MGB Register Forum

Hi all I've just joined having acquired a 1980 BGT with sunroof two days ago at lunchtime. It's covered 77k miles and is apparently basically mechanically sound, just a few loose things and the drivers side wing will need a respray at some point. As I investigate further I am sure that I may find some things to ask more experienced owners about. I've always wanted a BGT and now retired I hopefully -wife's objections put to one side-I will have the time to tinker and enjoy. Keen to hear from and poss meet GT owners in the central area. I'll have to wait for lottery win to get my ultimate.... Jensen Interceptor!!!!

Welcome to this forum Trevor ... only just recently joined myself having acquired my first MGB , a '71 Roadster. Enjoy the fettling and tinkering with what seems to be a very well engineered classic designed for relatively easy maintenance . Hopefully the more experienced and knowledgeable members will pitch in with some help in due course when you need assistance !!

Hello Jim and thanks for your response... the first.Where are you? I bought my BGT just 2 weeks ago purely on eBay details and a conversation with the company owner and had the car delivered for a good deal. Still have to do some reasonable miles in it. I've spent a few hours tightening things up like a non standard Mountney steering wheel which was loose on its boss and missing a couple of securing bolts. And yesterday, driving back from our youngest son and his partners new house less than 1/2 mile away going over a massive speed bump I suddenly lost all steering! I managed to push the wheel down to steer back to home but what an experience! The nut holding the boss to the shaft was totally loose!! Tomorrow I am due to leave really early to be a track marshal at Knockhill circuit for the SMRC but I'll have to tighten up the steering nut before going off bendy roads even before I get there .Sadly I don't think I'll make it as it's a 6.30 start from here! The car came from a specialist MGB dealer and was the owners son/sales managers personal car Its bodily quite good with only a few little rust patches in the usual places. One wing needs a respray and it's going to need a retune as it seems to need choke to idle and then runs on when switching off! Oh the joys and what new experiences.

Hi to both Trevor and Jim,
Welcome to you both and MGB motoring! Sounds like Trevor has a few minor issues to sort through, but once done they are really quite a reliable classic, which is also well supported for parts. If the car won't idle without a bit of choke, it is likely that the throttle stops need to be set correctly, as the first thing pulling the choke out does is to increase the throttle setting a little.

You can add you location by going to 'User Control Panel' at the top of the page just under 'Board Index', and then selecting 'Profile', then 'Location'. Remember this is an open forum so it is sensible to display no more than your town and county.

Hi again Trevor - looks like your MG Specialist needs a crash course in pre sales preparation !! The steering issue could have been much more serious but thankfully you are still around to tell the tale. No doubt you are in process of giving the car a full shakedown now. I'm based down in the far West of Cornwall , Illogan near Redruth. Was born not far away from you though in Airdrie !!

Hi Jim thanks for you comments. Whilst I live in Stifling I am an Essex boy! But as born in 1948 this was before Essex girls started to become notorious! I married a Scottish lass and moved here some 18 years ago. Yes its a case of checking and tightening up. Can I please say thanks to Peter Cresswell for his advice re throttle stops. Armed with my e-bay sourced Anniversary manual with the addition of colour photos I managed to find these to adjust and now it doesn't stall each time I stop at a junction! Thank you again!

So having got my GT continuing to run when I stopped at junctions it was however revving a bit fast. I then decided to ask my MGtf owning neighbour who she used to service/tune her car. It turns out he used to run his own garage for many years locally and my mother in law was one of his customers.Sadly his lease expired and the local council wanted to redevelop the site. He retired but continues to work on cars at home for a small no. Of clients and following a call from my mg owning neighbour, agreed to look at my car. Already he has stripped the carbs, retuned and it now ticks over at relatively low revs but he's advised that the distributor cap is badly scorched and the rotor arm needs replacing and also a rattle evident on tickover is due to the fact that the water pump bearings have gone nd also the pump is leaking but only very slightly. So a call to MGOC and the parts arrived the next day. He's doing a big job at the mo but he knows the bits are here When he bought the car back from his first foray and the carb retune I discovered that not only did he service astons, jags and mgs in the past but he also sold MGb's for a local dealership. What a bonus find.! it pays to have a fellow mg owner next door! What I also discovered from my new found super mechanic is that my registration FWG 698 V originated in Stirling( Stirlingshire) WG in 1980 which is now where the car is currently located If anyone has any history info I would be delighted to hear. In the meantime I have completed info on the register and hope to add some pics soon -assuming I can cope with the technology.'
'

Trevor Rodgers wrote:
> So having got my GT continuing to run when I stopped at junctions it was
> however revving a bit fast. I then decided to ask my MGtf owning neighbour
> who she used to service/tune her car. It turns out he used to run his own
> garage for many years locally and my mother in law was one of his
> customers.Sadly his lease expired and the local council wanted to redevelop
> the site. He retired but continues to work on cars at home for a small no.
> Of clients and following a call from my mg owning neighbour, agreed to look
> at my car. Already he has stripped the carbs, retuned and it now ticks over
> at relatively low revs but he's advised that the distributor cap is badly
> scorched and the rotor arm needs replacing and also a rattle evident on
> tickover is due to the fact that the water pump bearings have gone nd also
> the pump is leaking but only very slightly. So a call to MGOC and the parts
> arrived the next day. He's doing a big job at the mo but he knows the bits
> are here When he bought the car back from his first foray and the carb
> retune I discovered that not only did he service astons, jags and mgs in
> the past but he also sold MGb's for a local dealership. What a bonus find.!
> it pays to have a fellow mg owner next door! What I also discovered from my
> new found super mechanic is that my registration FWG 698 V originated in
> Stirling( Stirlingshire) WG in 1980 which is now where the car is currently
> located If anyone has any history info I would be delighted to hear. In the
> meantime I have completed info on the register and hope to add some pics
> soon -assuming I can cope with the technology.'
> '

I own FWG 708V also Vermillion and the cars just ten apart. My car has Cornwall Sticker on number plates and window so it’s had a fair old trip from Scotland to Cornwall in it’s time. . .