Here at Exhaustnotes.us resurrection projects are leaps of faith. They feel good and inevitable, and promising. You know instinctively it’s the right thing to do and that everything will work out ok in the end. The Kawasaki Z1 was like that. I had no doubt that motorcycle would once again tear great, jagged, 8000 RPM holes through the atmosphere. It just had to, you know?
This 1974 MBG-GT is not that kind of resurrection. Nothing about this car feels inevitable, least of all my ambition to see it through to the end. I’m going into this project fully expecting to fail. “Life’s too short,” my buddy Burns said. “Make a hot tub or a planter out of the thing.” That’s sound advice spoken from the heart. The man is trying to save me from myself.
Anyone in the saving-souls business knows that people tend to bushwhack their own meandering path towards destruction. There’s not a lot well meaning friends can do to stop your sanity from hiking off into the woods. It’s a negative human trait offset by our ability to make music and microwave corndogs. And I still don’t know how to play the guitar.
Here’s the thing: I never wanted an easy life. My dreams are not of leisure. I don’t seek comfort. Fun is no fun to me. Put me on a beach towel in Tahiti and I’ll go stark raving mad. Instead, I choose to make a mess of things. I don’t want to hear the MGB-GT run. I have to hear it run. It’s laid fallow for 5 years that I know of and probably 10 more besides. The little British car parked next to the needle bush has mocked me long enough. I’ll have my revenge.
If you’re expecting a short series on the MGB-GT stop reading now. The car has serious rat infestation issues. Most of the interior is chewed up. There must be 50 pounds of rat guano inside the cabin and engine room. I’m going to take this slowly and spend the absolute minimum amount of cash at each stage.
There will be no grinders shooting sparks, no photogenic noir-arc welding and no artificial deadlines to create artificial tension in the story. This job will be stress free and I reserve the right to walk away any time I choose. The MGB will always take a back seat (get it?) to other projects.
The first thing I plan to do is to get rid of this spiny plant. The thing has incredibly sharp 2-inch long needles that will flatten a tire or stick into your leg bone. After that cleaning out the rat-poo engine room so that I can see what I’m up against. Cleaning rat poo in New Mexico is not as simple as hooking up a shop vac and sucking up the stuff.
Here in New Mexico we get several cases of Hantavirus every year. The virus can lay dormant in rat droppings and infect people when disturbed, so no vacuuming. Instead you spray the mounds of poo with a strong solution of bleach to kill the virus (if it can be considered alive). Next you don gloves and an N-100 mask and shovel the wet bleach-glop into a suitable container.
This part of resurrection is no walk in the park. If you manage to stay alive through this step another shot of bleach on the remaining rat droppings should make it fairly safe to use the shop vac. Follow up the final vacuuming with a pressure washer and engine cleaner. And then you can begin. I’ll start by disconnecting all the chewed electrical circuits and…and…well, you’ll see in the next installment of Resurrections: MGB-GT Part 2.
Gresh’s resurrections reside here!
For some reason, I am very excited about this project Joe. I look forward to you getting it purring like a kitten and then driving it out here to South Carolina so we can take it to the beach with a picnic basket full of Yoo-Hoo and beef jerky and discuss the meaning of life.
I wonder why it was parked in the first place?
Wiring harnesses are dirt cheap compared to the number of splices of the wrong color wire. Just hook the starter and coil to a battery make it run then buy the wiring harness. My Austin Healey 100 still has the brand new harness in the trunk (boot). That’s how much I believe in my own advice
I have the feeling, that my off the cuff remark in your last post about “coming down to get it” is what got you excited about getting started on this…. You’re welcome!
Looking forward to updates, is it running yet?
Oh and out of curiosity, have you done any looking to see when the last time it was registered was? Maybe there is some evidence under the Rat guano in the glovebox? Or is there an old license plate?
I haven’t dug into the cabin yet. Too much poo. Today I’m going to open all the doors and let it air out a bit.
Take an inventory of the damage.
Yea! Go for it!
I have a soft spot in my heart for MGs. In my younger days I had a MGA that was a rolling basket case, and a MGB that was much better, but not without problems. I could tell lots of stories about both.
Meanwhile, when you get to the point of getting the engine running, I have a SU tool I will gladly loan to you. It is the tool used to synchronize the carburetors.
My first car at 17 was a 1960 MGA that I bought cash for $500 in 1969, black with red interior. Looks like the same down draft carbs on your MBGT. It was that hottest car to drive in the Texas summer heat that I have ever seen. Look forward to seeing your progress!
Go for it!!
In 1975 I restored a 1959 MGA 1500
Loads of work and fun…..and fun driving it…..wish I hadn’t sold it
Gonzo
Back in 1966 I purchased a 1961 MGA 1600 for $800 and it was a fantastic car. I had it for 2 years while at a FL college and drove it on the beach many times. I gave it to my brother and he drove it for another two years and gave it back to me when he bought his used BMW 1600. At that time I purchased a 1962 MGA Mark II and was driving that but it was a “bit temperamental” so I drove the 61 the most. I sold both to a fellow in 1972 – the 61 had 285,xxx miles on it when I sold it and still going strong. That MGB – GT is a nice true sports car and fun to drive.
I used to longing look at one of the these at Westcoat Motors in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Please look for drool marks on the car, if so, that is the might be the same one.
I do remember that along that time the pound was devalued and MG’s where suddenly way cheaper! I almost was going to jump…until the wife said she wanted the Blue 4 door automatic Carolla…. guess what car I bought. Reliability was her main goal and the MG did NOT fit here bill. Sad but true the Carolla blew it Tranny at 25,800 miles with a 25,000 warranty and Toyota gave me NOTHING… “too bad so sad, but 25,000 miles is 25,000 miles”. That was bad, but worst was I could say nothing about…if we had bought MG with manual tranny that NEVER blew!…
Hope you get this one going. I will be watching.
I got so excited when I saw this feed! My second car was an MG Midget which I bought with existing problems from the dealer. I had to have it! Mom told Dad and I “Don’t come home with a VW..they’re death traps!”😂 So, it came to be and my two best friends had a Triumph and an Austin Healy Sprite. Our Friday night phone calls were always “ Whose car is NOT in the shop???” I can’t believe I gave up on that ‘money pit’ for another Mustang! The best of times..thank you for this. Following..
WOW – What a project!!!!!!!!!! Good Luck Joe!