# Any MGB Owners here?



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

My wife and I had been thinking about buying a classic British convertible for the last 3-4 years but the time was never right: kids still with us, several house moves, change of career for my wife etc etc. At one point about 8 years ago, I had set my heart on a 1930s 3-wheel Morgan and we got as far as joining the club, buying the book etc and finding the money...but when it came to sitting in one...disaster, either I'm too big or the seat / cabin is too small, so back to square one.

My recent "spill" in June on my Ariel Red Hunter and the resultant broken thumb on my right hand has finally galvanised us into action ("two wheels bad, four wheels good"). Plus, since moving to Dorset, I've met a fellow Ariel owner who also has an MGB. So he and I have been looking at MGBs for the past 8 weeks and I finally pulled the trigger on one up in Rugby last week...and it was delivered Tuesday this week:










Bought from a dealer, so came with new MOT and (free) Tax...and insurance already arranged. So off the trailer and off to the pub about 10 miles away....

And it broke down! Didn't have any tools with me, and pub only had a screwdriver. After 40 mins, got it started and limped home. No idea what the problem is at this stage but suspect fuel rather than ignition. Oh the joy of motoring! My MGB mate is away on holiday...great timing!

BTW this is a 1973 MGB Roadster with overdrive etc....last year of the chrome bumpers.


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Love that colour  I've always like the notion of a classic car, but it is such break down stories that drive me away. Screw driver or a fully equipped garage, I still wouldn't know a spark plug from the oil filter :laugh:

There is something so cool about external luggage racks!


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## Pip (Jul 19, 2016)

You may want to get that number plate looked at, I think it may be non-compliant! :laugh:

Love a chrome bumper - my cousin bought one a few months back which I've been out in a few times, so much more alive (and smaller) than a modern car. And then talking to an old school friend who had one about 30 years ago I discovered that he still has it in his garage where it has sat for about two decades!


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

I quite like the look of that  I happen to have a tonneau cover for one of these sitting in my office. It belongs to a friend (who hasn't had an MGB for over 20 years) & I said I'd ask if a chap at work who had an MGB (note past tense) was interested in buy it. He's since sold the car so has no need of one now. Happy to send photos by PM if it's the sort of thing that may be of interest to you??

As for the breakdown start with the basics: is fuel getting to the carb(s) & is a spark getting to the spark plugs? No idea beyond that but considering you got it running again probably shows that it's nothing too serious or terminal. You could always take it back to the dealer & ask them to sort it for you.....


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## andyclient (Aug 1, 2009)

I believe mgb's use an electric fuel pump which can be temperamental as the contact points in the solenoid become dirty over time and they stick.

You can here them ticking when you turn the ignition on , they are located in the top end of the pump opposite end of the fuel lines.

We used to get called out on break downs and a gentle tap on the end usually had the contacts spark into life again.

I ran one on a racing 1300 mini i had and quite often had to resort to this repair method


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

andyclient said:


> I believe mgb's use an electric fuel pump which can be temperamental as the contact points in the solenoid become dirty over time and they stick.
> 
> You can here them ticking when you turn the ignition on , they are located in the top end of the pump opposite end of the fuel lines.
> 
> ...


 I used to have a Mini Van. Always carried a hammer with me...solely for getting under the rear axe and tapping that bl**dy pump. And I was usually on the hard shoulder of the A1 between Hull and London.

The pump on this MGB is new and there is a good flow of petrol at the SU carbs....but the new in-line plastic filter does have an awful lot of air in it, so I might address that.


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## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

British classic cars are so beautiful and interesting. You should be happy that a car is much easier to repair (in my opinion) than a watch. Even if you don't find the parts you can make them or 3D print them... With watches, it's a lot more complicated...


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## handlehall (Aug 7, 2009)

I've got all the books i.e haynes and the restoration guides, I'll never get another one now so if you want them ( and I can find them) they're yours. They have been used and kept in a garage though so not pristine.

Get used to the breaking down thing :teethsmile:

looks lovely though!


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## andyclient (Aug 1, 2009)

Silver Hawk said:


> I used to have a Mini Van. Always carried a hammer with me...solely for getting under the rear axe and tapping that bl**dy pump. And I was usually on the hard shoulder of the A1 between Hull and London.
> 
> The pump on this MGB is new and there is a good flow of petrol at the SU carbs....but the new in-line plastic filter does have an awful lot of air in it, so I might address that.


