The Bargain Basement “B”

By Tom Porter III

Sometime in late 2012, my son located an old MGB for the bargain basement price of $300. We had previously done a light restoration on his 1969 Triumph Spitfire and I had expressed a desire to strip a British roadster to its bare essence. No top, no windows, no radio, no heater, etc. if it didn’t make it go faster or stop quicker it was just extra weight. The plan was a low-cost build that would produce an extremely light car that would be a pure blast to drive. Along the lines of street legal go cart. The bargain basement “B” my son had found seemed to be just the ticket. So off we went trailer in tow, to view what I thought to be a simple “strip down & make run”. When we arrived we saw a faded orange sports car with four flat tires. It was sitting under a carport and had obviously not moved in years. Excited & highly optimistic we rushed forward fighting our way through the spider webs & dust. We were greeted by a 1963 MGB roadster with a removable hard top. The body appeared to be in reasonable condition and a peak under the bonnet reviled a fully intact 1800 cc motor. There was oil in it & it didn’t appear to be totally cratered. The interior was pretty rough. The aroma of rat feces confirmed an extended lack of mobility. Considering the planned build parameters and the bargain price of $300 this was perfect.

When we arrived we saw a faded orange sports car with four flat tires. It was sitting under a carport and had obviously not moved in years. Excited & highly optimistic we rushed forward, fighting our way through the spider webs & dust. We were greeted by a 1963 MGB roadster with a removable hard top. The body appeared to be in reasonable condition and a peak under the bonnet reviled a fully intact 1800 cc motor. There was oil in it & it didn’t appear to be totally cratered. The interior was pretty rough. The aroma of rat feces confirmed an extended lack of mobility. Considering the planned build parameters and the bargain price of $300, this was perfect.

Issue one was getting it on the trailer. Four flat tires and locked up brakes made this a special challenge. Fortunately, the trailer had a relatively low deck. With a come along, two floor jacks, and four men with purpose the car was soon loaded. We headed back to the shop with feelings of accomplishment and anticipation. We arrived at dusk and decided to leave the unloading process until morning.

Excited by my new purchase I was up bright & early well before my friends arrived. This being the case I thought I could start the strip down while I waited on them to help unload. The first task would be removal of the rotten rat urine encrusted carpet. With gloves & face mask in place, I grabbed a hand full of material & gave a mighty pull. The passenger side carpet tore across the transmission tunnel and came out in a good sized section. Throwing the waste aside I examined my work. Looking down I thought to myself “who would have thought that a 1963 model would have wooden floor boards?” It was then that I realized I was looking at the deck of the trailer and that the floor-pan had completely rusted out. The driver’s side was in similar condition. Disappointing, but in no way a deal breaker. Remember I only have $300 invested.

When the guys arrived, we discovered that none of the tires would hold air & the brakes were frozen up. However, with some simple tools, manpower, & innovation the vehicle was soon off the trailer. A quick trip to Harbor Freight for wheel dollies and the B was soon inside the shop.

We call our family shop “Rattle Can Restorations”. It’s a 40 x 60-foot metal building filled with a lifetime worth of shade tree mechanic tools. It also houses other projects in varying states of repair, including several motorcycles, a 1972 Ford Ranchero, & a 1954 Jaguar XK 120 drop head coupe special equipment model.

As previously stated the plan was to do a quick cleanup, strip down, & make run on the MG. Thought being we would gain some additional expertise and skills before tackling the Jag, where total perfection would be required. In addition, I would soon have a low-cost roadster so I could go out & play with my son in his Spitfire.

Time to get to work! Step one was to knock off some of the 20 plus years’ worth of filth, spider webs & animal droppings. I started in the trunk (boot) and worked my way forward. The shop trash cans filled quickly from the accumulated debris. The seats were hollow in that all the cushioning material had been removed by rodents to build their multiple nests strategically placed throughout the entire vehicle. Under the hood (bonnet) wiring had suffered a similar fate. The rodents had even chewed 2 of the plug wires completely in half. The good news was that the motor appeared to be intact & generally unmolested.

