Mike,

First decide if you want to have an original car. If not, then you can start with any of them and upgrade them according to your desires. Some models are a better starting point. For example, the 1600s came with front disc brakes. That is something I would want if I was in the market. The 1800 "B" engine is a great upgrade and fits right in, EXCEPT the input shaft of the MGA tranny may not fit the five main bearing engines without some work on bushings, crankshaft, or both. If you are swapping in a different tranny, modifications are needed as the the mounting system for the MGA tranny is not compatible with the MGB tranny. All that said, my favorite MGA had an MGB drivetrain and that car was just great. The MGA tranny only as synchros on the top three gears.

If you want to keep it original, or nearly so, then stay away from the 1500s and limit your search to the 1600 and 1600 MKIIs. In my opinion, the 1500 is underpowered and why get a car with drum brakes? The 1600 has about 10 more HP than the 1500 and you can really feel the difference. It also has 10 fewer HP than the 1600 MKII and you can really feel that difference as well. The 1622cc engine in the MKII is a little less robust than the 1600. The crankshafts can fail, but usually the failures are in performance applications, so if you are not racing, you should be OK. That said, not every 1600 MKII comes with the original engine. So if you are buying the MKII because you want the engine, be sure you are getting it and not a car with a 1600 engine or an MGB three main bearing engine. Both swaps were common back in the day when a 1622 crank shaft snapped. The 1622 has that number cast right into the block. The MKII had a 4.1 rear differential while the other cars have a 4.3 rear differential.

These cars ALL came from the factory with wooden floors. Yes, that's right, wood! If the car you are looking at has a steel floor, that was done after the fact, usually to address rot of both frame members and floor boards. Beware. The frame may not be straight. The area where the floor boards meet the frame rails is a great place to look for rust and rot. These cars are body-on-frame design, so the car does not get any strength or rigidity from the body panels. The frame is critical.

Be on the lookout for fiberglass fenders, rockers and front valence. Sports and Classics sold hundreds of fiberglass fenders for these cars as they were a cheap and easy way to replace rusted or bent fenders.

These cars all came with hand cranks. Make sure your car still has both the hand crank and the special crankshaft pulley bolt that receives the hand crank crank pin.

All cars except the twin cams came with a master cylinder with a common reservoir for the clutch and brakes. These are a safety risk for a whole bunch of reasons. I've seen them replaced with a two-master cylinder system. I don't know how much work is required, but it looks like a good idea to me. I've lost brakes in an MGA and when something lets go, you have no brakes and you may lose the clutch as well.

Wire wheels look great but can be the source of vibrations. Make sure they are in good shape. The spokes, rims and splines all require inspection as do the splines on the hubs.

The cars are easy and fun to work on. If you like to do your own work, you will enjoy an MGA.

 

Bill, I don’t usually disagree with your insight into these fur’n cars but I completely disagree with your information about the 1622 crankshaft. I know you must be basing it on personal experience but the 1622 crankshaft was clearly the best of the three MGA engines. It is a bit stronger with thicker webs and slightly narrower main bearings and it used flattop pistons as opposed to dished-pistons seen in the 1500/1600 engines. It is very close in specs to the crankshaft used in the 3-main MGB 1800 engine. I have never heard of a crank failure. In fact after reading your comment, I called a good friend who has raced a 1622 for 30 years in vintage racing and just retired this year. He said he ha never heard of one either. Certainly anything over 4500 rpms for extended periods is going to go eventually.

Mike, my 1500, which had a national award winning body, was transformed by me using several sensible MGA production upgrades. Upgrades included swapping the original 1500 engine for the higher performing MGA MkII 1622 engine. I further upgraded it with an aftermarket performance camshaft that raised the car’s horsepower from 68 to over 100 hp while keeping with the spirit of the car as these are all period improvements. The engine rebuild goal was a reliable street motor with good low-end performance. Other upgrades included disc brakes replacing the front drum brakes and the original 4.3 rear end was replaced with a better cruising rear end with a ratio of 4.1 The brake system was converted to modern silicone brake fluid. The original 48-spoke wire wheels were replaced with the MGA’s stronger 60-spoke wire wheels and new tires.

