Is now a good time to buy a MGB GT ?
Discussion
I love classic cars but have never owned one. I look at them on and off but have not yet but the bullet. I now have a company car which I can use for personal use so was thinking of getting a MGB GT before values soar. I have space on my driveway for the car but unfortunately I don't have a garage which makes me a little nervous if I'm honest (paintwork). The plan would be to try and get one with a good body and keep it running over a couple of years. I feel that it is criminal to buy a concourse one so I would be after one that i wouldn't be afraid to drive in all conditions.
I am 24 years old and have 7 NCB and a clean driving license. I would take out classic cover but I have heard prices can be shocking. I want cover with an agreed value and don't want my pants pulled down.
Any owners on here and what do I look out for ?
I am 24 years old and have 7 NCB and a clean driving license. I would take out classic cover but I have heard prices can be shocking. I want cover with an agreed value and don't want my pants pulled down.
Any owners on here and what do I look out for ?
MGB GTs will never soar because there are so many, look elsewhere.
Bloody lovely design and style though, as nice as anything.
You need a car port as a minimum IMO. Better to buy the car you want rather than one you dont in the hope it will increase £3k over five years. That'be 5 years with the wrong car. So go for the GT!
Bloody lovely design and style though, as nice as anything.
You need a car port as a minimum IMO. Better to buy the car you want rather than one you dont in the hope it will increase £3k over five years. That'be 5 years with the wrong car. So go for the GT!
OP, as mentioned above, MGB GT prices will not soar...there are simply too many examples out there and they have always been the sporting classic for the everyday man. The much maligned and humble MGB, when in fine fettle, is a cracking classic car to own. You'll be better off buying the best car you can afford as rust is their biggest enemy...parts availability is superb and they're so very easy to work on. Insurance, even at the tender age of 24, is not a problem and you'll be amazed at how low your premium will be, though do shop around using classic car insurance specialists...it's also worth joining one of the clubs to obtain further discount. If possible, keep the car protected under a carport or buy a car tent. The tents are not expensive and will do a superb job in protecting your P&J. Good luck with the fun of finding the right car.
MGBs are 2 a penny. There are SO many out there that, ideally, you should spend around a year looking for the right one. You should work on the theory that around 8 out of 10 are going to give you problems, either bodily or mechanically, or both.
The build quality and engineering of the car was very primitive to start with, (driven, as usual, by price and NOT quality), but the design, rather like the E type Jaguar, was way ahead of it's time. It was just executed very badly.
A friend of mine is currently rebuilding, from the ground up, a Harvest Gold GT, and I mean, from the ground up. It WILL be perfect. BUT, he has the misguided idea that it will be worth circa £20,000 when finished. In my opinion, having perused the internet and visited a few classic car auctions - it MAY be worth circa £7000.
Depending totally on your budget, look for a car that YOU can check out for yourself, and DON'T just listen to what the seller tells you. He is, obviously, biased and anxious to sell the car.
The build quality and engineering of the car was very primitive to start with, (driven, as usual, by price and NOT quality), but the design, rather like the E type Jaguar, was way ahead of it's time. It was just executed very badly.
A friend of mine is currently rebuilding, from the ground up, a Harvest Gold GT, and I mean, from the ground up. It WILL be perfect. BUT, he has the misguided idea that it will be worth circa £20,000 when finished. In my opinion, having perused the internet and visited a few classic car auctions - it MAY be worth circa £7000.
Depending totally on your budget, look for a car that YOU can check out for yourself, and DON'T just listen to what the seller tells you. He is, obviously, biased and anxious to sell the car.
datum77 said:
BUT, he has the misguided idea that it will be worth circa £20,000 when finished. In my opinion, having perused the internet and visited a few classic car auctions - it MAY be worth circa £7000.
Careful with this, there are many A1* B's that have been changing hands for good money over the past two years. I know of three perfect standard and as new rebuilt examples have changed hands between £15-23k this year and they were all later five bearing/wide gearbox tunnel models, two GT's and one roadster. V8's and good V8 conversions are also fetching strong money.http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C674902
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C673867
v8250 said:
Wow! That certainly is strong money. 
Loved my old BGT V8.
vixen1700 said:
Wow! That certainly is strong money. Loved my old BGT V8.
Strong money, indeed, but accepting this V8 is genuinely flawless it would cost £50k+ to build and any potential buyer would be saving themselves many £££'s. I know one MG specialist who builds a few V8 conversions each year, many for overseas customers. The cars are very good with each costing £45-55K and he always has a good order book. The blue V8 is getting a lot of international discussion at the moment with many a commentator thinking the BV8 is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Loved my old BGT V8. 20 years ago I rebuilt a genuine V8. Even then it cost over £7k. When I sold it I got £3.3k. There are two chances of that V8 being sold for £36k, one of which is extremely small. At the end of the day there was a good reason for the detuned V8. Mine had close to 200hp when finished and all of the available special tuning parts for the brakes and suspension. It was still lethal!
