• 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

Trying to get a SoCal MG back on the road.

Share this page

Stewart

Stewart

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
Hey guys

I have a 75 MGB that's been off the road now since 97 and I am trying to get her legally back on the road. I got her running again over the summer and she run's and drives well. I do have a few more things to fix.

I know I have an exhaust leak to fix and the radiator needs to be either repaired or replaced along with a few other minor things.

My main concern is getting it past smog. Does anyone have any recommendations of a good socal base mech. to get her past again. Also is it possible to get a temp. registration to get her street legal while the needed work is done to get her past smog as having her towed would be a royal pain.

Also I planning on restoring her in about a year or so. The body is rust free as its been a New Mexico and Socal car. I do have to have the right rear quarter panel replaced as it was involved in minor accident in 97 with the damage being limited to the panel below the top of the wheel well behind the wheel with the bumper untouched. The big job is having the previous layers of paint removed. Does anyone have any recommendations for a shop to bring her to for an estimate?
For those who have done it before what would a good strip and good quality paint job cost not counting the needed body work?
 
Why not register it in Dakota Territory....then you don't have to worry about the emissions test.

If you're a student, I should think that you could have the car registered in your home state.
 
I am a student but unfortunately Ca is my home state. I thought about registering the MG up here and while it would be preferable the MG is in California full time and I have no plans on bringing it up here as I have less than a year left. Also to have it insured in CA the companies did want it registered in CA. I could insure it up here but since the car will never be in ND I do worry about coverage if it was involved in an accident. Also since the car has been removed from service in CA since 97 ND may want to inspect it prior to issuing tags and that would be a real problem as transporting it up here would more than eat up any savings.
 
Not sure about So Cal, but here in Seattle anything over 25 years old does not need smog testing. You may be able to avoid the test.
 
unfortunately in CA the smog exempt is for 73 and older or after 30 years. So it looks like another year or so to go before smog can be skipped.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by chris roop:
Well, a solid restoration could take a year easily.<hr></blockquote>

I'm counting on that! The smog exemption in Texas is 25 years or older, so by the time I finish my TR7, it won't matter that my sprint engine won't have an EGR valve or smog pump.


I have to keep the catalytic converter, but a high flow 3 way cat will not detract from performance at all, and can actually slightly improve it.
grin.gif
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Stewart:
Hey guys

I have a 75 MGB that's been off the road now since 97 and I am trying to get her legally back on the road.
<<SNIP>>

My main concern is getting it past smog. Does anyone have any recommendations of a good socal base mech. to get her past again.

<<SNIP>><hr></blockquote>

Hi Stewart,

First of all welcome to the forum.

I’m afraid I have some good news & some bad news for you. The good news is that Southern California is overflowing with willing LBC mechanics (competent or otherwise) that will gladly help you get your car smog legal again. The bad news is that none of these are cheap, and will separate you from your money. But if you must go this route look to your local MG club for advice. They are the best source for who to look to when you need help and who to avoid.

Back when I first purchased my 78MGB I had to take it to a local mechanic just to pass smog in order to get it registered. That one visit to the shop put me back over $400. While I felt relieved that my car was tested and back on the road. I was never exactly sure what was done pass that test. I didn’t know it at the time but two years latter I discovered that the shop I used, did some less than honorable things in order to fudge the smog results to get the passing grade.

Two years later my B was randomly selected by the DMV for testing at a State controlled “Smog Test Only” station. This meant that I couldn’t take it to my mechanic or a local service station the smog test. Long story short – rather than going down an unending expensive loop of taking my car back & fourth between the smog station and a mechanic I decided to invest that same money & some time to learn to do this stuff myself. That’s when I found out exactly what the last guy did (and/or didn’t do) to make my car pass.

So IMHO avoid relying on others (except for the most daunting of tasks) and work on your own car. Get yourself a good service manual. I prefer the Bentley Manual to the Haynes, but either will do. Then invest in the correct tools & test equipment (Gastester, timing light & a tach/volt meter) to do it right.

In the end you’ll have the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
cheers.gif
 
In Pennsylvania, we can register anything over 25 years old as an antique and avoid any inspection requirements, including our new smog tests
cheers.gif


The other side of that is that you can then only drive the car "occasionaly" which is defined as not more than one day per week.
mad.gif


I never heard of any enforcement on that though
angel.gif


Bruce
 
2nd the doing as much yourself as you can and understanding what's going on. I didn't start out that way but got that way. Some out of necessity but then becomes addictive to say "I did it myself" and you are much more comfortable driving a classic are because you can diagnose and fix most things. I now have 5 four-inch ring binders full of info from the various BBS sites, web sites, etc. Very little that hasn't been covered out there and with the detail help you get from BBS (being careful about whom you take your advice from...lurk a while to find out whom is really knowledgeable/experience AND practical) you can do nearly anything.

Radiator -- general consensus is that it is most effective to have original radiator re-cored. Look up on the various BBS and get the details. Works better and lasts longer.
 
or more
devilgrin.gif
[/QUOTE]

Ain't that true!!! Some people just use a skiff of bondo and a spraybomb and 20 minutes later their car is 'RESTORED'. Seriously, a well done amature restoration could take a little more than a year!!
smile.gif


cheers.gif
thirsty.gif
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gary Lloyd:
[qb]or more
devilgrin.gif
<hr></blockquote>

Ain't that true!!! Some people just use a skiff of bondo and a spraybomb and 20 minutes later their car is 'RESTORED'. Seriously, a well done amature restoration could take a little more than a year!!
smile.gif


cheers.gif
thirsty.gif
[/QB][/QUOTE]

alot more than one year Gary, we are not all as intense as you are
angel.gif
 
The 66 should have been only a year. But life happens. The body was returned in March, it should have been done in June to sell for Father's Day. Maybe next Father's Day. And maybe my kid will buy it for me!
 
Back
Top