MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Thought I'd repost this the color post to see what's up:
Member Jack Long's 1974 he list as "Bracken" which I think is correct.
The second picture from the ebay add posted earlier is also listed as 1974 "Bracken".
[http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MG-MGB-1974-MGB-Roadster....dZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW]
Can these both be Bracken?
Both cars look like fine examples. Just curious.
I had a 70 that was the exact same color as the bottom car, and I was always under the impression that it was Bronze Yellow? I could most definitely be wrong though.
I think they are both the same - the lighting is just different. Compare the boot lid in the first picture to the overall car in the second - they look close. The overall look of the second picture is closer to the true bracken the way I remember it on the one I bought new in 74 - but the boot on the first seems to be just a little less orange, which would actually be correct. Also probably the light.
Notice the interior of the first car is autumn leaf - it really looks nice with a bracken car - in my opinion.
By the way - the car in the second picture is on e-bay at $7500, reserve met, and there are 4 more days until the end of the auction.
The angle of the light on the body makes a lot of difference. They are both Bracken, although the second one seems to be slightly pale, but the sunlight could be quite yellow and very strong which would make the colour appear off.
The first car is absolutely correct in exterior and interior colour. It just looks darker beacuse the whole side of the car is in the shade. It looks like a very tidy car, even still has the original steering wheel.
The Ebay car is also the correct exterior colour, but could possibly be a touch pale, but if the sunlight was quite yellow and very strong it could make it appear that way. The Ebay car has the wrong colour interior. In 1974 and 1974.5 a Bracken car could only be had with an Autumn Leaf interior. For 1975 and 1976 you could have either Autumn Leaf or Black interior. These were the only years for Bracken.
The Ebay car's chassis number is 328761 and he says it's a 74. According to Clausager, that is manufactured August 1973. Would that have been sold as a 74 model? I thought the model year was from September or October? I have a GT ( Harvest Gold ) which is 328849 ( Clausager says manufactured August 73 ) and it was sold new in New Zealand as a 73. I have another GT ( Bracken ) which is 339513 ( Clausager says manufactured January 74 ) and was sold new in New Zealand as a 74.
Here is a picture of my Bracken 1974 BGT with Autumn Leaf interior, which is the best photo I have which best represents the true colour. It's still not quite perfect, but pretty close.
I know of one other Bracken GT in Wellington, New Zealand, which has had a rover 3.9 (?) put in it and made into a race car. They reckon it's a 71, so it's either not a 71, or its not hte original colour. It looks reasonably nice until you start looking closely at things and then its a bit rough. They folded the edges of the metal dashbord back to run the front legs of the rollcage down to the sill and other things like that. Built it, raced it half a dozen times, and now trying to flog it to the highest bidder. Sad.
In the original post, somebody asked if the bottom photo might be Bronze Yellow...Here is my car that is Bronze Yellow...a little different I think???
While the eBay car looks a bit lighter, Bracken can be a funny color. In bright sunlight my car looks like a pumpkin; in the shade (as in my signature photo), it is a warm caramel color; on cloudy days it has a very brownish tinge and in my garage under fluorescent lights it is Creamsickle orange. Maybe this was the first of the color-shifting hues that the ricers all love so much these days!
Rather than use the paint code, I had my painter color-match the paint from the un-faded underside of the trunk lid when I had my car painted 2 years ago. It was done in DuPont basecoat-clearcoat over DuPont high-build tan primer. Perhaps the tan primer coat gave it a slightly darker final tint?
I have attached a couple other photos taken in different light environments, for comparison.
Any way, it is a pretty rare color (I have seen exactly one Bracken car in the flesh other than mine) so I am usually the only one at shows and club events.
Top car is Bracken and the bottom is Brozen Yellow or a bad repaint.
Here is the 1971 ( ? ) GT V8 conversion I mentioned.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/MG/auction-122875400.htm
