I can haz Sherpa Koop

[wuvvum]

Yep, I've bought an MGB GT.  I wanted to try one, so I bought one.  I know, I know...

 

Before Trig, Billy and DaveB47 start fighting over who's going to rip up my AS membership card though, have a look at the beast:

 

 

 

 

That has got to be about as shite as an MGB gets.

 

I picked it up from Wellingborough last night and drove it home through the fog.  It made it the 125 miles back, non-stop apart from a piss stop at Cambridge services.  I sat at 60-65 most of the way; the temp gauge was rock steady at just under a half, the headlights were quite adequate, and the heater and overdrive both worked.  It's got a full stainless exhaust fitted, which has a bit more of a parp to it than standard but isn't too bad.  It has a few clonks and rattles but nothing life-threatening.  It is a little bit wayward under braking though.

 

Main concern is the amount of oil it's getting through.  It doesn't appear to smoke excessively, so I reckon it must be leaking it out.  The engine is quite oily, and the filler cap isn't a particularly tight fit - there's a bit of a trail of oil running from the cap down the rocker cover, so I reckon it's losing some from there.  I did occasionally get a whiff of hot oil when I was driving.  I didn't actually check the oil level before I left - the seller assured me he'd done so himself - so I don't know quite where the oil level started out at, but after sitting at a steady 60psi all the way back, the oil pressure gauge started to flicker when I was a few miles from home.  It was late and everything was shut so I carried on, but when I checked the oil on arriving home it had indeed dropped some way below the minimum mark on the dipstick - although it was still actually on the dipstick and there was still plenty of oil on the valve gear so don't think it's done any harm.  The engine certainly still sounds as healthy as it did.  Topping the oil up saw the gauge resume normal service.  There's no great puddles of oil under it this morning, so it must only be chucking it out when it's running.

 

It's also running rather lean - I think this may be partly to do with the K&N pancake filters it's got fitted, which I would imagine flow more air than the standard BL air box.  This will need looking at at some point, but isn't desperately urgent.  It fires up first time from cold on the choke.

 

The interior is quite comfortable and not in bad nick, although it needs a good clean out and the seats don't match.  Everything seems to work though, including the original radio - the only departure from standard is a separate dip switch as the original has packed up - still works for the indicators though.

 

 

Overall I'm not unhappy with my purchase.  It needs some loving, but then it was very much at the bottom end of the MGB price range, and it does have 6 months' test.  It looks quite solid underneath, and the front wings are fibreglass so that's one less thing to worry about rust wise.  I'm not sure how long it'll be staying, but it's one crossed off the list anyway.

[Cavcraft]

Happy days, those aren't tide marks on the side, they're champions league WIN status levels.

 

It looks absolutely horrendous so is there for brill, and can I take this opportunity to be the first to suggest this car is absolutely ripe for a BMC 1500 diesel conversion?

[Twiggy]

It looks suitably shite...

[mouseflakes]

Ace! I was just thinking about these this morning. I'm liking them more as the ludicrous time when they were treated like some kind of exotica is fading from memory and many of them are just turning into old crocks again. Would have to be a GT for me too - I don't like floppy tops of any variety (they always look incomplete). Hope your oil issues get sorted.

[Twiggy]

 

It looks absolutely horrendous so is there for brill, and can I take this opportunity to be the first to suggest this car is absolutely ripe for a BMC 1500 diesel conversion.

 

Don`t they just drop straight in ?

[TagoraSX]

That looks utterly miserable, well done!

[320touring]

Good work!

 

Been tempted by one of these for a while after the burd enjoyed her day with a roadster the other year..

[sporty-shite]

I had one a good few years ago that I bought to punt on, as it was a cheap tax exempt job. Unfortunately, it was cheap because it was rotten! Still thought it drove well, though, and quite enjoyed the few runs out I had in it. Wouldn't pay big money for one, though.

 

Non-interesting fact. I came hpme from hospital as a new norn in an MGB GT. Maybe that was why I bought one too!

[RoadworkUK]

How on Earth did you manage to find a copy of Autotrader from 1987?

[dollywobbler]

What a fabulous crock of shite! Top marks.

[Asimo]

Point of order!

