My ‘new’ MG Magnette ZB images
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Discussion

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Monday 26th March 2018
quotequote all
Delivered at last




crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Monday 26th March 2018
quotequote all
laugh

yeah I know, for some reason my photos always appear the wrong way up, really annoying.
Thanks for compliment though.

LordBretSinclair

4,306 posts

206 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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The Varitone is a lovely looking car !!!
Did you get your insurance sorted ????

mph

2,376 posts

311 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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Try these.






Norfolkandchance

2,121 posts

228 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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Well done. I hope you enjoy it.

(Lowdrag is right, by the way, it would be cool with a Rover V8. Not a highly tuned one, just a burbly one.)

threespires

4,465 posts

240 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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Very nice..............

mph

2,376 posts

311 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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Lovely car, congratulations.

Yet another car that I've always fancied but never even driven. I'd be interested to hear how it compares with your Volvo Amazon

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Monday 26th March 2018
quotequote all
Thank you all very much chaps for your generous comments.
Also mph for putting it up the right way!!
I will be keeping the car standard with the exception of the fitting of seat belts.
Looking forward to now trying out the car locally and building up confidence in its reliability. Also the application of leather conditioner and wood wax yes

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Monday 26th March 2018
quotequote all
LordBretSinclair said:
The Varitone is a lovely looking car !!!
Did you get your insurance sorted ????
Ended up where I started with hagerty at £118 for the year. Good to look around at other Companies though but not much difference in prices after all.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Monday 26th March 2018
quotequote all
mph said:
Lovely car, congratulations.

Yet another car that I've always fancied but never even driven. I'd be interested to hear how it compares with your Volvo Amazon
Yes I will post my thoughts and experiences. For sure the leather and wood interior is far more pleasing than the Volvo.

RichB

56,206 posts

313 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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Looks like a very nice car. I know Z Magnettes very well. Back in period I had a ZA (my 2nd car) and my older brother had a ZB Varitone (strangely all in black).

iSore

4,011 posts

173 months

Monday 26th March 2018
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Such a pretty car, the Pathfinder also. Pre Varitone cars with the small rear screen look best.

To think BMC replaced that with some lever arm Farina heap. :roll eyes:

You could improve it with a properly built MGA Twin Cam unit, as planned by Mr Palmer himself.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
quotequote all
Thanks guys, hopefully the perfect classic car for me to enjoy, flowing lines, leather and wood
simple mechanics with built in reliability (fingers crossed). The only minor downside is a gearbox which lacks overdrive, the engine can sound busy at speed but as I am a plodder I can happlily live with this.
Didn’t realise that Palmer had the MGA engine in mind for magnette, why did they not go with that, seems to make perfect sense even now.?

Faust66

2,407 posts

194 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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Very nice car!

The interior is a ‘bit’ more luxurious than an Amazons… For those not in the know: they didn’t even come with carpets (allegedly due to the harsh Swedish winters), just rubber mats and a metal painted dash. Cracking heater though!

I’d be very interested to learn how it compares to an Amazon as they both date from the same period.

iSore

4,011 posts

173 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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crankedup said:
Didn’t realise that Palmer had the MGA engine in mind for magnette, why did they not go with that, seems to make perfect sense even now.?
Reliability was a problem, burned pistons and so on but all curable. Plus Leonard Lord wanted to replace him with Issigonis, plus the engine was expensive to make. Palmer had a six cylinder version up and running apparently, ready to go into the big Rileys.


crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

272 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
quotequote all
^^^
Clearly I have a lot to learn regarding the history of the marque, thanks for posting. I would imagine that the six cylinder would have suited the magnette very nicely and given it a more GT capability of long distance cruising with greater refinement.

Norfolkandchance

2,121 posts

228 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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crankedup said:
^^^
Clearly I have a lot to learn regarding the history of the marque, thanks for posting. I would imagine that the six cylinder would have suited the magnette very nicely and given it a more GT capability of long distance cruising with greater refinement.
This is what I was looking for in the v8 suggestion. Anyway looks like a nice one so keep it like it is!

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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Norfolkandchance said:
crankedup said:
^^^
Clearly I have a lot to learn regarding the history of the marque, thanks for posting. I would imagine that the six cylinder would have suited the magnette very nicely and given it a more GT capability of long distance cruising with greater refinement.
This is what I was looking for in the v8 suggestion. Anyway looks like a nice one so keep it like it is!
The Rover V8 weighs less than the B Series engine and is one option I'm considering for the Riley One-Point-Five I'm restoring. I don't know how much the six-cylinder C Series weighs but I bet it's 'chunky'.

aeropilot

40,526 posts

256 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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mph said:
I'm guessing, being black its had a carpet change?

Would guess original carpet would have been a dark red to match the rest of the red interior from other ZB's I've seen?




lowdrag

13,181 posts

242 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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Ah, the memories of driving Dad's ZA! That lovely walnut dash, the smell of the leather, and such elegance. By the way, I gave up on the idea of a V8 one but in my dotage perhaps when one of the current toys can persuade me they need new pastures I could well be returning to the idea. But DaimlerV8 is right; a rorty-snorty 2-litre MGB engine would more than suffice and be far cheaper. But the roar of the side exhaust still entranced me on Sunday when I was persuaded to give her a wee outing. Oh, and the smell of the Castrol R brought back so many memories. Yes, I put a few teaspoonfuls in the tank for old times sake. May your new acquisition give you many a happy mile and smile sir.