Went to grab the MGB yesterday

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 04/17/2016 at 17:15 • Filed to: 99p MGB, Baja B

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The rust is pretty damn bad, but don’t worry, it’s got an oil cooler ;) Priorities.

It looks passable from a distance, but when you start to get closer you can see why the chap decided not to find space for it at his new place. This is the sill on one side:

The other side looks much better, until you look underneath...

...and you realise that it’s not connected to the rest of the car .

The rear wings look good too, until you get close and realise that it’s got little rust holes along where there was (presumably) trim mounted.

What is actually good is the roof (which still has a headlining!) and the c-pillars and the fact that I paid 99p for it.

In fact that’s the main thing.

99p.

£0.99

$1.41

1/3rd of a Big Mac.

That’s what I’ll keep telling myself...

Disclaimer: I actually ended up paying the chap £120, but that was for all the spare panels that came with it. Two doors, another tailgate and a good bonnet. All of which will be going on eBay because apparently I value money much higher than my sanity.

Honeybunchesofgoats > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/17/2016 at 17:24

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I have a wholly rational love for MGBs.

I spent weeks salivating over this after seeing it for sale on Hemmings:

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/17/2016 at 17:30

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Well if I didn’t have my 240Z I would want a GT Rover V8 Sebring clone. Oh yeah baby. I had to replace the dog legs on my Z, it’s a rust spot that was just badly designed for drainage, it’s also better to strengthen than area anyway. We welded fat plates where a thin one is.

SEXY

Birddog > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/17/2016 at 17:54

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I would have pulled the trigger too. Sell that oil cooler and a few bits and you’re already making a profit. It looks too far gone to restore but breaking it down may be fruitful.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/17/2016 at 18:01

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What are your plans?

My bird IS the word > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/17/2016 at 19:46

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That body is probably worth at least 120 in scrap metal. If you decide to save this car you will be my hero. I'm trying to save a car from the scrapper myself but I paid $3300 for it :(

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > My bird IS the word 04/18/2016 at 02:51

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I’ll definitely be trying to save it, but it’s a little low on the list at the moment :S I’ll definitely get to it at some point though, and I doubt it’ll go much further backwards in that time...

Which car are you trying to save? Must be something nice :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 04/18/2016 at 02:53

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In time, as it’s one of many projects, I’ll be fixing the rust and then trying to fit a Rover V8 I got with a Spitfire alongside a Land Rover 4WD gearbox with a Jag rear end that I’ve got from my XJ40 that got hit by a tree and a Subaru R160 that should fit up front :)

Little lift and some knobbly tyres and I’ll have a Baja B!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Birddog 04/18/2016 at 02:56

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It looks too far gone, but I’m still going to give it a try :) I’ve got too many projects to go before I get round to it, but eventually it’ll get some attention.

It’ll never be a show car, but I’ll have something usable by the end of it :)

I’m hoping that the good panels I’ve listed up on eBay will pay for the £120 I gave the chap, and then I can sell the engine, gearbox and front/rear axles once I’ve got space to pull them and have a little bit of profit :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/18/2016 at 03:01

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Yeah that’s really nice :) why they didn’t sell the V8 version in the States and catch people trading in their muscle cars when that market was winding down I don’t know.

Yeah I’ll be adding in some 2mm steel in place of the thin tin in select places. I do wonder whether a few choicly placed 8mm holes would help the rust significantly...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/18/2016 at 03:04

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Ooh now that is nice. My favourite grille treatment too. The early chrome ones look a bit fussy for me, but I like the simplicity of the mid-facelift ones :)

My bird IS the word > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/18/2016 at 08:07

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1979 Pontiac trans am. Not nearly in as bad of shape as this, but not nearly rare/collectable in the states currently to justify the cost of restoration. Really nice ones can be had for as little as 12k. Especially considering it needs all new sheet metal. In ten years this car will suddenly be a collectable after all the nice projects have been parted out :/

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > My bird IS the word 04/18/2016 at 08:36

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Nice :) I like those. Survivors from the death of the muscle car in the early 70s.

Which engine does it have? I can't remember all the various configurations you could get through the years...

My bird IS the word > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/18/2016 at 09:34

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Oldsmobile 403. Which is an underrated engine, both literally and figuratively. What really lets the car down is the 2.45 rear axle. Still an absolute beast to drive, engine makes peak torque at 2200 rpm so as soon as the transmission catches up with the engine it just pulls.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/18/2016 at 09:54

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Especially since the V8 was a Buick, nothing exotic there.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/18/2016 at 10:04

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Exactly. Also, it’s a big engine for Europe, but an economy one in the States. Would have been the perfect car for the times.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > My bird IS the word 04/18/2016 at 10:05

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Yeah I’ve heard good things about the short-deck Olds V8s.

A 2.45 rear! That needs to get swapped out pronto ;) although with such a low revving torque monster I suppose a low 3.something would fit it quite nicely...

My bird IS the word > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/18/2016 at 18:11

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What engine do you want to drop in this monster?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > My bird IS the word 04/19/2016 at 05:19

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I’ve got a 3.5l Rover V8 that came with a Spitfire I bought that’ll get rebuilt with injection. That’ll go with an LT77 5-speed 4WD gearbox from a Landy with a Jag rear end from an XJ40 I have that got hit by a tree. Then at the front I’ll try and fit a Subaru R160 I’ve got lying around which is a very compact diff and has an almost identical ratio to the Jag one :)

Then a little lift, big knobbly tyres and open flared wheelarches.

It'll be a Baja B!

My bird IS the word > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/19/2016 at 11:13

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That is a light car for a v8. Good luck! Sounds like your hands are full lol.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > My bird IS the word 04/19/2016 at 11:20

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Absolutely :) I’ve got two Spitfires to finish before this though so it’ll have to wait for a while.

Very excited about it though!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/20/2016 at 11:13

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The sills remind me of my barge. Both are a bit like that second one - fortunately alright on top, but nothing doing on the bottom at all.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/26/2016 at 18:36

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Help needed

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/thank-you-for-…