I'm sure rebuilding a B is easier and a lot more expensive than it was, so that V8 represents a 'bargain' in terms of what has been spent on it. But an MGB for £36k? ? ? ? ?
I'm sure rebuilding a B is easier and a lot more expensive than it was, so that V8 represents a 'bargain' in terms of what has been spent on it. But an MGB for £36k? ? ? ? ?
Pete54 said:
20 years ago I rebuilt a genuine V8. Even then it cost over £7k. When I sold it I got £3.3k. There are two chances of that V8 being sold for £36k, one of which is extremely small. At the end of the day there was a good reason for the detuned V8. Mine had close to 200hp when finished and all of the available special tuning parts for the brakes and suspension. It was still lethal!
I'm sure rebuilding a B is easier and a lot more expensive than it was, so that V8 represents a 'bargain' in terms of what has been spent on it. But an MGB for £36k? ? ? ? ?
>>Mine had close to 200hp when finished and all of the available special tuning parts for the brakes and suspension. It was still lethal!<<I'm sure rebuilding a B is easier and a lot more expensive than it was, so that V8 represents a 'bargain' in terms of what has been spent on it. But an MGB for £36k? ? ? ? ?
So my lightened V8 conversion with 250bhp on 195/65R15's should be entertaining...
>>I'm sure rebuilding a B is easier and a lot more expensive than it was<<
It is an expensive process but can be completed with carefully chosen best of breed components for circa' £16-18k + cost of the original car...but only if one ignores the cost associated with labour.
>>But an MGB for £36k? ? ? ? ?<<
But seemingly excellent value for many when compared to £60k+ for one of these nicely hand crafted B's...
www.frontlinedevelopments.com/
One interesting point is what great value for money comes from a properly sorted BV8. They're readily available between £15-£25k, haven't suffered crazy price inflation as seen with so many other models, have near unbustable mechanicals and can be 'tweeked' from their standard 135bhp to over 400bhp as seen here www.johnwilsonracing.com/ ...so may be the BV8's day is finally arriving?
I've had a few BGTs over the years, chrome an rubber bumper versions. All of them had rubbish heaters, windscreen seals that let water into the car and rotten screen pillars!
But I loved them all! Bulletproof old engines, great with the overdrive, the gearboxes are lovely and the cars are just so pleasant to drive. Nothing has better parts availability.
Bs are no more expensive now than they were ten years ago, unlike the stupid prices being asked for Minis and Escorts.
I'd have another GT tomorrow, I actually prefer the rubber bumper models, they tend to be better value, overdrive is standard and the engine access is even better than the earlier ones.
Probably the most practical classic car.
But I loved them all! Bulletproof old engines, great with the overdrive, the gearboxes are lovely and the cars are just so pleasant to drive. Nothing has better parts availability.
Bs are no more expensive now than they were ten years ago, unlike the stupid prices being asked for Minis and Escorts.
I'd have another GT tomorrow, I actually prefer the rubber bumper models, they tend to be better value, overdrive is standard and the engine access is even better than the earlier ones.
Probably the most practical classic car.
Now is definitely a good time to buy a GT, they will be at their cheapest in the next month or so as winter sets in. I bought mine in May which is probably the worst time to buy one, but I couldn't resist. I knew nothing about the inner workings of a car until I bought mine, the learning curve has been steep but not steep enough to be scary (yet).
They are easily the most accessible classic around, mine cost £1700 and it runs like a dream, came with an MOT and nothing too worrying body-wise, you could pick up a very nice car for under £2500 and spare parts are so cheap it's funny. Insurance will be fine, I'm 19 and find it very reasonable on a limited mileage classic policy.
If you do go to look at one, make sure you drive it properly before parting with any money, mine often gets ragged within an inch of its life and it takes it all in its stride. Make sure the clutch is good, it's an engine and gearbox our job and can cost anywhere between £300 and £700 ish depending on where you go, make sure the tyres aren't 20 years old like mine were and try to find a way to test whether any (or how much
) rain comes in to the cabin and check the underside to see how well sealed it is if you plan on using it all year round. These are just the things I wish I had done when I looked at mine.
If you have any questions let me know, but I would highly recommend it. I haven't looked back since I bought mine, I drive the long way home from work now :-)
They are easily the most accessible classic around, mine cost £1700 and it runs like a dream, came with an MOT and nothing too worrying body-wise, you could pick up a very nice car for under £2500 and spare parts are so cheap it's funny. Insurance will be fine, I'm 19 and find it very reasonable on a limited mileage classic policy.
If you do go to look at one, make sure you drive it properly before parting with any money, mine often gets ragged within an inch of its life and it takes it all in its stride. Make sure the clutch is good, it's an engine and gearbox our job and can cost anywhere between £300 and £700 ish depending on where you go, make sure the tyres aren't 20 years old like mine were and try to find a way to test whether any (or how much
) rain comes in to the cabin and check the underside to see how well sealed it is if you plan on using it all year round. These are just the things I wish I had done when I looked at mine.If you have any questions let me know, but I would highly recommend it. I haven't looked back since I bought mine, I drive the long way home from work now :-)
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff