10 Tips for MGB Buyers #MGB #MGB-GT #MGBBuyersGuide

Great tips
Just like you I bought my MGB GT 1973 without fully inspecting but luckily it wasn't too bad and I can do restoration jobs myself
and have a garage with space for resto jobs
I haven't done much recently as it's a bit cold in the garage right now but love the car and looking forward to driving it on sunny days
Its by no means a show winner but I take pride in keeping a bit of British motoring history alive.

Same as you Grahame, I bought the first one I drove too.. although I did check it over. That was nearly 8 years ago and you saw mine at Silverstone. Your right,they are addictive little cars

Excellent advice Graham, from point 10 right through to point 1.
My personal list, 1) to 5), in order of from most important to least important is:
1) The condition of the body.
2) The condition of the body.
3) The condition of the body.
4) The condition of the body.
5) The condition of the car mechanically.
These cars, like all cars of the sixties and seventies are very prone to rust. The MGB's however are structurally so strong that an MGB can still be quite decent to drive, and superficially look OK (sadly, often due to some judicious body filler and fresh paint), despite serious and possibly terminal hidden rust to the sills, mudguard (fender) bottoms, (aka "doglegs"), floors and bulkheads.
Professionally competently done body repair work is very labour intensive and therefore very expensive. While this may be cost effective for a Ferrari or an Aston Martin, it often is not so for a humble MGB. Mechanical repairs are in comparison relatively cheap and straightforward.
If you are not familiar with these cars, do please get someone who is to look after any car you may be considering buying before committing.
My own MGB already had the beginnings of corrosion appearing in the "dog legs" by the time the car was just 5 years old.
Oh and incidentally, since you mention it, unlike the MGB, the MGA steering column was adjustable for length through a commonly fitted factory optional extra. It allowed the steering wheel to be moved from "too close to the chest" to "way too close to the chest"!

Always an outstanding video and presentation.

Good advise Graham, well thought out. I bought a 67 MGB/GT in 1988 after a thorough inspection by myself. The car was a good runner so I used it for a couple of months. After putting on some miles to get to know it I had a good idea of what areas needed attention. Rust was minimal, the mechanics where pretty good needing just bushes and seals, and the like. I took the car off the road and proceeded to tear it apart. I reduced it to a rolling shell fairly quickly. My aim was to return it to factory condition, or as close as possible, by omitting previous owner modifications, some well done others not so much. The car left Abingdon in BRG, now red when I bought it. That had to be put right. I replaced both front wings with new ones. Stripped the complete car down to bare metal and primed it myself. A professional shop did the final BRG paint work. Found a set of original seats and had them redone in leather as they should be. All said and done I have a fairly close to stock '67 B/GT and it only took me eight years working on it off and on. I still have the car and use it on cooler days. It is complemented by a '74 Harvest Gold roadster that I bought new almost 50 years ago. The B is still all original; factory paint, interior trim and soft top. Absolutely no rust anywhere. The car has been across Canada a couple of times and has covered a bit over 100,000 miles. I rebuilt the valve train a couple of times over the years and did a bottom end job two years ago as compression was down on two cylinders. As I get older I tend to use the cars less but still love them and enjoy short runs when the spirit moves me.

Back in 2010 I was actually looking for a Triumph TR6 which was my first car at 17 years old in 1987. It was a white '72. I learned very quickly that they are pretty expensive and I stumbled on a white '80 model MGB roadster near me in great shape for less than half the price of a TR. I still have her and they are very addictive!

Having been a petrol head since a kid and starting my love of anything with an engine ,I have done things in different ways with - age . I relied on family members and friends who always did their own repairs ,bought rough cheap cars and repaired them with
engineer wages & the odd job on motorbikes I could afford , those apprentice wages were less than £ 10 for a six day week ! .
Had lots of sports cars and many Rovers and British Leyland stuff which were not the best cars in the world BUT were easy to fix
with cheap[ish] parts .But I bought my 1st MGb last year off a old guy in the trade and he drove a Jubilee edition . He had a white
coupe that he ran for quite a while and was in his showroom for 4 years with 73 ,000 on the clock ,never been restored and nearly
unmarked paint with two very minor bubbles and that"s all . He had replaced most moving parts and although it didn"t drive as nice as my Triumph TR 7 it gets admiring looks and people always come over to talk ..Just two niggles - my classic insurance has just
doubled and my 6 foot 1 " frame hates me getting in & out ,wish i had bought one years -ago ?. Good job ,love the informative Vids .

I've owned several MGBs I currently drive a 76 roadster..... My constant worry with any MGB is if the clutch decides to expire as this is a hugely expensive labour intensive job.. Big worry 😂

Don’t bother.

Absolutely love mine. I'd never even sat in one until I picked up a rusty 1980 roadster with the engine and gearbox under a tarpaulin! That was in 2021 and I now have a gorgeous Sebring influenced roadster hardtop that cost me about £3k

Thank you! This is great. I’ve wanted an MG since I was a teen, love the way they look!

Bought my Dad’s MGB around 4 months before he passed away. He had the car since the mid-80s but it hadn’t run in 17 or 18 years. Got the car running last summer but the whole motor let go on a road trip around a month ago. Car is back in the shop for a full engine rebuild. Safe to say I have actually spent far more at this point than the car is worth. Sentimentality is expensive.

Mgbs had a special rust problem which really gets a hold and will destroy your car.Its a difficult problem to stop.enjoyed it while it was in one piece.😊😊

As an owner from new of a later much modified 1966 1275 Mini, I loved the shape of the GT version MGB and would have liked to buy one then, though my BMC Mini was absolutely the worst produced car in History ever!!! Even from the corners of the front screen water came in and the window frames missed an inch to reach the body (I had to put a knee in between, and bend them!
I then bought a new 1970 BMW 2002 and haven't had a British car since then!! Finn. Denmark