MGB: Looked at a 77 today...

Looked at a 77 B today, Asking price is $5000. Newer "ok" paint job and decent interior. Top is newer. Noticed some very small bubbles undernearth the paint in one dogleg otherwise everything else looks sound. Front end looks like its been rebuilt with red bushings.

Some things that I noticed and need to know if they are going to be a big deal to fix. One is that the tach doesn't work. Owner said that it quit working recently. The windshield wipers are slow and don't park. Are thes issues difficult to fix?

There is a shroud over the fuse box area (see photo). I never have seen this before. There are some cut wires and the car does not have electronic ignition which I thought '77 models had. Wondering if this has something to do with a change out of distributor.

Also noticed that the motor mounts did not set square, as though the motor and frame points were not aligned. I can't say that I had ever paid attention to motor mounts to know if this is typical. Is this an indication of some sort of frame problem?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,
Looks just like the one I bought in San Angelo about ten years ago ! Really...Mine has the side draft to with a crappy paint job ! Just get under it and check for rust. I bought mine there because it was rust free except for a little dog leg bubbling which I had fixed 9 years ago...
Bob

RB and CB mounts are very different. And if you put an old engine in a newer RB car and don't change out the front engine plate you can't align the mounts. I had to change mine, and put a RB front plate on the 74 engine in my 80 roadster. Not that bad, but a senseless job - it should have been done a long time ago when the engine was replaced.

Note that a '77 should have electric cooling fans, and from the picture, it looks like there's a fan mounted on the engine. Has the engine been replaced from an earlier year? Could explain the distributor and engine mount issues (though the original OPUS electronc ignition on the '77 was awful, and could have been replaced with something else quite rationally). The "shroud" over the fuse box area is *very* strange - what is the supposed purpose?

The tach and wipers could be something as simple as bad grounds or connections, or something more....

Hard to offer opinion without seeing the car or more pcitures, but $5K sounds on the high side compared to some of the bargains that seem to be flying around these days. Of course, I spend just under $2K for a non-running engine-fire-damaged '77 this spring, but body is near perfect (NO rust) and it has OD, and have put at least that much more into it so far, in addition to leveraging an existing parts car. And I still don't have it running.....

[quote=BobG]
Note that a '77 should have electric cooling fans, and from the picture, it looks like there's a fan mounted on the engine. Has the engine been replaced from an earlier year? Could explain the distributor and engine mount issues (though the original OPUS electronc ignition on the '77 was awful, and could have been replaced with something else quite rationally).[/quote]

Good catch Bob. I bet this is my car's twin - an older front engine plate on an older engine with new style mounts on a rubber bumper car - which cannot line up.

Mike, there should be two vertical holes on the mount plates that align with the front engine plate - and four bolts, two on each side, that connect the mount plates to the engine plate. I found a newer plate on eBay for $20.00, replaced the mounts as they were distorted pretty badly, and put it all back together in a weekend - the mounts are a bit of a pain. Lots on this one in prior posts. If this is what you are seeing - don't hit anything. Your engine may launch through the grill! :)

Engine bay doesn't look too bad but the sheet over the fuse box area bothers me. I would have to see the rest of the car to judge the price just go for a test drive and see how she runs. The you decided on how much you are willing to pay for a B.. keep hunting the classifieds there is still many Bs out there in various conditions and prices

The 77 was a good year. Front and rear anti-sway bars were standard equipment. I does look like an older motor was put in. My project car is 80 percent complete now. Mine came with a DCOE Weber side draft that I have not installed yet. I did some research about installing the DCOE side draft. Probably the reason the electronic ignition is gone is because a dual point distributor is needed with that carburetor. It is supposed to be very tunable and a good boost in power. Good luck with it.

[quote=BobG]
Note that a '77 should have electric cooling fans, and from the picture, it looks like there's a fan mounted on the engine. Has the engine been replaced from an earlier year? Could explain the distributor and engine mount issues (though the original OPUS electronc ignition on the '77 was awful, and could have been replaced with something else quite rationally). The "shroud" over the fuse box area is *very* strange - what is the supposed purpose?

The tach and wipers could be something as simple as bad grounds or connections, or something more....

Hard to offer opinion without seeing the car or more pcitures, but $5K sounds on the high side compared to some of the bargains that seem to be flying around these days. Of course, I spend just under $2K for a non-running engine-fire-damaged '77 this spring, but body is near perfect (NO rust) and it has OD, and have put at least that much more into it so far, in addition to leveraging an existing parts car. And I still don't have it running.....[/quote]

Actually the car has both the motor driven fan and the two electric. I have seen this arrangement in cars with A/C, but this car doesn't have it. Interesting about the motor swap, I wonder if that the issue with the mounts.

Mike

I just bought a 77 too - with an OD - that works! The OD was complete unhooked, (electrically) speaking, though after many diagnostics, and plenty of help from here - she works in OD.

Now I gotta figure out the Weber - to get'r runn'n better. Not too stressed though - gonna swap out the gearboxes and put the OD in my clean-79 - and sell the 77 to another lucky owner this spring. Let folks know. Today - I got half way through the carpet install. Gonna do the wheels via Tim Delony's excellent wheel masks later on - and buff the entire car with my Porter Cable Buffer - more than 3 times over.

Besides having the have a steep learning curve over the 32/36 version Weber, (not running right, currently) -- once I figure that out - she'll purr. She has a Pertronix insert (current version) in the distributor, but a factory coil. Gonna trash that one - and get a Pertronix Coil, get it wired right - then we'll go from there.

All the electrics work - got the trunk light working - just needed a bulb. It is fun having two B's I must say. Took the 79 out tonight - perfect day here in Portland - to go for a movie rental - man she purrs.

Isn't there an engine number stamped somwhere on the block? That should tell you something.

The shroud looks like a home-made splash shield. Perhaps water was getting up to the fusebox or other electrics in that area?

It looks like someone took a hacksaw the air pump bracket.

Glen

I would think in Texas you should be able to find a little better for that money. None of those items sound major, but the wiring could be a mess under that cover, the engine mount issue and the painted engine compartment would turn me off for the price. But I'm a bit picky too. The tach is usually available used and the wiper motor I don't beleive is a major problem. The tach not working could be that wiring or if the battery was ever misconnected that would destroy the tach and the opus ignition.

[quote="John Davis"]
I would think in Texas you should be able to find a little better for that money. None of those items sound major, but the wiring could be a mess under that cover, the engine mount issue and the painted engine compartment would turn me off for the price. But I'm a bit picky too. The tach is usually available used and the wiper motor I don't beleive is a major problem. The tach not working could be that wiring or if the battery was ever misconnected that would destroy the tach and the opus ignition.[/quote]

if I decide to go forward with the deal, i will offer him less. He indicated that he was open to offers and "sounded" like he wanted to sell.

How big of deal is the motor mount issue? Am I looking at a dangerious condition, or is it something that is aesthetic only?

Mike