The short answer is YES.
Okay, this has been going on long enough that it seems to be a subject of
common interest. I believe it started with someone asking if an MGB could
be a useful daily driver. So I will relate to you a story that should
answer that question (in the affirmative), as well as illustrating my
impression of the basic difference between our mostly antique MGs and
nearly any other car built since 1981. In comparing other cars to the MGB,
I think it fair to think in terms of (newer) used cars that are several
years old, as no one in that price range will be buying a new car.
My 1958 MGA is currently way over 250,000 miles lifetime and just starting
on the third engine. For 8 months of the year it goes autocrossing or
rallying nearly every weekend, sometimes more often, and would do so for
the rest of the year as well if there were events for it to attend. As it
is regularly involved in competition, it gets good daily maintainance, and
is almost always in good service condition. The key to all this is to get
your LBC fixed up once to good servicable condition, and then keep up the
maintainance so it stays that way.
Last year this car did 19,000 miles in 8 weeks on Brit Run To The Sun -
Alaska '97. And it did this with surprisingly little maintainance en
route, and nothing that could put it down for a tow. I changed the water
pump because the generator bracket broke (part was in the spares box). I
changed the fuel pump (aftermarket electronic type) when it gave up the
ghost after 100,000 miles of trouble free service (part was in the spares
box). I changed out a broken door latch (part by 2nd day air delivery). I
changed the points in the Mallory dual points distributor during a 21
minute fuel and lunch break at a service station (parts in the spares box).
I tightened the screws in the starter motor once. I replaced a broken
battery terminal clamp (part bought at a gas station). And I spliced the
tail light wiring once after it was damaged by lots of miles of desolate
gravel roads. Total cost of repair parts, about $120 plus one air shipment
charge, or about $7/1000 miles. Otherwise, four oil changes en-route and
once more at home, and lots of picture taking. Oh, one more thing, I
changed the 100,000 mile tie rod ends at a camp ground in an hour, because
I forgot to do it before leaving home (parts came in delivery with the door
latch).
Now during this same 8 week period, my 1990 Chevy Lumina went less than
1000 miles putzing around near home. First it got dinged for $1400 to
replace all the brake parts on the whole car (most of which it didn't
need), because some slick shop saw a sucker walk in the door. Yoiu can
ignore most of this expense if you like. The next week it died on the road
and had to be towed home where it sat for the duration. Upon my return the
Chevy was towed again to the nearest dealer where it was billed nearly $900
to replace 6 tired fuel injectors that were drawing too much current.
It had been my experience (repeatedly) that the newer cars will have these
kinds of electrical problems when they are approaching 10 years old.
Electrical bits fail from deteriorating wire insulation or cracked plastic,
especially in the engine compartment. This type of failure is the sort
that will leave you on the side of the road looking for a tow, very
inconvenient. Also generally expensive to fix because of required dealer
diagnostic equipment. All those computers and electronic engine controls
are prone to failure with age, and very few of those problems will be
plaguing our beloved LBCs because those parts don't exist on our older cars.
Now the fun part. While I was picking up the Chevy and paying the repair
bill for the fuel injectors, the service manager looked at this nice
Lumina, then looked at my MGA sitting outside, and asked me "So just why
did you take the MG to Alaska?". My answer was simple. Because in remote
places in Alaska a towing fee can be $5/mile (both ways), and you can be
hundreds of miles from the nearest towing company or service shop. The MGs
are very simple cars, so nearly anything going wrong can be fixed on the
fly and driven away. My MGA was in fact the only car I own that I could
depend on to get me home without significant inconvenience. The service
manager gave a big grin and held out his hand for the big charge.
For one year in 1968-69 a $400 MGA was my sole means of transportation,
driven daily for a total of 20,000 miles. Once it dropped a valve and
punched out a piston. After having it towed home I fixed it myself with
about 9 hours of labor, $20 in head service, and $31 in parts. Things
aren't too much different now. Several years ago I changed out a broken
crankshaft in a Motel parking lot. Total cost of repair was $200 including
a used crankshaft from a club member ($75+shipping), bearings, gaskets,
oil, and the rental of an engine hoist.
Yes, things happen to MGs, but the cost of just the fuel injectors on my
newer car was equal to the cost of building a complete new spare engine
from scratch for the MGA. And if you treat them right, these LBCs can last
just about forever. Mine is now 40 years old and still going strong (and
winning with SCCA). For a close up look at a mostly stock and very
competitive MGA, check out its web site:
http://www.ntsource.com/~barneymg
Safety faster,
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
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