Steve,
You are looking at a lot of work to get the car roadworthy. I really wonder
if it's worth it. I love MG's and have owned a lot of them over the years.
The newer MGB's (after '67) are more complex and are just that much more
difficult to fix than the old ones that I really don't think they are viable
to rejuvinate unless you get one that is not that deteriorated- if the paint
and interior are in good shape. Sorry to be so negative, but you can dump a
lot of money into an endless pit very easily. You would be better off to
sell it if it needs a great deal of work so that it doesn't deteriorate any
more (they do this when they sit, believe me.) Then look for one that
someone else has dumped their heart, soul and wallet into and got
discouraged- best to get an early car. Even if you take a loan to buy it,
you'd be better off. And it will still require a lot of work, even if it's
been "restored."
Another factor in all this is that many of the parts you will have to buy
are absolute crap- made in Taiwan or China and don't fit right or match what
came off the car. It is very very frustrating to try to get a shoddy new
part to fit and then have it look "so-so" after you install it.
I have a '73 B GT that I bought 13 years ago and have been renovating. I
have so much time, energy and money in it that it's rediculous. I've done
much of the work myself, but every time I turn around, there goes another
$100 or $300 or whatever. I could never get my money out of it (it being a
GT makes it a worse case than if it was a roadster, of course).
Back in the '60's and '70's you could get an MGA or MGB for a few hundred
dollars that needed a clutch or a valve job, but was otherwise in very good
shape. I used to buy them this way; do the needed repair, then drive it for
a few months or years. The cars were new enough that they didn't need
everything replaced. Now, the cars are so old that everything is shot
unless someone has really taken care of it or renovated the car, and they
aren't cheap now!
Don Scott
>I agree with Math for the most part; I subscribe to several LBC lists
>and the sometimes 160 or email per day JUST from those lists can be a
>bit tedious, even with an over-active Delete key. I would ask that some
>of the "me too" and "I agree" type of messages be sent to the originator
>of the thread only, not the whole list.
>
>I do enjoy the MG content topics. I have a '71 B, and have done just
>about everything wrong that the list has warned about.
>I bought the car ~4 years ago, drove it perhaps 100 miles or so and
>then parked it in the garage where it has resided ever since, being
>pushed forward or backward a few feet every now and then for reasons
>having nothing to do with the car.
>It has stayed like this for the following reasons:
>#1 - the steering felt like an old '55 Chevy truck I had w/no power
>steering while trying to parallel park (which from the list I have
>learned that my kingpins are probably shot)
>#2 - It has an after market muffler which made kids cover their ears
>whenever I would drive by
>#3 - the engine had been rebuilt and a "performance" cam installed; I
>couldn't figure out if the engine was idling rough or that's the way it
>was suppose to be because of the grind.
>#4 - last, but far from least, time to work on it.
>I bought the car because I wanted a 'B', had been looking for several
>months, and this was the best body I had seen in my neck of the
>'rust-belt' woods - solid floors, trunk and rockers, with some pitting
>around the rear wheel wells. Plus I received quite a bit of used extra
>parts (including a complete front end, and now I know why...).
>Now I know (again, mostly from the list) that I will more than likely
>have trouble with my carbs, gas tank, and brake hydraulics, not to
>mention the Lucas electrics, whenever I can see myself having a couple
>of months to devote to the car.
>I have recently purchased a 1989 printing of the Haynes '62 - '80 repair
>manual, plus I bought from Jim at British Racing Green in Newark, DE (a
>very knowledgeable and helpful guy with a slew of MGs in his boneyard
>for parts) The Complete Official MGB 1962 - 1974 by Robert Bentley. The
>book looks like it's worth it's weight in gold.
>The car will probably sit at least another year, as I intend to move
>early this year, and doubt I'll have the resources
>(read - time & money) to get into it.
>I subscribe to the list to file away tidbits of information to help me
>get the car going again when the time comes, plus to keep the coals of
>interest stoked so that I do not just give up on the whole thing.
>Meanwhile, I trot around to the various local shows and dream on....
>Oh yea, I own a 69 Corvair too.
>Steve
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