I've never owned any of the LBCs (Little British Cars), but the MGBs are classics for good reason. What kind of carbs are on there now? I know in the Jag world, SUs (or Webers for those feeling adventurous0 are considered the way to go. While an MGB will never be a powerhouse, there are plenty of hop-up parts for them and racing them was (maybe still is) popular. Electrical, yeah, it's simple but isn't going to work well. Depending on the ultimate goal I'd be inclined to buy a Painless harness and simply redo it. Or redo it from scratch like I'm doing with the Cobra.
I've heard that the reason the British never developed a significant computer hardware industry is because they couldn't figure out how to make a PC or server leak oil.
Enjoy! My first car was a 1966 MG Midget: Here getting ready to roll out on a road rally in MD: Fun car.
I had some experience with an MGA twin cam back in high school. It was a blast, when it ran. I think my friend's dad kept it so he knew where the kids would hang out. His garage. He could keep an eye on all of us. Late nights working on cars and bikes with 3.2 beer keeping us going. Good times......
My roommate bought a basket case MGB in college. He finally got the engine running and took me for a ride, it's was a little disconcerting to see the road between your feet from the rust holes in the floor pan. I think that car was just rust held together with paint.
There was the old CarTalk show and remember one caller was a woman whose son had been offered a choice of gift cars from relatives: A LandRover and a Toyota Corolla. During the ensuing discussion mostly tending toward the Toyota, they did make the observation: "If he gets the LandRover, he'll learn an important lesson: Never buy a British car."
We bought a used Fiat 124 Spyder for my first wife, now deceased, back in the 1970’s. Nice, fun car. Feels like several lifetimes ago. That’s a print from a contact sheet of 120 roll film taken with a Rolleiflex twin lens reflex. Good memories.
Did some investigation today. Checked compressions cold and they all came up 120-130psi which seems pretty good. Still getting a bit of tailpipe smoke but that might be from carbon buildup from when it was running rich- or it needs valve seals. Popped off a drum and there was a lot of greasy gunk in there. First thought was axle seals but it doesn’t smell like gear oil and the diff is full. Maybe a seeping wheel cylinder and brake dust? Front brake pads are gone which might explain the super weak braking action and long pedal travel. Either way they need done so that will be the first thing fixed. Drove it around the property a bit more… it’s quite a zippy little thing, should be a lot of fun when it’s done.
I had one the exact same color and rough year model with the rubber bumper. Was a great car to drive...a little small of course, but loads of fun. Working on it was the worst! Who puts a battery behind the seats with screws holding the cover plate in place? When smoke appears from under the dash for no reason, one needs to be able to access the battery VERY quickly. Worst wiring I have ever seen in a vehicle so your wiring issues don't surprise me. I had the stromberg carb....that was a new one on me as well. Fun car but not for a daily driver like it was for me at the time.
If it don't have chrome bumpers it just ain't acceptable in classic car circles ...It's like comparing Marilyn Monroe to Kim Kardashian...one was real one isn't..
That said, I still like the looks of the rubber bumper cars better. If I ever want to get one, I'll let all you classic car guys pay top dollar for the chrome cars. Of course, the sensible thing would be to find a nice NA Miata instead, but it's increasingly hard to find an unmolested NA.
My '77 has a battery disconnect switch on the front of the battery box, so you can reach it easily from the driver's seat. I shut it off even if I'm just running into the store for a few minutes. I replaced a lot of charred wiring when I bought the car, and I'm sure it's planning to make more.
Not starting a land war in Asia is listed as one of two major blunders to avoid in “The Princess Bride”.
Well, I figured out why it’s running rough. The good news is it seems to be stuck not bent. I got it loose by tapping it unfortunately a few more cranks of the engine and it stuck again. Even if I can get it more permanently freed up this makes me think a rebuild may be in order.
Well, you could always pull the head and simply do a head freshening up and put that on rather than a complete engine rebuild. A stuck valve isn't necessarily indicative of an issue with the bottom end. That said, hopping it up with some high compression pistons, new rings and bearings, and a hotter cam and some home head porting sounds like a lot of fun.
Right! And of course, that extra HP will fry the clutch. Once you replace the clutch, the tranny will become the weak link. And so on.... Might as well bit the bullet now and replace the entire drive train.
When I was in high school my brother bought himself a Fiat 128. It was a really great car when it worked, which wasn't often. Later my brother managed to not learn from his mistake and bought himself a Fiat X19, which worked even less. Soured me on Italian motor vehicles.
My workmate bought a FIAT 128 in 1980 and came into the shop completely overjoyed with his latest purchase. He offered to take us all for a ride so we said sure, let’s go. Strapped in and ready to go, the car wouldn’t start. No ride and had to have it towed to a mechanic. In and out of the shop a few times, he sold it 2 weeks later after the mechanic got it running (again). Caveat emptor. Learned that FIAT stands for “Fix It Again Tony”.
Friend had a 131 Brava, Fix it again Tony indeed! And the sad thing is, Tony had to swim the parts across the ocean on his back. Man did it take time to get parts for that car.
LOL! Just wait until you start racing, pal. When two cars are closely matched in HP and speed, which one can outbrake the other entering corners makes all the difference.
I had MGBs. The older style with the polished "teeth" in the grille. Great car. Got it at 49k miles and drove it to 150k. It was bog simple to diagnose and fix, and there was a lot of that. Taught me everything I know about ICEs and automotive wrenching.
I owned a string of Fiat 124 Spiders. Great cars, and not nearly as unreliable as reputed. But they did require more attention than an American car of the same era.
