Wow...I finally got the non-runner MGB I bought (foolishly?) last May into
running shape and down to the DMV. The best part was that, despite the
dodgy out-of-state title issues (bought an Oregon car in California, off
the driveway "forecourt" of an ex-pat Brit quasi-dealer who hadn't titled
it in his name), got it registered, and got the DMV to recognize the error
in the model year date on the Oregon title and correct it. Whew!
When I looked at the car in the dimly lit garage of the seller, I
overlooked a number of major and minor faults. Heard the engine run (fast
idle only, as the carbs were way out of adjustment; for a short time only,
as the garage quickly filled with fumes), saw that the floorboards had been
recently replaced (though not well welded in as I would like), noticed a
few new parts indicating the beginning of a restoration, probably abandoned
when the car was hit from behind (crease in the rear valence and bumper,
crumpled new exhaust system.) Shiny but scratched up black (re)paint,
steel (Vega, MGC?) wheels, non-SCCA roll bar. Usual rocker rust / holes,
too.
I bought it for more than I should have paid, mostly out of anxiety--there
weren't that many reasonably priced B's around that season. And it looked
much better than the Washington-plated '67 rust heap out on the guy's
driveway. I had it trailered home, and have spent the last few months
replacing bad mechanical stuff in preparation for the maiden voyage. I've
replaced just about everything you would expect--hydraulics, suspension
stuff--as well as other stuff like the temp gauge, coil, fuel pump, etc.
Got a set of 6" Panasports with the car, painted them, and got a set of
185-70-14s. Bought a good used factory hardtop, just 'cause I've always
thought they looked great on the BMC factory racers. I've kept a copy of a
British magazine article about Ron Gammons' MGB rally car on the work bench
as inspiration through the tough "now what's broken?!" times.
I had a bit of a scare in the first test drive--it missed like crazy over
3,000 rpm. Stuck valve, bad gris-gris? Turned out the distributor was
loose--I had checked the timing, which was spot-on, but not whether it was
screwed down tight. Look for the obvious first.
The best thing was that I was able to convince the DMV inspector that the
car was really a '64 and not a '66. It probably sat on some dealer lot in
Oregon for a while when new, and was first titled in '66, but with advent
of smog testing, model year matters. I know both years are currently SMOG
II-exempt in CA, but what the state legislature gives, they could also take
back. I was prepared to go through Claussenger's book, chapter and verse,
with the guy, but wore him down with just the build-date / VIN no. chart.
I was the first person he saw that morning--he probably thought it would be
better to save his energy.
On to the body shop...
Chris Attias
'64 MGB (yet un-named)
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