When you look at manufacturing numbers, it’s amazing to see how many more MGs were built and sold in the US than in their own domestic market. Between how many more are here in the States and the drier climate, it doesn’t come as a surprise that so many are being shipped back to the UK. Reader Gerald J lives in Blackpool, England and after a trip to the States to attend Pomona, he decided to buy a project car. So, he tracked down this 1960 MGA Coupe in Maryland and had it shipped back to his home. He’s since finished the restoration, but a recent knee replacement has made it difficult to get in and out of it, so he decided to put it up for sale in the Barn Finds Classifieds for £16,500 or $20,276!
When he got the car, it was sporting the classic grey primer. While it is alright for storage, it just wasn’t going to do, so he had the car stripped to bare metal and all the panels removed for a proper paint job. He believes the car was originally burgundy but decided to go with Old English White. These cars look good in just about any color, but they really look fantastic in white and his appears to have turned out great!
The 4-cylinder 1600 isn’t the most powerful little engine, but it’s bulletproof and gets the job done. And it is a decent upgrade over the 1500 These cars weren’t built for all-out acceleration anyways, they were built to handle and boy are they fun to drive! Given how durable these engines are, you can squeeze more power out of them, but honestly, we would leave it alone and just enjoy it as is. If you must upgrade it, a great option is to go with an early MGB head and a performance cam, which can net you some decent gains. Of course, it would probably be just as cost-effective to find a running MGB 1800 engine and transmission to install in it.
Since the car came to him with a red interior, going with Old Engine White on the exterior was a great choice. It’s a combo that is both sporty and classic. While its no Aston Martin, you’re getting a lot of class for the money here. You get all that British charm, real leather seats, and incredible styling for a fraction of the price. It’s easy to see why these cars are going up in value. We actually had one of these Coupes a few years back and we really regret selling it. A fraction of the MGAs built were coupes and it’s getting hard to find solid examples these days.
Clearly, Gerald has put a lot of time and money into this MGA. You’d be hardpressed to build one to this level for less, plus you have all the time it takes to do the work. This one is ready to jump into and go! It sounds like he is open to offers or possible trades, so be sure to take a closer look and contact him if you’d love to give this beautiful classic a new home.
I am usually not one for color changes, but I think the right choice was made to change it to white…it is very pretty…very nice find…
You could not give me an mgb for free. They are junk.
A bit redundant there Michael. A gift by definition is free. And the car in question is an MGA. Having owned 2 MGBs I can see that you may have a legitimate opinion as to their quality, but I have judged every car I have owned since by the sheer driving pleasure I got from my LBCs.
Why?
…says the man who has probably never even sat in one let alone driven and owned one.
I have owned several MG’s and although they could never be considered as one of my favourite cars, they certainly weren’t junk!
Training was part of the venue of my youth. The “Erector Set” that the MGA was, certainly helped train my early apprenticeship and evolved into the “Can Do” attitude of my current lifetime pursuit as a restoration professional. If you think of it as junk, you are likely a lawyer today. Those that investigated every thread form and failed part on these cars are better than well equipped to deal with the JUNK that does appear on Rolls Royce, Ferrari, and exotic one-offs that I deal with every day. Yes, there are several “Weak Links” in every design. The MGA parts can all be addressed. There are work-arounds for the clever among us. You end up with a beautiful, and reliable car in an MGA that does not pay for your $ investment (yet)- but DOES make you into a MacGyver.
I have always like the little sports cars. Never owned one,but keep hoping I,ll get one. I keep my eye out and someday hope to get one at the right time and in position to get one. I like it and wish him good luck and the person who gets it. I wonder what it would cost to have one shipped hear and how much trouble it would be> I heard it is really hard just to get a vehicle brought from Canada.
My mga coupe was the car in which I had the most fun, more than a Lamborghini (of which the build quality was poor) but perhaps other barnfinds readers can correct me regarding the model?
Perhaps the USA spec was different, but the rear lights in the photo show a Mark 1 MGA, which had a 1500 cc engine, but the text notes refer to a 1600 cc engine, which was fitted to the Mark 2, which had horizontal rear lights. Unfortunately, I can’t quite make out the lettering of the chrome just below the MGA badge.
On the subject of an 1800 cylinder head, etc., it hardly seems worth the trouble, as I fitted an MGB engine without difficulty and I don’t recall altering the transmission, but it was at least 50 years ago, so I could be wrong.
MGA had a 1500cc engine and all round drum brakes up to late 1959, flashing red rear lamps, 1960 they got the 1588cc engine, just an overbored 1500cc, and front disc brakes plus those alloy rear lamp bases to mount the rear indicators, for 1961-2 they got the 1622cc engine and mini van rear lamps, WHY WHY WHY, and a modified front grille with vertical struts,
Thanks for that Pat. I’ve just noticed that the one in the photo also has the wrong carburettors (unless the US spec. was different). Mine had twin SU’s each with a flat circular chrome filter. I would dearly love to buy it back but I sold it in about 1973 and the buyer took it to Japan, and it would have lost its original identity. Maybe it was shipped back to the UK at some point, but I don’t have the VIN, so the trail has gone cold.
I bought my 1960 1600 mk1 convertible as a just about running project for £100.00 in 1973, just waiting for it’s second restoration, steel wings this time,
twin SU was std, that Webber is aftermarket because our overseas cousins cannot get their heads around SU’s…………….. far too simple, not enough parts!
Ain’t that the truth Pat! Keep well.
Hi Ken, a good friend of mine rode the DJ with his son and brother this year, just got back on the last flight! keep well
When I was 17 I was dating a girl who had the coolest Dad ever. One day when I’m over at her place, knowing I had this behemoth ’50 Packard that I was driving around, took me into the woods behind their house and said: “Here, you want this?”
There sat a ’60 MGA………..I was overwhelmed as I knew zip about MG’s…….. I dragged it out and fiddled around with the engine but couldn’t get the carburetors to run correctly to save my life. Had to leave it with her when she left me. lol
Subsequently bought a ’50 MGYA in England and shipped it over here, fixed it up and sold it to finance my emigration to the Left coast.
Years later we bought my late step son a ’77 rubber baby buggy bumpered B convertible which he in no short order destroyed………
I like the classic lines of the A better than the B…but hey.what the hey each to his own
I was a freshman in high school in 1961. A friend and I decided to skip school one day, so we started hitch hiking south on highway 99. A guy driving a black MG sport car with metal roof stopped and picked us up. About 180 miles later he dropped us off in front of Elkhorn Village outside Sacramento, California. My sister was very surprised to see me there, she called my dad to come get us.
I’m not sure why but no punishment was imposed.
This car brought that memory back to me. Life takes some strange turns at least mine certainly has.
God bless America
Must have been a really cramped ride, with three of you in the MG!
(We were all young once, lol)