Thanks for the video! Before I bought my '68 roadster, someone cautioned me to expect a "constant state of rolling repair". Best advice ever! If you're not prepared for that, probably best to leave the B for someone who is. I have slightly more than zero mechanical ability, yet I've easily replaced the radiator, water pump, hoses and some of the weather seals. TH-cam and the local British Car Club are absolutely your best friends!
Having been a petrol head since a kid and starting my love of anything with an engine ,I have done things in different ways with - age . I relied on family members and friends who always did their own repairs ,bought rough cheap cars and repaired them with engineer wages & the odd job on motorbikes I could afford , those apprentice wages were less than £ 10 for a six day week ! . Had lots of sports cars and many Rovers and British Leyland stuff which were not the best cars in the world BUT were easy to fix with cheap[ish] parts .But I bought my 1st MGb last year off a old guy in the trade and he drove a Jubilee edition . He had a white coupe that he ran for quite a while and was in his showroom for 4 years with 73 ,000 on the clock ,never been restored and nearly unmarked paint with two very minor bubbles and that"s all . He had replaced most moving parts and although it didn"t drive as nice as my Triumph TR 7 it gets admiring looks and people always come over to talk ..Just two niggles - my classic insurance has just doubled and my 6 foot 1 " frame hates me getting in & out ,wish i had bought one years -ago ?. Good job ,love the informative Vids .
I bought aa 1968 MGB in 1976 and enjoyed it for a few months without issue but as a young guy then, it was not lively enough for me after rebuilding an old race car. Since then I have rebuilt a few more cars, amongst them an MGA roadster and an MG Midget which while similar have very different feel than the MGB. I would advise to test drive these three models (and the MGB GT), as one will fit the requirements of your pocket and age. The MGB is easier to get into as you get older, but everyone has their own requirements.
Same as you Grahame, I bought the first one I drove too.. although I did check it over. That was nearly 8 years ago and you saw mine at Silverstone. Your right,they are addictive little cars
Good advise Graham, well thought out. I bought a 67 MGB/GT in 1988 after a thorough inspection by myself. The car was a good runner so I used it for a couple of months. After putting on some miles to get to know it I had a good idea of what areas needed attention. Rust was minimal, the mechanics where pretty good needing just bushes and seals, and the like. I took the car off the road and proceeded to tear it apart. I reduced it to a rolling shell fairly quickly. My aim was to return it to factory condition, or as close as possible, by omitting previous owner modifications, some well done others not so much. The car left Abingdon in BRG, now red when I bought it. That had to be put right. I replaced both front wings with new ones. Stripped the complete car down to bare metal and primed it myself. A professional shop did the final BRG paint work. Found a set of original seats and had them redone in leather as they should be. All said and done I have a fairly close to stock '67 B/GT and it only took me eight years working on it off and on. I still have the car and use it on cooler days. It is complemented by a '74 Harvest Gold roadster that I bought new almost 50 years ago. The B is still all original; factory paint, interior trim and soft top. Absolutely no rust anywhere. The car has been across Canada a couple of times and has covered a bit over 100,000 miles. I rebuilt the valve train a couple of times over the years and did a bottom end job two years ago as compression was down on two cylinders. As I get older I tend to use the cars less but still love them and enjoy short runs when the spirit moves me.
Thanks for your comment - great story - if you'd like me to make a viewers cars episode about it, send some high res images and the full story to hello@classicmgb.com and I'll see what I can do!
Absolutely love mine. I'd never even sat in one until I picked up a rusty 1980 roadster with the engine and gearbox under a tarpaulin! That was in 2021 and I now have a gorgeous Sebring influenced roadster hardtop that cost me about £3k
Back in 2010 I was actually looking for a Triumph TR6 which was my first car at 17 years old in 1987. It was a white '72. I learned very quickly that they are pretty expensive and I stumbled on a white '80 model MGB roadster near me in great shape for less than half the price of a TR. I still have her and they are very addictive!
