>Hi folks:
I fancy MG's and have been test driving a couple. Never owned one before. A
'69 (registered in '70) has caught my eye. Nicely restored. Mechanic had a
fine tooth comb when he went over it and found the following:
-needs new springs
-rad has oil in coolant
-head gasket is blown
-wiring broken to heater fan
-trunk and bonnet has filler and is blistering (car was painted-restored(?)
5 years ago
-needs 5 new tires
-brakes on right side are oil soaked
-rocker panels (home made) were repaired recently with pop rivets - lots of
brazing, resin and gaps
-King pins are loose and need rebuild
-battery needs clean and refit.
Estimated cost of mechanics $3K not counting the paint and body work
Owner asking $6K+ and claims it's worth 8.
<Comments, opinions and advice is welcome, appreciated and required.
My personal opinion? Run, don't walk, away from this car. It sounds like
it's worth about $900, not $6,000. The poor repair on the rocker panels
and the general overall state of repair shouts "Neglect!"
To get this car into good, not show, condition will cost you around $5,000
on a really rough estimate. Since cars in good condition are only worth
about $6,000 that doesn't leave much to the value of the car in its
current condition. You can find very decent cars for about $3,000
that won't have ruined rockers and blown head gaskets. If there's
oil in the water, then there's a good chance of water in the oil, and
there's no telling what damage that may have caused. The bondo, the bad
paint, the sagging springs, the worn kingpins are only the start. In
general, you will eventually find a lot more wrong once you start
taking things apart. This car has had a lot of wear and a lot of neglect.
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*Philippe Tusler - Mission Viejo, CA | "MILOU" '57 MGA Roadster *
* | "TINTIN" '66 MG/MGB-GT *
*InterNet: Philippe.Tusler@Unisys.Com | N/A '88 ISUZU Trooper*
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