You never know how a day will go.
Today I was investigating some buildings which I've had for some years, but I've never stuck my nose in before.
Turns out there were three vehicles I didn't know about; a Bus, a Chevrolet and an MG.
I know what to do with the bus, I shall have the Chevy done up (probably do it myself, actually) and will keep it, but I have no idea what to do with the MG 1300.
Unrestored, no rust or damage that I can find, but it, along with the other two, have been standing untouched since 1986. And i mean absolutely untouched. Nobody has so much as opened a door. One owner since new (well, I'm the second). 20,000 ish miles on the clock.
I don't know what year it is, although I will find out. (anyone know where the details plate is on one of these? Its not in the door frame). It is all original and the only thing which seems completely awful is the drivers side front carpet.
It has no value here, and I wouldn't have thought a LHD had much value in the UK. Seems a shame to crush it though.
If you're interested...
www.flickr.com/photos/nofm2r/ (try to ignore Daughter No 2 popping up).
Any bright ideas? Maybe put it on EBay for bits? Not sure it'd be worthwhile.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 13 Apr 13 at 23:34
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The tyres were still inflated?
Whatever you do, don't try and start any of them until you turn the engines over by hand and then wind them on the starter until you've got oil pressure.
Looks reasonable condition. A good wash, underbonnet hosing and flog it as a runner?
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Almost tempting indeed. It will need careful mechanical refurbishment and recommissioning but if it's really rust-free it may be worth something to someone. Not a bad little jalopy, keep up with the traffic no problem.
Is it in this country FMR? I guess not, rust-free and all...
:o}
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The tyres are a lot flatter than they look, although only 1 on the truck and 2 on the MG are totally flat.
There is *no* rust, or at least none that I can find on the body, on either of them. Getting under them, or moving them, is going to be a bit of work. Not least because of the stuff living, dying and growing underneath them. (and I should think the brakes are long since seized since they both have their brakes on)
I pulled the dipstick on the truck, there's oil there, but its like treacle. I didn't try on the MG, I forgot. I would have thought that draining and flushing at least will be required. Assuming the engines turn, that is.
There's a whole pile of walnuts under the bonnet of the truck, so I guess an animal has been living there, but no signs of in-habitation in the MG.
Bot are [were?] red and the paintwork, whilst complete and whole, is badly discoloured. I'd have thought beyond what something like T-Cut could do.
The cars are in Chile, although shipping them is not a biggy, and may happen to the Chevy.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 00:56
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What a find! 26,000+ built. Article here re what to look for when buying which at least gives some pointers to problem areas. www.classiccars4sale.net/classic-car-review/c2c-mg-1100-1300
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Meldrew,
Thanks for that link. Reading through the list I am sure that the rubber bushes will be duff.
But there is no rust. It doesn't rain here very often anyway, its very very dry and dusty, and for the rare occasion it does rain, the cars have been under cover anyway.
For example, the last time it rained that I can remember was some time in September.
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The MG looks delightful Martin, I'd like to see it fully restored and I'm sure others, even in Chile would feel the same, so don't crush it for gawds sake.
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The Chevy looks to have survived well , but if you're thinking of bringing it back to the UK to sell on, I would suggest that you bear in mind;
a) Mid-70's Chevy trucks (that one looks about 1977) are not particularly sought after; the big money is in 50's and 60's stuff.
b) You'd need to swap out the straight six for a V-8 to get anything like a return on it. It would however make an excellent workhorse with a difference as stock, they do have a reputation for reliability. LPG conversion should be easy too.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 09:21
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Harleyman,
I fancy the Chevy for myself and would have no interest in selling it on. Aside from anything else it cost me nothing to buy! (ok, I didn't know I'd got it, but you know what I mean).
I fancy it for myself, and I use a pickup truck for going up to the mountains, chucking boards and bikes in the back and general moving and shunting. Until recently I was using a Dodge pickup. I just posted another picture up (same link) to show what happened to that about a month ago.
Onto the engine - it has, as you correctly identified, a 4.1 litre straight six. I know that this was the smallest they offered, but would I want to change it really? (other than for value reasons or because the current engine is stuffed)
For myself surely it would be ok? It doesn't look underpowered.