Excellent advice Graham, from point 10 right through to point 1. My personal list, 1) to 5), in order of from most important to least important is: 1) The condition of the body. 2) The condition of the body. 3) The condition of the body. 4) The condition of the body. 5) The condition of the car mechanically. These cars, like all cars of the sixties and seventies are very prone to rust. The MGB's however are structurally so strong that an MGB can still be quite decent to drive, and superficially look OK (sadly, often due to some judicious body filler and fresh paint), despite serious and possibly terminal hidden rust to the sills, mudguard (fender) bottoms, (aka "doglegs"), floors and bulkheads. Professionally competently done body repair work is very labour intensive and therefore very expensive. While this may be cost effective for a Ferrari or an Aston Martin, it often is not so for a humble MGB. Mechanical repairs are in comparison relatively cheap and straightforward. If you are not familiar with these cars, do please get someone who is to look after any car you may be considering buying before committing. My own MGB already had the beginnings of corrosion appearing in the "dog legs" by the time the car was just 5 years old. Oh and incidentally, since you mention it, unlike the MGB, the MGA steering column was adjustable for length through a commonly fitted factory optional extra. It allowed the steering wheel to be moved from "too close to the chest" to "way too close to the chest"!
That’s an interesting comparison to modern cars with adjustable columns allowing the wheel to be slightly too far to reach and ludicrously too far to reach.
Great tips Just like you I bought my MGB GT 1973 without fully inspecting but luckily it wasn't too bad and I can do restoration jobs myself and have a garage with space for resto jobs I haven't done much recently as it's a bit cold in the garage right now but love the car and looking forward to driving it on sunny days Its by no means a show winner but I take pride in keeping a bit of British motoring history alive.
Bought my Dad’s MGB around 4 months before he passed away. He had the car since the mid-80s but it hadn’t run in 17 or 18 years. Got the car running last summer but the whole motor let go on a road trip around a month ago. Car is back in the shop for a full engine rebuild. Safe to say I have actually spent far more at this point than the car is worth. Sentimentality is expensive.
Thanks for your comment - yes - these cars can get expensive and as you say, sentimentality costs money. If you haven't seen this, here's how much my GT has cost me so far! th-cam.com/video/yA0bg31f8Pw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MpTLcHFw782GLrHN
I bought a 1977 MGB cheap with the engine, transmission, radiator, gas tank and seat redone but the suspension and brakes are terrible but that can be solved with some hard work and a few dollars, I want to install front disc brakes and redo the rear drum brakes unless disc brakes are available for the rear also and I rebuilt the carbs in my friends shop it has dual carbs and runs nice but needs a really good shakedown of most every component for it just sat to long without driving it daily or at least weekly, when took over from the owners garage to my friends garage it was on a slide wrecker and did not even roll off on its own power without being started it barely slid off the wrecker bed for the rear drum brakes were both locked up and freed them up by taking the rear tires off and using penetrating oil and a steel hammer to beat on the drums and turn the hubs until both sides were free and later fixed the drum brakes on the rear with an overhaul of the entire brake system both front and rear
I've owned several MGBs I currently drive a 76 roadster..... My constant worry with any MGB is if the clutch decides to expire as this is a hugely expensive labour intensive job.. Big worry 😂
Thanks for your comment. Yes you're right - Since I've had my car, its had 2 clutches! Silly design that the clutch replacement required the engine out!
I have an MG shop in Florida USA, I do clutches for less than big shops . Don't know if this is helpful to you, but I've rec. MGs from UK and Germany to service in the past
Mgbs had a special rust problem which really gets a hold and will destroy your car.Its a difficult problem to stop.enjoyed it while it was in one piece.😊😊
As an owner from new of a later much modified 1966 1275 Mini, I loved the shape of the GT version MGB and would have liked to buy one then, though my BMC Mini was absolutely the worst produced car in History ever!!! Even from the corners of the front screen water came in and the window frames missed an inch to reach the body (I had to put a knee in between, and bend them! I then bought a new 1970 BMW 2002 and haven't had a British car since then!! Finn. Denmark
Thanks for your comment - my first car was a Mini - absolutely loved it but looking at them now, they're SO small! I've had a few (modern) BMWs - great cars :-)
@@ClassicMGB My doors had the open area and a practical metal bottom box, with the MG strap for opening. It was so roomy - but the seats had a pendulum-arm for adjustment (angle only!), so the actual movement, forward and back, of the seat was the three holes in the bottom, for bolts! And don't leave anything in the boxes as it would be soaked when coming back after rain! The idea of the Mini was absolutely Brilliant (My version was with the Moulton, "Hydrolastic", fluid suspension)! But the actual Production was absurdly bad. The hinges had acid left from the cleaning, so paint peeled off, the distributor was open to be soaked in rain, so don't drive close to a car in front, the gearstick, with no sync in first, and hadn't any connection to to the actual gears (A shifter by the wheel would have been more logical!). The open lists in each corner gave it a front as of a Barn Door! Finn. Denmark
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 My Mini was a 1974 clubman so a few of the problems were ironed out by then! Incidentally, Alec Mouton lived about 3 miles from me in a place called Bradford-on-Avon - he had a large country house there and his family's company was Spencer Moulton - they had a rubber factory in the town. Eventually became Avon Rubber and is now a housing development 🙂
Did you have a bad MGB experience? I feel sorry for you, I've owned a 72 GT for 22 yrs now, best car I've ever had ... far more reliable than my damn Chevrolet truck
Thanks for the video! Before I bought my '68 roadster, someone cautioned me to expect a "constant state of rolling repair". Best advice ever! If you're not prepared for that, probably best to leave the B for someone who is. I have slightly more than zero mechanical ability, yet I've easily replaced the radiator, water pump, hoses and some of the weather seals. TH-cam and the local British Car Club are absolutely your best friends!
Thanks for your comment - excellent advice! :-)
Love my 80 limited edition. Roadster. Enjoy it every summer I am only the 3rd owner
Having been a petrol head since a kid and starting my love of anything with an engine ,I have done things in different ways with - age . I relied on family members and friends who always did their own repairs ,bought rough cheap cars and repaired them with
engineer wages & the odd job on motorbikes I could afford , those apprentice wages were less than £ 10 for a six day week ! .
Had lots of sports cars and many Rovers and British Leyland stuff which were not the best cars in the world BUT were easy to fix
with cheap[ish] parts .But I bought my 1st MGb last year off a old guy in the trade and he drove a Jubilee edition . He had a white
coupe that he ran for quite a while and was in his showroom for 4 years with 73 ,000 on the clock ,never been restored and nearly
unmarked paint with two very minor bubbles and that"s all . He had replaced most moving parts and although it didn"t drive as nice as my Triumph TR 7 it gets admiring looks and people always come over to talk ..Just two niggles - my classic insurance has just
doubled and my 6 foot 1 " frame hates me getting in & out ,wish i had bought one years -ago ?. Good job ,love the informative Vids .
Thanks for your comment - and your anecdotes... my classic insurance went up a lot this year but a call to them reduced the difference!
I bought aa 1968 MGB in 1976 and enjoyed it for a few months without issue but as a young guy then, it was not lively enough for me after rebuilding an old race car.
Since then I have rebuilt a few more cars, amongst them an MGA roadster and an MG Midget which while similar have very different feel than the MGB. I would advise to test drive these three models (and the MGB GT), as one will fit the requirements of your pocket and age. The MGB is easier to get into as you get older, but everyone has their own requirements.
