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MG MGA - MGA Purchasing Advice
| Dear all, I am looking for some insight from people with more experience that as I am looking at buying an MGA, and make the big step into classic cars. I have spotted today particular one I want to go for, which is a 1957 MBA, in fairly good condition, with no major rust and nice cosmetics + interior. The dealer is asking for $14k. No soft-top nor spare wheel. Do you have any recommendation or thoughts? Anything to look out for apart from the obvious on this particular model, etc? The trunk has no upholstery or carpeting but I guess that is easy to put in. Paint is in good shape and all the gauges work. The guy did mention there is no heater. Normally I wouldn't need that as I want to use it in Miami where it is relatively warm all year round. I am bit in a rush as I think it is a good deal and I would like to close it before someone else does. Let me know what you think. You can contact me on gramosgarzon@hotmail.com or call me on 3059031479. I would appreciate the insight of an experienced person. Kind regards, Gonzalo  |
| G Ramos |
| Gonzalo, be very careful, that's a lot of money and if you don't know old cars you can buy yourself a heap of trouble. There must be a lot of MGA owners in Florida, see if you can persuade one of them to look at it with you. Don't rush into it! Lindsay. |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| Gonzalo, my recommendation is to do a bunch more research before buying any car. If you miss this one so be it, it wasn't to be. There are lots of MGAs for sale all over the country most of the time. Read as much as you can about the different models adn decide which one is best suited to you. One of the best books to buy is Anders Clausager, The Original MGA. One of the best resources is Barney Gaylords website the MGA Guru. I would not buy the first car you fall in love with even though the temptation is great. See and drive as many models as you can. There are too many pitfalls to fall into and you don't want to waster any money. There are many great cars out there, but do your research first. Good luck. Andy |
| Andy Preston |
| Gonzalo, Andy is right, spend as much time looking for the right car as possible. I think that the price is a little high for a 1500 without a spare or any weather equipment. As for the trunk not being upholstered, that is factory correct. There was none on the battery cover behind the seats also. If you are on the West Coast, I can give you the phone number of a friend in Punta Gorda who is very knowledgeable on MGAs |
| David werblow |
| I bought a rough 1957 car (that I didn't know was as bad as it was until I started peeling off the layers...) for $4000 and will spend another $8K before I'm done - so to me a $14K car should be pretty nice. IMHO, for $14K it should be a nice older restoration or a good (not great) unrestored example. The things you can't see though are the killers. You need to look carefully at the inner and outer rockers, fender doglegs and frame for rust in the usual places. For that much money you shouldn't have to do a frame-off restoration to solve these problems! If the welting or piping between the fenders and the body tub is painted vs. being grey rubber/plastic, then that is a good indication that the car was resprayed without much being done on the inside or underneath. You can also look for overspray on the leaf springs, gas tank, etc. Also look carefully in the engine bay - if it is tatty and not up to the look of the car overall, then it is probably a lemon needing restoration and not worth what this guy is asking. Can you take some pics of the car and post them here or somewhere on line with a link? Just my .02... JIM in NH |
| AJ Mail |
| As you can see, Gonzalo, caution reigns among the MGA owner community. I agree with Jim that you ought to expect a pretty solid car for $14K. We've most of us learned how much deterioration can accumulate in 50 years--particularly in the body and frame--and how much can be hidden from unsuspecting purchasers. Figuring this car is a driver, $14K doesn't give you a lot of headroom to repair and restore. (My sense is that right now a pretty well restored driver is sold less often for more than $20K than below this price point). I think that it's probably true that most owners are hobbyists with more invested in their cars than the marketplace would justify--certainly I am--but it's still our hope not to end up too much underwater with them. You really ought to have somebody who knows MGAs check this out with you before you bite. Good luck! Ken |
| Ken Korey |
| Woow guys, thanks a lot for all of your responses. I really apreciate them. I agree with some of the comment you made, where I should do a proper research before I purchase anything out there. The thing is I have been looking a bit, and this seemed to be a good deal with respect to what I have seen going on ebay, etc. I have posted the pictures under the following link which you can visit. http://picasaweb.google.com/gramosgarzon/MGAProspect15December091139PM# As you can see cosmetically it is very presentable, and the person selling it is a dealer who says it he has gone through it, check for compression and done some general checks. I see there is some small amount of rust on the underframe, but does not seem too bad and the dealer said this is nothing mayor. He said it is a car that came from Washington State, up in the west coast, from a dry place. Apparently the last owner owner it since 1985 according to the title. I guess this is a good