Well, you have me active on something that 90% of the list probably
doesn't care a fig about. But since I politely listen to all the B
stories...
>I don't know why the MG community discounts these cars, is it because they
>haven't driven one? Is it because it doesn't have a convertible top, if so
>why isn't the MGPB saloon discounted? Jeez, they look like a Jag, have the
>classic MG grill, and drive like an MG, why the scorn?
Originally, I believe the problem was that this was the first of the
BMC badge engineered cars, sharing a body and much of the
underpinnings with the Wolseley 4/44 and 5/50. Later, people had come
to relate MG to roadsters. It isn't just the sedans which take it in
the shorts. An MGA coupe gets about 1/2 of what a roadster gets, and
you can usually pick up a clean BGT for next to nothing. I have
noticed that when I bought Maggie, Z series cars were considered MGA
parts. However YA/Bs were starting to get that respect of age. Lately
at meetings when someone asks about my car and I reply I have a ZB, I
get a "cool" followed by some reminiscant story. Things are changing.
Maybe someday they will even let us display them with the "real" MGs
at shows :-)
I anticipate that ZBs will come on in the next few years, followed by
1100/1300s. Those are underappreciated as well.
>No scorn from this corner. I love the things. What a beautifully finished
>little "sports sedan". Great car to drive when there must be more than one
>additional passenger.' Tried, in vain, to talk my Dad into buying a new one
>back in the fifties. Last year I looked at two in Roanoke - the guy wanted
>$1500 for the pair and me thinks they were too rusty for anything but
>parts. ' Didn't want to insult him with my offer of about $500.
I bought mine because I wanted a club friendly car which would carry
the family. Since then, I have totally fallen in love with it for its
own sake. I put a lot of hours into the interior, and I guess we've
bonded. I simply love sitting behind that wheel and looking out over
that wonderful wood dash, smelling the leather, and running barefooted
toes through the wool carpets. If you defocus your eyes a bit, it
becomes an MGA, and will keep up pretty well.
>
>I've heard somebody makes body panels but haven't been able to locate any.
>I would be interested in this one but for the distance from Virginia to
>Oregon and my finances are stretched pretty far already.
NTG services in Ipswitch, England has a pretty complete set of
sheetmetal. I've bought sills and fender patch panels from them, and
their fit is pretty good. Some interior stuff is available as well,
but pricey. I've bought most rubber from them too. Trim pieces are
difficult.
>' Wonder how many of these ever came to our shores. How many are left?
They made just under 40,000 Z series Magnettes, and from what I read,
about half were exported, primarily to North America. In the two
years since I bought mine, I have run across about 14 in Colorado. The
ratio comes out to 4 on the road or actively being restored, 2 in a
shed but intact, and 8 picked over hulks in junkyards. When Scotland
Yard went under, another dozen were crated up and sent to Australia.
I expect that many more have already been crushed. If pressed, I'd
estimate there were on the order of 200 worth saving in the US.
Jay Nemeth-Johannes 87 Merkur XR4ti
Hewlett-Packard 83 VW GTI
VXI Systems Division 71 Saab Sonett
Loveland, Colorado 58 MG ZB Magnette
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