Old British sports cars don’t die, they get faster. Due to the loss of weight from rust, or something like that. Although this ’57 MGA is a little rough around the edges, miraculously this little roadster is more solid than you would expect. Recently recovered from a barn after many years on blocks, this MGA could be a worthwhile project to an MGA fan. With a few days remaining, budding has risen to $2,100 on this roadster. Take a look here on eBay out of Dade City, Florida.
Mostly there, the 1500 B series engine has been dormant for what seems to be quite a while. Owned by the same family since the 1960’s this MG looks to have been parked since the 60’s. The condition of the drive-train is unknown, and has not been touched. The bottom of the battery tray is missing, and the blower motor, along with the air filters are missing from this MG.
Lacking all of its upholstery, this MGA reveals that it has reasonably solid floors. The dash is well weathered, but still sports its original gauges, and a neat old Motorola radio. Suffering a few small chips and breaks, the banjo steering wheel would need attention. The top frame is included with the car, but like the interior there is no upholstery for the top either.
Heavily weathered this MGA is also well peppered with pitting. Surprisingly the rot is confined to two smaller areas, both of which are in front of the rear wheel arches. There is also a small amount of rot on the under body near these areas. The remainder of the under body appears solid and worthwhile. MGA’s with worse under body rot have been revived, so I don’t see why someone wouldn’t want to put some work into this one. The only other significant body damage resides on the passenger front side of the upper fender and hood area in the form of a couple of dents. All in all this is a reasonable start to a classic iconic British roadster. Would you revive this MGA?
Looking at the right side interior gives good reason to maybe consider this a salt water flood car…. or at least that the barn didn’t have a roof.
It look scarry down under. There is for shure more rust, than these two places, in front of rear wheel.
Pretty “rough” looking considering it’s been stored for “5 decades”. The interior is nothing but a shell, and barely that.
Looks like rot on the drivers side at the wing (fender) bead. Tub and wing both, nasty!
Yep its surface rust until you blow thru it with blasting or a sander. Good info on the possibility that its a flood car. Better check the underbelly. good luck to the new owner!!
Cheers
GPC
Didn’t these cars come with wooden floors? If that’s the case, you won’t have to weld in any new pieces, except with the natural porosity of wood trapping all that salt water along the chassis, sills and rockers. Still better than some I’ve seen. Doubt it hasn’t been touched in 50 years though.
what is all this about flood cars, cars don’t rust from getting very wet once, they rust from getting damp for a very long time, ok salt water flooding is different but again it takes long term damp to get the salt to cause rust,modern flood cars smell due to damp trim, electrics fail, computers corrode, electric motors corrode, it looks like a very old MGA that has been badly stored in a leaky barn with a dirt floor, you need to check the F section inside the rockers and A/B posts, looks like this has had new rockers to me but is there anything inside?
ok, took a look at the ebay listing, you don’t get rust pitting that deep everywhere in a barn, especially the dash, this has been sitting outside for 20 or more years, had new rockers badly fitted 25 years ago, will need a total restoration, heater is missing and the heater hole in the bulkhead has been cut larger? aircon? well worth restoring if it stays cheap but a major job.
Wow, yeah the Motorola is pretty cool looking but how do you know what frequency the radio station is on? No dial. I had the same manual tune radio in an old Corvair with no pushbuttons but at least I could see a station frequency. Looks like a lot of salty air has blown over this once-proud metallic blue roadster. If the rockers were replaced, they are toast all over again now in 2019!
The barn called. It wants its car back.