HMC MGB 6 speed/

[lesapandre]

More Minor mayhem.

[Yoss]

I don't know MGs well enough but the switch on top of the gear knob was a Triumph thing introduced with the mk2 2000 in 1969 but it wouldn't surprise me if it ended up on the MGs later on in the usual BL parts bin way. 

[lesapandre]

Jaguar XJ6 manual Series 1 had the switch on the top of the knob as well.

[Zelandeth]

Interesting.  I've seen it on the gear knob on the later ones and on the dash but never driven an MGB with overdrive on a stalk.  Every day's a school day.

[chadders]

I don't think that it was standard on UK market CB ones, I never saw one when I was looking to buy mine nor heard of one.

I don't imagine replacing the standard stalk with an O/D one would be very difficult  though and you could actually add the washers to it as well if you fitted an electric pump.

[holbeck]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

I don't know MGs well enough but the switch on top of the gear knob was a Triumph thing introduced with the mk2 2000 in 1969 but it wouldn't surprise me if it ended up on the MGs later on in the usual BL parts bin way. 

You're right.  The Triumph OD switch did go to the gear knob later on, ditto the speedo and rev counter (UK market) becoming  common items.

 Quite a bit of Triumph switchgear  found it's way onto the B as well.

 

[Somerset Suffolk]

Triumph Tr6's had the O/D switch on a stalk through out production - think the MGB went to "top of the gear knob" at rubber bumper ?  Think the last of the chrome bumper MGB's had a hole in the dash for the O/D flick switch even if the switch and O/D wasn't fitted 

[lesapandre]

Interestingly the Sunbeam Alpine had it on a stalk. Worked very well.

[Zelandeth]

57 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Interestingly the Sunbeam Alpine had it on a stalk. Worked very well.

Rover P4 as well - it's the one which intuitively looks like it should be for the indicators.

[HMC]

This one has one stalk (indicators and main / dipped beam) and a space on the dash far right with 2 wires behind it? hmmm.

Meanwhile at university…

And on the way back…

 

[Peter C]

🍆💦💦💦

[Zelandeth]

50 minutes ago, HMC said:

This one has one stalk (indicators and main / dipped beam) and a space on the dash far right with 2 wires behind it? hmmm.

Meanwhile at university…

And on the way back…

 

Looks like the switch is AWOL, the earlier photos do show a switch.

Looks like the usual random selection of spaghetti wiring fun and games in there which seems to be standard on these cars!

[wesacosa]

 

 

[wuvvum]

10 hours ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

Triumph Tr6's had the O/D switch on a stalk through out production - think the MGB went to "top of the gear knob" at rubber bumper ?  Think the last of the chrome bumper MGB's had a hole in the dash for the O/D flick switch even if the switch and O/D wasn't fitted 

My BGT was an early rubber bumper car and that had the O/D on the column stalk.

[grogee]

Does one have to declutch to engage O/D? 

[chadders]

41 minutes ago, grogee said:

Does one have to declutch to engage O/D? 

No.

You don't even need to lift off the throttle.

[bangernomics]

More Minor mayhem.

chuk a bottle chuk a can, chuk a can.

[chadders]

On 14/05/2026 at 18:59, HMC said:

Well, its here. Sills can castle rails and whole underside solid and seems unwelded. Its periodness (plates, colour, no wood to be seen etc) was a strong pull. and the slight tattiness and bumpedness made it quite a good price. (also comes with a new replacement door)

Looks to have had a recent service and drives as it should.  Very happy with it.

like a fading celebrity, it has a “good” side- this isnt it.

slightly BL- ified interior

 

A tired cliché, and a phone box

Regarding the missing overdrive switch if there are 2 wires there it implies that it is fitted as there'd be no point if not, it'd just have a blanking plate.

It may be that the inhibitor switch that stops it being engaged when reverse is selected has failed and the switch was removed because of this. I understand that if you reverse with OD engaged you will see a big bill.

My OD plays up if it's not used on a regular basis so it might all be OK, you just need to check the inhibitor switch which if I remember correctly is on the transmission.

(And obviously get a new switch, they're about £15 or so)

[HMC]

1 hour ago, chadders said:

Regarding the missing overdrive switch if there are 2 wires there it implies that it is fitted as there'd be no point if not, it'd just have a blanking plate.

It may be that the inhibitor switch that stops it being engaged when reverse is selected has failed and the switch was removed because of this. I understand that if you reverse with OD engaged you will see a big bill.