 

These are not really Sherpa Coupes at all, they have far, far, more in common with the Austin J4 van.

 

 

So, perfect autoshite. 

 

*Do not paint.

[cort16]

That has got to be the shitiest looking road worthy one I've seen. Well done!

 

The good thing about these is there shite loads of them on the road (more MGB's on the road than Sierras) so all the bits that leak and break are well documented.

The front suspension setup on these made me do a WTFF when I first saw it. So different to anything built in the last 30 years.

[purplebargeken]

Cor, that is truly cack.

 

Well bought!

[Rusty Pelican]

Utterly dismal in every respect other than the beige bits.

Well done , you need to show it as it is now and show the world what  a proper Sherpa coupe looks like 

[skattrd]

i used to think these could be quite practical for an older car, what with the hatchback, they're no R16, but prob ok for most things.

 

Be careful of the scene, with the tweed, blankets, hampers etc.

I'd love to see this as it currently is in a concourse competition.

[RedSparrow]

Yeah ok, that is pretty shite.

Are those the right tail lights? They don't seem to sit well with the rubber bumper.

[Angrydicky]

That's awful. Approved.

[chaseracer]

Once you've sorted the oil consumption, don't change a thing.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah ok, that is pretty shite.

Are those the right tail lights? They don't seem to sit well with the rubber bumper.

 

Sadly, those are entirely right. The bumper fitted that well from the factory.

 

 

The front suspension setup on these made me do a WTFF when I first saw it. So different to anything built in the last 30 years.

 

That's because a chap called Issigonis designed it in the 1930s. Was originally intended for the Morris Ten (ruled out on cost grounds), but was lifted pretty much wholesale for the MG TD in 1947 which only evolved very slightly through MGA and MGB. HERITAGE.

[320touring]

Sadly, those are entirely right. The bumper fitted that well from the factory.

 

 

That's because a chap called Issigonis designed it in the 1930s. Was originally intended for the Morris Ten (ruled out on cost grounds), but was lifted pretty much wholesale for the MG TD in 1947 which only evolved very slightly through MGA and MGB. HERITAGE.

The suspension also closely resembles an fx4. At least in amount of rust;)

[RedSparrow]

Oof! You're right.

Looks like they planned to make new rear light clusters to match up with the rubber bumper but never got round to it.

 

 

'Yeah, that'll do'.

[nigel bickle]

Crock of shit , mate

 

Well done

[Sigmund Fraud]

Excellent ! The only way to appreciate how awful B's are is to actually own one !

 

The B-series does like a good drink of oil, both my BGT and my Crab did that and they had otherwise healthy engines. They can also leak from pretty much everywhere, including the long oil cooler pipes in B's.

 

Twin SUs are a pain to keep tuned and synchronised. Find your carbalancer and colortune in the shed and prepare for endless hours of fun*.

[PiperCub]

Years ago (like over 25!) when I had my 69 BGT, you used to see wonderfully ratty B's like this quite often, now it seems to be a cause of great shame and derision if you don't fully restore it rather than just fixing and using it.

 

Also agree, leave as is, for no other reason than it'll drive the anoraks mad! If you get one on the hook, be sure to mention in passing the number of non-standard parts it has (then slip in 'because they work better than the originals') and how you are thinking of modifying it, maybe putting an MX5 engine and box in, Triumph interior etc. the list is long. Only stop when they pass out or turn red and have trouble breathing.

[plasticvandan]

Top bombing,I bet this goes much better than the trophy queens that usually have the mgb badge on the back!

[worldofceri]

That looks great. I like it.

[cms206]

I dislike MGBs immensely but that is GR18/6. Well done!

[scruff]

Wonderful!! Another "old skool" Autoshite weapon!! 

That's the good thing about those old BMC sludge pump engines, they can piss out their bodily fluids and have less oil pressure than a silent fart but will keep on plodding.

[Noel Tidybeard]

It looks absolutely horrendous so is there for brill, and can I take this opportunity to be the first to suggest this car is absolutely ripe for a BMC 1500 diesel conversion?

 

 

shirley a sherpa gt would be a 1.8

[trigger]

How shite does that look! What a winner!. You'd better bring it to one of our club meets in the Spring!