Here is my note on my engine:

Engine: 1622cc #16GC-U-H4105. The normal 3.00” bore x 3.50” stroke was bored 0.040” over. This engine’s cylinder head is identified with a “16” casting and serial #565394 was manufactured 8 Sept 1961. The factory Mk II head improvements included increasing the intake & exhaust valve diameters by 1/16” to 1.562” & 1.343” respectively and the porting of the passageways for both were reshaped to aid airflow. Combustion chambers were reshaped and volume increased from 38.2cc to 42.5cc. The valves were made of better steel with stronger springs. This engine’s 1622 block is identified with casting #12H423. The factory Mk II head improvements increased the bore by 1/32” to 3.00” while the stroke remained 3.50”. The new bore is now 3.040”. The 1622 crankshaft is a bit stronger with thicker webs and slightly narrower main bearings and it used flattop pistons as opposed to dished-pistons seen in the 1500/1600 engines. Pistons were solid skirt with 3 compression and one oil ring; top compression ring chromed plated. Lastly factory improvements included newer connecting rods and an 8-pound lighter flywheel. The changes increased the compression ratio from 8.3:1 to 8.9:1.

 

Complete thread drift here! But when I gassed the S2000 today a MGTF pulled in on the opposite side of the pumps. BRG, of course. Full frame-off restoration. Guy had owned the car probably 40 or 50 years. Looked so good I was expecting the seats to be roped off like in those old houses they open for tourists.

Really brought back memories of cars I lusted after. Then I remembered the S2000 roof comes up in six (6) seconds, has AC, cruise control, and...

-- Chuck

 

Yes sir, you named some of my favorite features from my S2000 days. I do have after market cruise control installed in my MG and love it on long trips.

 

Whenever my wife and I see an old car or pickup the first thing she says is, "They don't make them like they used to" to which my reply is always, "Thank God". I love old MGs and would love to own one to play with, but today's cars are so much better in every way, except possibly looks. There is nothing quite so classic as an old TC or TD or Morgan, nothing quite so sexy as an old MGA or AH 3000, noting quite so endearing as an MGB or a Spit, but I'd rather be driving an S2000 or Miata than standing on the side of the road waiting for a flatbed in an old MG or Triumph. (No, they didn't always break down, but today's cars are so much better in every way.)

 

There's somewhat of a brotherhood of guys who owned (own) these roadsters. Reminds me of the bonding of a combat unit due to the troubles we've all been thru.

The old cars are very simple mechanically and electrically (forgetting Lucas electrics for the time being) so fixing them was straight forward. No ECUs, anti-lock brakes, and other things we take for granted. I note the threads of the MGA race car that appear here frequently. Sometime maintenance is fun.

My roadsters were troublesome when used as daily drivers. Had to put a Ford alternator in my Alfa which later threw a rod; the engine in my TR4A seized at highway speed on a back road in Alabama; and my MGB needed a complete aftermarket ignition system to run reliably. Spent what seemed like an hour putting the roof on a buddy's TR3 in a mountain pass in the summer in Colorado during a freak snow storm. Never did get it right!

Happy memories.

-- Chuck

 

Chuck you are right. The first question Mike needs to answer is "Do you enjoy tinkering with cars?" If not, forget buying an old British sports car. My MG friends all agree we are just care takers and no matter how much you maintain them there is always a list of things that need inspected, lubed, repaired, or replaced and great satisfaction when things go right.

 

Since we own a Bugeye in addition to the "more modern" roadsters We treat the AH Like a motorcycle The day it arrived the top was removed and put in the basement where it still is Do not want to have to erect it in anger any time soon. Like it was mentioned the 6 second top up in the S and the even faster in the Fiat top ups are just too easy But Sydney prefers the Sprite as she gets a better view

 

I have been fiddling with a lot of my cars in the past. From oil changes to installing a JR supercharger in a 99 Si. I have assisted with engine swaps but have never done one myself. Also never rebuilt an engine. I did change the top on my S2000 and I doubt installing and removing the top on an MGA is MUCH more challenging.

I do enjoy fiddling with cars. And if I find I don't enjoy the fiddling required to keep an old Brit roadster in good fettle, I can always just sell it.

I get that old cars are generally slower, less reliable, less comfortable, and slower than modern vehicles. (I know. I said "slower" twice. Once for straight line and once for cornering.) I also know old cars are just more fun and, in some cases, much prettier than new cars.

Thanks to Bill for adding to the information Dave provided. I was figuring I would only pursue a Mark II for its engine and front disks. Do the Mark II's have first gear synchros? Lots of good advice about making sure what I think I am getting is what I am actually getting. I also knew about the wood floor boards but the info on what to look for there is very helpful.

Any comments on conversions from 2 x 6 volt to single 12 volt battery? And has anyone found a removable luggage rack for the A that won't dent the aluminum trunk lid? And finally, are the original fenders steel or aluminum?

 

Reading this thread has me thinking. I love MGAs. Gorgeous cars. Always have. Its that long hood. Same thing that draws me to the S. I just need another bay in the garage.