sign, right? From what it seems to me, it does look like an older restoration...let me know what you think. The paint is nice although it has some blemishes at specific points shown in the pictures. I do agree that the engine compartment does look a bit tatty, but that was the part I was planning to clean up myself, as long as the mechanics are fine. I don't want to get into rebuilding an engine or anything like it. I get mixed emotions. Let me know what you think ASAP as I was planning to make a deposit tomorrow. Apparently this car was for sale earlier for like $18k, and the dealer has just recently reduced the price. He is prepared to knock off like $250. Which I would use to order a tonneau cover which he can get for me and install for free. Apparently this is worth like $315 for cloth/canvas type. Finally he told me his mechanics will go over it before shipping it, but my concern is not being able to see it, as it is in Misouri, and I was not planning to come up to see it and test it. Your thoughts are very welcome! Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Gonzalo, Star looking what is on Ebay, see all the pictures in detail and compare prices if possible see some physically, and honestly your candidate is not very impressive at all! Regards |
| R Garcia |
| By the way, they guy told me he would throw in a spare wheel and the jack and hammer. Probably something he has lying around. He was also going on about how more an MGA is worth with the wire wheels (which I like a lot) and that they are difficult to retrofit if the car doesn't have them in the first place. As a final note, I am really looking for a driver, because even if I would like to get my hands dirty and restore one, I don't actually have the space as I currently live in a condo, so any work I do I will need to do in my parking space, or find a quite place where I can do the work. Alright... I going to bed to sleep over it. You definitely gave me something to think about. Regards to all, Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Mutton dressed up as lamb mate,give it a miss.There must be plenty of good ones around. Good luck Jim |
| jim mckenzie |
| Pics 1, 4 & 5 shoot it down. It's all plastic on the bottom, and the plastic would not be there if it didn't have rust holes. Wouldn't surprise me if you could stick a screwdriver through the frame in a few places too. This is the worst part of MGA problems, and I've rebuilt plenty of them. And, you really should not even think about spending in excess of $10 grand on a car that's 1000 miles away without having a trusted examiner. The guy is playing with you to "throw in" a couple of bucks worth of junk he has dug up and $250. If he was straight he would have supplied the parts up front. It could be that he hasn't even seen the car either if he's in Fla. FRM |
| FR Millmore |
| Overspray in the wheel arches suggest it has been "tarted up" a bit. Looks like a metallic finish, very non-standard. |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| Gonzalo, I think the car has had a respay that makes it look cosmetically attractive but the absence of paint to the boot shows that it was not a thorough going job. Theres been an untidy rewire and the air duct to the carb's is missing. Also missing is the draught strip to the doors and the interior light switch. The junction between the inner and outer cills appears to be badly corroded - this is a major element of work to rectify. Also the rear silencer does not look right but it may just be the photo. Whilst all these things can be sorted you will be shocked at the cost involved. I agree with jim and FR, the car does not stack up. If your not experienced in MGA's don't even think about buying one without talking to local MGA owners. |
| J H Cole |
| Gonzalo.....my approach would be to ensure someone you trust has a good look at the car and examines the keys areas mentioned in the thread by team mga and points deficiencies out to the seller clearly. If advice from the trusted one is OK ( or organisation...do you ahve the equivalent of the RCAV ..a motoring organisation... over there ( there are always deficiencies...it is 50 ysr old )then offer him $12000 and be prepared to go to max $12750 or thereabouts or walk away. There are plenty others out there..but I really do understand the intense emotion!! Neil |
| neil ferguson |
| I concur with Jim - it looks like "it has had a 10 gallon overhaul" as we say in the earthmoving business. Mike |
| Mike Ellsmore |
| Gonzalo, it looks very pretty and it must be a great temptation, but you can see from the comments there are a lot of causes for concern. I note among many other issues that there is no vent pipe for the engine to carbs and so it can only "breathe" through the (non standard) vented cap. With a car like this you can expect quite a number of mechanical issues to crop up. brakes, suspension, axle, driveline, gearbox and electrical components will all need rebuilding at some stage, unless they have already been done, which does not appear to be the case. An engine rebuild is not particularly expensive or difficult and neither are any of the other systems if taken individually. But you really need some expert eyes to inspect and drive the car to identify how much or how little is likely to be required. To me, this car looks sadly neglected mechanically and there are lots of missing and incorrect parts. I imagine that you will have to spend another couple of thousand dollars at least (more if someone else is doing the work) to sort this car out to be a reliable driver. I cannot tell you not to buy it, but I hope that I can give you an idea of what to expect! Neil |
