From my own collection, being sold to make room for a newly acquired Morgan. The absolute best of the best.
First of all, a body off, frame up professional restoration. With the body tub painted inside and out (as new) and then bolted back on the painted and detailed chassis. All rebuilt suspension and brakes (disc), all new chrome, new black with white piping interior, detailed dashboard, all rebuilt gauges (with LED bulbs and restored faces), new cloth covered wiring harness, new reduction gear starter motor, the list is endless.
AND THEN improved via doing a preemptive 'attack' on every potential weakness of a 61 year old MGA:
freshly rebuilt early 18G engine (three bearing like all MGA engines but with an 1800cc displacement, balanced, higher lift rally camshaft, ported head, and selected due to the tach drive at the back of the block, indistinguishable from a stock MGA engine....but with far more performance), rebuilt twin SUs, chromed tubular headers, electronic ignition.........starts instantly, runs flawlessly, and has just about the same power as an MGA twin cam.
MATED to a rebuilt BW T9 five speed transmission. What a difference, silent in operation, excellent synchromesh (including first gear), much better ratios with better spacing between gears, and (of course) a proper fifth gear making the otherwise buzzy low geared MGA into a fabulous road car. And while early As had a 4.3 diff and later ones (such as my car) were 4.1, this car has an overall 3.37 final drive. Resulting in 70-75 mph at 3,000 rpm. And a final advantage of the T9 five sped is, unlike most any MG's trans, it can be removed from the bottom without pulling the engine. HUGE savings, down the road, if one needs to replace a throw out bearing or clutch disc.
So engine and transmission have been greatly improved....next, cooling. A new high tech aluminum radiator with a large shrouded electric cooling fan,, new oil cooler with Aeroquip lines. Like everything else, the best of the best.
One distinct weakness for most any pre 1968 car is single circuit brakes....you know, develop a small leak at a flex line or coupling and four pumps later.....no brakes. Rather frightening. Which is why we developed a routine to install a 1968 (and later) MGB pedal assembly with dual circuit brakes. Took a lot of tricky handy work to get the pedals to be exactly as in a stock MGA but now, a far higher degree of safety. This, alone, sets my car away from most other MGAs.
And then we added every conceivable accessory: racing battery cut off switch behind the passenger's seat, on board trickle charger in the engine bay, a remote jumper terminal in the engine bay to make jump starting a snap, a 12v/USB port under the dash, a new stereo/CD under the dash along with quality speakers (to maintain the dash stock appearance), H4 halogen headlights wired through relays, wind wings, an optional front sway bar, rear tube shock conversion, stainless steel exhaust system, a super trick seat belt installation......inertia reel belts in the trunk feeding through slots in the rear bulkhead...and it works perfectly. New chrome luggage rack, alloy threshold covers, a matching (white) extinguisher in the cockpit, new cloth tonneau cover, new top and new side curtains.
And then there are beautiful details.....a smaller diameter banjo style steering wheel with a thick leather cover. The optional arm rest between the seats. The beautiful engine bay detailing, all new rubber seals and beading, and all new chrome.
ALL OF THIS was done to provide a better car to replace my sold AH 3000 Mk III BJ8. The MGA is as fast, cruises equally on the highway, far better steering, better shifting, better ride, and no rattles (an advantage of side curtains over wind up windows). Far less expensive to maintain, no chance of an expensive catastrophic mechanical issue, and takes up less room in my barn. Okay, the AH has real classic style, especially when done in two tone, but the MGA also has beautiful flowing lines with its lack of exterior door handles. AND, my MGA is a lot less money.
My crew and I put a lot of time, effort, and (my) money into creating my idea of the perfect MGA. And by bringing it into the 21st century with such refinements as the 5 speed, the bigger engine, dual circuit brakes, electronic ignition, vastly improved cooling system, the result is a fairly unique car.
We now offer financing at competitive rates for all vehicles in our inventory. Inquire for details.
