I'm new to this list, but I've been here and there and everywhere else over
the past few years. I live in Seattle and also spend my time and what little
money I have left fixing up my terminally ill "flat floor" E-Type and an
early-fifties BSA 650 motorcycle.
I just picked up "Reg," a 1963/4 MGB, #10553, which is almost a one-owner
car (the guy I bought it from was close friend of the original owner and
went with him to the dealer to pick it up; his friend sold it to him in '73)
with 83,000 very well cared for and exquisitely documented miles. (Little
booklets came with it, replete with details like "15,167 miles, 1/2 quart
oil"--all the way up to the present.) It had a respray in 1973 and the seats
were recovered in the hide of the now endangered Nauga in Tijuana in
1975--the original owner lived in San Diego. Most of the interior is
original and in nicely patina-ed condition, the doors shut with satisfying
clunks, and under the bonnet it is absolutely original except for an
Australian clutch master cylinder and actually quite clean. It's a
pre-gulp-valve engine with all its original accessories, generator excepted.
There are a few minor dings here and there but it's a lovely period piece,
right down to the period fire extinguisher, radio, MG Mitten car cover, old
AMCO tonneau, and an altimeter under the dash (!). The original jack still
has varnish on the handle and its original decals and paint.
Interestingly enough, it's a black-plate California car (I have the plates),
never driven in the rain and always garaged after its arrival here in
Washington (it had 60,000 on it in 1975). Still, for all that, the sills are
going to need replacement at some point. Something to keep in mind when
viewing ads for those "rust free" California cars (has anyone noticed that 9
out of 10 British sports cars were delivered new to California, if you
listen to advertisers?).
It's white with a black interior and steel wheels...a very plain car in some
respects. But that's part of Reg's appeal. Very quiet and competent. White's
not my favorite, but Reg was born that way and that way he will stay.
Minor problems include sticky clutch hydraulics (I have a NOS master
cylinder and slave ready for when I get to it), and possibly weak rear
springs. Syncromesh is weak on second gear, too--however, I do like
non-syncro first gear boxes on old sports cars. It leaks oil pretty well,
but not anywhere near the amount my Healey 3000 did, so I'll just keep an
eye out. The seat padding is just about gone, and I'll probably recover the
seats in the original leather as the Tijuana covers look somewhat
appropriate but the pattern is off and the shape is wrong. Also, the turn
signal indicator has lost its positive action, so while the switch
functions, it doesn't always stay off and has to be held in place for
left-hand turns. I had a similar problem on a similar switch on my previous
E-Type, and no one would sell me the part needed...only entire switches. I
hope I can avoid a similar fate with Reg.
This is my eighth MGB, and by far the best and most interesting--most of the
previous MGs were "college kid beaters" of indeterminate origin. I've been
without an MGB for a few years, but they are a great sports car, comfortable
and nimble and with bags of character.
I tend to ramble on, so my apologies about the length of this post (as the
bishop said to the actress...).
Roger Los
'54 BSA Golden Flash
'61 Jaguar E-Type OTS
'63 MGB Convertible
'66 Austin Mini 850
'95 Triumph Daytona 900
Ford truck, guaranteed to run
Very packed one-car garage
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