After the general cleanup, it was time to check out the much of its original paint. Being as it would be the first thing visible when the hood was opened a bit of sanding and a coat of paint would be in order. After about an hour or so of cleaning, I was ready to spray on some pretty. I looked around the shop & found a partially used can of Ford red engine paint. As I was applying the final coat I was somewhat surprised in how nicely it was turning out. The gloss red really made it pop!

A day or two later, I was walking around the local parts store & spied a K&N style oil breather. It was chrome & red. It was perfect for the freshly painted valve cover. I could hardly wait to get it home & try it out. There were two data plates affixed to the valve cover that I had removed prior to painting. One was in pretty good shape and the other had the information worn completely off. Coincidently, one of the dash plaques we had made to celebrate the completion of our shop’s construction was a perfect replacement. With its fresh red paint when assembled with the new breather & polished plates, the valve cover was a thing of beauty! Very little cash invested and wonderful results. Right in line with the “ Bargain Basement B” concept. However, I feel that this small success was the gateway to significant scope creep & the beginning of my long relationship with Moss Motors.

Further inspection revealed worn brake rotors & bad shocks. One of the first orders from Moss was drilled & slotted rotors, Spax shocks, and new floor boards. Heck, the upgraded shocks and rotors were just a few dollars more than stock replacements.

When the parts were received it was obvious (at least to me) that they couldn’t simply be installed. The bright yellow Spax shocks cried for fresh semi-gloss black paint on the A-arms and differential. The drilled & slotted rotors begged for bright red calipers with green stuff pads. Heck if I painted the front calipers I just about had to paint the brake drums in the rear. If a man is going to do all that work it must be seen. Therefore Mini Lite wheels became a necessity. Of course, assembly couldn’t be done with dirty rusty fasteners. So those items that were to be reused had to clean & coated. I think you might be able to see where this is going. Every part that needed replacement demanded that its area be clean and framed with fresh paint. Project scope creep had set in and we were spinning out of control.
We pulled the motor & transmission out of the car and separated the two components. This simple act necessitated replacement of the clutch, throw out bearing, & pressure plate. Just common sense right? Oh, I guess I forgot to mention the lightened flywheel. Just as well make that little upgrade while we are at it. Remember the Bargain Basement B? Lol.

So the motor is on the stand. Don’t want to be foolish. Let’s do new rings, bearings, & oil pump. While we are at it, why not throw in a new fast street cam. The head needed a rebuild. Rebuild? Hell no! We had totally lost our minds. This is the Bargain Basement B. It requires an aluminum crossflow head. Of course, that made a Tourist Trophy stainless steel exhaust system & new intake a logical purchase. Showing a bit of restraint in this ever spinning whirlpool of madness the intake we ordered was designed for the stock SU carbs. When it arrived it just didn’t look right. Not exactly sure how it happened but the next thing I knew the intake was boxed up & headed back to my friends at Moss. Simultaneously they were sending me a new manifold and twin Webber carbs. Oh and don’t forget the chrome K&N air filters. Obviously, we had gone way past the tipping point and there was no turning back now.

New aluminum radiator, electric cooling fan, new shiny chrome bumpers, all the rubber bits, electronic ignition and a multitude of other items made their way onto the Bargain Basement B’s ever growing parts list

To bring this saga to a conclusion the Bargain Basement B went to paint last week. Of course British racing green with white racing stripes. Our plan is to unveil it this May (2017) at the British Extravaganza at Buttonwillow Speedway in California.

One of our Salesmen, Leif, met the author at the British Extravaganza at Buttonwillow Speedway in California May 2017.

I want to thank my Wife, friends, family and Moss Motors for their help and support during this four-year labor of love. I especially want to recognize my Son who was probably responsible for 85 percent of the scope creep. Thanks, Son. Bargain Basement “B” my ass!