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Suspended 1960 MGA 1600 Coupe

suspended-1960-mga-coupe

Who says you need an expensive floor lift to do a frame off restoration. The original owner of this 1960 MGA 1600 Hardtop Coupe simply hoisted the body off the frame with straps attached to the rafters of their barn. The car was left hanging from the rafters for 30 years, then the current owner found and bought it. Like the original owner, they had dreams of restoring it, but have never gotten around to it. They are now selling it and all the pieces that go along with it. Find it in Jackson, Mississippi or here on Craigslist, with an asking price of $1,500.

suspended-1960-mga-coupe-up-close

It is always scary buying a completely dismantled project, as it can be difficult to tell what parts are there and what’s missing. The seller believes everything is there and they have boxes full of original and new parts that go along with it. For $1,500 this one seems like a bargain to me. The parts alone are worth more then that, but it is going to be a massive undertaking and if there are lots of missing pieces, it could get expensive. Let’s just hope the next owner is good at reading diagrams or has had considerable experience working on these cars. What do you think should happen to this MGA Coupe? Should it be parted out or restored?

Comments

  1. Avatar shawnmcgill

    Jackson, Mississippi? Cargo strap & 2×8 hoist? Is there a “You-Might-Be-A-Redneck” joke hiding in this posting somewhere?

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  2. Avatar Foxxy

    I have an MGB and I agree that the parts you can see here are worth the asking price. These A’s are pretty rare. They are prone to rust, but this one looks solid, if it was rusted it would not stay where it is , and the frame looks like they might have put some work into it, it looks pretty clean. I don’t see any drive train, but it might be off to the side. I have a feeling this will go pretty quick.

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  3. Avatar Horse Radish

    A 10000 piece MGA puzzle ?

    I hate to say this, but, seriously, Who would do this to themselves ?
    Without directions into the finest detail, which bold, nut or screw goes where?
    This is definitely being parted out by the next guy NO MATTER WHAT HE CLAIMS TO THE SELLER.
    I love the line “The car came home on a trailer with a ton of boxes filled with parts. I have gone through everything and I believe every single peice to this car is present.”
    What is a “peice” ?
    And how about : “and one side of the front suspension done before moving across the country.”
    You cannot fault the seller’s candor, that’s for sure !
    I can imagine somebody waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night.

    And WHY was this dismantled in the 70ies after running only 10+ years ?

    Whoever WOULD put this one together would be
    MY HERO OF THE YEAR, if there is any taker …..

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  4. Avatar jim

    sellers photobucket shows motor apart also. i see more then $1500 in parts i think. i would part this out on ebay. if it was located close to me i would be interested but it is not.

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  5. Avatar paul

    See, if I didn’t live in my house with my wife, this would surely hang in my living room, this is art, not sure what I would spend for hang art, oh & the engine could be slid under glass for a coffee table, I already have a crank shaft as a base for my mailbox.

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  6. Avatar GearHead Engineering

    Horse Radish, I understand what you’re saying but I don’t agree. I bought a ’64 Lincoln Convertible in similar disassembled condition and have successfully put it back together. Yes it takes time and dedication but it can be done. These cars are quite simple, and a Moss Motors catalog shows pretty much every part in exploded view.

    My wife likes MGA coupes. If I were closer I would be all over this project.

    – John

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  7. Avatar clay

    The dirt and mud between the tire and the rim tells me this has all been underwater but if the body pick and the bumping dollies goes with it,this was a real find!!!!!!

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  8. Avatar rolymo35

    I restored one of these MGA coupes a few years ago just for fun. It was far worst than this one. Had some real fun with it and later got an excellent price for it. I put a Lotus 16 valve twin-cam motor & tranny in it for a performance upgrade , it was quite a “Hot-rod” and did well in competition.

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  9. Avatar rancho bella

    I’m 62………I don’t think I’d have enough time left……… :0

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    • Avatar paul

      Same age, & am with you on that, that’s why I’m opting for it to be hang art!

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Dolphin Member

    A nice driver 1600 ‘A’ coupe can be had without too much searching for $15-20K, and it would be a car you could enjoy the day you bought it. And if you go for a coupe you will not have too much competition from other buyers because most MGA buyers want a roadster.

    Unfortunately, this disassembled and decayed Coupe has years of work in it plus many thousands in costs if you do all the metalwork / paint / R&R / reassembly yourself, or 3 to 5 times the value of the finished car in restoration costs if you contract everything out.

    Buying it for parts at the $1500 ask might make sense for someone who needs a lot of MGA parts, but sorry to say, this car stopped making much sense as a restoration project years ago.

    Like 0
    • Avatar shawnmcgill

      You have absolutely nailed it.

      Unless you’re an absolute freak for MGA coupes (and how many of those can there be in the world), this makes no sense at all.

      At the end of the day, is it ever going to be worth what it would take to get it back on the road, let alone restore it? Absolutely not. When you finish, you only have an MGA coupe.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Richard

    Here’s a question I haven’t seen asked here yet: what are the chances this body was not suspended properly off its frame and over the course of the 30 or so years it’s been up there managed to twist itself out of shape??? Would this car still be worth restoring if you discover no two parts of the body line up any more?

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  12. Avatar Dan Bennett
  13. Avatar Andy

    Been there and done that. I restored a 1960 MGA Coupe in similar conditon (but no rust) to concours condition over 4 years. I have receipts for over $30k plus 1200 hours of my own time at $0 per hour. My advice would be buy a good one for around $20k and drive it home and you’ll be well ahead of the game. Pass on this one unless you have lots of money, patience and time.

    Like 0

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