QuestionGood Evening Sir,
Although the following question I have is not repair related, I though that perhaps with your expertise, you may be able to offer assistance.
I am currently negotiating to purchase what seems to be a very authentically restored 1970 MGB. I have owned several 1973 MGB cars in the past, although it has been over a decade. Could you verify that the engine matches the vehicle by the vehicle number and the engine number supplied? I have researched online but the engine number variables supplied are not clear.
The owner seems quite honest but doesn't know if the engine is original. The vehicle number is listed as GHN5VA203559G and the engine number as 18G-WE-H33491.
The price of the vehicle is rather substantial and I would like to be certain if the engine does indeed match the vehicle. After purchase i would order a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate to allow me to carrect any details.
Thank you in advance!
Regards,
Victor Lee
(248) 787-8468
vslee13@hotmail.com
AnswerHi Victor,
The only info I have on the dates of cars to # is a Moss Motors catalog. They have a chart that says the engine number 18GH-22209 started the 1970 MGB. The only (WE) engines were in 1969. I worked in an MG dealership in those years but never paid much attention to starting and ending numbers as most 1800 engines were pretty much the same except the early 18GA engines were 3 main and the 18GB engines were 5 main. From then on the only changes I noted were in the head and bolt on components. There were some compression ratio changes too.
I do remember that production dates of 10/XX were the next year model. Back then we didn't think much about the starting and ending numbers because a car was titled the year it was sold not what it was manufactured to be. Some times any changes from one year to the next were very subtle and it was difficult to ID a car for it's year. One year I had a A-H sprite to PDI (predelivery inspection)and found all MG emblems inside. So if you were sitting inside the car you had an MG Midget but when you got out, you had a A-H Sprite.
To get a clearer picture of everything you should call the Moss Motors tech line to confirm the readings I have in my catalog from them.
Even if the engine you have is really a 69 in a 70 car, I would not be sure that BLM didn't do it, as working in the dealership back then, I seen several times, components come on cars from them that did not belong on that year car. It would be no surprise to me that if they had extra 69 engines when it was time (10/69) to start the 70 cars, these extra 69 engines would get installed. Even though the interior of the 69 and 70 were a lot different. (We were very disappointed in the 69 interior but pleased with the 70)
I consider Moss Motors a good authority on year changes so call them before you pay for the authenticity papers.
Howard
