Good morning! On today’s episode of Shitbox Showdown, we’re asking the age-old question: live, or Memorex? But first, let’s see which of yesterday’s four-wheel-drives took home the prize:
A handy win for the handy little Mazda truck. We had lots of complaints in general about the prices on these two; I hear ya. But that’s just where the used car market is these days. I just had the misfortune of starting a column about cheap used cars just as the definition of “cheap” changed dramatically. But a good value isn’t really the point here; a compelling story and a good conversation matter a lot more.
In that spirit: 2023 marks the one hundredth anniversary of a marque near and dear to my heart: MG. In 1923, Cecil Kimber, general manager of Morris Garages in Oxford, started selling modified high-performance versions of Morris automobiles, known at the time as “Kimber Specials.” It would be another year before the MG name and trademark octagon appeared, and another year after that before “Old Number One” – widely recognized as the first “real” MG – was built, but it all started with a few modified Morris Cowleys in a garage in Oxford in 1923.
The last “real MG,” a white MGB roadster, rolled out of the Abingdon factory on October 22, 1980. Since then, the octagon has appeared on various British Leyland products, a late-to-the-party Group B entry, a couple of revival sports cars, and a bunch of lackluster modern blobs made in China. Allegedly the marque’s current owners are working on a new sports car, which I believe you’ll be reading more about here soon.
Today, we’re going to look at a genuine (and genuinely rare) example of what many MG aficionados consider the “best” MG, and a replica of an earlier model, built on the most ubiquitous kit-car chassis ever made. Both will require a lot of work, but both have the same starting price. Is it worth doing the work to fix up the real thing? Is it “settling” if you go for the kit car instead? Let’s take a look and decide.
1959 MGA Coupe – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.5 liter overhead valve inline 4, four-speed manual, RWD
Location: Alpine, CA
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? Um, no
“First of a new line” was how MG announced the MGA in 1955. MG’s first “modern” sports car was still body-on-frame, and still had drum brakes and wooden floors, but compared to the T series cars that came before it, it was a spaceship. The MGA’s styling was based on EX172, a streamlined MG TD race car raced at LeMans in 1952. To my eye, the resulting production car is one of the prettiest sports cars ever made. More than 100,000 MGAs were built over the course of seven years, but fewer than 10,000 of them were coupes, making this derelict hulk a rarity.
Now, I know what you’re going to say, but hear me out: This is actually a pretty decent restoration candidate. It’s straight, has only surface rust, and it’s a steel-wheel car, so there are no wire-wheel hub worries. Parts aren’t a problem; the MGA has a huge ecosystem around it, and everything you should need is available from either Moss Motors or a couple other suppliers, or from various clubs and swap meets. It’s all doable; it just takes time and money.
Depending on when in 1959 this car was built, it was originally equipped with either a 1489 or 1588 cubic centimeter BMC B-series engine. The seller says this car comes with a “fresh” looking engine, but doesn’t provide a photo of it. The B-series is a simple, tough engine, originally equipped with two side-draft SU carbs, but everything from Weber DCOE kits to electronic fuel injection conversions are available these days. There’s even a bolt-on supercharger available, if you really want to go nuts.
It would likely be years before you got this car back on the road, let’s be honest. But by the time you were done, you’d have a rare, special, beautiful car that’s a hell of a lot of fun to drive. The only real problem I see with sourcing parts is the missing rear window, but I bet someone somewhere has one. All the rest is just legwork and elbow grease.
1952 MGTD replica on 1970 VW Beetle chassis – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter overhead valve horizontally-opposed 4, four-speed manual, RWD
Location: Garland, TX
Odometer reading: 85,000 miles (presumably on the Beetle donor?)
Runs/drives? Will start, not drivable
Before the MGA, there was the T series. The basic design dates all the way back to 1936, with the introduction of the MG TA Midget. The TB followed in 1939, and then everything came to a screeching halt because of World War II. After the war, the MG TC came along, became a hit in America, and began a long tradition of little British sports cars on this continent. The MG TD, introduced in 1950, took a technological leap forward with independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, giving it the sharp, tossable handling that is the hallmark of the British sports car experience.
