• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

MGB Made a decision, my MGB is going...

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
...to a shop to get it back on the road. (Couldn't resist the clickbait title, it's been a long week -- and a long year. :wall: )

My B has been off the road since I bought it back over 4 years ago (yes, I've bought this same car twice). Engine is really tired, and I was going to put in a spare used engine so I could drive it while rebuilding the original motor. I just haven't been able to make the time to get it done. Working in IT for a public school district during a pandemic has been about what you'd expect. I'm not old, but getting old enough as I barrel down on 50 to appreciate that my supply of years is limited. I want to drive this car and not look at it.

A good friend had his '67 MGB rebuilt by a reputable shop in Scottsdale, AZ recently, and the work was excellent. They did a full engine rebuild and 5-speed swap. Not cheap, but excellent work. It got me thinking, and I decided to haul my car down there as well and get it done.

My B will get engine rebuild, trans rebuild (if needed), and whatever other little things we find. Hope to be driving it before the snow flies. Will likely cost more than I paid for the car to do this, but this car is a keeper and worth it to me. Car goes down there in early June.

I bought this B for the first time in 2011, 10 years ago as of this post. In all that time I've never actually had 2 cars running at the same time. It's about dern time to make that happen, and sometimes that just takes bringing in the professionals.

BinLight.jpeg
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
you are a wicked wicked person :mad::ROFLMAO:

great to see you and glad to see you are getting the car going
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
OP
drooartz

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
you are a wicked wicked person :mad::ROFLMAO:

great to see you and glad to see you are getting the car going
It's been such a bonkers year I just had to do something silly. No worries that this car is leaving the fleet -- it's so nice I bought it twice. :D

Spent some time today finding all the pieces that need to go with the car. I'll box it all up later, but was good to dig out all the bits that have been sitting around. I've got a spare OD transmission, so I'll probably bring both down to the shop and they can pick the best one to get into. Need to figure out a way to get the engine crated/palleted for transit as well. I've got a few weeks yet before it goes so there's time.

It's good to be getting back into the cars. Over the last year work has really taken over, but things are calming down now so life can resume.

IMG_0752.JPG
 

AngliaGT

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
Drew,

I get it - after working,I rarely feel like going down to the garage
& working on the GT.I'll probably get it running,& have the local British car shop
finish it.
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
OP
drooartz

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
I'm planning on a daily strategy once I can get started on my Bugeye restoration work. List the projects, and chip away a little at a time. You could say that the first step there was to get the B roadworthy, solved with an email, phone call, and eventual large check. ;)
Drew,

I get it - after working,I rarely feel like going down to the garage
& working on the GT.I'll probably get it running,& have the local British car shop
finish it.
Sounds like a solid strategy.
 
Country flag
Offline
I'm totally with you. Haven't wanted to touch a screwdriver or lift a wrench most of last year either. And the whole remote learning thing has been incredibly rough on our son who's a Senior in high school - can't even begin to know how hard it is for you all on the other side of the screen. But things are looking up. We installed a lift in our garage - YAY! Then I reconnected/installed the rebuilt generator in our 73 GMC motorhome and put on the entry door step. Progress is good! :smile: OH...and went to our first car show in over a year+ a couple of weekends ago!
 
OP
drooartz

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
I once posted a comment when I was doing the V8 swap in my Healey that resonated with a lot of folks: "I made some great progress today ... I paid someone else to do it." Speaking of swaps, now would be the perfect time to come over to the dark side and drop a V6 or V8 into that puppy!
Nice try ;)
 

Rut

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
Drew, good on you! A member of the MGE posted about what to do next on his B and I realized that it was time. I’ve mulled this decision over for the last year or so and I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it. This is what I posted on the MGE:
After reading and commenting on Robert Brownings post about what next to do to his B, I decided that someone needs to enjoy mine. My DIL has lusted after the B, so she’s now the caretaker. She took the girls to school and then on to work and my heart is full! Her comment this morning along with the attached picture: “Of all of the things I’ve done in my life that were badass, I’ve never felt as much like one as I do today!”
Life is good, Rut
Oh well, the file won’t attach...
 

