MGB Looking at another MGB, questions?

[RickB]

1980 MGB in Pageant blue.
It's a couple hundred miles away so I'm arranging a trip out to see it this weekend.
Looks like a 10 to 15 year old restoration, the owner has sent many detailed pictures and the paint and body look really good.
The engine bay is the same color so that's encouraging, as is the trunk.
I can see no rust anywhere in the pictures he sent and the owner says there isn't any, this car has spent it's live in the more desert part of Washington state.
The previous owner had the engine out and back in when he replaced the old transmission to get a working overdrive.
This present owner says "keeping the oil reservoir fill keeps the overdrive working great" - not sure as the only overdrive I had was in my MGC and it apparently was different, what's this reservoir he's talking about?
He doesn't know if the engine was ever overhauled but is willing for me to do a compression test.
He never worked on it himself, always had a shop do anything and he recalls ignition work and fuel lines "and more" he promises to send me more details.

Here's the ad, the colors are off in the ad pics the ones I received by email are correct for Pageant Blue.
https://kpr.craigslist.org/cto/5015452790.html

In his engine bay pics the motor itself looks pretty dirty, to me this basically means it hasn't been touched in quite a while.
Here's the engine bay:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAQsc/-aGQG5fnVAA/s1600/image%25284%2529.jpg

Here's a link to all the pictures:
https://plus.google.com/photos/+RickBastedo/albums/6150989949019480481?banner=pwa

I'd like to get it for something closer to $3K as there are a couple other RB cars I'm looking at in that range.
This one has working OD so that makes it worth more to me, just don't want to spend too much more.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Rick -

Looks very promising. The condition of the engine bay and interior suggests it's driven regularly, which is always a plus.

Not sure what he means by the oil reservoir, unless he's referring to keeping tabs on the oil level in the transmission itself.

Let us know how you fare with it.


Mickey

 

[RickB]

$3,500 is what I want to pay.
Guess I can ask him if he is open to an offer and see what happens.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Bring cash - drop $3000 on the hood and see what happens...

Money talks.

 

[RickB]

Thanks Mickey, I will do that (or something like it).
Anther B came up on Craigslist last night, east of the one I'll be seeing tomorrow.
It's $2995 - exactly $1K less than the first.
Also blue, also has OD. Says Cylinder head rebuilt.
If I can't get the first one for a price I'm willing to pay I'll go look at the second one.

https://boise.craigslist.org/cto/5035290185.html