Hi to all
Having spent the last 20 years dreaming about owning an MG, I've just picked
up a Russet Brown 78BGT at a knock down price. The bodywork is lovely and
had an extensive restoration about 6 years ago, however on the mechanical
side I think there is a bit of work to be done.
I use the car to drive to work every day which is about 10 miles but
unfortunately it is certainly not the 'MG experience' that I expected. The
steering is very stiff and when cornering it just wants to keep on going
round, you have to force it back to straighten up. When driving along the
motorway it constantly pulls to the left and when changing direction it
takes all my concentration to keep the car from wandering all over the
place. At low revs around town i.e. when the engine noise doesn't drown
everything out, there are a lot of squeaks and rattles at the front of the
car, especially when going over speed humps.
When turning the steering wheel at very low speed i.e. when parking, there
is a creaking noise on the front n/s. Also going round a left hand bend at
anything more than 20 mph is a terrifying experience to say the least.
Here are my initial observations:
I have jacked up the front of the car with both front wheels off of the
ground and the steering is still quite stiff. The n/s/f tyre is worn on the
outside and I've also noticed underneath that the o/s front lever arm is
leaking badly. Also the o/s track rod end boot is split and the n/s rack
gaiter is split. Most rubber bushes are perished and it certainly doesn't
look like any work has been done for a long time.
Both front wheels are running freely with no sign of the brakes binding but
I have noticed that there is a fair bit of play when you give the wheels a
good shake.
With the front back on the ground, if you bounce up and down on the wings,
the o/s (with the leaky shock) actually feels quite normal, but the n/s will
only move about an inch and feels extremely stiff (this is where the
creaking noise is coming from).
On the flip side this car is a beautiful machine and it's a shame that the
handling doesn't match the looks.
I would dearly love to restore this car to its former glory and would like
to know if any of the above is common on MGB's. I'm sure that at the very
least the car needs the front wheels aligned but I think that the underlying
trouble is a lot more serious.
I am not a mechanic but I've done most things on cars e.g. engine
overhauls, clutches, brakes, tuning etc... is it beyond the average DIY
enthusiast to overhaul the front end on one of these things or is it best
left to the local MG garage? I would really appreciate anyone's help on
this or directions to the FAQ's.
Mike Richardson
78 MG BGT
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