1959 MG A Coupe

‘When I bought the car in 2015 it was a mess,’ says owner Stuart of this original right hand-drive coupe - the more rare option. ‘The roof was beyond repair, the rear tub had some tacky fabrication done. The front end though not perfect was workable.’ He set about sourcing a rear tub and a roof - the latter not being an easy order. ‘I tacked in new rear inner arches and a welder did the rest,’ he says. After a painstaking search, he at last found a good roof in Florida and had it shipped over.

With the rear end refashioned and the new roof in place, Stuart had the car put on a jig and ‘pulled into line’ as he puts it. ‘It’s now pretty accurate,’ he says. But he has high standards and is not an easy person to please and he is starting to feel his classic restoring days are behind him, therefore he is letting the Fifties sportster go.

‘The chassis is good,’ he says. ‘And the braking system has been replaced and rebuilt. The engine has been stripped down to the bare block which has been honed and cleaned ready to be rebuilt.’ He adds; ‘This is very much a project, so be under no illusions - there is lots to do.’

As stated, this is very much a restoration project, so the condition of the paint is obviously fairly irrelevant, though it does mostly suggest that the condition of the metal underneath is sound. There are uneven patches in the paintwork on the bonnet and elsewhere, but these appear more a reaction in the paint rather than evidence of corrosion beneath. There are no obvious flaking areas or holes in the metal. However, some metal around the lower windscreen and scuttle on the passenger side will need replacing.

Panels hang together well. The flanks a smooth and the bonnet and boot fit snugly in place without any untoward gaps appearing on one side or the other. The doors open and close freely, though at present the handles aren’t attached.

Much of the chrome is present, though in varying states of finish. Bumpers and grill are present, a chromed rear suitcase rack (probably one of the best bits), plus the MGA-logo’d wing vents and scuttle vent. Most will probably need rechroming.

Although lacking a windscreen, the MG does retain its three-piece rear window - a very good thing as these are quite hard to come by.

Elements of the interior are at different stages of progress. The seats and central armrest have been recovered, while the dash appears to be more ‘in progress’. (Most instruments remain in place here). Carpets are new, as are the door cards (no door furniture in place), which, like the seats, enjoy a very vivid shade of red. The gear gaiter and its chrome surround appear new. (The gear stick is presumably with the gearbox assembly, which is out of the car.) The steering wheel will need rehabilitating, though is, of course, an easy replacement. The headlining is in the process of being installed it seems, and the material remains clean, should the next owner wish to continue with it. There are also new (red) seals around the edges of the door frame.

The underside of the car looks very sound - as Stuart said, the chassis appears sturdy. Both its rails and crossmembers look strong, and while there is a little surface rust on some suspension parts, these too look to be in good order. The elliptical springs appear to be in good shape and their hangars solid. As mentioned earlier, the braking system has been rebuilt; new discs and callipers up front and new linings and cylinder at the back.

Looking down into the engine bay, the winner wings and the bulkhead look solid. The steering rack is in place, but Stuart says the MG will need a new one.

The engine is totally dismantled with a block that has been cleaned of grime and residue. Crank shaft, pistons and valve train are all present, though Stuart has says the engine will need new main bearings. He also has his reservations about the pistons themselves.

Apart from its registration documents and copies of the model’s workshop manual, there is no real history with the car.

A restoration project is never a cheap way to a great classic. It is however, a path to making a thoroughly fettled motor, worked to your own specification. This, like any other classic restoration, will not be for the faint-hearted, nor should it be something you undertake without really knowing what you’re getting into. But it’s almost a clean slate. What do fancy; concourse originality, endurance rally road burner…resto-mod? The choice will be yours. We figure the base price for your dream will be between £9,500 - £13,500.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Worksop; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.