On July 12, 1989 I turned 16 years old. On that particular day, I was presented with the best birthday gift I have EVER recieved. A car. A 1976 MGB to be specific. I own that car to this day. This is the story on the car since I have owned it.

It was a cold day, some time in the fall when I was 15. Dad drove up in a faded orange/red MGB with no top and no brakes. From that day, for nearly 7 months, he had us all believing that he was working on it for "some guy"... which in the end turned out to be me. I worked un-knowingly, until my 16th birthday with my Dad on that car. Rewiring it. Replacing worn parts. A new top. New brakes. When the key was presented to me on my birthday, my Mom and siblings all dropped thier jaws. I was just plain confused. Dad played a lot of jokes. Lucky for me, this was not one of them. I was the first kid in my family to get a car "of my own". Helps to be the "baby". ;-)

We worked until about the end of August before we got it roadworthy, and I drove it on the first day of school. I found quickly that it was NOT a good daily driver. Dad knew this, so we were all prepared. I left the car at home in the care of my parents when I went into the ARMY. My Dad's health went south first causing him to be on Oxygen intermitently, then on it 24hrs. A neigbor told me once that they saw Dad drive down the road with his tall oxy bottle in the passenger's seat and the top down as he zipped down the road. When he couldn't handle the manual steering anymore, it languished in the care of my Mom. Her idea was that if she couldn't start it, she wouldn't drive it. The original engine posed no problem with its auto choke, but after a bad night where the engine overheated and cracked the head, we replaced it with a '77 engine with '68 dual SU carbs. The engine was much stronger, but was more tempermental and difficult to start with a manual choke.

After returning home from the military, I finally took the MG back into my custody in 1999, towing it to my new home. Unfortunately, my Dad passed away in June, and did not get to see or hear the car fire up before then. The day before the funeral, I feverishly set to work to get the car running, finally succeeding late in the afternoon. I felt some sort of victory at that point, getting it running before saying "good bye" to the one who had made the car a dream, then a reallity. Shortly after the funeral, I parked the car due to loose bottom-end. I had no desire to destroy the engine.

It has been way to long. I have now made the decision to go forward with the work on the MG. The engine block has since returned from the machine shop. I am about ready to get it together, with new .40 over pistons. The SU carbs are to be cleaned up and re-installed. My goals at this point are to get the car roadworthy, then look at getting the body cleaned up and painted. I will dig up some photos of where we were with it 13 years ago, and where I stand with it now.

Pictured above is the wife standing by the car. This was taken in the spring of 2000. The car was barely running then, and in need of overhaul.

I have gotten the engine bored .040 over. The block has been checked at the machine shop. I ordered up a new piston set, oil pump, gaskets, all new valves.... bunches of new stuff. I also had the crank turned, so I need to get some new main and rod bearings. The only thing holding the engine up, is the decision of whether to buy a new set of SU carbs or if I should really try and rebuild the ones I have now. Hmmmm....

Ok... here it is... nearly a year later. I have finally gotten off my lazy butt and I am looking at all the work to be done. I ordered some new main and rod bearings and I am about to really start. For REAL!! I have added up the costs of what I really would love to do, and it is staggering. I have decided flatly NOT to use the SU carbs that were on the engine. I still need to make my mind up. To go with new SU carbs or to buy a new Weber DCOE side draft. Either way, its gonna hurt the checkbook. I figure with .040 overbore and a header, the intake changes will help.

I rolled the car out of the shop the other day to do the lift on the Tracker. When I rolled it out, I did a quick inspection of the body and exhaust. The exhaust is shot, basically. I have considered a PECO header, but the "original" '68 ehaust manifold is intact. Since I have my mind made up (at this point) to go with the Weber Side Draft, along with the .040 over bore, I am wondering if the header will truly "help" the engine, or if the OEM manifold will do just fine. Anyone with opinions and/or input, please feel free to drop me an email: [email protected] , since all knowlege of the breed is greatly appreciated. :-)

I have also further contemplated converting the car to chrome bumpers. I know it's a bit envolved, but I think that with the degraded appearance of the rubber bumpers, the chrome bumpers would definitely help it out. Plus... I just adore that chrome grill...

I FOUND A PLACE TO WORK ON THE MG!!!!!
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