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Sunbeam's 1970 MGB GT


Sunbeam

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This started over a few Ales in Los Angeles with a colleague. It was agreed that the car could go to a good home (mine) for some craft IPA. It took me a while but I finally got around to it last month. My buddy and I hitched a trailer onto the trusty Pajero and set off on a recovery trip that saw us go from Rangiora to Clevedon and back again in 60 hours. My mate had a stroke the day after which was apparently unrelated, but I digress (he's fine now BTW).

This car came in from North Dakota in 1993, imported by my colleague. He had it converted to RHD in 1995 and it moved into an old cow shed In Clevedon in 1998. Due to job/no time/house moves etc. it never got entry certified. It did not move again until June 10, 2017 when we dragged it out onto the trailer. It looks like it's been dredged out of a pond, but remarkably it's quite solid. If only it didn't have a car cover on it I think it would have come out much better.

New home:

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Plans? Leave in big shed, forget about it and build a house. Officially.

I'm busting to get it going though, so today I pulled some rats nest out of the engine bay and discovered a missing starter motor. The bellhousing is full of fluff too.

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As you can see it's a bit filthy. The car is also originally white. Aand, it has a Weber Carb. Looks like a 32/36 DGV on a Pierce manifold. It also has a Piranha ignition sticker on the back window, but I haven't taken the dizzy cap off yet for a look. 

Carpet is mint

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Step two, remove spark plugs, 10 second squirt of WD40 in each hole, and for good measure fill hole with oil, in this case leftover expensive synthetic ATF. I'll let that soak for a while before I try and turn the crank nut. Remove rocker cover and discover:IMG_0846.JPG.bc6c356df3ac29230dc2dc8cab9276ae.JPGIMG_0847.JPG.379f8b4209fe3340e3964c4d444c7217.JPG

The CLEANEST valvetrain I have EVER laid eyes on!! Also, the inside of the carb looks spotless and new, and even the radiator is not full of rust

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Oh, and wheels are sorted. Current rims are fake wires with wrong stud pattern, the holes are ovaled to fit!!!! 5 rusty Rostyles in the boot but I have these

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1978 Cromodora CD78s 14x6, good offset and Magnesium alloy. They are stupidly light. I'll get em crack tested before use but they have held air for over 10 years so should be good.

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