 Needles in the Su's sticking maybe ? another problem fixed with a gentle tap from the handle of a hammer :thumbsup:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

gimli said:


> British classic cars are so beautiful and interesting. You should be happy that a car is much easier to repair (in my opinion) than a watch. Even if you don't find the parts you can make them or 3D print them... With watches, it's a lot more complicated...


 A 3D printed piston might be quite interesting :laugh:


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## marley (Dec 22, 2012)

Not got one.................But always wanted one!

At my local garage, the panel beater/sprayer has been "doing one up"! for quite a while now (not a convertible though!) .

I always "joked"! with him...that I would have it off him when or if he wanted to sell it.............Ive not been there for a good few months now........The swine! he had only gone and sold it!! Though saying that....he hadnt picked it up yet! Maybe one day!

I hope to retire in 3 or 4 years..........I was always going to "treat"! myself to probably a Rolex of some kind..............But....the way they are rising in price....Probably make more sense to get an M.G.B. AND!! maybe a Speedy!!

Enjoy driving it............im sure it will give you years of fun motoring......

when you fix the bloody thing that is!! lol!!!

Should be relatively easy to repair anyway!! Cars nowadays have too many electronics and too complicated!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Nice

Many years ago my mate and I drove one around Scotland in his and it never missed a beat.



So forget tools it's towels you need, it didn't so much leak like a sieve more like a collander. At some points it was actually dryer outside than in it. My abiding memory of it was turning up at various pubs or nights out with very wet trousers.

:laugh: :laugh:


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## PC-Magician (Apr 29, 2013)

I have a Haynes manual if you want one F.O.C


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## PC-Magician (Apr 29, 2013)

I had plans to get one then Watches got in the way, would have been cheaper to get the MG.

If fettled correctly they are reliable talking MG's not Watches.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

PC-Magician said:


> I had plans to get one then Watches got in the way, would have been cheaper to get the MG.
> 
> If fettled correctly they are reliable talking MG's not Watches.


 Gone off your Accutrons Jon? Noticed you selling a few recently...


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## PC-Magician (Apr 29, 2013)

Silver Hawk said:


> Gone off your Accutrons Jon? Noticed you selling a few recently...


 No Paul still love my Accutrons but those two need to see the light of day, no interest sadly.

Last one you did for me is a keeper you looked after me rather well with that one so it stays with me for good.

Haynes manual if you want it no catch completely free, and how is the hand?


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Very nice, Paul! :thumbsup: ....looks immaculate......Here's 'yours truly' sat on the back of my friends MGB Roadster way back in 1973...I was 19! We'd just been to the 'Cars and Car Conversions' (a very popular car mag in the '70s) show at Earls Court in London, where I'd just bought that jacket. I had a Triumph TR6 at the time, and after that, a beautiful MG Midget in BRG with knock on wire wheels, but sadly no pics of that survive. That's his mum's Ford Capri in the garage! OMG...the hair....I bet I thought I looked really cool! :laughing2dw:


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## Pip (Jul 19, 2016)

Roger the Dodger said:


> OMG...the hair....I bet I thought I looked really cool! :laughing2dw:


That's called Old School Cool that is!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Silver Hawk said:


>


 Actually...never mind the car......who's the gorgeous young lady in the foreground?....Ding Dong! :wub:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Roger the Dodger said:


> Actually...never mind the car......who's the gorgeous young lady in the foreground?....Ding Dong! :wub:


 You've made my wife's day @Roger the Dodger :laugh:


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Good old school technology. I had one of the same vintage. Unfortunately it was not suited to the Scottish winter climate and road salt. Best thing I did with mine was fit a Datsun fuel pump so no more problems with that horrible SU. Never had any real problems with it apart from the rust bug, and hours of fabricating and welding in new panels. Still prefer to have the Red Hunter though.


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Silver Hawk said:


> You've made my wife's day @Roger the Dodger :laugh:


 Whoa...didn't mean to tread on anyones toes, Paul.....but you are one lucky chap! :notworthy:


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## Nobbythesheep (Apr 23, 2016)

Silver Hawk said:


> My wife and I had been thinking about buying a classic British convertible for the last 3-4 years but the time was never right: kids still with us, several house moves, change of career for my wife etc etc. At one point about 8 years ago, I had set my heart on a 1930s 3-wheel Morgan and we got as far as joining the club, buying the book etc and finding the money...but when it came to sitting in one...disaster, either I'm too big or the seat / cabin is too small, so back to square one.
> 
> My recent "spill" in June on my Ariel Red Hunter and the resultant broken thumb on my right hand has finally galvanised us into action ("two wheels bad, four wheels good"). Plus, since moving to Dorset, I've met a fellow Ariel owner who also has an MGB. So he and I have been looking at MGBs for the past 8 weeks and I finally pulled the trigger on one up in Rugby last week...and it was delivered Tuesday this week:
> 
> ...