I don't think its as new as 1977, I think its an early one of the series 3 and so likely to be around 1974 ish. I need to go back and photograph the grill properly, since that seems to be the best way to tell.
Looking at it it needs the bodywork polished or painted, and it needs the mechanics recommissioned, but it doesn't look damaged, wounded and certainly has no rust. I'm kind of hoping it'll be mostly DIY mechanics (which I used to love) and paint.
And no computers, canbus or any of the rest of that fun-spoiling stuff.
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>
>> recently I was using a Dodge pickup. I just posted another picture up (same link)
>> to show what happened to that about a month ago.
So why did you reverse over that poor car, (Chrysler Sebring is it?)
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It is a Sebring, as it happens. Smartass. Although past tense is more appropriate.
It is a one way, residential street, about a 30mph limit, and the Dodge was parked on one side. In a street where many cars are parked on that side.
The Sebring driver, a waiter in a restaurant I use, said he didn't see it. I ask you. Its huge! he also felt promising to look after us the next time we were in the restaurant was suitable apology.
Aside from bodywork damage he managed to shunt the entire axle/diff about 2ft forward, and moved the Ram about 20ft down the street - bearing in mind it had its parking brake on and its auto-box in park.
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>> Looking at it it needs the bodywork polished or painted, and it needs the mechanics
>> recommissioned, but it doesn't look damaged, wounded and certainly has no rust. I'm kind of
>> hoping it'll be mostly DIY mechanics (which I used to love) and paint.
>>
>> And no computers, canbus or any of the rest of that fun-spoiling stuff.
>>
Good call; didn't realise you were planning to keep it. They are wonderfully simple things; yes that straight six should be fine for what you want. Don't know much about the 70's ones hence the guess at its age but I run a 1963 GMC which is just a giant Meccano kit, everything bolts together.
It's a bit of a myth that all American pick-ups run V-8's BTW; just something that gets assumed because of all the open bonnets (sorry, hoods) at custom shows. Many ran the "cooking" straight six for both cheapness and better economy. Judging by the interior yours does not look to have done a lot of work.
This forum might be of use when you come to work on it. Don't sweat the title, they deal with everything from 50's to modern.
67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/index.php
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 23:07
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Doug,
I doubt anybody in Chile would be interested in it as anything other than a car. And as a car it is not interesting as vehicles without cats have sever restrictions here. Pretty much you can;t drive them in rush hour and for some days.
So anybody after a cheap runabout won't be prepared/able to live with that.
And an MG matters to us for nostalgic reasons, which doesn't really apply here.
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>>I doubt anybody in Chile would be interested in it as anything other than a car. And as a car it is not interesting as vehicles without cats have sever restrictions here. Pretty much you can;t drive them in rush hour and for some days.
That's a shame :(
>>And an MG matters to us for nostalgic reasons, which doesn't really apply here.
Yep, reckon so, I'd still try it on ebay if I were thee.
Eh, I hope you don't mind me asking you this Martin but, has your daughter any Mapuche ancestry?
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I certainly don't mind you asking Doug, but if she has then her mother is in caca profundo.
Seriously though, I guess its not impossible but it would be a very long time back in the generations.
And she looks more like my side of the family, although her colouring is her mothers.
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Okay friend, I was going by the colouring/hair etc. I've always been interested in Native Americans and indeed Aboriginals of all countries.
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>> she looks more like my side of the family
... but without the fangs and mad staring bloodshot eyes. Indeed she looks very cute.
And you're doing the right thing with the truck. Nice smooth everlasting units, those US pushrod straight sixes. Economical even, if in proper tune and driven gently.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 16:26
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Love the MG!
I took lessons and my test in a Morris 1100 with the same 2-door bodyshell.
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A few of my family used to run around in the Austin 1100 version when I were a lad. For me though the truck is the one. Something really rather appealing about it.
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Over 100 active and SORN at the moment - www.howmanyleft.co.uk/combined/MG_1300.
A colleague of mine had an early 1100 in the 70s and it failed its first MOT, for rust and corrosion. I don't recall whether he repaired it or of it was terminal.
Last edited by: Meldrew on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 10:22
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>> but I have no idea what to do with the MG 1300.
>> I don't know what year it is, although I will find out. (anyone know where
>> the details plate is on one of these? Its not in the door frame).
From memory, those rear lights were early 70's re the build plate look on the slam panel.
