1957 MG MGA

Authentic MGA custom from the 1960's (probably). The sight of it evokes a young Bruce McLaren. Dan Gurney. and the immortal Carroll Shelby battling it out in the haze of a sunny summer afternoon. on an old Army Air strip. Each man pushing chassis and engine (not to mention tyres) well past their design limits. in an effort to be victorious and be recognized with the presentation of a golden trophy.

This example was definitely "rode hard and put up wet". a lot. In order to rejoin the sports car wars on the tracks of today (or the street). the little red roadster will definitely need substantial "restification". My brother and I bought it in order to do a light (OK. moderate) cleanup. and have at the parking lot contests in the Valley of the Sun. We had no intention of attempting a full resto on this one. as we had on several other MG's of this type (most notably. the gorgeous Black roadster with a Green! interior. listed here recently and sold for $26. 00+).

When we saw it for sale. we both couldn't take our eyes off it. Still can't.

However; priorities have changed. I got the deal of the century on a little. yellow Pontiac Solstice. and an unbelievable price on a complete Turbo setup for it. My brother almost simultaneously found a Triumph TR4 that could not be resisted.

Suddenly. we had an orphan. We both thought to just cover it. and wait for. who knows? But we are both in our 60's. and it probably makes more sense to see whether there is a skilled welder (or someone who knows a skilled welder - who owes him a favor). who might want a cheap buy-in to a great. fun project. that will over-reward the (substantial) effort invested.

First; yes. it runs. YouTube Video:

Obviously. there will need to be much "tuning". to get it running properly (and hooking up of fuel and radiator. and wires. etc. ). Actually; we have an Oldsmobile Quad-4 and 5-speed manual transmission (possibly available to the buyer) that we intended to swap in. Either will be an option. if we keep it. of course. However; it doesn't smoke (much) at startup. or in the short time we have had it running (and it runs pretty strong - relatively).

Please examine the pictures carefully. ask questions and definitely come to see it. if you can.

This MGA has a pedigree. It comes with the Heritage Certificate and I have a clear (not reconstructed vehicle) Arizona Title in hand.

The little MGA comes with the bolt-on. as well as a (very corroded) knockoff hub rear end. complete with brakes. should you want to convert back to knockoff wire wheels. I expect it will clean up (with media blasting). if that is your choice. It comes with the proper front hubs. too. No spinners or wire wheels. However; everyone likes the painted bolt-on wheels best.

There is substantial frame rust. but (apparently) very little in the rest of the car. The parts of the frame that rusted were parts that supported the wood floor. In our opinion. the wood just held the moisture for extended periods of time. Replacement frame parts are readily available. and priced well. Ask an MGA expert. This is typical and not unexpected for the type. Look at the photos. then contrast with the pix of the area behind the driver's seat. especially the battery boxes. and trunk. Very little corrosion. even the rockers. battery box. bottoms of fenders. etc. They all appear solid.

MG's have a lot of body seams. Wherever the fenders (front or back) meet the main body. there is a rubber gasketed seam. Not so on this MGA. Obviously. a previous owner wanted a 'smooth all-over' look to compliment the custom nose piece. To that end. a layer of filler was smoothed over the body seams. There may have been some light body damage in the past in the aft area. The damage appears to have been hammered out. and fiberglass was smoothed over. Some of it was cracked in the back. so we removed a couple of pieces. and it looks like the sheet metal would need further work. but there is no evidence of corrosion. and apparently no major damage. The discoloration may have been from heat the sander generated running at too high a speed. Maybe not.

It's like working on a go-kart. Everything is just really easy to get to.

The convertible top bows come with the car. but will need a good clean-up.

The windshield uprights shown in a couple of the pictures are no longer with the car. since we intended to use a cut-down. plexiglass unit. No windshield comes with the car.

The seat frames shown are (in our opinion) unusable. so plan on buying seats. We were looking for some really good race seats.

The pictures show the gauges in place (mostly). but they are not hooked up. wiring will have to be on the ‘to do' list.

Obviously; the car is running. but cannot be driven. Transportation arrangements will be the responsibility of the buyer. completely.

This custom / race car will be just great for the right person. Please see the last photo for an example of a car with similar nose treatment. Other examples abound in YouTube and the internet.

Or; we can always just cover it. and start on it again. later.

This little MGA is for sale in other venues. We reserve the right to end this listing at anytime should the vehicle no longer be available for sale.

I have sold cars on eBay before. and have gotten excellent feedback. I strive to keep it that way. I try to over-describe the bad points. Make no mistake. this is a serious project. But. in our experience. a relatively simple one. MGA's just aren't very complex. and this is an excellent start.

The following terms of sale apply to all of our listings.

Shipping:

Shipping is the responsibility of the Buyer. We will make it as easy as possible for your shipper to pick it up.

In all cases. the car must be removed by purchaser or purchaser's transporter within 2 weeks of sale. unless arranged prior to bidding.

Last; before we discuss Payment terms and Shipping: I had multiple acceptable offers when this sold the first time. However; the buyer had relatively few Feedback and was in Finland. He simply decided not to pay (or communicate - with either me or eBay). So we will call this new requirement the SS-SONNY rule. Any bidder who wishes to either bid or BIN must contact me - preferably by phone. but obviously in writing first. If no contact. sadly your bid will be cancelled. I just wasted a week on ol' SS-SONNY. Please make sure your kids are healthy. your wife approves. you have enough money in the bank. and you've asked enough questions to set your mind at ease. I really do want you to be happy.

Payment Terms:

The successful high bidder will submit a $500 non-refundable deposit within 1 day of the close of the auction. through PayPal. to secure the vehicle.

Buyer agrees to pay remaining balance due within 5 days of the close of the auction.

All financial transactions must be completed before delivery of the vehicle.

Payment Methods:

Cash (In Person). or bank transfer.

The information presented for this vehicle is deemed reliable. but is not guaranteed as a basis of purchase. The Buyer should make a thorough. independent inspection and investigation of the vehicle prior to purchase.

Also published at eBay.com

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