 I've had several MGB's over the years. Enjoyed them all, to varying degrees.

First of all congratulations - she looks lovely, and also well done for buying the chrome bumper - one of my cars was a rubber bumper BGT and apart from the spoiled looks the ride was not as good. Something to do with different suspension set-up and the car being slightly raised.

Mechanical problems tend to be few and far between with the B and Midget. The parts are all standard, and well-tested. I would be looking at fuel-pump electrical connections if I were you, and of course it's possible you have a faulty pump. Your little plastic fuel-filter should be mostly full. Rot was always the problem with these cars, but presumably that's all been taken car of since you bought from a dealer. Oh, and stick one of those maintenance-free high-amp glass mat batteries in. You probably used one on the bike. They are great! Once fettled you shouldn't have to spend much on maintaining the B.

You've bought at the right time of year since you have the cold and wet months to do your troubleshooting before next Spring.

I had exactly the same problem with my three-wheeler, and broke down a few times last Autumn. We ended up changing coils, plug leads, the fuel pump, battery, stripping the carbs and refurbishing them, fitting a new electronic ignition system, and having a professional wheel balance, - this year since June has been trouble-free and the Triking has been a joy to drive.

ps - you evidently didn't miss anything with the pre-war Morgan. Lovely - for someone else to own.


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## Nobbythesheep (Apr 23, 2016)

The Triking - empty roads, great weather, and no roof, reverse or radio! :yes:


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## greasemonk (Oct 4, 2012)

back when i was a lad in the seventies my elder brother had a 1967 MGB GT. it was that shagged my 1970 mk3 spitfire could outrun it which really pissed him off :laugh: .yours looks really nice Paul .i have worked on a few over the years over the years and converting to electronic ignition is a boon to these cars.hope you get some good runs in before the winter gets here.i have a FHC TR8 [TR7 V8].which i built in the early 1990's.the trouble now is i dont have so much testosterone flowing through my veins as i did then and the highly tuned rover V8 i fitted to it has so much power it frightens me sh*tless but i still cant bring myself to part with it.happy motoring and i agree with a previous poster,thats one good looking woman you have got there..........


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

I agree with greasemonk regarding the electronic ignition. Points may be OK for a "purist" but they needed constant fettling to keep them on song. You'll also need a set of vacuum gauges to keep the carbs balanced:-



and a timing light .......................

No time left for watches!

Enjoy :notworthy:

Mike


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Looks great Paul, well done, hope you get it sorted soon to enjoy whats left of the weather.


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## craig12 (May 9, 2016)

I have had 2 mgb gts a chrome bumper 1972 and a rubber bumper 1975 citreon yellow , ive also owned 2 gilbern invaders and a orion 1600e


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## Barry Mclean (Nov 3, 2016)

I have had quite a few MGB's both GT and roadsters liked them all. I used to restore them as a hobby the common faults I found were a clonking diff and a none working overdrive. The diff is fixable insitu if you are lucky by changing the thrust washers I never managed to fix the overdrive unless it was an electrical fault from the engine side. Rot was a major problem I replaced many pairs of sills which is doable if you can weld yourself otherwise they are expensive to replace. All parts are available either new or second hand.


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## Noslho (Nov 13, 2016)

I have a 1972 MGB GT which also requires a bit of, ahem, fettling and fine tuning as can be seen below.....










If fuel pump and pipes are found to be ok, then poor running could be due to dirt in the float chambers of the carbs or old petrol gumming up the needles. MGs are well supported by Moss (the ones that do not do suits!) and other suppliers so you will have no problem with parts or finding help/advice on the internet. Whilst i finish the final polishing of my MG, I have this as my other set of wheels...










Hope you enjoy your classic drive as much as i do mine.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

I did sort out all the problems back in September....mainly by buying an SU carb service kit and spending several hours checking them out on the bench and the same number of hours balancing them on the car. No more hot starting problems....just lots of fun:

At the Haynes International Motor Museum at beginning of December for their monthly Breakfast Club:










At just a few days ago, Christmas Day spin with my son's girlfriend:










Plus I'm registered for the Sturminster Newton New Year's Day Classic Car Run tomorrow....but weather forecast is sh*te, so might have to give that a miss.


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