HTCAV – MGB track car
Words & Photos: Chris Ralph
Contributor Chris Ralph suffered ‘Craziness in Covidistan’ – flicking through social media, discovering potentially wallet-injurious websites, you know how it is. Most of the automotive offerings were ‘yeah-nahs,’ but every now and then, something stops the finger…
A competition MGB did exactly that. Nice. British Racing Green. Union Jack flags already in place. Proper. A reasonable price, good kit. One problem: it was in WA. But I knew the person posting – Paul Blank. The car wasn't on his Classic Rally marketplace yet but was just pre-dangling in the waters of the ‘Classic British Cars in Australia’ FaceBook page. Well, this fish swam around it, gave the line a little tug and retreated to peer out of the kelp… enter the research phase.
The MGB had been built as a Targa Tasmania rally car by MG Workshops in Victoria back in the mid-90s. A full strip-down and a good budget saw it gain a Mk1 factory close-ratio gearbox and the Weber-fed capacity taken out to 1946cc. It also had good wheels, brakes and suspension, a big radiator, and even a reverse lock on the transmission tunnel.
Cotton Wool Classic
After DNFing the 1997 Targa, the MGB won its class in ’98, then ran a bearing in ’99. Following a motor transplant, it was bought in ’99 by long-time West Australian Sporting Car Club Treasurer, Stan Robson. The self-described ‘enthusiast gentleman driver’ enjoyed himself elegantly in Regularity and Round The Houses events in WA, with the car occasionally exercised by racers such as Lance Stannard, whom I’d known from racing Historic Touring Cars.
From 2007, it served primarily as a mobile art piece in Stan’s garage – but Stan’s great mate, legendary WASCC race engineer Max Gamble would regularly call in to tune the car, replace stuff and take it for a proper to blow the cobwebs out before a decent lunch with his old friend. Such was its cossetted life – 17 listed events in 20 years and nothing for the last 13.
I didn’t need another car. I had a competition vehicle. Madness. What the heck – I bought it.
Recommissioned by Remote Control
The cost of trucking to Victoria was a mere $600 via CEVA (recommended) and the MGB found its way through Melbourne’s mean streets to a mate’s garage to be recommissioned.
At the end of July, before Big Lockdown turned into Very Big Lockdown, I snuck under the radar, gave it a tub and bought all the proper fluids. From then on, everything has been done by remote control.
The rock hard 1999 Yokohama A008s have been replaced by new A050s (thanks Traction Tyres) and various bits and pieces attended to. It was then trucked to its spiritual home – MG Workshops – for a tune and further checks.
“Amazing,” boomed the big voice of Andrew McDowell over the phone, “it’s a Workshops time warp. Everything just as we did it in the day!” Which is another reason I was attracted to it – it was all MG, no spurious non-marque add-ons.
Next Steps?
While I’d never really thought of an MGB before, they’d been in my life since their release – in the glorious mid-60s, I’d driven a girlfriend’s B from Melbourne to Adelaide overnight in approx. six hours, but really, what was I to do with one now?
Although still driving a modern rocketship hatchback in Sprints, I’d officially retired from historic racing and had sold car, trailer, parts, hoist and vacated a longtime workshop space. But this MGB had a logbook and I had a licence. It was too fat for Group S but MG Racing had a vibrant race series going with a bunch of Bs down the back. Hill climbs, track days and regularity events were all beckoning, too.
Decision made - I revived my MG Car Club membership which had lapsed after selling a TC a few years ago and transferred the logbook into my name.
So, I will attempt another time warp. Drive to event on Club Plates, take off Goodwood tweed cap and clamp on battle bowler. Enjoin battle with fellow like-minded individuals. Return home for glass of red. Repeat.
That’s the plan for a deluded old racer who won’t lie down yet. And if that fails, I’ll still have a three-part harmony of slurping Weber, wailing gearbox and classic B exhaust gurgle in an open car I can drive to a pub in the hills. And if that fails, I’ll still have something green to polish in the garage…
Stop Press!
Since this article was originally written, the mail order B-ride’s preparation has been completed by MG Workshops and she’s finally come home to Daddy. No more soft life, baby - you’re entered at Rob Roy Hillclimb, a sprint at Phillip Island and a race meeting at Sandown – all before Christmas. Earn your keep!
