I was thinking about a British Car possibly to finish off my lineup of cars.

My dad had a Triumph TR6, A Spitfire, and a MG Midget.

He said the midget really sucked--kept on breaking axles,etc....

But he isnt the best with maintaining cars....

Is a Midget a good car to drive around on sunny days?

get a triumph GT6 or a tr6....

i dont fit too well in them. my knees are in the wrong place LOL

DON'T DO IT!!!

Sorry, 65 MGB... Great car if you don't like driving.

A GT6 is fun to drive, but you do need to be of smallish stature to fit comfortably.

When I was young, my parents had an MG Midget and it required alot of attention to keep running. I learned what it meant to "push start" with that car.

One of the best vanity plates I've ever seen was on an MGB.

It said - FIX

Judging by a friends MG that plate was right on. Aren't you having enough fun fixing your German rides? BTW how's the bus? Love that rig.

I had a roommate when I lived in Indiana that had a sweet MGB. British racing green with tan interior. That was a real sweet ride. I have wanted one since. These cars are a lot more flimsy than a 914. I saw most of one in a junk yard and realized how much more car the 914 is real brakes, thicker doors etc. I also had a friend with a midget. He complained about the problems ALL the time. Stay away from the Midget (car that is).

My first car as a teenager was a 59 MGA. I LOVED that car although it was not very reliable.

TR-6 all the way. Well, TR3/4's are even cooler but much more expensive.

I have a friend with "the wedge" (TR-7) and its pretty reliable, I've only been in it a few times when things have gone seriously wrong. Taking the head off in a parking lot with minimal tools was one of those times. Another was the day when the radiator sprouted a hole and sprayed the headers, or the driving home at night without lights b/c the randomly shut off.

Anyways, sorry for the digression, but if you get something of British Leland/Rover fame you want a Triumph. They are built much better than comparable MGs. IMHO (and experience) MG's are shit cars. My uncle had an MGB that would loose a wheel once in a while but I think that was more a fault of his own. They all have some weird Lucas prince of darkness problems.

Like Aaron alluded to, you might want to sit in one first, they are cramped (unless you are kinda short).

I drove a '76 midget for 3 years when I lived in England. It threw a rod through the case, had a recurring electrical ignition problem that no one could ever figure out and blew out one of the funky hydraulic arm type shocks.

It was a blast to drive but required too many big ticket repairs. The TR6 is a really fun car but like all older cars will require random repairs and meticulous maintenance.

get a spitfire, they made them all the way up to 79 or 80

Early 60's and 70's Sprites and Midgets are cheap, parts are cheap, and there seems to be lots of them.

We have a TD and TF - very fun cars and not to bad to work on. The big healy is by far the most fun to drive. It's also pretty comfortable....

I agree, buy a Healy over the MG, but either way don't buy it to drive, just to look at. Start the engine and listen to it rev. Maybe run down the streen, but not so far that you can't get some friends to help you push it back to the garage.

Please do not buy an English car!
You will not be doing this
I had two when fairly new and I was trying to keep them

cmon, how many of our cars are parked for repairs right now? yeah, that is what I thought! I woman here at my office has a tr-6 with a 289 in it and that is

SOFA KING KEWL!
So are big healeys, Jensen Healeys with Hemis, Jags, MG- abc and GT...

I will trade my 1970 914 2liter 4 for a BN 100 or a TR3a right now!!!

you can add TR 250 and Lotus Elan to that list as well

One of my first cars when I was 16 was a MGB/GT 1967 it was soo cool.
My dad and I picked it up for cheap and was a ex race car. It was pissed off it would smoke the tires up 1st and 2nd gear.Being a kid back then that was pretty cool to me. Drove to high school ...full cage five point and all. The girls loved it.
British racing Green. I miss that car

At least buy a proper english sports car.

I have had many many british cars from Morris Minors to Jags. If you are a good DIY type of guy they can be a lot of fun. Of all the cars I have had over the years I reqret selling my 1957 Austin Healy 106 the most.
Good luck on your hunt and as long as it is a fun car you will have a blast.

