MGB "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

[Silverghost]

"Once you've seen one MGB.............."

This summer at a car show, I heard someone say "Once you've seen one MGB, you've seen them all." Since then, I've been pondering that comment. So I put it out for the Forum to discuss.

What makes an MGB stand out when there is a gathering of MGBs?
And I don't mean "make you want to grab the nearest garbage can and hurl " stand out! LoL

What have you seen at shows, etc. that made any given MGB "better" than the others present? Any special engine treatment, accessory, paint color, interior, or.........?
That certain "something" that made you say - when looking at a line of MGBs - I like THAT one.

Discuss.....

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I suppose someone who doesn't appreciate any particular marque could say the same about any of them. Or anything else, for that matter.

Me? I like 'em ALL!

 

[PAUL161]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

Unless it's a concourse car, judged by people who know how the car was originally built, it's just eye appeal. I've seen beautiful cars that were as correct as they could be but not quite concourse grade, get beat out quite a few times by cars that were all dolled up with lots of extra chrome and trinkets and so far from being original, win first place, because that's what people want to see. I like them all also and am happy to see another one is saved from the crusher. JMHO. PJ

 

[aerog]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

What Paul said.

To me, a car (almost any kind) really stands out when everything is tastefully done, clean, and well kept - as well as being otherwise "nice".

 

[JPSmit]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I might have been the one who said it. And, I would say it equally of TR6's Midgets Spit's as well. Not that I don't love them all, but, when you get a row of 4 dozen like we do at Bronte - I think there is some truth to it. I find that my eyes start to glaze over as I head down the rows of any "popular" marque - unless I meet an enthusiastic owner, then all bets are off regardless of condition.

what saddens me most about many of the cars is that while restored correctly they often have no personality. Everything is "right" but there aren't personal touches like trunk racks or CB's or 8 tracks or racing stripes or anything that makes them unique - this in spite of the fact that most of them would have been purchased initially because the were unique.

I do think there are certain cars that we owe history to restore absolutely correctly, but, I would argue that with the more plentiful marques we should be able to have more fun than that if we want to.

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

Comment musta come from a Triumph owner. :smirk:

The cars that attract my attention are the ones that look driven a lot yet neatly maintained.

And frankly, no two are alike. Especially after all these years. Say it ("seen one, seen 'em all") about a Chevy or a Honda and mebbe it'd be more appropriate.
Guy was a pinhead.

 

[drooartz]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

The cars that attract my attention are the ones that look driven a lot yet neatly maintained.

I'm in agreement with Doc here. I like cars that get used and properly cared for. "Show" cars with lots of chrome and silly extras don't do it for me.

It's one of the things l like so much about our local British show -- the cars are just scattered about, not grouped by marque (it's not a judged show) so you can wander and there's a nice mix. No long rows of the same model.

 

[JPSmit]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

The cars that attract my attention are the ones that look driven a lot yet neatly maintained.

I'm in agreement with Doc here. I like cars that get used and properly cared for. "Show" cars with lots of chrome and silly extras don't do it for me.

It's one of the things l like so much about our local British show -- the cars are just scattered about, not grouped by marque (it's not a judged show) so you can wander and there's a nice mix. No long rows of the same model.

And that is my point exactly - it's the ones that are owned and loved and unique that are interesting to me.

 

[JodyFKerr]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I think there's some validity to the statement (but not specifically in relation to MGBs).

1 = Amazing
2 = Very cool
3 = cool
4 = neat
5 = ooo
6 = wow
....
50 = meh

Don't get me wrong, I love all cars and I always stop and look at every car in a row/in a show, but my excitement level drops the more of a specific model I see. Over the years I've learned I have a limit on certain cars. After 3 DeLoreans they get boring. After 5 or so '57 Chevy's all tarted up with chrome I'm yawning. 2 fuel injected early corvettes and meh.

The cars that I spend the most time with are the ones I've never seen, am presently restoring, are the only one in the show, etc.

But don't listen to me, I'm a wierdo that collects Jensen Healeys.

 

[aeronca65t]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

As a B owner, I'm always pleased to see more MGBs.
But I'm also happy to see scads of Triumphs, TVRs, Healeys, Sunbeams, etc.

I *do* get tired of seeing row after row of plastic, check-book hot rods (all with 350 crate mtors) at my local MacDonalds......but I get tired of even seeing just one of those.

I do like the idea of mixing up the cars......

Here's some snaps I took at NJMP just three weeks ago at one of ~our events~ .

 

[Silverghost]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I might have been the one who said it.

JP, unless you were in the Chicago area 3-4 weeks ago, it wasn't you.

