This 1960 MGA roadster is here on eBay in a no-reserve auction, bid to just $3999. It’s located in Arlington, Tennessee, and you’ll need a trailer to haul it home. The seller is knowledgeable and has owned the car since 2019, when he bought it from an estate. The prior owner had the car from the mid-’60s. The car has been off the road for over 42 years, in fairly dry storage. That didn’t prevent rust entirely, but we’ve all seen worse than what we’ll see here.
The engine hasn’t run in years, nor has the seller tried to start it. We’re looking at BMC’s B-series 1588 cc four-cylinder, introduced in 1959 to hone MG’s reputation with the sporting crowd. The increase in displacement over the 1489 ccs available in the early-production 1500 brought a 10% boost in output to 80 hp, and a 17% increase in torque. These improvements helped keep the MGA on the scene for longer, delaying the financial commitment required to create a new model. Not much change was applied to the gearbox – which was still a four-speed manual with no synchro on first – or the twin SU H4 1.5″ carbs. This car was owned by a “prominent electrical engineer” who certainly had his way with the wiring in here – I’m not sure I see more than an inch of the original cloth-covered harness remaining. That voltage regulator on the heater shelf isn’t original, either; and I don’t know what the spool-looking thing is between the valve cover and the intake.
The revamped wiring was probably designed to service this home-made instrument panel, containing at least a dozen non-original switches and gauges. (I’m gonna guess this guy was an aviator, too.) From the looks of the empty holes, he might have had plans to add still more functions to this panel. So the new owner will enjoy either: a) figuring out what was in this guy’s mind so you can make it work; or b) rewiring the whole thing. The seat frames, interior panels (except the door cards), a new carpet kit, two convertible top frames, and side curtains come with the car.
Ah yes, the bane of the restorer: rust – in the frame, no less. I’ve restored a few MGAs, and it takes a lot of insult to get to that frame. A close look at the rockers reveals plenty of corrosion there, too. The trunk is rusted through, though the spare is intact, with its original cover – which I’ve never seen before – and clamp.
I respect that the seller believes it’s worth describing this car as “original”. But that’s a mischaracterization. This MGA apparently had a repaint on top of the other alterations we’ve mentioned. And it’s going to need to be mechanically and cosmetically restored – after which it certainly won’t be original. Still, this is a no-reserve auction, and someone could score a reasonable buy on a vehicle where parts supplies are plentiful, and advice is just a click away.
That’s a lot of rust to work with. Would not pay any more for it than the present high bid and would probably walk away from it after a closer look.