Transmission:Manual
Body Type:Convertible
Engine:1789 cc
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:Gasoline
For Sale By:Private Seller

VIN: GHN5UH434326G Year: 1977
Number of Cylinders: 4
Model: MGB
Trim: Convertible
Drive Type: RWD
Options: Convertible
Mileage: 158,612
Exterior Color: British Racing Green
Interior Color: Tan
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty

Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ...

Up for auction is one sweet-looking 1977 MGB Convertible, which I have owned since April, 1990. We've been through a lot together, but all good things must end, and it's time for her to go to a new home.

The body has been restored to near-new condition and looks really sharp, and the engine has 30,000 miles on it since it was professionally rebuilt. I have replaced many mechanicals as they have failed over the years, so the car is a mixture of both new and original parts. I have never replaced the carburetor, and an overhaul or replacement/upgrade of the carb would be the next thing on my list, as the car doesn't like to start when cold, and a shot of starting fluid is needed to get it going.

The list of work done on the car since I bought it is quite long - if you want to know if something specific has been replaced or repaired, please ask BEFORE bidding!

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Read on for more background and to get an idea of how life goes with an old British car:

The car was solid but pretty ratty-looking when I bought it in 1990. The engine blew a year later, and a smart guy would have walked away at that point, but I'm not that bright. $2,000 later I had a new professionally-installed engine (short block) and related under-the-hood items at an odometer reading of 28,825, so the engine now has just under 30,000 miles on it. (Note: the odometer goes only to 99,999 miles, and I don't know whether or not it has ever been replaced, but my assumption is that it is original and went past 100,000. If the odometer is original, the reading of 28,825 would mean 128,825. Be wary of someone selling a 30-year old car that has "only 25,000" miles on it - it's quite possibly 125,000.)

Once you have a new engine, it only makes sense to start restoring other things, right??? That's what I told my dear wife, anyway. Over the next several years I replaced all kinds of parts and learned a whole lot about #&^*!!! British cars in the process. For example, did you know that if you have a bad ground in the ignition circuit, you can start a late-model MGB by engaging the parking brake? You can only do it once, though, because it burns up a lot of wiring.

By the end of the 90's the body was looking pretty shabby but everything was running well. Here we go again! I purchased new OEM front fenders and a trunk lid (which is $2,000 in body parts at current Victoria British prices). The car was stripped down for painting. I found a table of model-year MG paint codes in an article about differences in British Racing Green over the years, so the color is as close to correct for 1977 as I could get it. In my opinion, the guy who painted it did a very nice job. I have hand-waxed it regularly, always keep it in the garage, and it looks pretty much like it did when it was first repainted.

After the paint job, I added a new convertible top, carpet kit, upholstery kit, a roll bar, chrome rocker overlays and threshhold plates, and everything else that was needed to make it look sharp. I also replaced the windshield because it was getting cloudy around the edges - I don't know if all cars develop that problem as they age, but since MGB windshields are so small, you really need to be able to see through the whole windshield. I did the upholstery work, but the rest was done professionally.

Since that time, it's been mostly minor upgrades and repair/maintenance items. Since restoration, the car has been driven only locally in warm weather, and rarely gets wet unless I am washing the dust off of it. I put the top down in March or April every year, and try to make it to November without putting it back up. I have put under 5,000 miles on the car in the last 5 years.

At 35 years old, the car really looks pretty amazing. However, as with any 35-year-old piece of machinery, there are LOTS of quirky behaviors to get used to, and you shouldn't even think about buying a car this old if you don't like the idea of having to figure out why something that worked yesterday isn't working today (unless you have lots of spare money to pay someone to figure it out for you). If you break down along the road, chances are really good that some old guy will pull over within 5 minutes and help you get it running again, which you can do because there are NO STINKIN' COMPUTERS involved. You can usually diagnose MGB failures with a reference manual and some basic mechanical skills. Virtually every part that you may need is readily available on the internet (from either Moss, Victoria British, or Roadster Factory), and the parts are generally quite reasonably priced.

Mechanically, there are lots of newer parts on the car - alternator, radiator, manual choke, starter, battery, front suspension, rear shocks, and on and on - but you should always plan to put some work into the car year-to-year. I personally wouldn't drive it long-distance without someone knowledgeable going over everything thoroughly, but that's up to you. The engine fires right up once it is warm, but I always spray starting fluid into the air cleaner when starting the car from cold, because it just doesn't like to be aroused from sleep anymore. I have replaced the starter a couple of times, and have figured out that it's much better to just spray some starting fluid and keep the wear on the starter to a minimum. Once it's running, it doesn't like to shut off (typical of MGBs), so you'll get used to intentionally stalling it as you turn the ignition off. If you do it right, nobody but you will know. It's part of the "authentic charm" of an old car.

Why I am selling the car now: 1) I lost my extra garage bay when I sold my house, so I no longer have "free" indoor storage space for it, and it deserves to be kept inside. 2) I thought my son would take over the car, but unfortunately, he's pushing 6'2" at age 16, most of which is legs, and he doesn't fit under the steering wheel!

What may be in need of attention: The convertible top is about 15 years old and nearing the end of its life. I use the car in warm, dry weather only, so I don't have any reason to replace it, but if you plan on driving in all weather, you'll probably want a new top soon. Likewise, the heater controls were already disconnected when I bought the car, and I have never bothered working on them. Both side windows are stiff to open - lifting or pushing down on the glass while turning the crank will help them along - and the driver's side crank handle needs to be reattached. Like the top and heater, I wind the windows down once in spring and put them back up in fall, so not a big deal to me. There are lots and lots of other items that you may or may not care about that have nothing to do with being able to drive the car - for instance, the trip odometer has never worked (all of the other gauges do work). Please ask if there's something particularly important to you. There is no shortage of other things you can find to upgrade in the engine compartment or elsewhere, or do like me and fix something when it breaks. When will something break? Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. Owning an old car like this is not at all like owning a modern car. It may run great one day, and the next day it may refuse to work at all. If you're not okay with that, you should either be buying a much newer car, or be spending 20 grand or more on a top-to-bottom-restored vehicle. That's really what you need to understand: ANY 35-year-old mechanical part is questionable, on this or any other car. I drive the car locally only, and if you want to drive cross-country, don't forget your toolbox and cell phone!

Tires: I bought a matched set of 4 new tires a few years back, and mounted only two of them. Included with the car are the other 2 brand-new unmounted tires to match the 2 I installed. The installed ones have around 3,000 miles on them.

The car is being sold strictly "as is" and has no warranty of any kind. All arrangements and expenses for transferring ownership and transporting the car are the responsibility of the buyer. The car is currently registered as a Pennsylvania antique vehicle, and last passed state inspection in 2011, about 1,000 miles ago. If you are an out-of-PA buyer, you'll need to work out the specifics for transferring the registration to your state. For Pennsylvania buyers, I believe the antique vehicle registration can be transferred to you if you wish.

The car is garaged in Lemont, PA, a couple of miles from Penn State University, Interstate 99 Exit 73.

Serious bidders only, please. Please bid only if you have the funds necessary to complete the transaction and take possession of the car by June 15, 2013. I am not a dealer and I cannot finance the car for you.

Happy motoring!