>>One more question for the MGA experts:
>
"I ain't no stinkin' expert" ... but I will give it a shot.
>>I've spoken with a man that has a 1959 MGA 1500. The
>>car has "little" rust. He says the rocker panels are a little
>rusty ...
>
When the rockers are a "little" rusty then it typically
means that the sills are good and rusty ... ask the gent
if he is willing to remove the rear shut face panel (its
located inside the front of the rear wheel well - attached
by a couple of bolts and a few screws) ... if so, with a flash
light and a mirror, you can see the condition of the sills,
sill panel, and rear pillar. This will give you an idea of
just how must rust repair is required. There is also a
splash plate in the front wheel well ... but the real problem
area can be seen from the rear.
>>... , but the floor of the trunk is good, the wheel wells
>>are good, and the seems show no rust.
>
All good signs ... but watch out for fresh undercoating ...
it could be hiding rust.
Check the frame in the area around the wooden floorboards
for rust.
>>The engine was rebuilt in '87, but I forgot toask how
>>many miles it has since it was rebuilt. The carbs were
>>rebuilt a couple of years ago.
>
Ask if it has been setting unused for long periods of
time ... if not properly stored, long periods of inactivity are
hard on the engine, carbs, shocks, brakes, etc. Ask the
gent to do a compression check. Check the oil pressure
and temp guages. Check the radiator, water pump,
hydraulics (brakes,clutch), and shocks for leaks ...
new/rebuilt shocks cost a good bit.
>>The seats have been reupholstered.
>
Leather or vinyl?
>>The real kicker is that the clutch needs to be replaced.
>>I know that entails pulling the engine and the tranny, but how
>>much else is involved? What kind of cost would I be looking at?
>
The clutch plate, pressure plate, and release bearing are about
$150 ... not bad if thats all that you have replace. The flywheel
could be damaged or the release bearing arm could be damaged
(I am unaware of source for a new release bearing arm ... you will
have to locate a used one ... if you can't find one there are
alternatives). Alot depends upon which compenent of the clutch
failed ... at what speed ... and whether or not the gent tried to
keep on driving it. Check master cylinder and the clutch slave
cylinder closely ... there is a chance the problem with the clutch
is that the seals are shot.
>>It also has wire wheels.
>
Cool ... IMHO, an 'A' looks best with wires ... but, they are
more costly to maintain. Have the gent remove a wheel so
that you can check the hubs for wear. Since a test drive is not
possible, you can determine how 'true' they are by jacking up
the car and spinning a wheel.
>
>>The man said that he has driven it, and the engine runs well,
>>but because of the clutch problem, he has only driven it down
>>his road in first gear. He says that he has started it in all gears
>>while on jack stands, and the tranny sounds good.
>>
>>All in all, how is a $3000 price tag on this car and how much
>>would it take to replace the clutch?
>>
There was an excellent post awhile back on 'A' prices ... will
try to locate it for you ... if someone else has it handy please
forward it to Mike.
When I purchased my 'A' in '73 it was in need of a clutch and
the owner could not justify the cost of having one installed
... less than $100 and it was "on the road again" ... of course
YMMV.
Hope that others will fill the gaps that I have left with additonal
suggestions/recommendations.
Safety Fast ... larry.g.unger@lmco.com
> '61 MGA 1600 MkII - GHNL2/102477
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