But none of that matters in this case, because what we have here is not an MG TD. It is a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. Starting in the 1960s, kit car manufacturers began selling all sorts of kits to make Beetles look like other cars. It made sense; the Beetle had a self-contained air-cooled drivetrain, a flat chassis with a body shell that bolted on (and could therefore be removed easily), and massive parts support. It was almost as if VW designed it to be turned into something else. And the MG TD was a popular choice of car to ape.
Obviously, this means that under the bonnet, where you would find a 1250 cc XPAG four-cylinder in a real TD, there is a fuel tank and a small luggage compartment. Out back, we find what looks to be a stock VW flat-four, likely a 1600 if this is based on a ’70. The seller says the engine will run, but obviously this isn’t something you can drive home.
The car’s fiberglass body is in good condition, and the interior upholstery is new. The dashboard appears to be a sheet of plywood cut to shape and crudely screwed in place; I would imagine you could come up with something better. No details are given on the condition of the rest of the running gear, but it’s an air-cooled VW; they aren’t exactly hard to find parts for.
Either way, you’ve got your work cut out for you. But there is a good support system available whichever way you go. Just don’t expect to be welcomed with open arms by old-school MG enthusiasts if you choose the replica; they have some colorful and impolite descriptors for such vehicles. But on the other hand, the VW-based car is arguably more reliable, and if you want something to drive and enjoy, maybe that’s more important to you than the British heritage. So what’ll it be?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
When I was a teenager in the early ’70s, our family had a 1959 MGA coupe in black with the wire wheels. it was my dad’s daily driver, and the car I learned how to drive stick (no synchro on the first gear). We’d drive around with my five-year-old sister perched in the package area behind the seats, and one time even mounted new tires on it by ourselves with nothing more than a brass hammer and some tire irons. I fondly recall my dad’s constant refrain to me to push the manual choke button back in: “it’s not a hook for your raincoat.” it was starting to rust and also sat so low to the ground that it was giving my dad back problems, so it was sold for a princely sum of about $1,500 in ’73 to a young proto-hipster from Newport Beach.
It’s hard to believe, but a quick search seems to indicate that MGA is actually a pretty good deal. It would be more work than I would want to put into it, but if you were so inclined it might be a good starting point.
That A is gorgeous, I’ve brought back worse spitfires; so no brainer for me. The real question is how big of a port to put in the 13b?
I am not seeing the MG motor they say is in good shape? The MG is really just a parts car for another at this point. Maybe if it has a title and you have one that needs a replacement title it might be worth it, but I am still doubtful. I am not a fan of the kit VW, but I feel like it could run for a lot less investment and potentially flipped if it was a paint to drive or something.
I voted for the original, but these are both awful. I don’t like MG’s enough to take that thing on as a project, and it is a significant project. By the time you’re done you will be out a lot of time and money.
I’ve experienced a VW kit car. I’ve worked on one that a friend owned. The quality of the bodywork is atrocious. They’re hard to live with, not particularly fun to drive, and no matter how much work you do they seem to always remain crappy.
This depends upon the VW kit car.
I’ve seen an Avenger GT at a car show that looked like it was something I could live with. But when it comes to a basic level of “comfort” or “convenience” that I expect a vehicle to provide, I’m not exactly the average driver… The thing was rear wheel drive with much stouter running gear/suspension than a stock Beetle would have, plus a mid-rear mounted V8, with weight close to that of a stock Beetle. Plus that Avenger had things going against it. A 4-speed automatic transmission, for starters, and I’d gladly live with that flaw in spite of my hatred for that type of transmission. A leaking roof, no working AC, no airbags, no ABS, also wouldn’t bother me if it had all of those issues. Because that car would have a purpose, and “comfort” or convenience” aren’t that purpose. Some VW-based kit cars are very hoonable. That Avenger checked the right boxes, most of the time. The vast majority of cars don’t check as many.
