Living with a LBC

I'm giving serious thought to selling my sensible, comfortable, fast sedan and buying a Spridget or Spitfire for daily use in the next few months. MGB's, GT-6's, TR-6's and all those other larger British cars are generally out of my price range, so although the occasional screaming bargain does crop up, I most likely won't be holding out for one.

Question is, how feasible a proposition is this? Does anybody on the board actually run a Spridget or Spit every day? Are roadside electrical failures imminent should I peruse such an outdated mode of transportation?

Are there any sure-fire ways to improve reliability and driveability? I.e., converting to electronic ignition, ditching the SU carbs for a single Weber? Is overdrive a necessity for highway driving? Should I keep a Civic stashed away in the shed 'just-in-case' (or for 'when-it-rains')?

Any and all input is welcome,

Cheers,

Luke

Luke, from my own personal research I don't think either of those choices will probably work well for you. The Spitfire is generally not impressive in it's reliability (and I think they are great cars) and the Spridget is awfully small and pretty slow though somewhat more sturdy. An MGB really would be a better choice and worth the price differential. Maybe get a rubber bumper one to start?

However, if I may suggest a affordable and arguably better alternative, you should consider a Fiat 124/2000 Spider. Less expensive up front and, with the usual teething period behind you, probably more reliable, comfortable and faster for daily use. You just need to find one that isn't a rust bomb.

The X1/9, if you fit, is also a worthy contender. They change hands for very little and can be a very practical car that will out-handle any of the competition.

I like LBC's and many other sports cars as well as my Mini. I could probably live with a Mini every day, but not a leaky, stiff riding British roadster.

Thanks David. An X1/9 is my second choice, though at this stage I've ruled out anything Italian, simply because my last two cars were Italians, and I'd quite like a change.

MGB's, even rubber bumpers, are going for silly money where I live. I haven't seen one for sale under $12k in a long time. At that price I could buy a Triumph Stag (but won't, for reasons of fuel economy), or a ropey TR-6/GT-6.

Luke,

I must agree with David, I had a '69 MG Midget 4 years through college and it was a love hate relationship. The love; it was "restored" nice paint, beautiful interior, great handling, wonderful exhaust note, and with a convertible on campus your always a star with the sorority girls. The hate; the mechanicals, replaced head, transmission, clutch, radiator, all on a poor college students 0 salary. It did teach me the fundamentals to work and maintain my own cars which I'm greatful for. At the time I didn't realize I was getting two degrees, I think I use the automotive one more today in racing my Healey. I made sure my girl friend always had a reliable car (Honda Prelude) at the time. When we married the MG had to go, but we both still loved the trips to the coast in the Midget when it was running well. The bottom line, if you go LBC have a back up plan. I don't think Italian will be any better. You might think of the over-looked and under valued MGB-GT. Think mini Aston-Martin, hard top for the wet season and still great handling with the british sports car sound. I see top cars trading hands here in Portland, Oregon for 8-9K with sound drivers around 5K.

Good luck with the hunt.

Doug

I love LBC's, but living with one as a DD is strictly for the hardcore. I drove a 74 BGT daily for five years when I was in college and a few years after. I drove it daily year 'round in Chicago, and parked it on the street.

I could never do that now, I have to be where I have to be, I need to be on time and clean, and I can't bear the traces of frustration over a bad drive I just finished.

I still have a 71 BGT, and I drive it a few days a week and to work on Fridays because its casual day and it keeps miles of my leased VW. I just drove it to a conference about 2 1/2 hours away and stayed for four days. Even with OD, I have to tell you I'm just too old for some of the automotive drama. I had to stop once to tighten some lugs, and had a few other little problems. I like to drive, I don't like roadside repair and I appreciate a measure of predictability in a car. Hence, I will be driving my 84 Benz 300D as my "daily driven classic" here shortly, and keep the B for the weekends and fun runs.

Not to talk negatively about the idea of an LBC as a DD, its only good if you're really handy as a shadetree and don't mind some contingencies. As for the Midget and the Spitfire, I don't want to make any enemies but the B, especially the BGT, is a Lincoln Town Car compared to those. They're more like scooters than cars, nothing wrong with that, but there may just be a little too much L in those LBC's!

I have no qualms about the reliability of my Spitfires. I could confidently take them to work, or cross country.

BUT, my commute to work is anything but fun. Trying it on a tiny car with a zillion other zombies on the road all determined to run into one another does not excite me.

As well the notion of coming into work sweaty and smelly doesn't bode well. My work environment is relaxed, but it is not a shop floor either. So air conditioning is is a pretty important tool for me in my commute.

