The MGB was a 2-seat roadster built by British Leyland from 1962 to 1980, replacing the MGA. These were fun cars that were a bit larger than the famous MG Midget. 1974 editions like this one were the last to have chrome bumpers, to be replaced by ugly rubber ones to meet U.S. safety standards. The seller’s car has been treated to a long list of new parts which should mean it’s ready for more time in the sun. Located in Tigard, Oregon, and here on craigslist, the price has dropped to $6.995 OBO.
Production of the MGB and its variants (for example, you get could one with a V8 for a time) exceeded a half-million units, so it was a popular sports car. And more user-friendly than the MGA as there was more room for passengers and their stuff than with the MGA, which was three inches longer. They were powered by a 1.8-liter inline-4 with a 4-speed manual transmission with the latter appearing to have been “blinged up” at 124,000 miles in the seller’s car. U.S. safety regulations were not kind to the MGB and after 1974 the headlights were too low, so they raised the suspension for one inch, which hurt handing.
This ’74 MGB looks quite nice, especially for the advertised price. The exterior of the car or the trunk or both have likely been repainted as they are different colors of orange or bronze and overspray seems present in the storage area. But there are no signs or mention of rust, past or present, which was sometimes troublesome for British autos like this. The convertible top is crumpled but perhaps fine.
Time and money have been spent on working on the mechanics of the MGB. We’re told it has new wheels and tires, a new clutch, new brakes, a restored suspension fore and aft, a new steering assembly, and a new carburetor, among other things. So, the asking price will largely recover the cost of doing all this work. There’s still plenty of Summer left to have fun in a roadster like this!
Yeah, yeah, however BFs does it, well, they just do. This was my ’71 MGB color originally, and this one is clearly nicer than new. I believe the rubber bumpers came out in late ’74, some early ones had those rubber blocks, easily removed, as I suspect here. The ride height was increased to match uniform US bumper heights. I wasn’t aware it was a headlight thing. While this is what I consider the “plastic” MGB, due to its plastic dash, glove box and vents( who needs dash vents on a roadster?) and detracted some from the original Bs. “Upgraded” to a Weber? Puuulease, I only hope the SUs are included and a sales receipt for the Weber. Mags much better than those pesky, flat-ridden wires. No O/D,( no sticker on steering column housing depicting such) major deal breaker for me, as O/D completely changed the demeanor of the car. Still, you won’t find a nicer one than this.
This car did not have wire wheels. Those are Moss’s minilite clones.
Sabrina overriders mercifully missing.
I like the tan console and storage bin. I don’t like the door caps and handles are black. If you are replacing the door cards and putting leather seat covers in, why didn’t you replace those?
The SUs were probably shot, needing a complete rebuild including throttle shaft bearings. That rebuild costs more than a whole DGV setup. Without a complete rebuild, there is no way to tune the SUs.
Hi Paul, never said it did have wires. Just saying, to switch from wires to disc wheels was a big deal, I checked when I had mine. I’ve had a lot of experience with SUs, and even a worn SU is better than a Weber. When you say “complete SU rebuild”, images of disassembled automatic transmissions may come to mind for some, but the SU is so simple, the throttle shaft bushings are about the extent of a SU rebuild. A Weber, not so much.
2nd MGB in as many days with 2 pictures of the engine. One showing dual carbs and the other a Weber. What are the odds of that?
Gorgeous. $7k for this much fun? What a bargain. Once again my bank account is lucky it’s so far away. GLWTS
Same here. The really great deals like this one are never near me (so far as I know… I suspect my wife is somehow editing what I see). It this one was, it would be in my garage right now, no question. Assuming I got there first.
If he doesn’t fold that top correctly the next person is going to have to put a top on it soon!
Wow, MG prices are falling! If one this nice is only a 7k car, the rest are wort zero
This is what is known as a DEAL! Aka, a steal! At $7K, a buyer could ship the car just about anywhere in the US, swap for an OD gearbox (roughly $1000), and still not get upside-down. In addition to all the virtues already mentioned, try detailing an MGB engine bay to look like this car. That is a BIG job. From my own experience as a DIY guy, I would not do an engine bay for less than half the price of this car. And that would be AFTER the bay had been stripped and painted. There are seemingly thousands of small parts that need to be individually refinished or replaced.
The color appears to be what MG called “Bracken” – a “muddy orange” – and it seems to be the only reason the car has not sold for twice the price. If I’m right about “Bracken”, the color rendition in the photos does not do it justice. It is a prettier color than what I see in the photos. I believe it replaced “Bronze Yellow” on earlier MGBs, but it’s darker and warmer.
BTW, there were THREE different MGB models that fall under the 1974 banner. First, there were those identical to the 1973 models. Built in the last three months of ’73, they were recognized as ’74 models in the US. Then there were the final chrome bumper models with the “Sabrina” monstrous rubber-block bumper guards. Then there were the 1974.5 (’74 and a half) cars with the rubber bumpers and raised ride height (1.5”, not just one inch), but retaining the twin SU HIF4 carburettors.
The four MGBs already in my garage mitigate against my buying this one. Even so, I’m so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted.
I think you are right about Braken, which BL actually spelled without the “c”. I was going to write up this car but Russ beat me to it, while I was busy trying to figure out the color, ha ha!
I never had any problem with the dual carbs. Ran like a top. Why swap if it is running perfectly. I had a friend that was jealous of my dual carbs as he couldn’t get his work right even after rebuilds.
