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MGB New to a 1965 MGB

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MGB65

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Hi everyone, I've been driving for about a year now (I'm 17) and my car has been an old junky 89 sedan. In my garage there has been a 1965 MGB just sitting there and I want to clean it out and restore it to working order again. I was thinking that if I did get it working it would blow any other car at my highschool out of the water. It has been there for about 15 years in the same spot, no blocks, no cover, it was just parked and left there. I was wondering what I need to do to get the car running again. When it was put there it had no problems. What would I need to do to fix it? I have only a rudementary knowledge of tools and cars but I want to learn more. If you could give me any advice on where to go or what to look for to fix it up that would be great. Thanks
 
Wow this looks like all I need and your car is kind of in the same condition as mine i guess. So basically look at your checklist, get an MG book and thats all I need? I really don't know anything about cars, only a little bit. Will the book tell me how to do everything listed? O yeah and how much about do you think the whole project will cost?
 
No telling but you'll drop a couple hundred getting it tuned/prepped if there are no major problems...
 
Hmmmm, how much you got? Really, it can cost a fortune if you buy new parts to replace dead ones, but you can do this on a budget. Just pace yourself and take things one at a time, buying good used parts wherever possible. Oh, and welcome to the forum by the way. Nice to see yet another youngster getting the bug!!
 
and you need to know Tony is the best place for good used parts and Chris Roop,Roop's MG, gives a 20% discount on Moss prices. Both are very good guys
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I picked up a 1964 MGB last year in much the same condition as you describe. Mine had sat in an airplane hangar since 1988. Running when it got parked and forgotten. Here's what I did... Trailered it to my shop. Changed the fluids (gas, oil and radiator) She did fire up but ran rough. I rebuilt the carbs, replaced the leaking water pump, put new master and slave clutch cylinders on, new brake pads and bled system and new tires and now she's road ready. I'm now in the process of getting ready to paint. I'm no mechanic, learning as I go but then I'm 45 with some years of life experience and basic knowledge of how things work. I spent $200 for the car and have another $1600 in it so far. I don't see any more major expenses other than paint and I'm still debating the way to go on that. Good luck in your project. I assume this was your dad's car or did the previous home owner fail to take the car with them?
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Ya its my dad's old car, he is really old, like 65 but he knows a ton about cars. He grew up in the 1950's and use to screw around with his cars all the time. Its a pretty simple car so I think it will be alright, the only thing is some of the parts that need replacement will be hard to find, especially the springs. There is a guy down the street who owns an MG dealership/shop but he is a bandit and wants like 150 for each spring. My dad explained to me that the hardest part will probably be the breaks because the cylinders will have to rebuilt or something like that. A good friend of mine wants to help so that will be good to. Im hoping that I can get it running and most of the engine stuff done by the end of vacation, which is in 2 weeks. It is definitely a goal of mine to get it done before school so I can show it off
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Anyway i was wondering, other than the breaks what are probably the hardest/longest things that will need work?

[ 04-11-2004: Message edited by: MGB65 ]</p>
 
NO MG PARTS ARE HARD TO FIND especially springs....get a Moss catalog & get to know either myself or Chris Roop.... I'm closed until the Fall but have every used part you'll need...Chris is new parts as also am I when I open again....find out what you've got - get it awakened & then go from there....don't bite off more than you can chew or it'll end un in somebody's MG Graveyards...that's why I usually get dead cars - somebody tackled too big a project without thinking it through first!
 
I definitely think i will finish it. Um when your explaining things to me could you not use things without explaining them to me? Im new at this and I don't know what a moss catalog is lol.

So you guys both sell parts? where are both your shops located? If one is close enough I could maybe go down and and get a better sense of what I need.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MGB65:
I definitely think i will finish it. Um when your explaining things to me could you not use things without explaining them to me? Im new at this and I don't know what a moss catalog is lol.

So you guys both sell parts? where are both your shops located? If one is close enough I could maybe go down and and get a better sense of what I need.<hr></blockquote>

Check the links section of my website, Tony, Chris, and Moss are all there, along with about everything elase
 
I have about 7 New Old stock brake master cylinders left for early Bs. They look much better than the new plastic reservoir ones, and cost about the same.
Feel free to get in touch. I'm doing a 65 right now also.
 
Like I said earlier...the car's been sitting for 15 years - everything needs going through...1st: copy the checklist off my web site [uel]https://www.theautoist.com/awakening_a_sleeping_b.htm[/url]...2nd: follow it!

Go to my website bookstore & order a Bentley repair manual from Amazon https://www.theautoist.com/bookstore.htm

call 1-800-667-7872 & order a Moss catalog.....do a lot of reading before you touch a bolt on the car!

&, yes, if you ever get it finished - properly - it'll blow the roof off all your firends' cars - & atttract girls!
 
You're going to have a lot of fun, and a lot of frustration. But hang in there, it's worth it. I found a 1957 MGA that hadn't run for 19 years, and all it took was a lot of cleaning out, rebuilding the brakes and fuel system.
A word of advice, I'd buy new slave brake cylinders. It's hard to rebuild cylinders that have been sitting a very long time, and rusted.
Driving an MG is just plain FUN. And the girls love them.
Order the Moss catalog (www.mossmotors.com) and you'd do well to get a Haynes manual as well.
The catalog is free, and has all kinds of tech tips in it. And the parts diagrams are a great help in figure out which way it all goes back together.
 
Gee.I don't know about being really old at 65.I'm looking at 66 and I sure don't feel old.My day starts about 6 am and I relax after 8 pm when I see whats on the tube.Usually watch the 11 PM news but admit quite often I fall asleep halfway through.
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and every day is sunny
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by thegoodbeamer:
Gee.I don't know about being really old at 65.I'm looking at 66 and I sure don't feel old.My day starts about 6 am and I relax after 8 pm when I see whats on the tube.Usually watch the 11 PM news but admit quite often I fall asleep halfway through.
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and every day is sunny<hr></blockquote>


I was wondering who was going to call him on that!
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"Youth and enthusiasm are no match for old age and trickery!"

(Just kidding - glad you're into LBC's.)

Mickey
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MGB65:
Ya its my dad's old car, he is really old, like 65 but he knows a ton about cars.
[ 04-11-2004: Message edited by: MGB65 ]<hr></blockquote>

Now wait a minute here!! 65 is not THAT old!!!!

My first new car was a 1965 MGB. Wish I had it again. What color is yours? Not sky blue by chance? Have fun with it. It will never get old like new cars do.
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MGB65, where are you in Mass.? In addition to all the help above, it would help you tremendously to hook up with a local MG club. If you're lucky, you'll discover a friendly MG hobbyist living not too far away who would love nothing more than to give you a guiding hand.

As has been suggested, get yourself a Moss Motors MGB catalogue straight away. Check out their web site at Moss Motors , and you can order a catalogue from there. Their catalog is a useful first step to understand how your car is put together, because they have good exploded diagrams for just about every part.

(Not a substitute for a Haynes or Bently manual, but a good start.)

And then, next time you post, let us know what your first name is, anyway, so we can say "howdy" properly. And post photos of your car in the Members Gallery!
 
Come on guys, give him a break. To a 17 year old, 65 IS really old. Remember when you were that age? When I was 17, I thought 25 was old, when I was 25, I thought 35 was old, when I was 35, anyone over 40 was old, when I was 40, I thought I was old. Now I am 63, and I KNOW I am old.
It's all relative.

Welcome to the forum, A lot of the guys here are really old like me but like you said have a wealth of knowledge and really welcome the chance to share it. So feel free to ask us anything and you will get a wealth of information.
Thanks
Bob

[ 04-12-2004: Message edited by: mrbassman ]</p>
 
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