Many times I'm dog tired and the last thing I want is an interesting ride to work. I just want to chug along in air conditioned comfort and reliability in an automatic transmissioned tank or some facimily thereof.

When I get home, then off I go in the Spitfire or the bike.

So be very realistic about your commute and your commuting needs.

Luke,

I drove my GT-6 daily for over 2 years while I was stationed in the south. My MGB was a true daily driver for over 5 years. Both had points.

In my opion: Get an MGB, then a spit/GT-6. Overdrive is nice, but not required. The OD can be had later.

My SUs worked wonderfully! They are a simple and very relible carb. I eventually had Weber DCOEs on all my cars only because of the need for speed(and they look extreamly cool).

Lastly, Your buying into a hobby. I belive that I was able to drive my cars daily because I always was tinkering/tuning or just had my fingers stuck somewhere in the cars dark corners on a regular basis.

Leo

PS. I drive my Morgan everyday...WX permitting.

You know, I have to agree with all of the above. It's a commitment to drive one everyday. I've used a TR4, Midget, TR7 and a B as a daily driver, and all of them (with the exception of the 7, it was new) took road side repairs to a new height. The TR4 would shed parts driving down the road, and that was with a weekly nut and bolt. The Midget only had 25k miles on it when I bought it, and was 10 years old, but it too blew a head gasket, axle seals, numerous electrical components, etc.

if your drive is pretty short, I might say OK, if not, you need to be prepared for maybe not making it to work on time.

On a different note, I drove an X1/9 everyday for years, with hardly a failure at all, just kept on top of maintenance. In fact, all my Italians were better suited to daily life.

Other than that, you might want to look to the '80's and something like an MR2 or CRX. While not exactly a classic in the accepted sense, they make great daily drivers and are old enough not to feel so modern.

I drove my MGB 320 miles this weekend (to the Duryea Hillclimb). My butt is sore!

I love the B, but I think I'll be driving the Miata all this week. Or maybe even the minivan.

Thank you to everyone for your input.

Well, I've become somewhat put-off the idea of running a Spridget/Spit every day. As much as I'd relish the adventure, I think I value reliability a tad too highly.

I'm most likely going to sell the Alfa anyway, but will probably end up with an X1/9 instead. (Unless I find an affordable MGB/B-GT.)

Of course, I may end up living on campus next year, in which case I won't be heavily dependant upon a car, which means a LBC could be a viable option after all.

The single most important mod I made to the Mini to make it pleasant was replace the seats. I think this is a too often overlooked part of driving these old buckets. We spent 2 days driving several hours in the Mini for a weekend and came out of the car not the least bit tired. Had it still be the original seats, we would both have surrendered after about an hour.

The X1/9 would be a good choice if you go back to Italian. They can pull low 30mpg range easily and the FI models are fairly reliable.

Luke,

There is a compromise position. I know it's not what you asked but consider an early Mazda MX-5/Miata (whatever they're called Down Under). You get all the good noises, air conditioning, a great transmission, and better performance all around than any LBC.

Spend a couple of weekends sorting the car and you're good to go for trouble-free driving. Arrive at work relaxed yet spiritually refreshed.

No, it's not an LBC, but it's still fun, matches all your criteria, and there's still enough to do with a ten-or-fifteen-year-old car to keep you interested.

A Miata has been in the back of my mind the whole time. It certainly is the obvious/sensible compromise, and indeed what I may end up with. However, a big part of this decision to change cars stems from a desire to get into something properly old. I will definitely test drive a Miata before buying anything, which may change my tune.

Luke, I have to chime in on the Miata thing. I have an '80 MGB(no overdrive, 111,000 kms) and a '91 Miata(147,000 kms).
I've had a few spitfires and minis as well. You need to weigh the romantic notions of driving an old classic daily with driving something with more modern engineering. This where an old Miata shines. The majority were bought as daily drivers and have survived admirably. There's just so little that go wrong with the cars and the fact that they're a hoot drive with all the great classic feel of something really old. Add to that a multitude of tuning goodies and and tons of hours to whittle away on internet sites like miata.net plus the fun of browsing Moss catalogs (miatamania.com) over a pint to boot! They have fantastic heat, a top that seals, a 5 speed and an engine that loves to rev. I know that it isn't quite the same as something truly old, but that's the compromise that you need to decide on. As another unexpected project(repair) comes up for the B I'm reminded of why the Miata took the sportscar world by storm. It's a sportscar that you can truly rely on everday. The fact that it's so damn fun to drive is a bonus! Good luck with your decision.

There is 1970 reliable and there is 2008 reliable. My Fiat is 1970 reliable. It wants service and I take 2 weeks to gather the parts and fix it while I drive a real car. In a campus environment, I would not like to see a convertible classic parked for long.

