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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - MGA for a driver

I know this is the wrong forum but I've gotten to know some of you guys and I trust your opinions. This is a local MGA that I'm thinking about buying (assuming that it runs good and feels right) Duncan SC, is only about 25 miles away so when the weather improves I'll go over and take a look. Thanks for your thoughts. Jud
http://sammler.jalbum.net/MGA1600MKII/slides/DOC052214%20copy.html



J K Chapin

Looks very tidy, lovely colour.
mog

That little car looks pretty clean, but wish there were pics of the underside.
What's the asking price?
Will he consider including his sister in 1976?
;-)
BTW - link above did not work. Maybe this will:
http://sammler.jalbum.net/MGA1600MKII/

BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

I understand the rocker area and trunk are the places to check for rust but the pictures sure look pretty clean..
Bob .
R Brown

Thanks for your comments. I'll go over and take a look. Particularly at the underside, rocker panels and trunk. Asking $25K.

Ed Wesson, I read your post on the MGA forum (http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&archiveyear=6_2014.dat&access=&subject=6&subjectar=6&source=T&thread=201405281746289949) and have some questions:

I thought you drove a TD?
Do you still have the dual 6v. batteries in your MGA?
Are 6v. batteries available?
How hard is it to convert to a single 12v. battery?
Any other suggestions for an MGA wisher?

I'm in northern Greenville (SC) not too far from you. Y'all need to do another GOF at Hiawassee (Sept. 2009)so I can drive over in the TD ("Fla sucks" said the guy who married a Florida girl 46 years ago).

Jud
J K Chapin

Bobby, I doubt it but take a gander at my 70 year old sister getting ready to go up the Saluda
grade in the post "17,000-Mile TD on eBay?." Mileage doesn't always tell the tale of value. Jud
J K Chapin

I believe that to be a Mark II. Can't see too well, if the grill is depressed.

If so, the Mark II has a 4.1 CWP - nive cruiser.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

Nice car.
T Maine

Gordon - yes, it is advertised as a Mark II. Older pics have wrong grille, new pic shows the correct grille installed.

BobbyG

Bobby Galvez

Jud,

It's a very nice looking car but I believe it's overpriced at $25k...try to bargain it down. If you check completed eBay listings you'll see a better price range. It's hard to see details in the photos and I don't believe the car is being sold by the perso who annotated the pictures...I don't believe 80 spoke wire wheels were ever made...just 48, 60 and 72.

By the way, I own a 1960 MGA coupe so I'm reasonably familiar with the cars.

Gene

Gene Gillam

Thanks Gene. I'm thinking if it really looks good, starts and drives decently - $19-20K. Thanks for your support.

I'll probably, weather permitting, go see it on Saturday but with a dead battery I won't get to try to drive it 'til the weather eases up. Jud
J K Chapin

Check for rust. I bought a project A a couple years ago, was dragged out of deep sand so I couldn't inspect underneath. I removed the door threshold plates and could stick a long screwdriver through the rusty frame rails. The angle irons that the floorboards set in were also nearly vaporized. I fortunately found a buyer who could do the metal work and was thrilled to find a restoration project. George
George Butz

I HATE the tail lights they installed in the later years.

..
MAndrus

Jud,
Car pics look good. After restoring my 1500 the important part to look at is the frame for rust. Areas of concern are from the body mount at the "A" pillar back to the heel board. Also the angles that are stitch welded in to support the floor (done at the factory) will rust through and are very hard to see. The frames are 16 g steel and are lightweight and rust from the inside out. Their are two drain holes on each side and they should be there and nice and round approx. 3/8 " holes. If you look hard you can maybe see a little of the frame inside. Look for filler on the frame... there should be NONE!

On the body the rockers under the door are critical. Most you see have rocker patch panels installed over top the original.... this is not the way to repair this area. The rocker area is made up of three pieces and have to be solid. If the doors show any sag be suspicious.

6V battery is still available but very expensive... converting to one 12V is a piece of cake.

If you contact me off the BBS I can maybe help you a bit more.

If the car is "Good" 25K is not a bad starting point.

...CR
C.R. Tyrell

CR, thanks. If I buy this one or some other one that still has the dual 6v. system I'll be getting in touch. When MG abandoned the 1930's T series body style for the modern sleek MGA style I thought that the world had gone to hell in a handbasket. The T-series remains my absolute favorite style (a genuine automobile) but over the years I've come to appreciate the beauty of the MGA. I'd love to find one in at least as good a condition as my TD so I could just bring it home, jump in it and start driving around. I'm a fair shade tree mechanic but mechanicing is not my passion - driving around and really spiffy open-top cars is. Jud
J K Chapin

Jud,

The 62 is the most desirable A because it has the larger 1622 cc engine with more power other MGAs. It should have 1622 cast on the block just behind the engine mount, left side. Also, the head should have 16 cast on the right rear corner behind the valve cover. If its does not have the 16 head, its been replaced. The 16 heads of these engines have been popular with racers with their larger valves than earlier models, and are very very difficult to find now. If the engine or head has been changed, the price should be lowered, although an MGB 1800 engine provides excellent performance.

