My MGB Experience

Unceremoniously arriving on the back of  a flatbed truck at it's new home.   After getting my first MG, a 1971 MGB L Roadster, interest in all things MGB began to consume more and more of my thoughts, energy and time. My previous sports car experience was owning a Datsun 2000S Fairlady I bought at age 19 and had for 10 years. For most of that time it was my only car, which in a moment many times regretted, it got sold. Buying the MGB Roadster was like a coming home for me, picking up where the Dato left off.  My brother began to have a growing interest in MG's as well and went on to buy a nice MGB GT LE UK edition. My son revealed that out of an interest in wanting to learn how to work on cars, YouTube searches had led him to subscribe and follow a restoration project on, of all things, an MGB GT.  I knew his favourite car of all time is a 70's Mach 1 Mustang, and I learned specifically it is the fast back styling that appeals to him, the MGB GT had th...

SU H4 Carburettor. Thanks and credits go to Mark for contributing this information, with symptoms, diagnosis and the solution described in this article to fix air leak on worn throttle shaft. Well those who have been around cars using the SU H4 carbs would be familiar with this issue and have perhaps wondered why SU seemingly didn't do much to address this key trouble spot in their carburetors, namely air leaks from worn throttle shafts / carb body bushings, or maybe being relatively new to the scene this is a recent development with your own car. Symptoms: Attempts to balance the carbs when they appear to be well balanced only to go completely out of balance at the touch of the throttle. Missing, stalling and running rough at idle and driving, or stalling and the car won't start again. Throttle shaft. Diagnose: With a can of carb cleaner, while the car is idling spray around the area of the suspected shaft. If an air leak exists the carb cleaner will get sucked in a...

MGB L Roadster, 1971 Related Posts ==>  Other MG Reviews I was casually looking at buying a convertible sports car again, something I'd done a lot off and on over the years. In my youth I owned a Datsun 2000S Fairlady for 10 years, which in a moment many times regretted it got sold.  The Datsun 2000S I had looked just like this when I finished  though mine had chrome steel rims. My search was starting to get a bit more serious. Mazda MX5's were high on the list and really there isn't much else in the market unless older classic cars are added to the search criteria which I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to go down the path of fixing and working on old cars again. Rear wheel drive, convertible and interior space to accommodate me, I'm 6' tall, were must haves, performance was not overly important but would be a bonus. I made a few casual enquiries of the MX5. The Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider began to stand out as an option while reviews spoke of the Alfa's as being ...

Related Posts ==> Other MG Reviews When I first started looking for an MGB I had already decided I would be buying a GT model. In Queensland where we have long hot summers it seemed to make more sense than a roadster. As luck would have it, and all the factors that come together when we make these choices, I settled on a 1980 MGB GT LE (Limited Edition) UK. It was a long distance purchase which required transporting the LE from Melbourne via road freight. The transport worked out very well and I came to discover that people buy, sell and ship cars all over Australia, its common practice. Cool Factor: The MGB GT LE UK edition was a good purchase, if only for the "James Bond" factor that unexpectedly accompanied it. It seems the car has some resemblance to the silver Aston Martin DB5 that triggers memories of Sean Connery in Goldfinger. A comment I received recently was "You must be James Bond!" So this LE model has lots of cool factor going on...thanks to Carrozze...

Related Post ==> Other Repairs The factory drum brakes on 1500 model cars are a little on the agricultural side. The stopping power of modern cars in traffic and freeway conditions made me quite nervous and got my heart racing. Visions of the precious MGA rear ending a Hyundai or whatever is not a good scenario.  The options, upgrade to the disc brake system of the later 1600 model, and/or to install a brake booster system. With some research and a chat to the MG repairer, t he conclusion was that what many drivers are concerned about is often the "feel" of the brakes compared to a modern car.  The MGA peddles being so close together for me makes the whole action of operating the peddles slow and awkward which makes getting used to the "feel" that little bit harder. It was  decided to start with installing the after market brake booster with the option to go with discs later if needed.  As it turned out, the booster works fantastically. The brake pe...

Original Inertia Spool Related posts ==> Other Repairs My MGB GT LE is a 1980 model and 40 years old. Recently the plastic cover over the original drivers side seat belt latch broke, resulting in the release button falling out and the seat belt latch no longer able to clip together with the buckle. Looking online in Australia, there was no inertia seat belt parts available from the regular MG parts suppliers. I also checked the local auto parts stores and no luck. I then found a local seat belt supplier company who were able to supply a suitable inertia type replacement seat belt unit. The new unit was supplied with the seat belt unit, mounting plate, a sleeve washer, all bolts and spring washers. Following is a summary of buying and installing tips: Original Seat Belt unit with broken  plastic casing on the latch        1. The online search offered two types of seat belts - a simple lap strap and latch unit or a lap/sash inertia unit. Given the year of pro...