Fun project 1960 MGA - remember them?

Besides sailing and racing sailboats I messed with restoring cars when I was not working my real job. This was one of my favorite projects from years past way before the TMS-20.

I always loved British sports cars of the 60’s vintage and have owned several of them over the years.

Here is the link:
http://www.themanshed.net/archived-projects/1960-mga.html

Very cool!

Mike, I had a '68 Spitfire and '74 TR6. Both were fun cars.

BTW- Do you know why the British drink warm beer? The have SU refrigerators!!!

It is LUCAS refrigerators.

Neighbor down the road has a 1974 TR-6. Are you ready for this, bought it at a storage yard auction for $1200. It seems the owner didn't pay the rent and the auctioned off the contents of his garage; car, tools, parts, old Honda 750 4 cylinder and a bunch of other stuff. The car has about 75K miles on it; however, all the rubber needs to be replaced that is seals, lines, tires etc.... which he is now he is doing. Interior is immaculate, top is almost brand new

I'm a Volkswagen man myself, but do appreciate the stuff from the UK especially the Triumph GT6

First thing you do is pull all the wiring out and redo it Lucas Prince of Darkness. A lot of people use to pull off the SU's and put on Strombergs or Webers.

Here is a stumper anybody know what SU stands for?

Pete I liked the TR6 been keeping my eye on them for a super deal should one pop up. My friend had a TR3 and another had a TR4a.

The GT6 was very cool but hard to find not rusted out.

Skinner's Union

SU's are actually very good carbs. It is just that many folks don't take the time to understand how they work.

I agree also they never checked the oil in them they didn't work dry.

A friend of mine with an old Spitfire was having problems with his Lucas electronics (headlights mostly) and was told that "A gentleman doesn't motor after dark" - always thought that was kind of funny.

Always liked the "A" model. My first car was a 1967 MGB. Spent two years restoring it until two weeks after my 16th birthday I managed to wrap it around a phone pole.

My first British car was a 1959 Austin Healey Bug Eye Sprite. I drove that when I was in the Military state side in California until my collage days in Florida. I got rid of it when the vibration dampeners went out. I suppose I could have refitted shocks but I was not into much mechanical things while in school and did not have access to a shop and tools.

In my NACRA years when I was single and just married I had a 1950 Ford F1 that I restored original, a white 74 Vette, and a 67' Cuda all at the same time. My wife had a 72 Malibu I used it to pull the boat - she loved it when I used her car because she got the vette.

Later years I'd go from a sports car to a truck every year or so in my 30's and 40's. Now I just drive a 10 year old, paid for, beat up by 4 hurricanes pickup, things change.

Remember them? This is what I drove to work today! (And every day it's above 60 and no rain forecast.)


Sept 18-20 is Indy British Motor Days, with a road rally on Saturday and car show Sunday. Usually have about 300-400 cars, bikes & trucks show up.

That's not the original white color. At least not mine -- it was creamier.

I used to love driving to and from work in the rain -- it was just a matter of going fast enough so the rain didn't get into the car. Traffic jams on the freeway were a problem.

You're right Mary, it was originally Ivory white. The original paint can still be seen in the boot (trunk) and engine compartment, under the oil splatters. Mine's never been restored, just repaired many times, but it runs great!

These cars are really cool...I have a friend that is thinking about rebuilding his and tossing a SR20DET nissan motor under the hood. These cars weigh nothing so 300rwhp or so should get it down the road nicely!

I will have to make a new thread about some of my turbo projects. Seems there are quite a few gear heads here.

Out of the 17 vehicles I've had only one so far has been British...



Oregon Inlet bridge in the background

I just helped a buddy change his waterpump on his discovery...What a pain in the @$$. The factory service manual showed the wrong thread direction on the pump nut so we tightened it for 10 minutes trying to get it free. An hour later and much PB blaster and it finally broke loose after we went in the right direction.

Yeah I only had mine for a few months, it was awesome off road, but a horrible daily driver.

What sorta turbo projects?

Had a '74 MGB, chrome bumper, teal. Rewired most of it and it actually started most mornings. Then I installed a Weber DCOE and it stayed in tune for longer than 3 weeks. Loved the handling, but it was pretty gutless. A cam, head porting and header helped, but still not exactly fast. I wish i had kept it and done a 347/T5 swap...

Most of you may know Moss Motors has about every thing you need for British cars, bring money...


I bow to IndyWave how cool to motor today in a MGA!

One of the nice things about the MGA was that it had a hand-crank, which was very useful for starting it in the winter.

I can remember driving across country from California and tweaking the SU's for the elevation, I'm anal like that hated to loose RPM’s......I guess it is like adjusting the sails?

Yes Mary I remember that. Did anybody ever use a hand crank? I bet so if Lucas made Batteries!

