Following up my own message, I first want to thank all those who responded
with helpful suggestions. Surfing the web a bit, I found a few items which have
been quite helpful in giving me an idea of what to expect. I've got a few
miscellaneous questions, just out of curiosity.
First, the car in question is a series 3 -- tailfins clued me in here. Is it
properly identified as a 64, or would it be a '63? I don't know its numbers,
but one of the sites said that the series 4 was introduced in early '64.
Second, does a series 3 have tube or lever shocks at the rear? Again,
info on websites has me confused. If lever, can you conver to tube -- possibly
with later series hardware? I assume shocks can be fitted from standard
suppliers, from koni/spax high end stuff on down to monroe etc.
Third, the small (~1600cc, I forget the exact size) motor has a three-bearing
crank. This worries me a bit, especially as I had thought about trying for
a bit more power. Are my worries justified? The common wisdom in MG circles
is that the 3-main (MGA, early 'B) is best chucked for serious driving in
favor of a non-correct 5-main. (And yeah, I know that some pretty serious
racing MGAs & Bs had 3-mains, but they also had factory teams rebuilding them
all the time...) I'm not really thinking of drag-racing, but would like a
dependable car, for trips to the grocery or over the rockies.
Lastly, any notorious trouble spots on these cars? I know most of the pitfalls
of the 'B (Front suspension, head gasket, floors & sills etc...) from
experience, but would be interested in the weak spots on sunbeams.
Matt
(I'm in New York, the car is presently in Kentucky. One, or both, of these
will change in the next six months.)
PS. the series 3 gearbox: 3-synchro?
thanks all!
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