This MGTD replica would need lots of modifications before I’d hoon it. It would end up looking nothing like it currently does by the time it was even hoonable, defeating the entire purpose of the kit. There are few good solutions for accommodating the speeds I would want to travel and aerodynamic efficiency I’d require without completely stripping it down to the Beetle floorpan and designing my own homage to a Lotus 11.
For 2.500 I could buy a decent E-Bike. Yeah, that’s my choice. C.
errr, nope. no junk Chinese E-bike is really worth purchasing. But the lowest cost Electric swap kit is for a VW bug, that might make that little two seater fun. The long hood increases room up front for batteries too.
Can we still use the word straight in todays society?
You, you’re not allowed to. Say it and the suede denim secret police will knock, knock at your door.
Spend a substantial amount of time and money on the coupe, and you’ll have a nice British Sports Car. That’s a Good Thing, if you ask me.
Spend a lot less getting the plastic “MG-like Device” and you’ll have a VW Beetle with pretenses. Not Good.
I’m not even all that fond of the MGA coupe, but that’s how I’d go if I were going to pull the trigger on either. A better alternative if you really feel the urge would be to find a decent MGA runner and go with that. Or a VW Beetle with its original body in place. You’d save money and headaches.
The MGA, for sure. A friend of mine has a 1960, it was a graduation gift when he finished college. But his family had it long before then. In high school we arranged a little race between the MG and my 1972 Super Beetle. I won! In part because, in typical British sports car fashion, the MG began to overheat.
Speaking of overheating, I would be concerned about that with the kit car. For the 1600cc dual port motors VW put extra louvers in the decklid to prevent overheating, and the tinwork was designed to seal the top side of the engine from the bottom for cooling (as with all air cooled VWs). That’s not a problem in something like a Baja or dune buggy, where the whole engine is exposed to the air. The engine bay of this kit car looks small and unventilated. Maybe it worked fine, I have no experience with the things, but I’d be nervous if I got stuck in traffic on a hot day.
There is just something about a rear-engined kit version of a front-engined classic that rubs me the wrong way. The only VW kits I’ll consider are Manxes, Brubaker Boxes, and Sebrings, and Aztec 7s.
So a mild restomod MGA it is.
While not really a kit…I’d also add the Brazilian Puma to that list.
While other people dream about owning a Ferrari or Lamborghini, I’ve always lusted after a TD. That said, I chose the MGA because kit cars are the automotive equivalent of velcro sneakers.
Speaking as an aircooled VW devotee, the MGA is the easy choice here. I’ve always loved the look of these cars, and I’m totally the type to take the ragged-but-running approach. Go through the suspension and brakes, drop the motor in and get it tuned up, and get the remainder up to snuff in between test drives around the neighborhood.
VW kit cars, on the other hand, are gross without exception, and the ersatz TD on display here is nearly as vile as those brown/tan “Gazelle” Mercedes kits. Never.
“It’s straight, has only surface rust,”
That’s hilarious.
Kit car, please.
I’m a fan of air-cooled VWs, so this one would get a serious upgrade in the engine compartment. The spare would go back up front where it belongs, the decklid would have many louvered vents, and the “dash” would receive a Viking funeral.
The real MGA could be amazing, but I don’t like MGs enough to go through all the work. This would need to be a labor of love for the owner – someone who really, really wants that particular model.
There’s a certain amount of shame that comes with rare/desirable cars. If you don’t fix em up just right you are not worthy is what it feels like. I’ve already played that game so I’ll go with the replica. Fix the dash, or don’t fix the dash, nobody will be looking down their noses at you.
Pardon the vulgarity, but…
Fuck all of this noise. If I wanted to spend $2,500 just to suffer, there are ways to do that which won’t involve a literal ton of rusty metal occupying a parking spot on my property.
