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MG MGA Should I try to fix my dad's MGA? BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG MGA - Should I try to fix my dad's MGA?
| Hi, My dad has to get rid of his 1962 MGA MKII. It's got a 1622 cc engine that has a few non-stock modifications on it. I don't know what they all are, but I know he bored out the cylinders once. Here's the catch though. It's been sitting in garage in California for 23 years. While it doesn't really have any rust, it does need some body work on one of the fenders and the rear bumper. The seat covers are ripped pretty badly. It's currently buried under a bunch of stuff so who knows what's been nesting in there. It looks pretty beat up. On the plus side: - It has sentimental value to me. It was the car that my dad drove my mom home in the first time they met. I remember always seeing that thing in the garage growing up, though it seldom moved. - It comes with the service manual and I've heard that MGs are easy to work on. - I like the way those cars work and I do have a place to put it. - It's complete. It worked when it was last parked. - It's free. On the negative side: - It hasn't moved in 23 years. I'm sure it will need a lot of work. I'd be shocked if the engine wasn't frozen up. - I've heard that these cars are very high maintainance. I don't have a whole lot of experience repairing cars (you can thank Japanese car companies) but I'm pretty good at teaching myself how to do things like tile the kitchen, install ceiling fans, build a computer from leftover pieces, etc. - I would have to pay to have it send out to Texas before I could even start to think about fixing it up. I might get it here only to realize that it's too much work. - I'm afraid it will turn into a huge money pit. I'm not sure I feel right about robbing my kids' college fund, though I'm willing to spend $2,000 to get it working initially. I'm leaning more towards taking it, but I'd like to get an idea first of what I'm getting myself into. What kind of work do you think I could expect to have to do it get it running? How much do you realistically think this would cost me? Any comments would be welcome. |
| DL Henderson |
| Hi DL, why don't I save you a lot of money and time, I live in Calif and I can pick up the car for you and even give you some money for it!!!! Depending on the work needed, I would estimate $10,000 to $15,000 for everything from paint to engine rebuild, brakes, electrical, interior, ect. I almost forgot, the transportation to Texas. another grand. Let me know!!! |
| JEFF BECKER |
| No, No, no, no, no no.............. I'll give you money for it. LOLOLOLOLOL Seriously, do hang on to it! Yes, many people would gladly take it off your hands. but it is already part of 'YOU' Even if you just get it home to Texas, and store it someplace [clean & dry] until you have the time and money to restore it. Or work on it gradually. But do NOT get discouraged! I have a '59 sprite, that I've owned since 1968. And right now it's been sitting again for several years whilst I play with my MGB. But I hope it will be part of the family long after I'm gone. Safety Fast Dwight |
| Dwight |
| DL, I think its great that you're interested in the MG. Shipping costs aside, you might get it running for $2K, if you're lucky and you do all the work yourself. If the motor pulls through by hand, it probably will run with an oil change, tune up, clean out fuel tank, fuel pump refurishment, a carb kit and carb adjustment. Probably need a complete brake job, lines and a MC rebuild. Likely need a new exhaust and probably tires and batteries. Check the shocks...might be OK, might need fluid, might need a rebuild/replace. Check rack and pinion boots and oil level. However, unless you are really lucky you'll probably need another #2-$3k to get it operable. Good luck...Oh, and if you do decide to sell it, don't sell it too cheap! Sounds like a perfect project car. GTF |
| G T Foster |
| G'day DL,first let me say these are my opinions not gospel. We have just done up a MGB from scratch and from your description your dads car would take a lot more than $2000 to even get back on the road even if you have all the skills to do it yourself.So if my budget could not go any furter I would sell it to somebody who can get it on the road and put the money from the sale in your kids college fund. Bob |
| B WALKER |
| DL - Another option, since you say you have room to store it, is to just transport the car to Texas now, and put it aside and wait until you have the time and money to do a decent job on getting it back on the road. Given the sentimental value, I think you will regret it later if you let it go now. Like your Dad, I had my MKII in the garage since '73, but have recently begun restoring it and am oh so happy I didn't sell it along the way (and there were many offers from friends and just about anyone who saw it sitting in my garage all those years). Also remember that once you do begin to work on the car, this BBS forum is an incredible asset. - Ken |
