MGB GT - Mission finally complete! Phew.

[cros]

I do hope that whatever decision you come to you end up with a car you can enjoy.

These cars have never been more than mediocre at anything but the one thing mine excels at for me is being enjoyable to drive and that's the only criteria it has to meet. You could change every component and not find happiness. Sure lever arm dampers have been bettered and any number of alternative engines will perform better. For me the pleasure is to only change things that are worn out or glaringly awful and then just use it. I do a 300 mile round trip in the car every fortnight, all year round on top of everyday use for shopping. My wife prefers driving it to all our other heaps, which perhaps isn't saying much...

There is a decent GT out there at about £3000 that has been looked after and with a bit of nurturing will give years of service but its not the red one at the beginning of this thread.

[SiC]

Using it everyday might wear thin when it won't start because it's a bit damp this morning or something's broke. I know all old cars can be like this, I'm saying it might become a chore if you rely on it daily.

It'd probably help for me to clarify when I mean regularly and my current motoring situation.

 

Weekdays commuting into work I rely on this:

 

Alternatively this:

 

The wife has the choice of the always reliable Civic or the just as reliable (seriously!) wafty Laguna. If I need to drive in on the odd occasion, I get to pick whatever is left over.

 

This leaves the weekends, which my wife and I often like to go out to different places. If the weather is shit, then Civic or Laguna. If the weather is nice or staying local then the Smart. However often I just end up going in the others as said on a previous post about my love+hate relationship with the Smart. This is not helped either by my wife moaning about me "driving stupidly" when there is even so much amount of side g-forces when cornering...

 

The MGB will be replacing the duties the Smart undertakes. I.e. driving somewhere when it's nice. Also the Smart isn't the best for long distant motorway driving - no cruise and wasteful driving it as not a lot of fun driving in straight lines anyway). So I often take the others.

 

If it doesn't start or is misbehaving, I grab the keys to something else.

 

TL;DR, I don't have to rely on it for commuting or domestic+pleasure.

[Guest Hooli]

I don't know why people they you can't rely on a MG. I did for years, it just needs to be serviced properly. Mine was still running points & only ever FTP'd trice in nine years. The clutch failed not too long after I got, years later I snapped a halfshaft sideways around a junction in Worthing. The final one was stripping the teeth off the crown wheel in the diff, oddly enough I did this sideways around the same junction in Worthing...

 

Guess how gently I drove a RWD spurtscar when I got it at 21 years old?

[egg]

I'd say buy an X1/9 instead, but prices have suddenly gone silly on those as well.

[Guest Hooli]

Totally different sort of car though? The MG is a front engined safe handling old bus that's fun. X1/9s are tiny mid-engined sportscars & show that when pushed hard.

 

Not that I don't like X1/9s but I don't see them as an obvious choice here.

[egg]

Fair points, though they both have rust and dodgy electrics in common!

[Guest Hooli]

That's true enough

[SiC]

You are welcome to come and give my BGT a good poke and prod and take it for an extended drive if you want to get closer to one without pressure.

 

It is a bit of a tired old thing but I still enjoy it.

That's a very kind thing to offer and I may take you up on it. Even to just understand and see what a good one should look and smell like.

[SiC]

I don't know why people they you can't rely on a MG. I did for years, it just needs to be serviced properly. Mine was still running points & only ever FTP'd trice in nine years. The clutch failed not too long after I got, years later I snapped a halfshaft sideways around a junction in Worthing. The final one was stripping the teeth off the crown wheel in the diff, oddly enough I did this sideways around the same junction in Worthing...

 

Guess how gently I drove a RWD spurtscar when I got it at 21 years old?

... So you're saying that you got far more reliability out of MGBs than Lagunas?

[Guest Hooli]

... So you're saying that you got far more reliability out of MGBs than Lagunas?

 

I had a MG Midget, but yes I trusted that car to drive anywhere & often did.

[Rocket88]

... So you're saying that you got far more reliability out of MGBs than Lagunas?

 

I would have thought that a De Dion Bouton would be more reliable than a Laguna................

[SiC]

My wife's parents are down, so had another wander down to it again today. The FiL is of the age when this sort of stuff was common place as ordinary cars. So he knows roughly what you should be looking for from buying crap back in the day.

 

I said about the thoughts here and he pretty much agreed. Especially the fact it's covered in fresh gunk all under it and that they've got it up so cheap.

 

Also something he noticed that I didn't notice, is that the shut lines on the driver side were fine but the passenger ones weren't. He was sure if it had a front end shunt, or as I suggested that side had been cut up and welded but wasn't braced correctly.

 

Final comment was that it was a good idea being wary and walking away from it.

[Guest Hooli]

A rotten peach was more reliable & longer lasting my goona.

[SiC]

If it was at least £500 or more £1k cheaper I'd probably go for it still!