Cheers Ron

And trust me, old Miatas can stil smell like mold!

I recently sold my '91 BRG Miata, and have regretted it since it drove away. For daily driving, the Miata is about as good as it gets while still keeping the proper sports car feel. There simply is no comparison to its older counterparts in terms of reliablility.

What you don't get with them is rarity, but then MGBs used to be everywhere too. A time is coming where early Miatas are going to be rare as well.

Like Foxtrapper, I'd jump in my TR3 and drive it across the country if I had to, but commuting to work every day. No Way! Too small, too much work and it's just not fun in traffic.

jack

I've had thoughts of using classics for daily driving... but at the same time, my end goal would be to have more than one car to choose from so I could drive the car best suited for the conditions and be free to take one ff the road as needed for maintenance. I'm also a firm believer in resto-modding - 99 pt restorations need not apply.

1. '78 Spit 6 (currently own). It's a bit ratty, so after I finish up some issues, it could be probably serve normal driving duties.

2. '73 "ghetto-restored" Volvo 1800ES (currently own, but not running). This would serve DD duties in quetionable weather, or when A/C might be desired. Also when I might need to haul something semi-big.

3. Classic Mini (don't own, but want). For DD when weather is nice and/or I have a long trip as it would get the best mpg, although I have to admit that I know from experience a 1800ES is an incredible long-distance hwy cruiser.

4. '95 Dodge Cummins 4x4 club cab (currently own). For really crappy winter driving so as to limit salt-exposure to the old cars and when I need to move big stuff.

Of course, since this is (more or less) GRM, the answer is ALWAYS "Miata". ;)

From about October through April I DD the Elan +2S. It's comfortable, reliable (all English Ford parts), fast, and looks great. It's eleventy billion times easier to work on than the E Type. That being said, It's only left me by the side of the road once due to a loose electrical connection. I drive it to work, the supermarket, lunch, the Symphony Orchestra, and on dates with SWMBO. I would drive it in the summer months (and did last summer) if it had a/c.

The hardtop is nice in the winter for sure, but in the summer I would like to be able to take it off. Other than that, I have no complaints, and will continue to drive my LBC's every day.

Mike

Jack wrote: Like Foxtrapper, I'd jump in my TR3 and drive it across the country if I had to, but commuting to work every day. No Way! Too small, too much work and it's just not fun in traffic. jack

Love that picture of your TR-3 & skis!!

When I was in the NSPS I drove my '56 smallmouth to the ski area on perfect days in full ski gear. Great Fun.

Luke,

This has been a very interesting thread. My current daily driver is my 1970 Mk3 Spitfire. I drive the car every day rain or shine. The car was restored about 16 years ago and then spent it's life being an occasional driver and running at the local autox. About a year ago I decided to make the Spit my daily driver and love it. My commute to work is easy at about 10 miles in the country/city.

The car is pretty much stock except for the exhaust, electronic ignition, and shocks. I also added an overdrive which is nice to have. I have found that with a little weekly attention the car has been super reliable and has never let me down. In fact I would argue that the car runs better being driven daily then it did before. I think the difference in Spits being reliable or not has everything to do with maintenance. I rebuilt my car, I have been in every major component so I know the condition.

Using a Spitfire as a daily driver amongst the big SUV's is not for everyone but I sure enjoy it. I find that you have to drive the car with a certain amount of defensive/aggression. My plan is to continue driving the Spit while I restore my TR8 and then switch.

Good luck with your choice,

Bill

Would a Datsun 240Z scratch your itch? Just tossing this out there as they're properly old, but with a straight six have a bit more get up and go. And electronics with more than three fuses in the whole wiring harness.

Holy thread resurrection!

I drove my GT6 in to work today (the Spit 6 mentioned back in 2008 was sold). It was a fun drive in, although a bit slow. While it cruises at 60-65 well enough to stay with traffic (with occasional bursts to 70+), it still isn't as comfortable at the 80ish of typical left-lane traffic on I-95 in PA). Fortunately, only 1/3 of my commute it highway and the rest is back-roads.

There was also the extra time it took this morning to clear the windshield and side windows (the rear hatch electric defroster actually works!), but that gave the car a few minutes to warm up, so probably not a bad thing.

This week may be perfect driving weather for the GT6. It's a bit cold but not freezing, so being in a car with marginal ventilation is bareable. It's days like this (in mid- March) when I could have delusions about DD'ing a GT6. Ask me again in mid-July...

I've put 1000 miles on a TR6 over the last few weeks. It rides a little harsh, but gets better mileage than just about anything else in the fleet and handles great. Of course, the weather is perfect right now in Central Florida.