mg.gurus,
OK, I promise this will be my last post asking for advice about
buying this '70 BGT from CA and driving it back to TX. I spoke with the
owner last night for about 45 minutes (a seemingly very nice chap) and
asked mostly questions that had been sent to me as suggestions by you lot.
Here is the final status/what I know. Advice/suggestions/comments always
welcome.
1970 MG BGT - One owner (retiring physicist who kept meticulous
records) from new. 90K miles. Details follow:
ENGINE: Rebuilt 20K miles ago. Had a second head gasket go (total of 2 bad
in 18 years) so decided to rebuild. Shaved the block, put new rod bearings
in (main bearings looked good so not replaced). No problems at all since
rebuild. Regular maintenance done. Oil changed every 3000 miles (and filter
cartridge replaced - is that really a 2 hour job?). Clutch also replaced
20K miles ago. Water pump and distributor cap have both been replaced at
some point (he has originals). Both air filters have been replaced. See
known problems below.
EXHAUST: Carbs maintained by retired aircraft mechanic to meet CA smog
laws. All smog equipment works. Everything from turn in pipe underneath the
manifold back rebuilt 2 years ago.
BRAKES: Front discs replaced 2-3 times. Pads replaced 8 yrs ago (car only
driven 500 miles/yr for last 5 years). Interior seals on calipers replaced
with O-rings 8 years ago. See known problems.
WIRE WHEELS: Never replaced. Splines greased every 3-4 years (remember
light usage) and supposedly still in good shape. Has spoke wrench and extra
spokes. Tires themselves have 1/8" to 1/4" tread left. Are tires expensive?
TRANSMISSION: 4 speed. No O/D. Original. Fluid and U-joint replaced once.
Has replaced clutch, seals, and throwout bearing. No problems. No
difficulty shifting at all (even 1st and reverse).
INTERIOR: Seats original, carpeting and other redone 7 years ago.
Everything (including radio) works. See known problems.
BODY: BRG (original colour) repainted 12 years ago. Looks good from
exterior pictures but could use a waxing. Body is straight with NO rust
(hasn't been driven in the wet for 10 years). No bubbles in paint, no rust
seen at all (I'll verify when I get there). Always garaged AND covered (to
keep out dust while in the garage and also covered when in the parking lot
at work). One accident - Left front fender replaced, straightened bumper
himself. Chrome trim (including split rear) all looks very good.
MISC: Both batteries are brand-new (had lasted 7 years but one cell was
going so he replaced them both 2 weeks ago). Replaced one headlamp
recently. See problems. It was once stored for 2 years (on blocks,
batteries out, yada yada). Comes with enough spares to fill the car. Price
is $2900 firm.
KNOWN PROBLEMS:
1) ENGINE: Heater has been bypassed due to a leak (didn't bother
him in Northern CA). Says a radiator shop could repair.
2) BRAKES: There are electronics to tell if the dual master brake
cylinders have equal pressure. The little plastic contact that does this
was leaking and replaced with a metal plug 'cause he couldn't find a
replacement. Consequence - electronic indicator of unequal pressure not
working but could be fixed by replacing that plug with proper contact.
Brakes themselves work fine.
3) INTERIOR: There is a crack in the dash with some black tape
covering it up (can't be too big). Has spare dash.
4) BODY: Passenger side of bonnet (hood) sags about 1/2". Looks
like it just needs a little adjustment.
BOTTOM LINE:
I've taken up far too much of your time and bandwidth already so
I'll just ask if it's worth it and seems reasonable. Sorry if some of the
above is sketchy or incorrect but I'm not the world's greatest mechanic (my
Dad's close and I'm eager to learn) and I was writing really fast. Many
thanks to all and I'll write a VERY SHORT note to give y'all the final
outcome.
Cheers,
Lee.
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* Lee Vick * "Herr Torvik, if I had a drink in my hand at *
* leevick@ti.com * this moment I'd shove it down your throat." *
* +1 713-274-2241 * Neil Burnside, The Sandbaggers *
************************************************************************
* Standard disclaimer: TI as an organization is much too smart to *
* to agree with anything I have to say. *
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