Tyrolite, as I found out from this informative article, is a mineral that is found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. Tyrolite Green happens to be the color of this largely original MGA, found for sale here on eBay, where bidding is up to $7,700 and there’s no reserve. The stone-colored beauty is located in Canton, Georgia.
I have purchased items from this seller on eBay before (their auctions are easy to recognize due to the inclusion of an orange in most pictures) and have been happy with the quality of the items. Now he tells us that at 76 it’s time to let go of their British car collection (there is a TR3 and TR4A on eBay as well). The car appears to be quite original and has just been taken out of 27 years of storage (the seller has owned it for 26 years.
Unfortunately, storage or its previous life wasn’t necessarily kind to the MGA. You can see the rust here, although since the MGA is largely supported by it’s frame, it’s not as bad as if it were a full unibody.
We’re told that the engine was rebuilt just prior to putting the car into storage and that it’s still in nice condition. The seller tells us it even runs and drives well–and just look at how solid that frame is!
Although the driver’s seat is obviously not original, the passenger seat probably is. I could live with this interior in a “driver” for a long, long time.
As previously stated, the engine was rebuilt and runs very well. Carbs and hydraulics have both received recent work as the car was prepared for sale. The seller has driven it up and down their driveway a lot, but hasn’t taken it on the road and recommends checking it out at length before planning any long trips. I know I’d like to be the pilot–how about you?
What’s with the orange??
Probably a gimmick to catch your eye. And a lot cheaper than the models in swimwear that you occasionally see in the ads.
IDK, it’s a fact, there are 3 things that sell cars. Children, puppies, and scantily clad women. Colorful fruit, not so much.
Sure it’s not a Georgia peach?
That is for color balance. If the orange is right then you know the rest of the colors are not distorted. The color of an orange is known to almost everybody and who ever took the photos wanted everybody to be certain that the color of the car was not photoshopped or distorted. Very classy when you understand what and why it was done.
Bruce, thanks for that information — I’ve followed his auctions for years and never knew that. :-)
That seller is known in the British used parts market. He puts oranges in all his eBay ads as part of his identity… don’t really know why, but all of us that have bought from him know this is his “signature.”
He gets some hard to find stuff occasionally. Goes over to UK and Europe occasionally and buys it, ships it here, and sells it on eBay to us ‘Murican British Iron owners. He’s fair, but not cheap.
Hon? I know we said we were going to redo the bathroom but……. Oh, what? Sure, nevermind. Yes, dear.
is it posibel to ship to Belgium ?
Kris, be sure to click on the eBay link in the first paragraph for the auction. He does state in the listing that he will ship worldwide.
I have owned and restored a few of these and if the major frame rails are not rusted putting on patch panels and restoration of this car look to be extremely easy. This looks very much like a sold car worth the price and effort to bring it back to being an excellent car.
This is the perfect time to be driving one as well. Heater is not great, and side curtains can be a pain but these are great putting around cars and they are very beautiful on the road. I hope it goes to a owner that will return it to the road in as new condition. Also this is the only one I have seen of this color.
Of a note I am not certain of when the change occurred but early MG’s when painted the colors were not keep constantly mixed. I have seen any number of variation of RED and other colors because of this. The best way to test is to look under the dash. So almost any color of red, green and even white might be original. This color looks especially nice I would go however with a black top.
I have restored a 1960 MGA with a blown engine that ended up being off the frame. These are great cars… fun to drive. Sound great. Slide around corners on tall, narrow tires.
This one looks pretty solid from what I can see here. The rust isn’t that bad and that’s fairly easy to repair.
I would say that the electrics and switches are something that I would suggest you check before buying the car.
Don’t sweat that driver’s seat. My guess is that there is a real seat underneath a bad seat cover. If there isn’t – you can get restored seats, new foam and upholstery from MOSS.
BEWARE that the floor under those carpets are WOOD. THIN WOOD. I would pull up the carpet and look at it for rot. AND while you are looking – take a good luck at the steel angle iron that the wood is through bolted to.
I would also top off the master cylinder reservoir with the proper fluid and pump up the brakes and clutch and see if the master cylinder is functional and to see if the brake lines and hoses POP… as mine did in my car when I first got it.
GOOD LUCK. Looks like a nice car at a decent price…. if it runs and works.
The Orange. years ago I did a six figure British car restoration 5500 hrs. I was on eBay for 3 years everyday searching NOS and he was a very active seller with fair prices, the orange is a signature in all his pics.
That color looks for all the world like Calypso Blue, a 70’s color popular at painter Earl Scheib.