Thanks for your comment - I agree that the standard MGB isn't very lively, but still a lot of fun :-)
Same as you Grahame, I bought the first one I drove too.. although I did check it over. That was nearly 8 years ago and you saw mine at Silverstone. Your right,they are addictive little cars
Hi Wayne - thanks for your comment. Don't forget to send me a few more detail for your viewers cars video :-)
Good advise Graham, well thought out. I bought a 67 MGB/GT in 1988 after a thorough inspection by myself. The car was a good runner so I used it for a couple of months. After putting on some miles to get to know it I had a good idea of what areas needed attention. Rust was minimal, the mechanics where pretty good needing just bushes and seals, and the like. I took the car off the road and proceeded to tear it apart. I reduced it to a rolling shell fairly quickly. My aim was to return it to factory condition, or as close as possible, by omitting previous owner modifications, some well done others not so much. The car left Abingdon in BRG, now red when I bought it. That had to be put right. I replaced both front wings with new ones. Stripped the complete car down to bare metal and primed it myself. A professional shop did the final BRG paint work. Found a set of original seats and had them redone in leather as they should be. All said and done I have a fairly close to stock '67 B/GT and it only took me eight years working on it off and on. I still have the car and use it on cooler days. It is complemented by a '74 Harvest Gold roadster that I bought new almost 50 years ago. The B is still all original; factory paint, interior trim and soft top. Absolutely no rust anywhere. The car has been across Canada a couple of times and has covered a bit over 100,000 miles. I rebuilt the valve train a couple of times over the years and did a bottom end job two years ago as compression was down on two cylinders. As I get older I tend to use the cars less but still love them and enjoy short runs when the spirit moves me.
Thanks for your comment - great story - if you'd like me to make a viewers cars episode about it, send some high res images and the full story to hello@classicmgb.com and I'll see what I can do!
Absolutely love mine. I'd never even sat in one until I picked up a rusty 1980 roadster with the engine and gearbox under a tarpaulin! That was in 2021 and I now have a gorgeous Sebring influenced roadster hardtop that cost me about £3k
Thanks for your comment - if you'd like to send a few photos and the story, I'd be happy to feature it in a future viewers cars episode...
@@ClassicMGB sure, where do I send them?
Back in 2010 I was actually looking for a Triumph TR6 which was my first car at 17 years old in 1987. It was a white '72. I learned very quickly that they are pretty expensive and I stumbled on a white '80 model MGB roadster near me in great shape for less than half the price of a TR. I still have her and they are very addictive!
Thanks for your comment - The TR6 is a lovely car but I prefer MG myself.. glad you've come from the dark side :-)
Excellent advice Graham, from point 10 right through to point 1.
My personal list, 1) to 5), in order of from most important to least important is:
1) The condition of the body.
2) The condition of the body.
3) The condition of the body.
4) The condition of the body.
5) The condition of the car mechanically.
These cars, like all cars of the sixties and seventies are very prone to rust. The MGB's however are structurally so strong that an MGB can still be quite decent to drive, and superficially look OK (sadly, often due to some judicious body filler and fresh paint), despite serious and possibly terminal hidden rust to the sills, mudguard (fender) bottoms, (aka "doglegs"), floors and bulkheads.
Professionally competently done body repair work is very labour intensive and therefore very expensive. While this may be cost effective for a Ferrari or an Aston Martin, it often is not so for a humble MGB. Mechanical repairs are in comparison relatively cheap and straightforward.
If you are not familiar with these cars, do please get someone who is to look after any car you may be considering buying before committing.
My own MGB already had the beginnings of corrosion appearing in the "dog legs" by the time the car was just 5 years old.
Oh and incidentally, since you mention it, unlike the MGB, the MGA steering column was adjustable for length through a commonly fitted factory optional extra. It allowed the steering wheel to be moved from "too close to the chest" to "way too close to the chest"!
Thanks for your comment Tom - it was quite difficult to pick the most important things so I'm glad you think I got it right!
That’s an interesting comparison to modern cars with adjustable columns allowing the wheel to be slightly too far to reach and ludicrously too far to reach.
Always an outstanding video and presentation.
Thanks so much for your comment - always appreciated!
Great tips
Just like you I bought my MGB GT 1973 without fully inspecting but luckily it wasn't too bad and I can do restoration jobs myself
and have a garage with space for resto jobs
I haven't done much recently as it's a bit cold in the garage right now but love the car and looking forward to driving it on sunny days
Its by no means a show winner but I take pride in keeping a bit of British motoring history alive.
Thanks for your comment! Great news you're able to do the work yourself!
Thank you! This is great. I’ve wanted an MG since I was a teen, love the way they look!
Thanks for your comment - me too - I've always loved the MGB-GT since childhood and its great to actually have one!
