MGB GT - Mission finally complete! Phew.

[BorniteIdentity]

Phone him and have a chat, much better than emails and messages.

 

Hallelujah.

 

If you actually phone someone and talk to them with words, you will very quickly work out

 

1) Is he the right seller to buy from

2) Is it the right car to buy?  (^This^ helps to form a good idea of what the car will be like)

3) How much of a deal you can do.

 

Selling a car online is a world of timewasting bunglecunts trying to pull your pants down.  Phone him up like a grown up, ask the right questions, listen to the answers.

 

And, for the love of all things holy, buy one already.  It's not a life sentence.  You aren't going to buy a perfect MGB.  If it's not crap in one department it WILL be in another.  You've done your due diligence, now it's time to pull the trigger.

 

Good luck!

[vulgalour]

DO NOT MACHINE WASH

 

HAND WASH ONLY

 

DO NOT TUMBLE DRY

 

 

Maybe ignore that last one.  Anyway, automatic car washers can have your door mirrors away, the Tex ones on the MGB as standard are a bit rubbish like that.  Hand car wash places are much better value for money and they do seem to like the old and the unusual coming through, especially something as tiny as the MG since it's less car to wash.  Quarter lights and door seals tend not to be pressure washer proof either, they're quite leaky a lot of the time when the water is directed at them.

[danthecapriman]

I don't ever use car washers or pressure washers on classics.

 

Car washers risk damage to expensive bits of trim etc and blow water past seals etc.

Pressure washers will blast water into panel seams and past seals. Not good.

 

I use hand washing with a normal hosepipe, then good shampoo. Chamois it dry then follow up with a good polish/wax. I normally polish/wax every other wash tbh as it gets a bit much every time.

I always use the hose to wash off the underside first. Spray down the floorpans and chassis legs etc then aim the hose nozzle directly up behind the wheel arches (up behind the lip) to blast out accumulated muck (and salt in winter) then give the sills lower lip the same treatment and up behind the front and rear valances.

You'll be surprised how much crap comes out of them. Doing this doesn't take all that long tbh but it's essential, especially in winter.

Some cars are so bad you can put your fingers up behind the wheel arch lip and literally scrape out handfuls of dirt from behind it. People often don't bother doing it because it's not visible or shiny paint. All mine are spotless in these places btw!

It sounds like a ball ache doing it but it's not too bad really and well worth doing to keep the car in good nik.

[Tamworthbay]

I don't ever use car washers or pressure washers on classics.

Car washers risk damage to expensive bits of trim etc and blow water past seals etc.

Pressure washers will blast water into panel seams and past seals. Not good.

I use hand washing with a normal hosepipe, then good shampoo. Chamois it dry then follow up with a good polish/wax. I normally polish/wax every other wash tbh as it gets a bit much every time.

I always use the hose to wash off the underside first. Spray down the floorpans and chassis legs etc then aim the hose nozzle directly up behind the wheel arches (up behind the lip) to blast out accumulated muck (and salt in winter) then give the sills lower lip the same treatment and up behind the front and rear valances.

You'll be surprised how much crap comes out of them. Doing this doesn't take all that long tbh but it's essential, especially in winter.

Some cars are so bad you can put your fingers up behind the wheel arch lip and literally scrape out handfuls of dirt from behind it. People often don't bother doing it because it's not visible or shiny paint. All mine are spotless in these places btw!

It sounds like a ball ache doing it but it's not too bad really and well worth doing to keep the car in good nik.

Great advice, our beloved Capris and buggers for dirt traps, mine wasn't too bad but the usual front wing traps were in need of some new metal.

[SiC]

To be fair the Smart Roadster manual says that you should never use a car wash or pressure washer on it, as it'll damage the seals. Quite a few people have confirmed that are true!

 

Pressure washers are great though for getting crap out from behind trim and hard to reach places. Just have to use it with precision.

[danthecapriman]

Great advice, our beloved Capris and buggers for dirt traps, mine wasn't too bad but the usual front wing traps were in need of some new metal.

They certainly are! Mine had shit loads in the rear arches when I first got it, all impacted in up under the sill ends and spring mounts.

