MGB GT as a Daily commuter? Advice please!

MGB GT as a Daily commuter? Advice please!

Author
Discussion

SMGB

790 posts

138 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Yes o/d standard by then, just re-route the wiring away from the gear lever frown
with the later LH o/d then dipping the clutch is kind to them the early LH (I think I got them the right way round) is vacumn interlocked and can be driven as a semi auto, lots of fun around country lanes.

320touring

Original Poster:

1,428 posts

198 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Just a point of note, havign been spoiled with 5 speed boxes,

whats the safest way to engage overdrive on a 4 speeder? and does it work on 3rd and 4th?

thanks!

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
320touring said:
Just a point of note, havign been spoiled with 5 speed boxes,

whats the safest way to engage overdrive on a 4 speeder? and does it work on 3rd and 4th?

thanks!
I love OD, although ours was always a little temperamental.

It should work on 3rd and 4th, although maybe earlier cars might only have been 4th (not sure). You can fiddle with it and make it work on all gears if you want though.

As for using it, just flick the switch, very very satisfying and timing it right going from 3rdOD to 4th(no OD).

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
BTW - am I the only one who actually prefers the rubber bumper cars? getmecoat

SMGB

790 posts

138 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
My Mk I car has o/d on 3/4. o/d 3rd is great gear just a bit shorter than 4th, then once you have finished the violence, into o/d 4th and relax. Mk Is are claimed 875 Kg kerb weight and tuned to 93BHP at the wheels on Redlines rolling road. Its enough.
Later cars had 4th only I think but I'm not an expert.
Lunch in Calais before the ferry home anyone?

S2Mike

3,065 posts

149 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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Mine was a 1979, o/d on 3rd and 4th, great for trundling through town at 30 in 3rd o/d engaged, get to the NSL sign and flick the o/d out and put the boot down. Very satisfying,rasp from the big bore S/S exhaust, up to 4th and re engage o/d.
.
I miss the old MG.......

320touring

Original Poster:

1,428 posts

198 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
possibly got a lead on a C/b gt- what are the worst bits for Grot/rust/damage?

also, should I expect discs at the front?

thanks

  • i'll buy the book as soon as I can!*

S2Mike

3,065 posts

149 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
320touring said:
possibly got a lead on a C/b gt- what are the worst bits for Grot/rust/damage?

also, should I expect discs at the front?

thanks

  • i'll buy the book as soon as I can!*
.
Grot and rust love the sills/ inner and outer, castle sections ( outriggers) and floor panels are the most obvious structural weak points for rust, and are more expensive to get repaired. Front wings lower edges do rust as there are water/mud traps underneath, round the headlamps and the scuttle panel, in front of the windscreen, along the seam with the wings and the drip channel under the bonnet. Bottom of the doors collect water and lower edges of the rear wings, but there are repair sections that can be bought and welded in. May be worth looking at the doors, close to the upright part of the chrome quarter lights "the split of doom," where the door skin tears towards the door mirrors, a difficult area to repair. Peculiar to the GT I believe around the rear window on the tailgate can get a bit rotten.
Depends on age, later ones will have discs, not sure of the change from drums on the front, but I think that was very early on.


mgtony

4,013 posts

189 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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300bhp/ton said:
BTW - am I the only one who actually prefers the rubber bumper cars? getmecoat
I wouldn't say I generally prefer rubber bumpered cars, but I see chrome cars as 60's classics and rubber cars as 70's classics.
I do love my one though. smile


S2Mike

3,065 posts

149 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
mgtony said:
300bhp/ton said:
BTW - am I the only one who actually prefers the rubber bumper cars? getmecoat
I wouldn't say I generally prefer rubber bumpered cars, but I see chrome cars as 60's classics and rubber cars as 70's classics.
I do love my one though. smile

.
I have never been a fan of the R/B models but with that colour and the spoiler,with those wheels, from that angle, in such good condition,you have that one just right, I can see the appeal.
Nice One Tony.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
mgtony said:
300bhp/ton said:
BTW - am I the only one who actually prefers the rubber bumper cars? getmecoat
I wouldn't say I generally prefer rubber bumpered cars, but I see chrome cars as 60's classics and rubber cars as 70's classics.
I do love my one though. smile

That looks lovely. I must dig out some pics of my '78 B GT.

I think what I like about the rubber bumpers is the overall shape of the car changes, more pointy at the front maybe.

That said the RV8 incarnation is probably my overall fav look. I remember there's was a custom greeny blue GT in the MGOC mag a good number of years ago, sporting a feisty V8 and RV8 styling. Probably one the best looking cars ever!

smile

na

7,898 posts

233 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
OP if you got that Driver's Handbook as I advised you'd have the answers to a lot of your questions and know more about the car than some long term owners

the MGB must be one of the most written about classics in this country so there is loads of information about it - in books, videos, internet , magazines - admittidly not all are accurate but the Driver's Handbook is, take a big hint, plus you need to do more research and certainly look at lots of examples, I always suggest test driving good mechanical examples out of your budget to see how well the cars should and could go (and perhaps see if you need to raise your budget) I also suggest you some budget for full and proper servicing, maintenance and repairs

I've made lots of mistakes over the 20+ years of owning classics as dailies and spent tens of thousands you could learn from some of my mistakes and save thousands of pounds, my usual mistakes are not doing enough (or any sometimes) research and buying the wrong cars and sometimes going to the wrong 'specialist experts' who are really con and bodge artist (one MG specialist like this always remains in my mind)

as for overdrive there are two posts about this before your question

o/d 3rd is equivalent to non-o/d 4th and o/d 4th is 'like' a fifth gear

good luck, cheers

S2Mike

3,065 posts

149 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all

Any excuse to post these,
I turned this into

This.

SMGB

790 posts

138 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
All MGBs had disc front/drum rear brakes. They changed from single to double master cylinder and added a servo over the years. Purists prefer the non servo cars, the tactility of the brake peddle is amazing and you can easily lock the wheels.
The GT was introduced in about 1966. I dont think one worth owning of that age would come for your budget. A 1970 car will be -ve earth alternator and 4 synchro gearbox, all desirable for a daily driver. The main downer on rubber bumpers is the extra weight of the armatures at the ends of the car increasing polar moment of inertia and raised ride height spoiling the handling. The bumpers per se work well and look fine IMHO.

mgtony

4,013 posts

189 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Thanks for the compliments guys, it sometimes gets the thumbs up from people who don't like any form of MGB! biggrin
S2, no-one could say that wasn't a great improvement to your B, looks like it's from a completely different era. I'd be afraid to take it anywhere and leave it!
All the talk of ride height I find strange. The very early chrome bumper cars were at a height where most of the top of the tyre was well up inside the wheel well, later chrome cars the tyre was about flush with the bottom of the wheel arch.
Most rubber bumpered cars have either settled after 35 odd years or simply putting lowered springs on or lowering blocks sorts out the rear. A set of shorter springs can sort the front, although I've left the front of mine. Looks okay and clears road humps.smile

williredale

2,866 posts

151 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
mgtony said:
I wouldn't say I generally prefer rubber bumpered cars, but I see chrome cars as 60's classics and rubber cars as 70's classics.
I do love my one though. smile

The colour and the wheels suit it. Lovely looking car!

na

7,898 posts

233 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
most Bs today (c/b and r/b) don't sit at original ride height because of a) soggy springs or b) the more modern fashion of having the car lower and wheel arches "filled" by the tyres

if you have a car with original type spring set up in good condition then it may appear to sit 'high’ to youngsters that didn't see the cars when they were new

by modern standards Bs are quite softly sprung so they need more room for the body to travel, you can lower and stiffen them but then they wont be so versatile or pleasant to use for everyday and touring 'b' and unclassified roads and probably most town roads

everything is a compromise, if you go low and harder the handling could be sharper but ride less pleasant, keep original higher and softer and I believe you get the better balance of handling and ride

look at any photos of new cars in the 60s and 70s and you’ll see just how ‘high’ they’re supposed to be, often forgotten now because we’ve got used to seeing oversized wheels and tyres on lowered cars

ETA: having put all that r/b could benefit from a drop of an inch so from original ride height as this was only increased to meet the regs

Edited by na on Tuesday 9th October 21:49

SMGB

790 posts

138 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
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I'm not a bumperist smile any MGB is good.
I'm also not a letterist, I prefer the MGB to the MGA to live with, but do like the looks of the MGA. My next daily driver may be an MGBGT they are fantastic value for money and there is a limit to how much trouble you can be in with them.
We parked next to one at the Autumn gathering that had benn boufght off of Ebay and driven down the day before change out of £2k and a nice car. Pics are on my machine and not onPhotobucket yet but i will put a couple on here.

na

7,898 posts

233 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
SMGB said:
MGBGT they are fantastic value for money
well of course all things are relative, it's still a lot of money for an old car and there are other classics for less (and more of course) and the running costs are more than on other cars

SMGB said:
there is a limit to how much trouble you can be in with them
yes but that could be a very expensive limit

if you want a classic MG then a BGT is a reasonable buy

fulvia griff

93 posts

160 months

Wednesday 10th October 2012
quotequote all
I used my '71 BGT for the daily commute over the summer racking up 400 miles a week and had no problems at all with the car, my only criticism was how much I felt obliged to clean it!

I had no problem insuring it, Footman James covered it for commuting as my only car at the time and spares are a really easy to get hold of if required, in my experience you can get most parts within a couple of days.

As has been said you'd get a much better RB car for your budget but if you spend long enough searching around you might get lucky with a cheaper CB (I did). Personally I'd always go for a car with good bodywork and rougher mechanicals as it requires less skill to sort, but thats personal preference.