| Ken Doris |
| DL,a lot of good opinions here.Let me add,depending on what you want to be seen in, you can do it for less...a lot less.And still be safe to drive.Join a local Brit club these guys get off bringing dead cars back to life,usually for food and beer. I have done several MGs/ TRs that have sat for thirty years or more. Get the heart pumping,then get it to walk and stop.After you have done that,take it for a short drive, after that nobody will be able to pry it from you. You will be hooked. You know tools, you CAN do it.Your wife and kids will love it.Todays riding lawnmowers are more complicated. |
| wc wolcott |
| DL, forgot to mention,you will meet alot of new people, and your wife might even like some of them. |
| wc wolcott |
| DL, I got the money burning a hole in my pocket. E-mail me quick so I can get you the money. I wlll even send pictures just like an adoption of a baby. You can look at this little baby every year without a penny out of your pocket. I will even give you bragging rights. Time is going by fast. Lets make that deal. |
| JEFF BECKER |
| Hi DL. Sentimental reasons are perhaps reason enough to want to keep the car. While such a project may be time consuming and expensive, I think you would find the end result worth the effort. MG's are patient vehicles, and can wait long periods of time to be restored. Yours doesnt HAVE to be restored right away! And yes, MG's are pretty simple vehicles. If you have a manual, some tools, some skills, and a willingness to learn as you go, you will likely be able to do a lot perhaps even most of the restoration work yourself. The MGA is a really fun car to drive, and that easily becomes addictive! Once an MGA is restored properly, and the bugs are worked out, they are usually pretty reliable. If they do crap out, their ailments are usually easy to figure out and fix. Additionally, MG's are fantastic teachers! If you keep the MG, you will learn not only about the car, but about yourself and other people in the process! Only you can decide whether or not to keep this vehicle, but for many reasons, I would personally vote YES, keep it! Cheers! Glenn |
| Glenn |
| Hi DL, Barn find MGAs are very rare over here and always worth restoring. In UK they are worth £3000 as basket cases. It would be worth the transport costs to get it back home and get someone in your area who is knowledgeable on MGAs - (probably through this BBS )- to assess the state of the chassis and body -that is where the expense lies - as mentioned earlier most of us would be glad to do it for a beer and a sandwich!. I agree with Ken, you will regret selling your Dad's car ( and your kids will want to know why you got rid of their grandad's heirloom) . It will cost some money to reinstate it to running order (engine and brakes), but there is no rush - take 10 years over it and let your kids have it - after you have had the fun of putting it all back together and made a lot of new friends. Cheers Cam |
| C Cunningham |
| Unless you want your kids to be saying at some point in the future "Do you know what my father was stupid enough to do .....?" you know what to do. |
| Derek Nicholson |
| Get it home and decide from there. Ignore Jeff Becker. |
| Tom |
| KEEP IT! You will be sorry if you sell it. Why do you think your dear old Dad kept it? My Dad drove his on his first date with my Mom. He still wishes he had kept it. My first car was a MGA in 1985. Like a fool I sold it. I now have a 1958 Twin Cam. I will not make that mistake again, so keep your Dads. Save it, spend a little cash on it. Drive it, you to will be in love with the car. Take Care, Don |
| D.M. Black |
| Totally agree with Tom. Spend your money to get it to your house and make the decision after that...sometime in the future. Too many times in my life I've said "I wish I'd never sold that.....". Good luck.... Gene |
| Gene Gillam |
| You can spend as little or as much as you want. If it's intact, $2K will at least get it driving. To me, a worn machine is better than a sparkling newly restored one. The dirt and dings aren't nearly as painful. I'd take the truck to U-Haul, get a trailor, some coffee, and just go get it. I once did 1100 miles, non-stop, in 18 hours to pick up a 'BGT and an old BMW motorcycle. Very mind-numbing, but worth it. I know when my dad's MGA becomes mine, I'd set out after it on foot, if need be. Jeff B., I've got an MGA you can buy... http://photobucket.com/albums/v307/dandomatic2/motorwerks/mgaparts3.jpg |
| Kemper |
| I forgot to mention, even if you pay to have it shipped to you and decide to part with it, you could sell it and still make some money. I don't see how you could lose. |
