I've been working on an MG-TD that sat in storage for 25 years
without moving. The things that degraded the most were:
1. The gasoline turned into varnish and tar (tar on the bottom
and varnish on top). I'm sure your MGB won't be this bad,
but keep in mind that gasoline has a shelf life of only
6 months. It may be impossible to start the car in freezing
temperatures on old gasoline as the more volatile components
have probably evaporated away.
2. The brakes were completely frozen. The brake fluid had tuned
to glue and locked up all the brake cylinder patrs. Again,
the MGB probably isn't that bad, but I have heard that
brakes don't take well to storage unless you're using
silicone brake fluid. Any other opinions out there?
3. The fan belt and radiator hoses just crumbled. Probably just
due to old age. Better check them out before driving away.
4. Of course the battery was shot.
5. The tires still held air once I pumped them up, but they
shook the car violently, even at 10 mph! They looked
round but they sure didn't feel round.
On the bright side, the engine itself didn't seem to suffer any
ill effects. This may be due to storage in a nice dry heated
garage. Also the radiator seems fine, although I've been warned
that they go bad from old age. I've also heard that the rust
inhibitors in antifreeze wear out, so I would put new antifreeze
in right away. I'm sure you'll get much more advice from others
on the list here.
Bob D.
53 MG-TD
71 MGB
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