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My dad got a then brand new Van Den Plas 1300 auto when he retired. I don't think he ever really got on with it having during his working life always run bigger more powerful cars. It always looked too small for him somehow. Latterly he'd had a succession of Volvo 144s and 244s. I learned to drive on one of the 244s as a by the way.
Anyway, he passed away two or three years after retiring and my older brother took on the 1300 as a commuter hack.
By the time it was 7 years old the 1300 was almost entirely rusty and he had to scrap it.
Despite the pitfalls of maintaining modern cars it does serve to remind us how short lived due to rust some of those cars were by comparison.
My wife's Qashqai is a March 08 model and so has just had it's 5th birthday and is immaculate ( well outside anyway, the inside is probably going to culture the next generation of antibiotics so I don't like to interfere )
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tony,
Nothing on the slam panel, but found a small badge saying "B.L.A.C.S.A 1402"
I imagine this is something like "British Leyland Automotive Company South America"
Early 70s would probably be about right. The inside door handles are those flat square ones like my Maxi had, which was early 70s I think.
I think both this and the truck (which is a series 2) are likely to be around 73/74.
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Overall I think the MG is worth nothing other than to someone who is nostalgic for it.
Does the MG Owners club deal with these, does anyone know?
Perhaps I should email them.
I don;t want to crush it, but neither is there any point in having it sat there.
Without wishing to sound like a heretic, I don't like these, I never did and it holds no interest for me.
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Pretty sure someone in the uk will want it, depends on the shipping cost.
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A container of household stuff cost me £1,000 to ship. I should think it would be similar, although in reality I have no clue how that might compare in reality.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 15:55
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Drive it to the UK. up through the Americas to Alaska, short ferry ride across the Bering Strait to Russia, overland to France, cross the Channel. Sorted.
Take pictures, write a book, make a few bob, have some fun.
Can I come?
:-)
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>>Drive it to the UK. up through the Americas to Alaska, short ferry ride across the Bering Strait to Russia, overland to France, cross the Channel. Sorted.
Ooo, I dunno, France is pretty dodgy.
I quite fancy the idea, but I'd take the truck, not the MG. We could discuss European penal systems as we drive.
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Heh heh !
Edit - I've got some hi-viz vests and a footpump somewhere so it'd be fine...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 16:19
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I guess it is MGOC. The HQ is at Swavesey and they have a big workshop, from what I can see when I go past on the St Ives to Cambridge guided bus route.
Last edited by: Meldrew on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 15:59
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Thanks, I dropped them an e-mail.
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Mark - I had an MG 1300 in 1971, my first brand new car.
The 2-door body means it's between 1968 and 1972, when they stopped making MG 1300s. I don't know if the exhaust has survived, but if the pipe sticks straight out of the rear at the centre, like all 1100s, it's 1968-69: if it's curved round to the left, like the 1300GT, it's a Mark 2, 1960-72.
The Mark 2 had a slightly higher powered engine, still 1275cc but developing a heady 70 bhp. That doesn't sound much but it was quite lively in its day.
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I'm back there in the morning David, I'll check; but my feeling is that the tail pipe was to one side.
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BTW, if anybody from this forum wants it, if you're prepared to pay the expenses of getting it to you, you can have it.
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Did that MG 1300 have hydrolastic interconnected suspension units? The rubber may have perished and that matters more with hydrolastic (non-hydrolastic rubber springs just got softer and lower, and people used to like that and fit good dampers).
Perhaps replacement units are still available at discount prices. But what with them and the driveshafts, and the tyres, there will be a fair expenditure on rubber before even considering the engine (or gearbox, not the best feature of any box-in-sump car).
But unrusted unwelded bodyshells are like gold dust to a nerdish enthusiast. It will still be worth something to someone. They weren't favourites of mine either - you could lose the tail of an 1100 alarmingly easily in damp conditions - but they were nippy motors with pretentious period interiors. Someone will love it.
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I've just remembered that if it has an iron cylinder head it will need steel inserts in the exhaust valve seats to accommodate unleaded without suffering seat recession. But it is probably an alloy head which will have the inserts already.
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Engine will be the A series, all iron. Certainly needs inserts as the A series is perhaps the worst of all iron engines at exhaust valve seat recession.
