A minor to get save the winter rust of my MGB

[Alec]

Hello MGB2,
I don't understand your logic, why go to the expense of owning and running a second car (A sound Minor will cost a fair amount) when you could have a professional rustproofing of your MGB (I'm assuming that it is sound structurally) for a fraction of the cost and enjoy all year round use.

Alec

[Willie]

MGB2...when I rebuilt my two MGBs I used them as every day cars
summer and winter. Since I had thoroughly treated all box members
and the whole of the underside with Waxoyl I was quite confident and
had no rust problems over many years. As Alec says, if you cannot
do it yourself then a professional Waxoyling will cost a lot less than
running an extra car for the winter.

[Cam]

Alec, Willie,

Maybe he just wants a Minor and is using the winter thing as an excuse?? Nothing wrong with that!!

[rayofleamington]

yeah - I was expecting he'd love the Minor and sell the MGB at Easter time after a few happy months of Minoring..

[MGB2]

Well by B is well rust proofed underneath but I find the wheel arches and around windows and top of the fins to be bubbleing up. My B is worth over 3 grand ( its an LE with 20 years photographic history and recipts rebuilt engine and un restored good condtion) so last winter i Bought a diesel escort to run about in which was ok but cost be 650 to buy 500 to insure and 180 quid for tax. Its a good sound car but my mate took off with it 3 months ago so i need a new car to save one my B. I was orginally going to buy another modern banger but then got thinking if i buy a classic I can save 700 on tax and insurance and make the trip to work fun all year round. I do about 18K miles a year and the Bs fuel does add up. I was looking on ebay the other week and sore a minor (now gone) for 450 with 9 months Mot. So i figured with the right insurance company I could be up and running for about 600 quid cheaper than last years 1330 which I cant really afford anyhow. Thats the rational reason for wanting a minor prehaps as some one said its partly an excuse as I could but 1100 or something whiich would be a far quicker more modern drive and still be on classic insurance and tax free. I appreate that a car on ebay at this money is not going to be briliant. I look at it like this If I buy a modern 680 goes up in smoke on insurance and tax so even if after the minor reaches the end of its mot in say 8 months it would still be worth what 200? as a non runner so i would only be a couple on hundred down and either pick up a mig of ebay and get cracking or sell it and buy another car or buy another smoker. As it turns out some one I knows freinds dad is selling a minor which has been garaged for 7 years and says it should pass an MOT with out too much trouble so if that turns out to be ok might do that. Any ideas on recomitioning a car I was thinking changeing all fluids and cheaking fuel line and tank and may be the bushes if a bit cracked.

[rayofleamington]

If you have the time to shop around and view the cars before buying you will eventually find a half decent Minor (with aesthetic corrosion but no serious problems underneath) for £500 to £600. You need to find one that is regularly serviced otherwise you can expect some bills and breakdowns in the following year. If you pick a decent one, then the next MOT should not mean the car has to be scrapped.
As for reconditioning a car after a long period off the road then most likely you will have to spend time and money on the brakes.
18,000 miles is a lot for a cheap moggy. Even without breakdowns, you need to grease the front suspension every 3000 miles and do a fair bit of other servicing too (adjusting brakes etc..) so an old Eurobox can often be more practical.

I know what you are saying about money going up in smoke. I got fed up with the rate that 'cheap' old cars can get through money so I bought a 10 year old Honda for £900 and it just keeps going. The initial outlay was higher but has sailed through 2 MOTs .Therefore in these 2 years it has saved me a load of money compared to something cheaper, and on top of that the CD player, electric windows, electric sunroof and central locking still work fine as it's a Honda.
The biggest saving comes from the reliability vs high mileage - if you are happy to perpetually fix a car then get a cheap moggy. If you don't want to have to fix the car all the time - I'd recommend Japanese cars, but you'll need to shell out more money up front.

[Kevin]

Looks wise, they're clearly the most fabulous car ever designed But then I might be slightly biased....

I think thats a fair comment

[Cam]

Looks wise, they're clearly the most fabulous car ever designed But then I might be slightly biased....

I think thats a fair comment

Me too!

[Willie]

MGB2... the worst thing you can do to a Minor is leave it inactive.
You will most likely find that your friends will now have inoperative
brakes unless they have been regularly operated to prevent seizure.
Yes, it would be sensible to change the oils. The engines usually fire
up remarkably easily even after long periods of inaction.
Regarding the bubbling on your MG, I assume it is a convertible?
If so you will fight a constant battle against rust in the seams where
the front wings join the windscreen wiper panel and the top seam
on the fins. I cured the fins problem by cutting off the thin steel
capping over the seam and then brazing along the length of the seam. This turned the metal into a totally rust proof alloy. unfortunately it
has to be done before the spraying and would be frowned upon by
purists.

