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MGB Quick question about something that don't really matter just want to know.

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titanfan10

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Just a quick question, recently started looking at MGBs to possibly buy one. This is not a big deal just wondering why some 1980 MGBs have a 120 mph speedometer and some only have 80 mph speedometer? Thanks for any answers.
 
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Assuming these are USA market cars, I'm guessing its because of the law passed in 1979 that mandated speedometers could only read to 85mph here. That could easily explain the mix of speedos as it was phased in -- even as the MGB was phased out.

Did a little quick Googling and came across this on Hemmings: "Unique to 1980 models were the regulation-required 85-MPH speedometer and six-digit odometer."

As to why some are 120, could have been replaced, could have been phased in, could have been changed mid-run depending.
 
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Learn something new every day - I didn't know that there were 85MPH speedos in any MGB's.

With all the detuning in the later years I'd almost have guessed that the answer to this question had something to do with loss of performance,

I guess the remaining question would be; was any factory MGB actually capable of going 120 and who would have been crazy enough to find out.
 
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All cars sold in the USA in the early 80's had those 85mph speedos. Particularly strange on your brand new Porsche or Ferrari. Trying to get us to drive slower to save gas. Didn't work, and by 1981 the law was repealed. Took a few more years for manufacturers to switch back. An oddity of the times.

I love my B and I do drive it reasonably ard, but even getting close to 120 would be sketchy. 🤪
 
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The 85mph speedo was a US market only "feature" for the 1980 model year. I suppose some owners probably swapped them for the earlier units over the years since the original looked kinda silly in a sports car. One thing to look at is the odometer. I'm pretty sure all 1980 cars had a 6 digit odometer for 1980 regardless of destination. That includes those (such as Canadian market cars) that displayed KPH instead of MPH.

It's also quite possible that some 1979 models actually get registered as 1980 cars in some locales. If so, they would still have the earlier 5 digit odometer.
 
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A 1980 is the last vintage you'd likely want - worst handling and weakest performance of any MGB. Shoot for an early 1970s car instead. And I'd hold out for one with overdrive.

I had fun once with my old Lamborghini - it was a home market car sold in Rome in 1969 so had a metric speedo that went up to 300 kph. I was standing near that car once and a kid called out to his friends - "Hey, this one will do 300 miles an hour! I didn't have the heart to tell him what it really meant.

The speedo always goes a bit higher than the cars will really go. The 120 MGB was about 10 mph higher than they could attain and my MGC speedo that showed 140 mph was 20 mph higher than a stock one would do (though my modified one did c. 130 mph several times)
 
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billspohn said:
A 1980 is the last vintage you'd likely want - worst handling and weakest performance of any MGB. Shoot for an early 1970s car instead. And I'd hold out for one with overdrive.

I had fun once with my old Lamborghini - it was a home market car sold in Rome in 1969 so had a metric speedo that went up to 300 kph. I was standing near that car once and a kid called out to his friends - "Hey, this one will do 300 miles an hour! I didn't have the heart to tell him what it really meant.

The speedo always goes a bit higher than the cars will really go. The 120 MGB was about 10 mph higher than they could attain and my MGC speedo that showed 140 mph was 20 mph higher than a stock one would do (though my modified one did c. 130 mph several times)
Click to expand...

Even if the MGB can "only" get to 110, thats way faster than I want to go in anything that doesn't have wings. A section of toll road around here has a posted 85MPH speed limit - even that is more than I'm comfortable with. If I get my B assembled I'm hoping it will be able to cruise without straining at between 65 and 70, thats about all I want to go.
 
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That is sensible, but if you care about good handling, the earlier cars are significantly superior, aside from the fact that the single carb engines are relative slugs.
 
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