Hi everyone,

I am selling my project/fun car, a 1958 MGA roadster with a Chevette engine and transmission. I should say up front that this car will not be likely to please the MG purist...there are many things about it which are not original or correct, and which will relegate it to a "driver" status or be downright offensive to the Concours crowd (I clearly do not run in such a crowd). That being said, running, driving MGAs are a pretty rare find these days, especially around this price.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/dAbjZOpfR4g[/youtube]


The car runs, drives and stops and has a clear Wisconsin title in my name. The seats are not original, the trim is not original, the rear bumper is not original, the dash and instruments are not original. The body is straight and the frame is in good condition. I have a front bumper and am waiting on a set of spring brackets so that I may mount it. While I do apologize for its yellowness (not my doing), this car is an absolute blast around town and is a lot of fun. It would be a great platform for someone who either wanted to continue down the path of a fun driver's car with a (very necessary) repaint, etc. or an excellent platform for a restoration back to original.
The engine install/swap is actually done pretty well, although the wiring is quite ugly. The car starts right up and runs well, especially once warmed up. The instruments are questionable; oil pressure gauge works well, the temp gauge is intermittent, and I have never tested the fuel gauge's accuracy (nor do I plan to). The doors latch and unlatch nicely. When cold there is a mid-range cough on acceleration which I have been working through, and am closing in on (idle mixture settings on the BBD carburetor, I believe). The original door chains have been replaced by internal door lock actuators so the doors can be unlatched with the push of a button, and they work great. Signals and lights work (turn signal actuator is not original). Windshield wipers do not work.
Anyway, I thought I would offer it up here in case someone may be interested, as my available time does not really permit me to give this car the attention it deserves at present.

I will assist with shipping etc. as I am able, by which I mean I am happy to load onto/into a trailer for which the buyer has made arrangements. Car is located SE Wisconsin.

Thanks!
Gavin
218-280-2615

Oh my -- one of my first cars was a baby blue '59 in beautiful shape. Its "the one that got away"... hmmmmm.....
GLWS.. but I'll be watching this and can't say it won't be on my mind....

Perhaps a dumb question... How does that Chevette engine sound? What sort of exhaust is installed? (Part of the appeal of the original is the popping sound of its exhaust...)

I can't imagine an MG that actually...runs!

Wishing you terrific success with the sale.

Wow, my first car was a '59 1500. It was originally baby blue, but had been repainted silver. I painted it old english white before fate took it to another chapter of its life.

Three years as a daily driver... So many memories!

Every time I drove it in the rain, the fuel pump would die. Since it was located under the floor of the baggage area behind the passenger, I got pretty good at reaching back, flipping up the floor, and thumping the little rocker arm on the pump to get it going before the car slowed down, which was pretty important in Maryland/DC traffic.

Another time I was driving to work with a friend of mine as the passenger. In the middle of a left hander, the top yoke of the right shock decided to break free and I skidded off in to a little run-off area. My buddy jumped out of the car and walked to work vowing to never get in the car again. Oh well, his loss!

Then there was that time the wiring harness caught fire right over the instrument panel area.....

Sorry! No, these cars are wonderful once you sort out the gremlins that have been hiding for 70 years. I'm sure this one is sorted!

That brings back some memories!! Mine had the 1500 with the twin carbs, I believe the SU's. Occasionally the linkage between the two would slip or stick so i'd end up with one wide open and the other at idle. I was forever fiddling with those.

Ugh those shocks!!! At least they were (relatively) easy to replace.

I used to drive in all weather and had the tonneau cover so it looked a bit like driving a kayak. 3 wiper blades in front that were absolutely ineffective.

The only "major" thing that ever happened was once I was driving it cross-country (from Dallas to Georgia to report to my USAF training). Differential locked up solid somewhere in Louisiana (I just remember a Waffle House) - had to flat-bed it home and get a last minute airline ticket so as to not end up AWOL!!

I think even at the time (80s) parts were scarce and it took close to a year to fix. I always made sure it had sufficient gear oil after that. Once I got permanently stationed in the UK, I brought it over and had fun driving one of the few LHD MG's in the area. Being young and stupid I traded it for a Jag XJS which ate me alive in torque converters...

After that was a tempestuous affair with a red Triumph GT6, but that's another story...

Ha! Fuel pump in my '73 MGB...

For awhile, I carried a stick that I could use to tap the pump to get it going again. That was reaching past the pair of six volts batteries behind the seats to where the pump was mounted on the forward side of the right rear wheel well.

Another failure mode required getting out (hopefully at a safe spot on the side of the road), pulling off the fuel cap and blowing into the fuel tank to pressurize it. I could feel a "pop" and, with the ignition on, the pump would start to run again.

Man, was it fun to drive.

So many people have such great memories of these old British cars. They're terribly impractical, typically less-than-reliable, uncivilized....and a complete blast. My dad had a succession of small British cars since before I was born (and continuing to this day), and I have great memories of riding in the tiny "back seat" of his TR250, or the passenger seat of his Jaguar XKE (with a sacrilegious Chevy 350 swapped in).
To answer Mark's question, this car sounds pretty nice and is just below obnoxious on the noise scale. It has a satisfying pop when downshifting, although even that may abate as I am about to swap on an overhauled carb.
Mechanically the car is pretty decent and has not let me down as yet, although I have not done any more driving than around town. If I happen upon a full MGB 1800 drivetrain I would consider swapping back to a slightly more original configuration, but as mentioned, my available time does not line up well with what would be required for such an undertaking. So this car remains available for now!

Thanks,
-Gavin

Bump for a price reduction; take this away before I am forced to finish it!

Gavin