MGB Convertibles

[Doc]

Ok fellas, looks like I am going to try and talk the wife out of the MGB...

[RandyO]

Project car forever. Parents used to own one, mother in law still does. Lucas "king of darkness" electrical system.....

Find a Miata instead.

my brother had a 59 MGA, never started with the electric start unless you just shut it off. he was always fussing with something, swearing at someone named Lucas

I looked at a mid 60's MGB GT, my brother told me he'd dis-own me if I bought it

[Rossco]

I think the general consensus here seems to be that MGB's suck.


Which means then that they must be the perfect car for you, doc.

[Garandman]

It's worse than jus electrical reliability. The mechanical durability of engines, transmissions and drive trains is just not there. You can rebuild the car from stem to stern and it might still break.

I owned a Triumph Spitfore for a while an it completely cured me of any desire to own a British car ever again.

[scottfromboston]

Doc, the miata will pretty quickly become be your favorite thing on four wheels. Plus it will be her car, so you have an excuse for owning a "chick" car.

Positively avoid the 1999-2000 CA-standard models with twin catalytic converters.

[nhbubba]

Why? Mine was a '99 CA spec. It wasn't that bad. I'd rather have a fed spec too. But "positively avoid"? Seems drastic.
I had an O2 sensor fail on the thing. Repair was relatively cheap 'n easy.

GF's mother just brought home an '00 recently. She wants me to be impressed with it.. but the thing is in kinda sad shape. And then I looked inside and saw the auto shifter. Talk about a wet blanket. Now there's something you should positively avoid in a Miata; an autotragic trans.

[drinkingmymilk]

$3500 + soft top - Miata + spare toy car = Jeep



**that said, Miata's are the shit. My mother had a 99. Fun ass car to drive.

[scottfromboston]

Why? Mine was a '99 CA spec. It wasn't that bad. I'd rather have a fed spec too. But "positively avoid"? Seems drastic.
I had an O2 sensor fail on the thing. Repair was relatively cheap 'n easy.

GF's mother just brought home an '00 recently. She wants me to be impressed with it.. but the thing is in kinda sad shape. And then I looked inside and saw the auto shifter. Talk about a wet blanket. Now there's something you should positively avoid in a Miata; an autotragic trans.

You're lucky. Most 02 sensor failures (or any misfire for that matter; bad gas, old wires, plugs) lead to smoking the "warmup" (front) cat and may also toast the rear cat, leading to the "P0420" check engine code. There's a solution, but it involves replacing the header and relocating the 2 o2 sensors. It was a pain, but only ended up costing about 500$ total; I did the header swap myself. Lots of people have this problem; I wouldn't buy another (I'd spend the extra cake to get a 2002-2003 Mazdaspeed model). It's easy and cheap enough to get a 2001 or a fed model that won't have this issue.

[tonyd]

S2000

[duganc1717]

Looking to spend $3500... Some of these other cars you guys are talking about are out of the price range.

[tsorfas]

if you wanna go a bit over the 3500$ roof you can have the del sol whenever you want.
Not sure exactly what you looking for but i bought cause its a bulletproof car that has amazinig MPG

[gregp]

My Dad had a MGB GT and a Midget. Both were fun cars, and a lot of work. I owned a Fiat X-19 at the time. This was fun as well, and a lot less work. We also had a Triumph TR-7. This was not a good car. It looked mean as hell, but it had no go, and had constant problems.
I also had a VW Dune Buggy with the classic fiberglass body, huge chrome rear wheels, roll bar, and a custom removable soft top. I built the engine myself, and out of all of them, this one was the most fun to ride around in.
Today, I would get nothing but a Miata if I was looking for the same kind of fun.

[zxme]

if you wanna go a bit over the 3500$ roof you can have the del sol whenever you want.
Not sure exactly what you looking for but i bought cause its a bulletproof car that has amazinig MPG

[Garandman]

My Dad had a MGB GT and a Midget. Both were fun cars, and a lot of work. I owned a Fiat X-19 at the time. This was fun as well, and a lot less work. We also had a Triumph TR-7. This was not a good car. It looked mean as hell, but it had no go, and had constant problems.//

Back in the day when the TR7 was new, I drove a VW Scirocco in time trials at Loudon. There were half a dozen Sciroccos, it was a very popular autocross and track day car along with Mazda RX7's, BMW 2002's, etc.

This fellow showed up with a TR7 and he would barely deign to speak to the lowly Scirocco owners because they were not "real sports cars."