[MGB2]

As for servicing a minor well I grease my b ever 3 thousand miles change the oil in engine about 4 to 5 and the gear box oil rear diff about 15 and adjust the breaks when ever it gets unconrtolable breaking in a straight line. Servicing does not worry me too much. Relaibilty does though I have owned miastroes metros and my B and the only problems i have ever had was a rotter arm broken (god only knows) and points that where knackered I guess my the capacitiers earth not wearing out. I have changed hubs and dizzies exhausts a clutch alternators wiper motors carbs and other basic stuff. I am no mechanic but I did think one advanage of a minor is what is there that can go wrong that would be complicated. Well i figured rust mainly because i cant weld or a gearbox brake (because I have no engine crane. Whats the worst that could happen? It does not even have a cam belt to order a new engine with. Any thing common that goes wrong with minors that breaks the bank?

[Cam]

Welding mostly, and the only real weak part of a Minor mechanically is the gearbox. The trunnions fail a lot because people don't grease them regularly, but if properly maintained, they are fine (bit like the kingpins on a B). Everything else is pretty bullet proof.

[Dizzi141]

Jumping back a bit to the handling, round where I live, there's a corner which I approach at around 20 and can swing the back end out around it.

[rayofleamington]

Any thing common that goes wrong with minors that breaks the bank?

nope . Welding usually gives the biggest bills but if you are handy enough then everything else is fine to DIY. Second hand engines and gearboxes are fairly cheap so you can survive on a shoestring if you want to.
It sounds like you are used to the kind of regular servicing intervals that a moggy would need.

Even the gearbox can be done single-handedly in a day and you don't need an engine crane, just some wheel ramps and a jack.

[iwant1]

please can someone compare the imp to the minor handling wise

[MGB2]

Which is cheaper a coupe or a saloon. I see travllors are a bit expensive. Where would be the place to look for a ruff minor? Do fiber glass wings matter? I have noticed a few on ebay but as I have never driven one wondering if I should find a dealer that has one in and waste his time to find out how bad a minor actually drives just in case after driving one I have second thoughts.

[Kevin]

Which is cheaper a coupe or a saloon.

I assume you meant convertible or saloon, the convertible is more expensive and needs to be checked even more carefully as they can have more structural problems than the saloons and there are also many converted saloons although this is not nessesarily a problem, it might be useful to contact the local owners branch to try and get some ideas on the driving of one is what you are after and try a few if possible as they do vary depending on how well they have been maintained. Fiberglass can lower the value of the car as they are not original but that is not to say they are a bad thing.

please can someone compare the imp to the minor handling wise

Its a long time since I have driven one but the handling in standard form is usually better due to a more modern!! design of car and a lower stance however there are different maintainance issues and characteristics with a rear engined car, however personally I much prefer the Minor if you are torn between the two you need to try as many as possible as they are completly different types of cars to drive and the Imps are much thinner on the ground and generally not worth as much, also as in your family there are some Imps you can probably tell me more about the differences in handling. I know there is a mixtures of cars owned on here but I dont remember anyone mentioning an Imp before.

[Chris Morley]

wondering if I should find a dealer that has one in and waste his time to find out how bad a minor actually drives

You really do have some strange ideas about the Minor. Are you really sure you want to have one because it doesn't sound like it? The fact is most people find it an easy, fun and safe car to drive and every review in Practical Classics etc. says the same thing. It certainly doesn't corner 'like a dog on lino' unless the tyres are shot or the suspension is faulty - but the same applies to any car.

A cheap minor will probably need a lot of initial work to iron out the reliability problems because previous owners tend to neglect them. Fine, if you are into Minors, enjoy spending hours fixing cars and really want one as a long term project . However you seem to want a cheap Minor as a poor relation to your MGB which isn't really a good idea. Plus it's not much fun trying to sort out problems in the depth of Winter. I agree with Ray that a cheap modern car would be a better option for you.

[rayofleamington]

It certainly doesn't corner 'like a dog on lino' unless the ......

Chris - I think I should have taken you out in my 911! 22 year old suspension design, but would take full gas round some pretty nasty bends...
Nobody's arguing that a Moggy was poor in comparison to its peers - because it was great, however in comparison to the 'average' car of today the moggy leaves a fair deal of room for improvement.

[MGB2]

Dont mean to dis minors I do like the look of them and the prices or parts and fuel economy. I am not expecting it to corner like a modern. I like old cars my B does not handle great either. My minor will be a poor relation to my B in a sense but will be serviced the same and I will do my best to wax and rust proof it. But ultimately My B is worth a bit and pritty good order my minor will be more raggered. I am comparing an orginal photograhpic history limited addition B that has never been painted to a well worn car I expect that in many ways will be a rolling project. The market values B higher than minors my B is good my minor will be less so and been far from rich economics has to play in a role in the decsion making proccess as to which i would drive in a snow drift. I would proberly treat my minor a lot better than i would a eurobox (although I did waxoyle my euro box daily driver and change the oil ever 5K and wax and polish it too). Its always more fun though spending time and money on a car that has character.

[MGB2]

I forgot to ask which is the best minor club to join? I am in the MGOC and find it useful as technical helpline sell parts and stuff I was wondering there a minor club that does this sort of thing? I live in the scottish borders so dont expect their to be any club activity as their is not for either of the MG clubs either where would be my nearest club meants etc.?