1960 MGA 1600 - Full Body Off Restoration - Excellent!!!

Excellent Condition - Full Body Off Restoration

1960 MGA 1600

Restored to original color (Iris Blue) and interior (Black)

Restoration Description:

The result of over five years of restoration. Every single nut. bolt. washer. and part removed. inspected. and replaced if needed. A detail description of all the work performed would take pages and pages of information. For sake of brevity. the highlights are listed here:

Before

After Chassis: Stripped Small amount of rust repair around door channels No other rust problems on main chassis Floor brackets replaced Rear battery brackets replaced Coated and painted Body: Stripped Small amount of rust repair around wheel channels No other rust problems NO MAJOR BODY REPAIRS (Car was never in an accident) Professionally painted all body parts while disassembled Extra coating on wheel wells and trunk Interior: New floorboards New carpet New seats New trim New door panels New kick panels Carpeted trunk Trim: New exterior trim New chrome bumpers New chrome faceplate New chrome logos New top New tonneau cover New windshield
Before

After Electrical: Complete wiring harness replaced New battery (converted to 12v from dual 6v) New fuel pump New coil New starter Instrumentation: Replaced fuel gauge with original parts Replaced oil/temp gauge with original parts Replaced tachometer with original parts Replaced speedometer with original parts Rebuilt complete heating unit Car has no radio (as it was originally) Engine: Bored and Stroked to 1800cc New pistons. rings Valve conversion to unleaded Refurbished radiator New starter New main/rod bearings Rebuilt dual SU carburetors Transmission/Drive Train: Completely rebuilt New 3rd gear shaft All bearings/seals replaced New U-Joints Rebuilt rear end Rebuilt clutch
Before

After Wheels/Brakes: Original wheels Original hubcaps New tires New brakes Rebuilt master cylinder Rebuilt slave cylinder (clutch) Other/Misc: Clear title Engine serial number and VIN number match Seat belts installed (not on original model) Passed State of Texas inspection Car has less than 300 miles since restoration

About the 1960 MGA:

The MGA is a sports car produced by MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1955 to 1962. The MGA replaced the older T-type cars and represented a complete styling break from the older vehicles. The car was officially launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1955. A total of 101. 81 units were sold through the end of production in July 1962. the vast majority of which were exported. Only 5869 cars were sold on the home market. the highest export percentage of any British car.

The MGA design dates back to 1951. when MG designer Syd Enever created a streamlined body for George Philips' TD Le Mans car. The problem with this car was the high seating position of the driver because of the limitations of using the TD chassis. A new chassis was designed with the side members further apart and the floor attached to the bottom rather than the top of the frame sections. A prototype was built and shown to the BMC chairman Leonard Lord. He turned down the idea of producing the new car as he had just signed a deal with Donald Healey to produce Austin-Healey cars two weeks before. Falling sales of the traditional MG models caused a change of heart. and the car. initially to be called the UA-series. was brought back. As it was so different from the older MG models it was called the MGA. the "first of a new line" to quote the contemporary advertising. There was also a new engine available. therefore the car did not have the originally intended XPAG unit but was fitted with the BMC corporate B-Series type allowing a lower bonnet line.

It was a body-on-frame design and used the straight-4 "B series" engine from the MG Magnette saloon driving the rear wheels through a 4-speed gearbox. Suspension was independent with coil springs and wishbones at the front and a rigid axle with semi-elliptic springs at the rear. Steering was by rack and pinion. The car was available with either wire-spoked or steel-disc road wheels.

In May 1959 the standard cars also received an updated engine. now at 1588 cc producing 78 bhp. At the front disc brakes were fitted. but drums remained in the rear. 31. 01 were produced in less than three years. Externally the car is very similar to the 1500 with differences including: Amber or white (depending on market) front turn indicators shared with white parking lamps. separate stop/tail and turn lamps in the rear. and 1600 badging on the boot and the cowl. A 1600 open car was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1959. It had a top speed of 96. 1 mph (154. 7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 13. 3 seconds. A fuel consumption of 24. 7 miles per gallon was recorded. The test car cost £940 including taxes of £277.

Some Interesting Notes and Quirks About the MGA:

No door handles. Doors are opened by reaching inside and pulling down on the "door cable" to spring the latch. No trunk lock. The trunk (like the hood) is released by pulling a handle inside the car. 6 Volt Positive Ground System. The original car was powered by dual 6 volt batteries (located behind the driver). Unlike US cars. which are negative ground systems. the MGA is a positive ground. Wood Floorboards. The floorboards on the MGA are just that - boards. They were not made of metal. Electric Fuel Pump. The MGA was one of the first cars ever to have an electric fuel pump. It leads to the well known "clicking" when the key is turned on. Crank Start. Yes. just like cars from the early 1920's. the MGA could be started via a crank handle. The handle was found in the trunk and was placed through the front bumper to engage the engine. Dual Carburetors. MGA utilizes dual SU carburetors. As an owner you will come to know these well. "British Racing Green". I'm sure you have seen many an MGA on the road painted British Racing Green. The MGA 1600 NEVER came in green!!!Starter. The key activates the electrical system but. does not start the car. A manual "pull switch" is engaged to start. Horn. Don't get angry and pound the horn on the steering wheel. It's not there. The horn is located in the middle of the dashboard. Windows. The roadster models came with plastic "slide-to-open" windows. They can be completely removed and placed in the truck when not in use. The MGA has many more features and quirks. That's part of the overall charm of this car. You have to own at least one in your lifetime!!!

About This Specific Car:

This car and its restoration have been my pet project for many years now. I long ago lost track of the number of hours I put into this project dealing withrusted bolts. stripped bolts. stuck brake calipers. and the vast array of other little "quirks" known only to MG lovers. In addition. many hours were spent on the internet trying to find original replacement parts. Many of the parts are original and restored. Where I could not find original parts. aftermarket parts were purchased fromeither Victoria British or Moss Motors. I would be happy to pass along the hundreds of invoices and receipts accumulated during the restoration. Suffice it to sayparts and labor FAR exceed the price at which I am selling the car.

So. why am I selling the car? Good question. OK. call me a glutton for punishment but. I have another MGA sitting in my garage in worse condition than this one was originallyand I am about to start all over again!!! Time I have. Money for parts I don't. In the interest of keeping a 36 year marriage alive. my wife - for some strange reason - is insisting that I get rid of one car before I start on another.

The car depicted here is actually the fourth MGA I owned and seventh British Sports Car. While I love driving these cars. I find my interest is more in bringing them back to life for others to enjoy. Since I finished the restoration of this car a few years ago. I have only driven it about five times. The speedometer shows less than 300 miles on the car since it was restored. The majority of its new born "life" has been spent sitting in the garage with the battery charger attached. It's time to get it back on the road in the hands of someone who will appreciate it!!!

NOTE: To see additonal pictures taken during the restoration process. please click here.

Also published at eBay.com

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