- Seller: Mike G (Contact)
- Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
- Mileage: 78,000 Shown
- Chassis #: GCD1U8153G
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2.9-Liter Inline-6
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual
With the looming end of production for the Austin-Healey 3000, British Motor Company decided it needed a 6-cylinder-powered sports car to replace it. Given the high cost of developing a new model, it was decided to modify one of their existing sports cars to fit the bill. Since the MGB was a sales success, they decided to use it as the base for the 3000’s replacement. Fitting the 2.9-liter C-Series inline-six took some modifications and an updated name. The MGC would go into production in 1967 but only stuck around for 2 years. This example is a 1969 and to add to the rarity factor, it’s a GT! The previous owner started the restoration, but a major family trauma in 2016 left the project stalled. The seller purchased it and moved it to their barn, but hasn’t finished it. They’ve decided it’s time to find a new home where it can be completed, so it’s being offered here as a Barn Finds Auction!
The MGC didn’t exactly take off like BMC had hoped. The C-Series engine was considerably heavier than the four-cylinder it replaced, but the real issue was the target market. The MGB was known to be a great sports car, it was light and agile. The 3000 the C was replacing was a touring car, which was the market BMC hoped to win over. When viewed as a touring car, the MGC was great. They were comfortable, the six-cylinder offered lots of torque, and they had a top speed of 120 miles per hour. Unfortunately, early reviews maligned the car’s heavy handling, partly due to incorrect tire pressure, and compared it not to other touring cars but to its sibling. By the time BMC figured out the tire pressure issue, it was already too late and the damage was done. Fortunately, that means values aren’t quite as steep as Austin-Healey 3000s are. And since many components are shared with the MGB, parts are plentiful and affordable.
This C GT is currently a roller, but most of the heavy lifting has already been completed. The work was started by the owner of Carriage Craft of Reading, Pennsylvania. The body was prepared for a fresh coat of paint. The seller has labeled boxes with all the parts that were removed. Cosmetically, the only real difference between it and the B was the hood, so even if some parts are missing, they shouldn’t be difficult to replace.
Inside, we find a somewhat stripped-out interior. The major components, such as the dash, gauges, and seats, are still installed. It’s presumed that parts like the door panels and trim are with it but in boxes. Keeping true to its touring car status, the seats are wrapped in leather. Unfortunately, these ones are in rough shape. You might be able to have them restored, but replacement leather upholstery is available. As are carpets and any other interior items you need to make it like new again.
According to the seller, the engine has also been professionally rebuilt. It’s not in the car, which may add some challenges to shipping, but it isn’t an impossible hurdle to overcome. As you can see, there’s still some work to be done in the engine bay to have it ready for paint. The 2.9-liter inline-six is about 200 pounds heavier and a bit longer than the 1.8-liter used in the B, so fitting it required some engine bay, hood, and suspension modifications. While 145 horsepower might not sound all that impressive, the car was still reasonably light and the big inline-six produced a healthy 170 foot-pounds of torque and ran smoothly.
There’s still plenty to be done here, but it’s a solid starting point. These MGC GTs are hard to come by and are fantastic cruisers well suited to the wide-open highway. If you’d love to complete this project and embark on a grand tour, please cast your bids below. If you have any questions for the seller, leave them in the comment section, and Mike will do his best to answer them.
Bid On This Auction
Bob Logan bid $2,600.00 2025-05-08 10:59:16
Jimmy Wright bid $2,500.00 2025-05-07 12:24:08
A Nice Guy bid $2,100.00 2025-05-03 18:23:33- Jimmy Wright bid $2,000.00 2025-05-02 16:53:41
britcars bid $1,500.00 2025-05-02 13:24:36- Jimmy Wright bid $500.00 2025-05-02 10:37:33
Lots of work and money left on this one. Buy it money is going to have to be low to come out ahead. BTW, “these ones”?