| Neil McGurk |
| GONZALO. Run when you can. This is a 50' car. Looks nice from 50 feet but when you check it closely it has very dirty underwear.. The wavy line of the rocker panels indicate much bondo and the rust scaling from the frame is hiding serious other problems. The red panel in the trunk(boot) is replacing the missing pocket that holds the spare tire. Guess they ran out of paint when the did not do the boot. That floor looks scaley to me. $10,000.00 might be a fair price as it will be expensive to replace the top and frame let alone the side curtains. Sandy with thirty plus years rebuilding English cars. |
| SANDY SANDERS |
| Ok, guys point taken. I guess I will take your advice an give it as miss. I will also buy a couple of books that I will read over xmas. I should probably get in touch with some local enthusiasts here in Miami, FL so they can recommend me more in detail what to buy and what not. Any of you out there in Florida? By the way. You guys are great! Thanks a lot. I going to work now to calm down the adrenaline. Take care. Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Wise decision Gonzalo. This car is a bit (quite) overpriced. And to think he was going to knock off $250 on a $14k asking price. Even $2500 is not enough IMHO. All: Didn't this car get critiqued a while back? I remember reading about the upside down bumper overriders. Maybe it was on the other website I visit. Interesting car though. All cars had the opening for the heater and both RH and LH pedal assemblies on the bulkhead panel. Cover plates were used to blank out the unused openings. This car has neither. I didn't recognize the tire name so I googled "Sports Master II" which is on the sidewall. These tires are around 30 years old! |
| Chuck Schaefer |
| Hi Gonzalo I think you have had some good advice on this message board and I also think that you can probably find a better car for your money. Those sills ( rocker panels in the USA?) look like they need replacing and my guess is that once they come off the inner sill panels will need to be repaired or replaced also. This is a job that needs a lot of skill to get right, when I replaced these panels on my previous MGA I was never really happy with the way the doors closed afterwards. I would look for a car that has better bodywork (in those areas especially ), maybe one that needs a bit of mechanical work instead. I would also recommend you have a drive in a good one before you buy as they have a really vintage feel as compared to a modern car. My previous MGA was stored in my garage for 27 years until I part ex-ed it for a restored one 2 years ago. I must admit that the 1st time i drove it I was shocked at just how old fashioned and basic it seemed to be as compared to my everyday saloon car. Just for a second or two I wondered if I had made a mistake but then in the rear view mirror I noticed the big silly grin on my face. So now Im kind of addicted, I love driving it and whilst I enjoy working on it when I have to, driving it is much much better! So if I were you I would take someone who knows MGAs with you when you go to look at one and get the best one you can for your money. You will never get tired of driving one but unless bodywork is your favourite thing, replacing rusty body panels is usually expensive. Best of luck Colyn |
| Colyn Firth |
| Thanks for the additional comments. I am going to try to attend to a could of MGA gatherings, or cruising events to meet some people who are MGA owners. Maybe someone might let me the car for a quick drive to get the feel. I do understand the car will feel like an old car and I will need to get used to it. My main concern is that it is safe, ie. brakes work well ...having moved from France recently, people's driving here in Miami is really bad! I originally I have been looking at buying a 1968 Mustang convertible and when I tried one it did really feel like an old car, but I like it. I feel that MGA is a car that goes better with my personality and style, so this is why I change my mind. regards to all, Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Good decision Gonzalo. The trouble with MGAs is that they are so good looking, even a bad one will seduce you! The more I look at those pictures you posted, the more faults I see. Sandy mentioned a plate covering the spare wheel pocket cut-away in the trunk, but if you look closely, I think you'll find the hole is open. Imagine how surprised you would have been if you had made an emergency stop, and the jack, closely followed by the hammer whistled past your right ear and crashed through the windscreen! Add to the list, wrong speedo, electric solenoid starter instead of the wire pull type, no rubber buffers on the door shut face, wrong fender piping, no turnbuckles to fasten the hood (if you did have one) to the rear cockpit rail, no spigot holes in the door cappings or clamp plates to fit the side curtains(if you had them),no door card stiffeners...... the list could go on and on. As has already been said, there are plenty more out there, I'm sure you will find the right one Gonzalo, enjoy the search. Lindsay. |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| I'd probably pay not more than $5000 or $6000 for this car - and then drive it until I had time to do the rockers myself. The rust on the floor board rails is indicative of more rust on the frame around these places - so you will find a lot of holes in the frame when you pull it apart. The car looks nice from 10 or 50 feet away, but there is a lot wrong, as