Classics: Late Model MGBs in Blue. Louis Shalako.

(For illustration only. This is not from any current Kijiji ad.)

 

Louis Shalako

In a previous post, I spoke about a vehicle that is available within a few blocks of my home in the Sarnia central city area. It's not running, and it needs a fuel tank.

I'm not too interested in a vehicle if I cannot hear it run, for example, (red 1973 MGB locally, $5,000 asking price), but parts are available. There is a fuel level sending unit, there is an electric fuel pump, there is a hardware kit, which begs the question of rust...what if the bottom of the vehicle is really rotten? What if you break off bolts when removing the tank, or if they come out nice and clean, why not just re-use the bolts that were there in the first place. If the fuel tank is still in this vehicle, then the sending unit would also be there…it might not work, in which case, you put fuel in it and the gauge reads zero. Still, at this point, the vehicle should run—and if you can get it started, look for blue smoke and listen for rattles and knocks from the engine.

We are assuming the engine has run at some point in the last few years—hopefully. Many experts advise not starting such an engine, and simply pulling it out and sending it off to professionals for assessment and hopefully a rebuild. Finding a fairly fresh, used engine, is somewhat of a remote possibility. Other than that, try not to spend too much.

The question here, on my budget, is risk. 

There are better gambles out there.

You can find out all kinds of things with a quick internet search. Here is the fuel pump location, for example.

Here’s a Youtube video that takes us through a step-by-step description of the necessary parts, and then the installation, of the MGB fuel tank. (Maggie’s Makeover)

In a previous video, the gentleman talks about a rebuild of the engine, transmission, and an overdrive unit. He also does cost breakdowns for both the fuel tank and the rebuilds. The figures are accurate enough, bearing in mind U.S. dollars, (I live in Canada), the fact the video was produced some appreciable time ago, and also, the fact that he may have used a different supplier—I do a quick check, but some entries are fairly exhaustive in the sense there are a lot of suppliers, and that’s a good thing in terms of competition for your, and my, dollars.

This is one of two available late-models in medium blue...it presents well in pics. 

It is also true that prices vary by quite a margin.

The next video is about the rebuild of the MGB four-speed manual transmission. Getting it apart is half the battle, in a video I watched some time ago…the average owner will probably not attempt to do this work on their own.

Anyhow.

***

Back to Maggie’s Makeover for an engine and transmission rebuild. I don’t anticipate purchasing a vehicle with the electric overdrive, that’s one point. He spent an extra $1,000.00 U.S. to gain an estimated 30 % horsepower. He spent something like $7,500.00 U.S. on that engine and transmission. So much better, if we simply didn't have to do that.

Some of that comes down to our attitudes. This is not a muscle car and why treat it like it should be one...??? I do not have an automotive shop, I don't have an engineering firm. I do not get any write-offs on my income taxes for this one. It is not a promotional cost...

Other videos I have found discuss the earlier 3-synchromesh gearboxes, common to the MGA as well. Also, we might learn just how to take the thing apart and pull the guts out of it, and the techniques may feature a certain commonality. Assuming you have a spare gearbox, and time on your hands, it’s hard to say if you would save any money by full or partial disassembly, (and then turning over a bunch of parts in a box to the rebuilder), or whether it’s worthwhile to rebuild it at all. If you can take it apart, you should be able to put it back together. You'll need oil seals, but the videos are pretty clear. You need tools and a place to work, which I do not have. 

The gearboxes are pretty robust to begin with, and the average driver shouldn’t have too many problems with it, assuming it’s in good shape to begin with.

This is like a really severe update, added in two or three days later, but this 1963 Florida car is listed at $39,000.00 Canadian dollars on Kijiji. It's a creamy white colour with a red interior.

I hate to go out on a limb, here, but that car is just effing gorgeous.

(This just goes to show how dumb Louis actually is, but the colour is 'pearl'. - ed)

This MGB Historic Racer claims 155 bhp and seems like a lot of fun to drive.

We are still watching the Kijiji ads for MGBs. Today there were 36 ads. There are two late-model vehicles, both in a sort of medium blue. They do have the detuned and pollution-controlled engine. Yet they are nice looking, whole and complete, and seem to be driveable.

Many of these ads have been up for about a month, and I have to admit to being a bit of a bug on this subject lately…

As stated in a previous post, there are issues of logistics. How in the hell do I get a car from Ottawa or Oshawa, back to Sarnia. To pay someone to pull that onto a flatbed and bring it here, that's an easy thousand bucks in my quick and dirty estimation. Then there is the question of where in the hell do I park it, how much does it cost to insure, when do I get to actually drive it anywhere, and all of that sort of thing

At this point, the whole thing remains in the realm of fantasy.

It’s a nice colour, though…these are both in the $8,500.00 range.

The ad caught my eye, and it's in fucking Ottawa...

 

END

Buying Low-Budget British Sports Cars.

Classics: Buying MGB (or other) Sports Cars.

Classics: Buying an MGB, Part Two.

Classics: On Buying an MGB. Part One.

Using High-Ethanol Fuels. (Driving)

 

Louis Shalako has books and stories available fromGoogle Play in ebook and audiobook format.

 

See his works on ArtPal.

Illustration purposes only.

Thank you for reading.