Hi,
I've been lurking around here absorbing as much info as I can for a
couple of weeks now. The depth of knowledge and experience presented
here is invaluable. THANK YOU ALL!!
Two years ago my daughter, then 14, showed me a picture of an MGB RB she
saw on the internet and told me that she would like to have a car like
that when she got her drivers license at 16. I said "Yeah, sure," while
thinking "I'm not buying you an expensive, classic, sports car for you
to tear up and maybe hurt yourself besides."
Well here it is, drivers license time, and she starts hinting around
that she would like a car of her own. This was done by informing me
every time one of her friends got a NEW car. I can't believe these
people that go out and spend 20 grand for a FIRST car for their child.
She has several friends that are already into their third auto after
wrecking the first and second. She also has memories of several friends
who are not with us anymore, but that's another story.
Well, anyway. I did some searching on the net and quickly realized that
MGB's were quite inexpensive and parts were readily available. So, being
the WONDERFUL DAD that I am, I told my daughter I might consider buying
her one for Christmas. We then began looking at pictures of B's on the
net so she could show me what she liked.
I tried to talk her into a CB, but she much preferred the RB. It had to
have Rostyles and it had to be a dark color, but not black, with a tan
interior.
After 3 days of searching the net and countless telephone calls, I
decided to buy a 1980 B that was in Norman, Oklahoma. I live in Sumrall,
Mississippi, about 650 miles distant. The owner was fresh out of
college, married, and didn't want the car anymore. He told me he was
asking $3100 but would take around $2400. He was quite anxious to sell.
He needed the space in the garage.
The car had been bought new by his father. He had gotten it when he
started college.
He said it had been well maintained and he had stopped driving it
regularly 3 years ago. It had always been garaged and had absolutely NO
rust. New gas tank, 119,000 on de-smogged engine with recent top end
rebuild, all new front suspension, Weber DGV carb, new brake master, new
clutch slave, recent carpet and good top with new lights. He said it had
a fairly decent dark metallic blue paint job and a fair interior. I
asked if he would consider $2000 if I drove over and he said he would.
I arrived at his home about 3 hours ahead of schedule. He had the car
out of the garage and had hosed it down. The paint was badly oxidized
and the interior was in rougher shape than what I understood. On top of
that, he said the battery had run down and wouldn't start the car. He
had known for 2 days when I would be arriving. I couldn't believe that
he had waited until just before I got there to make the car presentable.
He assured me that we could roll the car down his drive and that it
would start. It did instantly! Now, I have never been inside an MG
before, much less drive one. I drove it around the neighborhood,
watching the oil pressure and temp. Both were ok. I was impressed with
the brakes. Excellent stopping power. Hazards worked one side only.
Everything else worked ok. A couple of side marker lamps didn't work and
tag lights didn't work. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the car. Oh
yeah, the driver side door had that crack by the mirror.
I knew my daughter would NEVER speak to me again if I returned without a
car, but the car was dirty and a mess inside.However, being from
Mississippi, I had never seen a car over 5 yrs old that didn't have
rust. This car had absolutely no rust anywhere except to the battery
holder. I told the owner that I would have to redo the interior and
probably have to paint it. I offered him $1800 and he TOOK IT!
After he signed over the title, he handed me a package that contained
EVERY RECEIPT for car repairs since it was new.The window sticker was
even in there. That would have been a great selling tool. I'm glad he
was such a terrible salesman.
Anyway, to make a long story longer, he took one last picture of the
car, and then went inside to finish watching the Long Horns(his alma
mater) playing the Razorbacks while I loaded the car on my trailer.
Back home, my daughter liked the car OK until I buffed out that cheap
MAACO paint job (Yes, I have the receipt for that too.) Now she loves
it.
I have driven the car about a hundred miles now. After the first mile I
was in LOVE. The whole experience is UNIQUE. I have owned a '65 GTO
convertible, various Z28's, a Mustang 5.0 GT, and a Nissan 200SX. None
of them were as exhilliarating to drive as this little MGB. I've got to
have one, someday, I told my wife.
HELLO!! Someday has arrived! I was surfing the MGB ring on the
net,Saturday night, when I came across an ad. 1971 MGB with new
under-carriage. Collision damage on right passenger front. engine and
transmission ran well when parked. First $500 takes it. Bring your
trailer.
I called the owner. He was in Houston, TX. He had owned the car since
1973. His son had driven it for a while and then he had fixed it up for
his daughter to drive in September, 1990. 3000 miles and 3 months later,
she had hit a pickup. She had driven it home, parked it in the garage,
and there it had sat ever since.
He said the interior was shot, tires had gone flat, and his son had
dismantled the damaged side with intentions of restoration, but had
joined the Merchant Marine instead. I figured the car must be in sad
shape for his son to have gone to such an extreme.
I decided to take a chance and go look. It was only 7 hours away. I
arrived at 6pm Sunday and had the car loaded on my trailer and was back
on the interstate by 7pm.
He had shown me the last receipt for repairs done on the car in August
of 1990. The total bill had been $3750 and included major suspension
kit, new A arms, wheel bearings, rebuilt front shocks, brake master
cylinder, clutch, pressure plate and t/o bearing, brake pads and rotors
on front,shoes on back, SU carb rebuild w\oversize shafts, starter, and
alternator. All the old parts were still in the trunk. I paid the man
very quickly.
I couldn't wait to get in from work last night. I unloaded the car off
the trailer and put it in my shop. There is some bondo under the right
rear tail light and some slight rust under the left rear tail light.The
rest of the car is rust free. The underside of the car has a very thick
coat of something, I'm talking 1/2'' thick in some places. I guess it is
some sort of undercoat.
The right front fender wasn't there so I will be looking for a good one.
The bulkhead had a small bend in it that has already been beat back out.
The top was brand new when the DPOD(dreaded previous owner's daughter)
attempted lowering it without unsnapping it. It has a 3" tear beside the
driver side rear window. I think I'm going to attempt to patch it for
now. There was also a top cover as well as a tonneau, but my daughter
has scarfed them up already.
I sat in the car last night holding the steering wheel and going
VRROOOM, VRROOOM. I haven't done that since I was about 8. HONEST!
I think I'll try to crank her up tonight.
I'm sorry for all this drivel, but I had to tell somebody.
Regards,
Mark in MS
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