| Kemper |
| DON'T SELL IT!!!! I've got a 1957 MGA that I parked in Texas in 1977 while I moved around the country and raised a family. I finally brought it up to Minnesota a few years ago and started restoring it with my son. It'll be going back on the road this spring just in time for him to take his Drivers License Test in. Did it cost more than I'd planned, yes, did it take longer than I thought, yes, but it wont break the bank. The time spent with my son working on that car was priceless as was the knowlege he gained. You will definitely regret it if you sell it. |
| John Nelson |
| Every time I've sold off an MGA, I've come to deeply regret it. I won't make the same mistake a third time. Worthy project cars will only get more difficult to find. If you can, store it until you have the time and means to bring it back to life. Regards, Doug |
| D Sjostrom |
| DL, I had a similar situation here in Oregon. My sister and her Husband bought a 1962 MK-II when they married in 1962. I drove it to Arizona that fall when he was transfered there. The car was wrecked in the '70s, and parked in her garage. I always wanted to buy it from her, but she always said "I'm going to get it fixed some day." She passed away in 1999. Her 2nd husband asked me if I wanted the MG? I said yes, and he said, come and get it! I got it for nothing, so how could I loose? I started adding up the cost of restoring it, and it was more than I had anticipated. After lots of thought, I finally decided, I just want to do it! The car had sentimental value to me. I could have bought another MGA for less money, and lots less work, but it would not have been my sisters car. I didn't have the money until my kids were married and on thier own. Then it seemed like I had lots of extra money on hand, and I knew just where to put it to use. Total rebuild on engine, brakes, major clean up and paint of everything else. Body work and paint was farmed out to a friend, but I did everything else. We have been driving it for 3 years now. I can't tell you what it is worth to me, as it is about priceless. I would encourage you to transport the car to Texas, and wait until you have the time, and money, to start restoring it. You will not regret it one bit. |
| Ed Bell |
| DL, Let's fast forward here, for a moment. Twenty years from now, when your kids have survived puberty and are looking for more exciting things in life; your 17-yr-old son comes to you, puts his are around your shoulder, and says " Ahh, ... Dad? I saw a great-looking 1962 MGA MK II or sale, today. I really think this would be a super-cool set of wheels to attract the 'honeys' and like - ahh, Dad, I just gotta have it! I think I can get it for about $60 grand. How about you and I sitting down and talking about it?" Now DL, I think its about time YOU sat down and reconsidered. Keep it! I can't believe you don't know anybody that wouldn't be happy to help you. And don't be taken-in by FUD ... you know, "Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt". Y-O-U C-A-N D-O I-T !! Men are allowed to make a few mistakes in life, but selling a cherished family member, is not on the list. There are lottsa MG clubs in Texas and that's a good place to start looking for free advice, and eventually pointing you on the path to one of life's great enjoyments. Best of luck, Gord Clark Rockburn, Qué. |
| Gordon A. Clark |
| Hi, Well everyone has been very helpful, which is encouraging. I appreciate all the comments. I think I'll transport it here and see what I can do with it. I'll probably join the local MG club and see if anyone would be willing to work on this thing with me. Are there really people willing to do that for pizza and beer? The sentimental value is important to me, though if I decide that I have to sell it later I would. For the time being, I would like to just get it running and not worry about how it looks. Why my dad didn't just drive it twice a month to the grocery store to keep the fluids circulating is beyond me... Once I got it running I'd be willing to drop $1,000 a year into it. Sound reasonable? Ed: You hit the nail right on the head. He hasn't told me this, but I think his new wife is pressuring him to sell it so he would rather give it to me and keep it in the family. I would proabably be doing him a favor by taking it, I think. And I have always wanted that car. "Jeff B., I've got an MGA you can buy... http://photobucket.com/albums/v307/dandomatic2/motorwerks/mgaparts3.jpg" Yikes! LOL! This car looks perfectly restored compared to that thing! Thanks again everyone! Anyone reading this from San Antonio? |
| DL Henderson |
| You shouldn't even need $1000 a year to keep an MGA going. The more a vintage car is used, the less goes wrong with it. It is always the cars that have been laid up for some time that exhibit various maladies, particularly brakes and electrical. I bought my first MGA in 1970 and it was my only car (until I bought a companion TR3, but that's another story). It was reliable and cheap to run, and easy for a relative mehcanical neophyte to maintain. The odd thing that went wrong like the dead battery (bad memories of having to use the hand crank to start it at the locak burger drive-in while all the idiots in American cars laughed and hooted) was entirely foreseeable. Managed to run it without a battery for two weeks by parking on hills...... I bought my first MGA a couple of months after meeting the girl I'd later marry, and we went out in it for several years until I converted it to a race car. Still have both car and wife (refuse to comment on which is higher maintainence - it might come back to haunt me). |
| Bill Spohn |
| DL, Keep the car!! I too have a 1962 MKII (DeLuxe) which I bought 29 years ago and is in what I hope is the final stretch of a 25 year restoration. This car has been with me thru five moves, a wife and two children. My ten year old daughter was at the shop with me all day yesterday working with me on it. There have been many times over the years when I thought than I should sell it and I am spending way more than I thought but I still think that in the long run it will worth it. |
| M Gannon |
| DL, Lets go back and forth. -Family heirloom with good family history. -You will regret letting it go. -You have storage space. **Keep it. **You do not know why it was originally parked- the issue or reason it was parked- find out. -You do not currently have mechanical skills. -You are not involved in this hobby. -It will take extra income to restore and upkeep. *Let it go. Here is the best thing I can think of- 1) Spend the $700 to $1,000 that it will take to ship it from CA to TX and put it in your nice dry (all of Texas is pretty dry compared to MN) storage. 2) Get involved in your local MG club, here are a few: http://www.tmgr.org/clubs.htm#Texas http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/8575/ http://houstonmgcarclub.org/ After going to a few events and learning what it takes to repair/restore certain items, figure out what you would be willing to do yourself. Maybe a few club members would even give a hand or technical telephone advise when needed. If you don't have time for club events, FORGET even considering the TIME it takes to restore yourself. A good restoration takes thousands of hours, and more when you dont know what to do and how. Ask a few people with MGBs and MGAs for a ride, primarily in the passengers seat, maybe someone may even let you drive. These cars do not run and drive quite the same as modern cars. There is a great feeling driving these cars but for some individuals who do not like anything older then 3 years old, these cars will not drive right because of some differences in the way things are not as accurate and so on. These cars do not have the sound or temperature insulation, so they are VERY loud compared to your eastern import and really loud compared to a number of modern European imports. The shifting is of course- manual with that 3rd pedal and the feel is different then most of the easy shifting cars built since the mid-1970's. The suspension does not travel quite as far and the steering wheel is very large in comparison. Figure out whether you would restore or repair to drive or to show. If you like sentimental value and can afford to restore but do not care to drive it so much, have it restored for show purposes. If you like to drive it, then restore as you wish and use it. DO NOT restore it to sell it. Maximum value (Lets not get into a debate Please!!) is somewhere around $20,000 right now. For a good restoration, you will spend $10,000 to $30,000 just in parts. I know people who have complete restorations for $4,000 in parts and they did all the labour, but alot of parts are not like new and those cars are not worth $20,000. Add the time up that it takes to restore- beginning to end Complete restoration will take thousands of hours- now attach a hourly rate and shop supplies to that. You can purchase someone else's restoration for around 50% of what they have spent, and if yours is sold, it will be worth about half as much as "invested". I know there are some out there who will disagree with me, but they don't consider time to be worth anything. Its a great hobby if you put it that way. There is a huge crowd dedicated to classic cars and MG is one of the best ones with great support via others, other websites AND parts. These are good reasons to keep the MGA and restore it. There are plenty of cars out there without a following and they areworth far less and it would cost far more to restore since parts are rare. Since this is a family car, I arbitrarily say its worth keeping and think you should, but if it is going to go to waste becuase you do not have the time to restore it or drive it and maintain it, nor do you have the ambition to do anything but the EASIEST part of restoration- disassembly and placing it in 50 boxes(!), I would say its not a good idea. Review: *Join an MG car club and attend LOTS of events and Learn the cars and get as much seat time as possible. *Find out aproximate restoration or repair costs to your level of restoration desired. Then double it. *Figure out if you are going to have the time and money to do this right. Do you have the tools? Expext to spend a thousand dollars on cheap tools and tool box to do the job or send things out. *Figure out whether this will be a satisfying item to add to your life. If its a big hassel, then rethink it. *Bring it home for now and ethier put a few dollars into it to just get it to run and move under its own power. Don't expect to spend one dime less then $2,000 to make it move- NOT roadworthy. *or bring it home and prep it for further storage. My vote would be keep it, but you need to make sure YOU are the kind of person who will be able to use it. I am also assuming that the car is worth restoring, but by location and reasoning, it Probably is. Also, there are quite a number of good restration books on restoration of the MGA. -BMC. |
| BMC Brian McCullough |
| A few parts that will need repair from sitting. If the wheels are wire wheels, these may need attention, Tyres, All brake components that have rubber in them. master cylinder, wheel cylinders, front calipers, brake hoses. Seals on the motor and other driveline parts will leak, but most will be ok a for a little while if you understand that most of these motors leak a little bit. Replace what you can if the rest of the motor is workable. Carburetors, fuel lines, pump and tank will need attention, Ignition system, Wiring- Electrical, clutch, gearbox and differential oil and shape. Shocks, front suspension and rear suspension. Rear is usually okay but front might be pretty worn. Then there is the bodywork, soft top and other items. You will have a bit of work to do. Very satisfying, but its not for the faint of heart. I have already named over $2,000 in parts nominal. -BMC. |
| BMC Brian McCullough |
| DL, I would take on the challenge of getting the vehicle running. I purchased an MG last year without really knowing how to repair them, though I am somewhat mechanically inclined. I just finished a full front end rebuild without knowing alot about the car. The manuals you can find and this website were a huge help. The good thing is the work is straight forward and parts are obtainable. If you want to sell it, email me not any of the other people. hahahaha. It is an heirloom and is worth the work, plus they are a blast to drive. |
| Don |
| Kemper, WOW, that's a great car. How much do you want for it. It can keep my other MGA comany. Will you deliver it. It is only 75 degree here in Calif. and I had my MG out all day. I can drive mine and you can .......well let me figure that one out!!!! I got a tow rope. |
| JEFF BECKER |
| John, are you in a local club? If you need any help??????? John Nelson, Minneapolis, jgnelson02@msn.com Sf Dwight |
| Dwight |
| Jeff, had I not taken to front hubs off, I'd just push it over the hill and assume it rolled out to California. |
| Kemper |
| DL, I recommend that you keep the car and that you rent a U-Haul, or similar trailer and haul it back to TX. You will grow to appreciate the car as you tow it and every time you stop for gas. I rescued my MGA 1500 from my sister's garage in Indiana a few years ago and enjoyed the whole experience of loading it and the many boxes of parts (my brother-in-law had dissassembled it), and getting it into my garage in Idaho, where I have enjoyed working on it ever since. You will appreciate this hobby for years. HJ |
| Harley |
| One transportation problem that you will encounter is that companies such as U-haul or Penske will require you to use their vehicle to tow a car-hauler trailer. Which means driving an empty 24 ft. truck to tow an MGA behind it. From CA to TX, this is at least a grand. This is how they extort money from you under the guise of making sure you're using their trailer safely. I think transportation is one of the hardest parts of this hobby. My dad was going to buy a couple of Magnettes in Portland until he found out that shipping was twice the cost of the vehicles. See if someone in your local club with a truck and car trailer would be willing to take a road trip with you for gas money, dinner, and a few hundred bucks. |
| Mark J Michalak |
| DL, My Dad bought his MGA in 1958 when I was in JR High. I bought it from him in 1962 and have had it ever since. I drove my car a total of about 2,000 miles from when I went into the service in 1969 until I systematically refurbished it in 2000. I kept the car because it was a link between Dad and me and because I really loved the car. I had on the street, in garages, I rented a garage one summer and lived in the garage with it while taking classes because I could not afford both. I push started it (burning my feet in Sacramento one summer!) because I could not afford batteries and the motor mounts were so worn out that I could not crank it, just to drive it once and a while. I finally got the kids through school, and found that I had some money left at the end of the month, and decided to get it safe to drive in summer of 2000. All hydraulics, trued the wire wheels, new tires, fuel lines and carb kits, fuel pump points and diaphram, front suspension rubber parts and top link bolts, motor mounts and finally brand new batteries!! I was lucky, the fuel tank had been dry for years, the transmission was fine, and the engine pulled through easily with no plugs. I pre-oiled with the crank and no plugsput the plugs back and it started just like I had just turned it off. The sound was music to my ears! The car is still a link between my Dad (now in his 80's)and me, you should have seen the expression on his face when I took him for a ride after all those years! Keep the car!! Fix the car!! Drive the car!! Visit other MGs and MG people! You will never regret it!! Russ |
| R.A. Carnes |
| DL, to answer your question of whether MG club people are willing to help you work on your car for "pizza and bear", I think the answer is "definitely yes"! In the Chicagoland MG Club, we have a tech session at least once a month. A club member's house/car is the usual location, and the day is open to anyone who wants to come out to help, watch, and/or learn. The work to be done is usually led by an individual(s) who know what they're doing. Parts are the responsibility of the car owner. There are 8 - 12 people at each event. Work has included brakes, engines, u-joints, body work, upholstery, etc. Mostly on MGB's, but some work has been done on MGA's. The club has restored 2 complete cars in the past. Hey, with enough pizza and beer maybe some of us will be at your place...! Good luck with your decision, George. |
| G Goeppner |
| I'm down to 4 MGAs sell it to me!!! Actually my advise is to make it a family project. Can you imagine the pride. "Yea this was grandpa's' my Dad and I restored it, isn't it beautifull. |
| R J Brown |
| When I saw this thread, I thought it will run and run, and easily beat the 100 mark. Keep the car! |
| Nigel Munford |
| In 1995 I bought a Non-running MGA that I found in a garage, belonging to a friend of a friend. It too was burried under boxes, furniture and other junk. My decision was to fix it up and use it as a daily driver, just fix it up to where it was safe to operate and didn't offend anyones sense of esthetics. Quick breakdown of costs to get it that far: Brakes & clutch hydraulics--total re-do, including new pistons, MC, hoses springs pads, shoes, etc. $1k. Engine and fuel system (this includes having the radiator and fuel tank re-worked) repairs:$1k New wiring harness, batteries, several light fixtures: $500. New tires and tubes--$300. this is before I did anything cosmetic at all. Except for sending out the radiator and fuel tank, I did all the work myself. So just buying enough parts to make you raodworthy and dependable will probably run you about three grand and , depending on your free time, about two years worth of evenings and weekeend work. Once it's running well and you've gotten to trust that it will bring you home again without fail, you'll most likely want to do a bit with the interior and exterior. That can double, triple or even more what you've already put into it--depending on how far you want to go and how much you are willing to do yourself. You are going to find that resurrectiong the thing is going to be a slow process, so you won't be dumping a lot of cash into it initially. Only buy parts as you need them (unless they're really discounted and you know you're going to need it)...ditto tools. Things tend to get misplaced, and should you decide that the project's not right for you and you decide to sell, you won't have to "eat" the cost of those parts. the "usual sources" ship quickly and normally have everything in stock. You never said you wanted a show car--so I'm not going to talk to you about the tedium of a frame up resto--don't even think about going there right now. If you fall in love with the car and develop an unatural craving for cheap trophies, then consider it later. You've already improved the car considerably. Bseides--you've got to put those kids through college, so you can finally enjoy your car. Without the education, they are likely to be showing up on you doorstep with some frequency, for the next twenty years, jobless and in debt. Then you'll never get the car on the road. In all seriousness, MGA's are a bit scarce, and MKII's even more so. This is probably your best chance to own one, so even if you're not going to work on it right away, you'd be smart to tuck it away for a time when you can get it back on the road. |