everyone else has said...and not just from an originality standpoint (since not everyone cares about such things). There is a much nicer A for sale in my area - and I would be willing to go check it out for you. I am sure that most board members would be willing to help if you found a car in their area that you wanted appraised - I think UPS will still ship a case of beer or bottle of scotch as payment. http://www.expolineauto.com/Inventory/MG/1960%20MG.htm This car has similar problems but fewer of them I think, and the price is $9600, but maybe they'd take less...? I just found it online, and have no relationship with it. The pics are large and take a long time to load. Again - drive it now and eventually you would need to restore it. Painted outside, rusty and tatty inside. Derry is only about 10 miles from me, though, if you think it's worth a look... JIM in NH |
| AJ Mail |
| I told the guy today I am going to think about it over xmas and that I don't want to rush into it. Sure, I guess that I would be prepared to send a couple of bottles of the finestwhateveryoudrinkregularly to whoever helps me out with an appraisal. However first I need to find a suitable car. I am just looking at the pics of the car you suggested Jim. It is interesting but in my very ignorant opinion this car looks much worse than the one I was looking at. It seems like it has much more rust all over, including the chrome, etc. I would have preferred that wire wheels too. :) The engine compartment is very messy and very rusty, like it was under water. You were mentioning that this one has fewer problems, what do you refer to? What would you do to this car? Would it be a full frame off job? just trying to build up my knowledge. By the way a currious thing is that the last engine compartment pictures have some different elements inside, lie a red panel... and also a heater? |
| G Ramos |
| Well if I'm looking at the same car as you Jim, I wouldn't want to drive it more than a few feet! Your link didn't work so I went to the Expoline auto home page and found a 1960 MGA roadster with steel wheels ripe for restoration in their inventory, is that the one or am I looking at another? |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| How would it compared to this one; http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MG-MGA-Mark-I-1600-1961-MGA-Roadster-Mark-I-1600_W0QQitemZ280436603440QQcategoryZ80750QQcmdZViewItem |
| G Ramos |
| Gonzalo, it appears to have more going for it than your first example. I don't suppose 6 hours is enough time to get a good look at it though! You will notice that the piping between the fenders and the body has been painted, this is an indicator that it has been given a quick coat of paint to smarten it up bit. It's a thing to watch out for, it was obviously starting to look a bit shabby at some stage, but the person who did it didn't want to go to the trouble of taking the fenders off to paint the car. Could be a cheap or rush job with no love in it. |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| The ebay one has no photos of the important areas - rockers/sills and adjacent chassis. That makes it as least as suspect as the original candidate It also has lots of issues - exhaust hangers, overflow pipes at a 10 second glance, more of you look closely. There's really no substitute for finding a car that you can look at and having someone there who knows what they are looking at. Don't buy on photos alone, there will always be another car, and there's no rush either. |
| dominic clancy |
| Ok, I guess I am going to wait until a nice example comes up in the Florida area where I can go to see it with my eyes and test it. I am in no rush, you are right. |
| G Ramos |
| OK - waiting for all the pics to load (took a long time) the car seems to have even more problems (engine bay) - sorry. |
| AJ Mail |
| Gonzalo - Two problems with that plan: You really limit your opportunity. You don't really know what you are looking at, or you wouldn't have considered the first one. So, find cars that you think might be good, and get somebody who knows what's up to check it, regardless of where it is. For gas and lunch,I and many others could be persuaded to go look at cars! FRM |
| FR Millmore |
| Gonzalo, you've got a lot of friends over there wanting to see you get a good car! |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| I see that. Thank you for your support guys! I continued my search this afternoon but I was only able to find $20-30k+ ones that were in relatively good shape. All others I have seen advertised under 10k are a wreck! Barn find and rust with a car. I keep looking. Keep your eyes open for me if you see something reasonable. I like the reds with the tan interior but not too fussy. White with red interior and black with red interior are nice too. Take care, Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Gonzalo, I highly recommend you have the car checked out by a professional. You can contact Bill Snowden at Strictly British Motorsports in Apopka, FL. He has a service that will inspcct the car for mechanical and structural soundness. They specialize in British classics, MG's, Healey, Triumph, et al. www.strictlybritishmotorsports.com Fran |
| F Valenzano |
| Gonzalo - You might want to look at a few of the websites of guys who have done it, for fun or money (that one's a joke, or at least the cash flow arrow direction is highly questionable!). Barney Gaylord is the essential source on MGA, Eclectic Motorworks is dead but I think the site is still available, David Brenneman, Dominic Clancy all have most informative sites. Plenty more I can't recall off the top of my head. Then you'll know what you are about. And don't get stuck on the colours - Brenneman's Glacier Blue car is stunning, and you never thought of that colour; I've done them in Black, Corvette Yellow, Dark Brown, Dark green, Grey, Old English White, several reds, etc. Even the Alamo Beige, aka pink, is gorgeous when polished. Internet really has changed the world for info - we used to have top actually paint the car to see what it looked like! FRM |
| FR Millmore |
| As with furniture, flaws can be skilfully camouflaged. There are a number of unscrpulous in the second-hand car market who are skilled in the faking of cars. One thing to beware of is an enamelled engine. This usually means there is something to be concealed - that something being a crack in the cylinders or crankcase. Always, when buying a second-hand car, unless you are yourself an expert, employ an expert to examine it, and if possible let that expert be a friend. ... Not my words, but taken from a little book that I bought the other day - originally published in 1923! It can be purchased very cheaply http://tinyurl.com/y8eheaz |
| Geoff Everitt |
| Same car for sale here! http://www.carandclassic.com/car/C123913?pt=pf On there website (for an extra 1,000 quid): http://www.kentcarcollection.com/info.php?id=174 Small world. |
| Neil McGurk |
| Boy, this is very disconcerting. If I were to believe the advertisements and Gonzalo's description, the car originally talked about currently resides in, so far, 3 different locations thousands of miles, a continent and ocean apart. The kentcarcollection site says the car is located in Washington, The carsandclassic site says it is located in Kent, UK and Gonzalo says the car came from Washington state and in now in Florida. I have no reason to question Gonzalo. I take him at his word and he has seen the car. My question is more about the websites. Clearly a case of used carsmanship there. One good thing is that several different sellers think that they can make money buying an MGA and immediatley turning it for a profit. Not to us, the wise, but to somebody. Maybe the economy is beginning to make a turn. Anybody want to take a guess as to where it claims to reside next? |
| Chuck Schaefer |
| Just to clarify, the the car I posted originally is located in Missouri at "Wilson Motors". I am the one based in Florida, and I have not seen the car in person. Pics I posted were sent to me by the dealer. He was the one who told me that it came from Washington state, Woodville if I remember correctly. For sure there are many people advertising in Europe a car that the don't own, as with the dollar exachange rate you can make an instant profit including the shipping. Kind of spoils it for us who want to buy a good example at a reasonable price to enjoy it. |
| G Ramos |
| By the way, I was looking at buying the 'The original MGA' by Clausager book but it seems prohibitively expensive. I checked on Amazon, $400 used. I'm sure there is a cheaper source. |
| G Ramos |
| Gonzalo, I think you would be pushed to find a buyer over here willing to pay any more than £8,500 for the car, so the only person who is going make on the car is the present owner. |
| Lindsay Sampford |
| I've been busy and out of touch for a couple of days, but GR got the right answers. All of the cars mentioned above have one thing in common, no inner body sills. If you buy an MG that has never had the body off, you get to do it. Paint wax and fresh fabrics aren't worth much when the car is due for a full restoration. These days reasonably good restoration candidates go for maybe $9000 (USD), and none of these is any better than that (some worse). GR wants a driver car not needing restoration, so he will have to keep looking. |
| Barney Gaylord |
| In my opinion there is no such thing as a "driver" There are only "Fresh" rust free restorations and future projects. There is a time line in the life of an MGA. It starts out new and as we enjoy it it moves closer to a restoration. The deciding factor on when the restoration becomes necessary is the question of RUST. You can put lipstick on a pig and end up with a real pretty pig. But until you have restored her from the INSIDE out you are wasting your time. Unless the body was pulled and the rust was completely removed and new metal was put in and then rust protected in a Modern way you did not restore it. There is no such thing as a "Rolling" restoration. If you want to cobble the car along for a while and put off the inevitable it is your car to enjoy. MGAs don't depreciate they deteriorate. Their value is in how far they are from a proper restoration. An old RUST free Arizona car with burnt paint and shabby interior is a better car than a bondoed pig with shiny paint and a fresh interior. I bought a 57 roadster in 1985 to replace my first car, a 58 coupe that was sold to get married. I thought it was a clean "driver" and a good start for a restoration. Boy was I in for some lessons. The car had a bent and poorly repaired frame. The wrong engine with no tach drive and a MGB tach. A torn and poorly repaired inner fender panel and realy rusty inner sills. You must have someone who is intimately familiar with MGAs looks at it WITH you. If you don't you are likely to make some expensive mistakes. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my MGAs I currently have 4. And counting my first car there are 3 others I have sold. They are beautifull cars, prettiest car ever IMHO. They are EASY to work on. They are fun to drive and fun to own. And BEST of all the people you meet in them are the best. Find a club ,find a freind, find the right car and have fun. |
