MGC Forum

It's been 4 years already. In that time we had some big changes which called for a move to another community. Positive changes, but changes none the less.
My C is packed away in a friend's barn a couple of towns away. As I cleaned it up and inventoried what I have, I simply got a bit depressed looking at what has been done, vs what needs done.
Bottom, line... the car needs A LOT and much of what has been done to start the process, was done very wrong.

The car sat in Las Vegas heat and sun, uncovered for at least fifteen years. It was rusty as ever when it was parked. The doors were hacked apart by someone who thought they knew what they were doing, as well as shoddy floor pan installation and rear quarters tacked over what was left of the existing pieces. The interior is GONE. It's there but seats have rotted to metal frames and all plastic vinyl pieces are ruined.

Both front fenders are bad. The passenger side is of the wrong vintage and took a very strange "hit" that has tweaked it in a way that I'm not comfortable using it.

So my question- I let it sit, but am once again getting an urge to take a shot at making my C a nice looking "driver". I've decided that to get the most bang for my buck I should locate a donor B and swap everything I can to the C. I'm eyeing a 74 roadster. It is a metal bumper car. But if I go this route, I will use everything I can including wrong vintage fenders, and almost all interior pieces to make the C somewhat whole.

How many of you guys would be offended by the sight of a bastard child 69 C / 74 B ??? I really do think I can pull it off and it'll look fine to the untrained eye.

The cars look a lot alike, but the MGC is much more than an MGB with a six cylinder. There isn't a whole lot of structure that you can use from a B, I'm afraid.

Floor pans are different, seats are different. Everything forward of the firewall is different except the fenders. The rear end, driveshaft, brakes, suspension are different.

The doors should interchange as well as the windscreen.

I plan to salvage the cobbled floor pans and rear fenders. My concern is mainly with the front fenders, doors and interior. I believe I can come up with a method to get the B seats to work with the C floor either by sharing brackets or fabricating new ones. My hood is in good shape and a have a new grill. To source new doors and fenders, and the ENTIRE interior just isn't attractive to me.

What are your thoughts on the dash? 74 or try to source something closer to 69?

Its obviously up to you but you would be completely wasting your time and money using the MGC parts on an MGB. It would be better just to sell it on as a restoration project and save yourself lots of grief and heart ache!! As well as money!! Brian

If the seat frames exist buy the correct foams, diaphragm, and covers or just use the B interior...don't let the frames go as they are totally unique but a proper B too can be easily altered to fit. I personally would try to save the C dash and steering wheel. The fenders are no big deal and even less if you could find a 67-70 B donor. Proper C floor pans won't break the bank either.

I doubt anyone will be offended and most of us will cheer your effort of getting another MGC on the road again...in fact any vintage car roadworthy makes you part of the brotherhood. You will find 100% support from this group I suspect.

---

Regards,
Robert Kirk

kirkbrit@yahoo.com
E-mail PLEASE for quote/questions/orders

Business phone 563 323 1017

http://kirks-auto.com/
Moss distributor/UK importer
Beat or match most retail/delivered quote

Put the B front fenders and doors on. Use the interior trim and carpet and such. I'm not familiar with how different the C seat frames are, so depending on how much different they are and how much modification B seats need to fit, it might be easier to do as Robert said and buy the correct C foams and recover the C frames yourself. I'd try to keep the correct dash. If it's a little tired, not to worry, better tired than wrong in my book.

---

1973 MG BGT - Harvest Gold / Black interior

1974 MG BGT - Bracken / Autumn Leaf interior - http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,11702

The B seats will bolt directly in.....but they will sit too high.

x3 on keeping the MGC seats and refurbishing them.

---

1952 MGTD - 1969 MGC - 1972 MGB - 1974&1/2 MGB/GT V8 conversion - 1978 MGB

mowog1@aol.com

Nothing offends me, it's your car...use what you can and what will fit easiest, the seats as per others are best re-used from the C, but the fenders, doors, exterior sheet metal no biggie, even the dash! Go for it...another C on the road is great even if it isn't "correct"! I applaud your efforts and the hard work it takes..

x2
Ron

X3. Get it to a driver state and enjoy!

The infernal conundrum...

Can I do most of the work myself? Do I have the time, facilities, tools, and inclination to get on with it?

Can I spare a bunch of cash to pay a professional?

Should I cut my loses, sell the car as a project? Buy something that I can uses and enjoy?

Best of Luck deciding!

---

Mick
NSW - Australie