You got it. Since I am a power junkie, I really noticed if it started to fall off. I rebuilt them, put in Gross jets, and had the synchronizer in the glove box. That car was crying for a lightweight, small block V8. An aluminum headed, Ford 302 was less than 100lbs more than the stock 4.

Don't people stuff the Buick/Rover V8s into those?

Yup, all aluminum 215 (or more depending on year). Nice light motor, but if you wanted more than 250hp, go with the SBF. My current 347 should hit right at 500hp.

At a recent IBMD car show, one of the other A's had his crank handle in the bumper with a sign on it "MGA Remote Starter". Unfortunately, my crank handle is missing, but I don't drive mine if the temp is below about 50.

I do drive mine a lot in the summer. At the shows, people with museum restorations see all the dents and smudges and say "You really drive this car, don't you? And you're not afraid to leave it in a parking lot, are you?" Sometimes I accidently leave the key in it, but I don't think a thief could figure out how to start it, no less drive it.

The only problem I have with my SU's is when a float sticks, the bowl overfills, and it dumps gas on the ground. That and parts rattling loose.

I don't know about other people, but I used the hand crank a lot. I was disappointed when my MGB didn't have one.

I was always careful using the crank, though, because a lot of people have broken their hands or wrists when the crank kicks back. My grandfather broke his right hand cranking his car, and it put an end to his career as a court reporter.

Ha! That's funny. I have a set of dual Weber 40 IDFs on my '66 bus (2110cc) and when we go up in elevation I always pull over and give them a little adjustment.
J

What kind of mileage do you get?

Motorcycle kick starters can be brutal on ya in a kick back as well.. i had a 750 with both elec and kick starts but while serving in Greece (Crete) my regulator rectifier went bad and parts were non existent so i had to kick every time..

23-25, unless I'm trying to humiliate some lowered Hon-duh or something.

519 rear wheel horsepower 280z (not including the nitrous), Turbo Yamaha R1 with Nitrous(current project), Twin GT35R Z06 corvette.

The 280Z and bike are my own personal projects...Helped build a Twin GT35R Zo6, Turbo Fiat 124 Spider with SR20, etc....

Are you saying you are beating zupped up hondas with your VW bus?

Its possible Andrew.....hahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XvjVvFdMIY

I gotta get one of these to tow the boat to the beach

Between my dad and I we have owned many british cars. Currently have a '52 MGTD, '74 Midget, '78 midget, and a '79 MGB. Also have an '87 300zx lowered with nitro. Worked on many SU carbs in the past. My fav was the XKE Jag inline 12 with six of those babys to syncronize.

That must be the "sport" option (520hp Porsche 993 twin-turbo drivetrain)

My first car was a 74 bus. We dumped all the smog stuff first, then after about 50K miles we rebuilt the engine and re geared the trans axel. Helps to have friends who worked for VW. Punched it out to a 2.2 liter, dumped the Solex Carbs for Weber etc.....

CHP said they clocked me 90 MPH and I still had some room on the tach for more.

Yep! That's exactly what I'm saying.

Utterly rediculous, huh? It really hurts dude's manhood to get annihilated by an old bus.
J

Come on, Jeremy- ET?


I got the '92 LX down to 11.90 at 115 on motor, still had A/C, stereo, daily driver. Let us not speak of gas mileage...

My first sports car was an MGTD. I raced that for three years until I could afford an Alfa. Eventualy went to a Jag XKE and then a Corvette. Then I learned about sailing and that was the end of the sports car era.

I've got to sneak up on em at a stop light. While they're laughing at my old pile, I'm haulin *$$. At the second red light they always have a more serious look on their face. I top out at about 80mph due to gearing.

This '53 bus does mid 12s:


Respectable for an old VW hippie bus.

J

Mike, I saw on your MGA project website, you said they only made the A for three years. Actually, they made it from '55 to '62, so 8 years inclusive.

Mine's a '57 which was the first year they shipped mass quantities to the US. It's a left-hand-drive, but could easily be converted back to right-hand-drive.

Over the years, they increased the engine sizes and upgraded the interior a bit, and changed the taillight configuration. They also introduced the "Twin-Cam" version which was the race-ready model, of which only a few have survived.

Sounds like your needles need to be centered and pistons adjusted. If you have a SU tool kit it makes it pretty easy. I have not done that for such a long time.

Thanks! I need to hit my MG book again! The twin cam was very cool only saw one once, never saw a coupe.

With all the motorheads I may have put together a team when I rebuild my 74 Bronco that has 302 in it.

I say go with a new BOSS 429!! (or 460)





Jon Kaase now makes heads and intakes that will bolt up to a 429 or 460. And they flow better than the original Boss heads. Mmmmm, Tasty!!

http://www.jonkaaseracingengines.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=219

Speaking of big block goodness....The owner posts on a powerboat forum I read and says it does 20-100mph in ~3 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQHEwRqxBA