After sitting for the past 25-years, the time has come for this 1975 MGB to emerge from hiding, and to head to a new home. It is a complete car, and could either be the basis for a restoration project, or it could also serve as a parts car. Bidding on the car hasn’t been particularly strong, so this is a car that might be able to be secured at a very reasonable price. The MG is located in York, Pennsylvania, and is listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has dragged its way to $610 in what appears to be a No Reserve auction.
The MGB, finished in White, actually looks to be quite reasonable. There is surface corrosion on the underside, but the floors look clean, and it appears that the car isn’t suffering from any structural issues. The trunk also looks really good, but the owner says that there are indications of previous rust repairs in the rocker. In spite of its dusty appearance, the soft-top looks like it is in really good condition, although the rear window does have a cloudy look about it. A lot of people don’t go much on the appearance of the MGB with the rubber bumpers, but I’ve seen plenty of them where the owner has converted the car back to the traditional look, and it does improve the car’s appearance.
Hiding under the hood of the MG is the 1,799cc 4-cylinder engine, which sends its power to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. The engine currently doesn’t run, and the owner admits to making no attempt to get the engine started. He is unsure why the MG was parked in the first place, but believes that some work on the interior wiring may indicate an electrical fault to be the culprit. If this is the case, it might not be all bad news. Admittedly, the electrical system can present its share of problems, but sometimes it is just easier to replace the wiring harness to eliminate the problems. This isn’t as horrible as it sounds, because a harness can easily be sourced for under $500, and replacement can be completed in a weekend. The engine in an MGB of this era was seriously impacted by emission laws, and by 1975, owners had a mere 62hp at their disposal. Performance could best be described as glacial, but I have seen a couple of these fitted with the engine and transmission from a Miata, and that makes an enormous difference. Surprisingly, the standard MGB rear end seems to be more than capable of handling the power increase, and maintenance tasks and issues have proven to be significantly lower following this conversion.
The interior of the MG is also complete, but it is looking a bit frayed in spots. The dash pad is cracked, while the seats would need new covers. The door trims have been cut to fit aftermarket speakers, but the wheel, console, and the dash itself look like they are actually pretty reasonable. You can see the wiring hanging down below the dash on the passenger side, and the owner believes that it is something in that bundle that has resulted in the car being parked.
As a largely complete and solid example, this 1975 MGB offers the next owner a few different options. It could represent a restoration project, it could be completely transformed by fitting a different engine and transmission, or it could be used as a parts car. If you bought it, what path would you take?
Wow. Seems like there was a time when a lot of friends had similar paperweights parked long-term in their garages, while the lawnmowers and other tools sat in the yard.
LOL! I forgot all about those beaded seat covers. Bouncing down the big road to the East Beach and back. Been so long I can’t recall if they even worked!
Why anyone would buy a rusty project car in the East when you can take a trip to AZ and buy a rust free example for almost the same money. You would save thousands of $’s or years of work.
Note that the seller states the car is located in Lansford, Carbon County, Pa. (near Allentown) rather than York, Pa. – a difference of roughly 100 miles.
I bought the twin to this car many years ago. I had to mow a field, take down a fence, chop down a tree, and shovel a bunch of horse manure to free the MG from its prison. The lady offered it free, but I said I need to pay something. So we settled on an exchange of $1.00 for the pink slip. As AAA was loading it onto a flat bed (no, it does not need a jump start, no, it does not need gas) my brother finally showed up to help. After viewing the car he asked “what did you pay for this car?” I said “$1.00 “. His reply, “you should have asked for change!” HaHa. I sold it for $350.00 a year later.
@BSlus How about Triplets!?? I bought a match to this white B in West Point, Tennessee a few years back. Same process, bush hog a field, lop off the branch of a tree threatening to fall on the barn it was sitting in. The manure was deep and seemed to have dried all around the trunk and fender wells. Goats and cows had to be coaxed away from my borrowed flatbed while I winched the thing on. Added bonus was it had a hardtop which I immediately sold for $350. I recently found another white one with overdrive also in Middle Tennessee and judging from the message from the seller it too is sharing a field with livestock.
Wonder what’s under the tape on the rockers?
I own what was a duplicate of this car. I paid $500 as it was in very poor shape electrically and mechanically. But there was absolutely no rust anywhere. One of the least desirable MGBs. No overdrive, no sway bar, rubber bumpers and California emissions. The overheated cat converter that lived behind/below the intake manifold almost melted the intake manifold. It was so warped you could see over the top of inner intake runner into the intake port. A few days of wiring repair caused by someone trying to install a radio and thinking the car was positive ground. Replacing the intake with one setup for a Weber and installing a header and it was running. I ran across a “B” in the junk yard with a perfect set of chrome bumpers (which I snagged) and removed the ugly black bumpers. I will never do that again. Remove the rubber bumpers? Yes! Replace them with chrome? No! The body is different. The main thing is that the nice little round pieces that live under the tail lights is not there on the thumper bumper cars. This is not a separate piece. I found one company that made this part for a GT. But fit was not even close. So I had to make the parts from scratch. Next time, ( if there is one) it will be the fiberglass Sebring bumpers/covers. The car now has a warmed over 2.8 Cologne V6 with a T5 5 speed gear box. NOW it is fun to drive!
“Thinking the car was positive ground” would apply only to the MG prior to (I think) 1968. So the radio installer was a bonehead. As far as the conversion to chrome bumpers, it is far easier on an MG Midget than a B. The under tail light filler is made by at least two gents known in Spridget circles, and of course there is always bumperless if your local laws allow it. Worst aspect is eliminating the ramming bars in the front grille space, and raised divots at the rear for the rubber bumpers. These must go away in order to make the back look like an earlier car.
LOL that’s the funniest story I’ve heard In a good wile Wayne ! And you tell it well. Every time I think about that warped manifold I crack up again. The pos. ground thing is real peach too. Thanks a lot…………………..JIMMY