MGB GT

[Dangerousdavies]

I am thinking of buying an MGB GT. I have seen one advertised for sale which the current owner says it sometimes overheats when stuck in traffic and is due, according to his mechanic, the carburettor needing to be balanced. There is also no MOT as this ran out in December 2017. My questions are these:-

Is his statement truish about the carburettor?
As I would have to drive it from West Bromwich to Plymouth, can I use the usual excuse of I've just bought it and the MOT is booked for the following day or would I have to use a small car transporter?

[TooLateForAName]

I wouldn't believe him.

You need a transporter.
You are permitted to drive to a pre-booked MOT. that isnt going to wash unless the mot is the same day. Presume its on SORN? i

[InitialDave]

It's less awkward to just use a transporter.

I hired a 3.5T one from http://www.transporterhire.co.uk yesterday, and it was hassle free.

[DonkeyApple]

I wouldn’t be inclined to believe him. First there’s no reason why he can’t just get it MOT’d is there? And second, I would have someone look it over for you in a professional capacity. There is no upside to spending your hard earned money on someone else’s problem.

If he won’t spend £45 on an MOT after you’ve asked him then arguably that solves your problem. And as for the over heating you very clearly need to know exactly what is causing that from your own inspection before wasting any of your time and real money. And if it’s just the carb then why doesn’t he just have it quickly fixed? And does this also suggest that he hasn’t been arsed to fix anything properly during his ownership?

It’s a bit of a buyer’s market these days so I really wouldn’t compromise.

[skeeterm5]

To be honest, there are so many of these about I would find one that is closer to home without the stories.

[Dangerousdavies]

Thanks for the sound advice much appreciated.

[ARHarh]

the carbs are not likely to cause overheating.

If he is not MOT'ing it then it will not pass because if it would pass he would mot it and sell it for twice as much. If it has not been used for a while then the chances of it making a 200 mile plus journey are remote at best. I have bought plenty of old unused acrs over the years and none of them would have made it that far with out work. Hire a man to bring it home. save yourself any fines and hassle by the side of the m6 in the middle of winter.

[OverSteery]

Dangerousdavies said:

I am thinking of buying an MGB GT. I have seen one advertised for sale which the current owner says it sometimes overheats when stuck in traffic and is due, according to his mechanic, the carburettor needing to be balanced. There is also no MOT as this ran out in December 2017. My questions are these:-

Is his statement truish about the carburettor?
As I would have to drive it from West Bromwich to Plymouth, can I use the usual excuse of I've just bought it and the MOT is booked for the following day or would I have to use a small car transporter?

Too lean, might lead to overheating (err maybe) but not in traffic.
twin SUs out of balance would not.

I would keep looking unless its very cheap.

I would be very careful, your question suggests limited background in old cars. MGBs have a complex sill structure. Rot can be expensive. Anything 30+ years old can have a long list off issues (particularly if not mot worthy).
I would get some qualified help if its what you want

Edited by OverSteery on Saturday 10th February 15:03

[PositronicRay]

I had an alpine similar era engine. It too used to overheat in traffic on hot days, once serviced and set up properly (Carbs, timing, tappets etc) It was fine.

Whatever any owner tells you take with a pinch of salt until proven.

[Plate spinner]

ABC.

Assume nothing.
Believe nobody.
Check everything.

[Riley Blue]

To what extent does it overheat? 'Gets a bit warm' or 'On the verge of seizing', there's a world of difference.

My Riley's engine (B Series similar to MGB) gets hot when it's stuck in traffic and even with a Kenlowe fan the needle can rise up the temperature gauge, especially on a very hot day.

[kambites]

As others have said, I'd avoid it unless it's cheap enough to still justify buying even if it's a basket case (in which case it's guaranteed to be a basket case). There's plenty of good cars out there.

My MGB developped an overheating type issue (in that it wouldn't run properly when hot) and it turned out to be the head gasket. Then it developped another one later in life which I never did get to the bottom of before I got rid of it.

[Burgerbob]

Dangerousdavies said:

I am thinking of buying an MGB GT. I have seen one advertised for sale which the current owner says it sometimes overheats when stuck in traffic and is due, according to his mechanic, the carburettor needing to be balanced. There is also no MOT as this ran out in December 2017. My questions are these:-

Is his statement truish about the carburettor?
As I would have to drive it from West Bromwich to Plymouth, can I use the usual excuse of I've just bought it and the MOT is booked for the following day or would I have to use a small car transporter?

Personally, I wouldn't recommend an MGB unless you know your way round an engine and are happy to get your hands dirty most weekends. Part of the fun in owning one is tinkering and keeping it running well. If this isn't your thing (and I'm making an assumption by your question, apologies if I'm wrong) then its not the car for you.

[ruhall]

Why didn't his mechanic balance the carbs if they're out?

If you have the regn number, check the mot-history, it might be enlightening.

Personally, if he doesn't have the confidence to MOT it and he admits to it overheating, I wouldn't be overly confident in it getting home under its own steam (overheating )

[InitialDave]

Burgerbob said:

Personally, I wouldn't recommend an MGB unless you know your way round an engine and are happy to get your hands dirty most weekends. Part of the fun in owning one is tinkering and keeping it running well. If this isn't your thing (and I'm making an assumption by your question, apologies if I'm wrong) then its not the car for you.

This is true of any classic, really.

[mac96]

Not sure about the early versions, but a late MGB in standard form should not overheat in traffic even on a hot day. If it does, something's wrong, and surely the cooling system is the likely culprit.

Mine used to do just this, and after some investigation it proved to be the water pump- due to the design there were no other symptoms like leaks or squeaks - it just got less effective with wear, and at idling speeds hardly did anything. Replacing it was an
easy DIY job even for a hamfisted amateur mechanic like me.