The fronts had it all flung up to the fronts of the inner wings. It had all stuck to the backs of the headlight bowls, probably why mine were so rusted. I've got a pair of the aftermarket metal splash shields for the fronts now though. Should stop the A post bottoms and heel boards rotting out again. Hopefully.

 

To be fair the Smart Roadster manual says that you should never use a car wash or pressure washer on it, as it'll damage the seals. Quite a few people have confirmed that are true!

Pressure washers are great though for getting crap out from behind trim and hard to reach places. Just have to use it with precision.

A pressure washer can be good but as you say, you've got to be careful to not spray it at windows or seams on full power as it will blast water in, especially so on old cars where the joins and seals are not as good as they once were.

Also, if your cars a bit rusty don't use it! It will literally blow the rust, paint and filler off if it's bad enough!

I used one on my Volvo 740 when I first got that to get rid of the years worth of grime and algae that was covering it. Worked a treat but I avoided anywhere that it could cause trouble and did that by hand. Old Volvo's are hard though so no need to worry!

[Mally]

Pressure washers are good for washing Stock Cars.

End of story.

[SiC]

So gang, what do we reckon to this one? Remember it is a cheapy (under 2.5k) and still has 10months MOT. Had welding on spring hangers. The under bonnet looks like it's full of sand though! Maybe his son decided to go drifting or something daft on the beach?

 

Passed a nice blue MGB GT mk2 on the way down to Lymouth today. Had 2 guys in it and a surf board out of the webasto. Given the tilt in the car, one of the blokes must have been significantly heavier! Mrs SiC did remark that she really likes the MGBs in the deep dark blue. So do I, but none going cheap!

 

Also the one on RR has a few more pictures added. The short MOT on it is scaring me off a bit though - especially with not mint sills.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/198904/bgt-1750ono-westcliff-trades-photos

 

Which ever I go for will be a trip where I'm returning with one, no matter what! Well unless it has Flintstones spec flooring, etc.

[Guest Hooli]

I probably should add the proviso (which my wife has just reminded me) that this all depends on my wife not needing to stop overnight in hospital on Wednesday. It's supposed to be a day patient thing, but if things don't go to plan she may have to stop overnight.

 

That just mean early morning collectionage so you've got the MGB to collect the missus in as a nice* surprise.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I'm just glad I've got no money or storage!

 

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

[captain_70s]

Was followed through Aberdeen by a T reg example t'other day. Was a similar shade of green to my Dolly and sat on Minilites. Looked alright...

[SiC]

I'm just glad I've got no money or storage!

 

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

I'm also hoping others (i.e. lurkers) are not using this channel to help them find decent MGBs while I'm doing all the leg work and bring indecisive! It has passed my mind a couple of times, especially when that dark red one sold.

[Felly Magic]

A late model blue un with rubber bumpers has turned up on a forecourt in Felixstowe for £5k!

[SiC]

I'd expect an utterly mint, concourse example with 1 owner for that in a rubber.

 

Prices are all over the place on them. Expensive immaculate ones, expensive shit ones. Cheap horrid ones, cheap reasonable ones. The one thing in common it seems is that pictures online don't really show the real condition!

 

Like that orange one above. It looks pretty decent from the photos, but the seller has advised it's not immaculate. Plus no under body shots, so could be covered in bird shit welds. Certainly can tell by the paint blobs under the bonnet it's had a blow over at some point.

[Guest Hooli]

It seems there has been so much internet activity around them recently dealers are putting the prices up due to what appears to be a massive increase in popularity...

[SiC]

To be fair I think most people on here have got fed up with thread and switched off by now. LOL

 

I'm at the stage now I'm prepared to take a punt on one that looks half decent from the photos and hope for the best!

[danthecapriman]

Must say, that orange one is doing it for me!

It looks pretty good really from those pics. You can tell it's been painted (signs of overspray under the bonnet) but by that age so have most cars.

The chrome looks a bit pitted and dull and the front bumper isn't straight as it's fitting poor on one side compared to the other. But then again it's at the cheaper end of the scale.

