Sorry for the incomplete message!
Hi,
I have a '76 MG Midget and have been looking for a MGB. I found one today
that is a '75 or '76, I was in a hurry and plan to go back on Friday for a
closer inspection. It has a cloth top and leather seats, paint needs to be
redone, the body looks fairly straight, 53,000 miles, engine clean, but not
fancy. I want to know what somehting like this goes for? Ballpark figure.
As I said I want to go back for a closer look to see if it's what I really
want. Any information that anyone could give me would be appreciated! ;-)
gc
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Gary Chidester e-mail: GaryC@cc.snow.edu
Instructor of Broadcasting Postal: 150 E. College Ave.
Sports Information Director Ephraim, Utah 84627
Snow College Phone: 801-283-4021 ext.677
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Gary -
I generally agree with Glen's post on this - but, as you know, the rubber
bumpered cars have some advantages too. Like protection, and if you're
close to my age the extra 1.5 inches of ground clearence translates into
some easier getting in and out as well as peace of mind regarding the
health of your exhaust system. All at the expense of some handling
qualities which are beyond the driving skills of many of us (in other
words, the car is STILL better than I am).
What do you want the car for? A driver, a show car, autocross?? My daily
driver is a '76 with wire wheels and overdrive. The overdrive is the biggy
- and I would happily pay as much as $300 more for the car with it. All
'75-'76 Bs have the overdrive switch on the windscreen wiper stalk. The
visual difference, if the car is original in this regard, is that the
overdrive car will have a little label on the side of the steering column
shroud just forward of the stalk that says something like
"overdrive<->normal".
Figure on $250 for a new top - installed. If the upholstery is intact ($600
and up for new interior materials), if it really is rust-free, and if it
has good oil pressure, I'd give even a little more than Colin suggested -
around $2500+ maybe (especially with overdrive). Regarding rust: those
seemingly inconsequential little bubbles near the bottoms of the sills mean
the same thing as being just a little bit pregnant. By the time those
bubbles appear, the inner sill has already lost much of its structural
function (fortunately the B is so overbuilt, you can still safely use such
a car - for even years). On the other hand, check the fit of the doors -
is the edge of the door parallel to the edge of the opening in the body?
OK so the sills look great - how do you know they're not bondo? Play dumb
and ask the PO what those cute little tubes sticking out below the door
sills are for. "A jack? Oh, could you please demonstrate?" If the owner
refuses, take $500-$1000 off your highest offer. If he does demonstrate,
watch the sills and see if they give any around the jack. If they do -
again - lower your offer and be prepared to do some expensive body work.
Even if you turn it into a dazzling show machine, you're going to have a
$5000-6000 car on your hands.
I paid $750 for my '76 - and it had no rust except for the driver's side
floor. It also had a trashed engine that came in boxes. By the time I
rebuilt the engine, put in a new floor, a complete new interior, and a new
top, my investment had risen to about $3400 - which is terrific for all the
fun and use I get out of it. If you don't pay to much - you can end up
with a very nice B for $3000-5000 - especially if you do your own work.
Allen Bachelder
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