| R J Brown |
| Here Here RJ. I agree whole heartedly. I'd also add the mechanicals to the list. The trannys have a definite life as do the engines etc. How far away from that restoration the mechanicals are is also a determining factor. Considering that I would not buy a restored car and would not trust a car that wasn't restored left me with the choice to do it myself. I have always said, I'd rather buy a complete non-running car that needed a complete restoration than to buy one that needed redoing in the very near future. I'm dollars ahead. I don't have to pay to redo what was already done poorly. And I KNOW what's inside. Maybe the best choice would be to buy a stalled restoration where the work was completely documented. But then again, my wife and I are considered to be the patron saints of lost causes. Cars, houses, boats, we always seek out the potential in the rubbish, rather than the seeking immediate gratification and sufferning the costs thereof. |
| Chuck Schaefer |
| Gonzalo, Sorry but dont waste your time looking for the Claussager book as it's out of print. I have been wanting to buy one for ages; just not available. There is much smugness on this site by those members that own one! Good luck with your car hunt, it will be worth waiting for. I endorse what has been said, never buy a car without a physical inspection. |
| Graham M V |
| Gonzalo, I just Googled the Anders Clausager book, Original MGA and 2 sites being Biggerbooks.com and eCampus.com had the book in soft back version for around $20, which is what I paid for the book. BTW I agree with all the comments on this thread. Good luck with your search and enjoy the chase. Andy |
| Andy Preston |
| Thanks guys, I got in touch with the local club here in Miami, so will meet them after xmas, and learn a bit more about the MGAs before I venture into it. Apparently there are several guys in the club that have MGAs. Happy Xmas holidays. |
| G Ramos |
| I agree with just about everything you write, RJ, except your rejection of the "driver" designation. Your timeline from production to either death or rebirth through restoration is a great way to conceptualize the lives of MGAs. Still, taking the restoration pathway doesn't lead necessarily to the same endpoint. A frame-off restoration is inarguably essential to MGA salvation (even in Arizona), but while some few of us aim only for the Concours d'Elegance--the goal being to reproduce the car exactly as it left the line at Abingdon--most of us stop far short, allowing Moss parts from China into our work, installing pertronix instead of Lucas, welding patches onto body parts, and so forth. One can hardly consider such cars unrestored, yet they aren't entirely original, either. I regard cars in this neighborhood as drivers. It's hard to characterize places in a continuum using discrete terms, no? |
| Ken Korey |
| There are two kinds of MGA, drivers and not running. There are two kinds of owners, drivers and non-drivers. |
| Barney Gaylord |
| MGAs should all be driven not treated as trailer queens. All of my frame off restorations,4 so far, are by you terms drivers. That is how it should be. The idea of a "driver" that I distain is the car that needs more but only gets a cosmetic restoration. "With a little work we can make a "driver" out of her" To slap bondo and a quick paint on a car that is rusted to her pillars is just stupid. MGAs are meant to be driven. I have no problem with a solid restoration to the taste of the owner. But make it rustfree don't cover any rust so it can grow even faster. The car talked about earlier in this thread was what makes me cringe. The fender welting was painted over, and the rust was hidden. The type of work done to her just made the proper work more difficult. |
| R J Brown |
| I agree with Barneys simple and direct definitions of MGAs and Drivers...... and do feel some of the other comments on this thread are getting into esoteric and over focussed semantics. How owners restore/treat their MGAs is up to them ...as long as they are road safe!! It takes all types and there a whiff of the superior in some of the comments. Enjoy them ....and good luck in your search Gonzalo..they are lovely and thrilling cars to own and drive( and they do not cost much to buy, run and insure ) |
| neil ferguson |
| Hence, Given that I want a car that I can drive around, regarless of the original condition I purchase it in, and that I am not aiming at winning any shows or competitions; My conclusion is that - I will need to find a car that has had already a frame off restoration, so it is structurally sound (I think I am afraid of doing such kind of restoration myself, even if I subcontract, cos I don´t know enough yet. -In decent mechanical condition, so I can be sure to be able to rebuilt it at reasonable cost. - Cosmetics are no so important as they are relatively cheap to restore? Just to open another discussion: Roadster or Coupe? I was thinking of a convertible cos you can always put on the to, and I guess that the open air motoring must be a thrill. This is especially good in with Florida weather. Any mayor disadvantages of the roadster wrt the coupe? Regards, Happy Xmas hols! Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| In hot weather driving, a roadster with a soft top that has a zipper rear window is very had to beat. You can have the top up with the rear window unzipped for shade and fresh air in the heat of the day and put the top down for pleasant evening motoring. |
