• 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

Right Car for a High Miles Daily Driver?

Share this page

Dave Richards

Dave Richards

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Every 3 years I buy a late model lease buy-back domestic car with about 25k miles and drive it about 35k miles a year. I’ve spent between $13k and $18k initially and end up spending about $2k in maintenance, repairs, etc. each year.

I’ve had both B’s and BGT’s over the years…but not lately.

So, I’m driving and thinking the other day, what if I was to get a later model B, or BGT, and prep it to be a highway cruiser, a 35k mile a year car…, maybe a B’s too small, since I’ve got a bit of stuff to lug around usually, and a GT would be a bit quieter, maybe and just tad bit drier. And those big cushy seats of the later cars would be a bit easier on my back! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

I think to myself…”I’m going go pose the question to the MG guys.” /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/computer.gif What would it cost, and just how crazy would it be, to drive 35,000 miles a year all over New England and New York, including NYC, in a well prepped later model BGT?

Will $15,000 and $2,000 a year allow HEAVY daily driving on a GT?
 
Good question and tough to answer. My daily driver is a '67 BGT. For many years it was a '65 B. Both are fine drivers. But 35K miles is a lot even for a modern car. You will certainly have a good amount of maintenance involved, mostly routine. Take a look at a the factory manual and you will see exactly what needs to be done and at what intervals.

You can cut down on some of the maintenance if you are willing to install modern components, but that will only be a small portion and you will be changing what the car is. A V6 conversion with EI and EFI would perhaps be ideal considering the insane amount of mileage you will drive, but again it's changing what the car is.

That all said, a well sorted B is a very reliable car, as far as old cars go. Both of my Bs have been extremely trustworthy. The GT is especially good at daily duties because it has a ton of cargo room for its size and can be locked somewhat securely. It has a taller windshield and more head room. Early cars have a bit more room inside than later ones, but it isn't a bit difference.

The GT is less noisy on the highway than the convertible but it's still not quiet compared to many other cars. The frameless windows let wind noise in, and the unaerodynamic rain gutters make even more. If you don't mind a bit of noise in the cabin, there is little else to complain about on the open road.

I guess if you're willing to do routine maintenance yourself then yes, you can do this on your budget. $15K is more than you need to buy a "brand new" condition BGT since they are less expensive than their convertible counterparts. You can probably find a pristine example for $10K or less. I would not expect routine maintenance to cost more than $1K per year until you start wearing out more major components. After that, your guess is as good as mine. But on the bright side, even after you drive the wheels off it, a BGT will have depreciated far less than any modern car, so you will still come out ahead! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Yup. Steve said it all.

The B we have did duty as a 100-mile-a-day commuter for years. Mostly Interstate. IMO they're GREAT cars for this task.
 
Interesting topic as I'm preparing to do the same thing. I acquired a 70 BGT just for this purpose. The car does have a/c (a must in hot and humid North Alabama). I do have an overdrive transmission that I plan to install. I don't drive nearly as many miles as you do but I do IT work in the local area. 95% of my travel is within a 20 minute drive but I do sometimes make trips to neighboring cities (about an hour away) for work. I considered a Triumph GT6 but the BGT had better headroom and ease of entry/exit is better. Also the mechanicals are simpiler and more robust (straight axle of the BGT vs. the independent suspension in the GT6 for example). Gas mileage is also a consideration so the BGT wins on that as well. The only real change I plan to make is to convert to electronic ignition and possibly an alternator upgrade.

** It's going up to 65 degrees here today and I drove my TR6 into work. I met a friend in his TR6 doing the same thing so it was nice to see two British cars on the road this morning.
 
I should have added that I drive my BGT about 10K miles per year. Mileage varies from 18 to 34 MPG. I also have overdrive for the highway.
 
Florence, Alabama. Hmmm, is this where the good chrome shop is? What can you tell us of them?
 
So unless Tony comes on and gives me a big "you're crazy", I think this is a viable idea.

So, it's a GT with an overdrive and hopefully with A/C. And a brand new windshield!

I guess it's implied that I drive an insane amount of miles; does anyone else have any suggestions for making this a great highway cruiser?

There's a shop in town that will add lumbar support. In younger days, I never owned anything later than a 1969; do the later models have an alternator? I’m gonna need my leather seats heated!
 
There isn't much to change that would make it a better highway car. My GT is set up with a 3/4" sway bar and V8 bushings, LH overdrive and 185-70R14 tires.

For a slight performance gain I am changing to Superflex bushings all around and 195-width tires. I'm considering 15" wheels which will handle better, offer more crisp steering and a more stable feel at speed. However they do make the ride a bit harder. I also have a period 60's center console installed which is very nice in a daily driver.

