I've posted before about my 'GT experience so this is a bit redundant and I apologize.

I had a '71 'B that was really quite nice and fun, but screwed up mechanically with the electrics/clutch/general finickiness.

I bought the '74 'GT from my mechanic. Totally rust free, no O/D (unfortunately), but most "options" otherwise. All O/D available MG's as I undertsand it, have the electrics for OD, so if you can get an OD trans, you can swap them and plug them in. (Is this right?) White, chrome bumpers. It had about 70K on it, tube shock conversion, and I bought it for $1400.

I drove this car year-round in Chicago for five years, parking on the street (George and Diversey area). Even in -60 degree windchill weather. I can remember digging it out of 1 1/2 feet of snow and it started, while my neighbors BMW 2002 sat idly by. The heater worked well, too.

I drove it all over the Eastern half of the US and settled in New Orleans for 1 yr. I drove it daily and it was allways parked outside. While there, I installed some Hella's (OK, a little cheesy) and kept everything functioning. The locks, wipers, and heater/defroster still worked.

Then I went to St. Louis, driving it daily often long distances. It gave it up when everything stopped working at once. It is now cannibalized and has contributed to many 'GT's still being on the road, I'm sure. But not until I completely stripped it of every part I thought I might need later.

All told, the car had had 130K on it, nothing rebuilt, the locks still worked, the wipers, everything. Except the mechanicals needed some serious attention. Still no rust, save for some bubbling on the rockers. I figured my operating cost for six+ years at around $5500, including purchase price, maintenance and insurance, less gas/oil.

These cars are very reliable if in the right hands or if they have been blessed with good childhoods. I like TRs, and really liked the early GT-6, but I'm too big for the GT-6 and the TR-6 is too narrow for me. The TR-6 is great looking, and with the hardtop looks awesome I think. It can be parked shamelessly next to anything.

The MGB-GT is a different deal, its elegant and rugged, and I think it has a poise and grace beyond its price. You can pick up a 944 turbo for what many ask for a so-so 'GT. The handling and performance, objectively speaking, suck. The car isn't just "not fast", its slow by any standard. But if you're into these cars, you're not after speed or performance anyway, you have a disease. The interior, dash presentation, exhaust note, closed coupe style, ruggedness and reliabilty are the arguments.

I vote again for keeping the 'GT, if only for personal reasons. I'd love to get another one, but the next time I will do it differently because I won't be a starving philosophy degree guy.

As for MGA's, I think the MGA hard top is one of the greatest looking cars ever made. I blab, I know.