MGB Bedouin

[Andrew Guest]

Yes, I am going to punt open letter to the current owner, with covering plea, to MID in Milton Keynes. Yes I am going to contact ClassicCars for Sale and Car and Classic to see if they will arrange a "find my car" type insert. I cannot find any green (originally Bedouin beige) 1970 MGB's for sale on any website, let alone at project prices. I need to find it quickly as CCHL who can do as new re-builds, need about a year, as they have a backlog of new cars being built even though they order a dozen heritage shells at a time! Finding an alternative project car is not a problem, but that is not the point as I want my registration and chassis number.

[Andrew Guest]

I need to get to the next stage of trying to find FGN 329J. "Wanted" advertisement is in Car and Classic but Classic cars for Sale refuse "wanted" inserts. Also letters sent to DVLA and M.I.D for passing on and will be repeated in case their different personnel act differently.
My ex car is today insured, but MOT renewal was due 14th. July 2015. So is it likely that the car is in storage by owner, or could it be by a restoration business.? I could email restoration firms, but someone please tell me ; do restorers buy non runners (donor cars) on speculation of a future commission. I suppose owners also hang on to non runners for their own restoration, pending time or funds? Can I presume professional restorers pick donor cars quite easily when they need them? I do notice that the classic car auctions seem to offer cars with MOT and non runners may rarely come to auction.

[George Wilder]

Andrew
I will be interested in your results from the DVLA.
In the past they have always refused to pass on letters, even those supplied so they can read it and with a stamped blank envelope.

I have been trying to find since 2010 the MGF untaxed and not MOTed since 2009 which carries the original registration for my RV8 P8MGR - the original selling garage kept the number when they eventually sold it. I have to make do with P88 MGR now purchased from the DVLA for £250.
I trust you have written to the Editor of Safety Fast explaining your hunt?

From my experience restorers only buy cars for next to nothing unless thye have history or a worthwhile registration. Still so many around hardly worth having stock for restoration.

[Andrew Guest]

I have some really good news. DVLA have written to me returning my open letter to the existing owner, asking me to re-submit it with a V888 form plus £5. They will then send it on to the current owner. DVLA say they need to check my letter "to ensure the content is not offensive in any way".
I think that I will be able to mention that I would be interested in buying the car back after 45 years, as well as offering some original documentation, if the owner does not wish to sell. (but it seems to have been in storage for 18 months as no MOT since 14.07.15). But why not sell, especially as I may offer a bit more than worth! The DVLA section is called "Central Casework Group" . The askMID website, (database of all cars currently insured) declined to forward my open letter to the owner. This is good news for all potential classic car owners who may wish to re-acquire their car, as DVLA may co-operate. The best I can hope for now is I can buy the car, send it to probably CCHL for an as new rebuild. As they have about a 12 month backlog, I need to do it soon.

[Andrew Guest]

Just an update on finding my old MGB FGN 329J. DVLA rejected my first open letter to pass on to the existing owner. There must be nothing commercial in the letter, (buying/selling etc.), but they will pass on my new open letter posted 4th February, as I offered the existing owner original invoices and early history at no charge as I did not need them any more after clearing my loft! There is no guarantee the owner will reply, but DVLA helped on the wording and told me what to delete from my first letter. However much better news, I wrote a circular letters to 15 classic car insurers asking if they insured FGN 329J, with an open letter to forward to the owner. A very well known classic car insurer (maybe international on classic cars) phoned me back to-day to say they insure it and they have photos etc. Their Ian is going to follow the whole matter through for me with my open letter and more. My problem now is if the owner wishes to sell, how does an non expert like me price a car with no MOT and corrosion underneath? I guess I will be overpaying, as my intentions to buy it back are clear! My intended restorer CCHL is 200 miles away but insurer says car is in the south, so restorer can't help to negotiate. I also need to check out some other restorers who can do an as new re-build for about 20 K.

[Keith Wynn]

Great news Andrew, I hope it works out. Good luck. Keith

[George Wilder]

Andrew
Great news.

Assuming the seller will sell I am sure that through the MGB Register and or Victor and the V8 Register (the cars are the same structurally) we will be able to find the right advice for you. There will be several restorers closer to home than Hull who could do the work for you.

Keep us posted

George (as in Victor's emails)

[Keith Wynn]

Hi Andrew, any luck yet with the approach through the DVLA? Good luck, Keith

[Andrew Guest]

After various letters were sent to the owner of my bought new in 1970 MGB Bedouin FGN 329J, via DVLA and the insurer Hagerty, I never got a reply.
Clearly he does not want to sell, but the DVLA MOT history gives a rather sorry story, of a car not being used. I decided in 2017 to build a new car in the same colour with California Classics in Hull (CCHL). I bought the heritage body shell plus donor car in April 2017 and later paid for many extras. Nearly 2 years later, my car has not arrived. Does anybody have any experience of CCHL?

If it ever arrives it should be fantastic as new car with many extras:
Electronic Ignition, PU suspension bushes, Bistein suspension front, Spax suspension rear, uprated headlamps, electric cooling fan, power steering,
brake servo, Mazda 5 speed box + clutch, special refurbished windscreen, uprated Moss 3Kw heater system, Dunlop D type 15 wheels (as Frontline), 2000cc stage 2 engine package, Mohair hood, with various other items.
Additional question: Do I need an air cooler, also did anybody ever develop an MG B soft top with built in glass rear window, and does it fold well?

[Keith Wynn]

Hi Andrew, what a shame the present owner didn't do the right thing and let you know. However, can you be sure the letters got to the owner, ie if he is on a foreign posting and only comes back once every two years. I say that because that is what happened with someone I contacted, I got their reply two years later. I had my MGB restored with new Heritage shell by CCHL. They took nearly two years, but I checked on progress every time they called in a stage payment, just to be sure that the previous stage had indeed been completed. Have you called Simon for an update on progress? I like your specifications, should be a stunner. Keith