| David Werblow |
| I have previously owned a coupe and I now have a roadster and to be honest, I really enjoyed driving each of them. IMHO, if I lived in Florida I would go for the roadster as your climate is much more suited for open top driving than ours in the UK. It must be really great to drive with the top down in such warm conditions and only have sunburn to worry about instead of frostbite!! I think the coupe would just be too warm inside for you. Many years ago we drove our Coupe through France and Switzerland on a European Tour. We found that even with both windows wound down and the quarterlights reversed to direct the air inside the car, we were both unbearably hot in there. I like the sound of the zip-out rear window in the soft top, I think it could be the ideal solution over there and would give you the best of both worlds. Best of luck with your search, dont forget to take someone who knows a bit about MGAs along when you go look at a car and most of all, be sure to look under the car before you pay any attention to how the outside looks! Colyn |
| Colyn Firth |
| Gonzalo, Yeah, it's beating a dead horse, but, good decision not to buy at that price. A word of advice about having someone else look at a car for you. My friend, very MG savy, bought a car that, from pictures, looked very nice. Beautiful paint, new interior, nice chrome, etc. $12,000. He had a good friend, who knows cars but not MGs, go look at. Friend said it was good. Had it shipped to his house for $1,000. I went to look at it. It needed frame repair, inner and outer rockers, new floor boards, the front valance was "bad"...well, you get the idea. He now has multiple thousands of dollars and hours of labor in it, and it's still a work in process. Point being, get someone who KNOWS MGAs to look at it. Someone who knows what it takes to put the problems (and there will be some) right. One last thing, I've attached a picture of a car I bought (some say stole) two years ago for $2,500. Yup, it needs work. Ultimately, a lot ($$) of work. But I've driven it 10,000 miles in the last two years. And at that price I won't mind spending the money. Values are still out there. Somewhere, right now, another MGA is being "discovered". Be patient and keep looking. Cheers, Gerry  |
| G T Foster |
| Gonzalo, I'll have to second what GT said. I bought my "A" 15 years ago and drove it daily for 14 of them before doing my frame of restoration. There is a lot to be said for knowing exactly what was done to your car and when. I now know that. That said, I got *many* years of enjoyment from having my "A" all that time before I decided to restore her. I say buy one that needs work, enjoy it and most of all get to know the car. Then you can do what you wish with you car when you are ready. Cheers, Christopher |
| Christopher Wilson |
| See the other thread about multiple ownership. Buy as many as you can get away with. Seriously though.;) I own second coupe now and I would not have it as my only MGA today. The coupe is great in cooler weather, but the do tend to get uncomfortably hot in warm weather. I think the long and short of it is there is little cost difference between a good solid car and one that has been made to look like a good solid car. So make sure you buy the best car you can afford. |
| R J Brown |
| I bought my Mk2 MGA coupe some two years ago. I decided on a Coupe to replace my 1947 TC and the mgb roadster as I required a versatile car to use in all weathers (apart from salty Roads)and I love the Coupe lines.I spent some 4 hours with a knowledgable MG Friend checking the car. Looked at all the restoration photos and invoices(some 4inches thick paperwork) , I paid top money but have been delighted with the purchase. I use it all year round and probably do more mileage in it than my regular car. I have made a number of "improvements"-5 speed gearbox;hazard lights;electric washers;additional fuses;electronic ignition and a full insulation under the carpets. This has reduced the Summer Heat!! I have also pressure waxoiled underneath and inside the Chassis.After two years and 6000 miles it still looks as good as ever- Good Cars are around but you have to search for them Paul  |
| P D Camp |
| Your car looks fantastic Paul, we can see why you bought it. I think the coupe has the best lines of any FHC in ANY make of car. I would love to own one of each type, a coupe for the cooler days and a roadster for the warm ones! Perfect Have a great Christmas everyone. Im just going to sneak the word coupe into the middle of my Christmas list just to test her reaction, (this may well be my last ever post!) Colyn |
| Colyn Firth |
| Greetings to all, While I agree with Colyn as to the lines and beauty of the "A" Coupe, (that's why I bought mine to restore), I feel the most attractive of all the coupes is the 1935 MG PA/PB Airline Coupe'. Now that's rolling art in my opinion! Cheers and Happy Holidays to all! |
| Robert Maupin |
