An unusual MGA, well done, subject of a very thorough restoration, must be in the top tenth of 1% of MGAs we have ever had or seen.
First of all, excellent body and paint, what appears to have been a ''body off' restoration judging by the paint underneath, in wheel wells, under the rear deck, etc. And we can see new calipers, flex lines, new stainless steel exhaust, new fuel tank, on and on.
Engine was recently rebuilt.....130 psi compression in every cylinder (a bit lower than average but read on), engine is spotless as is the engine bay. New Moss supercharger (hence the low compression.....'blowers' work best with lower compression to avoid detonation), in our test ran 60 psi oil pressure at operating temperature and STILL 60 psi at idle., And no smoke. Oh, and sure, it DOES go really well....smooth and powerful, really effortless performance.
AND BEST OF ALL.......mated to a five speed all synchromesh close ratio transmission. No crashing of gears, no noisy shifting, and no wide ratios.....in my opinion there is no better upgrade for an MGA (or most any British classic) than a five speed (hence having one in my own car). While the original A transmission has very wide ratios, this five speed has wonderful spacing which you can really appreciate on the proverbial fast drive on a winding country road. AND, as an additional benefit, one can pull the gearbox without removing the engine.....great if one has to replace a $30 throw out bearing or an $80 clutch disc.
Moving along, 15" wire wheels, alternator for greatly improved electricals, all new interior, new seat frames and bottoms, new premium cloth convertible top, new tonneau cover, new side curtains, very good chrome throughout, carpeted trunk and spare wheel cover, new wiring harness, all gauges and lights work, as does wipers, horn, heater blower, handbrake, etc.
And as one would expect on a restored MGA, ride and steering, handling, braking, all really fabulous. In my opinion, the best all around classic sports car. And in this car's case, can cruise at 70-80-90 mph, light precise steering, smooth and incredibly refined for a sixty two year old sports car, All reasons I own an identical MGA, same color, same 5 speed, same wire wheels, BUT without the supercharger.
All reasons I sold my own Austin Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8 and replaced it my high powered, 5 speed MGA which I find to be far more enjoyable and usable for a fraction of the price.
Consider this....independent of a restored MGA, wire wheels,s rebuilt engine, new interior, new weather equipment, new wiring, etc.....the five speed conversion (with labor) pushes $6,000 as does the supercharger.....$12,000 in just these two options. But worth it 'cause the result is one of the best all around USABLE classics one can possibly imagine.
(by the way, have tons of invoices, British Heritage papers, all of the instructions for the supercharger, really everything the next owner would want to have)