Not hugely expensive to have inserts put in, and being a OHV engine, quite easy to remove and refit. Plus it makes the swap of the A series silly point, the bypass hose, dead easy.
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>> A series, all iron. Certainly needs inserts
There I go, idealizing BL again and assuming that they had an 8-port alloy head for sporting versions...
You can put stuff in the petrol that is supposed to substitute for lead. But the inserts would be a good idea to save trouble.
A friend, a car man through and through by birth and inclination, briefly drove an inherited (and utterly impeccable) MG Metro. It was a perfectly nice little motor not without a certain charm, but he was a bit embarrassed by it.
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>> There I go, idealizing BL again and assuming that they had an 8-port alloy head for sporting versions...
I think you'll find that the nearest that thing has to "sporting pretensions" is twin carbs (on an inlet manifold borrowed from the Midget) rather than just the one.
A rust-free 1300 is a very, very rare beast indeed. Even if you do manage to keep the visible bits rot-free (e.g. the subframe mounts, sills and such) they have a terrible achilles' heel. The heater plenum drains via two channels, squirreled away in the construction of the scuttle, out to the inner wings. By the time evidence of rot in that area becomes apparent on any visible steel, it's already terminal.
If it is completely rotless, the shell alone is probably worth the transportation costs to the right buyer, never mind the rest of it.
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>>I think you'll find that the nearest that thing has to "sporting pretensions" is twin carbs (on an inlet manifold borrowed from the Midget) rather than just the one.
IIRC, the MG and Vanden Plas had larger valves.
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>>>If it is completely rotless, the shell alone is probably worth the transportation costs to the right buyer, never mind the rest of it.
Agreed. I liked these cars and they are quite a practical classic compared with some.
Wonder if it would be an easy RHD conversion with bits from a rotten donor car?
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>> >>>If it is completely rotless, the shell alone is probably worth the transportation costs to
>> the right buyer, never mind the rest of it.
>>
>> Agreed. I liked these cars and they are quite a practical classic compared with some.
>>
>> Wonder if it would be an easy RHD conversion with bits from a rotten donor
>> car?
Don't know about these but Minis imported from Europe were regular conversions in the early eighties. IIRC, until the A prefix registration came in, they even got a 'new' registration.
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>> A series, all iron. Certainly needs inserts
>>
>> You can put stuff in the petrol that is supposed to substitute for lead. But
>> the inserts would be a good idea to save trouble.
>>
Waiting for the ferry from Picton to Wellington (NZ) last week I got chatting to a chap in a '78 Mini 1098 Clubman, he claimed to run his car with the original A-Series iron head and ULP (98RON being best) and something he referred to as Head-Lube, a petrol additive you put in the tank. He said it ran well and he'd certainly just done several thousand hard driven miles on a charity rally around the South Island without problem, the car was OK on 95RON but couldn't stomach 91RON.
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>> The rubber may have perished and that matters more with hydrolastic
It'll be hydrolastic.
The rubber on those units often perishes externally, but it's very thick stuff and rarely gets bad enough to fail. The interconnecting pipes are usually first to go. Haven't looked at the pics, but if the exhaust isn't on the floor and the car's fairly level left-to-right that side of things is fine.
If it has leaked and the units have been sitting empty for some time, then there may well be problems with internal perishing, corroded damper valves etc.
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>> nippy motors with pretentious period interiors.
No one has mentioned the other great virtue of all the Issigonis transverse-engined cars: their great roominess and airiness in proportion to their external size. The 1100/1300 had that, and had comfortable suspension for the time.
It was rapid cross-country too, but needed caution if you were really pressing on. It understeered reliably if you kept your foot hard down, but like some other cars might suddenly do the other thing if you lifted off in mid-bend. No car is perfect.
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>> No one has mentioned the other great virtue of all the Issigonis transverse-engined cars: >> their great roominess and airiness in proportion to their external size. The 1100/1300 had >> that, and had comfortable suspension for the time.
+1
My Mum had an Austin 1300 - 1970 on a J plate, changed (for a Maxi) at 6 years old with rotten sills, cars didn't last very long in those days. I recall it being luxurious by comparison with my Dad's favoured Ford Escorts of the time, sophisticated suspension and disc brakes too unlike the cart-sprung Ford with its drums all round. As AC says, very roomy too although the boot was on the small side IIRC. I can't comment on the handling as I was a child.
