Posted by Jason on August 26, 19100 at 12:56:16:

In Reply to: MGB - GT posted by Tom Kock on July 07, 1999 at 05:57:50:

: I am looking for a late 60's - early 70's model in good condition to use as an occasional spare car . Other than rust which I know can be a problem , what else should I be concerned with in finding one ? What features are desireable ( ex. overdrive , wire wheels , etc. ) and which are not ? I owned a 65' MGB roadster a long time ago and my son works for a guy who rebuilds old MG engines and transmissions and sells parts so I have a ready supply of expertise and cheap labor . I know there are a lot of these cars around and I am looking for advice from people who own them and have worked on them . Any istance would be appreciated . Thank You .

I have owned two MG's, one a 71 roadster and the other a 74 GT. I definitely prefer the GT not only for looks but for useability. I drove both cars as daily and primary modes of transport. Many say MG's are unreliable, but I disagree. I found my GT would start all winter in Chicago with -60 degree wind chill with synthetic oil, while the newer Saabs and GM products in my neighborhood whined to death w/o starting. As far as what to look for, definitely stick with a chrome bumber model (pre 74 1/2). The lower ride height means better handling, and you avoid smog control. If you buy one with a smog control air pump and you live in a state that does not require emissions tests on older vehicles, remove it. If you live in a state that does require emissions for older cars, remove it anyway. The '74 motor is rumored the best, but I blew mine acting stupid and replaced it with the '71 motor I had. I like any 5 bearing motor with twin SU's. Much hype is made over carb settings, but in five years with legitimate 40,000+ miles of use I never had a glitch. I never had anything beyond normal maintenance for an older car. The alternators do and mine went out a lot, sometimes mysteriously. I averaged one a year. At $70 or so, not pleasant. I also installed the cooler thermostat when driving more in warm weather, and I definitely recommend synthetic oil. It increase oil psi, which is another thing to look for. If your oil psi fluctuates with your rpm's its bad. It should stay stable and the highr (40+) the better. Look for leaky oil coolers (a pain in the neck), corroded radiators, excessive valve noise, excessive spring wear in the rear, and corrosion underneath (sometimes they noticeably sag in the middle like they are about to break in half and someone has cosmetically concealed the weaknness with chrome rocker panels or some other bad taste cos. ). Overdrive transmissions are a must, but my friends who have had them find them "intermittent". You have to have it to keep up with highway traffic unless you like 4,000-4,500 rpms. I didn't have overdrive on either of mine and I think it ultimately contributed to their promotion to parts cars.
Also, definite plusses in my opinion are the 12 volt battery conversion and tube shock conversions, particularly in the rear. I installed the "rally" leaf springs in the rear as well but noticed no difference from the regular springs. I think "rally" springs are really just BGT springs, maybe they help the roadster some. I also installed the Monza exhaust with twin tips. Ansa's are supposedly very good, or a stainles system, but the Monza product is cheap, sounds good and has cool twin tips. Wire wheels are cool and quintessentially British, but they bend some in hard cornering. You can actually feel it a little. Rostyles are boring but the Minilites are a cool compromise and not too expensive. I drove my '74 BGT from Chicago to Pennsylvania to St. Louis to New Orleans, lived in New Orleans where I drove it daily for 7 mos., and drove back to St. Louis where I now live and pursue graduate school. I never had a "break down" the entire time, and it always started if the alternator was good (I replaced it once in NOLA). I drove the GT in St Louis for another seven months until it really bit the dust. The clutch slave cylinder pretty much exploded, the U-joints went out, the suspension was so bad it was crazy to drive, the front end was a mess and yes, the alternator/electrical system went under. It sits in my driveway awaiting dismemberment and incorporation with "the next one", hopefully a '71 GT. Good luck and enjoy yourself.

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