Rut

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
I’ll give it another shot.
Rut
2897D1CE-1652-45F6-A578-4C0341E21DB6.jpeg
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Gorgeous indeed though I can't imagine the words MGB and badass being used in the same sentence (except maybe our old friend Anarchy99) 😃
normally all I ever get is 'what a cute car'
 
OP
drooartz

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
So great to hear how excited you DIL is for the B, and what a lovely car.
 
OP
drooartz

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Got the engine and transmissions all packed up and ready for hauling down to AZ for the rebuild. Transmissions you say? I happen to have two OD transmissions, the original from the car and a spare I picked up from a parts car. I'm bringing them both down so that they can use the best one as a base for a rebuild (or for parts if necessary). I've got a couple spare blocks as well, but hoping that the original one won't have issues and will be fully rebuildable.

mgb_engine.jpg


mgb_trans.jpg
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Looks impressive. (Is it worth removing the fan - plastic blades are vulnerable - don't ask me how I know)
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Pythias Made the decision to sell. Spridgets 6
drooartz Engine decision made, gonna be a fun winter! Spridgets 21
drooartz A decision made for more power Spridgets 24
Randy Harris Having made the fateful decision.. Jaguar 0
C TR6 Work Continues. Proggress being made Triumph 6
R For Sale Original AC Ace/Cobra seats. Early 60's, hand made Leveroll by A.W. Chapman, London Other British Classifieds 12
D Made a sheet metal break. Restoration & Tools 5
JPSmit Made me chuckle. Spridgets 13
tr6nitjulius TR6 TR6 made another list! Triumph 5
M I made some embroidered Austin-Healey Hats if interested Austin Healey 4
AngliaGT Miata - ALMOST Made it Home Other Cars 7
hondo402000 TR6 TR6 Fuel Injection made easy Triumph 12
S TR2/3/3A What's a little thing that made a huge difference in your vehicle? Triumph 37
D You Tube made me do it. I bought a Milwaukee dry cut saw. Restoration & Tools 6
RAC68 Home Made Healey Exhaust Headers from a BOX Austin Healey 15
Boink Made it into the AHCA club calendar... Spridgets 5
wangdango Home-made ducting for BJ8 radiator? Austin Healey 11
GTP1960 Not the "best car ever made" by a long shot Other Cars 14
glemon Mercedes 450SL Best Car Ever Made? Other Cars 7
M TR2/3/3A What is my radiator made of? Brass? Triumph 6
doc50 TR2/3/3A So I Made My Own Triumph 5
JPSmit Daughter made a video Spridgets 18
S This internet article/post made me laugh... Austin Healey 5
J Made a lot of sawdust today, brought back a lot of memories Restoration & Tools 6
Jim_Gruber Actually made some progress on Bugsy II Today Spridgets 4
Boink Last Midget Made Spridgets 10
60TR3A Had a Portrait Made of My Car Austin Healey 9
T TR2/3/3A We made it -TR3 first trip Triumph 20
oxford Look what I made Dad! Austin Healey 3
B MGB well made sebring valance MG 3
Boggsy64 MGB Made it 2200miles and 22 quarts of oil later! MG 7
JPSmit Land Rover Defender - and Home made special Spotted 1
DanLewis Taking a chance on a Chinese-made aluminum radiator for my Bugeye Spridgets 74
sjuengst Spitfire Handmade toy Spitfire made in the Congo. Triumph 2
hilsideser Spitfire Spitfire also made this list... Triumph 0
HealeyRick 1500 Engine Rebuild Made Easy Spridgets 5
sd80mac7204 Think I made a mistake Triumph 4
Xte TIPS : Home made tool for the thermal sensor Austin Healey 7
C Made to be raced! Austin Healey 11
JPSmit Home made axle puller Restoration & Tools 5
G Midget Cobra? Who made this? Spridgets 19
M_Pied_Lourd Banjo Made Me Do It........ Triumph 11
Banjo If someone made ma a good offer... Triumph 45
rlich8 Today, my day was made! Triumph 27
S This made me smile....... Spotted 6
D i made a stupid mistake. best course of action? Triumph 35
K seats made for triumph replacement good $ Triumph 12
John_Mc It's made of WHAT?! Triumph 13
M No progress being made Triumph 20
RickB Well my Midget made it home... Need Help! Spridgets 80

Similar threads

Top