1977 MG MGB convertible 4 cylinder burgandy manual sports car collector

Here at Gates GMC/Nissan. we take ANYTHING in on trade. This one of a kind 1977 MG MGB CONVERTIBLE was one of these items aquired on trade and will make a great addition to your family. The MG Model B was produced from September 1962 until July 1980 at the Abingdon Works when the last MG B rolled off the production line. The Plant was closed by Margaret Thatcher as part of the British Government's Privatization Plan. The "B" was the successor to the MG A. and because of the popularity of the car became synonymous with the definition of sports car.

In fact when Mazda was creating the first of the MX 5 Miata's their design team used the MG B as the starting point and design model. North American Export of sports cars became a larger and larger piece of the factory's sales. and the "B" was the most popular model ever produced. About a half million MG B's found their way to this side of the pond. This makes these cars still affordable as collector cars. and due to their rather primitive (by today's computerized standards) design still reparable by the shade tree mechanic. I always say. that if you need a finer adjustment. just use a bigger hammer. They are easy to repair. and replacement parts are plentiful and inexpensive to get. which makes them a very affordable car to drive. While some find their way into concours competition. in my opinion. the MG B is a poor choice. Because they are plentiful by collector standards. they never will achieve a high value. and therefore will rarely reflect the value of the investment to turn a 25+ year old car into a 100 pointer. Instead. why not capitalize on the lower purchase price. and easy maintainability. and let these little gems do what they do best. Use 'em. drive 'em. enjoy 'em. and yes love 'em. Take cross country trips. and picnics. rallies. hill climbs. and all the other club events. They were made for driving pleasure. so enjoy them.

As the factory evolved the roadster to meet the tastes and driving conditions of the North American Market the B changed very little over the course of its almost 20 year life span. Most changes were additions to meet mostly US safety and emission standards. The change that would have had the most impact never saw the light of day. scheduled for introduction in mid 1981-82 with the introduction of a Rover V 8 engine. Rumors also existed of the introduction of an automatic transmission to market the car to a wider US market. In 1977 the engines were designed to use unleaded gasoline. and sported catalytic converters. Also in 1977 the cam was changed to the infamous "Smog Cam" reducing horsepower even more. The front wall in the engine compartment was moved forward. to accommodate a future optional Rover V 8 engine. California cars facing tougher emission requirements used the Lucas 45 DM electronic ignition. 1977-78 Federal cars used the more un-reliable 45 D 4 and switched in 1979 to the 45 DM. As production started winding down the MG B LE was produced in 1980 (about 6500 cars) which used a lot of the odd bits still lying around the factory. and attempted to inject some life into the now failing sales.

All in all 512. 243 MGB's rolled off the line at Abingdon. of which 386. 961 were roadsters. and 125. 282 were MGB GT's. More MGB's were sold than any other British car or any sports car in the world. The MG B defined the meaning and character of the sports car. and gave it life. Detroit tried many times to redefine the image of the sports car into its marketing image. but never succeeded. When all was said and done. the MGB proved to be a fun to drive performance car. that was easy to maintain. and inexpensive to own. And that my friends is what a sports car is all about.

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS Model Year

1976-1980

Model

Black Bumper Vehicle Number Location

Body Number Location

Top left-hand side if the front bulkhead

Engine Number Location

Metal plate right-hand side of cylinder block

Gearbox Number Location

Top of gearbox. left of dipstick and filler plug

Rear Axle Number Location

Front of left-hand axle tube by spring seat

Tune Up

Engine Firing Order

1. 3. 4. 2

Valve Rocker Clearance

. 013 in (. 33 mm ) warm

Idle Speed

850 rpm

Static Ignition Timing

Dynamic Ignition Timing

10º BTDC 1500 rpm

Timing Mark Location

Notch on crankshaft pulley. pointers on timing chain cover

Distributor Make/Type

Lucas 45 DE 4 or 45 DM (1980 & retro)

Contact Breaker (points) Gap

Rotation of Rotor

anti-clockwise

Dwell Angle

Ignition Coil Make/Type

Lucas 12 volt for ballasted system

Spark Plug Make/Type

Champion N-9 Y

Spark Plug Gap

. 035 in (. 90 mm)

Carburetor Make/Type

Single Zenith Stromberg type 175 CD 5 T

Carburetor Main Jet

Carburetor Main Jet Needle

Carburetor Piston Spring

Vehicle & Engine

Length

13 ft 2 1/4 in (4 m)

Width

4 ft 11 15/16 in (152. 3 cm)

Height

4 ft 1 3/8 in (125. 4 cm)

Ground Clearance

5 in (12. 7 cm) min.

Track Front

4 ft 1 1/2 in (124. 7 cm) pressed spoke wheels. 4 ft 1 in (124. 4 cm) wire wheels

Track Rear

4 ft 1 3/4 in (126. 4 cm) disc wheels. 4 ft 1 1/4 in (125 cm) wire wheels

Wheelbase

7 ft 7 1/8 in (231. 5 cm)

Turning Circle

32 ft (9. 75 m)

Toe-In

1/16 to 3/32 in (1. 5 to 2. 3 mm)

Empty Weight

2416 lb (1097 kg)

Curb Weight

2716 lb (1234 kg)

Gross Weight

2836 lb (1287 kg)

Original Tire Size

165-14

Original Tire Pressure Front (Cold)

20

Original Tire Pressure Rear (Cold)

24

Replacement Tire Size

165 SR-14

Engine Type

4 cyl inline ohv 5 Bearing

Engine Displacement

1798 cc (110 ci)

Firing Order

1. 3. 4. 2

Compression Ratio

8. 0:1

Engine Bore

3. 16 in (80. 3 mm)

Engine Stroke

3. 5 in (88. 9 mm)

Number of Cylinders

4

Oil Pressure Idle

10 to 25 lb/in 2 (. 17 to 1

Oil Pressure Normal

50 to 80 lb/in 2 (3. 5 to 5. 6 kgf/cm 2)

Charging System

Alternator

Ignition Type

Lucas electronic

Fuel Pump Make/Type

SU type AUF 300 electric

Fuel Tank Capacity

13 US gallons

Cooling System Capacity

14. 4 pints w/ heater

Sump Capacity

6 pints. 7. 25 pints w/ filter change

Gearbox Capacity. non-overdrive

6 pints

Gearbox Capacity. overdrive

7. 25 pints This vehicle has only 48. 61 miles showing on the odometer. well maintained. offers new tires. a vinyl interior with no tears and a canvas top in good condition. Always covered or kept indoors. This vehicle is not mint and is a little rough around the edges in areas but. with a little TLC. and someone who enjoys building and restoring older cars. it does have good bones and you could enjoy riding around in a little piece of collector car history!! This vehicle is being sold AS IS.

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