John’s Guide to Buying and Selling MGs

The rules of selling an MG and buying an MG are so diametrical that they barely deserve to be covered in the same article.  Yet they bear a symbiotic relationship which cannot be ignored.  The rules for selling an MG are so brief that I list them first:

Selling an MG

1)  Make it look stunning!  Spend a whole day vacuuming, washing, waxing, and detailing the MG.

2)  Make sure that the radio works!  If the radio not operating well either fix it, remove it, or buy a new one.

I can tell you that very few prospective owners will want to see the service records or will find the details of the mechanicals interesting or important.  All they care about is whether it looks good and if the radio works. So, if you are going to invest some money to make the car saleable, don’t spend it on the brakes or the exhaust — buy a new top or seat covers or a dash coverlay. 

Oh, and another thing — just before they are to show up to look at the car, start it up, warm it up, so that it starts in a snap for them.

The rules I give the potential purchaser are far different — far more involved — but, I suspect, ignored.

Buying an MG

These are my rules that will save you heartache. Ignore them at your peril.

1)  Look at six cars before you buy one!  Look at MGs that are more expensive than you want to buy; look at MGs that are less expensive than what you have in mind. Look at models different than you think you want.  Drive the MGs; inspect these MGs; and MOST IMPORTANTLY, keep track of what you’ve seen.  Create a chart with columns for color, wheels, interior condition, exterior condition, mileage, price, extras, and your general feelings.  As you drive more and more MGs, you will become a better judge of the important aspects (not just the shine and the radio!)  At the end of this exercise, one of these MGs will pop off the page as the MG for you!

2)  Buy the MG model you want.  If you want a red MG, buy a red MG.  If you want chrome bumpers, buy a chrome bumper MG.  If you want wire wheels, buy a wire wheel MG.  Changing colors or mechanical specifications is always possible, but always expensive.  Wire wheels are rarely a “bolt-on” operation.  Back in 1979 we had a customer who wanted his rubber bumper MGB retrofitted with chrome bumpers.  It cost about $2,000 then — and what did he have?  A corrupted MGB!  He could have simply purchased the chrome bumper model and saved a lot of money!

3)  Buy the nicest MG you can afford.  It is far less expensive to purchase a nice MG than to fix up one in poor condition!  Realize that at current prices, a “total restoration” of nearly any MG, from 1945 TC to 1980 BLE, costs $50,000 -> $100,000 and in the end these cars are worth $12,000 to $25,000.  The math proves the point.  Even if you are going to do all the work yourself, it STILL is financially better to buy the nicer car.  Of course, it’s not nearly as fun!

4)  Rust is your greatest enemy.  A new clutch costs $1,500, a new soft top costs $700, a complete lubrication costs $750, and a new engine might be $5,000.  But these figures pale in comparison to heavy duty body work.  Rusted sills and associated oxidation damage can cost $1000 per side to weld — WITHOUT paint!  An excellent paint job requiring disassembly and reassembly of the body can easily cost $20,000.

5)  Take the MG for a test drive before you buy it!  If it needs $1,000 in mechanical work, it’s better to know the day BEFORE you buy it rather than the day AFTER!  I remember a good friend who went shopping for an MGB GT.  He was smitten by the first one he saw and despite my warnings, purchased it on the spot.  The “blown out muffler” the owner told him, was really a bad valve.  Three people ended up upset in this sale!  Another time a woman came around with the MG she’d purchased the day before, and she asked us what it was worth.  We estimated about $1,800. She’d paid $7,000! 

6) Take your time!  Look carefully.  Somewhere between “The early bird catches the worm” and “Haste makes waste,” there’s a balance to be found. When in doubt, WAIT.  Some cars listed “For Sale” remain there for months.  Missing out is better than regretting an impulsive purchase that turns into a money pit.

            Oh, and another thing….

     7) Take Cash!  A check is just a piece of paper, and verbal negotiation is not in the American psyche.  Instead, take $100 bills.  If the car is advertised for $5200 and you lay out 45 $100 bills, you’d be surprised how many owners will be pleased right there!