[scruff]

I don't know why people they you can't rely on a MG. I did for years, it just needs to be serviced properly. Mine was still running points & only ever FTP'd trice in nine years. The clutch failed not too long after I got, years later I snapped a halfshaft sideways around a junction in Worthing. The final one was stripping the teeth off the crown wheel in the diff, oddly enough I did this sideways around the same junction in Worthing...

 

Guess how gently I drove a RWD spurtscar when I got it at 21 years old?

 

Where in Worthing was that? I may have had similar transmission kersplodage there.

 

You are right though this old stuff just needs looking after, you don't need to be anal about it, funnily enough what the manufacturers recommended when they were new does the job nicely. 

[tooSavvy]

Completely OT....

 

I posted on here about a Corolla - absolute gem (as a mechanical donor/interior/glass) but total 'weetabix' in the nethers... I lay on the ground and poked it!!

 

.... led to MrStations ToMM©

 

I definitely know which one was 'a pearl'

 

& the other was £999

 

 

Keep looking m8 YKIMS

 

 

TS

[cros]

I don't know why people they you can't rely on a MG. I did for years, it just needs to be serviced properly. Mine was still running points & only ever FTP'd trice in nine years. The clutch failed not too long after I got, years later I snapped a halfshaft sideways around a junction in Worthing. The final one was stripping the teeth off the crown wheel in the diff, oddly enough I did this sideways around the same junction in Worthing...

 

Guess how gently I drove a RWD spurtscar when I got it at 21 years old?

If that was the later monstrosity of an axle you must have given it some serious hammering to bust a halfshaft. Well done.

[Pete-M]

 

I found the acceleration acceptable and top speed fantastic.

 

My abiding memory of my old B GT was when on the East Lancs Rd on my way home from work a heavily laden Pug 106 diesel overtook the B away from the lights and then just pulled away from the B for the next few miles. This was despite me thrashing the B trying to keep up with the little Pug, when the big hill at Carr Mill came into play the B gave up any pretence of being able to keep up with the 106 as the Pug steamed up the hill doing at least 70 mph. The B was out of its comfort zone at such insane high speeds.

 

The Pug 106d was like an LMP1 car in comparison to the B GT.

[Dick Longbridge]

Prices of GT6's are through the roof! Similar rot issues and 10k+ for a decent one.

[SiC]

My abiding memory of my old B GT was when on the East Lancs Rd on my way home from work a heavily laden Pug 106 diesel overtook the B away from the lights and then just pulled away from the B for the next few miles. This was despite me thrashing the B trying to keep up with the little Pug, when the big hill at Carr Mill came into play the B gave up any pretence of being able to keep up with the 106 as the Pug steamed up the hill doing at least 70 mph. The B was out of its comfort zone at such insane high speeds.

 

The Pug 106d was like an LMP1 car in comparison to the B GT.

I do wonder how many MGBs either had 95bhp out of the factory and/or had poorly tuned/worn out engines. 95bhp in something that is still pretty light should have acceptable performance with modern stuff. Stuff like a 3cyl 107/Aygo.

 

My MGB dreams* have taken a slight backseat at the moment. As I'm supposed to be having my parents old car (if it can be fixed...) some of the car purchasing budget have been eaten up by that. Also after a thoroughly enjoyable blasts at the weekend in the Smart, it has reminded me that I enjoy it too much right now to replace it. The insurance for that expires at the beginning of October, so probably get rid of it not long before then.

 

By late August/September as the summer is mostly near the end, I'm hoping to find some late season bargain MGBs. I'll still keep a look out for any bargains appearing in the mean time too.

 

My want level for a MGB is still off the chart.

[Vince70]

Stick with the Smart mate rather than going for a BGT at least you know your way around the car and you've got it 100% and leak free now.

 

Also your a perfectionist with your cars and to get a BGT in as new condition requires real money and constant maintenance plus once it breaks down or won't start in damp weather you will regret selling your smart.

[Pete-M]

I do wonder how many MGBs either had 95bhp out of the factory and/or had poorly tuned/worn out engines. 95bhp in something that is still pretty light should have acceptable performance with modern stuff. Stuff like a 3cyl 107/Aygo.

Mine wasn't a particularly fine example. It wasn't mega miley but it burnt the usual amount of oil and fuel for an old B series. It went plenty fast enough to challenge the chassis, but that's not a hugely difficult task in a tired rubber bumper B.

 

It's a shame. The chrome bumper B GT is a great looking car when right, one of the prettiest Brit 60s cars. They're even quite funky inside.

[SiC]

Stick with the Smart mate rather than going for a BGT at least you know your way around the car and you've got it 100% and leak free now.

 

Also your a perfectionist with your cars and to get a BGT in as new condition requires real money and constant maintenance plus once it breaks down or won't start in damp weather you will regret selling your smart.

