Ronnie B. Kon writes >
>All my life I've wanted an MGB
I don't blame you. They handle well, are quite handsome and have a cockpit
that will accept drivers over six feet tall. I prefer Spridgets and Europas,
as they have quicker handling, I don't care as much about power, and I'm only
5' 8".
>1) What are the different types of MGBs, what are good years for them, etc.
I'd stick with the chrome-bumper types. If you can find a rustless example old
enough to skip out on smog testing where you live, grab it. Some cars came
with convertible tops and some with roadster tops. Both have their advantages.
Roadsters look neater with the top removed than convertibles with the top
folded. They are also a little lighter than convertibles when autocrossed,
because you can leave your top in the paddock whilst running. Convertibles get
you under cover faster in the event of a sudden downpour, especially if you
trunk is full of stuff.
>4) How safe are they?
No major problem. Pre-'68 cars may not have collapsible steering columns.
This may or may not be as scary in a B as in a Midget. I do not know all of
how the MGB is laid out, but in a Pre-'68 Midgets, the thought of hitting a
fixed object low enough and hard enough to move back the steering rack, which
is right behind the bumper, was fairly terrifying. Can you say "impale"? I
knew you could.
Crash-wise, the MGB is a bit closer to "regular-car" size and weight these days
and is probably not too bad. My Europa is a crackerbox. I would not like to
think about being T-boned by anything bigger and harder than another Lotus.
The (70's) Elite and the Esprit cars are real crashmobiles, designed to replace
the Europa and Elan in an environment of crash regulation.
I think any roadster ought to have a roll bar. Fortunately for the
esthetically inclined, the MGB looks really neat with a good street bar. Many
people tell me they don't need a bar because they don't autocross. Nonsense.
You are hundreds of times more likely to need the bar on the street as in an
autocross. An MGB is not going to roll over by itself. It needs to be slid
into a curb or run down an embankment. These are things that can happen when
you venture into crowds of cars driven by people who don't know what they are
doing. Like normal road traffic. Roll bars are easy to find in the vendors.
You want the highest one that does not interfere with the operation of your
soft top. Installation is a breeze. You just drill some holes and bolt the
thing in with the backing plates that come with it, Grade 5 bolts, and nylock
nuts. Don't bolt through carpet. Cut the carpet so it falls back around the
bar, covering the mounting plate. Get some roll bar padding so you don't knock
your noggin on the bar.
You also want to make sure you have good seat belts. You want a lap belt that
you can tighten independently of the shoulder belt, as the lap belt must always
be tight. I put a four-point harness in my Midget. Some folks think they are
too much hassle. I never minded, but people differ. A good three-point is OK.
Do not use the four-point harness without the roll bar.
>Can I add modern brakes?
Sure. Check with racing places, as I think SCCA Production road racing classes
let MGBs run alternate brakes. But the stock brakes, properly maintained,
should be adequate for street use. Midget brakes are more pitiful than B
brakes, and I always got by OK on the street.
>Will this cause all the purists to hate me?
What, are they going to drive your car?
>How about seats with whiplash rests?
I suspect that all cars since 1968 came that way. If you have an earlier car,
you can do several things. Mount head restraints on the roll bar. Fit later
MGB seats. Fit custom seats such as Cobra or Corbeau which have more lateral
support and integral head restraints. These last are likely to be very
comfortable and quite helpful in (heaven forbid) a collision. You want the
roll bar, though, as ducking is going to be difficult.
>(How about a Miata engine?)
The MGB engine, and parts therefor, is readily available. Stock horsepower on
SU carbs is more than adequate. If you were considering the Miata engine to
get more kick, be advised that you can easily get more power from an MGB than a
stock Miata twin cam with a lot less expense and hassle. If you don't have to
deal with smog issues (If the car is pre-'68 and you don't live in California,
you are clear with the Feds. If the car is not to be tested by your state, you
can get by even though the Feds technically care) you can get the car to run
very well with SU carbs. Slightly hotter than stock road cams are available.
Electronic ignition can cut down on maintenance. An aftermarket exhaust header
can free up the breathing.
Even for street use, I would put in cheap ADDCO front and rear swaybars from
J C Whitney. MGBs do not need a Panhard rod nearly as much as Midgets do.
Even stock, the MGB is a very good handler, but I feel a little more roll
stiffness is needed to get the most from modern tires. The car will feel
better, and the tires will last longer if you have less body roll.
Like a Midget, an MGB wants a tight front end. Grab the front wheel and SHAKE
it. If there is any looseness, find out where and run the price down.
Bushings, kingpins and bearings must be tight. Stock ball bearings cannot be
adjusted. I bet you can replace them with adjustable tapered roller bearings
cheaper than stock. I know you can with Midgets.
I would also avoid wire-wheel cars for several reasons.
If the stock lever shocks work OK, I'd keep them, but as soon as they gave me
any trouble, I would go over to tube shocks. You can get these conversions
cheap from J C Whitney, too.
I have a vendor list I can Email you. It is updated more than the one on the
archive, I'll wager. It explains the ADDCO-WeRace-Whitney connections. If I
was to post it, I would probably be stoned, as it is rather large.
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans Street, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 w (612) 298-5324 phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
It's still hip to be octagonal. Whaddaya call the Lotus emblem shape, anyway?
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