Back on the MGB today. Carbs are sorted out, engine is runni

May 14 (edited)

Back on the MGB today.
Carbs are sorted out, engine is running great.
Have to tackle the rat's nest of previous owner wiring next.
About 30 seconds after I shot this video, the fan switch blew out of it's grommet in the radiator and I took a shower. Yay. #sgmechanicalservice #ifixstuffyoucant #mgb #britishcars

May 14, 2026

Post your reply…

Replies (19)

· May 15

The fuel filter right before the carb always tells me somebody didn't want to boil the gas tank. Could you post a picture of the entire car Shawn?

· May 15

@alsancle
There's a whole story to this poor car.
The owner needs to drive it for a while to see if he even likes it before he starts pouring money in it.
Running, driving and safe is the priority for now.

· May 15

@alsancle
Here's the little beast in all it's glory.
It was sold to my customer as "Just needs an ignition coil". He's not a mechanic but he's good at building houses.
So far "Just an ignition coil" has been a cracked cylinder head, faulty Accuspark electronic distributor (which has been replaced with a points distributor) and an absolute mess of a wiring harness.

(edited)

1 / 2

· May 15

@ShawnG Rubber bumper car. Post 73?

· May 15

@alsancle
1976

· May 15

@ShawnG Solid?

· May 15

@alsancle
Some bubbles starting to show.
It's an MGB. Rust seems to be a feature, not a bug.

· May 16

@ShawnG oh no the rubbernose!! Of course to add insult to injury Leyland then had to lift the suspension I believe nearly 2 inches to get the bumper to meet US height specs. Sports car handling in a post 73 B? Hmmn...

I will take a pre 67 please with the wire wheels, cool interior and primitive top... I forget when the top went from DIY assemble the frame to folding - but I guess that's an advantage with the later cars.

· May 16

@SteveMackCT
Yes, the earlier cars are much prettier.
I owned a '67 Fiat 850 Spider for a while. It had the nice, glassed in headlamps which were also used in the Miura. A few years later, Fiat was forced to move the headlights up in the fenders to comply with height regulations and I think it really spoils the look of the car.

I feel like the late 60s - early 70's were the golden era for European sports car styling.

· May 16

@ShawnG Judging by the roll bar and harnesses, someone’s been using it as Mother Nature intended.

· May 15

I owned a TR-6 for a few years, mid 80s. I am not sure I would swap out any of our cars for another but to me an MGB or TR-6 remain bargain collector cars. Yeah some sorting needed on most but you can drive the wheels off them, experience earlier tchnology in a true sportscar and they are fun cars to drive. Well supported.

Great car if one is on a budget or if you can spend a little more $20k gets one a very nice TR-6 or early B.

1987 maybe? I could still get Michelins at the local tire store!

(edited)

· May 15

@SteveMackCT
Very nice. I've always loved the styling on the TR-6.
I'd have another MG Midget or AH Sprite in a heartbeat. They're so much fun to drive. You can use everything it's got and not go to jail.

· May 15

@ShawnG thanks and Bingo!!

In '86 or '87 that car was just 15 years old but I couldn't get around the block without a ton of attention which says a lot I think about the state of cars in that period...

· May 15

@SteveMackCT Did yours squat in the rear end? I think the springs went quick on those cars and they all look like tail draggers. I agree they are a bargain compared to a Jag. I would have made that my HS car and been a hero! Screw the GTO.

· May 15

@alsancle yeah squatted a bit but not too bad actually. Speaking of the GTO I will tell you the 68 Cutlass I had around 20 years ago was real bad like that.

The thing about a TR or MG as Shawn says - you feel like your going fast pretty much all the time. I used to say MGBs are fun for everyone but a TR-6 is a man's car. Not sure why but you saw as many women in MGs as men. A female driver in a TR-6 was rare...

· May 16

@SteveMackCT hey, are you saying I like to drive chick cars? 😃

I love MG’s and TR6’s. Series 1 MGB’s are great cars and I think have fabulous classic aesthetics. And as mentioned before “wide open in a midget” out in the country makes 45mph feel like 100. I’ve had several of the usual suspects regarding roadsters but I’m a fan of MG. This 66 MGB and 74 midget were both in my garage for years and I miss them.

(edited)

1 / 2

· May 16

I do agree about the TR6 Steve. I got behind one on a road just south of our house earlier in the week and followed it for about 5 miles. By the end of a mile two, I told myself “I’m getting one of those”

(edited)

· May 15

Sounds good! What is the redline on an engine like that?

· May 16

@tom1980
I'd have to go look but I would expect somewhere around 5500rpm.
The B-series engine is a tough little lump with a great racing heritage.