Any rust is too much! at least, in an ideal sense. But realistically,
most of us with unrestored 20-year-old cars have some, and some of us
have lots.
I've been struggling with a similar issue, and it's a difficult question.
At some level of commitment, any and all rust problems can be fixed (it's
unbelievable what they do to pass MOT in the UK). So one question is, how
committed are you to this car? But then you have raised the question of,
what is safe? and that is only answerable by examining the particular
car. It kind of depends if you are talking about surface rust, pitted
rust, or flaking, crumbling, poke-holes-with-your-finger-anywhere type of
rust. I can only say that the B is pretty robustly built, and that
"holey" floorboards are pretty common (at least in some regions), and are
not usually fatal.
In your case, if you are not sure about your ability (or willingness) to
take on an open-ended project, it might make sense to look for a better
car to drive, that you feel comfortable with. In my case, the problems
are more cosmetic than safety-related, and I have a lot more time
invested in the car, but part of my mind feels the same way. Fortunately
for the little red roadster, I don't have any money for car shopping. So
what if my pal's project car looks better than mine; in, out, and
underneath? It should -- it hasn't been out of its garage for twenty-one
years. At least mine's been on the road, in all weather.
Emotions aside, one thing you could do to set your mind at ease would be
to take your MG to one of the AAA auto safety inspections. For a small
fee a mechanic looks over your car for safety defects and makes
recommendations. At least you'd get a professional opinion without any
sales pressure. Or I'm sure one of the British car gurus on the list
would be glad to take a look at it and give you an evaluation (depending
on where you live, of course).
Good luck.
Steve Shoyer had this to say:
>While I was underneath my car this weekend I saw more rust, which really
>made me worried about the safety of the car. It looks like the crossmember
>is rusted, along with the sills, parts of the floors, the fenders, etc. I
>just want the car as a driver, but I'd like it to be safe enough to drive
>without worrying about each bump. The car doesn't fold when I open the
>doors, but you can clearly see straight through to the ground along the
>footwells. Is it worth trying to fix, or should I sell it and try to find
>one in better shape? I don't know how to weld, and while I'd like to
>learn, I don't have the time to do it well. Like everyone else, my budget
>for a hobby car is limited.
>
>Mechanically the car is OK; the engine and transmission (o/d) work, the
>brakes work, and the electrical system is mostly new. I've gotten somewhat
>attached to the car, and I like working on it, but I'd rather not spend a
>lot of time and effort on a cart hat's not going to be safe enough to drive.
>
>--Steve Shoyer (1980 MGB)
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
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