Carol Jamison was captivated by the 1974 MGB convertible that she and her husband, Carl, spotted languishing in a Moline driveway.

"I wanted to rescue it," she says.

Even though the couple eventually acquired another MGB roadster, she kept thinking about that rust bucket they had seen partially hidden under a tarp being held in place by a bag of fertilizer. A doll collector, she felt the same way about the car as she does about the damaged dolls she saves.

With the owner anxious to sell, she encouraged her husband of 44 years, a lifelong British car enthusiast, to buy and restore it. She even agreed to finance the project with income generated by her business, Carol's Dance Studio.

Carl took the right steps himself in returning the car to showroom condition.

After a three-year restoration, that harvest gold MGB will make its debut Sunday, Aug. 9, at the 22nd annual Heartland British Autofest, sponsored by the Quad-Cities British Auto Club, in the Village of East Davenport. More than 80 British vehicles and motorcycles from throughout the Midwest will line the streets of the historic neighborhood overlooking the Mississippi River.

The Jamisons' MGB should turn heads.

Once pocked with rust a good foot up along the lower edge of its body, the MGB has made a remarkable comeback. Carl, who retired after 39 years as a journeyman sheet metal worker, dissembled it, restoring or replacing many components. The work included installing new floor pans, new rocker panels, and replacing the master cylinder, clutch and brakes. A new bonnet, or hood, replaces the old one, which was eaten away by rust.

Tackling the passenger compartment, he added new seat cushions but preserved the original vinyl upholstery. The car was repainted harvest gold, its original factory color. A grille with vertical bars used in many MGBs replaces the honeycomb style used in the 1974 model. The grille complements the chrome bumpers, which were discontinued after 1974 in favor of polyurethane. The "rubber" bumpers were adapted because of U.S. safety requirements.

Carl has owned a number of British sports cars over the years, and his collection now includes a 1978 MGB, a 1964 Triumph TR4 and a 1971 Triumph TR6. He rates the MGB among his favorites for one simple reason. "It's a fun little car to drive," he says.