Tahiti Blue B - 1977 MGB Prologue

Tahiti Blue B - 1977 MGB

Prologue

    While walking the dog one evening with my lovely wife in August 2021, I mentioned in passing how it might be nice if we had a "fun" car for us both to enjoy. "Maybe something like an MGB that we could take up the coast to get oysters...", I posited. She replied, to my surprise, "Ive always loved MGB's so sure, sell one of your motorcycles and maybe we can find something..."

The next day, the Craigslist add for the motorcycle went up, and this beautiful 1977 MGB appeared in the search. 

$2500 seemed too good to be true. The part about "willing to part out" should have been a clear red flag...🚩

She agreed to join me on the road trip out into the Central Valley of California to go take a look one ridiculously hot Sunday afternoon.

It was clear right away that despite the almost complete lack of an interior, it lacked something else event more important, rust and grime.

The body panels were solid and aligned, the wheel arches were smooth, the floors and rocker panels were free of rust and holes and an it had incredibility clean engine bay. It was adorned with what looked to be new fuel pump, air pump, alternator, heater valve, headlights and possibly even a new head. Even though it was not running, he assured us that with some fresh fuel and a new battery, "It should fire right up!"

    So with the hook set, we dug a bit deeper and started asking the next logical question. "So if we were to make an offer today, are you prepared to sign over the title?" I asked. "Oh I don't have the title on me but Ive had the car forever and haven't been able to contact the previous owner to get the title, but you should be able to just fill out a Statement of Facts with the DMV and be good to go!" he replied. 

Perhaps it was the continued support and optimism from my wife that convinced me to go against my gut, but we decided that despite these glaring red flags with the lack of title 🚩 and it not running 🚩; we would shake on it and head to the ATM to get cash for a deposit. 

We signed the bill of sale, making sure it included the opportunity to return the car should we not have success with the title situation at the DMV and handed over a few BenJamin's.

The next day, serendipitously having to rent a full sized pickup and flatbed trailer, instead of the tow dolly I had planned to use behind my VW Tiguan (which would have been a terrible idea in retrospect), I picked up Tahiti Blue B and brought it home.

The first order of business was then to do a bit of clean up and a full inspection.

Before taking further action, and spending any more money and time on it, a trip to the DMV was scheduled and prayers and sacrifices were made that there wouldn't be too much hassle acquiring title.

    I got up early and drove out to the DMV and only waited about 10 minutes before my number was called. I explained the full situation to gentleman, including my inability to move or smog the vehicle as well as my intention to register it as "non-op" for the time being while we get it running again. I also made clear the situation with the previous owner and his inability to get the title from the previous-previous owner. To my surprise, he advised me that I did indeed need to have the previous owner complete the DMV Form Statement of Facts and return it to them.

Skeptical, I drove home and reached out to the previous owner about our needing him to be the one to complete the Statement of Facts, not us. Luckily he was happy to oblige and even had found a few more parts for us. As a cherry on top he would be in our area and could drop them all off the coming day!

With the completed Statement of Facts in hand and fingers crossed the whole way, I headed out once again to the DMV. I explained the story to a different gentleman, presented my Bill of Sale, Statement of Facts, and license plate that came on the vehicle and patiently awaited my fate. 

Before you could say Tahiti Blue B and he replied that it would be $260 and I could go ahead and insert my card to process the transaction. I eagerly shoved my card in the machine and held my breath. 

Next thing I knew there was a document in my hand with my name and the VIN on the same document! I was advised that the next step would be to have a VIN inspection performed by either bringing the vehicle in to the DMV or to an authorized station. I asked if there was some sort of time-frame that this needed to be completed and was told, "nope".

With the excitement of an official DMV document in hand and a few hundred dollars poorer I logged on the Moss Motors website for the first time and ordered a carb rebuild kit for the original Zenith Stromberg carburetor and our very own Moss Motors MGB specific catalog.

Once the carb rebuild kit arrived from Moss, the Hayes manual from Amazon, a new set of SAE wrenches from Harbor Freight, and a few hours of John Twist videos consumed it was time to actually dig in.

It was at this point that I learned for the first time what an automatic water choke mechanism was. I could feel it, the adventure had truly begun!

While removing the coolant lines that supplied the automatic water choke it appeared that the housing was filled with corrosion. So a new one was ordered.

        

Once the replacement coolant housing and heat mass assembly arrived it had to be calibrated. With invaluable guidance from John Twist of University Motors' video, I believe (currently) that this was successfully accomplished.

 With the newly calibrated water choke installed, the carburetor cleaned and rebuilt with new gaskets, penetrating oil soaking in the cylinders, fresh engine oil covering the upper valve train, plugs removed, coolant flushed and replaced and a new battery installed, it was cranked over for the first time, a few times, to prime the oil pump and prepare for the first attempted start.

Fresh fuel was procured and siphoned into the tank (because the angle of the filler cap makes it impossible to fill with a traditional fuel can). The fuel line was removed from the carb and the key switched on to activate the fuel pump. At first it just clicked away, no sign of fuel arriving at its intended destination.

The fuel pump cover in the trunk (boot?) was removed and then the fuel pump was rotated and given a few love taps to encourage its resuscitation and low and behold fuel began to flow.

Now it was time for the moment of truth. Wifey, having just arrived home at the perfect time to twist the key asked "Are you excited?" I replied "Hell no! I would hate to get overly worked up and invested in it starting only to have my excitement dashed by minutes and minutes of failed attempts to actually get it started!"

 So once again, I asked the car gods to bless our beautiful Tahiti Blue B, switched on the ignition, pumped the throttle a few times and began cranking.

It sure is nice when a plan comes together!

 

So that's where we stand. We may not have a beautifully running MGB, but we do have a beautiful, running MGB. We have unfinished DMV documentation with our name on it, though no title in hand, yet...

The plan is to document the process going forward and hopefully before this time next year we can enjoy that trip up the coast toward 2 dozen oysters and the other joys of touring in a classic British sports car.

Phil S.

10/25/2021