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MG MGA - A $5000 MGA?

Does anyone have an MGA for sale that I can drive home for under $5000? All I see on eBay are restored cars well over $10K. Maybe I'm behind the times. What do daily driver MGAs sell for now? I have a Coupe, which I paid under $1000 for when I was 14. That was, however, over 15 years ago, when I worked in the hay field to buy and restore the car. No more square bales for me now. I've got a few project Sprites, but due to time restrictions, a driving car is what I need. I'd like a topless version of the MGA, but the deals...and most of the DD cars seem to be gone.
Kemper

The only MGAs I've seen sell for under $5000 in the past year have been projects, not running cars. A solid driver in need of cosmetics and minor mechanical would probably be more in the 7-8K range, minimum. But keep your eyes open, especially in local classifieds. Deals do pop up now and then. Local ads are the only reason I was able to afford two of my cars.
Steve Simmons

The only ones I have seen in that price range are models from Troy Guidon's collection!

dominic clancy

There is also of course a number of European importers constantly scouring the USA for project cars to bring back over here. If you see one advertised locally you probably need to act fast.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Dominic, Steve and others,

Not totally this topic, but...

I never quite understood the hugh price difference for MGAs between the US and Europe. Would it be all due to supply and demand, where the US has a great number of MGAs more than Europe?

Most cost factors of a restoration would be very similar I guess. We all use the same part suppliers etc etc.

Still an MGA of 10000 euro in Europe (12.500$), would be expected to be total junk in Europe, whereas you find reasonably looking examples on Ebay in the US all the time.

Any ideas?

Koen
Struijk Koen

Kemper, you might well find such a car, but inspect it very carfully. Cosmetics aren't going to be great for a car in this price range, but a rusty frame is to be avoided. You can live with bad sills for a while, but often if they're rotted the inner frame and floor board supports will be as well.
Bill Young

Koen

I think it's partly because labour rates are so high, good examples are hard to find, and parts cars are not to be found anywhere.
90% of MGAs went to the US. Many (like mine) have found their way "home" again, only to continue travels on to new places. If there is a large pool of parts cars, that keeps the bottom of the market relatively open, and therfore prices are low. When the bottom of the market is short of cars, then the prices for those cars is going to reflect the alternative (a US car plus the cost of shipping to a US gateway port, then onward to Eurpope etc.) That is why even the roughest cars here in Europe are $3000 or so.

Once that base price creeps up, it sets the trend for all to follow, and then good cars start costing $25,000 (though at that price, they don't sell fast even though you can just get in and drive)

The classifieds here are a good start - there is actually a 5k MGA advertised!
http://mysite.verizon.net/resoe3ws/1958mgaroadsterpics/
dominic clancy

Don't give up. They are out the.

I picked up a '60 1600 this spring for $3500. So far, I've put in a new master cylinder and replace a broken front spring. The inner sills need doing and there's no top, but other than that, it's a driver needing cosmetics.

Keep looking, though this is the wrong time of year to be looking for bargains. The one I bought had been sitting advertised on a Club Bulletin Board since last October.

TTFN

Derek Nicholson

Keep searching. I'm certain there are many of them still out there in garages, backyards and such. I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico a few months ago. The valet at the hotel was in love with my Nissan 350Z and ran over every other valet to drive it each time I came out or pulled in. Thus, we had a couple of conversations about sportscars and he noted that on his income he had keep prices down. He had just bought an MG that he found in a field for $500. After carefully extracting a description from him, turns out it was a '62 MGA MKII. It actually runs (rough though) and didn't have any body damage or rust.

Back in the 70s, I worked for a utility company as a meter reader. I found several good buys along the way because I was in every yard in the city at some point. If you have friends or acquaintances that work jobs that take them all over town like the one I had, show them a picture and ask them to keep their eyes open for one. It would likely be a better deal than e-bay.
Rick Penland

BINGO! See here: http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?2,399438
Steve Simmons

This thread was discussed between 15/08/2006 and 18/08/2006

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