• 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

MGB MG Project

Share this page

K

kibbis

Freshman Member
Offline
Hello,
I'm new to the forum and wanted to say hello. My father and I are looking for a good project car. We are looking at Triumphs or MGs. I posted something similar over on the Triumph forum. We are looking to have something that we can work on together and share as far as driving. I've been searching around CL/Ebay and I checked the for sale section of the forums, but I was hoping to reach out to you guys to introduce myself and maybe get some good resources. I'm in NE-PA. We aren't looking to really have a show car or to re-sell. Just a neat car to tool around with and appreciate. It's something we always talked about doing but I don't want to wait too much longer!

I'm not too familiar on any trouble spots with MGs, other than some rust which I figure isn't really car specific as rust will attack anything :smile:. Any motor issues or specific models to shy away from?
 
Welcome, first things first! What is your budget? That will help with what kind of car you get. MGBs are the best priced cars for the the money. Try to get a chrome bumper car (62-74). Nice ones can still be found for 2/3 thousand dollars. Price goes up for there.

marv
 
Well, right now it's 500-1000 so I'm OK with one that needs work. It doesn't need to be running right off the bat as this can be a long term project. I saw someone on here is selling one for 100, if I read that right. Needs work but something like that would be ideal. I'm ok with some body work, as long as I don't have to re-weld the entire car :smile:.
 
Welcome!

On the MG side of things, the MGB and Midget/Sprite (also know as Spridgets) are very economical ways to enjoy the car hobby. Any MGB is a fun car, with excellent parts availability. The later cars with the "rubber bumpers" tend to go for less but are still fun (and have essentially the same mechanicals). The earlier cars ('74 and earlier) with the chrome bumpers do go for a bit more.

Midgets and Sprites as smaller and can be cheaper. Also very robust with very comprehensive parts availability, and a real hoot to drive.

With either model the biggest issue is rust, rust, and more rust. Everywhere and anywhere and allwhere. Both models are unibody cars, body rust can mean structural issues and big expense/time. Unless you love to weld, skip a car with major rust issues.

Also with either one the costs of restoration can easily outstrip the final value of the car when you're done, especially if you farm out parts of the work. The more you can do yourself, the better. I've owned both and enjoyed them greatly.
 
Welcome! X2 on Drews comments. No matter which direction you go you will end up paying more if you buy a car that needs a lot of work. The allure of a car that needs restoration to all of 'us' cheap guys and can be bought for next to nothing will be your most expensive option even if you can do everything yourself. You want to find the best car for the least amount of money needing the least amount of work. An older restoration from someone who is getting out of the hobby is a great choice if bought right...an enthusiast car can sometimes be a bargain even if it's 2 or 3 times your budget.
That said you need to decide if the process of restoration or driving the car is what you like best. I have a driver and a full rotisserie restoration to satisfy both.
Search craigslist, ebay, the enthusiast forums BST, etc. and report back with your findings with pictures (we love pictures) and we can help pick it apart.
Good luck, Rut
 
Thanks. The value after the car, in a monetary sense, doesn't really matter to me. I think it's more the experience and enjoying a car that I worked on and built to my tastes. Most of the work we are going to do we are planning on doing ourselves, minus some body work/painting.

I don't love welding btw. There is a MG not too far from me that has no floor at all. I guess I could yabba dabba do it home..but I don't feel like re-welding everything. Or spending the money on it.
 
Rut said:
Welcome! X2 on Drews comments. No matter which direction you go you will end up paying more if you buy a car that needs a lot of work. The allure of a car that needs restoration to all of 'us' cheap guys and can be bought for next to nothing will be your most expensive option even if you can do everything yourself. You want to find the best car for the least amount of money needing the least amount of work. An older restoration from someone who is getting out of the hobby is a great choice if bought right...an enthusiast car can sometimes be a bargain even if it's 2 or 3 times your budget.
That said you need to decide if the process of restoration or driving the car is what you like best. I have a driver and a full rotisserie restoration to satisfy both.
Search craigslist, ebay, the enthusiast forums BST, etc. and report back with your findings with pictures (we love pictures) and we can help pick it apart.
Good luck, Rut
Click to expand...

Well, to give you an idea of what I have been looking at (feel free to let me know what you feel the prices should be, if they are fair or high):

https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/4914040183.html

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/4878580964.html (looks too rough but I have inquired about it)

This guy has 3 of them. He came into an estate sale and these were given to him. Prices seem really high to me. I spoke with him, he's a nice guy, but I think he isn't in a major rush to sell. I don't think he will mind holding on to them until they are worth more..(there is a beat up tr7 he wants over 2k...)
https://reading.craigslist.org/cto/4869319874.html
https://reading.craigslist.org/cto/4869302180.html
https://reading.craigslist.org/cto/4869283679.html
 
The brown '73 in Pottstown would be one I'd look into. And: Welcome to the forum, kibbis!
 
Rubber bumper MG midgets can have crankshaft issues, Chrome bumper Midgets can have transmission issues. MGBs are the stronger cars. Chrome bumper MGB nice and rubber bumper MGBs are fine also. Original rubber bumper MGBs with the single carb can be troublesome. I stay away from 77 and newer MGBs because they have more electric issues. More relays and a diode under the dash that when bad will engage the starter when the emergency brake handle is up! 68 and newer MGB transmissions are normally very good. occasionally they crack a syncro. Early MGB trans can suffer if abused. Bad gears and layshaft. A 68-76 MGB is probably your best bet in your price range. Parts are easy on MGBs. Good luck with your hunt! Bob
 
Welcome to the forum kibbis. Well, I've restored a 72 MGB and now restoring an MGTF, but we won't get into the TF, that's another ball game all together. The guys are giving you good advice! You can not buy an MG for less than $2000 that isn't going to cost you a lot more money to get it road worthy. Parts for these cars are expensive and you can't just go to an O'Rileys, AutoZone or the like and buy parts for them. Parts have to come from suppliers that specialize in such. Buy a car that's running and drivable. There will be a lot you will be able to do, but at least you will be starting off on the right foot. We've all been there and are trying to offer some advice, so you won't be discouraged from the beginning. The best thing to do is to have someone with you that knows the car you want and can give you sound advice if the car is worth what the seller is asking for it and how much work is involved. Whatever you do, don't buy one sight unseen off the net! Good luck on your venture and hope to see another one of these little British cars saved from the crusher. PJ
 
Welcome indeed! I agree with all that has been said - let me add 2 more thoughts.

1. MGs & Triumphs are like buses - there will always be another one so, buy the best you can find and don't feel rushed. Interiors and sheet metal are more expensive and complicated than mechanicals.

2. Join a local club. Not only will you have nearby advice (and extra eyes and hands if necessary) but, club classifieds are often a better source of cars than Craigslist etc. This because people know the real values (and the real issues) of their cars. Many Craigslist sellers watch one episode of Barrett-Jackson and figure their cars are worth crazy money!

take your time and the right car is out there.
 
Yeah, I have been trying to avoid CL lately, but it's always a good starting point. It's insane the prices people want for things. Rusted frame jeeps with a blown motor (4 cyl)? 1500 bucks..

I'm in no major rush, but I wanted to check a forum for the exact reason JPSmit brought up.
 
$700.00? If that's the full price and everything is complete and the rust situation isn't over the top, in my estimation, it's worth every penny. But not seeing under the hood and what's missing, if anything, that could change. PJ
 
Yeah, the rust is what I am afraid of. I'm going to call him in a few and see if I can swing by this evening to take a look. Not a lot of pictures were posted so they may be hiding something, or just didn't feel like getting in too much detail for a CL post.
 
Back
Top