Had a ’63 MGB. Learned to tune/synch the SUs by ear via a piece of coolant hose.
Adjust the linkage between the two carbs and then adjust the mixture with the bottom of the jets and you’re done. A good ear or a Unison gauge makes it simple. The jet bottoms have a six side “bolt” for using a wrench. After getting the mixtures right we mark the flat side pointing to the left fender as a reference for slightly changing the settings.
Bruce – me neither. In fact, I’ve known a number of downdraft Weber converts who converted BACK to SUs. The Weber might be an improvement over the single Zenith-Stromberg used from ’75 on, but if one is going to the trouble and expense of swapping out the Z-S, why not go to twin SUs? Or at least a single HS6 – except with these late cars, one of the real advantages of converting to twin SUs is the improved manifolding. The factory ’62-74 exhaust manifold is about as good as it gets – certainly better than that crack-prone one-piece intake/exhaust manifold on the late cars. I’m hoping the swap on this car is from the DCOE to the SUs – not the other way around. ‘ Guess one would use the early-style exhaust manifold with the DCOE as well.
At any rate, I just checked CL, and the ad is gone. ‘ Think we all helped the guy sell the car? ‘ Hope so
Hey Russ, I like the rubber bumper!!! I always thought they were better looking.
Craigslist: “This posting has been deleted by its author.”
Someone got a great deal!
What a lovely sports car, I’ love this in my garage.
The Weber carb is fine. Set it and forget it. Even a rebuilt set of SU HIF4s like this car had originally will never idle as smoothly and consistently as a Weber, and all out performance is about equal with a stock engine like this car has.
I religiously adjust my SUs at five-ten year intervals. Very important! I balance them with a unisyn, set them at the nominal six flats below the bridge, and work from there. After nearly 40 years, I think I’m learning how to interpret the “piston blip” test – making the process easier than ever. I’ve always “maintained” that once set, the best thing you can do with SUs is leave them alone. The folks who complain about them are those who constantly fiddle with them in search of some mythical “sweet spot” where this 95 hp engine is miraculously going to produce 200 hp and 6-second zero-to-60 times.
There probably isn’t an econobox on the planet that won’t blow the doors off my MG but that doesn’t concern me. As long as I feel an engine that’s eager to respond and rev, I’m happy.
I just want to say, do what you want to the MGB, it’s pretty forgiving. It’s not fast, nor does handle particularly well; by modern standards.
It is fun to drive and easy to work on.
Right now, I’m going to drive my Miata-seated, weber-carbed RBB up to get my morning caffeine.
Allen, I am in full agreement. I basically forbid anyone touching my SUs once I had them set. I only had my midget for 5 years (and I miss it still every time I am back in VA driving the winding Appalachian roads of home) but I will admit I did check them every few months. But all I was doing was putting an old radio antennae against the cylinders and adjusting per sound. Getting both sets to sound identical was my secret. Then bar anyone from touching them. Yes cars were faster but around those curves, I could smoke them up and down the mountains.
Bruce,
Oh yes, I sure miss those Appalachian mountains – where every road (except I-81) is an MG road. Sounds like we weren’t too far apart. I was in the Blacksburg/Christiansburg area – how ‘bout you?
I lived outside of Pearisburg on a farm between Dublin and Pearisburg. Went to VA Tech 77-81 Owned the MG from 77-81 I drove every back road between Blacksburg/Eggleston/McCoy/Pembroke and Pearisburg with a vengeance. I loved the car. Had plenty of dinners at The Farmhouse. If I went to Roanoke, always ripped down Rt 11. Didn’t want to fight the semi’s on 81. Did you happen to know any Reynolds? Rhonda taught school at C’burg and her husband was the Farm Bureau agent.
Wow! My old stomping grounds. I taught in the Music Dept at VT from 1977 (we’re classmates!) until retirement in 2006. My last 14 years there, we had a farm on route 42 near Simmonsville – about halfway between Newport, where 42 meets US 460, and New Castle where 42 meets 311. During those years, I routinely drove from home to Roanoke via 42 and 311down to Hanging Rock. Great MG roads – and then, as now, I drove my MGs exclusively – except in snow and salt. I bought my ’65 Pull-Handle MGB from a sort of “vintage used car” dealer in Narrows. It had sat on his “lot” (field) for 11 years without a top – so rusted it should have been crushed. But I decided to try and hone my newly-learned MIG welding skills on it. The body is done and painted, but I’m still building an engine for it now. ‘ Bought my ’73 B/GT from University Motors in Blacksburg – in 1986. $1300. ‘ Still driving it. 252,000 miles on it.
Honestly when I saw you name the first time (before you responded to me) that your name sounded familiar. Would not be surprised if I was remembering it from folks I knew in Band or music. And so happy when I saw you respond. Simmonsville would have been considered Craig County and I didn’t go past Mt Lake typically. My mom’s family was from WV so I normally would go north to WV (to yes, buy something stronger than Dr Pepper) and I can’t say I ever crossed up 42 at all (sad I now know). Isn’t Huffman up that way?
I only had a MG Midget. Pirelli tires, and believe it or not, threw snow retreads on in the winter, dropped 2 cinder blocks in the trunk and just kept on moving. As long as there was traction, the car was great.
Enjoy retirement and keep on driving that 73. And good luck on the MGB. The good news on the engine as you already know, much easier getting it in and out than it appears. Best of luck!
Bruce
Bruce,
We can continue this if you like. bachldrs (at) comcast (dot) net.