Description

1977 MGB Safari Trials Special

Fully prepared and ready to go; successful MCC & ATCC Class 5 car; turn-key fun; instant hobby; great father/daughter/mother/son bonding opportunity!

Perhaps not the prettiest MGB we have had the pleasure to offer, it is one of the most purposeful and certainly better prepared than many.

Don’t be fooled by the paint-job in Korma yellow, this bodywork is solid and the whole car has been thoughtfully prepared with just one thing in mind - trials.

A BMIHT Heritage Certificate tells us of a 1977 RHD Roadster painted Sandglow (now Korma) which was delivered new to Cleveland Garages in St Helier, Jersey (as was lot 38 in the sale today!). It came with Rostyle wheels and overdrive.

A previous owner spent a lot of time investigating its past, a full DVLA ownership list on file with plenty of older bills showing care and attention over the years. Its previous owner had made a start converting it for PCTs (Production Car Trials), used it a couple of times before parking it under a tree.

Our vendor, an avid trials competitor himself in both ancient and modern equipment spotted it languishing and persuaded his 15 year old son to invest his hard earned savings into a father and son project, with the view to having a season's fun and passing it on at the end.

Work commenced repairing and preparing it, raising the car with a new set of rubber bumper springs, fitting better lights, new fuel lines with E10 compliant pipes to the tank which is now located in the boot for protection. Plates have been put under the floor and the exhaust sited to give as much clearance as possible and the handbrake is now hydraulic, again to keep the underside as clear and clean as possible.

The car has been reinforced underneath, with new sills added for more strength and a kit of everything needed to compete thrown in the boot  - to boot....This includes a compressor and air receiver for rapid inflation of the tyres and two spares.

The tyres were replaced with the most aggressive treads allowed in the class, which are still suitable for every day driving, the car having proved utterly reliable and called on when the family 'moderns' have given up the ghost. It is MOT exempt, although once back on the road, it was taken for a new test to ensure all was fit and well. Its last test expired in January this year showing no advisories.

Since then, it has been driven to and from all events and has covered around 160 trials sections with no mechanical failures whatsoever and lopes along nicely on the road thanks to the overdrive.

Its first event was the 2021 North Devon Motor Club Exmoor trial where it completed the course but was not in the awards. They then completed the MCC Autumn Trial with father and son driving, winning the best performance by an MG trophy. It then carried the team to a Bronze award on the 2021 MCC Edinburgh, another outing to the 2022 MCC Exeter and a 3rd in class at the MAC Clee Hill Trial. Its most recent event was the full-blown MCC Lands End Trial where it finished, but sadly just out of the awards.

Its not just a trials car though, as it would make the perfect mount for an international rally such as the Mongol, The Crumball Rally, or Paris Peking...

On the button, prepped and ready for more, there is no other motorsport that can offer so much fun for so little outlay. Here we have the perfect tool for a specific task, which is only for sale due to the imminent arrival of the next project - involving a lads trip to France on bicycles to collect and drive home the next instalment.

For more information - contact [email protected]