| R. L Carleen |
| Hi DL, After reading all this correspondence your car has taken on the character of an old family pet dog that has just broken its leg and you are seeking advice on whether to call in the vet at enormous expense or to put it out of its misery! We are all imagining what sort of forlorn look it has in its headlights. You are so cruel to be even thinking of saying goodbye! Why don't you send us a few photographs of it so that we can all extend our sympathy and love! Mike |
| m.j. moore |
| I have hauled several cars with U-haul trailers and never used a U-haul truck to tow them. But they may have changed their rules. The last one I did was '98 from Canada. I have used a U-Haul truck to haul a car inside. Years ago our Saab 850 Monte Carlo blew the engine in 110 degree temperature in Oklahoma. We rented a U-Haul truck which we backed into a ditch, then laid two planks up into the truck and pushed the Saab inside. It was harder to find an unloading arrangement at home. HJ |
| Harley |
| Thanks again everyone. Don't have a picture available now, but when I get it here in I'll post one. As far as it being stripped down, I actually like that. I can't stand automatic, for example... But I've given myself an ultimatum. If I still haven't done anything to it in three or four years, then I'll sell it. |
| DL Henderson |
| PS I'm not at all worried about a stock restoration. I would just like to get it running and maybe one day pretty. Any ideas about where to start? |
| DL Henderson |
| DL I join the chorus incouraging you to keep her in the family. I understand family-financial stress though. I once offered my A to my shool dean for a semester's tuition ($1,750.00). I thank God he turned it down! I hope you can find a way, you have been given some great ideas from a bunch of gear-heads that somehow care, I love this place! If you somehow decide you can't do it add my name to the list of Californians that would help you find her a home. Steve |
| Steve Meline |
| DL. It is possible to rent a tow dolly that leaves the two rear wheels on the ground. When I have rented these there has never been a requirement to use the leasing agency's vehicle to do the towing. I brought my 68 BGT back from California that way with no problems. You would, in such a case, want to ensure the tires on the rear wheels, and inner tubes if so equipped, are in good condition. If you decided to keep the car, you would have a fairly rare, and very desirable, model. You would also have some family history to go along with it which, to me, would make it more valuable to own. It is possible to get a car up and running, then, make it safe to drive. This is not particularly difficult, especially when the engine can be turned over by hand. Birthdays and Christmas make good times to give an MG owner a useful tool or part for their car. A good set of wrenches will be used long after a pair of socks have been worn out. I am using some of the tools my father had when I was young. My way of remembering him as I work on my sports cars. (My first one, a Sprite Mark II was purchased in 68. My father did not like it. It was not a Ford. But, he helped me work on it and I learned about both cars and began an adult relationship with him while we worked together. I did the same thing with my older daughter when we restored an MGB for her to learn to drive on. Such things, in the long run, are worth a great deal.) Keep the car. Les |
| Les Bengtson |
| A cautionn about U-Haul trailers - make sure the unit can accomodate the narrow wheel tracks of an A. Regards, Joe |
| Joe Cook |
| When I started mine--the temptation was to get it running--right off the bat. A street rodder friend told me I was thinking backwards. Once I had it running, I'd try to drive it, and set myself up for numerous possible calamities that would make me want to chuck the project. Instead, I started with the safety items first: brakes, then lighting/electrical, and running gear. After all that was done, getting the old gal running was a piece of cake. I was able to take it out for it's initial run around the neighborhood with the knowledge that it would not fail to stop, the electric system would not go up in a puff of smoke and I could concentrate on getting to know my new ride. If I was to do it all over--I wouldn't change much in the sequence. |
| R. L Carleen |