| Happy Xmas to everyone! Lets start the discussion again... : ) What do you guys think about this one: http://www.autotraderclassics.com/find/vehicle/vehicleDetail.xhtml?adId=206358&actionMethod=find%2Fvehicle%2FvehicleSearchResults.xhtml%3AuShipController.init&conversationId=366281 There are more pics and videos at their website. They are asking for $16k, I guess they could knock off some of it off. Thea also have this one but I like it less cos I was looking for wire wheels and a tan interior of possible rather than black. http://www.autotraderclassics.com/find/vehicle/vehicleDetail.xhtml?adId=223587&actionMethod=find%2Fvehicle%2FvehicleSearchResults.xhtml%3AuShipController.init&conversationId=48295 Any thoughts welcome. Regards, Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Hi Gonzalo - my first post on your thread - but I have been following it from the start. As many have said already - you must get to see the car "in the flesh" - they all look great in photos - so take an MGA owner with you . Having said that I prefer the white one and like the black interior . The steel wheels are a lot easier to keep clean too. The red one has a walnut dash which of course is none standard whilst the white one looks pretty standard all round apart from the steering wheel. but again you must get under the car to see how far off its next restoration it is. And remember it is very easy to buy a bad MG - there are so many out there- Best of Luck Cam |
| Cam Cunningham |
| Gonzalo, The ’58 1500 strikes me as being better maintained than the red 1600. The heater in-take hoses are missing as well as the coil is located in the wrong place for a 1600—on both cars it’s on top of the generator; correct for 1500s but wrong for 1600s. If you are serious about one of these two cars you might give Jon Rubel a call, he’s president of the Eastern NY MGA Club, and may be willing to take a look at them for you. His e-mail is: eemgee@aol.com. |
| David Werblow |
| Aside from color they look pretty much the same to me. Take away the 20-foot beauty shots and whaddaya got? My best guess is that both of these cars will need the body sills replaced sometime (never had the body off in 50 years). It strikes me that people ask a lot of money for an older exterior repaint and "presentable" interior trim. |
| Barney Gaylord |
| I fully agree with you comments. I know I need to have someone look at it first before buying it. Judging from what has been said on this thread, it is easy to get sold bad one without knowing it. I will contact Jon Rubel, once I have had a long chat with the person in the dealer. Looking at the pictures of the underside you can see some rust, but am not able to gauge how serious it actually it. I agree with you comment Barney, I agree they seem to be asking for too much money if they still have a lot of work that needs to be done to them. However I am not able to find anything much cheaper that is not a total trashed car or a barn find. I am generally looking at www.classiccars.com and www.autotraderclassics.com, and ebay from time to time, but I don´t like it as it puts me to much under time pressure and give not time to inspect, etc. Thanks for the comments. Gonzalo |
| G Ramos |
| Gonzalo, Look at the engine bay picture of the white roadster. Notice the rust on the heater box, firewall and bonnet hinges? I can only guess what the underside of the car looks like...but it won't be good. Also, notice how deformed the valance under the front bumper is. A re-spray with a new interior. At $12K run away... The red one is not much better. Look at the trunk (boot) photo. Notice the neck of the fuel tank (connected to the fuel filler). See how rusty it is? What do you think the fuel tank looks like? I bet if you put this car up on a lift the underside would scare you. For $16K I'm sure you could find a private seller with a car that has a documented history with a "frame off" at some point. Best of luck. Gerry |
| G T Foster |
| Gonzalo -Gerry is right - go for a private seller - there must be a few near you if you keep your ear to the ground.Don't set your heart on a particular colour or model - just look for a good one - if it hasn't the wire wheels you want, then so be it. Garages and dealers will have bought from them in the first place and then added their profit margin. Use the dealers as a way of investigating cars and learning about where the main faults are, but you must see them in person. Then you can happily go to a private seller and know what you are looking for. this what I did 6 years ago. My friend has just done the same - spent a month travelling around looking at dealers cars - all overpriced and in poor condition but promising the earth - he finally found a good car, enthusiast maintained but needing cosmetic attention and just 25 miles away. |
| Cam Cunningham |
| If you follow the link to Merit Cars own website www.meritcars.com there are a lot more photos, including of the underside, and some videos. On the underneath shots of the red car (photo 73) you can see the holes in the inner sill. The door gaps are not good either. The engine on the white car sounds like a real bag of bolts. Both cars seem to have had an interior and exterior make over. Buyer beware. Malcolm |
| Malcolm Asquith |
| Both of these cars look like what I have warned against. Cheap shiny paint over who knows what and a interior. Find your local MG car club. Look at the cars. The guys will be glad to tell the restoration stories and show the pictures. Learn what makes a good MGA. There are solid restoration projects out there if you choose to do it your self. If you choose to buy a "finished" car learn all you can and buy the best you can find with in your budget. Study Eclectics website while you can. They no longer do the work and have sold their jigs to "Sportscar Craftsmen" a restoration and repar shop here in the Denver area. http://www.eclecticmotorworks.com/mga.html They show the right way to fix things. Study Barneys site. Paying particular attention to his recent rust repairs. http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/restore1.htm |
| R J Brown |
This thread was discussed between 15/12/2009 and 28/12/2009
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