2 More MGBs....

[Revelations]

Neat little cars Firm. Good to see you utilizing your acres for a fine collection of automobiles. 

[Firm]

Moving here has been both the best thing, and the worst thing, for my car habit 

[Firm]

Couple weekends ago I got the beige one all finished up, took care of a bunch of little cosmetic things, detailed everything, and took some beauty shots. Will get it listed in the next couple weeks...Still waiting on the title to come in the mail (here in TN the DMV prints you a registration, but title is mailed from a central 'official' printer, takes about 6 weeks). One of the nicest MGBs I've had the pleasure of owning, but I don't need it, and it's much too nice to live outside like it has been now.











Today I started working on the white one for the first time...I had taken a fitting from the fuel pump to get the beige one going, so I started with replacing that, but the fuel pump itself was dead. A brand new one, still sealed in it's box, was in the trunk, so I installed that....also dead. Validated connections, all good, pulled the pump back out and bench tested...Brand new pump, total DOA. So I messed around with the original one to get it working and re-installed it, and finally got fuel flowing....except this old pump leaks.

Once I had fuel flowing I went to turn it over and got nothing but clicks...Turned out the engine was seized. Never even crossed my mind that it would be since the car only sat a couple years, and was in a nice dry garage, but it was seized up tight. Couldn't budge it either, until I went out and got a 1-5/16" socket and was able to get my 4ft breaker bar + a 2ft extension thanks to a jack handle, and with all my weight on that, I was able to free it up.

Once the engine was freed up, the car fired up immediately and idled great right away...So one point for the Weber Carb conversion I guess. Car seems to run really well. Didn't attempt to drive it yet as that old fuel pump was leaking, and coolant is very low, I didn't have the correct green stuff on hand and didn't feel like going to get any.

As I was cleaning up a neighbor, who I've only met once before, stopped in and was oggling the MGs...apparently he had one as a college kid and always wanted another. The beige one is more $$ than he's looking to spend, but he was quite interested in the white one, so it may be sold...we'll see. I did let him spin the beige one around a bit, and he took his wife for a ride in it. Dude was grinning ear to ear, so at the very least I felt good about that. 

[Gurgie]

Nice work as always!! That beige one turned out great, looks fantastic!!

For the white one with the engine seized up like that, would it have been easier to pour a little engine oil into each spark plug hole to get some lubrication around the pistons first? I know the YouTube guy from Legit Street Cars uses a crazy concoction of oil, acetone & trans fluid to get engines un-seized sometimes.

[Johnnymac]

Man that beige one certainly did turn out great.  So what are you thinking of listing it at in your area?  I wouldn't have a sweet clue what a reasonable price is for these things.

[GreatBigAbyss]

I would be so tempted by that little beige MGB.  What does a car in that condition usually go for?

Alas, I need to replace the roof on my house, and I'm also replacing all our wood siding with hardieboard at the same time, so it'll be a no-go. 

[RRocket]

Is there a better market in the US vs here for these?

[Firm]

Everytime I go to sell an MG I am always shocked by how strong the market is...For relatively obscure cars, they have a strong following. Not sure how long it'll last as the demographic is definitely old, but no shortage of 55+ year old guys looking to re-live their youth in a cheap little British roadster.

The beige one was sold at a Classic Car dealer back in 2022 for $16.8K....Which is absolute top of the market for a 'normal' MGB IMO. I'd love to get $12K for it, but something around $10K would be fine with me. Think I am going to try eBay first as I had good luck there recently with that MGA...Failing that, I might try BAT. Doubt the local market here in Memphis is great for 'upper market' MGBs...But I've been surprised before. I sold that semi-ratty blue rubber bumper car last summer locally for $6K in about a week and had no shortage of interest.

[GreatBigAbyss]

Man, the beige one really is very nice, and looks to be just about as turn-key as one could want. 

I've got a buddy with an MG Midget, and I just fell in love with the cars when he took me for a drive.

I don't think now is the time, but man, I'll have one of these at some point.