| I have rented U-Haul car carriers many times without them requiring the use of one of their trucks, pulled them with a suburban, I wouldn't pull it with a car as the trailer alone is quite heavy. The A's wheel base just fits on their trailers. Do to a problem this summer I needed to tow the car home from out of state, I pulled the trailer using one of their 14' trucks. Hardest part was getting the wife past the antique malls with an empty truck. |
| John H |
| A couple years ago, I inquired into renting a U-Haul trailer. They had to ensure that the tow vehicle and hitch were properly rated for the weight of the towed vehicle. If my truck did not meet their guidlines, I would have to rent a suitable tow vehicle. |
| R. L Carleen |
| R.L it might depend where you rent them, I think the company stores are more ridgid than the independants. Of course you don't want to use to small of a hitch or tow truck. |
| John H |
| RL, that sounds sensible. I don't want to drive it two blocks just to have it die on me. Besides, you don't have to exercise the brakes and lights like you do the engine once that thing is working. |
| DL Henderson |
| Well, if you use all new stuff and silicone fluid, you may never have to touch the brakes again. But the hydraulics have been more of a hindrance than the engine in my experience. Luckily. DL, I recommend not turning the engine until after you get the car home. You should give the pistons a good dose of penetrating oil through the plug holes and wait a week or so, then a couple of squirts of engine oil. Then wiggle the crank a bit at a time, seeing how free the pistons are in the cylinders. This will help loosen what I have to assume are stuck rings. May not be, but good assumption anyway. Squirt oil all over the valve train. If all seems free, give it clean points and plugs and oil and try to fire it up. If it's stuck solid, you have plenty of time to fiddle with the brakes. If it actually purrs, you'll be motivated to get it on the road. I know you won't drive it until it's safe. |
| Tom |
| Make sure to disconnect the speedometer cable before you move it very far. The grease in the odometer hardens after years of sitting, and you can strip the fiber gears in the odometer if you move it far without checking to see that they are free. |
| Jeff Schultz |
| DL, GOOD CHOICE!! Keep the car and sneak up on getting it driveable! Future information: An engine that has been sitting that long will have the oil drained completely from the oil pump and bearings, leaving the engine without oil pressure for as much as fifteen seconds after it begins to turn. Poteniially damaging to all bearings, oil pump and and everything else. Before you start the engine, or even turn it with the plugs in, change the oil to fresh oil and as memtioned above, oil the valve train well first. Pre-oil the engine it by removing the plugs, get it to turn with the crank, gently as mentioned above, remove the crank, prime the oil pump by disconnecting the oil pressure flex line at the block, squirt about half a cup of oil into the oil pressure fitting on the block, reconnect the flex line and spin the engine with the starter until you see oil pressure. Try not to run the starter longer than about 20 seconds at a time, with a minute or so in between. (You should have oil pressure by then anyway.) No offense, but this is done with the key off. As in not in the car...or garage... |
| R.A. Carnes |
| DL, I've had my Mk II moved twice without having to be there. I did a google search on "auto transport" and picked one out. Cost me $750 from CA to TX, no problems. Also used it to send a car to my daughter-in-law same way, no troubles. I'm in Houston, and go to Houston MG Car Club events, which are fun. The best resource for me are this BBS and "gear-head" friends at work. I spent under $2000 back in 2001 to get my Mk II running, which had sat for 7 years. Biggest issues were hoses and gas tank. After that, I've kept it going for less than $1000 per year, and have done all the work myself. I have a modest set of tools, mainly old Whitworth wrenches that I carried around for 30 years. This is something you can do at your own pace with help from this BBS and mechanically inclined friends. You will need to spend some time alone on your back wrestling with rusted nuts and tight working space, but it feels so good when you stop. -Chuck |
| Chuck Mosher |
| DL, I was in your shoes...I took my dads MGA which hadn't been driven in three years. Took a few bucks to make it run, and some hours of me under the hood. But it works and is a great weekend driver and sometimes to work on warmer days. I spent more than I wanted to make it run..but it is worth the sweat I had to make the money. Whatever it takes. check it out... http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/mgacars/photos/view/4e4b?b=1 Cheers, MS |
| Merl |
This thread was discussed between 07/01/2006 and 29/01/2006
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