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1975 MGB

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LandofMinos, cast thou evil bum dragger to thy scrapyard
05/31/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Here's an MGB I saw at this small, sheet-metal surfaced sheltered race track.

I looked like a one-make race series. The track marshalling was a fairly laid-back affair with just one marshal who I'm sure is one the sexual offenders list. Plenty of other MGB's (great turning circle!), and seemingly no age limit for drivers. Lucky the bumpers were crash rated @ 5mph because I didn't see much in the way of driver skill.
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LandofMinos, cast thou evil bum dragger to thy scrapyard
05/31/09

@LandofMinos, Drinks, mustard, chilli, vanilla, tuna milksha...: This MGB...

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metal face eagle premium is not from So Cal
05/31/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
"The street driven MGB is nearly extinct these days."

You haven't visited New England much, I see.
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MushyHeirloom
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Actually, the ride height's not bad.

The rest of these Malaise changes... well, let me put it this way. I drive a Volvo 240, and those bumpers are too enormous and black for my taste.
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flyingstitch
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
At least they attempted to sculpt the bumper, unlike what a lot of manufacturers did when they had to federalize their cars.

I saw one of these just yesterday in its natural environment--on a flatbed.

*ducks*
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MushyHeirloom
05/30/09

@flyingstitch: In some ways, it's good that it wasn't painted - because it'd be an entirely different color and flaking off within three years.
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Graverobber
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
The rubber-bumper B always reminds me of hannibal lector strapped to that handtruck. The sad thing is; a B of this age, and in this condition, is worse around $4,000. For that, you can get a reasonably decent miata which will be a better car in all ways. Chrome bumper Bs are a lot better, but command much higher prices because of that.
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tonyola
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
No love for these malaise-MGs here. You can say whatever you want and GM and Chrysler, but British Leyland had to be the most inept major manufacturer ever. The B was already outdated by 1970, and each following year got worse and worse. Can't blame the fall on the US regulations - every other maker selling cars in the US had to follow the same rules. How could anyone in 1975 pick an MGB when a Datsun 280Z was about the same price? Oh yeah, the top on the MG goes down - cool, but in every other way, the MG was completely outclassed. I'd consider a 1967 MGB, but you couldn't even give me one with the buggy bumpers.

This could have been the next MG by 1969:

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Murilee Martin
05/30/09

@tonyola: Never mind the 280Z- the early Civic outperformed the MGB in every way (except looks) and was roughly half the price.
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sos10
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
My mother would take me to kindergarten in a MGB just like that (same color, but with normal bumbers thank you) .... everytime it rained, going over 15 mph was enough to get the car sliding ans slipping... dangerous? yes. fun? oh yeah.
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smalleyxb122
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
While still not as pretty as the old chrome bumpered beauties, the rubber bumper Bs, don't look too bad if the car is black, or even British Racing Green.

The bumper isn't quite as much of an eyesore if painted to match the car, and the darker colors allow the bumper to blend visually in its unpainted black color.

This one could use some yellow paint on the bumpers, or black paint on the body.

Still a cool car, and I'd gladly drive it in its current state.
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1300ccsoffury
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
I worked as a porter at a Mercedes dealer in college and one of the mechanics had a race-prepped B. Roll cage, kill switch, Supertrapp exhaust, homebuilt 5 speed, and a racing engine imported from Blighty. It was an '80 but he had so many older parts in it that he registered it as a '69 so he could bypass emissions. Loud as hell and looked very quick, and I wanted it very much so. Too bad college kids don't have $15,000 laying around...
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Novaload
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Still a classic, no matter about the bumpers and rear lights or anything else. There's a very pale yellow one in our neighborhood--it goes out for a spin in good weather, and I always feel a little twinge of envy.