I'd go have a good look at it. Your unlikely to know for sure unless your stood in front of it tbh. It looks good on top, the engine bay just looks a bit grubby and in need of a clean up though this is no bad thing as it shows the seller hasn't tried to clean it themselves to hide anything, it's honest, as they say.

The underside condition will be the main thing to check out. If it's not too crusty and plated up then why not!?

Another bonus of course is it's tax exempt.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Have you done an online mot history check on the orange one?

[cort16]

The orange one looks a bit wobbly in the middle. The black one doesn't look too bad but it's a risk with the mot.

[SiC]

Have you done an online mot history check on the orange one?

Apart from 2010, it doesn't look too horrific? He's owned it for the last 4years, so he wouldn't have dealt with the 2010 failures. The last MOT advisories were apparently dealt with - welding, handbrake and tyre. I'll almost certainly be replacing any death rings that are fitted in the corners anyway. As long as they're capable of safely getting me home! It seems invariably, people don't change tyres on age. Every MGB I've seen, including an expensive "mint" one, had really old tyres on.

 

2hrs drive home though. Either dual carriageway and motorway or single carriageway A-roads. Thinking single carriageway may be less stress on the car and can go a bit slower. I.e. be a stereotypical MGB driver at 50mph...

[SiC]

I wonder if that driver's door has dropped a bit, removed for welding or even a replacement one put on? Not sure how well BL managed to keep the metal presses punching accurately between years!

 

Saying that, my 2007 Civic has got a back door that the shut lines are not great. Almost certain that case was because it was bumped into, insurance replaced the entire door and was never quite lined up properly!

[SiC]

I'd go have a good look at it. Your unlikely to know for sure unless your stood in front of it tbh. It looks good on top, the engine bay just looks a bit grubby and in need of a clean up though this is no bad thing as it shows the seller hasn't tried to clean it themselves to hide anything, it's honest, as they say.

 

This is the one major thing I've found. You can't really tell or trust a advert accurately until you are in front and prodding around underneath it. That dark red one on AT looked pretty rubbish from the close up pictures, but reality was it wasn't half bad. The horrid red one, apart from the bodykit and interior looked reasonable for the money - reality it wasn't!

 

I just hope I can get to them before they sell.

 

Going to try and give the orange seller a call tomorrow. Currently down Devon and the reception is pretty sketchy.

[cort16]

I doubt the fit and finish was amazing from the factory but you don't want door bottoms and sills full of pudding.

As these aren't really worth loads I suspect they suffer worse than most of being lashed up at a low cost to make them look presentable. 

[SiC]

True. Possibly you can see more detail than me only looking at them through a phone screen. Especially with the blue light filter which very much gives a rose tinted view!

 

Curiously, looking at that 80s black one, that has similar levels of misalignment.

 

I'm more happy with misalignment on the drivers side than passengers, given the door is used much more!

 

Both are living near the sea too, so I need to be mindful that both could suffer additional rot because of it.

[cort16]

The orange is a great colour, has chrome bumpers and a long mot. It looks fun. I suppose at 2.5 grand you're going to get some pudding in it as long as it's not got s load of hidden rot that's going to turn up in 10 months that's fine .

 

My advice ? Buy a small boxy diahatshu instead .

[captain_70s]

Probably also worth noting that we're discussing possible wonky doors on mid 70s BL products, I'd not be surprised if they simply never fitted from the factory. Some of the panel gaps on my Triumphs are fairly dire...

[Mally]

As you say people are using your posts to pick cars.

Anyone googling MGB will eventually find this place.

That's how I found it, but different car.

Had 2 dealers after mine, both admitted it when asked.

Best to keep your thoughts to your self for a week, let us know when it's home.

Door doesn't look right on the orange one, but I may let you power wash the engine bay carefully just once. Keep away from the radiator though.

[SiC]

Oh my, I really do like this colour. Only 3 owners too. No webasto roof though. MOT only in April and no record before. However it is not that far from me to go and investigate...

 

On at a, not too ridiculous, £3750.

 

 

Click this first: http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/

Then: www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/mgb/gt/232642

 

Looks like CCfS is a bit crap/broken on their cookies.

[egg]

linky no worky?

[SiC]

linky no worky?

Hmm. Seems to work ok here?