After the first season when he discovered he was about 7 seconds a lap slower than the slowest Scirocco, he became quite a bit more friendly.... Motor not found in those things.

[tsorfas]

are you interested?

[Garandman]

There's always the MG Midget. I can drive it with the top down and look over the windshield.

...But I think the tin worm has gobbled them all.

[zxme]

always looking. what color?

i have been looking for an older muscle like a 70-73 camaro but have been out of luck.

[tsorfas]

always looking. what color?

i have been looking for an older muscle like a 70-73 camaro but have been out of luck.

oh i thought it was just about doc.
Its all black with added lime green lips and sides (can be removed or painted if you want to).
i will upload pics as soon as i get home or if you want PM me your number and ill text em to you OR anyone interested

[gregp]

Back in the day when the TR7 was new, I drove a VW Scirocco in time trials at Loudon. There were half a dozen Sciroccos, it was a very popular autocross and track day car along with Mazda RX7's, BMW 2002's, etc.

This fellow showed up with a TR7 and he would barely deign to speak to the lowly Scirocco owners because they were not "real sports cars."

After the first season when he discovered he was about 7 seconds a lap slower than the slowest Scirocco, he became quite a bit more friendly.... Motor not found in those things.

Right after we got rid of the TR-7, I bought a VW Rabbit hatchback. That car was amazing. It was very peppy, and handled well. In the Blizzard of 1978(?) I drove it to work and parked it. Snow was wind driven underneath the timing belt cover, where it melted and re-froze. I came out of work, turned the key and....BOOM!

[Garandman]

Funny you mention that as I got one after the Blizzard of '78 when my car was flooded with salt water. Did my first autocrosses in it, then got a 79 Scirocco. The 1.6l Golfs and Sciroccos would destroy a TR7 in a straight line, but the RX7 was quicker, albeit thirstier. If you owned a VW of that vintage you just had to care a spare fuse box - not spare fuses, the entire box!

[joeswamp]

Well if the TR7 is too slow then Doc should consider that benchmark of reliability, the TR8. V8 power baby!

The problem with all these cars is that they're just too darn old. The last MGB came off the line over 30 years ago, from a design that is now 50 years old. For a car that's really starting to get a little long in the tooth.

Miatas are great, they look like small classic sports cars, but when you compare them directly you realize the Miata is a much more modern car -- also lots bigger and safer. I drove a Triumph TR4 when the Miata came out, and I remember going to a dealer to sit in one. The Miata felt huge by comparison and it also felt like I was sitting about a foot higher off the ground.

Here's a picture of a Miata next to a Lotus Elan (the original Miata shape is based on the Elan). Note the size difference:



I think the only car you can get today that's still really in the classic sports car mold is the Lotus Elise. Kind of a pricey high maintenance vehicle though (but then again, so were all the old ones).

[nhbubba]

My father made the same point when I bought my '99 Miata. I brought it by to show him. He climbed in and the first thing he said is "Wow, shitload bigger and more comfortable than that ol' Sprite eh?!"

Although he was comparing it to the AH Sprite => MG Midget, which is even smaller than the B.

Seriously, if I were down for a convertible, Miata or Jeep Wrangler. The Miata soft top is so stupidly simple to operate. You do it one handed from the driver's seat.. while underway.

Ironically the convertible-ness of the Miata is a big part of why I got rid of it. Horribly loud and shitty on the highway and mine exhibited cowl shake at like 65-70... right where I cruise on my daily commute.

[gregp]

Wow. Thanks for the comparison pic! I would have never guessed that the Miata was so much larger.
As far as the noise goes, I am pretty sure that all soft tops are loud. Mazda does offer a hard top, though, I think,... but I do not know how difficult it is to remove, or if it even is removable at all.

[nhbubba]

Line an early NA Miata up next to an NB.. then an NC. Everything's bigger these days. Crash regs, rollover regs, pedestrian safety.. yadda yadda. The original cars were lighter too.

My buddy is a big 1.6L NA fan. He's wicked competitive in his '91 at auto-x. When I showed him pictures of my NB his response was "Nice car, too big and fat for me, but nice car."

Yes, sound issues are inevitable with a convertible. Personally I'm just not a 'vert kind of guy. I have zero interest in the typical coupe-gone-vert models out there.

I hear the hard tops help with the cowl shake too. They are somewhat pricey and can be hard to source for the Miata though.

[tsorfas]

Here are the some pics of the Del Sol