3 Living with an MGA

– will you get along together?

The MGA was produced by the MG division of the British
Motor Corporation (BMC) between 1955 and 1962. Made at
the MG factory in Abingdon, England, it replaced the previous
T types, and was the first MG fitted with the B-series engine.
From the first car off the production line to the last Mark II the
MGA has been a sports car designed to provide unlimited
enjoyment to its owner. In terms of motorsport, the MGA was
first seen at Le Mans in 1955, but MGAs can still be seen
competing at race meetings worldwide.
The MGA was succeeded by the MGB.

Your choice
All MGAs are fun to drive, offering the privilege of sharing in Pressed-steel
a timeless classic. Described in the original publicity as “... wheels were fitted
the first of the new line,” MGAs were the most popular sports as standard, wire
car ever produced until the 1960s. The look and style of the wheels were an
MGA is always admired, reflecting the model’s distinctive, optional extra.
streamlined postwar design. (Courtesy Roger
Over 100,000 MGA sports cars were produced. The Brace)
majority of these were 1600 roadsters, and around 90% of all
the cars produced were exported. When
current, the MGA deserved the MG
marketing slogan ‘Safety Fast.’
The roadster is generally the most
popular model, while the Twin Cam is an
absolute rarity. Despite coupés being less
common than roadsters, they now have
a lower valuation.

Performance
The B-series four-cylinder engine drives
the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox A very unusual colour for an MGA 1600.
and propshaft. Coil spring suspension is (Courtesy John Hancock)
found at the front of the car with semi-
elliptic leaf springs at the rear, together with a live axle.
The chassis design allows the seats to be located within the side rails,
positioning the driver and passenger low in the car and providing a low centre of
gravity which improves the handling.
All MGAs will perform well in today’s traffic, and the 1600cc model will reach
a top speed of 100mph and deliver a 0-60mph in just over 15 seconds. The
front drum brakes of early models were soon changed to discs, providing good
braking, while the Twin Cam has excellent four-wheel disc braking. The top speed
of the coupé is slightly less than the roadster, but the Twin Cam provides a thrilling
potential top speed of 115mph, and will compete with today’s ‘hot hatches.’

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 8 Key points
– where to look for problems
Which model?
Are you looking for a roadster or a coupé, and is this the model you really want?
The engine size varies from 1489cc, 1588cc to 1622cc, and the Twin Cam which is
1588cc.

Restoration
Does the car require some work or total restoration; do you have the time and
money to carry this out?

Originality
Finding an original car that has not been restored is very unlikely; how important is
originality, and are you looking for concours condition?

Bodywork
Remember that rust is the number one enemy and the most expensive to repair,
and is often considerably more serious than superficial examination reveals. Panel fit
and paint finish can also be expensive to correct.

Mechanicals
Is the car roadworthy and what is the general condition of the engine? Whilst
mechanical repairs usually cost less than bodywork restoration, are they reflected in
the price?

The paint finish on these cars is good,

but the car on the right is not an original
colour. Also note the different sidelights
for the Twin Cam and 1600.

The gap between panels should be

uniform, but this is difficult to achieve
when fitting new panels.

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 centred rubber bushes or, alternatively, polyurethane
bushed. By pushing each corner of the car down,
letting go and watching the recovery you can get a
good idea of the condition of the shock absorber
(damper). A single bounce indicates that the particular
shock absorber is working correctly, but more bounces
indicate wear. A road test will help to reveal the true
condition of the shock absorbers.
Hold the top and bottom of each front wheel and
rock it back and forth – there should be only slight
detectable movement. If there is more movement,
check whether it is caused by wear in:
• The wheel bearings – this can mean expensive work.
• The swivel pins – this can also mean expensive work.
• The lower wishbones, either at the pivot at the outer
The left side front end or by deterioration of the rubber bushes.
suspension on a Twin • The shock absorber, either in the damping
Cam. Check for slack mechanism or in the pivot for the upper swivel link.
when the car is on the • The hub splines (wire wheel cars) or in the pegs of
hoist/ramp. the Twin Cam and Deluxe cars. Wear in the hub splines
is fairly common and will involve obtaining new stub
axles or wheels, or both. This is expensive and needs to be factored into the cost
of buying the car. Wear in the pegs on the Twin Cam wheels is rare, but note that
original wheels are very difficult to find. However, substitute alloy lookalikes are
available.
Look closely at the grease nipples on suspension components: clean ones give
a good indication that the suspension is regularly maintained and greased.

Steering 4 3 2 1
The steering is precise direct acting rack and pinion. Check the following:
• The operation of the rack and pinion. You should just hear the steering rack
working, but it should not sound rough and there should not be a clunk as the lock
is reversed.
• The steering rack gaiters (boots) for splits.

There is residual grease on this steering

The rubber of the gaiters (boots) should rack nipple. In fact, the rack should be
be flexible with no tears or cracks. filled with EP90 oil, not grease.

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 13 Do you really want to restore?
– it’ll take longer & cost more than you think
Having a separate chassis and panels
that bolt are features which make the
MGA suitable for the enthusiast with
time on their hands to restore. However,
unlike the MGB and Midget, you cannot
buy a ready-painted Heritage shell with
the fitting gaps correctly set. On an MGA
it is difficult to make the panels and
piping between the panels fit perfectly,
but if you do succeed you will feel
immensely proud of your car, as it will be
much admired.
However, before you even think
about restoring a car, the first vital step
is to discuss the implications with your
partner. Unless you have experience in
car restoration the many hours you will
spend in the garage may well run over
years, so you need an understanding
partner with the patience of a saint.
You will also need, ideally, a double
garage with power and light and a good
selection of power and hand tools. It is This Twin Cam looks suitable for
best to avoid painting the car yourself restoration. (Courtesy Ian Prior)
unless you have plenty of time, but if
you decide to do so then you will need a
compressor with moisture extraction.
So, if you are a glutton for
punishment, and finally decide to restore,
then try to source a car that looks
shabby, with straight undamaged panels
free from filler and with only light surface
rust, but which has the correct panel fit.
Select carefully as cars are always worse
underneath than they appear on the
surface. Avoid cars that need work on
the chassis and/or the A- and B-posts,
unless they are of particular historical
interest. Still a long way to go before the chassis
Your best sources of solid cars are the can be de-rusted and painted.
dry states of the USA, Australia or South
Africa. There are parts available to convert a left hand drive car to right drive, or vice-
versa.
Assume that you will have to replace both the inner and outer sills (rockers)
and carefully mark the exact positions of each front and rear wing. This will help you

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 15 Problems due to lack of use
– like their owners, MGAs need exercise
Cars, like humans, are at their most
efficient if they exercise regularly. A run
of at least 10 miles, once a week, is
recommended for classics. If this is not
practicable then at least once a month,
start the car and let the engine warm
to its normal operating temperature.
Ideally, the vehicle should be kept in a
dry atmosphere to avoid further rust.
If possible, move the car forwards and
backwards and apply the brakes several
times to prevent seizure. The handbrake Drum brakes are likely to seize if unused
and linkage can seize through lack of for a long time.
use, and should be well greased. The
tyre pressures should also be checked
and, if it is intended to leave the vehicle
for several months, the car should be
lifted onto blocks or axle stands to
prevent the tyres developing flat spots or,
in some cases, cracks or blisters which
would mean new tyres are needed.
In extreme circumstances engine
components may have seized: the
clutch may seize if the friction plate
becomes stuck to the flywheel because
of corrosion.
Pistons can also seize in their bores
due to corrosion, a problem which may
require a complete engine strip down. This tyre wall is severely cracked and the
Old engine oil may be acidic and can tyre needs replacing.
corrode bearings.
Uninhibited coolant can corrode
internal waterways and, in low
temperatures the lack of antifreeze can
cause core (Welch) plugs to be pushed
out, even producing cracks in the block
or head. Silt settling and solidifying can
cause overheating.
Brake fluid absorbs water from the
atmosphere and should be renewed
every two years. Old fluid with high water
content can cause corrosion-making

This battery looks lifeless, and there’s

corrosion around the battery box.

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