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prb51

prb51

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The Brit mag Sports and Classic Cars has been doing head to head car challenges as to which is the best all around vehicle.

MGA vs TR3.

Tr3 was the better sports car (like we did not know that) and the interesting part was the MGA owner that provided her car for the test said she'd consider offing her MGA for TR3 since she got to drive one.
She said the TR3 was not 'nambsy pambsy' infering the MGA was(like we didn't know that) LMAO.

I'd buy an MGA by the way, they are very pretty, if my wife needed a car.
 
Not a nibble!
Was hoping to get a rise outta someone....never thought we had such a PC crew, lol.
 
Thanks for posting that, I'll look for it on the newstands.
 
Well, DUH !

I lost a friend in college some 35 years ago, because he wanted to buy a sports car "like mine" and I took him to see an MGA that I happened to know was for sale. He bought it, then discovered the differences, and blamed me for even showing it to him!

I finally found someone else to buy it from him (after his brother had run it out of oil and locked up the motor), but our friendship was over.

It did have a heck of a heater, compared to the TR; and you could get the engine out without taking off the front apron. Kept the driver drier in the rain, unless you had the battery cover out so you could thump the fuel pump to keep the car running ! In all other respects, the TR won hands down (including not having to thump the fuel pump :laugh: )

The MG used lever shocks instead of upper A-arms in the front suspension ... a new pair of shocks cost more than the car did! And of course they leaked badly, so every few days they had to be filled again.

Having the floor boards catch fire was an experience I'll always remember, too.
 
Careful: Don't let the guys over on the MG side see this thread... :wink:
 
Not so fast guys - can you honestly say that a TR3 rides better than an MGA? Or steers better? The MGA isn't as sports focused as a TR3, but that doesn't make it is worse, just different.

By way of analogy you pound forward in a TR3, an MGA glides by comparison.
 
Mickey Richaud said:
Careful: Don't let the guys over on the MG side see this thread... :wink:
Click to expand...

Too late! :devilgrin:

When they were 'contemporary' the TR-BLOODY-THREE was a buckboard compared to the A.

...there...

THAT oughta do it! :smirk:
 
tdskip said:
The MGA isn't as sports focused as a TR3, but that doesn't make it is worse, just different.
Click to expand...
Actually, for a "sports car", being less "sports focused" DOES make it worse. If the category was "luxury car" then the MGA would get the nod ... :devilgrin:

And honestly, at least for those two 15 year old examples (3 if you count my Dad's TR3A as well as mine), the TR did steer as well as the MGA. Oh sure, the TR steering was stiffer, but it was also faster ratio. The car went where you pointed it, rather than having to spin the wheel to go around a corner.

Only time I ever had any trouble keeping up with my buddy in his MGA was when my clutch slave had gone out and I was having to match rpm at every shift. Otherwise, I could run off and leave him any time I tried.

At one point, we were running down the Atlantic coast with a thunder storm blowing in. Neither of us had brought tops along, so we both floored it to get away from the rain. Guess which one got wet!
 
tdskip said:
Not so fast guys - can you honestly say that a TR3 rides better than an MGA? Or steers better? The MGA isn't as sports focused as a TR3, but that doesn't make it is worse, just different.

By way of analogy you pound forward in a TR3, an MGA glides by comparison.

Exactly, and that is what a sporting ride is all about...if I wanted to glide along I'd drive the Caddy...but in the Caddy at least I can glide quickly....
Click to expand...
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I'd buy an MGA by the way, they are very pretty, if my wife needed a car.[/QUOTE]

A little pi$$ed off at your wife, huh?
 
Brosky said:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I'd buy an MGA by the way, they are very pretty, if my wife needed a car.
Click to expand...

A little pi$$ed off at your wife, huh? [/QUOTE]

Now that's funny! She wants a MINI anyway
 
DrEntropy said:
Too late! :devilgrin:

When they were 'contemporary' the TR-BLOODY-THREE was a buckboard compared to the A.

...there...

THAT oughta do it! :smirk:
Click to expand...

Yes, but a very <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">Bloody Fast</span></span> buckboard compared to the A!:devilgrin:
 
Anyone have a sense of road racing results between the two back in the day?

I know the TR3's were clearly the better rally car, but how about road racing?
 
tdskip said:
Anyone have a sense of road racing results between the two back in the day?

I know the TR3's were clearly the better rally car, but how about road racing?
Click to expand...


ISTR that they ran in different classes. TR3 was E Production, MG in the F Production class. At least in '64-'65.
TR's ran against the 1600 Push, MG against Sunbeam Alpine.
 
Aww, my 1st car was a 61 MGA, if you don't count the 64(?) Fiat 600 - and I don't. It only left me sit one time in the winter when the fuel pump froze. It almost hurts to have them slandered so!
I've only driven a TR3 on one occasion a few years after I sold the A and my recollection is that it was rather 'brutal'. I didn't run it hard since it belonged to a co-worker so I can't address performance. I DO recall how forgiving the MGA was. It telegraphed every intention it had. It let you know in advance when the back end was going to cut loose on a turn. I had a friend who wanted to 'follow me' down local country road while I was driving the A. He showed up a few minutes after I did (in a Spridget) at the agreed upon destination, pulled up beside me and hollered "You're ^*@%^&@ CRAZY!" As I also recall, my older brother borrowed the MGA many times to take young ladies for rides up in the mountains.
Thanks for triggering the memories.
 
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