[jd1973]

I have owned several British cars including about 10 MGs and 25 Triumphs. Many were purchased and sold as parts cars. I've had MGAs, Bs, Cs, and midgets (and two Austin Healy Sprites). The Triumphs included TR2, 3A and 3B, 4 and 5(TR4 body with TR6 running gear) and a ratty old GT6.

I love these cars and they are a blast to drive. HOWEVER they are not like US cars. They take a some TLC to keep them in running order. You can't just go down to the MG dealership and get parts or service- there isn't one. It helps to schedule and record all maintenance activities.

First try to find a local or regional club/ association. These guys can be lifesavers when looking for parts or maintenance help. A lot of people have several spare parts on hand if not entire parts cars. Next thing you will need is the proper service manual for the car- don't go cheap.

The two websites in the last post for parts are also good places for service hints also. You can save a lot of time and money by checking the local junkyards to see if they have any cars you can scrounge parts from. I used to know what cars each yard had and what usable parts were available on each car. Once again club members may already have this info and be willing to share.

The electrics on these cars is pitiful. Lucas is known the world over for their flaky systems. It seems a car designed for the British weather would have more reliable systems. Check your grounds for rust/corrosion often (I used to check mine bi-monthly). If you find bad grounds clean them and coat with petroleum jelly. Buy a multimeter if you don't have one. NOTE: If you notice a weak light light it is usually a ground problem.

Check and see if the shocks are leaking or not. I don't remember but I think your model has the lever type shocks in the rear. If so they need to stay full of oil to function correctly.

Engines are fairly reliable and pretty easy to work on. Almost everything is in the open and few specialty tools are required. They seem to seep oil so check it often. The cleaner the engine is kept the easier it is to find a potential leak.

Doing any clutch or tranny service is a real pain. Many specialty tools are required to work on trannys. Early midgets and sprites are known for dropping 2nd gear (design not beefy enough). Bs and Cs were not so bad. Clutches are pretty strong. Most have an additional slave cylinder somewhere in the system theat requires bleeding during mantenance.

Brakes are pretty straight forward and are pretty dependable. Be aware some of these cars require GIRLING brake fluid. The seals in the brake lines are leather and DOT-3 will destroy them. Be sure or you could be without brakes. The emergency brakes are normally quite good thankfully.

Being in Florida I did tuneups at least once a year and adjusted the carbs at least quarterly. The carbs (Ive seen zeniths, strombergs, and SUs) can be adjusted by ear once you get the knack but changes in temperature and humidity can affect them. They also have oil pots that require you to add some fluid occasionally.

This may be a lot more than you wanted but as I said before I love these little cars. I want another but my garage is currently full. They are a little extra work but in my opinion worth every minute. All this maintenance may seem like a lot but once you get in the zone it only requires about an hour or two a month. Other than trannys or clutches, most of the work is pretty easy.

Hope this helps.
JD