Ben’s red British sports car is a rolling project, a regular at British Car Day, and the car he plans to keep for life.
Ben’s 1974 MGB is a red roadster with the original 1.8L four-cylinder BMC B-series engine. He bought it in January 2018 from an owner who had kept it since 1981. The five-digit odometer showed 105,000 miles. He’s not sure how many times it’s been past 99,000.
His father worked in the British auto industry, so British cars were always the draw. When Ben could finally justify a sports car, he bought the first MGB he saw. It needed work. He had it running again in a few months. It remains a rolling restoration. Something always needs attention.
He drives it often. Once he is on the road, problems fade. The sound, the smell, and the way it handles corners produce an instant smile. The MG is a regular at British Car Day held at Bronte Creek Provincial Park every year.
In an effort to backdate the car somewhat, he has fitted earlier tail lights and a grille, plus a restored 1960s Moto-Lita wood-rim steering wheel. As far as projects go, more than half a million MGBs were built, so parts are easy to find. That keeps the model popular with people getting into older British cars. Ben intends to keep the car and pass it to his kids. It is the one he does not plan to sell. They’ll have to fight over who gets to keep the car we suppose.
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