Let us count the ways…. that car projects become stalled. Money. Relationships. Storage. Boredom. Age. Work. Moving. Children. I’m sure there are other reasons – maybe positive ones like, I thought I wanted an MGA 1600 but suddenly I can afford a Twin-Cam. Ok, that never happens. We don’t know why this 1961 MGA Mk I roadster project stalled out, but here it is on facebook Marketplace, looking for a champion who will finish her and drive her. The seller wants $7200 and the car is located in Port Jefferson, New York. Thanks to Chuck Foster for spotting this stylish Brit for us!
This car belongs to a transition year: in 1961, British Motor Corporation gave the “A” a bit more power and called it the Mark II. This car, though, is a Mark I, with the tail lamps mounted on the rear fenders, a grill flush with its body lines, and a 1588 cc four-cylinder pushrod engine. Twin SU carburetors should hang off the right side (this view), helping produce 79.5 hp. Yes, BMC quoted horsepower in fractions… A three-syncheo four-speed manual brings power to the ground. BMC gave a nod to mechanical advancements, with disc brakes on the front wheels and rack and pinion steering. The seller notes that this car has been stored since 1976, and the motor was rebuilt “a few years ago” and is apparently ready to run.
The interior has new plywood floors; hopefully the rest of the components are with the car. After restoring a couple of these, I can attest to the phenomenal number of “fiddly bits” contained in this innocent-appearing cabin – from knobs and washers to gauges and seals. Still, if items are missing, you’ll find vendors to help.
The seller says the chassis and body panels are rot free and straight (the door skins, trunk lid and bonnet are aluminum). The frame has been painted with POR-15, and the panels are said to be just a “light prep” away from paint. Personally I have never met a panel on a long-stored car that requires so little prep before paint but hey, that’s the value of an in-person inspection. As far as the price point here, said inspection would help one’s negotiating position. Missing parts, more work than expected, even a long journey to retrieve it can support a discount off the ask. And with very nice driver-quality MGAs selling in the high teens, I think a discount is warranted. What do you think?
This car is not worth the asking price and doesn’t have anything “light prep” on it. These are great cars but this one is a long way from great.
BTW, I don’t any sign of the engine being sealed up since the rebuild. Open intakes, rocker cover vent, and probably the exhaust ports. Like l said…..
Agreed. As an MGA owner myself, I can say this car restored is basically worth the restoration cost – not the restoration cost + a $7000 purchase price. That is sad, because it would not take too much work to have a half decent driver (assuming the engine is free – as bobhess points out) – but a half decent driver isn’t worth a whole lot, unfortunately. I know, my MGA is a driver, not rusty – but just a paint job would put me “in the red,” financially. These are cars that require a fair amount of disassembly to paint properly. Disassembly and re-assembly is not cheap, and neither is paint.
Definitely now a doner car now.
Dream on. Needs everything but plywood.
My first car was a 10 year old 59 MGA. Fuel pump.would occasionally stop working so I kept a cut-off broomstick handle that I stuck behind the seat and banged on it to get going again. Also used the crank to start it as the two 6v batteries were weak.
Asking number is too high. If the frame was painted with POR-15 more than 20 years ago, you would have to be careful as the earlier POR was light sensitive to sunlight if it wasn’t recoated initially. That product had some problems. I believe it has been corrected though. To me it’s a $3500 special.