MGB GT - buying advice
Discussion
My future father in law is thinking of buying a MGB GT. Neither of us know a lot about them so I wondered if anyone of here could shed any light on what to look out for. What are the common problems etc. Any constructive advice much appreciated.
Also does anyone know of any decent ones for sale at present up to £5k.
Cheers
Jim
Also does anyone know of any decent ones for sale at present up to £5k.
Cheers
Jim
Maybe give the MGOC technical team a call..
"Potential new Members are welcome to telephone for FREE purchase advice on the same number 01954 234003. We will hopefully help you avoid all the pitfalls of buying a substandard MG or a poor MG restoration."
http://www.mgownersclub.co.uk/technical-advice.htm...
"Potential new Members are welcome to telephone for FREE purchase advice on the same number 01954 234003. We will hopefully help you avoid all the pitfalls of buying a substandard MG or a poor MG restoration."
http://www.mgownersclub.co.uk/technical-advice.htm...
You/He would do a lot worse than looking for a really nice usable rubber bumper GT that has been very well looked after and keeping and enjoying it for a year or so before deciding what you actually want to end up with, a really nice car will set you back up to 2.5k no more, spending 5k on a shiny chrome bumper car could net him the car of his dreams or a fillered up nightmare. The rubber bumper car is a more usable every day car (indeed my other half does use one as her daily) and does everything a chrome car will (aside from looking as pretty). People claim that rubber bumper cars don't handle but a well set up standard car with suspension in good order handles just as well as a chrome car albeit slightly differently.
After a year he may love the car and want to keep it and saved 2.5k, he may want to upgrade to a chrome car, he can sell the rubber car and buy a chrome car having learnt about the cars in the meantime. Or he may even decide to go down a totally different road altogether.
Basically they are a hell of a good starter classic due to a mix of cheap purchase price, solid mechanicals, cheap parts, reliability and if correctly bought not prone to rust like some classics.
After a year he may love the car and want to keep it and saved 2.5k, he may want to upgrade to a chrome car, he can sell the rubber car and buy a chrome car having learnt about the cars in the meantime. Or he may even decide to go down a totally different road altogether.
Basically they are a hell of a good starter classic due to a mix of cheap purchase price, solid mechanicals, cheap parts, reliability and if correctly bought not prone to rust like some classics.
Hey guys, don't mean to be controversial, but I disagree with a few of the points just made.
"You/He would do a lot worse than looking for a really nice usable rubber bumper GT that has been very well looked after and keeping and enjoying it for a year or so before deciding what you actually want to end up with, a really nice car will set you back up to 2.5k no more, spending 5k on a shiny chrome bumper car could net him the car of his dreams or a fillered up nightmare."
While I agree that the rubber bumper car is a great car, I'd recommend researching the cars before buying any of them, go along to a few local club meetings and I'm sure you'll pick up a good idea of what to look for and probably find someone knowledgable to help with your search. If a chrome bumper car is what you're after, don't go through all the hassle of buying two cars over two years when what you want to do is get a decent car the first time round. £2.5k is still £2.5k, you don't want to throw money down the drain on a patched up car whether it's chrome or rubber bumpered.
"The rubber bumper car is a more usable every day car (indeed my other half does use one as her daily) and does everything a chrome car will (aside from looking as pretty). People claim that rubber bumper cars don't handle but a well set up standard car with suspension in good order handles just as well as a chrome car albeit slightly differently."
I disagree that the rubber bumper car is more usable, I've had a 68GT for over 5 years and seeing as it has basically identical mechanics and electrics to the later cars they're just as usable as each other. It's all about the car you're looking at as of course, in 30- 40 years of use a lot of parts will have been replaced, so every car needs to be weighed up on its own merits. I used a chrome bumpered car for several years as my only car without too much trouble and the cars are pretty tough if well sorted and maintained properly. As for the handling, I'd say try both, but to say that the rubber bumper handles as well as the chrome in standard form is something I'd take issue with! The cars ride height was raised pretty dramatically for the rubber cars to meet US regulations, not for the benefit of the driving experience!
"After a year he may love the car and want to keep it and saved 2.5k, he may want to upgrade to a chrome car, he can sell the rubber car and buy a chrome car having learnt about the cars in the meantime. Or he may even decide to go down a totally different road altogether."
Like I say, that's one option, but I'd rather go through the hassle of finding a decent car once and get the car I was after in the first place. I'd also be gutted to buy one car, spend money and time sorting any problems it had and then have run the risk of having to do the same with a second car.
"if correctly bought not prone to rust like some classics."
Now this is a whopper of a porkie!!! Rust is the major issue you'll face with these cars, you need to have good look at the floorpans, inside the wings but particularly along the sills. The sills themselves are pretty complicated castle jobbies which are horrible to work on. Mechanicals can often be sorted, but the bodywork on the MGB can be a nightmare. If you do find a clean looking car, make sure you check for filler- use a magnet and cloth on the panels and check for ripples in the reflection. A lot of cars have been patched with filler or simply had a rusty sill welded over which'll need replacing in a few years. If you do find a tidy car, you'll need to waxoyl (or similar) the sills and get the underside treated, because these cars WILL ROT quickly, especially kept outside, and when they do they're not cheap to fix.
Hope this helps and no offence meant to the previous poster!
ETA- Check the panel fit, this is often a good sign of whether the car's had a shunt or if the sills are rusting away and weakening the middle. Any rust you see on the outside of the sill will likely be far worse on the inside and it's well worth giving the body a good hard knock with your hand especially over this area to see if there's any rust floating about on the inside where the sill may have been covered over. Check under those carpets and and dig at anything suspicious with a screwdriver, if you find what you think is a hole you can bet it'll be much bigger after you've poked at it!!!
