The first car I remember driving was my dad’s 1978 MG B. It wasn’t the first car I ever drove, but it is the first I remember driving. A few years later, I got to borrow his car on a semi-permanent basis, so I have a car during my college years. I have always loved the B, even the late years with the rubber bumpers. They really aren’t that bad.

British cars are sentient. They know when you have money, and mysteriously time breakdowns to coincide when you get a windfall (spreading more minor work over time). It is most irritating, but just one of the quirks one must accept. I would never give it up, it is too much fun.

In May 2000, one of my coworkers told me of a red MG for sale in Moscow ID. I had to look. It looked good, no rust, no oil under her. The hood was in great shape, she has an overdrive. She looked well cared for, but the owner wanted $5000.

On a whim, I asked the owner about the car, he took me for a drive. That was the end of the story. This car was pure fun, even more so than the B I was borrowing. Better yet, this one could be mine. I was able to talk him down to $4800 (which may still have been to much, but I love this car, so price was not the issue), and 18 months later, paid her off (the credit union gave me a two year loan).

Dashboard
1975 is a strange year. It has the bad carb of the later B’s, the “ugly” bumpers, but still uses the older interior. Personally, I like it. A lot. It has a touch of style that was lost when they redid the interior in ‘77, and the bumpers do grow on you. Just the same, I would like to have an earlier model.

When I bought my car, it still had the OEM Zenith-Stromberg sucky carb. With this in mind, I took on The great Carb Conversion, and my car is now properly aspirated with twin SU carbs.

The Palouse is a strange place, with it’s hot summers and decently cold winters. We don’t get the bone-chilling temperatures of the upper midwest and Canada, but it is certainly good enough so that snow stays around. However, the WADOT does not use salt on our roads, so even in the depths of winter, it is safe to drive in the snow. The B, with it’s nearly perfect weight distribution and skinny tires is very sure-footed on snow and ice, assuming you have good winter tires. I use and recommend Michilin Artic Alpin studless snow tires.