Often, when one finds an old car that is in deleterious condition, its surroundings will match said vehicle’s state. In the case of this 1956 MG “A”, its surroundings look more like a typical suburban garage and not the typical “barn find” venue. The seller states that he’s owned this “A” for twenty years and adds, “I had planned to restore this car, but I have more projects than time.” OK, let’s see what’s up with this car that he suggests is “a great candidate for restoration.” Colorado Springs, Colorado is its locale, and it’s available here on eBay for a BIN price of $4,950. There’s a make-an-offer option, too.
The MGA roadster, introduced in ’55 as a ’56 model, continued in production through ’62. The seller claims that his car was the 812th assembled and is a matching-numbers example, though I doubt the early production date adds any value. The seller continues, “There is some rust in the rocker panels and other areas, as you would expect for a car that is almost 70 years old, but the car is complete. There is some older repair work from a minor collision on the nose.” Yes, it’s pretty banged up. I imagine the body would need to be blasted, but then I’d worry about what, if anything, is underneath. The missing front bumper is in Indiana.
The seller states that he thinks the 68 HP, 1.5-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine may be seized, specifically, “I am assuming that the engine does not turn over by hand due to its age.” Maybe, and maybe not. I would at least try to inject a little Marvel Mystery Oil, or something similar, into the cylinder bores and then try to turn it over, by hand, with a wrench or breaker bar. The powerplant looks complete, but I admit that’s not much of an assessment. A four-speed manual gearbox was the only game in town for this MGA.
The interior is really rough. That said, at least the seat frames are still there and can probably be used as the basis for building new seats. There appear to be no vacancies in the instrument panel; all of the switch gear and instruments are present, but their functionality is unknown. I’d run with the assumption that this MGA has been sitting a long-long time in top-down mode – never beneficial for the interior. The folding top is in place, but the seller states that he’s uncertain of its condition but believes the frame is OK.
The listing mentions that the seller has owned this MG for twenty years, but he seems unknowledgeable of several things, including the engine’s functional capability, the top’s condition, the mileage, and the location of the title – that all seems odd to me. These are neat cars, probably considered iconic to MG fans but if I were in the market, I think I’d keep looking; how about you?
Always appreciated these, especially the twin cam. Be that as it is, kinda doubt that anyone drove this any time recently considering the condition it’s in now, so the “..planned to restore it..” is a little hard to swallow-although they may have decided to start restoring it and saw what it was going to cost them.
As my friend used to always say, “nothing to see here-move along..”
Cars like this, even to the trained eye, need to be looked at closely. Photos can be deceptive either way, good or bad. This one looks really bad due to the level of dirt and dust, however it may be better than it looks! ( Maybe not, also). My experience with older MG’s and British iron is that rust (in the wrong places) is the primary viewing point. Mechanicals can be much easier! One thing about these pictures I can tell you on my view… this is no $4950 vehicle! Take off the 4 in the price and there may be some interest. Everyone today, with these vehicles, thinks they have gold!!!!
I agree. I’m looking for a do-it-myself project, probably my last (I’m old). This car interests me, but not for $4500.
presently restoring a 58 MGA coupe. Car was stored for 40 years and surprisinglysurvived with little ruston frame and body. I gave $9800 for the carand have already invested $5K+ on mechanicals. Recent paint estimates exceed 7K. Sooo expect to invest 12K + to get am MGA presentable and readable. The presented car will need much more because of the body rust and inevitable frame deterioration. Im gonna have an easy $21000 in my car and I didnt have to remove the body because of its solid condition. This car even has the original plywood flooring that is like new. I’m the second owner
I think this is a great candidate for someone wanting to “learn while doing”. It’s all there, providing basis for how it was built and how to rebuild it. Doesn’t pencil out if you hire the work, but simple enough to enjoy doing all phases in home garage workshop.
I bought and did a similar home restoration of a Jaguar XK120 that should never have been saved. Horrible rust. Needed everything. Spent five years restoring, ten years driving. Loved every minute of both.
not worth the money , priced to high, may be $500=1000
Price is steep for the condition not to mention frame condition. You could easily stick 30K into this and be heavily upside down. Suggestion: find a better candidate restored, let them take the beating. Best wishes!
Sold for $3950!