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>> It understeered reliably if you kept your foot hard down,
If by "understeered reliably" you mean "will only go straight ahead under braking or on a trailing throttle" at speed, then I agree.
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Understeer...
Many of these will have been on crossplies but they were about over the time when more folks wised up to the huge improvement radial tyres made. Something like a 155/70 or 165/70 Dunlop or Goodyear made them feel far better.
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I recall driving one that had been on crossplies, but then had Dunlop Groundhogs fitted. Although still crossply, they were a revelation.
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My Wolseley Hornet had Colway crossply remoulds on it. £3.50 each fitted and balanced. Only the best y'know ! The tread had a habit of peeling off if you became too enthusiastic.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Tue 16 Apr 13 at 12:23
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>>>Dunlop Groundhogs fitted
One of the first tyres promoted as a "lifestyle" choice. Before that tyres were just round and black with rugged or long lasting attributes.
i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/DRJackson/groundhog.jpg
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>>i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/DRJackson/groundhog.jpg
Oh wow ! I had that sticker on the boot of my Triumph Spitfire. Quite forgotten about that.
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>> I had an MG 1300 in 1971, my first brand new car
I sincerely hope it wasn't that awful Mustard colour :(
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>> I sincerely hope it wasn't that awful Mustard colour :(
>>
Limeflower..:-)
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What did they call the cowdung khaki that my old man's Marina 1300 coupe (rock bottom spec) was finished in then gb? I had that for a few weeks. It wasn't all bad.
I worked hard on him to get something else - favouring I think a Citroen GS at the time - but he wouldn't budge.
:o}
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 21:04
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>> I worked hard on him to get something else - favouring I think a Citroen GS at the time - but he wouldn't budge.
There may have been a special deal between BL and the CSMA of which he was a member. But I doubt if it was special enough to justify buying a fifties car in the late sixties. The Cortina 1200 he had in the early sixties was a much better and more modern car. Patriotism played a role, perhaps rightly but probably not.
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Wasn' tit Harvest Gold guvnor?
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BL had some unusual and not unattractive colours back then Flame i seem to recall was the really bright red, haven't a clue what the one was that you refer to AC, comrade D may have it.
Turd brown wasn't one of their best offerings though.
I ended up with two Rover P6's during that time, one 2000TC and one 3500 (bloomin good car that), both in a horrid beigy puce yellowy mix, such a pity, would have been lovely to have had one in British Racing Green.
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Russet Brown was one colour BL used I believe, Antique Gold was another (with Nutmeg Gold velour int.)
Mexico Brown was used on the Rover P6's, as was Tobacco Leaf I believe.
Last edited by: Dog on Sun 14 Apr 13 at 21:23
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>> Harvest Gold
Well blow me down. 'Gold' indeed! Regressive, a Kleinian psychoanalyst might say. Not only a Kleinian actually. But never mind that.
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>> Wasn' tit Harvest Gold guvnor?
>>
My Mum's Maxi circa 1975 was Harvest Gold, possibly a later derivation which wasn't SO bad but still not what you'd call a nice colour, IIRC my Dad's Sahara Beige Escort was an equally horrid colour from that time.
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>>
>> My Mum's Maxi circa 1975 was Harvest Gold, possibly a later derivation which wasn't SO
>> bad but still not what you'd call a nice colour, IIRC my Dad's Sahara Beige
>> Escort was an equally horrid colour from that time.
>>
An ex-colleague worked for IBM many years ago. One day, one of the senior sales types took delivery of a new car, a Vauxhall Victor and one of the first of the then latest model.
All trooped down to the car park to admire it. He looked at it and the following conversation ensued:
"What colour do you call that?"
"Ah. That's 'Autumnal Bronze'".
"Hmm, I'd have said it was more 'Cat's diarrhoea green' myself....."
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My 1300 was flame red, as I think Mark's barn find is also. A nice bright red, just on the vermilion side of scarlet.
Harvest Gold was a fairly ordinary beige; limeflower had a sickly greenish tinge to the beige, reminiscent of school lemon meringue pie. Yuk.
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>>My 1300 was flame red
S'nice.
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MG - 1300 - bathtub tom