I’m currently restoring a 69 BGT back to 66 looks and driver status. I love the looks of a CGT with the bulge hood and 15″ wire wheels. This project is ripe for a V8/V6 conversion as everything is out and ready to go. The original 6 cylinder was a good idea but didn’t work well. I have a Toyota 4cyl twin cam mated to a 5 speed that might work in this project. B’s and C’s are fun cars and should be rebuilt to be driven. They are not investment cars although some people think so. I’m in the northeast and would consider this project except that I am in the middle of a few projects. It always figures that way in the project market. Good ones come along when you are not looking for them and the reverse applies…. When you ARE looking for one, you usually don’t find it in your time frame!!
I too am a GT fan. Good ideas you’ve thrown out there. Certainly agree on timing finding cars. This ’60 Bugeye Sprite I’m finishing up I bought twice. First time was to build a car for Vintage racing until a ’64 square body race car showed up with all the basics l needed for a Vintage car. Sold the Sprite. Shortly after that I wrecked my primary race car, a ’60 I’d been racing for years. Couldn’t find another tub to put the wrecked car’s parts in so went back to the folks who bought it and bought it back. He just bought a pretty MGBGT and didn’t have time to work on both. Sold the square body to a friend. Went from too many to too few all in one fell swoop.
Hey Bob, we have like minds on British cars and usually comment about the same situations. I still like working on B’s (GT’s mostly) and Spridgets after all these years. I am in my early 70’s and won’t quit!
So what are we going to do if we quit? Did my first body off frame rebuild when I was 13. Have had more than 80 vehicles since then. There’s only so much grass you can cut and you can’t beat saving and driving these old cars.
After looking at all the pictures closely, this is a great (not good) starting point for putting this car back together! Much of the hard tedious work has been done. It looks good in all the right places that can be weak. I am not a purist. I like to build drivers that have upgrades over the original cars. You can tell some very subtle good points about this car, like: OE steering wheel not cracked, pillow dash pad solid, excellent engine compartment, hatch glass and moulding in good shape, solid steel in all the weak point areas, etc. This car in its life was not abused. If I had no projects going on right now, I would make the effort to acquire this starting point. I am only about 350 miles away in the northeast so delivery is not a problem.. First thing I would do is find a buyer for that OE motor and plan on what power plant I would use. Sorry to you purists but I would build an original looking driver modified for todays roads and my tastes. People who don’t know the specifics of this OE car will not know the difference. They will enjoy it anyway and so would I. It’s certainly an interesting find for the right buyer.
Here is my current project which precludes an acquisition of this project. Very similar looking condition, almost ready for paint, mechanicals just need sorting and interior is ready for install this spring………….
I bought a 69 MGC GT and a 72? B GT last year the later car has a Buick V8 conversion. Passed them on to a friend. The C GT has the overdrive, which seems like a smart choice. Wouldn’t mind having a C GT, but will stick with my B roadster for now.
Bruce
The story about the hood (bonnet in British terms) is that an MGB hood was slammed on the C engine and was used as the prototype for the C hood. Don’t know if it’s a myth or not, but that’s the story.
Steve, I don’t doubt that story for a second knowing the British mindset of trial-and-error. The little bump on the big bulge is the clue! Probably the dashpot on the front carb dimpled the metal upon the slam, thus its current shape!! Lotus Elans in the late 60’s did the same thing with their hoods (bonnets) when they went from side draft Webers to dashpot Strombergs. Early cars had flat hood and the federalized US cars had the bumped hood!!
Thanks. Yeah, I figured, “what’s one ruined bonnet if it becomes the prototype?” Cheers.
I’d love to know what’s under that premature half-painted exterior, with all the interior and mechanical work unaddressed. I think this thing’s been given a load of lipstick and it’s deceptive to suggest that the ‘heavy work’ is done while it’s not even been started.
Any pictures of anything else, like all those boxes of (hopefully) cataloged and labeled removed parts? And the engine/transmission?
I have had and repaired many MGBs. I sold my last one to Chris Bebee. Hi Chris! I think I’m over the British “habit ” now and will continue with my old Ford Rangers. All appearances show this one to be an easy “labor of love”. No matter the purchase price, the likelihood of making a profit on this car is quite remote. However, the effort and cost are well worth it when completed and the driving fun starts. Regardless if original or “improved”. (Said by a guy that has an MGB with a Ford Cologne V6 and T5 5 speed in his last and current British car!)
