• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Just got back from a drive...

Share this page

vping

vping

Yoda
Silver
Country flag
Offline
...and boy was it fun. I took out the '74 Roadster for about 45 minutes and man was it a blast. These little suckers sound great up around 5k and best part about it was my OD works!! First time I've ever been in an MG with OD and what a feeling. I was doing about 90 and blew past a 928. (doubt he cared) but still was it fun. I cannot wait to tighten up the suspension and see how much better she'll do in the twisties.
 
Good deal, nothing like a test run.
 
Yeah it was a bit chilly last night. It's amazing how these can rev but thinking about it today, I wonder if I should have revved it so high (pardon my ignorance). She was sitting for 11 years and I only ran it a few times before I took it out last might for a real push. Could not help but to rev it as high as I could in every gear but it sounded so good.
 
If it was a rebuild before it was put away you'd have some concerns. As it is, it pro'lly LIKED bein' revved up. Blow out th' cobwebs!
 
No rebuild here to my knowledge and yes the cobwebs are well blown out. No smoke neither which is a good sign.

It's not as responsive as I'd like it if I let the rpms get just a little low and then give it gas to take off. Prolly just have to find the sweet spot in every gear especially if I'm really nailing it. Casual driving is fine. Carbs pop a little too at shift, like a slight backfire. It's tight going into turns which I hope will change once I swap out the rear bushings for poly.

Oh and the hardtop stays on at 90 which is also a plus. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Sounds like it's a tad lean. Fatten it up a bit.
 
Could'nt hoit! I am also not fond of third to fourth. It hits a what I can best describe as a "wall". When I pull it straight back, it hits something and I have to moveit ever so slightly left in order to engage. It's either a commong thing and nothing major but I'll have to adjust the way I shift. And the shortened shifter has a nice feel to it.
 
I suspect the unresponsiveness is a tuning / carb issue, but you can try cleaning out the dashpots and changing the oil to a different viscosity. I'd go lighter first and see what happens.

As for pushing it, if there are no strange noises and the gauges read good numbers then go for it. The car will appreciate the longest drive you can give it.
 
The carbs were dissasembled, cleaned, reassembled & installed. I am running 20-50 in the dash pots but it is a bit chilly so maybe a lighter oil would make sense. I started off just going around the cornere and about an hour later I returned. My timing was perfect as dinner was all cleaned up & put away. My wife did not think my timing was perfect though.
 
Sounds like a great cruise. ENJOY!

I recently installed an overdrive in my B and I'm still smiling everytime I flip that lever. It just transforms the car into such a cruiser. I'm also suprised how much I've been using 3rd gear overdrive for 35-45 expressway in town cruising.

I've gone out to "move the B" more then once and it's a 1/2 hr drive just to move it over 10'.
 
"it's a 1/2 hr drive just to move it over 10'"

LOL
 
If you are redlining it in this cool air, it is likely to be a little lean and pop some on the let off and shift...in warmer weather it will probably be fine in MHO.

and wait for warmer weather to take your wife for a nice slow ride to somewhere she likes...she will then understand the beauty of a roadster and not mind your disappearing ;-))
 
When I got home after my drive, my heartrate was high and I was a jibberring fool. The feeling was if I kept that up she would a belted me to bring me down to earth. Yesterday was spent working on the garage while she was at work and during that time I created a list of things I needed to buy. When she returned, she said "Oh I pulled in the driveway. I'll move so I can take the MG to the depot. I really want to drive it!" She really wants to drive it. Maybe I'll have to get her, her own. (twists arm)
 
Vince, sounds like a keeper there. Shucks if she likes it give it to her. More are around.
 
Back
Top