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MG MGB Technical - Technical questions from a novice

I'm not even sure this is the proper spot for this post, but all apologies if it's not.

First off, I know next to nothing about MG's...however, I'd like to own one, and today test drove several. The one I was most interested in had two problems that concerned me, and is unfortunately located in a tiny town in which I doubt anyone is qualified to give serious advice, and also is not covered by insurance or equiped with current tags, meaning I can't borrow it and bring it to a shop that I would trust...so any advice I can get from here will be greatly appreciated...

The car is a 1977 MG Special...the 1st issue is the brakes...I found them to be much less responsive than what I was really comfortable with...I once owned a Saab 900 Turbo, and when it required brake work the cost become astronomical...what is the worst case for this issue? Assuming new calipers, rotors et al, what would I be looking at cost wise?

The second issue I'm pretty vague on...the owner had to flip some switch under the hood, having to do with the choke before starting it...any information I can get on this would be extremely helpful.

Thanks.
Devin

Maybe the switch under the hood is a master switch to cut off battery power. This is a common modification against thieft here in Europe.
As to the comparision between costs of SAAB and MG brake parts I cannot add that much: Nearly all mechanic MGB parts are cheaper than those for my '97 Volkswagen.

Good luck

Mark
Mark Leitiger

Devin. MGs had relatively good brakes for their time. They are still fairly good, but many modern cars, especially with ABS, will have a different feel to them than the MG does. The only real way to get a comparison is to drive a similar MG with good brakes, then test drive the car you are looking at buying. Brit-Tek (1-800-255-5883) has a "major brake rebuild kit" that costs about $220 as I remember it. It does not include caliper rebuild kits, nor new pistons which might be needed. If you do the work yourself, you have only the cost of the parts. Professionally redone, it should cost under $500. This assumes a good master cylinder (one capable of being rebuilt). If not, a new one cost about $238 the last time I bought one. I am not aware of any switch connected to the choke. One think to check is whether the car has the original Zenith-Stromberg carb and if it still has the original water choke on it. Many people convert to a manual choke because of problems with the water choke.

A couple of things come to mind. First, get a copy of Lindsay Porter's "MGB Purchase and Restoration Guide" before you make a decision. It has an excellent guide on how to check out the car and what things will cost to repair any problems found. Second, decide, if you can, whether you want a chrome bumper or a rubber bumper car. Then, pick up the Bentley reprint of the factory workshop manual for that series. (If you cannot make that decision, or just want to keep your options open, the Haynes's manual covers all of the MGBs, but not in as much depth.) See if you can find an MG or British Car club within reasonable driving distance from you. Go to some of their gatherings and talk with the people. Find out who might be a good mechanic in your area, see if you can drive some of the cars and see what you like and do not like among the various versions. Spend your time doing research and you will make a better purchase that will provide years of satisfaction.

Lastly, to the best of my knowledge, there was no such thing as a 77 Special Edition. To date, the definitive guide is "Original MGB" by Anders Ditlev Clausager, and he does not list any 77 Special Edition vehicles. Know what you are getting so no one can try to fool you. Most states will issue a special, temporary license plate, good for several days. Your insurance company should be willing to provide insurance coverage for the purpose of test driving a car prior to purchase. Check with your agent and see what can be done. Les
Les Bengtson

Could be a Jubilee special model, in which case it should be a 1976, with rubber-bumpers, dark green colour with gold side stripes and V8 style wheels with gold highlights.

Phil.
Phil Hill

Or it could be a midget with the side stripes that say "Special". The only thing special was the stripes and wheel trim rings- and the price charged by the dealers who installed them!
Terry

The best advice I can offer a novice : look for rust ! if there's a hole , any hole , you can put your little finger in , RUN AWAY
from the car . other than that , it's a simple car and easy to work on yourself , hence the high ' enthusiast ' factor of these wonderfull little cars .

Les and other guys on this list will gladly help you with the myriad of questions you'll have after you buy it . I'm (supposedly) a professional mechanic and they have helped me over the hard parts .

buy the best body car you can and make it run well - don't waste time & $$ trying to fix up a rusty car .

-Nate
NSH

This thread was discussed on 08/04/2002

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