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[Kevin Wood]

My mate spent £28,000 buying a MGB GT V8 & importing it from New Zealand & is now spending upwards of £25,000 having it completely stripped down & rebuilt , utter waste of money in my opinion for a car which stays in the garage for around 350 days of the year & will no longer be "original". I will admit that the engine sounds beautiful but after a ride in it you appreciate how much vehicles have improved since 1974.

Blimey! One of my neighbours just bought a tidy one with a rebuilt engine for less than half that!

Still a lot for a "2 door Morris Oxford".

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

My mate spent £28,000 buying a MGB GT V8 & importing it from New Zealand & is now spending upwards of £25,000 having it completely stripped down & rebuilt , utter waste of money in my opinion for a car which stays in the garage for around 350 days of the year & will no longer be "original". I will admit that the engine sounds beautiful but after a ride in it you appreciate how much vehicles have improved since 1974.

Blimey! One of my neighbours just bought a tidy one with a rebuilt engine for less than half that!

Still a lot for a "2 door Morris Oxford".

Speaking of the MGB GT V8.

I recently read a road test by Autocar from the early seventies where they tested one that had been modified by a company called Costello.

It was a bit quicker but still handled like a 'bring out your dead' wooden-wheeled cart from the middle ages. 

[annihilator]

Had a 1.6 XL version of that Capri in go faster Sahara beige back in the early eighties, unknown to me when I bought it the osr quarter was full of filler and the inner sills were gone. Wouldn't give tuppence for any Fords of that vintage. 

[Nick W]

Had a 1.6 XL version of that Capri in go faster Sahara beige back in the early eighties, unknown to me when I bought it the osr quarter was full of filler and the inner sills were gone. Wouldn't give tuppence for any Fords car of that vintage. 

Fords were no worse for rot than lots of cars, and far better than others: Japanese and Italian for instance. German cars took longer to show(except for large BMWs), but were far worse to fix when they did.


Modern cars aren't any better, as they've gone back to both the body and mechanical parts 'wearing out' at about ten to twelve years old which will increase the car's depreciation from steep to almost vertical. Just look at the cost of scheduled maintenance like wet timing belts for a good example.

[Andy B]

....
Just look at the cost of scheduled maintenance like wet timing belts for a good example.

I've only recently heard of these ... WTF thought that was a good idea? 

[Andy B]

Anyway...I'd prefer an MGC even if it turned out to be utter shite.

I like the look of them .... bonnet bulge etc .... but I believe they only went in straight lines due to that fc*k off great cast iron straight 6 lump

[ronnyd]

....
Just look at the cost of scheduled maintenance like wet timing belts for a good example.

I've only recently heard of these ... WTF thought that was a good idea? 

Just had a quick Google and they reckon that you can save a massive 1% on fuel consumption. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

My mate down the pub was telling me tonight that he has just left his Testarossa in to have the timing belts changed.
£1200 ! 
I told him its just nuts and bolts, and he should have done it himself. He looked at me a bit old fashioned at that point. 

[Rangie]

My mate down the pub was telling me tonight that he has just left his Testarossa in to have the timing belts changed.
£1200 ! 
I told him its just nuts and bolts, and he should have done it himself. He looked at me a bit old fashioned at that point. 

. 


That's extremely reasonable.

[Nick W]

My mate down the pub was telling me tonight that he has just left his Testarossa in to have the timing belts changed.
£1200 ! 
I told him its just nuts and bolts, and he should have done it himself. He looked at me a bit old fashioned at that point. 

That's the same price as a 1.0l Focus. Or a V6 Renault. And they don't have the Ferrari price inflation tax.

[Nick W]

....
Just look at the cost of scheduled maintenance like wet timing belts for a good example.

I've only recently heard of these ... WTF thought that was a good idea? 

Whoever it was, I suspect that their native language is German.

[Andy B]

....
Just look at the cost of scheduled maintenance like wet timing belts for a good example.

I've only recently heard of these ... WTF thought that was a good idea? 

Whoever it was, I suspect that their native language is German.

I first heard & saw it on a Peugeot 

[Varche]

Wet timing belts. Who would have thought! New materials and 150k miles lifespan?  Used to be that oil and timing belts didnt really mix.

[YZ250]

My mate down the pub was telling me tonight that he has just left his Testarossa in to have the timing belts changed.
£1200 ! 
……..

Very reasonable. Now compare that price with changing the timing chain on an Audi A6 3.0 TDI. The timing chain sits between the engine and gearbox so it’s an engine out job. You can’t do it on your driveway as the engine has to come out through the bottom. Long story short, £3.5K at an Indie garage and around £4K at Audi. 

That’s why Al loves the design so much. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I suppose in the grand scheme of things it is reasonable. But in my world its the cost of a car. 
Apparently the belts are at the bulkhead end of the engine, so they drop the complete subframe complete with engine, out of the car to change them.
Given the amount of miles it covers though, its an expensive hobby. I doubt it does 100 miles a year.
He is a multi millionaire who usually rides around on a very old rusty bike and looks like he hasnt got the price of a cup of tea.