1968 MG B GT

This MGB GT has an interesting history in that it was used as a teaching aid at Crawley Technical College for a number of years. Students there would carry out oil and filter changes on it and strip and rebuild the braking system, giving them invaluable experience before they were unleashed on customers’ cars in the real world. The vendor believes it was then given to one of the lecturers when he retired, who then used his considerable skills to restore the car in the nineties.

The vendor has now had the car for almost three years, and is only selling it because his business needs a four-wheel-drive pickup; the MGB GT might be one of the most versatile classic cars in the world, but even it can’t compete with a Toyota Hilux’s load-lugging and off-road ability… 

The older respray is holding up well . It was obviously done to a very high standard as the paintwork is still glossy and free of defects. There are a couple of areas of gentle fade and the odd bubble (eg the tailgate edge). And yes, it’s picked up the odd stonechip and small mark here and there but it’s a solid job still and easily good enough for you to enter the MGB into your local car show.

We’d guess that some work went into preparing the car at the same time; the panel gaps are very good, being tighter and more even than some we’ve seen on similar cars, and that sort of thing doesn’t come about without the expenditure of a lot of time and trouble.

The chromework is generally good. While some of the brightwork, most notably the badges, appears to be original, we’d bet that a lot of it was new when the car was re-assembled following its respray all those years ago. Some bits are slightly tarnished, and those that can’t be refurbished with a dollop of Autosol and a healthy dose elbow polish could be replaced when time and funds allow.

The folding black Britax sunroof looks to be almost new too. It furls and unfurls easily, and is tight and weatherproof when it is closed. The white headlining is in good condition and is free of rips, tears and scuffs. There is a small mark towards the rear but that doesn’t look serious.

The underside appears to be solid and protected with a neatly applied coat of underseal. The boot floor is clean and solid underneath the carpet and spare wheel cover.

The wire wheels are not in the first flush of youth, but they’re still presentable and run true. They are all fitted, including the spare, with matching Pirelli Cinturato tyres and the correct inner tubes by a specialist in Harrogate around a thousand miles ago. You’ll know by now of our fetish for matching tyres on a car. We think this is a just one of a number of things that point to a fastidious owner who is unlikely to skimp on the small stuff when it comes to maintaining their car.

There is some peeling of the paint underneath the rear valance due to light surface rust and this will need catching before it turns into something more serious, as will the small blemishes at the nearside and offside base of the windscreen and front wing join. 

The rest of the bodywork could be left as it is, although a demanding owner might want to machine polish the car to get rid of the swirl marks.

The interior of this MGB GT is a real highlight. The black leather seats, piped with red and fitted along with matching door trims, look almost new still and are only lightly creased. There is no damage or wear to them whatsoever.

The rest of the interior fixtures and fittings are to the same high standard. Take a look at the steering wheel for example; it’s as beautifully finished as the gearlever assembly and that sort of attention to detail doesn’t come easily or cheaply.

The carpets are in good condition too, and the dashboard, along with its central speaker grille and neatly arranged dials and switches, is as good as any we’ve seen.

The interior needs nothing doing to it other than to perhaps replace a few rusty screws on the A-pillars, pop a new bulb or two in the dashboard, and fit a new interior door handle. That’s not a bad set of jobs to have as your To Do list, is it?

The engine has been recently rebuilt at a cost of around £2,500 (as reported by the seller - no invoice provided). It was restored back to the original factory specification, bar a modified cylinder head with hardened valve seats to allow the use of unleaded fuel without having to faff about with a separate lead replacement additive. The whole lot was then set up on a rolling road; the result was bang on the factory power output. 

As might be imagined, the new engine starts well and pulls cleanly through the four-speed-plus overdrive gearbox. The car has been fitted with two new 6-volt batteries this year and the engine bay itself is neat and clean. Overdrive is fitted and working.

The rest of the mechanical components are in a good condition and the owner tells us that he is not aware of anything that needs doing to them. Obviously, potential bidders are welcome to come and see the car here in Abingdon to check it out for themselves.

The MGB GT comes with a British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate which confirms the chassis and engine numbers, as well as a letter from the college lecturer who restored it in which he explains the car’s history. There are also some expired MOT certificates, old invoices and other bits and bobs. Please see the documents section of the gallery to view them.

The car does not have a current MOT. It doesn’t require one by virtue of its age but the owner was keen to point out that it has only covered just over 2,000 miles since its last one in March 2017, so he wouldn’t foresee any problems if the new owner decided they wanted to put one on it. 

The market for MGBs might have softened a little in the past year or so but there are always plenty of potential buyers out there if the car is as solid and honestly presented as this. No, it’s not concours, but the owner has used it on a series of British and European jaunts where the MGB performed faultlessly.

A little TLC would bring the car up leaps and bounds, and all of the stuff that needs doing could be accomplished by a half-decent weekend tinkerer rather than having to commission a series of specialists at vast cost.

Speaking of cost, we can see this lovely little MGB GT selling for between £5,500 and £7,000, at which price point it represents strong value for the new owner. With interest rates as low as they are, putting your money into a perennial classic like this should prove to be a safe place to keep it in addition to being so much more fun that poring over your building society passbook…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina HQ in Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.