just his dad’s old motor. Tom had never seen Maggie move or heard her engine roar, but the fact dad Will wouldn’t let the car go added to the magic and mystique. Aged 14, Tom embarked on reviving her, but life threw many diversions in front of Maggie’s journey back to the road. Sharing the view from vehicles throughout Tom’s life, this love affair has not always been smooth, as every small victory uncovered yet another seemingly insurmountable problem. For Tom it was never about the car’s financial worth, but preserving something central to family history. All of it driving a tale of restoration from love to grief and back again.
Maggie wasn’t much to look at. In need of love and attention, yes. But to young Tom McCooey, strapped in the driver’s seat, smelling brittle leather and gripping the huge steering wheel, the old MG Magnette in the garage was more than just his dad’s old motor. Tom had never seen Maggie move or heard her engine roar, but the fact dad Will wouldn’t let the car go added to the magic and mystique. Aged 14, Tom embarked on reviving her, but life threw many diversions in front of Maggie’s journey back to the road. Sharing the view from vehicles throughout Tom’s life, this love affair has not always been smooth, as every small victory uncovered yet another seemingly insurmountable problem. For Tom it was never about the car’s financial worth, but preserving something central to family history. All of it driving a tale of restoration from love to grief and back again.