Any advise on where i can buy 2 mgb batterys?

[Elliott Mailing]

Hello

I have just bought a mgb gt 1.8 1970, I am 16 at the moment and looking to restore it over the time in which it is going to take me to drive.

any advise on cheap parts and what the main problems that happen to the car would be much appreciated.


I am looking for two 6V batterys

Thanks alot for looking and to any replys

-Elliott-

Edited by Elliott Mailing on Monday 20th November 19:12

[niva441]

Hi and welcome to the world of classic MGs.

Simple answer try the MG Owners club in Swavesey Cambridgeshire, they sell almost everything. But they are not always the best price. Alternativetly MGB Hive or Moss. No doubt I'll think of more later.

What sort of condition is the car in?

[Elliott Mailing]

Thanks for thye reply

Mainly i am going to need to spend alot of time on the body work as the person before me has not looked after it as well as they should have i think the biggest problem is with the rear 1/4 pannel where the rust has eaten its way through.

under the bonet it pretty sound but will just need a few bits here and there nothing major

but then last but not least we have the interior thats my biggest worry that is going to need the most work to it as it is falling to bits.

[niva441]

Joining an owners club is a good starting point to finding parts, although the MG Owners club and the others can probably help with interior parts as well. Also check the classifieds in the back of Practical Classics, you may find a disintegrating car with a mint interior.

There are 2 marque dedicated owners clubs MG Car Club and MG Owners Club, note that the MG Owners club is more of a sales organisation that also arranges social events but the arrangement seems to work well.

[wadgebeast]

Might be worth joining the owners club - they've got a monthly mag with loads and loads of suppliers in it, both second hand and new.

I suspect you'll soon be spending a lot of time at autojumbles trying to find stuff at decent prices......

Also, if the rear 1/4 has gone,(I'm assuming this is the bit between the door and the rear wheel) then the chances are that it has rotted into the sill too. This gets a bit more expensive to fix unless you've become a dab hand at welding. You might get lucky! And there's a repair panel for that bit anyway.

Good luck. Enjoy it!

[niva441]

If your at school/college perhaps you can sort a welding course using your B as a project.

[Elliott Mailing]

Thanks for all the replys i was lucky enough to get 2 new sills with the car when i bought it one has been fitted and the other one is waiting to be i have a good friend of the family that is going to do that for me

-Elliott-

[wadgebeast]

Where do they go wrong?

Everywhere!

-Electrics, mainly at the rear of the car where the loom tends to have bits break off.
-Fuel pumps are notoriously unreliable.
-rust - worst places are sills, inner wings, floor pans, doors (especially when they crack where the mirrors are)
-front kingpins wear out unless regularly greased
-points / condenser / dizzy cap / plugs need regularly replaced if you want it to start when you want.
-engines are pretty solid and generally reliable up to about 120k, though I'm on my second starter motor (in 9 years!)
-suspension is pretty bulletproof due to its simplicity

Having said all that, I use mine daily and it's as reliable as most modern cars. It's only the little things that go wrong now, but hey it's 30 years old and it's done 270 000 miles. And it's a doddle to work on, so you save a fortune on garage fees.

[niva441]

Yep their is a high potential for things going wrong (the auto industry has made some progress in the last 40 years). So they need regular attention. However most of it isn't too difficult and doesn't take too long.

(Unless the spares you buy are worse than the originals and you waste lots of time working out which bit's wrong)

[MG Mark]

If you haven't already gone out and bought two new 6-volt batteries, consider fitting two 12-volt batteries and wiring them in parallel. There are plenty available that fit the B's battery cradles without modification. It's cheaper than buying new 6 volt batteries, even with the little bit of simple rewiring needed isn't and you get a real shed load more cranking power.

MG Mark

[MGnut]

Hi

Watford Classics do a single 12 volt battery conversion that fits in one of the two battery carriers.
They sell through Ebay as well as direct from their store.
Hope this helps.

[niva441]

Plus it will leave you with a handy storage area.

I was intending to use the spare battery bay in mine, but on the later cars the access panel isn't there.

[gtr-gaz]

Brown and Gammons' in Baldock (north herts) have been specialising in MG's for years.

[wadgebeast]

But they're not cheap.... B Hive / Owners Club seems to be the best value for money, but you might be able to balance the cost of courier / postage by nipping down to Brown and Gammons from where you are.

[niva441]

Just looked through the MG Owners club magazine and they are doing a special on them this month.

42.95 each for the batteries and 8.95 each for the acid packs.

I'm surprised how expensive they are compared to 12v batteries.

[paracetamol]

An odd question but how do i jump start my MG with 2x6volt batteries from a 12 volt car?

[niva441]

Not looked at a 2x 6v installation, but I'd imagine you need to note which terminals are connected +ve on one battery to -ve on the other. Then connect the jump leads to the other terminals.