MG Engine Swaps Forum

Just a few excerpts from the full report, linked below:

http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,166,page=125


Yesterday I took the car to the 98th annual Four Corners Party of the American Legion's National Convention,...

Because Rick's "For Sale" sign remains in the back visible through the hatch, I got quite a few inquiries as to how much we wanted for it, and that became an interesting thing. I would say $45K and invariably the person asking would say something like, "That's very reasonable, I would have expected 50 or 55."

The car continues to improve. ... if anyone has a spare set of CB (swaybar) downlinks they can donate please send them along.

Kudos to all who have helped develop the EPS and especially to Mike Moor who donated the unit complete and ready to install. This is most definitely a ground breaking improvement to the MGB and something that will improve every car it is installed in, even a completely stock 1800cc MGB.

Jim

Mike was at the V8 Meet in Townsend this year (& Indy last year & Omaha before that). He was also at MG2016 this year. He's been drivin,' showin', & improvin' his ride since '95 or '96. He doesn't really hang on either forum, though.

Yet not a single person offered the $45K. Price conversations at car shows are 99.99% B.S. usually initiated by someone who has no interest, or funds, to buy the car.

That may or may not be true. Regardless, the more we sell the car for the better off we all will be since the proceeds are earmarked to benefit the annual BritishV8 meet and the Newsletter. No need to get in a hurry about it, every time you do that it costs you, in time, money, injury or all the above. In the meantime the car just keeps getting better, growing it's reputation and history, and thereby gaining value. This is certainly one instance where an MGB started out with little value, (I think we paid about $1200 for the roller) and has continually gained value since that point. Also since nobody truly knows what the car's actual value is, why should we not explore the upper limits of what it could be worth? What's the worst that could happen? Nobody bites on the price? And then what harm has been done by it? On the other hand, it only take one committed buyer.

In the meantime, one Veteran (Army I believe) recommended that we approach professional photographers to offer the car as a backdrop for events such as weddings. He felt we could bring in about $500 per event. Do any of you have experience in this area? That could potentially cover the cost of tires and insurance, even possibly some upkeep.

Jim

I think it belongs in the next Cars movie!

You are aware that he has built a new Shaker air cleaner ?

Why don't you put it up for auction on Bring a Trailer with a reserve if you're interested in selling it? No ill will intended, but with the current V8 on Ebay struggling to fetch $10k, I'm thinking you may have your sights set a bit high. I'd also quickly forget the Veteran's comment on the backdrop. The photographer's themselves are lucky to clear $500 on a shoot, among other things.

Matt,

Here's the last one from BAT!
$28K

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-mg-mgb/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-09-01 06:33 AM by mstemp.

That's a forum members car that sold for strong money. It is an exceptional example . A hot rodded modified B isn't going to fetch what that stellar example garnered.
Nice car but 45k?
One can always hope

---

LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

Yes hard to place a number.
The thread above shows another decent conversion by a fourm member, it only got $10,500 and took two try's to get it.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/142098512865?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&rmvSB=true&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F706-53473-19255-0%252F1%253Ftype%253D4%2526campId%253D5336904795%2526toolId%253D10001%2526customId%253Disk92drlmd001iil00005%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.ca%25252Fitm%25252F142098512865%25253F_trksid%25253Dp2055119.m1438.l2649%252526ssPageName%25253DSTRK%2525253AMEBIDX%2525253AIT%2526srcrot%253D706-53473-19255-0%2526rvr_id%253D1085993054465&ul_noapp=true

So kind of everyone to try to add balance to the discussion, and maybe I can understand some of the motivations to try and push the price in one way or another. Trying to be reasonable, wanting normalcy on one hand (but there is no such thing as "normal" really, is there?) not wanting to see the price of the cars escalate because the cost to buy them and parts for them will go up, that sort of thing.

But despite all that there has been a gradual escalation in prices for several decades now. An MGB that would have cost $1500 in 1980 now costs $6000.