I like the looks of this car overall, the panels look straight and the bonnet appears to fit well. When these cars are hit in the front, a poor bonnet fit results and is a tell tale sign.

The engine compartment looks to have been blackened. It should be body color, so perhaps the car color was changed at some point.

In addition to what CR noted about rust, it is typical that the inner sills rust out. You can detect this by visual inspection or by running your fingers behind the bottom body line. The battery boxes are also a frequent area of rust. Good luck!

Charlie
Charlie Adams

I went over to see and touch the car this morning. It appears to be absolutely stunning. I could not find a trace of rust anywhere except for what appeared to be just a slight bit of corrosion on the bottom frame of the right hand battery box. The doors shut snuggly with a nice "chunk." I found no evidence of filler or bondo. All the metal responded to my tapping with a good clear metallic sound.

The gearbox slips smoothly through all the gears. Unfortunately, as indicated above, the batteries are dead, the car has not been started for about 10 years and the owner has been advised by a mechanic to not try to start it without flushing everything (fuel lines, coolant, crankcase oil etc.). I didn't have a spare battery with me and I can't really disagree with the mechanic so, although the owner says it ran well when put up ten years ago, I have no way to know if it would run well now.

I'm enthused about the car and I don't mind doing some mechanic work but I'm not really interested in taking on a full engine overhaul on a car that I just paid $20-25K for.

Does anyone know if the starter crank from my TD would fit and turn the engine in the MGA? If so, I could take out the plugs and give it a turn BUT what would that tell me? If That would tell me something useful and if the owner will let me do it, should I squirt a bit of oil into each cylinder since the pistons haven't moved in many years?

I'm ready to buy the car and am willing to spend $1-2K to get the engine up to snuff but I don't want to spend $5-10K for an engine overhaul. The engine and engine compartment are clean as a whistle. Should I (would you) roll the dice?

I don't know how the numbering system works on MGAs but here are some numbers:
Warranty Plate: MGA MKII GHNL 2/105518
Block: 1600GC-U-H5348
Carbs: Front AUC943F; Rear AUC943R


The brake/clutch master cylinder looks a mess (see pic attached) but the owner tells me that the stuff on the MC is some kind of desiccant that the mechanic put on it for protection. There is no resistance to either the clutch or brake pedal so I assume that both the MC and all the slaves would have to be rebuilt/replaced.

Once again, I know this is OT for this forum but I respect and appreciate you guy's expertise and opinions. Nonetheless, I'm going to copy this and start a thread on the MGA forum Thanks Jud




J K Chapin

Engine Compartment


J K Chapin

Engine - ignition side


J K Chapin

The only other thing that gave me just a little concern is that the steering column is not exactly lined up with the inverted valley in the dashboard (see pic attached). This could indicate body damage although there is certainly no other evidence of any damage. I'm going to ignore it unless more informed and experienced people tell me that it indicates a problem. Thanks. Jud


J K Chapin

20-25k is top dollar for a nice car, good runner. You know nothing of the engine except it is pretty. Advice I would give anyone paying top dollar for a car is hear it run, do a compression test. You also cannot evaluate the gearbox, brakes or suspension. You can drop a bit of coin there too. This is a roll of the dice. Try not to get emotionally involved. What would you tell your kids if they paid good money for a car without hearing it fun or driving it?
How long has it been advertised? You maybe able to beat the seller up over the nonrunning engine. Good luck.
Regards, tom
tm peterson

Thanks, that's what I needed to hear. Now, having kissed it and held it's hand, I just need to listen to and heed your words of wisdom. What I'm thinking about is to tell her that I can't pay top dollar without driving the car but that I'll deposit $1,000 against the purchase price if she will get the car running and drivable AND that if she does and I decide not to buy it anyway she keeps the grand. Thoughts?

Jud
J K Chapin

I would check the oil, get a jump and turn it over. Mine had been setting for over 17 years, but it started right up. If it has oil and you jump it if no oil pressure after a few cranks turn it off. My bet is it starts, may need brakes and clutch work from the looks of that MC.
T Maine

TD crank handle does not fit an MGA. I would count on having the entire brake system replaced if it has sat for 10 years. And if memory serves that is about $800 in parts alone. Engine if not seized will need a bit of inspection before trying to start and as Tom says.
...CR
C.R. Tyrell

Jud, I think you are looking at a desirable car. But the price is out of line for a car sitting for 10 years...not that someone won't come along and pay it.

I'm working on an exceptional example close in the production line...104733 and getting it ready for sale. Original owner, 60k, white with black, always garaged, no accidents, no rust, all original panels, one repaint in original color, interior redone as original, original engine and transmission with excellent compression, runs and drives very well, tight and smooth, with Heritage Certificate. (I took the photo 2 months ago as I was polishing the paint.) He is thinking of asking 30K for this car in a few months.

With the car you are looking at there will be a range of start-up expenses. A friend just had his MGA reawakened after an 11 year period by the best shop in our area. He spent about $8K to have the car set up as a fully reliable long distance driver again--a full go through of the mechanicals, no significant engine work required.

