The MGB lives! Following 18 months off the road, thanks to an accident in a professional workshop and a prematurely blown engine, it's now finally back in one piece with an MoT and a freshly rebuilt fast road engine that's loosening up nicely as the miles clock up.

The engine was rebuilt my MGA racer and experienced B-series engine builder Rod Cody with help from Webcon engineer Alan Collins. Both have worked incredibly hard to help me return the MGB to a fit state, for which I'm incredibly grateful - there was a danger that it would never see the light of day again.

Classic & Performance Engine Services in Bracknell, UK, were chosen to carry out the necessary machining, and they too went beyond the call of duty deciding to fit new cylinder liners rather than subject the original liners to yet another rebore. They reground the damaged crankshaft, lightened the flywheel and balanced all reciprocating components before handing the parts back to Ron.

Ron then reassembled the bottom end and rebuilt the cylinder head, before installing the completed engine in the car, though not before more problems arose - more of that in the August issue of the magazine. Now I'm running it in before a final set-up on the Webcon rolling road. Its first trip out after MoT was to Silverstone - not too long before it should be in a fit state for a track day on the new circuit there.