But this is my favorite MG:

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Murilee Martin
05/30/09

@Novaload Misses Murilee: Daily driver!
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aSoundofSleep-less nights
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Someone in my old neighborhood has one of these perma-parked in his driveway. It's black sans-British flag. I've never seen the thing move but it looks to be in decent condition.
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A strolling player got drunk and
05/30/09

@aSoundofSleep: Rule of thumb: if upon seeing it you think it's in decent condition, it isn't.
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aSoundofSleep-less nights
05/30/09

@Replying as a troll:

Well, there is no rust on it, and the soft top doesn't have any holes and looks to not be sun faded at all. The tires aren't flat and it appears that the thing is cleaned regularly, signifying that it may be driven, I have just never seen it move, personally.

Past that, it's anyone's guess.
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MushyHeirloom
05/30/09

@aSoundofSleep: That's how my parts Volvo looks. The correct statement, however, is "there's no rust that isn't covered up by trim, underneath the car, or that is visible with the doors closed".

But everything below the doors is lovely iron oxide.
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oyumurtaci
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Which MG was it that looked like a breadvan? I was helping my boss fix up an old Spitfire, and we kept seeing the breadvan MG around town. He told me what it was but I was young and naive, barely appreciating the Spitfire...
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eldo500
05/30/09

@oyumurtaci: MGB GT?

[upload.wikimedia.org]
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Mike the Dog is sitting by the door with a pair of cow slippers, and a very sad face.
05/30/09

@oyumurtaci: Probably the MGB GT [en.wikipedia.org]
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oyumurtaci
05/30/09

@eldo500: @Midget Hoke: Yessirs that's the one. It was ugly, grotesque even, but for some reason I just couldn't keep my eyes from following that big booty as it tooled around on the bumpy roads of North Cyprus. Each time I saw it take a bend in front of us, it was like seeing a hot middle aged woman bending and leaning to one side just to tease me. I didn't particularly want it, but the truth is that I just couldn't admit that it was a spectacular sight.
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Graverobber
05/30/09

@oyumurtaci: Wait a minute; MGB-GT ugly? You mean the Pininfarina-designed hatchback MGB? As a former owner of a B-GT, I have to say that you and I will just have to agree to disagree about such things, but I will state that the MGB-GT is one of the best-looking cars out there, as well as an excellent grand tourer, in early form.
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A strolling player got drunk and
05/30/09

@Graverobber: Not only did you have one, but also did Murilee! Sacrifice yourself to the B-GT. It beckons you. You know what you must do to become truly Jalop.
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A strolling player got drunk and
05/30/09

@Replying as a troll: I feel that the person is misdirected in my previous comment. Allow me to change the start to "@oyumurtaci:" and replace the first "you" with "Graverobber".
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discontinuuity is tentatively testing the waters of Murlopnik Weekend before plunging again into the fridgid waters that are Jalopnik proper
05/30/09

@eldo500: I've seen one of those slowly oxidizing in the back lot of a local garage for the past four years. As with any number of Project Car Hell grade rustbuckets I see around town, I would immediately buy and restore it if I had the time/resources/sanity to spend.
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Murilee Martin
05/30/09

@oyumurtaci: Pininfarina... splut... sputter...
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CptSevere
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Look in one of those Moss catalogs, and you'll find every engine modification for these little pushrod four tractor engines that you'd see in Summit Racing for a SBC. Almost, anyway. Enough to make an MGB keep up with a Camry, I suppose. About the only way to make a B blindingly fast is to drop the poor thing off a cliff. I still wouldn't mind having one. They corner like go carts. In this case, an ugly rubber bumpered go cart.
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Dan Kennedy
05/30/09

@CptSevere: I believe you have MG and Triumph confused.
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brandegee
05/30/09

@Dan Kennedy: True. Triumphs usually turn. MGB's go port or starboard.
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Elhigh
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
Those little engines are remarkably malleable. I've seen more bolt-on herbs and spices for that basic little meatball than I care to think about. It's not too hard to get the kind of gumption that sweet styling promises.
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.357
05/30/09

In reply to 1975 MGB
I like to think that the owner rounds it up to 63 when he's talking to friends.
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PowerTryp is holding a Fiesta party.
05/30/09

@.357: You've made a fatal error in assuming that a man who drives an MG has friends.
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.357
05/30/09

@PowerTryp: I factored in the imaginary ones.
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