MGB: Driving my Wife's MG

My wife drives her MGC all summer except when it needs service or we are going on a trek together in which case I drive.

We took a nice run up the coast for breakfast with a couple of friends in a Jensen Interceptor on the holiday Monday. I probably hadn't driven the MG for at least a year so it was reacquainting time, and I noted a few things I probably wouldn't have noticed as much if I were driving it every day.

1 - I don't like the later dash as much (it is a 1969) and much prefer the non-pillow all steel version, but that is very hard to find in an MGC on this continent.

2 - I am not that fond of the distance from driver to dash - it seems much closer and things seem much handier in an MGA.

3 - the seating position on an MGB/C was created by an idiot. I am normal height, but with the top up, the seat places the line of sight at or just below the top windshield rail. I've noticed this many times before, but have never been bothered enough to do the seat redesign that would be necessary to drop the seat a few inches. Has anyone done that, and if so, how did they like it? I've seen this done in many racing MGBs.

4 - the MG is a very good touring car, not quite as handy as an MGB, but with massive torque that pulls from 1500 RPM, and the gearbox ratios seemed better than the all synch MGB box. Using 3rd and popping into and out of OD with the flick of the stalk is a very useful method for those sections that don't warrant using 4th (which is similar to 3rd OD) when you may need to downshift to pass at any time. Whoever specified that the MGBs coming to North America should not. for the most part, come with OD, was also an idiot.

5 - the guys in the Jensen were pretty surprised when they tried to leave us on a long hill, and I just downshifted and was right behind them. The extra power of the tricarb and header conversion is very welcome sometimes. 7 litres doesn't always trump just less than 3 litres.

6 - a crisp Fall day is probably my favourite time of year for driving LBCs!

PS - 7 - was that ever a good idea to install a foam insulating layer under the tunnel carpet when I restored this car 20 years ago. I remember what it can be like without it!

crisp fall day? It's still summer in my part of the lower 48... let's not rush it, now ;)

mgb4tim Wrote:

Properly set up, a C will surprise a lot of people. Yesterday I was dancing the C through a VERY tight, narrow, steep canyon road with a Cobra hot on my heels. His brakes turned blue before the bottom trying to keep up. Needless to say he was quite impressed and wanted to have a look at the car when we reached the bottom of the hill. :)

I should note that I have double the HP of stock, reduced weight, racing tires and uprated suspension and steering. But then again so does he! ;)

I don't think the problem is really the seating position, but actually the very narrow window between the top of the steering wheel and the top of the windshield. I am probably the size of your average Englishman when MGBs were designed, about 5'9", and my line of sight is perfect. A friend of mine who used to own a couple MGBs is only 5'6", and he had a hard time seeing over the wheel, especially in cars with settled in seat foam.

They were going for a happy medium, but the real solution IMO would have been seats with vertical adjustment.

Bill, I'm assuming you are closer to 6' tall, and the foams are in good shape in your "C".

Yes, I guess we have to remember that people are taller than they used to be - hard to forget if you look at any of the next generation!

I've sat in race car MGBs that were perfect seat height, and I find stock MGA seats to be about right. When I did the Jamaican, I had to build a drop panel and recess the Miata seats down into it to get headroom, though.

One solution is to adopt the 'Italian' driving position - recline the MGB seats back and move the seat itself forward. Unfortunately that means that to be comfortable, you need to basically be an orangutan - a person with short legs and long arms (no offence to Italians everywhere).

I must get around to trying that in the MGC, but as She-who-must-be-obeyed seems satisfied with the regular seating position and as she is the one that drives the car for the most part, I've always restricted myself to just sliding the seat back for me to drive.

Oh yeah - one more observation (and another instance in which the MGA was better than the MGB). In the MGA, the frame kicked up to the 'goalpost' assembly across the firewall and offered a perfectly angled spot to rest your left foot. On the MGB of course, this is absent and you'd need to install a separate after market foot rest (which I believe I've seen) for comfort, or just let your left foot rattle around.

I sat my seats directly on the packing strips without the carpet under them. This lowered it a little. I would like it even lower so I could see traffic lights easier.

I should have my lowly TR7 ready for the fall leaf show soon!

I should have my lowly TR7 ready for the upcoming fall leaf show.

bills Wrote:

The Wiz Wrote:

RHD MGBs have a perfect foot rest where the high beam switch is located. LHD Bs have nowhere to rest your foot.

Steve S Wrote:

bills Wrote:

Yes, it's not the switch itself, but where they mount it. Although I do tend to rest my foot on the switch itself sometimes. Not the best idea but it's just a few toes. :)

Someday, I want to own a C. I remember the first time I saw that raised hood bump...I fell in love. Steve S...sounds like you have a well sorted version to be playing with the cobra!

GT caretaker Wrote:

Bill, I couldn't agree more. It's still not nearly as light and nimble as a B though. On a big track the C will tromp any B, but in an autocross the C would struggle to get around the thing while the B would do it effortlessly. Also, there are already a ton of Bs with C hoods! Some of them even have the stock 4-banger in them.

Anthony, here's one reason the Cobra was having trouble...

Steve - I'll bet I get better fuel economy....:-)

I 100% guarantee that you get better fuel economy! In addition to triple DCOE 45s, I'm set up to run very rich. Fuel economy ranges from 10 to 19 MPG. Average is about 17 during normal driving. Then again, fuel economy is NOT the reason for driving this car! :)

From memory, the MGB/C windscreen height was governed at the time by FIA Appendix "J" racing regulations.

But we didn't have to contend with overhead traffic signals back then................

I swear, there is NOTHING better than a straight 6 with a string of 3 beautiful carbs in a row, eh?

Well, unless there's a DOHC and 3 carbs attached. or a 12 and those beaitufl carbs attached.

I know we've all changed in this world to fuel injection because of it's efficiency and the new engine management tweaks we have today. But GD, You've gotta love those big beautiful carbs, don't ya??

And I'd have to agree, there's nothing better than a nice fall afternoon drive up to the twisty mountain roads. I've spend quite a few days in the fall, driving up to the local mountains in the MG or Porsche to just grab a couple of pizza slices for dinner.

I do believe it's referred to as "Indian Summer" right? Those cool autumn evenings where the sun is still out a while. The perfect weather from now until Halloween!

B