Since we are just a bunch of guys looking at pictures of old cars and popping off with our OPINIONS, here goes.
First of all, I’m not a purist, but I believe that some of these very low production MG’s should be kept pretty much as sent from Abingdon. Sure, it would make a much better driver with a V-8 (put an LS in it!), air conditioning, power steering, power brakes and electric windows. Why not buy a Corvette? I hear C4’s are cheap now. I believe if it’s your car, what ever you do with it is your business, and if I don’t like it I can either buy it from you and fix it the way I like it or go sit in the truck. But, there are a few cars in the half a million plus MG’s sent over in the 60’s and 70’s that are a little bit desirable, collectable, and dare I say,,, rare, and a CGT is one of them. If you don’t want the 6 cylinder engine, put your Toyota engine in a plentiful to find 71 – 74 BGT. It fits better there and you can buy the fiberglass C bonnet for a couple of hundred dollars and NOT ruin a low production rare (for an MG) car that really does deserve a real restoration. Once again, IF it was your car, I would tell you to do as you please.
But let’s not forget, we are just a bunch of guys looking at pictures of old cars on the internet and spouting off the first thing that comes to our mind.
Hey Rufus!! I like your thoughts! Someone else is going to get this car and good luck to him…. We are all different with our tastes and that is what makes this forum good! I’ve had enough of BAT and this place is a much smaller forum to exchange ideas. Maybe I will buy a fiberglass C hood and put it on my B project. I already have 15″ wires so It will have the C look that I like!
I did my engine/transmission swap because my 1978 MGB roadster was the least desirable one. (Rubber bumper car, which I changed over to chrome, raised suspension for bumper height laws, the only year not to have a front sway bar AND it had major wiring issues and I only paid $500 for the car that was sitting under pine trees for 3 years with the top down. Was not even sure it had seats in it when purchased!) The engine was badly abused and lumped it along for 8 years until it finally died. I had the V6 and Trans. left over from a other project.
@Wayne. I’ve abused a few rubber bumper B’s in the past as well. There are bunches of them around, and they are as cheap as you want. I’ve been looking for a clean 70-74 B tub for a friend, and the RB project cars are easy to find. But, this old car is worthy of being done right. IMO there are a few of the MG’s that are worthy, Mk1 GT’s, 3 main pull handle cars, rubber bumper GT’s (less than 1400 North American imports), all of the C’s. For me, these are the cars that deserve to be taken care of as examples of how they got it right.
I’ve got friends that have gone the V8 and V6 road, lots of 5 speed gearbox swaps, I’ve lowered and backdated carbs on a few RB’s (I’m an SU rebuilder and sell the whole set for folks that want to lose the single stromberg or weber) so I don’t really mind changing the cars up. Don’t get me wrong, this C is a handful. Engine rebuilt by who? Body work done how? Parts to be named later, sure. But I sold a C in worse shape a few years ago to a guy that recognized it for the Oddity/Rarity that it is and did a faithful restoration.
The National MG club used my car in their video pushing the national convention here in the Reno area a few years back. (Driving under the Reno Arch in the rain! And yes it was still running!)
I’d like to see pictures of the engine, gearbox and boxes of the included parts.
Mike,
Would get in touch with me. I’d like to see it in person as I live in Mohnton,
Thanks,
Bob
Mike,
Would get in touch with me. I’d like to see it in person as I live in Mohnton,
Thanks,
Bob
Mike,
I’d like to come see the car and learn more about the engine rebuild. I’ve done business with the old Carriage Craft. Please contact me. Thanks
Good luck Bob!
Is the owner/seller watching this auction? Mike G., is it possible to learn more about this project car? Can you post photos of the engine, gearbox and all the other parts that i hope are available with the car. According to the posting there are “…labeled boxes with all the parts that were removed.” but I see no evidence of these boxes.
I have all parts, labeled boxed and stored inside since Carrage Kraft closed it’s doors due to the death of Bill’s son. Originally I drove the MGC to Carrage Kraft, for a complete ground up restoration, until Bill’s son was murdered. The MGC is ready for paint. I have the original manual, & a host of paper work for the MGC, plus more. Hope this helps I can text additional pictues if desired