"You/He would do a lot worse than looking for a really nice usable rubber bumper GT that has been very well looked after and keeping and enjoying it for a year or so before deciding what you actually want to end up with, a really nice car will set you back up to 2.5k no more, spending 5k on a shiny chrome bumper car could net him the car of his dreams or a fillered up nightmare."
While I agree that the rubber bumper car is a great car, I'd recommend researching the cars before buying any of them, go along to a few local club meetings and I'm sure you'll pick up a good idea of what to look for and probably find someone knowledgable to help with your search. If a chrome bumper car is what you're after, don't go through all the hassle of buying two cars over two years when what you want to do is get a decent car the first time round. £2.5k is still £2.5k, you don't want to throw money down the drain on a patched up car whether it's chrome or rubber bumpered.
"The rubber bumper car is a more usable every day car (indeed my other half does use one as her daily) and does everything a chrome car will (aside from looking as pretty). People claim that rubber bumper cars don't handle but a well set up standard car with suspension in good order handles just as well as a chrome car albeit slightly differently."
I disagree that the rubber bumper car is more usable, I've had a 68GT for over 5 years and seeing as it has basically identical mechanics and electrics to the later cars they're just as usable as each other. It's all about the car you're looking at as of course, in 30- 40 years of use a lot of parts will have been replaced, so every car needs to be weighed up on its own merits. I used a chrome bumpered car for several years as my only car without too much trouble and the cars are pretty tough if well sorted and maintained properly. As for the handling, I'd say try both, but to say that the rubber bumper handles as well as the chrome in standard form is something I'd take issue with! The cars ride height was raised pretty dramatically for the rubber cars to meet US regulations, not for the benefit of the driving experience!
"After a year he may love the car and want to keep it and saved 2.5k, he may want to upgrade to a chrome car, he can sell the rubber car and buy a chrome car having learnt about the cars in the meantime. Or he may even decide to go down a totally different road altogether."
Like I say, that's one option, but I'd rather go through the hassle of finding a decent car once and get the car I was after in the first place. I'd also be gutted to buy one car, spend money and time sorting any problems it had and then have run the risk of having to do the same with a second car.
"if correctly bought not prone to rust like some classics."
Now this is a whopper of a porkie!!! Rust is the major issue you'll face with these cars, you need to have good look at the floorpans, inside the wings but particularly along the sills. The sills themselves are pretty complicated castle jobbies which are horrible to work on. Mechanicals can often be sorted, but the bodywork on the MGB can be a nightmare. If you do find a clean looking car, make sure you check for filler- use a magnet and cloth on the panels and check for ripples in the reflection. A lot of cars have been patched with filler or simply had a rusty sill welded over which'll need replacing in a few years. If you do find a tidy car, you'll need to waxoyl (or similar) the sills and get the underside treated, because these cars WILL ROT quickly, especially kept outside, and when they do they're not cheap to fix.
Hope this helps and no offence meant to the previous poster!
ETA- Check the panel fit, this is often a good sign of whether the car's had a shunt or if the sills are rusting away and weakening the middle. Any rust you see on the outside of the sill will likely be far worse on the inside and it's well worth giving the body a good hard knock with your hand especially over this area to see if there's any rust floating about on the inside where the sill may have been covered over. Check under those carpets and and dig at anything suspicious with a screwdriver, if you find what you think is a hole you can bet it'll be much bigger after you've poked at it!!!
Edited by MG-FIDO on Monday 2nd November 23:28
Edited by MG-FIDO on Monday 2nd November 23:30
^^^^^^^^^^^
Rust,rust and more rust!
Mechanically they are simple,pretty reliable and parts are easily available and not difficult to replace.
What you need to watch out for is rust - as has been said,they rust on the tops of wings ,inner wings,inner sills,outer sills,floors,spring hangers,jacking points - pretty much everywhere.
Also look out for too much filler work on the body, which will inevitably be hiding rust.
I have a rusty old GT that I can take some piccies of if you want, along with a part finished resto on a roadster for comparison so you have some idea of what to look for.
Oh - one last thing, they can rust!
Rust,rust and more rust!
Mechanically they are simple,pretty reliable and parts are easily available and not difficult to replace.
What you need to watch out for is rust - as has been said,they rust on the tops of wings ,inner wings,inner sills,outer sills,floors,spring hangers,jacking points - pretty much everywhere.
Also look out for too much filler work on the body, which will inevitably be hiding rust.
I have a rusty old GT that I can take some piccies of if you want, along with a part finished resto on a roadster for comparison so you have some idea of what to look for.
Oh - one last thing, they can rust!
[quote=Rollcage]
I have a rusty old GT that I can take some piccies of if you want, along with a part finished resto on a roadster for comparison so you have some idea of what to look for.
[quote]
Rollcage, I'd be interested in seeing those Photos too if you could post them up here that would be great. Looks like I'm going to have to start a pretty extensive restoration on my car soon.
I have a rusty old GT that I can take some piccies of if you want, along with a part finished resto on a roadster for comparison so you have some idea of what to look for.
[quote]
Rollcage, I'd be interested in seeing those Photos too if you could post them up here that would be great. Looks like I'm going to have to start a pretty extensive restoration on my car soon.
Magog said:
Rollcage said:
I have a rusty old GT that I can take some piccies of if you want, along with a part finished resto on a roadster for comparison so you have some idea of what to look for.
Rollcage, I'd be interested in seeing those Photos too if you could post them up here that would be great. Looks like I'm going to have to start a pretty extensive restoration on my car soon.Gassing Station | MG | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff