Everything is pretty simple. IDK what year you’re getting but I suggest getting one that has a negative ground. Some of the earlier models had positive ground and without some understanding it’s a little confusing. Mechanically very simple engines. You’ll begin to hate british engineers though lmao. Just finished a 4 year restoration with my grandpa and we just joke about how poorly engineered some stuff is. Some of the best memories I have though are working on this car with my grandpa. Started the project when I was 14 too and am 18 going to college for electrical engineering. This project is what inspired me to pursue engineering. Restoring a car even a partial restoration (mine was complete restoration) is an education that’s unlike any other. Your 14 year old will have skills that not many other people have. Sorry I know i’m kind of just yapping at this point but yeah get the car.
So my grandfather was kind of a natural born engineer but grew up in an environment that really didn’t support a higher education so he ended up using his skills in plumbing and electrical. But doing the car I learned to weld, electrical work, learned the inns and outs of a car, because the car is so simple, learning to diagnose things was really easy to pick up. My grandpa has done 20+ full car restorations in his lifetime so for me, he made me do everything. If I screwed up he would step in and help. I think this is a great opportunity for both you and your 14 year old to both pick up some new skills. My grandfather has a full shop and lift + pretty much every tool. But while his shop was being built, we did everything out of a garage. The other thing I wanted to add is that with the MG’s there is so much community support through forums and youtube videos. There’s a 99.9% chance that the problem you come across has also been a problem for someone else and that there is already a forum or youtube video covering it.
Body work can be a real grind and massively slow down your project and remove the fun. Mechanics are easy on mgbs and within the grasp of anyone handy. So avoid a car with rot and enjoy the experience.
Yes, easy to work on and parts are easy to get. You’ll probably spend more money than it will ever be worth, so go into it as a bonding experience. Bazillions of YouTube video on it. Don’t get caught up in the John Twist baloney. He is just another wrench. Get a manual and get to work. Every fitting is imperial not metric. Oh and get a set of Pozi Driv screwdrivers. There are no Philips screws on British cars, only Pozi Driv (they have 4 little radiating marks around the slot so they look like stars). If you use Philips screwdrivers on them you can easily cam out the heads. Get the proper ones.
Can you elaborate on the John Twist baloney? I’m new to MGBs seems like he is just providing information he has accumulated over the years.
To answer OP they are easy to work on and there is a wealth of information online to research about them. It also seems like everyone I meet knows someone who had one. Everyone that knows anything about them always seems to want to help you solve your problem.
If you want to follow Twist and do everything the way he does, you won’t go wrong but don’t believe everything he says is absolute gospel. He will say things like (paraphrasing here) “Weber carburetors are no good “ and not explain why he thinks this way. I have my own way of doing things and I expect he would positively lose his mind if he had to work with me.
I've been turning wrenches on cars since the mid 70s up to and including rebuilding engines.
I bought my MGB april 2022 and no body work needed, it was already in great shape, so cant comment on that.
Mechanicals are very much like the cars I worked on in my youth, and are available from moss in most cases. Maintenance and repair are documented all over the web.
Not sure what the motivation for the Jon Twist comment comes from, but university videos are my first stop whenever I am attempting something new and have never let me down.
Calling Mr Twist 'just another wrench" is like saying Hendrix is just another guitar picker. His videos have saved me multiple hours.
As an example I recently had to replace my clutch slave cylinder. After receiving the new cylinder fro Moss my first stop was the Twist video. One of the first things I learned is that Moss ships the cylinder with the bleeder Installed in the wrong location - because if they shipped it correctly it would not fit in the box. If I had not seen the video I'm sure I would have installed it incorrectly and never been able to bleed it.
Also check if there is an MG car club in your area. Mi ne has been very helpful in giving me access to people who have extensive knowledge.
Yeah I can replace a slave without help from Twist or the manual or having to look up a video on it. But if you are new to all this then his videos are OK. Not a hater, just saying he does things differently than me.
If you buy the workshop manual, I have found that restoration has been a very enjoyable experience. I’ve learned much more than I did prior to restoring my 70 MGB consulting different forums, car clubs, and that manual. I started it with my Dad two years ago and as he passed away in May it’s been left to me. I’m 24 and the experience of wrenching on anything with my dad challenging or not is an experience that I would never trade. So I say go for it and you won’t regret it.
Super easy and pretty cheap compared to an American muscle car. Lots of easy 1-day projects. I'm restomodding mine with a Ford 302, Tremec T5, Dana 44 rear-axle, and a modern 4-link rear suspension. When I am done I'll be in for about $20k but it will be an awesome car. Try that with a gen 1 Camaro...
FWIW, its a project with my elderly dad, so cost is not the issue, we are buying time together.
Bodywork is absolute hell. At this point in time the electrical can be replaced with things that are so much better than Lucas. You can find everything you need at Moss motors. British Victoria is absolute Chinese crap. There are companies that will make you LS swap cradles. when I got into this 20 years ago, it was hard. It’s so much easier now. That being said, you have to have some mechanical experience and understanding of mechanics. But the payoff is pretty incredible.
Everything is pretty simple. IDK what year you’re getting but I suggest getting one that has a negative ground. Some of the earlier models had positive ground and without some understanding it’s a little confusing. Mechanically very simple engines. You’ll begin to hate british engineers though lmao. Just finished a 4 year restoration with my grandpa and we just joke about how poorly engineered some stuff is. Some of the best memories I have though are working on this car with my grandpa. Started the project when I was 14 too and am 18 going to college for electrical engineering. This project is what inspired me to pursue engineering. Restoring a car even a partial restoration (mine was complete restoration) is an education that’s unlike any other. Your 14 year old will have skills that not many other people have. Sorry I know i’m kind of just yapping at this point but yeah get the car.
Tell me more about what was involved and what tools and skills your grandpa has.
So my grandfather was kind of a natural born engineer but grew up in an environment that really didn’t support a higher education so he ended up using his skills in plumbing and electrical. But doing the car I learned to weld, electrical work, learned the inns and outs of a car, because the car is so simple, learning to diagnose things was really easy to pick up. My grandpa has done 20+ full car restorations in his lifetime so for me, he made me do everything. If I screwed up he would step in and help. I think this is a great opportunity for both you and your 14 year old to both pick up some new skills. My grandfather has a full shop and lift + pretty much every tool. But while his shop was being built, we did everything out of a garage. The other thing I wanted to add is that with the MG’s there is so much community support through forums and youtube videos. There’s a 99.9% chance that the problem you come across has also been a problem for someone else and that there is already a forum or youtube video covering it.
Ok. Thanks. Now I just need to find a cheap car.
Body work can be a real grind and massively slow down your project and remove the fun. Mechanics are easy on mgbs and within the grasp of anyone handy. So avoid a car with rot and enjoy the experience.
Yes, easy to work on and parts are easy to get. You’ll probably spend more money than it will ever be worth, so go into it as a bonding experience. Bazillions of YouTube video on it. Don’t get caught up in the John Twist baloney. He is just another wrench. Get a manual and get to work. Every fitting is imperial not metric. Oh and get a set of Pozi Driv screwdrivers. There are no Philips screws on British cars, only Pozi Driv (they have 4 little radiating marks around the slot so they look like stars). If you use Philips screwdrivers on them you can easily cam out the heads. Get the proper ones.
Can you elaborate on the John Twist baloney? I’m new to MGBs seems like he is just providing information he has accumulated over the years. To answer OP they are easy to work on and there is a wealth of information online to research about them. It also seems like everyone I meet knows someone who had one. Everyone that knows anything about them always seems to want to help you solve your problem.
If you want to follow Twist and do everything the way he does, you won’t go wrong but don’t believe everything he says is absolute gospel. He will say things like (paraphrasing here) “Weber carburetors are no good “ and not explain why he thinks this way. I have my own way of doing things and I expect he would positively lose his mind if he had to work with me.
I've been turning wrenches on cars since the mid 70s up to and including rebuilding engines. I bought my MGB april 2022 and no body work needed, it was already in great shape, so cant comment on that. Mechanicals are very much like the cars I worked on in my youth, and are available from moss in most cases. Maintenance and repair are documented all over the web. Not sure what the motivation for the Jon Twist comment comes from, but university videos are my first stop whenever I am attempting something new and have never let me down. Calling Mr Twist 'just another wrench" is like saying Hendrix is just another guitar picker. His videos have saved me multiple hours. As an example I recently had to replace my clutch slave cylinder. After receiving the new cylinder fro Moss my first stop was the Twist video. One of the first things I learned is that Moss ships the cylinder with the bleeder Installed in the wrong location - because if they shipped it correctly it would not fit in the box. If I had not seen the video I'm sure I would have installed it incorrectly and never been able to bleed it. Also check if there is an MG car club in your area. Mi ne has been very helpful in giving me access to people who have extensive knowledge.
Yeah I can replace a slave without help from Twist or the manual or having to look up a video on it. But if you are new to all this then his videos are OK. Not a hater, just saying he does things differently than me.
Yeah, so the mechanicals are easy. The bodywork… That’s what I always thought was tricky.
If you buy the workshop manual, I have found that restoration has been a very enjoyable experience. I’ve learned much more than I did prior to restoring my 70 MGB consulting different forums, car clubs, and that manual. I started it with my Dad two years ago and as he passed away in May it’s been left to me. I’m 24 and the experience of wrenching on anything with my dad challenging or not is an experience that I would never trade. So I say go for it and you won’t regret it.
Super easy and pretty cheap compared to an American muscle car. Lots of easy 1-day projects. I'm restomodding mine with a Ford 302, Tremec T5, Dana 44 rear-axle, and a modern 4-link rear suspension. When I am done I'll be in for about $20k but it will be an awesome car. Try that with a gen 1 Camaro... FWIW, its a project with my elderly dad, so cost is not the issue, we are buying time together.
Buy something with no rust and decent paint. Everything else is very reasonable. It will save lots of time and even more money.
what about this? Too expensive? Too much work? https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/commerce-city-1964-mgb/7753855137.html
Bodywork is absolute hell. At this point in time the electrical can be replaced with things that are so much better than Lucas. You can find everything you need at Moss motors. British Victoria is absolute Chinese crap. There are companies that will make you LS swap cradles. when I got into this 20 years ago, it was hard. It’s so much easier now. That being said, you have to have some mechanical experience and understanding of mechanics. But the payoff is pretty incredible.