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Re: rebuild or part out?

To: MG List <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: rebuild or part out?
From: Max Heim <max_heim@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 18:11:09 -0800
Good point. I might add that the Mk. 1 cars account for only about a fifth
of the total production run, and that due to their age, they have doubtless
already suffered a higher rate of attrition than the more recent
generations. Back in the 70s when the B was still in production, the early
models were considered "used cars", and generally disparaged for their
primitive characteristics. A great number were trashed by college students
and other low-budget, high-risk owners.


--

Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the primer red one with chrome wires


on 3/17/06 5:05 PM, Rich C at richchrysler@quickclic.net wrote:

> Hello all,
> I've been following this thread with interest for the last few days. I am
> looking at the general theme of the replies and find that many of the
> listers are perhaps too quick to scrap or part out a car which, being a
> Series 1, is among the last of the purer Abingdon products produced when BMC
> was still at the reins. Thereafter the bean counters began to cause the slow
> but steady decline in quality of components, workmanship, craftsmanship and
> so on.
> 
> With the series 2 cars, other than a stronger gearbox (actually developed to
> handle the torque of the MGC), the seats went to vinyl, the switches to
> cheap plastic rocker types, the North American market got stuck with the
> ugly "Abindon pillow" dashboard, the first forms of pollution regulations
> saw a recirculating air pump and less horsepower, and so on.
> 
> The Series 1 cars will be the first to become "collectors items". Don't
> scoff at that statement, I know folks will say, "too many were made to ever
> become collector's items" but they said that about the original VW beetle
> and Willy's series 1 jeeps too, and they're all on the climb now.
> 
> What I guess I'm trying to state here is that there very soon will come the
> day when the increasingly rare Series 1 B's will become the high dollar
> cars, and the best ones to give garage space to. Every one that is scrapped
> from here on will be most unfortunate, when it could actually be resurrected
> and begin a new life. If you are afraid of the cost of restoration
> exceeeding the market value, this will only change for the better as time
> goes by. And you will never be able to restore one cheaper than you can
> today.
> 
> It isn't the car to buy to fix up and sell, expecting to make money, but if
> you can find a keeper for the long term, grab it, do the best job you can on
> it, don't screw with it's authenticity, and when completed, drive it...a
> lot!
> 
> Rich Chrysler




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