"Jensen Healeys with Hemis"? Jensen Healeys have Lotus 4 bangers, which spend a LOT of time being broken. NOT anything close to a DD. Nice to look at, though. BTW, the term "fit and finish" isn't in the British version of the English language, at least not in the part used when talking about under $50K cars ......... The Cap'n

I haven't been stranded on the side of the road since I sold my MGB.

Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

there's a guy up in edmonds that restores healy's, he pops out one with a chevy 350 every once in a while. i followed him one day till he stopped and he let me look it over, well sorted and executed, and damn fast!

narrowed 9" rear. muncie 4 sp, '70 spec lt1. in arrest me red

When I was 18 I had a 64 AH Sprite, same body style as the MG Midget. It was a fun little car to drive and it corned well. Had a hell of a time starting it in damp or wet weather, a typical Brit car trait in those days. Oh, and the manual choke sucked!

I think British cars get an unfair wrap for unreliability.

Sure if you buy a pile of crap it'll need work, but so would any car.

My Bro's GF has a near perfect '65 MGB and it's great. They take it on trips up to Oregon every few months with no problems.

Don't expect it to drive like a 914 though. It's a bit more cruisy, but you adjust your driving style pretty quick.

How much are you looking to spend?

I had a sweet little 70 Midget - that car was super clean. The PO had just rebuilt motor - bored, aluminum intake, 2 barrel Holley, header, etc. I only had one problem in the two years that I owned it - the fuel pump crapped out - $25 part.

Things that sux about Midgets - super weak wheel options & VERY small interior.

Things that rock - parts are cheap, 100% convertible and a blast to drive if hooked up right. Chrome bumper models look sweet with bumpers removed. It's a much more simple car than the 914 - but then again, it not a 914.

One of my all time favs - they do get a bad rap for some crap, but mine was a gem. The guy who owned it since new was old enough to be my grandfather - that probably helped - it was well cared for.

I could get smoke from my MGB as well, First way was to start it. The second was

a little tougher I had to keep it running long enough to get the clutch Hot, yup lotsa

smoke.

Brit, you should go looking for Sunbeams. They are really cool cars, especially the Tigers with their 260 v8s. The Alpines only have 4bangers, but they are really neat cars too.

I believe they are all ragtops, with an optional hardtop.

My only British car experience was with a '64 Sunbeam Alpine...
Body was decent, top was new, and the engine came (literally) in a box...make that several boxes! I rebuilt the engine in the basement of a friends house, dragged it out on a homemade dolly, and installed it with a second hand "Come Along"... somehow it all worked! I was 21 and so very proud of my first big mechanical accomplishment! Drove it home, parked it next to my apartment (in a nice area), and got up the next morning to find that someone had stolen the brand new top, bows and all, right off the car!!!
How many people need a top for a friggin' Sunbeam Alpine in Ft. Wayne, IN??? I had marked the top with some of the yellow paint that I used to "refinish" the body, and let me tell you, I looked for years at every Alpine or Tiger I saw to see if any had yellow paint on the rear bottom part... never found it! Sooo... if you know of someone who has an Alpine or Tiger with a top with some yellow paint on it, there is still a $500.00 reward for the execution of the prep! I guess you should have a confession first, tho!

I always wanted a MG till the other day I was working on a 73 MGB GT man the British showed us one thing it is possible to polish a turd what a pile of crap and this after I rebuilt all the front suspension with new bushing etc.

I vote yes to the British car in the lineup, soul factor is off the charts.

despite the fact that my dad fired up the bugeye last weekend and said the master cylinder needs to be rebuilt. Being reliable would make 'em less fun.

I suggest test drives, lots of test drives. That's when you have the best chance of the car actually working......and they are lots of fun to drive.

My first car was a '64 TR$...oops, I mean TR4. It was a complete blast to drift the rear end on cornering and sounded great. But, the top was abominable....hard to put up and leaked like a sieve. Wood grained dash, nice chrome bezels on the gauges, wire wheels...good looking package.

You may need to buy an English car just so you can say you had one....my sympathies.