My OD plays up if it's not used on a regular basis so it might all be OK, you just need to check the inhibitor switch which if I remember correctly is on the transmission.

(And obviously get a new switch, they're about £15 or so)

There are indeed 2 wires behind the hole in the dash. Ill need to do some more investigating.

Meanwhile ive been pottering around in the white minor whilst giving the black minor a checkover before its collection by the new (shiter) owner this coming week

Period architecture in need of TLC. And some buildings.

[HMC]

I now have “freshair”

Hairdressers car?

As I freed up the scuttle ventilator that was stuck. Very basic- simply a metal arm that acts on a metal flap that opens and closes. Plus gas sorted that.

I also rodded out the drain for the same as that was choked full of mud and pooling up water. I worked carefully from above with a coat hanger and from the outlet on the underside of the transmssion tunnel. Eventually it ran free and I was also relieved to see the bulkhead area its contained by  was rot free. It must have been stored inside for long periods as leaving it like that for long outside would have flooded the interior and rotted part of the bulkhead out.

Next on a dry warm weekend ill spray it with cavity wax as well as fitting an aftermarket mesh under the air intake to keep debris out. Ive also spent £7 on a magnetic black cover piece that can be put onto the scuttle air intake to effectively close it off when you are not driving it to keep the weather out.

[HMC]

Mgb news

Remember the blank space where the overdrive switch would have been? I messaged the vendor- who speciallises more in 9-15k fully restored tartan red/ chrome wire wheel jobs; to see if he knew anything about the overdrive. He borrowed the switch for another, more glamorous ‘b but it was working fine before it donated the switch.

So one switch later…

And we have a fully functional overdrive on 3rd and 4th

 

 

[HMC]

And minor news- the black minor was collected by its new shiter keeper.

And the white one (which had very old tyres- as in the above pic- dated 1997 according to the tyre fitter) now has a new set of blockley 145r14s - a radial but pretty much the closest modern match dimensionally for an original set of hoops…..

 

 

[Tommyboy12]

🫣

[EyesWeldedShut]

2 hours ago, HMC said:

So one switch later…

Can be fun when overtaking in third, flick the switch for a non-clutch dropping, smooth application of moah powah*
 

*as Einstein said - everything is relative. You’re not in any danger of whiplash from the G forces unleashed in an MGB 😉

[lesapandre]

20 hours ago, HMC said:

Mgb news

Remember the blank space where the overdrive switch would have been? I messaged the vendor- who speciallises more in 9-15k fully restored tartan red/ chrome wire wheel jobs; to see if he knew anything about the overdrive. He borrowed the switch for another, more glamorous ‘b but it was working fine before it donated the switch.

So one switch later…

And we have a fully functional overdrive on 3rd and 4th

 

 

[HMC]

Went (with overdrive on the faster bits) to uni today and on the way back dropped the hood. Theres a slightly more long winded / boring way to drop it involving detaching the rear edge and carefully folding the back along the hood seams but not the plastic windows to be kinder to them. It also leaves a clean rear deck. I forgot about the hood cover, but almost felt cool until….

1. Just  remembered im a bald middle aged man 

2. I forgot to close the passenger door properly so when i was leaving the car park it swang open, thankfully not hitting anything.

I cant upload a picture a the moment (?) but its CURRY TIME

edit for belated pic

[chadders]

8 minutes ago, HMC said:

Went (with overdrive on the faster bits) to uni today and on the way back dropped the hood. Theres a slightly more long winded / boring way to drop it involving detaching the rear edge and carefully folding the back along the hood seams but not the plastic windows to be kinder to them. It also leaves a clean rear deck. I forgot about the hood cover, but almost felt cool until….

1. Just  remembered im a bald middle aged man 

2. I forgot to close the passenger door properly so when i was leaving the car park it swang open, thankfully not hitting anything.

I cant upload a picture a the moment (?) but its CURRY TIME

I've never used my hood cover, maybe I'm just an untidy sod?

[Peter C]

18 minutes ago, HMC said:

Just  remembered im a bald middle aged man 

That’s three clubs that we’re both in now.

[yes oui si]

2 hours ago, chadders said:

I've never used my hood cover

I believe that the technical term is 'foreskin'.

[Surface Rust]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

That’s three clubs that we’re both in now.

You need a convertible too, then you can be in all four clubs!