1974 was the last great year for MG’s venerable B-series, as it was the last time twin SU carburetors were fitted before the dreaded single Stromberg and all its emission belts, hoses, burp valves and other horsepower-robbing plumbing arrived. This car is an opportunity to enjoy simpler, easier-to-live-with tuning. Even better, it was optioned with overdrive, which provides lower revs and more relaxed cruising on the highway.
The big news is that this car spent its entire life in Arizona before coming to Denver three years ago, inherited by the son of the original owner. We all know that vintage British cars rust spectacularly when in humid climates or used on salty roads, so the vast majority of MGBs are usually full of rotten structures underneath (they are a unibody car) and with the sills packed with body filler. Not this one!
It appears to be almost all original paint (!) and is rock solid underneath as our picture gallery will show (it received a complete dry ice blasting procedure to remove decades of road dirt and reveal a rust-free underbody. There are also no signs of any past accident damage, which is another miracle on a half-century-old sports car! This is certainly due to having been owned by an older guy who didn’t beat it to death like so many of its sister cars were. We have the original owner’s book, shop manual, tonneau cover, some service spares and all the original trunk tools & jack.
The engine runs great, due to several thousand dollars having been spent on cleaning the tank and entire fuel system, rebuilding the carbs, ignition work and a new fuel pump and tank. There is no smoke and great oil pressure, so we believe the engine has been overhauled. It shifts fine (even 2nd gear synchro), the clutch, suspension & brakes feel good and it’s a delightful throwback to a simpler time when cars were really analog.
Our shop has just installed a new convertible top, new windshield and did a buff & polish on the original Tahiti Blue paint. The car has a collection of minor dings and small dents and the original interior is showing its time in AZ, but could easily be improved by a Saturday tinkerer. Most $10K vintage cars have to come home on a trailer, but this one could go 200 miles tomorrow!
If you are considering one of the classic or collectible cars on our website, be assured that coming for a personal visit to inspect first-hand the car that has captured your fancy is very welcome. We practice transparency in all of our descriptions, but believe that nothing is as convincing as seeing and touching the car yourself. Plan a few hours, so you can see, touch, feel and drive the car, and enjoy a tour of our restoration shops to see 'where the magic happens.' If your schedule is too committed, we also welcome a knowledgeable agent visiting for you. Please understand that sales are final, so the time for all due diligence is before you buy. Our cars are sold AS-IS, since most are on consignment from owners. We follow FTC guidelines for all sales and certainly want our future clients leaving more glowing reports among our reviews!