 

[DNK]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

...What makes an MGB stand out when there is a gathering of MGBs?

A pretty girl in a mini skirt standing in front of it?

 

[Steve_S]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

The MGBs that stick out in the crowd for me are usually the ones that have all kinds of changes made just for the sake of making changes. More often than not they just look cheesy and amateurish. If the owner is happy though, then that's good enough for me. I just ain't gonna vote for it. :wink:

Tasteful mods that appear to fit the car are a bit more rare, and even more rare than that are the cars that are done with attention to detail. I don't mean things like shiny clean stainless steel oil hoses. I mean the brake pipes run in the correct place with nice bends, electrical wires harnessed neatly and held tightly in place, using a fastener designed for whatever purpose instead of whatever was sitting on top of the hardware drawer, etc.

That's just my opinion of course, and I'm sure there are those who prefer cars with shiny stainless hoses all over the place. Sure would be boring if everyone liked the same thing.

 

[glemon]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I love them all, but I have to say I do share those feelings somewhat when I see a line of the more popular models too.

What catches my eye more than the bright bling bling, or the perfectly correct concourse restoration, is a well maintained original car. Low mileage and practically factory fresh is cool, but driven and loved and kept original works for me too, how it left the factory plus patina is best for me.

 

[JodyFKerr]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

...What makes an MGB stand out when there is a gathering of MGBs?

A pretty girl in a mini skirt standing in front of it?

+1

 

[Silverghost]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

...What makes an MGB stand out when there is a gathering of MGBs?

A pretty girl in a mini skirt standing in front of it?

What MGBs?? There are MGBs here??!! :angel:

 

[Silverghost]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

The MGBs that stick out in the crowd for me are usually the ones that have all kinds of changes made just for the sake of making changes. More often than not they just look cheesy and amateurish. If the owner is happy though, then that's good enough for me. I just ain't gonna for for it. :wink:

Tasteful mods that appear to fit the car are a bit more rare, and even more rare than that are the cars that are done with attention to detail. I don't mean things like shiny clean stainless steel oil hoses. I mean the brake pipes run in the correct place with nice bends, electrical wires harnessed neatly and held tightly in place, using a fastener designed for whatever purpose instead of whatever was sitting on top of the hardware drawer, etc.

That's just my opinion of course, and I'm sure there are those who prefer cars with shiny stainless hoses all over the place. Sure would be boring if everyone liked the same thing.

This is the same philosophy I came to. A well thought out, well executed car will catch my attention every time, even if there are a bunch all in a row. As an example, the low rider scene isn't my thing, but when I see a well done job - simple or ultra, it gets my attention way more than a slapped on bling mobile.

When I see a nicely done car, it tells me the owner took time to get it that way and I appreciate the work that that takes/took.

 

[JPSmit]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I might have been the one who said it.

JP, unless you were in the Chicago area 3-4 weeks ago, it wasn't you.

nah, weren't I but I have said it at Bronte.

 

[Silverghost]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

I might have been the one who said it.

JP, unless you were in the Chicago area 3-4 weeks ago, it wasn't you.

nah, weren't I but I have said it at Bronte.

Tis ok, but in penance you are sentenced to drive a Yugo for a week! :wink: LOL

 

[vagt6]

Re: "Once you've seen one MGB.............."

Car shows . . .

I had a rather funny thing to happen several weeks ago at a local car show put on by a local group of antique American car enthusiasts. I was invited by a friend, so I sent in my entry form and showed up on a sunny Saturday.

I was the ONLY foreign car in the show. Plenty of hot rods and rat rods (very nice) and a concours '37 Buick worth about $100,000 or more, absolutely beautiful. Several perfect '50s chevys, a lovely '40 Ford coupe and a really nice Model A Ford roadster, a driver that now has piqued my interest in Model A roadsters (I'd love to have one someday). Probably about 20 cars in total.

My Midget is a show winner and in very good, mostly original condition with no visible mods. Strangely, they put her in the "modified" class! I was parked next to a Jeep Wrangler jacked up so hight that my Midget could literally pass underneath the darned thing.

All day, hardly any of the men spent any time looking at the Midget. It became clear that they were purposely ignoring it (I easily had the smallest engine in the show). However, practically every woman and girl in the region oooohed and ahhhed over it! This seemed to really PO some of the other guys, whose evil eye stares became increasingly obvious as more and more women gathered around my car. It was quite a phenomenon. So much for American muscle cars . . .

Obviously, I had a great time. This experience is living proof that MGs are CHICK MAGNETS!

LOL. :lol: