Barn Finds has covered MGs of all ilks, most recently this nice Braken orange “B” roadster that Russ Dixon wrote up on August 7th; it sold nearly instantly. Here’s another great opportunity to put a British roadster in your garage before the summer is over, on eBay at no reserve – a 1967 MGB roadster bid to $3050. For those of you who were tempted by the orange car – well, this is a more desirable earlier version albeit with a bit more work in store. This Aguanga, California car is said to be rust-free and it’s benefited from substantial renovation already. Let’s find out what makes this car attractive.
The seller describes the engine as a three-main bearing, but MG shifted to a five-main during 1964. The 1798 cc four-cylinder breathes through two SU carburetors and makes about 95 bhp. The seller says the carbs have been rebuilt but need to be tuned; the brake master cylinder and hoses are new; the clutch master and slave cylinder are new; the water pump, belts, gas tank, and exhaust system are also new. The engine runs well with no smoking or noise and the seller references good compression but doesn’t provide readings. The air cleaners and Tudor washer fluid bottle are missing. The factory oil cooler is in place. The four-speed transmission is said to be fine, but the car comes with a spare (both are non-overdrive) as well as a new clutch in the box. Having owned several different years of MGBs, I can say that the earlier the better. This pre-emission car will be much more spritely than a later car, once it runs right.
The interior is also appealing. I love the crinkle-finished metal dash and banjo steering wheel of the early cars. The seller has installed a vintage-look radio; I’ve never felt the need for tunes in an MG, and I like the way the blanking plate looks. The seats have been reupholstered in cloth, and the car comes with new tonneau snaps, tonneau cover, headlamp rings and gaskets, and carpet kit. The hardtop does need a new rear window. No word whether the top bows or a convertible top are with the car.
The bonnet is open here, so it’s slightly askew. The grille is straight as a pin, but missing its center emblem; the directionals should be clear in ’67, rather than amber. The bumper – or the grille – isn’t installed perfectly straight, the overriders and chrome bumper bolts are missing, and the headlamp rings are still in their boxes. This car has seen a lot of work, though, on an early car that’s one of the most collectible iterations of this model. Time for an enthusiastic buyer to take over and finish it right.
“ This pre-emission car will be much more spritely…” that’s a good play on words, Michelle!!!
Hopefully the reference to the 3 main bearing engine is not an indication that this is an earlier motor as a replacement but regardless at the price range it’s in currently it’s a steal! Finishing it should B a walk in the park.
HOWEVER-will the new owner PLEAASE take the tires off and put the white walls inside???
The ’60s Bs pretty much had whitewalls on all of them. Don’t care for the wide whites but do like the narrow ones. Our ’66 had them from new. If the underside is clean with no rust it will be a good project car.
I love the wide whites. Brightens up the car a lot.
Like me, those whitewalls seems out of place for this car!
This would be a good year to own, needs some attention but parts are out there and they are easy to work on for even a first timer taking their time and reading what needs done. Quite the experience, listening to the engine on a quiet night, going through the gears in a country road. Smiles per mile is what it’s about.
I like!!!
Too bad I’m 6’5″ 280lbs size 15 shoe.
They actually had quite a bit of leg room. The Fiat 124 Spyders could handle a 7 footer….well, maybe I exaggerate a tad.
I’m not worried getting in the car….it’s getting out…..lol
Most drivers only have two feet!
shoes aren’t an issue, and my B has plenty of legroom .I’m 6’2″ I stretch to get the clutch to the floor the seat all the way back. I have Miata seats, but the regular seats were much the same. And with the top down, 6’5″ is no problem with sunglasses. an LE steering wheel is a smaller diameter.
Along with the ’65s and 66’s, this is the best year for an MGB, IMHO. Most of the things the write-up points out, are merely inexpensive cosmetic baubles, and easy fixes.
The following are my opinions, and aren’t meant to incite argument or rebellion: The 67 is the best of the Mk1 cars and incorporate all the best that MG had to offer in the mid-60’s. If you are interested in a B project, the 67 is the best place to start. While there are some minor upgrades that can be added, the 67’s are just about a perfect example of what the guys at Abingdon had in mind.
This car, if it is really really rust free, is dollar for dollar the best place to start for either a day to day driver (does anybody really do that anymore?) or a 100 point trailer queen.
Sure, there is plenty to do to make this a correctly equipped 67, and we could probably pick it to death, but it is (if it is really really rust free) the best place to begin a restoration/rebuild.
The SnugTop hard top is my second favorite hard top, and with the rear window replaced, is a very good addition if you live where there is really winter.
BTW, I have two 67’s, a Roadster and a GT, so I’m not biased at all.
Ha, ha. I love your final sentence. As for MG B’s. I was a classic car dealer for many years and always derided the MG B as just another Brit “sports” car, however, one weekend i decided to visit a car show about 80 miles away using an MG B Roadster ,only because it was the easiest to extricate from the showroom. Well, upon my return later in the day I figured that this MG B was second only to an Alfa Romeo Spider in terms of fun per mile! It changed my whole feelings towards MG’s of all types and I ended up really enjoying them in later years.
Totally agree with Rufus. I would only add that the 65s and 66s are pretty much the same car. I think, off the top of my head, the main diff is that 67s had the backup light . . . . for the sake of purity and clean design, I like the looks better w/o the backup light, but that’s just me.
Ive been looking for a MGB for a long time. Ive got a spot in my garage all ready for one. Maybe I should take a shot at this one. It would be my first so dont really know exactly what to look for!
Look at the joint between the front fenders and the main body just in front of the windscreen and if there are any bubbles, blistered paint, then be assured that there is a pretty big hole underneath the paintwork.
look for rust behind each wheel well, down low . . .especially the lower part. Road crud, silt, wet sand and everything else collects behind their so-called “seal”. Repair pcs are readily available, tis a bit of work. The other big rust area are the sills, often Bondo’ed over. There is the outer sill, readily visible below the door and back. Not visible is the inner sill, and a “castle” section. This becomes a big job. Don’t let a “small” blister below the door lull you into thinking it is “just a small bit of rust”. They are almost always the Tip of the Iceberg. It is said there are only two kinds of MGBs: Ones in which these repairs have been made, and the rest of them which are waiting for those repairs to be made. All that said, at this price point, for this year of MGB, assuming the engine/tranny are good, this seems like a solid car to start with. Tons of Club support, and parts are readily available . . . including all the sill bits.