Although this summer has seen a lot of record-breaking temperatures, we are about to run into the best time of year to get out on the roads and enjoy the cool autumn breeze. This is the best time of year for convertibles, and also one of the best times of the year to buy convertibles before the prices rise again in spring in anticipation of summer. One such convertible, in terms of simple maintenance and build, is the classic MGB which can be picked up from close to Charlotte, South Carolina for the sum of $7,100. If you are interested it’s on Craigslist here, and a big thanks to Chuck Foster for this tip!
Unfortunately, the seller does not furnish us with much information – but that’s okay for an MGB as you know what you are getting into. What we do know is that this roadster has just 67,000 miles on it, it’s red, and it’s a manual. Also, we know that it drives on a 28-mile commute every day which is exactly what these MGBs need – constant use. As the worst thing you can do is leave them sitting. We will have to base our assessment on the pictures – and from first glance, it looks like a well-maintained daily driver. There’s no mention of rust, but parts are easy to come by if you need to replace anything.
Our interior is coated in black and looks clean with no rips or tears. The convertible roof cover looks in good condition, so we should assume the roof is in a similar shape. The red paintwork is a little dull, but not to the detriment of the rest of the car – this could easily be waxed and polished to a brighter shine if you needed. The chome work looks good too and without dents or dings.
There is something to be said for a simple classic driver, which isn’t a complex project, can be used regularly and there are plenty of spares available. Sometimes I am over-ambitious in taking on project cars without realizing the complexity of restoring them (looking at you classic Italian sports car project) and something which you can regularly use on a daily basis. Whilst it’s not the most exciting of cars – having something useable, without a roof that you can blast around country roads instead of having it laid up in your garage is certainly tempting.
Had a ’66 daily driver in the ’70s gas crisis era. More fun going to work in it than the Blazer and the gas mileage was twice as good.
One year off from the coveted steel-dash models. That has to make the ’68 a more affordable buy … and you get head-rests and a padded dash. I don’t know if there was a big mechanical change in this year that may have affected performance compared to the ’67 though.
They started ramping up the smog gear in ’68 which eventually lead to the pumps, lower compression, etc. Know some folks who think like you and I who changed out their dash panels to the earlier units. Loved the dashes in our ’66 B and ’67 Midget.
Spent a lot of time and money getting rid of that padded dash and modified a steel dash to fit my 69 MGC. Something I wouldn’t repeat at my age.
If this ’68 MGB Roadster is indeed rust free as the Seller states, it seems like a bargain to me.
Having owned a variety of MGs over the years, the first thing I’d check is the condition of the wire wheel splines unless you’re cool with having one of the tires heading down the road without you.
Mini-lites solve that problem. Another coveted addition is overdrive. These cars are outdated without it for any highway ventures. They are also woefully outdated for safety concerns.
No old cars are “safe” when it comes to modern crash standards. There is a video of a huge 1959 GM (memory says a Cadillac, but I could be mistaken) being hit head on – front left corner to front left corner with a 2008 Cavailier. All the dummies in the big car “died” because the Cavalier came to a stop in the back seat of the larger car.
I was and at the same time wasn’t surprised by the results.
I often get the “aren’t you afraid” comment when I drive my Midget.
The same people who question the intelligence of my daily driving a Midget swoon over the neighbour’s Harley and ride around on the same county road in Polaris side by sides.
Given that we share our road with huge farm implements the emphasis should be on collision avoidance.
This is a deal for a MGB that runs good, is complete, and has that kind of mileage. These are nice daily drivers if you keep your eye on things. I’ve had a early 63 that was a reliable go to school car, and a 65 that was more a weekend back road lane carver. I liked driving both. Most cars have long had smog pumps removed and have more than adequate power for a small roadster.
Is it Metric or Whitworth ?
Whitworth. English cars of that era were never Metric (to my knowledge).
American–last Whitworth was about 57 Metrics later
My 51 TD Mkll had Whitworth. I was totally inexperienced when I took on that first project and was constantly frustrated that none of my tools fit.
Gave up on our ’53 and bought a Whitworth set of tools. My “adjustable Metric” wrench got lots of use on that car.
Whitworth was the first attempt to standardise fasteners. They measured the thread rather than the head. The company had been tasked with providing a lot of steambengines for gun boats involved in the bombardment of Russian forts in the Baltic during the Crimean War.
Producing hulls was no problem, but these new fangled steam ship engines were not particularly reliable. So a dozen or so shops were contracted to build engines, but for the first time all the fasteners had to be of one consistent measure rather than made in house so that when the engines required repair in the field they could be repaired without having to tow them back to Britain.
There is a more detailed account on Wikipedia.
Why would you take pictures in a dark garage, trying to hid something?
I am not exactly small and daily drive a Midget 40 miles round trip from April till November.
Occasionally weather dictates taking in the minivan.
It is so true: these cars want to run and operate better the more you flog them.
My ratty little 1500 probably could due with a detailed rebuild but I am holding off till I have a replacement.
An MG in the seasons that are not winter is about as close to happy as a person can get.
No doubt the MX 5 is much the same.
Funny, I see the comments about Whitworth tools. I was in England a few months ago and visited the Whitworth Institute in Derbyshire. Joseph Whitworth was an inventor and enterprising figure around the 1850-80 period. He came up with the idea of what later was called “mass production”. A guy named Henry Ford visited him and took this idea back to the USA and later mass produced the Ford Model A! Google, Joseph Whitworth for more information.
I bought an MGB new in 1966 (regrettably I traded in my 1960 Healey 3000 BN7, which became very valuable decades later). I used the MG year-round in northern OH and ran the “B” in a lot of gymkhanas for 3 years. I later got my my regional SCCA license using it. It was a dependable and easy car to maintain. Rocker panel and fender rust are areas of weakness, so be sure you look at those areas.
Wait a dang minute. A daily driver and the convertible top and the frame are stuffed in the trunk.
That style of frame is not permanently fixed to the car. It’s meant to be removed and stashed in the boot.
Charlotte is in North Carolina not South Carolina
Charleston is in South Carolina
Just to clarify, Charlotte is in North Carolina (not South Carolina like the description says). York is in SC and is, indeed, close to Charlotte.
Looks like a good buy, no matter where it is!