Well... I bought an MGB

Okay, this is a little scary. I’ve bought a 1966 MGB roadster off of eBay.

So: It runs. That’s a point in its favour. It has a good body. Okay. The floors need to be repaired. I can get new floor panels for $135 each. No top, but it has the frame. I’d planned on a new top for practically any MGB I would get. The top is a folding one. I would have preferred the removable top, as that’s what I had before. I like the simplicity. A removable frame, strangely, is a little expensive.

It’s on steel wheels. I want wires. Depending on which differential it has, it may be a simple matter to get new wires (which I’d planned to do anyway) or a difficult one. Since there is confusion about the date of manufacture, I may get lucky and it will have the later tube-type diff.
I’d like to get the overdrive transmission, so as long as the existing one is serviceable I should be okay for a while.

So where are we? Engine is okay. Body is okay. I need a top, paint, carpets, upholstery, 6-volt batteries, maybe a new ignition switch. Might be good to have a new wiring harness put in.

I need to go up to Yosemite to tow it down. I need to find a place to keep it while it’s awaiting repair. I’m moving a lot of my stuff up to Washington in December. I can get a storage unit up there that will accommodate my stuff plus my '46 Willys Jeep, and if that happens then my carport will be free.

I’d like to have it painted Old English White with a red interior – just like mom ordered the one she eventually gave me. Ah. Mom’s MGB. She ordered it in 1964 while we were in Japan. When we came to the U.S. in '66 it arrived from England soon after we did. She said that even with a new, factory-fresh MGB there was confusion about parts. Some of them were 1967 model pieces. That’s why I’m not overly concerned about the year-model confusion of this one.

So there it is. I’m supposed to me saving for a house. Good lord, what have I done?

Anyone want to buy a 1961 Rolex Submariner with a James Bond strap? :eek:

Johnny, I’m so happy for you!!! I know how badly you wanted one… And are you gonna give me a ride if you ever get out towards the midwest? I’m thinkin road trip…

:smiley:

OooooOOOOOh, sounds wonderful! Roadsters rock!

Sure. But when will I ever get to the midwest?

They certainly do! In addition to the '66 I owned before, I had two '77s. They did rock. The '66 had the sweetest exhaust note.

Okay, I’ve been thinking on the way into the office…

Should I go for Old English White (creamy white) with a red interior? Or should I re-paint it in its original Tartan Red (bright red)? If I decide on creamy white, should I get original-style painted spokes, or chromed ones? Keep the luggage rack, or not? I think if I go white, then I’ll go painted spokes and no luggage rack. If I go red, then I’m thinking chrome spokes, keep the luggage rack, and black interior.

If I go white, then it will be like the one I had before. If I go red, then I won’t have to re-paint the engine bay and thus it would be less expensive.

So how about a poll? Creamy white with a red interior, or bright red with a black interior?

Red is always good on sporty cars, but I think the white with red interior would be better, a bit unusual.

I have a Rambler convertible, red with red & white interior, and the interior never fails to get compliments. Black is so…normal.

Here’s a little something for you.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/thompson-richard/3763.htm

It’s from the album ‘Mirror blue’

Dude. Three words.

British. Racing. Green.

Black interior, ditch the luggage rack, chrome spokes. You’ll thank me later.

And congrats, I’ll come and have a look at it the next time I’m in town. :slight_smile:

A man after my own heart, that’s the color of my GT.

Well, Coldie, BRG is a good colour. One of the best. But the choices are creamy white with a red interior (like mine was originally) or bright red with a black interior (like this one was originally).

I’m leaning toward the red/black because when I got mom’s MG I thought the creamy white looked a little dirty. Not creamy enough to make it look intentional, and not white enough to look white. The red interior had largely faded to pink. I had it repainted Vermillion Red (red-orange) and made the interior black. I think I’d like the red better than the white. Besides, I wouldn’t have to paint the engine bay then.

Not that it probably matters that much with an MGB (since the numbers will never match anyway), but painting it a different color than it was originally would hurt resale value.

You don’t want a black interior. Not on a roadster. Not in bright sun. Ouch.

Can you say “frame-up”? Knew you could…

Good luck.

Well, I owned the last one when I lived in the Mojave Desert. I know all about black vinyl. The trick is to wear long pants.

“Frame up” would be nice, but I’m seeking a compromise between the car and a house. I think a non-frame-up resto would fit into the budget and still allow me to go house hunting.

Step One will be to just get it roadworthy.

The most striking MGB I ever saw was Tartan Red, red interior - and a red TOP! Sounds odd but was very striking.

A color change is HARD to do well.

My MGA is Red / Red & Beige top - gets many compliments.

Oops, forgot this. Not the best shot for the red interior, but here is my MGA.

Damn, that car looks good, jasg! I love those A’s.

The link didn’t work for me.

Works fine here, but it’s hosted on an AOL site, YMMV. :wink:

It’s very red, very polished, and very, very beautiful. It’s photgraphed on a driveway, on a 3/4 right front angle, and it’s in front of a shed with a slanted roof.

Can’t you just see it now? :slight_smile:

Ah the memories. My brother got a brand spanking new MGB (red with black interior, wire wheels, rag top) in 1972 and literally drove the wheels off of it (it went to that great big automobile graveyard in 1980). LOTS OF FUN.

Also, a tremendous pain in the ass to repair in mid-1970s Virginia, but I digress.

Coldfire: I’m seein’ it.

plnnr: I don’t have a garage, so every repair is a pain in the ass!

Update: I talked to a guy who belongs to a local MGB club (who knew there was one right here?). He said he knows a guy who can do restoration work from “just making it run” to “show winner”. He said the guy does excellent work, but he takes a long time. If I wanted a complete restoration it might be done by summer. But the important thing is that he’s said to be inexpensive, which appeals to the Scottish blood in me. :wink:

The seller will bring the car down from Merced the first week of December. I’ll get the DMV paperwork done and tow it down to the mechanic.

Ahhh, you guys are killing me. Now that I’m “family man”, I don’t get to play with sports cars any more. At least not until my official midlife crisis (just a few years off). My first car was a '72 Midget, all black, interior, exterior, folding top. It was hot in Florida, let me tell you. Then I bought a '72 Alfa Spyder (like the one in the Graduate). It had a tomato red exterior, but black interior, and of course, the fold down, burn your ass in the Florida sun, top. I loved those cars. The Midget was a project from the get-go. I completely rebuilt the engine on it. I replaced the Alfa engine (it had a cracked block), but it was a typical European car (keep 2 cans of oil in the bonnet!).
Johnny, I am jealous! Oh, and as for my vote, I’m definitely with you on the red/black thing. The green is beautiful, for sure, but you see it a lot these days.