1959 MGA – Project Profile

The MGA is a perennially popular and achingly gorgeous British sports car that looks just as good today as when it was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1955. And boy, was it a shock! Replacing the original MG Midget it was such a step forward in design and style it’s hard to believe that it was the direct successor to the much more vintage aesthetic of the Midget. Gone were the boxy body and running boards, ditched in favour of a far more streamlined and sweeping model.

Initially powered by a 1.5-litre, twin-carb, four-cylinder B-Series producing around 70bhp it was spritely enough for most but the MGA perhaps didn’t quite bite as well as it barked for some. A more powerful twin-cam engine was offered three years into production to satiate the desires of the more enthusiastic driver and the 1.5 was later increased in capacity to 1.6-litres. But with greater power comes greater responsibility. Unfortunately that meant that the faster, dual cam engines were not only expensive, but also unreliable and so the single cam versions are easier to live with as well as being more abundantly available.

What is it? 

This particular 1959 MGA was originally of the aforementioned 1.5-litre variety, although it is now fitted with a 1.6 from the Mk II producing 90bhp. This is good because it means it’s less likely to break than the twin-cam variants and it’ll be cheaper to run and maintain. Not only that but it’s not likely to fall apart either as it is a solid example with no rust to speak of and no welding required as the chassis has already been refurbished. A rare thing indeed. It’s a convertible too so it’s just, well, better. Originally a California car it’s currently UK registered with every t crossed and i dotted.

Why is it a project? 

Imagine buying a new Lego set and pouring the contents of the box out on the floor, excited to get started on the build. Well, that’s essentially what this car is, only with bigger parts. Having been stripped so that the chassis could be refreshed the car is currently in bits. The advert states that it is a complete car so the good news is that everything should be present and correct, it just needs putting back together. Oh, and it also needs painting. There’s no repair work or messing about with pattern parts to worry about though, so you can just crack on.

Five things to look for:

1) Body and Chassis

As mentioned, the chassis has been fully refreshed. From the photos it looks to be in top condition but it’s still worth getting in amongst it all and checking the quality of the work to make sure everything has been buttoned up correctly. The panels do look great and are apparently original but seeing as MGAs were pretty much hand-built the gaps might need some fettling so have a look for even alignment and check that the doors haven’t dropped.

2) Parts

This MGA is being sold as a ‘complete car’ and so we would expect to find everything included to get the thing back on the road but it would be pertinent to make sure 100% of the parts are present and in serviceable condition. If there is anything missing support for these cars is top notch so you shouldn’t have any problems finding any bits and pieces, should you need them, especially as it’s fitted with a single cam engine.

3) Engine

The car is currently fitted with a Mk II MGA 1,622cc engine with a Peter Burgess Econotune unleaded head which makes this particular MGA a much more usable proposition than the original 1,500 model. However, according to the write up the engine has not been turned over. Obviously it’s important to assess the state of the engine and what it needs, if anything, to get it running. The B-Series is pretty robust but have a look for any paperwork pertaining to the motor to assess its condition and usage.

4) Interior

A full interior is included with the car and although it’s a US import a right hand-drive dash is supplied so it can be turned back to a UK-spec car. Again, check the condition and completeness but it might be worth upgrading the interior whilst the car is stripped down, depending on your budget.

5) Paperwork

As stated, the car is an import so make sure all of the registration paperwork is kosher. Is there any history with the car? Especially concerning the non-standard engine and chassis work. Advertised as a ‘barn find’ is there any provenance to back up the story?

What should you do with it? 

Photo taken before the strip down

Paint it and then put it all back together. With a lot of the hard work already completed, especially on the chassis, this is, dare we say it, a relatively simple project and one that you could put your own spin on if you so choose. Keep it standard or perhaps drop a larger B-Series engine in while everything is accessible if you’re after a little more oomph. Maybe update the interior too. Whatever you choose to do, however, by the end of it you’ll have a beautiful, straight, rust-free classic British sports car that has some choice upgrades. The MGA remains a joy to drive and wherever you take it you’ll be guaranteed to turn heads and amass many an admiring glance.

If you missed out on this one but you too find MGAs achingly gorgeous, here’s where to look to find an MGA for sale.