mgb gt wanted

serious3

lads my wife is rapidly approaching a significant birthday and she's always wanted an MGB GT, ive about a month to find one and a max budget of 1750 euro. i've looked on done deal and carzone and adverts but theres not much for my budget, has anyone any leads or suggestions?

cplwhisper

Sorry but none available that i know off in midlands area

if all else fails - M&S have MGB memorabilia in special offers keyrings, service books etc.. but might be better for your health you don't only buy them.

Bigus

serious3 wrote: »

lads my wife is rapidly approaching a significant birthday but theres not much for my budget, has anyone any leads or suggestions?

Increase your budget, they are cheaper here than in the Uk , like for like.

bbam

Hard to see better value than this...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/4388665

Wire wheels and chrome bumpers...

serious3

bbam wrote: »

Hard to see better value than this...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/4388665

Wire wheels and chrome bumpers...

going to see it friday, fingers crossed:D

Grimreaper666

Buy her a Mazda MX5, the MGB is a donkey of a thing in compassion.

Bigus

Grimreaper666 wrote: »

Buy her a Mazda MX5, the MGB is a donkey of a thing in compassion.

Agree +1 but she's a woman and wants an MG , end of story.

Grimreaper666

Bigus wrote: »

Agree +1 but she's a woman and wants an MG , end of story.

Take her for a drive in both.............MX5 for the win and a softtop too!!

serious3

i've suggested an mx5 once or twice to be told to ffffff off!!! as long as i've known her she's always wanted an MGB so i figure that as its a significant birthday i'd do something special for her

Grimreaper666

Once upon a time the MGB was the car to have remember it you who'll be trying to keep the thing alive. Line up a test drive of both cars for her and leave her decide them. For your budget you'll get a fair to good Mazda but you won't get a decent Mg for that money tbh. It's yer own choice ultimately but this is just my opinion.

cplwhisper

the MGB GT will fall into classic car rates for insurance where the mx5... incase ya never looked down that channel then PM me and i'll find out on the Quiet for you so no unnecessarily quotes land out in the post spoiling the treat....but if need be i can review the mx on insurance rates too... if in doubt gimme a shout

Grimreaper666

The MGB will cost a lot more to keep on the road than the Mazda when you add up the over all running costs.

Testacalda

serious3 wrote: »

ive about a month to find one and a max budget of 1750 euro

You wont get a marvellous example for that money, it may be on the road but would probably need work, maybe not the best thing for a present, but good luck with the search

galwaytt

......the MG is laudable. The MX-5 is practical. Power steering, possibly ABS+ Airbag, comfortable, good brakes, doesn't leak, ultra-reliable.

The MX-5 is the car MG would have built, if they had known how..........

Oh, and cheap as hell now too.

3 cars on DD today, for less than your budget, and over 1k (to keep out any rough stuff).

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4337510

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4244567

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4369207

galwaytt

cplwhisper wrote: »

the MGB GT will fall into classic car rates for insurance where the mx5... incase ya never looked down that channel then PM me and i'll find out on the Quiet for you so no unnecessarily quotes land out in the post spoiling the treat....but if need be i can review the mx on insurance rates too... if in doubt gimme a shout

My MX-5 is on classic insurance already, there's no big secret to it - it's old enough to qualify.

serious3

thanks for all the suggestions of mx5's lads but if i get one as a surprise i'll be divorced.

bijapos

I think the general consensus here is that €1750 is too little, you'll potentially end up buying a money pit. As the chances of increasing that in the next 30 days are pretty low then you could try renting one out for her for a few days, it could be an MGB GT or Roadster.

See how she likes them. I know people who've lusted after certain classic cars for years but when they got the chance to drive one for a week they were turned off. Classics look good but compared to a modern car they are often slow, noisy and have worse brakes, suspension etc. It's possible she will drive the car for a week, and not want one full time, if she does want to buy one, then maybe ye can look to buying and owning one in the next year or two together.

