MGB ownership longevity

[djgreen]

Randy Forbes wrote:
> Mine has been a somewhat convoluted ownership history through the years, with
> numerous MGBs...
>
> 1) 8/73 bought a new '73 MGB (GHNUD 315377) sold mid-1975
> 2) 11/74bought a '67 parts car, I didn't know it was a completely different car!
> (GHN3L 128643) parted out '75
> 3) 9/76 bought a '66 MGB in San Francisco (GHN3L 74422) parted out '77
> 4) 6/77 bought a '67 MGB in San Francisco (GHN3L 88709) parted out 1985 (made two
> round trips from SF to New Orleans)
> *) April 1, 1978 bought an Austin-Healey in SF (BN6L/942) I STILL HAVE THIS ONE,
> ALMOST 42 YEARS!
> 5) 1979 acquired '72 MGB GT as a rust free parts car (GHN5UD unknown #) parted out
> '90
> 6) 1979 bought '67 MGB GT spun a rod bearing before making it a few miles home (GHD3L
> unknown#) sold '80 (w/fresh engine)
> 7) 7/82 bought '73 MGB GT (GHD5UD 290605) totaled__it, and nearly me__May 5, 1983
> 8) 6/83 bought '72 MGB GT (GHD5UC 268193) sold for parts '00
> 9) 3/88 bought 1-owner/non running '74-1/2 MGB GT (363277) last seen in my ex-garage
> October 2000 (on google st view)
> 10) 3/89 given '68 MGC GT Auto/non running (GCD1U 3008) sold for parts '00
> 11) 6/90 traded for '73 MGB GT (GHD5UD 306986) turned out that a friend's brother
> bought it new! sold for parts '00
> 12) 6/90 bought '80 MGB (GVVDJ ZAG 506097 sold for parts '00
> 13) 6/90 bought '73 MGB (GHN5UD 312228) sold for parts '00
> 14) 7/90 bought '72 MGB (GHN5UC 290515) sold for parts '00
> 15) 3/91 bought '71 MGB GT (GHD5UB 255937) w/blown 215 V8, swapped in 3.8 V6; last
> seen @ ex-garage 10/00
> 16) 7/93 bought '68 MGB (GHN4U 139182) nice solid car, built for ex-wife; last seen @
> ex-garage 10/00
>
>
> There were also a few (3) Midgets scattered in there, a couple running, but I never
> put them on the road; 2 went to an SCCA racer and the 3rd stayed in my ex-garage just
> to run around on the property 10/00.
> There was also a 2nd BN6 that turned out to be a twisted & rusty mess; I've kept
> only the usable mech. bits from it.
>
> So, what am I doing here, not currently being an MGB owner you ask? Well after a
> nearly two (<2) decade hiatus, and thinking I've got one (>1?) good car build
> left in me, I'm in negotiations to collect a 1967 MGB GT! I expect to find the lower
> 8" of it rusted out, but when compared to the last MGB (GHN3L 938) I did a rust
> remediation on, I am far, far better equipped and have developed more skills since
> then. I want to apply them to this '67 BGT, and to atone for all my previous
> modification sins, I'm planning on a faithful to stock restoration of this one.
>
> 17) ?/?? I am currently working on getting an early (pre-reverse lamps) 1967 MGB GT
> w/ovd shipped to me...
>
> For the last twenty (<20) years, I suppose you could accuse me of going over to
> the dark side__NO, no, I didn't start buying Triumphs__I've been driving a couple of
> BMW M Roadsters (a '99 & '01) and about six (6) years ago, added an M Coupe (with
> a twinscrew supercharged engine) to the fleet. Switching between an M Rdstr & M
> Coupe is as natural (to me) as when I owned both an MGB and a BGT. So that's some of
> my story ;)


Nice post Randy
Welcome back from the dark side 😉
I’ve often thought of buying a BMW Z3 but resisted the temptation 😇

[Randy Forbes]

Thank you David, it IS good to be back!

I liken the BMW (6-cyl) Z3, particularly the ///M versions, as what Donald Healey would've built if they were still building the 3000 today. It is essentially the same formula; long hood/short deck, powerful, smooth & torquey 6-cyl, and full of character!

I updated my initial post, since I have since received the '67 MGB GT. It was__of course__rustier than I'd let myself believe, lol! For less than the cost of the replacement BMIHT sheetmetal, I bought a bare bodyshell from the US SW desert. While not 100% rust free, it is very, very good (still has some minor damage, but will save YEARS of repair compared to the one I intended to restore).

Both recent acquisitions, and my progress so far, can be seen here: http://www.spcarsplus.com/piwigo/index. ... tegory/433
NOTE: there are several embedded albums.

I've had to take a momentary break, to get some work (paying jobs) done on a couple M Coupes, but I'm still doing parts shopping in the interim.

Like I said, it is good to be back!

[Stephen John Clark]

Well . . .

We have owned our MGB GT MHC 105L since August 1980, so it's coming up to 41 years.

What is more significant, however, is that in October 2022 she will be 50 years old. I think a cake will be in order.

Having said that, the mileage has only recently gone over 75,000, for the simple reason that we lived abroad and/or kept the car in store at various times for a total of 21 of those 41 years. There's a moral there somewhere . . .

Stephen Clark

[Barry Colgate]

Just checked when I acquired my second MGB.......... 10th February 1979..............so over 42 years.........time flies!