Why didn’t anyone tell me this several purchases ago?
We don’t kink shame on the Autopian
Ugh, this is like that South Park episode where the kids have to pick between a Giant Douche or a Turd Sandwich. There’s no winners here and I’d rather save my money.
But for the purposes of Shitbox Showdown, I picked the replica. Parts will be cheaper and easier to find, and I could not care less what colorful names the snooty a$$holes who drive “real” MGs would call me. Lol
Might be fun to pick the worst of the colorful names and emblazon it on the frunk, then drive through the “proper” MG car show!
For the same cost, I would take the real one and spend time as needed to restore or hand it off for that. Granted it can get overwhelming so maybe buying after the person gives up is a good option. 🙂
If I wanted something to drive, kit car.
But the REAL one, even if all I did was drag it home, disassemble it, put everything in carefully labeled bags and tubs, then forgot about it for 7 years, I could probably sell it for pretty close to what I paid for it.
The replica. It’ll cost a fraction of what the MG will run you to get going, and it’s a convertible.
You won’t ever worry about getting a scratch.
You won’t worry about parts.
You won’t worry about originality.
All you do is put in a bluetooth radio, some speakers, and drive…
List of colorful and impolite fake-MGTD descriptors, please!
I’d take that MGA and convert it to electric. I’d restore the bare minimum necessary to get it road legal, but it would functionally end up as a restomodded electric race car with a roll cage and custom aerodynamic modifications. Dark British Racing Green lacquer.
The carbon-fiber banded motor from a Model S PLAID driving the rear wheels and roughly 35 kWh of Model 3 batteries shoved in the transmission tunnel would have this thing weighing almost the same as it did stock, but it would be stupid fast, and would be hooned on a regular basis everywhere it went.
this is exactly where my mind went. it’s already a shell, scrape the rest of the crap out, electrify, and hoon. I would probably leave the paint as-is. Just put the chrome bits back in place. Show up at MG shows and make a fool of myself.
Great minds think alike. That’s what I was going to type out.
Even bolting a much smaller motor to the gearbox would have it scooting along much better than stock. That said the Tesla rear subframe would probably handle better than the solid axle and may be lighter to boot.
My ideal version would be more mod and less resto. Make a tube chassis to keep it stiff, add some side impact protection to the doors along with some actual seatbelts, full independent suspension and big brakes. Keep it RWD. Sadly I lack the skill, budget and most importantly time to make that a reality.
I’d keep the power down to 150hp or less equivalent, otherwise this thing might decide to kill you.
I like to have fun before I die, but not rush the second part by not thinking things through.
Glass for the MGA is going to be the worst problem. 2 ways you could go with this build. Stick to stock OEM or reproduction for everything, or go restomod. With no interior, I think I’d cheap out on it, and go restomod. Put in a Toyota engine/tranny and some nice bucket seats. It doesn’t have a title, but from it’s age, it might just get registered on a bill of sale.
The kit car is a “no way” for me
I thought so too, but it looks like they are available. Searched and found several used options, and even a company that make new polycarbonate windows.
I was reading some owners mentioning that these things have no insulation between the motor and the dash, so they run hot inside for the passengers. Could one install a snap-on rear window and drive it as a flow-through coupe when it isn’t raining?
I LOVE the look of that coupe, so I voted based on that. I’d be more proud to have a slick looking hulk on my property than a weird replica in my driveway.
The specs on that coupe with the 1588 engine are respectable! I’d still think about a restomod, possibly going electric.
So it’s either a rusted out shell or a shitty kit car.
Is there a 3rd option?
Buy them both and somehow figure out how to get a single running vehicle out of it that you have to use as your daily driver?
Real one. Resto-mod with Miata engine/transmission and a modern suspension under it. Won’t be a dear as all original but be loads more fun (if not as amazing sounding) as the original.
Right idea, wrong execution. Rotory this thing to hell; serious power and amazing sound!