And the Roadmaster isn't just another hot-rodded sports car either now, is it? For one thing it has a History. And for any car collector the history is often worth more than the car itself. In this case maybe not, but it certainly adds to the value, and how much it adds is a matter to be settled between the buyer and the seller. It's not something that you can just discount out of hand.

How many MGB's have a custom IRS with 8 full inches of suspension travel? I know of just two in the entire world. You could say that makes it sort of special, and the ride reflects that as well.

How many MGB's have a Big Block Buick 455 cubic inch engine? Only one. In the entire world. That also makes it sort of special. These sort of things make it worth more money. How much more? Again that's a matter to be settled by the buyer and the seller. But you take just these three things in combination and they are easily grounds to cause a rather dramatic increase in the asking price of the car. What I'm saying is that it is very unique, therefore scarce. And scarce items which are desirable are ALWAYS valuable ones. There can be no question that the car is desirable. Just one drive will show you that.

I would contend that the workmanship evidenced on the car also increases it's value, and it has a fair number of other premium features that are worth, well, a premium. Such as electric power steering which completely transforms the driving experience. Such as big ventilated rotor front brakes. Such as Mr Mikes covered Fiero seats. Such as the vastly oversized radiator installed without compromising front integrity or crashworthiness and the included lower radiator protection structure. And the list goes on, and future improvements are planned.

I would also contend that MGB's as a whole and MGB conversions as well presently enjoy a depressed market as we all can see by comparison with other like era collector cars because of, first the large number produced, and second because they aren't particularly attention grabbing cars like the stars of the muscle car era were. But due to bodywork, paint, and power level, the Roadmaster has been set apart from that niche and really sits more comfortably among the pony cars and muscle cars of that era and the current one. Again, things that make it more desirable and therefore more valuable,

It was also built in keeping with the original Kimber approach, adding improvements to enhance performance in a tasteful way as might have been done at Abingdon, had it been possible to do so. The factory considered the Jag IRS. We installed it. The factory installed a Buick V8 engine. We installed a larger Buick engine. So while expanding into the Muscle Car segment it has retained all ties with it's Sports Car roots. This adds value as well. Is it worth $50K or more? To the right buyer it is. It's our job to find that right buyer, not sell the car at a fire sale. A decade ago the Berlin GT sold for $80K or so and it was no more special than the Roadmaster. Terry Commissioned Ted to build his red GT and invested over $100K in the car, also nearly a decade ago. Given the quality, features, history, and uniqueness of the Roadmaster, it easily fits among that company.

Jim

Its going to need to appeal to a hotrodder without the ability to build his own as opposed to a collector who would probably lean more quickly toward the poor man's Cobra or other investment cars. Tigers are bringing around that price point. A straight Buick GS brings much less. But they aren't as cool. I thought this car was being built to raise money for charity.
Found this online:
"Almost all parts and labour including paint and bodywork) has been donated to this project. BADASS (the British-American Deviant Automotive Sportscar Society) is a Not-For-Profit organization. After all who have donated time, money, effort, etc to this project have had the opportunity for some seat time, we plan on auctioning the car off and donating proceeds to charity."

---

jeff@advanceddistributors.com

As I have often repeated, the car is owned by a non-profit charitable organization. The only official vote on disposition of the organizations assets (the car) was taken at French Lick, where it was decided to invest the proceeds and use the interest from the investment to fund the BritishV8 Newsletter and the annual BritishV8 meet.

This business about auctioning the car off and giving the proceeds to some other charity is and has been misinformation from the very start and was never sanctioned by a vote.

There is a problem with divesting one charity for the benefit of another if the two do not share the same beneficiaries. The beneficiaries of B.A.D.A.S.S. are the maturing teen and young adult population, and enthusiasts of LBC engine conversions. If you find a different charity that benefits those two groups we could consider an alternate disposition.

Jim