Man, I want this MGB GT so bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-MGB-GT-/280760276640?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item415e9dd6a0

Sadly, or luckily, I don't have the money sitting around for this.

It's not that far away from me. It's scruffy enough to have something to plan and do, and to not be afraid of driving it or changing it. It seems to have been sorted with an eye towards being a daily driver. It's pretty much exactly at the level of condition I like seeing in a classic. Neither falling apart or perfect. Elsewhere on eBay is a 21000 mi unrestored example. I'd feel terrible about doing more than taking it out on pretty Sunday afternoons and rubbing it with a diaper in a climate controlled garage. I want to buy this, put some nicer seats in it, and go on a road trip.

I've never owned anything quite this old, or British. It's so tempting.

Is anyone here living with something of this vintage as a daily driver or even as regular transportation?

That, plus a wrecked miata and some scrap metal makes for a gorgeous, quick, reliable transport.

I'd love to have one, but I'm just too big to fit in the things.

Lots of room once you're in it, getting in & out can be a little tight. With overdrive it's a reasonable highway car, w/o it's kind of busy.

I pretty much DD this one on a rotating basis with the Protege.

The problem with a B is you need to get them to a baseline that you can maintain. You do this either by performing an investigative evaluation of all the components or the shotgun approach.

If I bought that car, I would shotgun the entire brake and suspension systems tot he tune of about 2k in parts. I just assume that in a car of that price range, this stuff has been neglected, and I don't have the time or patience to go trhought the thing or wait/worry for it tobreak

On the engine side, I would rebuild the carbs and distributor. Dont worry about the engine; if it has compression, it will run. If the transmission is the 3 synchro unit, it is most likely cooked. If it has been replaced with the later 4 sync, it is bulletproof.

Forget the body on that car. If you can live with it, you will have 5k into the car once it is sorted. If you decide to do the body and paint the next stop will be closer to 20k.

That said, there are some nice MGs to be had in the 6k region that dont need body an paint.

In reply to Toyman01: That's a good point. I'm 6'3". Perhaps I should try sitting in one before I go rearranging my finances.

I don't blame you for wanting it but it will have to be painted real soon in order to keep the body from getting in trouble. I started a BGT project with plans to make a DD out of it but sold it soon after I got it. I really like them.

mmosbey wrote: In reply to Toyman01: That's a good point. I'm 6'3". Perhaps I should try sitting in one before I go rearranging my finances.

I'm 6'2" and a touch over 250. It's like putting on a pair of pants that's two sizes too small. You can do it, but it ain't gonna be fun. The only thing worse than getting in is getting out.

Edit: It really sucks too, because that's probably one of my favorite body styles.

BGTs that aren't rusty make me feel like a failure. I really need to go learn how to weld sheet metal.

MG_Bryan wrote: BGTs that aren't rusty make me feel like a failure. I really need to go learn how to weld sheet metal.

Here ya go...step by step on how to resurect a rustbucket GT into a solid shell.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3882315/1967-mg-mgb

Trust me, the welding skills will be there by the time yoou finish.

In reply to mmosbey:

I have a 67 Sunbeam Alpine that I drive almost daily during "the season". We also take longish (1000-1500 miles) trips in it. But it hardly counts as a British car. The running gear is all Ford and I've updated the electrical system with an EZ kit. But its still a fun driver. Bill

NOHOME wrote: Trust me, the welding skills will be there by the time yoou finish.

Problem is, once you have welded your way once around the car, the first work you did is bad enough you need to do it over...and the next time around, it still looks better...

I once bought three quarter panels for a Road Runner.

The MGB GTis one of those cars that I hated when they were current (though, or perhaps because, I loved MGBs) but I really like them a lot now. I guess it could be because I've gotten convertibles out of my system.

I always found MGBs to have incredible legroom. That was something I missed in my Miatas. That's the nice part about having the gas tank behind the rear axle: Lots of room to stretch out.

Of course, there is that whole dying-in-a-fire thing...

Woody wrote: The MGB GTis one of those cars that I hated when they were current (though, or perhaps because, I loved MGBs) but I really like them a lot now. I guess it could be because I've gotten convertibles out of my system. I always found MGBs to have incredible legroom. That was something I missed in my Miatas. That's the nice part about having the gas tank behind the rear axle: Lots of room to stretch out. Of course, there is that whole dying-in-a-fire thing...

I had to reconfigure the seat mounts in my 66 so I can sit an inch farther forward. The idea that people actually slide the seat all the way back makes me feel really short.