Little help with an MGB?

[mars23z]

Hey guys I posted a while ago about a 1967 MG MGB GT with 29000 miles. The car is on E-bay and I wanted you guys to check it out and tell me what you think. Be honest as I have no connection to this car other then I am trying to sell it for the owner of the dealership I work for. Tell me what you think of the price ,condition,etc. Thanks Chris. Here is the link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-MGB-GT-Coupe_W0QQitemZ260147582502QQihZ016QQcategoryZ31857QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[MikeW]

Send a PM to DougN. He has a '66 MGB and can probably give you some pointers.

[mars23z]

Thanks Mike

[DougN]

I sent you a PM with my observations.

[Carl Beck]

Is this some kind of secret?? I'm always interested in observations related to collectibe cars for sale.

Carl B.

[Carl Beck]

Strikes me as priced too low... I'd think any MG fan would hit the buy-it-now....

Carl B.

[26th-Z]

Its been so long, I had a nice stroll down memory lane looking at the pictures.

A '67 BGT would be a nice car to have. 67 was the last year before smog devices and the rockers should be cast instead of pressed steel. I believe this was the most powerful version of the engine. The car may or may not come with a 5th speed which was actuated electronically. '67 is the year to have IMO. A BGT is a nice car. A Z is much nicer. And faster.

I think the photos in the ad are a little too cropped and I am suspicious of the condition. At 29,000 miles, there should be no reason for new paint. I can't tell. The interior looks good, but I wish I could see more.

I think ten grand is a little high. Even though an MGB GT is a nice car (I have owned one), it really isn't that desireable. The auction has had an offer declined, so far. I'll be anxious to see how this one goes.

[Cethern]

I would like to have that...It looks very nice

[Arne]

Looked at through the eyes of someone who completed a bare-tub restoration of a '67 B roadster a number of years ago, I think it has potential, but is over-priced considering the physical condition.

First, if the 29k is truly actual, it has not been especially well cared for. Way too much wear and tear. For example - the wrinkle finish on the dash is worn through under the ignition switch. The chrome rivets in the dash used as indicators for the climate controls are totally rusty. The leather upholstery is shot. The car does not have overdrive - what god-awful gadget have they mounted on the left end of the dash where the overdrive blanking plug should be? Carpet on the inner rockers is wrong - what happened to the original rubber rocker covers? Engine compartment needs help, lots of rust and corrosion, and why is the paint bad on the firewall near the master cylinder? How did brake fluid get splashed that high?

Don't get me wrong, the car has lots of potential. But the rockers still need to be checked for rust, and the car needs to be disassembled completely for paint and proper trim work. Best guess in today's market - it's worth perhaps $5000 as is, maybe as much as $7500 to someone who can do the needed work himself and really wants a GT. Or $5000-6000 to someone who is looking for a driver right now, and doesn't mind a car that shows significant wear.

And here's the worst part, from my personal experience. I had a great time restoring my '67 B. (And previous posters are correct, a '66 or '67 are THE years to have.) Doing the work, finding the right parts, making it right - that was a blast. I drove it regularly for two years post-restoration. What I discovered is that an MGB is much more fun to restore than it was to drive, unless you are looking for a vintage driving car. English state-of-the-art - for 1955 or so, when most of the running gear was designed. Tractor-like cast-iron pushrod engine, fragile transmission with no synchro on first, lever action shocks and a cart-sprung solid axle. The way the MGB drove was one step on the path to me having 240Zs now.

[mars23z]

Thanks for all the input guys. The car drives very well and seems to be tight. After talikng to Doug and the rest of you there are some things that need addressed. The car has been repainted not sure why but not from an accident. The miles are claimed to be documented so I believe them to be actual. This car has been in the area since very early on and our whole sale guy actually sold the car many years ago to the previous owner. The offer he refused was $5000 and he may just keep it if he doesnt get what he wants. Anyone that is interested let me know and I will do what I can to help you. As I said I have know connection to this car other then Iam trying to help sell it so I appriciate your honesty. Thanks Chris.

[DougN]

Is this some kind of secret?? I'm always interested in observations related to collectibe cars for sale.

Carl B.

Sorry Carl, I didn't think that it would be of interest to anyone here! I said basically what Arne said, price and all. I also doubted the 29K mileage claim, and stated it looked more like 129K+. Only other things I pointed out were that the drivers door was not hung properly (it's too low), that the car had obviously been repainted recently, and that there was a slight fit issue around the top corners of the grill -- indicative of either a new hood, grill or both -- also possibly a drivers side front fender based on the door and the slightly wider gap between the hood and the fender. It also looks like the dash was repainted some years ago, as it is missing the crackle paint finish. I also recommended photos of the underside - and some of the car being jacked up using the original jack to demonstrate if the sills are solid. (A good way to tell of the sills are solid is to jack the car up and watch for the door gaps to shift, or worse yet, to see if the sill actually bends/dents).

I will disagree with Arne on driving the B roadster however. Provided it is not too hot, I really enjoy driving the B and drove it regularly for many years before I got my Z's. Now I switch off to make sure they all get exercise. Don't get me wrong, I love driving my Z's, but for me, they can't beat a nice top down fall cruise throught the N. Georgia mountains in the B :classic: Now compare a BGT to a Z, and that's a completely different story!

[mars23z]

I think the door issue is a hinge because it drops a little when you open it and you almost have to lift up on it to close it all the way.