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Just bought a 77 roadster

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Hello MG people! I am usually a Triumph guy, but just got home from buying a 77 MGB roadster with a friend. I am going to pick it up tomorrow and have a few questions...

The car hasn't been moved in about 20 years and the brakes are seized on (the handbrake was on when it was parked and stayed on!). Any special tricks to free the rear brakes? Is the adjuster the same 1/4 inch square as Triumph used?

There is remarkably little rust on the car - I poked and prodded and only found one area where the rust seemed to have taken hold. It is on the sill, at the bottom about midway between the wheel arches. The outer sill panel has rusted through in places for about 6 inches. The inner panel (where it joins the floor) seems solid. Is this likely to be patchable, or are we looking at a whole sill replacement?

The initial plan is to first work through the brakes - master cylinder rebuild (or replace if it is in bad shape), new hoses, shoes, pads, caliper rebuild, new wheel cylinders. Then (or rather at the same time) suspension
work - new bushes all round, the shocks seem to work pretty well from the "push down and watch the bounce" test, but I guess a change of the fluid in them would be a good idea. I guess new ball joints but can't actually remember seeing ball joints when I looked at the car... Track rod ends and anything else I have forgotten?

The engine has about 78000 miles, and is not completely stock as far as I can tell - it has twin SU carbs which the seller (the now deceased previous owner's son) apparently took from a '69. It still has its air pump and such. Does the '77 have an EGR valve? It hasn't run in a long time so I have a feeling ti will be coming out for some work, but I was thinking of putting a squirt of oil in the cylinders, changing the oil, filters, coolant and battery and just firing it up. Any issues with that? Seems to me the worst case is it doesn't run in which case it has to come out anyway. Obviously I would check it turns over first.

Well, thanks in advance for any advice. I am looking forward to getting stuck into a new project (not that my current project is anywhere close to being finished...).

Cheers
Alistair
 
Usually it is the cables that have rusted. You can try disconnecting the cables from the drum harness. If the brake was left in the on position during storage, I would plan on replacing the cables and cutting them as close to the hub as possible and soak them in penetrating oil. With a little work the hubs should be able to removed and the brake relaxed. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif
The wheel horns behind the front fender are usually suspect. If you remove the fenders, you'll probably find some decay. Dirt and water seem to gather and create havoc here. But repairable!


Persistance is the best tool! Good Luck! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
Ed
 
WELCOME TO 1977! I have had mine for 8 years.

The 1977 did originally have an egr valve located on the top of the manifold. However since the previous owner put dual SU's on you obviously do not have the original manifold.

If you do not have to meet any emissions tampering inspections or such, you are money ahead having the SU's.

Good Luck and Congrats on the purchase.
 
I worked up in Jersey for a while a few years ago and while there I had to have my truck re tagged and inspected. It was around the time they were changing over to a new system where they not only check emissions but even photograph the car and license plates, then sending the info to Trenton for verification. I don't know where or if they have a cut off date for classic or antique vehicles, but I do know their tough! I'd double check to see if your vehicle is exempt. If it isn't, you'll probably have to put the engine back to the original configuration, converter and all.
 
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