On Sat, 7 Feb 1998 20:14:35 EST Jellyby@aol.com writes:(snipped here and
there)
>Hey, listers, for those of you who've been keeping up with me, I've
>been looking at a 77 B for sale near me... weighing the plusses and
>minuses, trying to learn as much as I can, and doing a lot of drooling
over the
>car (find myself driving by just to gat another look...).
Im sure many of us will remember THAT feeling, - In truth i still drive
by them several times before deciding.......
>Body: A few scratches and dings, but nothing major there. One area
>about the
>size of a quarter in front of the driver's side door appears to have
>been
>filled or patched badly, then painted over.
If its passenger side its likely the hole where the damn BL badge was
fixed -
they always rust but are usually fixable - however - if its a vertical
line about 4-5" aft of the wheel arch beware - that is usually the tip of
a rust iceberg!
Two places the metal has
>bubbled,one above the left rear wheel well, and the second right side
just
>ahead ofthe wheel well, where the sills end. The first is about the
size of a
>quarter, the second the size of a half dollar.
the first "may" be treatable with filler but will more likely need either
a patch or a new quarter panel welded in - its a common rust spot - but
nowhere NEAR as serious as the second one you mention - bubbling of the
dogleg aft of the rocker panel basically means the rockers are shot -
start digging and you'll likely find a rust mine to go with the iceberg!
- it usually isnt terminal but it isnt cheap! - Mr Deutsch just had one
done on his sons 72 - perhaps he'll tell us what the going rate is.....
Passenger's side door
>has split just below the rear view mirror, forabout one inch.
Ah.... the famous "crack of doom" - (no, not a Monica Lewinsky
reference....)
common, not usually terminal but needs fixing with a piece welded into
the back of the panel - filler will NOT work on these ones - doorskins
are fairly cheap to buy but buggers to fit (i have personally screwed up
two prior to getting them done professionally!)so if the door is
otherwise ok the patch is the way to go
Lastly, someone tried to close the trunk without
>relasing the catch and split the frame to which the support arm is
attached; this
>split has rusted and caused a bulged in the trunk door, about the size
of a half
>dollar.
sounds fixable - failing which - there are more second hand boot lids
around then you can shake a stick at for about $25
>Other than those problems, the body seems to be in good condition.
>Here and
>there I find little patches where the paint has worn off and rust has
>accumulated, but none bigger than 1/16th inch Did notice
>inside the trunk a gummy sealant has been used to close the gap between
the
>trunk bottom and the fender panels (it appears to have been painted over
the
>original color... was this standard practice on originals?) - yes
Sounds fairly typical overall -
>Interior: Original interior, though in poor condition. Dash (padded)
>is cracked and peeling on top of passenger's side, and falling down
>underneath.
Dash caps are $40-50 ish are easy to install and look good, the
underdash panels are of composition material and sometimes fall apart-
you can get replacements for about $50 or just take them out
>Original black carpet is mostly gone, replaced by a few scraps of home
>carpeting laid down. Seats doors are brown leather; both seats have
>split areas, and the padding on the passenger's side (just below the
window)
>has peeled.
Sounds a real picture - fortunately, all interior parts are replaceable,
readiy available and not especially demanding
have not taken it for a test drive (wanted to today, but nobody was
there...).
>When Itake it for the test drive, will also swing by my mechanic's place
and
>let him take a look... Get this... I found no evidence of fluid leaks,
tho
>will recheck after the test drive.
>
My guess is that its sold before you drive it (to you i mean ) but for
Gods sake DRIVE IT! - thats what theyre for!
The "no leaks" part worries me - it either has no fluids in it or it isnt
an MGB!
>Now, while I was looking at the car, there was another MG parked
>there, I think a Midget
My guess is that the guy with the Midget is looking to trade up!! - you
may have competition!!
as long as it runs well,
>it may be a good purchase. I'm relatively new to the idea of restoring
a
>car, and pretty inexperienced, but I feel like I can handle these
problems.
You have to ask yourself a few questions
Do you want the car?
Is it value for money (from your description i'd guess it should be in
the $1500-2000 range depending on where you are and how it is
mechanically which you havnt mentioned)
Do you want to restore it or just drive it? (either is an acceptable
answer - just know what suits you - its hard to restore a car you drive
every day!)
If you want to restore it, what MUST be done immediately and can you
afford it?
If you want to just drive it will it suitable for what you need it for?
(daily driver, weekend fun, what is its function?)
Sounds to me like youre pretty much hooked and looking for support of a
decision you've already made!! - however - get it looked at by someone
who knows them -
You never said where you were (or else i missed it) - find a local MG
club and call them - theyll tell you where to take it (!) - and dont be
afraid to walk away from it if its
too expensive either to buy or to fix - there are mercifully plenty of
them and you dont have to buy the first one you see!
keep us posted!!
mike robson
69 roadster
70 BGT
72 roadster
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
|