My suggestion is to rent a car off these people, then keep another few hundred quid for hotels and petrol so that the pair of ye can spend a week driving around Ireland on a holiday in the car and see how it feels. Spend a couple of days in a roadster and a couple in a Gt and see how she feels, it'll make a nice birthday present either way.

serious3

thats a nice suggestion about the renting one for a weekend. she's well used to classics around the place, she learnt to drive in my mini with drum brakes and 10" wheels on connemara roads, any woman that can manage to not only drive my old series 2a but also reverse that and the boat trailer down the slip should be able for an mgb (don't get me started on her being faster than me on a go-kart:mad:) i'm looking at the one listed in the thread tommorrow and will have an mgbb owner with me who's restored one. perhaps i should have been clearer in the opening post in that i know my way around classic's and their foibles, i'm also well aware of the budget being low but being one of the great unemployed i have to cut the cloth accordingly! thanks for the help and suggestions and i'll let you know what the outcome is!

serious3

well the deed is done!!! its in remarkbly good shape for a 40yr old motor, it had new doors, tailgate, wings and sills last year when it was resprayed. seats are going to need a refurb and the clutch will need bleeding as the slave cylinder was replaced and he couldn't bleed it on his own. brakes are good and strong, no whines or rattles from anything very pleased and even under budget!!!!

DaveCol

Good work. Post up a few photos at some stage and hope the handover goes well

serious3

photo's to follow after the handover next month, its down in a mates yard till then!

Bigus

Well done I'm sure she'll appreciate it and you for your efforts .

Here's a nice interior to aspire to

serious3

right then just to update this thread..... i went to my mates yard last week to collect bgt, went to bleed the clutch and couldn't get a pedal at all:mad: stripped out the master cyl to find black jelly in the res and seals fecked.... got a seal kit from an old school motorfactors just outside croom....bore fecked so still no pedal:mad: worked out that a landrover 110 would fit and work:P so that was put in and i set from croom to charlestown, never missed a beat the whole way!!!!! anyhooo attached is a pic of a very surprised and very happy wife on a significant birthday

rugbyman

in a word , nice

serious3

its very nice actualy!! it needs a little fettling to sort out little niggles like thermostat has decided to stick open after a day or two, throttle and choke cables are not the best, fuel pump is mounted with a cable tie to the air filter and just sort the under bonnet as it has lots of wires that dont go anywhere and the starter sticks a bit thats it realy. the old cloth seats were fired in the bin and a set of later vinyl ones were fitted along with a good hoovering and she's fit for road now. i'm replacing the whole clutch hydraulics and treating her to new discs,pads and shoes all round as thats summat i'm paranoid about

Dades

Looks like it'll be a very nice little runner with your help.

Bigus

Significant birthday eh , can you get insured on these at 21 ?

johnk123

Looks like a lovely car and sure isn't fettling what it's all about??

Very thoughtful and meaningful gift no doubt, I'm sure you wracked up the brownie points!!

Dades

johnk123 wrote: »

Very thoughtful and meaningful gift no doubt, I'm sure you wracked up the brownie points!!

Until the wife realises her picture is on an Internet car forum.

Bigus

Dades wrote: »

Until the wife realises her picture is on an Internet car forum.

There could be a lot worse internet forums to be on .

MercMad

serious3 wrote: »

its very nice actualy!! it needs a little fettling to sort out little niggles like thermostat has decided to stick open after a day or two, throttle and choke cables are not the best, fuel pump is mounted with a cable tie to the air filter and just sort the under bonnet as it has lots of wires that dont go anywhere and the starter sticks a bit thats it realy. the old cloth seats were fired in the bin and a set of later vinyl ones were fitted along with a good hoovering and she's fit for road now. i'm replacing the whole clutch hydraulics and treating her to new discs,pads and shoes all round as thats summat i'm paranoid about

.........I would add hoses and pipes to that list !

Meanwhile enjoy it, looks like you got a nice little car !