And odd one. But seems like a genuinely 'good one.'
Registered as a 1965....no doubt, early dash, no side lights, low back seats, and.....didn't see any rust underneath, paint is older but still quite nice, interior seems to have been redone and is in great condition, same with top, tonneau, dash, trunk, early stow away convertible top, spotless engine bay, excellent wiring, windshield, tonneau, on and on.
Yet, something odd.
And, under closer examination, this is what we found......all synchromesh gearbox, dual master cylinder, triple wipers, stronger tube type back axle........all the things I added to my own red 1965 MGB to make a better, more reliable, safer car.
And it has all been done to this one.
See, the early cars were beautiful, simple, visually appealing cars. BUT they had weaker non synchromesh transmissions, weaker back axles, the danger of single circuit brakes, things that were corrected and improved as time when by. However, the later cars were saddled with less attractive high back seats, less appealing side market lights, uglier dashboards, and eventually, far lower powered engines and those UGLY rubber bumpers after 1974 1/2.
Hence, the real beauty of this car.........the best of the early and the later. A lot of work to merge these varied eras of MGB engineering. But done. In a lovely car we sold eight years ago, happy owner had excellent use and enjoyment, rebuilt the engine 500 miles ago (we checked....compression is 155-160 psi in every cylinder, 65 psi oil pressure when warm, no smoke), has wire wheels, a modern stereo (and has been converted to negative ground), has a new oil cooler, seat belts, and............
Strong performance, excellent ride, steering, braking, and handling, doesn't rattle or shake, is sufficiently clean for most car shows (look....we are not purporting that this car is Pebble Beach quality but, hey, we suspect MGBs aren't invited to attend), doesn't miss a beat on the road, and is one of the most interesting adaptations we have ever seen. And now, for the second time,
It is a great car and a very special blend of the best of the old and new. And now,, in our showroom and available for sale.
