This is the story of when Limited doesn’t really mean limited, and the tale comes to us courtesy of British Leyland. As sales of the aging MGB began to sputter in the late 1970s, BL’s marketing department concocted a plan to trim out an MGB with striping, Limited Edition badging, a front spoiler, and special wheels – intended as a rescue operation for the failing brand. Cars delivered to the US were in roadster configuration, painted black, either with tan or black interiors. (Cars kept in the UK were painted either silver or bronze, and both the GT and roadster were available.) BL originally planned a run of only 500 examples, but demand expanded especially in the US, where the black paint blended well with the requisite black rubber bumpers, making for a handsome profile. More than 6600 copies came to the US, but that wasn’t enough: MG production shut down for good in October, 1980. This example is listed on eBay, currently bid to $2250 with no reserve in play. The car is located in Yellville, Arkansas.
Several changes from factory are evident here, starting with the Weber downdraught carburetor with its intake manifold. Originally, a single Stromberg was hung on the 1798 cc four-cylinder. Looks like a set of headers in here, too. Air conditioning was available from dealers, but never supplied by the factory. The transmission was a four-speed all-synchro manual, with optional overdrive on fourth. The od switch was installed on the gear shift knob; this one appears to be a non-od car. From the factory, output was about 95 hp, and the car’s curb weight was around 2400 lbs – not the fastest thing on the block, and not sporty enough to keep MG afloat given the competitive landscape. Though the seller doesn’t say directly whether this car runs, he mentions an exhaust leak, so we can assume it does.
Inside, the seller notes a missing sun visor (suspect a broken fixture where the visor is held out of the way; removal of the visor is often easier than finding that part), and a broken wiper switch stalk. The seat foam needs renewal, and an after-market radio has been installed, along with speakers in the door panels. The convertible top is torn in places. The handsome alloy wheels have been painted black, and the seller indicates that the bonnet and fender were refinished with rattle-can paint. At least one rocker is rusty. On the other hand, the tires are new!
None of these changes from factory are particularly bothersome. The real sin is underneath, where the crossmember beneath the gearbox has been cut out rather than removed the hard way. This should be replaced properly; I wasn’t able to locate a replacement, but with patience, these can be found. Be sure to buy a later crossmember – at least three iterations exist. Consult the MG Experience forum for help with refitment – it’s the best source I’ve found for technical help. What do you think of this last-of-breed MGB – a deal, or no dice?
No teeming excitement from you on this one Michelle. This car really is a sign of a collapsing breed and a dying company.
Alas, I agree.
A little rough but for the right price could be a fun project. Fix the rust and get a new top and wiper stalk and you have something you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in. Wonder why they removed that cross brace though? It looks like there’s another below the gap. Same with the speakers. Maybe there weren’t any holes in the doors for speakers so they surface mounted them? Pioneer radio so I would keep it.
A little rough but for the right price could be a fun project. Fix the rust and get a new top and wiper stalk and you have something you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in. Wonder why they removed that cross brace though? It looks like there’s another below the gap. Same with the speakers. Maybe there weren’t any holes in the doors for speakers so they surface mounted them? Pioneer radio so I would keep it. Shame about the wheels. It might be easier to paint them black lacquer instead of the flat black they are now.
Because the collectible value of the B’s is so low, many folks believed it OK to modify and swap with these cars. I’ve seen the transmission mod before, and it is done simply from laziness! The correct way to change a clutch on an MGB requires removal of the engine. If you are a seasoned LBC wrench, you pull the engine and transmission as one piece simply because it is less hassle. If you have been there before, you may remove just the engine, but the degree of difficulty rises on replacement. If you are a lazy shade tree mechanic with little or no experience with these cars, you whittle away at the structural pieces to allow you to remove the transmission from under the car. Having decades of experience with these cars, I regard this act as a clearly stupid, lazy display that severely weakens the structural integrity of the car. Until this is replaced, IMO this poor ole B becomes little more than a parts car, flowery rhetoric or not.
Oh and by the way, the 95 horsepower mentioned in the description was way back in 1967, and the number varied depending on which source you were quoting. By 1980 the horsepower rating was under 70.
The only B I’ve pulled an engine out of the engine and transmission came out together in a very short period of time. Exhaust manifolds off and laid to one side along with electronics and radiator and you are done. Shift lever off, mounts unbolted and you yank them out.
“…you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in.,,” Well I hate black wheels and Plasti-Dip in equal measure, and I would be embarrassed!
For a decent price, one can buy a really nice MGB these days. This thing would take so much work. Why bother?
And yes, I’m one who prefers the black bumpers, much like the ones on my Spitfire from the same year.