MG Sports Cars

Hi guys

I have seen this ad for a long time and now I consider if I should take action on it.

[m.carandclassic.co.uk]

What do you think of the car and the price tag?

I'm not going to use it as a race car, just as a fun road racer.

Appreciate all feedback. Thanks in avancere.

BR
Nicolai

A lot of thought and effort and time and money has been expended.
But to what purpose? A track-day car that can be driven on the road?

I think you have to go and look. It's a matter of taste, how it feels.
And of course a matter of your eyeball assessment, how well it has been done.

Whether the suspension is too hard for your taste, whether the engine is too cammy and idles roughly, whether the interior is comfortable and will be comfortable after a hundred miles, whether the non-standard exhaust has a 'boom' period, whether there is road noise bump thump, driveline vibration, what has happened to the luggage space, how is the panel fit, how was the rust treated when the car was built - there is always rust - who will have the ability and knowledge to maintain it given that it is now non-standard,
.
And whether you (and perhaps someone else) will still want to drive it after the novelty has worn off. Ahh, that is the question.
It's idiosyncratic, a bespoke car.

You only live once.
Go and see whether it fits.

Let us know.

Ivor

Hi Ivor

Thanks for your reply.

I already own a four cylinder MGB GT with a some race trim in engine and suspensions, so I know a bit about it although I don't have a lot of mechanical insight and I have only owned it for a year. Sorry for not sharing that in my first post.

The main questions from me to you and others are:

How is the demand for factory V8's versus converted V8's and especially when it's a factory V8 with mods. It's a RHD, so has the brites started to import these rare cars back or how is the temperature on the market atm?

What is the weaknesses of a car like this - what should I pay special attention to? Eg. is the transmission strong enough for the modified power?

BR
Nicolai

I don't really follow the MGB. I had an MGC in the 70s, wrecked it in a head-on.

Are we importing cars? I'd say not. Unlike the E Type for instance, demand does not exceed supply. A quick eBay search shows 178 MGB of which one is a California import, and on Car&Classsic there are 356 of which one - the same car - is an import.

As to the car's weaknesses, the engine is making no more power than the later SD1 unit, so the gearbox should be OK. The Quaife diff would be OK, not sure about the half-shafts. depends how much abuse it gets.
In other respects it has the same weaknesses as the standard car, mainly that they rust.

My detached perception is that factory original cars will make decent money, but once they are modified the market shrinks. And the saleability and price likewise. On this car, the fibreglass wings are unhelpful to the value.

Look at this non-original example.
[www.ebay.co.uk]
Make allowances for the illiterate ad, and the rubber bumper shell, it can't raise a bid at £8,995.

So if you are concerned about one day getting your money back, I'd say let it go.

Ivor

"What do you think of the car..."

I think it looks like a LOT of fun. Frankly, most "factory" anythings are pretty boring because once you've seen one you've seen them all. This example is unique. And, since it's already extensively modified, you can make whatever future changes you like without guilt or regret.

I love having a roll cage in my GT! The cage in this here GT is nice. OTOH, its shoulder harnesses are mounted too low. Google "shoulder harness mounting height" to learn why. I'd strongly recommend improving your new GT by welding in a horizontal tube between the existing roll cage tubes (like this: [www.britishv8.org]). Then, attach your harnesses to it.

Hi Curtis and others

I agree - it looks like a lot of fun and it is a lot of fun. I went there saturday and it was a great experience to drive it. It sounds like a real V8 race car and not like a lazy american noisy V8 car and it's rather quick as well.

If I buy it, then I would go a bit into the visual and make it a bit like an urban outlaw style racer (Magnus Walker - Porsche 911.

One thing is the gear shift position - it's very close to the steering wheel. Is it possible to slide the gear shift a bit to the left? It sounds weird, but I know it's an option on some classic Alfa Romeo's.

Yes, but Nicolai, that IS an American V8.
Which only goes to show that you can make "a lazy american noisy V8" sound like a tiny frenzied european raspy 4 cylinder easily enough if you know what you are doing.

Jim

Quote:

Is it possible to slide the gear shift a bit to the left?

"Heating with an acetylene torch and bending " is the usual method of re-indexing a shift lever. Best done removed from car!

Heating and bending the gear shift might be an option if there is no mechanical way to do it. Else I might need to remove the steering wheel every time I get in or out of the car. It's tight in my normal LHD MGB GT, but this RHD seems even more tight.

Or fit a smaller wheel?

The wheel is already what I would call small as you can see on the picture, but yes, a even smaller is maybe an option.

Shorten the shifter.

They dimpled the roll cage tubing for clearance for the window handle?!

Jims suggestion is spot on...take 2/3 inches off the top of the shifter and rethread....it would certainly look better and probably be more functional too...

They dimpled the roll cage tubing for clearance for the window handle?!

Attention to detail.
After all, if the car turns over one might need to open the window to get out.

Yes, that wheel is quite small. My TR6 had a shortened shifter. It was heavy when the box was cold, otherwise it was good.
That too was shortened for an ignoble purpose, namely that PO couldn't get his CDs into the in-dash CD player.

Ivor