Charlie


Charlie Adams

Charlie, advice from this bbs and a few other sources has just about convinced me (1) not to buy a pig in a poke, (2) pretty as it is, the price is way high for a car that doesn't run and will need $800 - $1,000 in brake/clutch work and that may not be a "ground up fully restored" as the owner thinks it was. I'm going to pass but let her know that if she gets it running and drivable I'd still be interested. Jud

BTW, I was born in Richmond and my Mom's family is from Brandon (down the James from Petersburg) What part of VA are you in?
J K Chapin

Jud, you've reached the right conclusion. For $ 25,000 one should get a good driver. A seller who wants to get that much money needs to invest a bit in getting the car to where prospective buyers can fully evaluate it.
For starters, cleaning up the mess on the master cylinders will help presentation if nothing else.
If she hasn't the inclination to spend, at least having a knowledgeable mechanic prepare some kind of estimate of work needed will get her to a more realistic price.
BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

Jud...

You are/willing to pay the asking price...at least it sounded that way at first. Explain the problems associated with leaving a car to sit for 10 years without turning the engine over, then offer $17k...that way you can buy the new tires it will need, fix the hydraulics and ensure you'll have enough left over to completely rebuild the engine and transmission if needed. It's a fair offer.

Gene
Gene Gillam

Jud,
I'm in Fairfax Station, VA about 25 miles south of Washington, DC. If you get up this way, I'm at charlieadamsmg@gmail.com
Charlie
Charlie Adams

Gene, I like your advice. Charlie, if I buy the MGA I'll try to make the trip. I recommend that you come on down south where the driving's good. Thanks all. Jud
J K Chapin

Good move. It could cost a whole lot to get it driving and reliable. Besides brakes and fuel, it would need radiator hoses, water pump, etc, Likely suspension seals/bushings, on and on. George
George Butz

When I found my TD it had been sitting for quite a while. The PO bought it in 1960 and sold it to a restoration shop so it could be set up for the road and sold as a driver. They did about $4,500.00 worth of work to it. Complete brake job, coolant hoses, gas lines, fuel pump, tires, carbs, etc.... Because of the work already done (and the wire wheels), $18K for a driver made sense. With plain steel wheels and none of this work completed, it would be a $9 to 10K car.

Parts deteriorate whether the car is being driven or not.

I looked at a TD that has been driven 1,200 miles since a first place AACA restoration - back in 1980!!!! Needless to say, this car will need a lot of work before be trustworthy more than a few miles from home, and is not even close to the $27K asking price.

I'd have a serious look at any car not driven (or maintained) for 10 years. There's ALWAYS a reason a car was removed from service.
MAndrus

Thanks all. That's where I'm at. It's a beautiful car and I'd love to have it but not as a yard ornament. I'm going to let the owner/seller know that when she gets it running and drivable I'm still interested but not until then. Jud
J K Chapin

"There's ALWAYS a reason a car was removed from service."
Amen to that!
IMHO: I would be asking about "history". i.e. Receipts for work done and reputation of the afore mentioned.

Back in the 70's I had a Bug Eye that I had taken to bare metal and did a lot of work to. Did it all myself except the engine. I didn't trust my skills in that department so I hired "an expert".
The guy was a hack and totally destroyed the motor.
Result was a beautiful car with a worthless engine.
Frustrated, I bailed on the project selling it for a fraction of what I had put into it.

Not saying that is what you have here but , IMHO, price is way to high for non-running example. Seller either needs to make it right or come way down on price.

My thinking price wise is right along with what Gene says.
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

For that kind of money I'd expect the car to be road ready and just about perfect with perhaps a few minor paint chips. I get turned off right away with the blacked out engine compartment and that's not an easy or cheap correction. Indicates a less that desirable respray to me. The other WTF is the British Leyland badge in the steering wheel. clutch cylinder looks to be leaking and most likely will fail in no time. The brakes will have to be gone through etc etc. I haven't a clue on pricing these things anymore but I personally find it considerably over priced.
MG LaVerne

Sometimes.... you just have to walk away. I looked at 7 before finding my TD.
MAndrus

... Renee! That's what I've decided. Thanks again. Jud
J K Chapin

I paid $19K for my 60 MGA. The seller was asking $22K. I flew from Oklahoma to California to drive it before I bought it. It was already an okay driver, but now it's a much better driver and is about an 8 or 9 in appearance/condition. Since I bought it, I have replaced the clutch works, refurbed the radiator and put rebuilt Worldwide shocks all around, but those are things that I WANTED to do. In other words, it was running when I bought it....and now it's MUCH better. I wanted a good driver, and I would not have bought this car if it had not been roadworthy. Just sayin'....
Cheers,
Frank


Frank Bice

Beautiful Frank. Your buying experience is what I'm looking for. I want a driver that I can drive home the day I buy it. I enjoy maintenance and improvements but I'm not looking for something that I have to trailer to my garage. Thanks. Jud
J K Chapin

This thread was discussed between 18/02/2015 and 26/02/2015

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