You can get alternator kits for any year MG. Later models did come with them but if you need a lot of power, you may want to swap for a more modern unit anyway. My generator is more than adequate for my needs, but I don't have power amps and heated seats!
 
Get a cloth interior kit and don't worry about heated seats.

...what's a "power amp"?!?! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif
 
jlaird said:
Florence, Alabama. Hmmm, is this where the good chrome shop is? What can you tell us of them?
Click to expand...

I assume you are talking about Graves plating.
https://www.gravesplating.com/
I've never dealt directly with them. I've heard both good and bad from those who have so I'm afraid I'm not much help at this point. They do have a reputation for being expensive.

The last time I had something done Richard's Metal plating did the work. They are also located in Florence. They did a great job straightening two Sunbeam bumpers and rechroming the bumpers and the overriders. The car was not stored inside and I kept the car 13 years. The bumpers looks great the day I sold it. Richards phone number is 256.766.1770
 
Excellent info Terry, appreciate. I will call Richards.
 
I suppose I can drop my 2pence in the mix here, as I drive a late model MGB (1976) daily. However, my commuting mileage is far less than what you'll be doing. I average less than 10K/yr, including the occasional weekend joy rides.

The late model B's, as mentioned earlier, do come with alternators. I've swapped my stock alternator out for a more powerful Bosche unit that came out of a 80's Ford Fiesta. The unit bolted right up with no modifications to the mounting hardware. I ~did~ alter the wiring that connect to the alternator a little though.

My fuel economy isn't the best. I average ~18MPG (sometimes as low as 16MPG if I'm heavy footed), but that is all city driving. The best fuel mileage I've experienced so far has been on the freeway/highway where I got 25MPG.

My car had a Crane XR700 electronic ignition with optical distributor triggers installed on it when I bought the car. So far, the ignition has be reliable as any new car. It has been very low maintenance so far. I've only had to change the plugs, wires, and coil.

My only complaints are with the smog equipment, and how finicky they can be. Gulp valves seem to wear out relatively quickly and when they do they seem to stick open and make the car run so lean it will barely idle if you're lucky. Rebuilt SMOG pumps don't seem to last very long at all, if you get them from the major parts store chains, but that's the most affordable place to get them ($70 at AutoZone vs. ~$200 at MossMotors). If you're conscience will let you get away with it, I'd get a late model B, remove the smog equipment, and convert it to dual-HS4 setup.
 
Ha, conscience, I have no conscience when it comes to smog equipment on antique cars.
 
The size of the GUN, morelike.
 
Nother good reason to live in Florida Doc.

I have been watching and I really like the B's with spoilers. They look like they belong on them.
 
As for gas mileage and fuel in general, I've been thinking I would like to consider the EFI setup Moss has and an electronic ignition.

I'm pretty sure a 25-year-old car is exempt from emissions compliance here in New York. My mechanic is pretty fair with me and my other two older cars. He does the testing with the annual inspection.

I'm going to start searching in earnest for a pristine 1980 B GT. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.

Please feel free to chip in any more advice, I welcome it.
 
Hmm, too many open questions...

Do you chauffer customers around?
Live in hot/cold climate?
Got any dependants?

Tell us more...
 
Scott_Hower said:
Hmm, too many open questions...

Do you chauffer customers around?
Live in hot/cold climate?
Got any dependants?

Tell us more...
Click to expand...

I drive alone 99% of the time, it's lonely.

I cover all of New England and NYC. It can be very hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter.

There are lots of other vehicles at my disposal for driving kids, getting groceries, etc.

Basically, I drive 4-5 hours to a meeting at a construction site, then 2 hours to the next one, go to a motel, a meeting the next day and drive home....800 to 1,300 miles round trip. The locations change from year to year as new projects develop around the countryside.

Pre 9-11, it was easy to go to the airline gate 15 minutes before a flight and go to NYC, Burlington, VT or Portland, ME, rent a car and be on my way, but since 9-11, it's just easier to drive. My opinions about airport security and the TSA are best kept to another thread, and not here, because they are not family rated.

I've burned through 3 late model vehicles in the last 6 years, it's just part of the expense of doing business, and the costs were stated in the opening post. It's time to get the next car and that's what started me thinking about using a modified BGT.
 
I am sure I will burn in heck for saying this, but I could NEVER depend on driving my 30 YO car like that...especially to make a living, unless your meetings are a lot more flexible, timewise, than mine are. But it does sound cool...good luck with it, if you try it!

Bruce
 
Back
Top