question re: MG

[Novgrod]

"she's changing her name from kitty to karen / she's trading her MG for a white chrysler lebaron . . . "

Anyone know how available an MG is, how much it would cost, or what sort of work would be required to get it into good running shape (i.e. such that it has some power under the hood)?

TIA for any help/pointing to any resources.

 

[minendo]

MG's are not too difficult to come across. Personally I would opt for a Triumph instead of an MG. I would imagine that it wouldnt be that much to fix one up or even that much to buy one. I personally have a 1960 Triumph TR3 that my dad paid $200 for about 12 years ago. We spent many years fixing it up and it is working great. Well except for the fact that I have to replace the fuel filter.

 

[minendo]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1811071160&r=0&t=0

 

[b0mbrman]

<< MG's are not too difficult to come across. Personally I would opt for a Triumph instead of an MG. I would imagine that it wouldnt be that much to fix one up or even that much to buy one. I personally have a 1960 Triumph TR3 that my dad paid $200 for about 12 years ago. We spent many years fixing it up and it is working great. Well except for the fact that I have to replace the fuel filter. >>


When I was super-young, my dad had a Spitfire. It was the coolest car *ever* but he had to sell it when he had more and more kids

 

[Zenmervolt]

Two words: Lucas Electronics.

MGs are nice little cars, but they are British. They will require frequent maintenance. MGs also rust out badly where I am (NW Ohio). I wouldn't go very far with the power in an MG, MGs are about handling balance and it's not hard to screw up that balance with too much power. MGs are quick, but rarely fast. They're not too hard to find though.

ZV

EDIT: Just a thought, if you're looking for a little 2-seat sporty car with some uniqueness for driving down country lanes in the fall you may also want to look at a Porsche 914. It's a neat little car, mid-engined, fuel injected (though a lot have been converted to carbs), and the top pops off (like the Civic Del Sol's top). Plus it's got that VW-Porsche flat four engine that is basically bulletproof. My car (the one in the link) is a '76 so it has the later rubber bumpers. 1970-1974 914s had chrome bumpers that look a little nicer and are lighter.

 

[HappyPuppy]

I drove various flavors of MGB's for years, including one coupe.They're a lot of fun to drive, but they need constant upkeep. The side draft carbs need adjusting and oiling at least twice a month if you want to get maximum performance. The valve lash needs to be checked and adjusted at least once every other month. The clutches wear out twice a year, at least the way I drove mine, and need to be replaced.

What I'm trying to say is that if you aren't mechanically inclined, don't get one. If you don't know how to tune an engine or replace a clutch you will be spending big bucks.

BTW, changing the clutch in an MGB is no fun even for an experienced mechanic.

 

[Novgrod]

Thanks much for the help. I'll look at the triumph and come back when I have more questions