Bought my Dad’s MGB around 4 months before he passed away. He had the car since the mid-80s but it hadn’t run in 17 or 18 years. Got the car running last summer but the whole motor let go on a road trip around a month ago. Car is back in the shop for a full engine rebuild. Safe to say I have actually spent far more at this point than the car is worth. Sentimentality is expensive.
Thanks for your comment - yes - these cars can get expensive and as you say, sentimentality costs money. If you haven't seen this, here's how much my GT has cost me so far!
th-cam.com/video/yA0bg31f8Pw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MpTLcHFw782GLrHN
I bought a 1977 MGB cheap with the engine, transmission, radiator, gas tank and seat redone but the suspension and brakes are terrible but that can be solved with some hard work and a few dollars, I want to install front disc brakes and redo the rear drum brakes unless disc brakes are available for the rear also and I rebuilt the carbs in my friends shop it has dual carbs and runs nice but needs a really good shakedown of most every component for it just sat to long without driving it daily or at least weekly, when took over from the owners garage to my friends garage it was on a slide wrecker and did not even roll off on its own power without being started it barely slid off the wrecker bed for the rear drum brakes were both locked up and freed them up by taking the rear tires off and using penetrating oil and a steel hammer to beat on the drums and turn the hubs until both sides were free and later fixed the drum brakes on the rear with an overhaul of the entire brake system both front and rear
Thanks for your comment - good luck with the work!
I've owned several MGBs I currently drive a 76 roadster..... My constant worry with any MGB is if the clutch decides to expire as this is a hugely expensive labour intensive job.. Big worry 😂
Thanks for your comment. Yes you're right - Since I've had my car, its had 2 clutches! Silly design that the clutch replacement required the engine out!
Easy to do though & while engine out have a clean up of engine bay .
I have an MG shop in Florida USA, I do clutches for less than big shops . Don't know if this is helpful to you, but I've rec. MGs from UK and Germany to service in the past
Mgbs had a special rust problem which really gets a hold and will destroy your car.Its a difficult problem to stop.enjoyed it while it was in one piece.😊😊
Thanks for your comment - yes, rust is a problem with a lot of BMC/BL cars including the MGB... modern rustproofing techniques do help...
As an owner from new of a later much modified 1966 1275 Mini, I loved the shape of the GT version MGB and would have liked to buy one then, though my BMC Mini was absolutely the worst produced car in History ever!!! Even from the corners of the front screen water came in and the window frames missed an inch to reach the body (I had to put a knee in between, and bend them!
I then bought a new 1970 BMW 2002 and haven't had a British car since then!! Finn. Denmark
Thanks for your comment - my first car was a Mini - absolutely loved it but looking at them now, they're SO small! I've had a few (modern) BMWs - great cars :-)
@@ClassicMGB My doors had the open area and a practical metal bottom box, with the MG strap for opening. It was so roomy - but the seats had a pendulum-arm for adjustment (angle only!), so the actual movement, forward and back, of the seat was the three holes in the bottom, for bolts! And don't leave anything in the boxes as it would be soaked when coming back after rain!
The idea of the Mini was absolutely Brilliant (My version was with the Moulton, "Hydrolastic", fluid suspension)!
But the actual Production was absurdly bad. The hinges had acid left from the cleaning, so paint peeled off, the distributor was open to be soaked in rain, so don't drive close to a car in front, the gearstick, with no sync in first, and hadn't any connection to to the actual gears (A shifter by the wheel would have been more logical!). The open lists in each corner gave it a front as of a Barn Door!
Finn. Denmark
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 My Mini was a 1974 clubman so a few of the problems were ironed out by then! Incidentally, Alec Mouton lived about 3 miles from me in a place called Bradford-on-Avon - he had a large country house there and his family's company was Spencer Moulton - they had a rubber factory in the town. Eventually became Avon Rubber and is now a housing development 🙂
Don’t bother.
Thanks for your comment - I guess it takes all sorts! :-)
Did you have a bad MGB experience? I feel sorry for you, I've owned a 72 GT for 22 yrs now, best car I've ever had ... far more reliable than my damn Chevrolet truck