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MG MGB Technical - MGB GT Hit and Run

Hey all,

I'm sad to say late last night my '69 MGB GT was hit in front of my house and the perp left without a trace.

It has pretty significant damage and I'm guessing insurance will total the car.

My question to the board is does the damage look repairable within reason? (I know you can fix pretty much anything). Or should I look for another vehicle to swap my running gear into. My car was in good working order and I had just fitted an OD trans and composite rear springs a few months back.

Pictures can be seen here:
http://www.freewebs.com/billsbuckets/mgbhitandrun.htm

If anyone knows a good/reputable bay area body shop I'd also be interested.

cheers

-Bill
Bill Mertz

Hello Bill,

Hard to give an opinion without examining the car. But consider parts cost from Moss catalog or VB. Or find a car to canibalize it in a scrapyard.
Who will do de job?

if you are able to weld things yourself or not= +/- for cost

I believe you have for near $2,500 in parts only
But if you love de car, this influence your evaluation of things...

Cheers,

Jean G.
Jean Guy Catford

Awww - man that sucks really big time. Almost tears in the eyes just looking at how beat 'up that car is - and unlucky to have the tree damage the front end too.

You didn't hear the noise and come out at 3am?!

Anyway, knowing how bad race cars are smashed up, then patched up and put back on the track, anything's possible. While it does indeed look like a write-off from an insurance POV, the stubborn sod in me would spend whatever it took to get the car running and looking better than before the accident just to defy the pricks who did it. The accountant and bank manager may beg to differ, however!

Curtis Walker

Hard to say from the pics, are the wheels still in the right place relative to each other? I can give you some measurements if you like. If not it looks like re-shell time. All the other stuff you can buy repro or second hand or save. This can give you a close to perfect car, at a price. I do hope you save it and don't let the ignorant win.
Stan Best

Makes me ill to look at it....good luck, and please let us know the outcome...and don't be a push-over with the insurance company.
Rick Ingram

Thanks guys.
I was over at my girlfriends house when it happened so I didn't hear it. The landlord phoned me and I came over.

I think the wheels are in the right place relative to eachother. Haven't measured yet, but the impact was fairly high on the car. Amazingly the hatch glass didn't shatter either.

I will get it back on the road one way or another even if I have to transfer all the mechanicals into another car.I really do appreciate the sympathy, it makes me feel better about getting this thing turned around. I'm still in shock though.

I'll keep you all posted. Maybe its time for a custom bodied B-GT.
Bill Mertz

My sympathies to ya. I seem to recall someone parting out a '67 GT up in Santa Rosa awhile back for a lot less than $1k. So I suspect a reshell is the cheaper way to go, unless you do the work yourself. You might consider ringing up Shadetree Motors in Pleasanton, see what they think. I haven't used their services myself, but I imagine they've seen something like this before.

TLG
Terrence Goodell

Bill

Back in 1980, my wife;s 68 got hit in the rear and it pushed us into the car in the front. Damage was about the same and it pulled out fine. You can pick up a hood and rear hatch on e-bay for relatively little.

Difference is price of repair has gone up significantly. If you have a body shop that will do the pull for a reasonable price, it may be worth looking.

It all depends on if the front is sheet metal damage or if it got back to the front end suspension. If just sheet metal, that can be fixed.

Reasonably easy fix for a body shop to put on a frame machine and pull it out.. You could do a lot yourself

I would see if you have a shop in your area that is not as busy. A lot will take on a project for less if they can stop working on it if other work comes in. My shop does this all the time so they do not have to lay off workers. You save but can't expect it done in a week.

Bruce-C

That's horrible! I hope the cops can fingerprint that bottle of booze and catch the jerks.
Steve Simmons

Bill,

I've heard too many sad stories about hit and run vehicle accidents in Oakland. You have my sympathy as it seems to be a real problem there, for some reason.

Try On the Road Again (aptly named) in Morgan Hill. They specialize in Brit car repairs and the owner is an MGOC member.

Your best bet may be to find a good shell and transfer the good operating parts.

Best of luck,

Tom
Tom Balutis

I feel your pain.

Back in the 70's my car was parked in front of a friend's house.

During dinner, we all heard a sickening "thump" from the street.

A lifted SUV (big bumper hitch, exposed spare tire brackets)
had backed up onto my car, bent my Amco bumper bar, and
sliced the original aluminum hood open like a can opener
(no more need to raise the hood to check the coolant level).

When the driver saw all of us gathering on the porch to see
what had happened - she flew away like a proverbial bird.

That was the first of many hoods for which I've had to replace.


Daniel Wong

Bill - so sorry to hear about the crime against you. I know what that must feel like. My B was stolen the day I went back to graduate school and I felt so violated. A damaged car is almost worse in that you have to see it every day.

Best wishes to you as you deal with this - try not to get too angry. I was mad for years over my car being stolen - many of us just never seem to let something like this go.

Jeff
Jeff

Again,
Thanks for all the comments and sympathy. It looks like insurance is gonna leave me hanging. I've found a couple of decent cheap shells and since all the mechanicals and suspension are in tact this route is looking more an more likely. I plan on getting a couple of body shop quotes first. I might even take the porta power to it and see how close I can get it. Either way these things happen and I'm trying not to get too upset although I'm certainly feeling the loss. But it could have been worse. No one got hurt and I can build another MG, it might even be fun.

-Bill
Bill Mertz

How is the insurance leaving you hanging?

If you have he proper coverage, they should be working with you.

Rick Ingram

Very possible police could get prints off the bag or bottle. Sorry about the car! I would be really pissed! Glad you weren't in it at the time though.
S.L. LaPaugh

If your PD is anything like ours here, they never do the finderprint thing. Well, maybe if there's a murder or something like that. A security cam might not even impress them. "Do you know how many gray Chevy trucks there are around here?" and "Why did you park there?" seem to be more like it.

Maybe a reward from crimestoppers would get a tip from a witness. A want ad in your paper could possibly turn up something, a witness may not know who you are, or be stirred to action from a guilty conscience. Maybe the perp has told (bragged to?) someone about it and they don't especially like the guy (girl?), so they rat him/her out. That's how a theft was solved in my case. I'd visit with the neighbors and see what comes of that, too. Of course, the police will be too busy to do any of the investigating, unless you come up with a great lead.

I hate to say it, but it looks like a low speed push scenario. Like a kid in a big jacked up pickup decided to use his big unit to crush your little one. Haha, big fun. I was young once, did some amazingly irrational things, and I can remember how easy it was to do them, especially with your buddies egging you on. If this is what happened, the kid should pay.

Ain't I a crabby old fart?
Tom

Bill, looking at your pix my thought would be to find another GT add the good parts of your car sell what ever is left over and end up with a nicer GT at a lower price then repairing your wreck. RIC
RIC LLOYD

From the photos you are probably looking somewhere around $10,000 from a body shop.

To find a decent shell you might contact Dave Laughlin English Spare Parts 510 234 6624 in Richmond or Dave Pelton Foreign Auto Service 510 886 2266 in Hayward.
Lee

This thread was discussed between 09/01/2009 and 21/01/2009

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