1970' MG Mgb Gt Mk2 Bgt

Manufactured between 21st-24th November 1969 at Abingdon and despatched to the University Motors, London on 13th January 1970 and registered by them on 19th February 1970.
From February 1970 to 15th August 1998 the car had 7 owners for which I have no details. I bought it in October 2000 from Stourbridge after it had spent it’s early years in Cornwall. The car was purchased in the knowledge that it was to undergo a ‘rolling restoration’ and not be fully stripped back to bare body shell metal.
The car has been re-sprayed after restoration in it’s original British Racing Green and is currently fitted with a second hand, Oselli built Fast Road engine with Lumenition Performance spec. electronic ignition, breathing through twin HS6 1.75 inch SU carburettors and a Moss tourist trophy stainless steel exhaust system.
Work began in late 2000, when the original engine was removed and
re-built to a standard spec. by the current owner, with the 4 speed plus overdrive gearbox overhauled by Klassic Transmissions. This engine was sold in 2012, when a friend’s BGT underwent a major transformation carried out by Frontline Developments and the Oselli engine and many other parts were acquired and fitted.
The front wings, grille and valance were removed and scrapped, followed by the fuel tank, brake, fuel & clutch pipes and exhaust system, all of the interior panels/carpets were destroyed. The seats were removed and restored with new leather facings. The somewhat bare but ‘rolling’ body shell was then taken by trailer from Gloucester to Roger Mossop in Chichester where the floors and sills were removed and replaced together with some other structural repairs.
The car was returned with all it’s structural repairs done and the front suspension, brakes & steering removed. After cleaning/shot blasting/painting it was all re-built using upgraded polyurethane bushes, drilled/grooved discs, new brake callipers and pads, new coil springs, upgraded Armstrong lever dampers, new steering rack and a Moss 3/4” dia. adjustable anti roll bar fitted. A new fuel tank and copper brake and fuel lines were installed together with SS braided fuel & oil hoses.
New BMH front wings and front valance were fitted. It retains its original aluminium bonnet and roof lining. The rear axle is a re-conditioned unit supplied by MGOC Spares. New leaf springs were fitted with polyurethane bushes/pads together with Spax telescopic adjustable rear shock absorbers. The car was prepared for an MOT in April 2006 with minimum interior, glazing and chrome work and passed first time. It was then used on a number of club and national events during the spring and summer of 2006, before being stripped during the winter and taken to SAS Motors of Gloucester in January 2007, who prepared the car for re-spray.

Since then the front suspension/steering has been modified to reduce the castor angle setting, using a Brown & Gammons modification kit. The brakes have been further improved by the fitment of a remote 1.9:1 servo and the rear axle is now located by a Panhard rod, of Frontline Developments design. Headlamps are Halogen and switched via relays.
The interior was re-trimmed with all new panels/carpets, re-covered door cappings and new bumpers less over riders. It has a period Motorala wood rim steering wheel fitted. The engine is cooled by an alloy radiator and an electric fan from a Fiat, that was in the car when I bought it. It’s also fitted with a Mocal oil stat. to prevent over cooling of the engine oil. There is also a fuel filter and pressure regulator mounted on the front bulkhead of the engine bay.
A Retro Sound stereo radio and compatible speaker is fitted using a screen mounted aerial, together with a 2kg dry powder fire extinguisher mounted behind the driver’s seat. A flexible map reading light replaces the original MG item. A battery cut off switch is located behind the passenger seat and a fuel cut off switch on the dashboard. A modern electronic fuel pump is mounted in the original MG location. A later gearstick is fitted with both overdrive switches wired in parallel and an amber warning light on the dashboard in lieu of the original rheostat.
The car has been used extensively on MSA , MG car club and HRCR road events only. It was fitted with a Brantz trip meter and other essential items for safety and navigation purposes. These have all been removed and standard parts re-fitted. It comes with extensive files of the photographed restoration together with relevant receipts, a Heritage certificate, workshop manual and some spares.
It has been left with a certain amount of patina, has scope for further updates and is a very usable classic.
The car was featured in September 2010’s edition of MG Enthusiast Magazine, together with several others, at a VIP day held at Frontline Developments new premises south of Abingdon.
It was also photographed at the 30th anniversary event of the HRCR alongside a Mini and this photo eventually found its way into the Mini Owners Club magazine.
As a member of the BOC the car was also used non-competitively on members day hill climbs and appeared in the BOC’s Bugantics magazine in the summer of 2016.