Well I know that I wasn't going to keep the Smart forever. The limiting factor being the wife (hopefully) getting pregnant soon. There are still plenty of other cars too in my hit list that I need to get before I have kids/petrol cars become more rare/die/etc!

 

I really ought to rent a MGB GT though and find if I can live with one. I'm a bit worried that the wife might struggle man-handling a non-PAS car. I know learning to drive she had to change driving instructor as the non-PAS Corsa B she was learning in hurt her shoulder. So that left a mark in her mind that non-PAS cars are not for her.

 

Apparently using modern 185/70/16 tyres makes this worse than "classic" spec 165/14s. The tread pattern on those classic tyres and the fact they've kept the tread design to 70s/80s tech puts me off.

[stripped fred]

I've just read this entire thread. Lots of good advice. I would bide your time and you'll know when the right one comes along. Spend the time doing as much research as you can, look and drive as many as you can and you'll know when the right one comes along, unless you change your mind in the meantime! For an older car I would go Japanese. My mr2 may be suspectable to a bit of rust (rear arches and a couple of areas plated, no big deal in 14 years) but it always starts and has never let me down and is lots of fun. I know you're currently hung up on an mgb but there are thousands of other options out there. A scimitar GTE is another example, or a Fiat Barchetta, or how about an Alfa GTV? The latter two perhaps a bit too modern but you get my drift. Keep your options open as there will be other cars that give you the same feeling and probably for less cash/better reliability/less heartache. I'm probably not helping am I. I'll shut up!

[Uncle Jimmy]

Not old enough to own one yet, another fifty years maybe (and I like Volvos)

Getting to like them a bit more nowadays, especially the later plastic bumpered version. What boils my piss is the knobbers that adorn the B with chromed wire wheels.

[Uncle Jimmy]

I would bide your time and you'll know when the right one comes along. Spend the time doing as much research as you can, look and drive as many as you can and you'll know when the right one comes along, unless you change your mind in the meantime!

Then again....naaa, this is Autoshite; have a premptive argument with the breadknife, get pissed and press the silly button on ebay.

[SiC]

Then again....naaa, this is Autoshite; have a premptive argument with the breadknife, get pissed and press the silly button on ebay.

I've genuinely had the best success with eBay auctions. Even with the most liability of stuff.

 

Laguna II V6 with ESP fault at a dodgy trade garage in London? Turns out it's an immaculate example and faultless runner over a year use. ESP fixed by fitting a second hand ABS pump.

 

Smart Roadster with auto gearbox gear selection fault, diagnosed by Mercedes as a £700 body computer needing replacement? Faultless runner on over 6 months use. Gear selection fault fixed by resoldering a chaffed gearbox loom wire.

 

Moral of the story, buy cheap broken cars off eBay that everyone else runs away from.

[stripped fred]

I've genuinely had the best success with eBay auctions. Even with the most liability of stuff.

 

Laguna II V6 with ESP fault at a dodgy trade garage in London? Turns out it's an immaculate example and faultless runner over a year use. ESP fixed by fitting a second hand ABS pump.

 

Smart Roadster with auto gearbox gear selection fault, diagnosed by Mercedes as a £700 body computer needing replacement? Faultless runner on over 6 months use. Gear selection fault fixed by resoldering a chaffed gearbox loom wire.

 

Moral of the story, buy cheap broken cars off eBay that everyone else runs away from.

There's bit of irony here thinking about it. You're great with electrics and modern systems and you're after an old car that is likely to need bodywork and, like myself, you can't weld. Perhaps that's the attraction, something different?

[stripped fred]

Then again....naaa, this is Autoshite; have a premptive argument with the breadknife, get pissed and press the silly button on ebay.

Yes you're right. I forgot what site I was on!

[SiC]

Pretty much. Not least I've always liked them and Spitfires - just they're above my price range. I've kinda gone a bit mad trying all different cars as quick as I can before we have kids. So much so, it's become a joke in the office on how many cars I've got through.

 

Another thing is my car history:

My history: 2003 Clio II 1.2 16v (First car), 2003 Honda Civic, 1992 Mazda MX5, 2005 Mazda RX8, 2005 Saab 9-3 1.9TiD, 2007 Honda Civic 2.2 CTDi, 2004 Renault Scenic 1.6 Auto, 2004 Saab 9-5 2.3t, 2004 Smart Roadster 80bhp

Wife history (that she used/owned but I had frequent use of): 2002 Renault Clio II 1.2 16v, 2006 Mazda MX5, 2004 VW Golf, 2005 Renault Scenic II 2.0, 2002 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 16v, 2005 Renault Laguna II v6

 

Apart from the 1992 MX5, none of my cars that I have experienced have been before the millennium. All have had their engines been controlled by a computer too.

 

So I want a classic, I like fiddling with cars and I love the MGB GT.