This is a typical picture of an MG. Looks very sharp with the hood up when you can't get it started. Get an XKE and put a small block Chevy in it.

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Speaking of engine trans plants... I have one up my sleave...I have not started yet But the car is sleeping in my garage. I have a 1959 M Benz 190. 4 speed manual on the tree and a 4 cyl motor. I have had it for 15 years it ran when I parked it but that was 10 years ago. Im thinking 302 Ford small block good size carb and small quiet duel exaust stock quiet SLEEPER.. Hell ya !!!

Ummmm how do I say this nicely... you guys are completely full of


My first love is British cars... second is German cars.

I have both a MGA and a TR6... I've had a MGB, TR250 and a MGB GT.

Everyone of those was more reliable than the 914. Easier to work on and the cost of parts is waaaaaayyyy less in most cases.

Never got stranded anywhere. I had a coil go out at a meet on the A but that was easy as it was also a swap meet... took about five minutes toi repair.

They are not track cars, except maybe the TR6 don't know never driven it just got it for resto.

Britt my man I would advise an MGB for you. They are plentiful and parts are very easy to come by. Stay under 74 if you want a chrome bumper. I like the interior of the 69 personally. Let me know if you need guidance been there done that quite a few times.

If you can afford a Healey, get one, such good looking cars. I think the tr4/tr250 (tr4 w/6 cyl from the tr6) look better than the tr6, sweet cars for sure.



I had a '58 190, what a cool car, had the sliding sunroof that was basically the entire roof, 4 speed on the column, etc. Should have kept that one . . .

healy prices are going out the roof now.

Man you cannot touch an H these days... you want a good one your talkin' like 20K. You want an outstanding example 40K. YIKES

i think i saw one on the barrett go for 100k.

I wouldn't mind having a Jensen Interceptor convertable.

I presently own a 1974 Jensen Healey convertible. Never broken down in 9 years of ownership. Puts the Porsches to shame.
145 Horsepower stock over 200 with just cams. Cams and a 2.2 stroker crank, J and E pistons and some headwork now approaching 285. And all very streetable and dependable. Try and get that out of a 914 whether it's a 4 or a 6. I don't think so.
The motor in the Jensen Healey is the same basic set up that is in the new Lotus that everybody is raving about. Put a turbo on mine and were talking about a Corvette killer just like the current Lotus
My car weighs 2160 pounds wet with 230 horsepower as presently built. Getrag 5 speed gearbox same as in the 2002 tii.
The Jensen Healeys won National championships in 1974, 1975 and 1995. I don't know of many cars that can claim that.
If your interested go to the Jensen Healey Preservation Society website (Jensenhealey.com) and check it out.
Oh, one last bit, the parts are more easily available than the 914 and they are cheaper. The cars themselves can be had for $3,000.00 to 7,500.00 depending on condition. A 98 point California show car sold last summer for $7800.00. Owner had over $25,000.00 in it.
Randy

Hey Britt... here's your target.

Britt... go here.

MG Cars

Porsche did seven in one year...
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Austin-Healy or Lotus Elan. I once had a car w/ Lucas wiring. Lucas v. Bosch is like night and day, pun intended!
Konrad

Find a TR3. That way you can pick up spare change as you cruise. That spare change can then be invested in a high yeild stock and used for future repairs to your new tur.....fine British automobile. Cheers mate!

AC Bristols are REALLY cool too but pretty much out of your....my....most price ranges

Like everything else in this world, it all depends on how much $$$ you want to spend. Mr gray is right, TR6 is great choice - if you got a spare $10-20K. MGB's are more plentiful, cheaper to buy and own (I have one that runs great) but less powerful (hp) generally than the TR6. Austin-Healey (the Big Healy's that is) and Jags are serious $$$$$$$$. Now don't laugh, but you might even consider a Fiat 124 Spyder (I owned a '76 years ago - actually a very decent little car - mostly underrated, especially by the Brit crowd).

If you must go non-Deutsch, the MGB is overall the best bet to keep you on the road for the least cash. Now if I can just get my 914 and VW Beetle back on the road ......