FORGOTTEN 1979 MG - Will It Run and Drive After Decades?

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“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." -John 10:27-28
It's time we worked on something foreign! Today this 1979 MGB is given a new life, but it definitely isn't going without putting up a fight. Think we can make it run and drive for the first time in decades? Stick around to the end to find out.
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Dylan McCool
PO Box 398
Hazel Green, AL 35750
#mccoolauto #abandoned #restoration

[@DylanMcCoolVideo]

Go to dave.com/mccool to sign up for an ExtraCash account and get up to $500 instantly. Terms: dave.com/legal

[@jasonalexander3080]

You got a good one good floors and a hard top awesome

[@stoveboltlvr3798]

I was thinking a 340 would fit nice but as long as the MG engine runs good just drive it. There is room for a roll bar!

[@rexjolles]

I swear these things are so cheap. You can find them for like 3 grand with almost no rust, running, driving, etc. Just not desireable I guess. The kind of car your uncle would buy new

[@scottwalters7055]

That annoying buzzer you hear on the MG is the seatbelt buzzer. You’ll also notice there’s some blocks between the frame and the body because USA headlight laws came into affect so they just raise the whole car versus changing the headlights.

[@kerrypierre9494]

Hey bro, I was wondering,are the U.S. laws the reason for the ugly bumpers on these cars?

[@robinjakobsen9275]

@@kerrypierre9494 yes euro bumpers look way better

[@kerrypierre9494]

@@robinjakobsen9275 Thanks for the reply, I agree, 👍

[@jameshicks4138]

There is no frame on these cars it’s unibody I own a 75 the bumpers and ride hight and the 3 wipers was the us doing.

[@davelewandoski4292]

I woulda tracked that buzzer down the first thing and ripped it out. 😅

[@bigfoot-id8bv]

Weird thing in the trunk is the jack. 2 things that help these run, 1) turn out all the lights, left the hood and start it, than chase down and fix all the sparks. 2) dribble 1/2 teaspoon or so of light weight oil into the top of the carbs (that little screw top thing on top of the carbs) my MG’s always ran a lot better after these fixes.

[@roberttaylor7462]

The jacks were made by King Dick and have a specific jacking point that should only be used by the factory jack.

[@porterhollingsworth9909]

My dad had a 79 mgb with a Range Rover v8 in it with 5 speed and mustang 2 front suspension. It was a little hot rod and it was so much fun to ride in.

[@TruckerShawn94]

I’ll be completely honest I’ve had an absolutely horrible day but seeing Dylan being goofy in the mg gave me a good laugh that I needed

[@VATION3RD-GEN-X-GARAGE]

At least the folks across the pond will be happy that you're doing some of their stuff

[@thorfrun8959]

Yes we are

[@0richbike]

Not my stuff...I've got a triumph 😂

[@paulriggers1558]

well, it sorta looks like one of ours, unfortunately your ralph nader destroyed it's good looks + hiked up the suspension 4 inches hopefully it can be returned to good...

[@RobbieHerrera]

I’m not across the pond but loved it anyway. I had a ‘51 TD and a ‘71 B. Many fond memories, I worked on them a lot but they were easy to work on.

[@wertbe1718]

As an American, i find MGs to be really cool

[@britishsouth]

Dylan, welcome to the hobby of British Cars! My wife and I fullfilled a life-long dream of owning an MGB last year. The activities and club participation for these cars is next to none. I encourage you to join your local MG club! In fact, I met of few of the guys from your area at the Brits on the Bay show in Pensacola last week. One of them had met you at some point. Cheers!

[@707mrmichael]

I just got home from a fun day driving my 1979 MGB around in the sun thought I would check some KZbin, and then...this! I am five minutes into the video, can't wait to see what you do with this one. I have had my MGB for just over a year; it is my first british car. I have gone through the electrical system and cooling system, put in electronic ignition and tuned it up. Lots of plans to replace/repair more but for now I am having fun driving it.

[@joe08867]

And the record for dieseling goes to Dylan. Great video.

[@Gadgetman1989]

An old mentor of mine used to have one cherry red, that he converted the entire car to electric, run it off golf cart batteries and did all the mechanical stuff himself...and this was late 90's early 00's, beautiful little car, i want one so bad tbh, great job Dylan!!!

[@Nothingeverhappens84]

I live in the uk and owned a couple of these all I can say is good luck and God's speed to you dylan. Oh at 54:40 that was a very familiar and common sound and those carbs if you sneezed on them they went out of adjustment. The run-on (diesel'in) is usually timing

[@MrTombo-gg4bq]

Remember the massive build up on the plugs? The combustion chamber is full of that build up, when it gets glowing hot that is the cause of Dillon's dieseling problem. I have an old farm tractor that does the same thing when I go to shut it down I just let the clutch out with it in gear.

[@OwainPreece-ie6bb]

My parents had a GT version when I was a kid in the late 80's. Your American market dashboards are quite different to what our UK ones had. And the triple wipers, we had to make do with 2... great little cars, twin SU's carbs on uk models, they sound great.

[@mescko]

They had to run triple wipers due to the myriad of US regulations, in this case a certain percentage of the windscreen has to be wiped, and two didn't wipe enough. FYI I have a '68 BGT in my garage. The dieseling was an issue ever since emissions regulations had to be applied to the side-draught carburettors fitted to British sports cars starting in 1968. The design of these carbs was simple and rugged, but they are not 'clean' and do not respond well to the modifications required.

[@mannywilliams6409]

Here in the states, there were MGs that had the twin carbs but the problem with that was very few mechanics who could tune them!

[@tmajcan94]

I was sitting here thinking "when is Dylan McCool doing another video?". I swear not even five minutes later here we are! It's so cool seeing you tackle something a little out of your wheelhouse but that makes it even cooler. God bless you sir.

[@jamesyoung4317]

Great video! I have a 77 Mgb and my son has a 79 Midget and we both love our British sports cars. and we are planning on taking the both on power tour this year.

[@commiehook6323]

I bought my 1974.5 MGB from a salvage yard for $500. Bleeding the clutch was a real treat for me. But I have her running, driving, and stopping. And you're right, they're a lot of fun to putt around in.

[@tylerwoodall8312]

I’ve been obsessed with MG’s lately then Dylan drops an MG video. The universe may be telling me something.

[@Wilantonjakov]

the universe. you mean God?

[@Bubbaj226]

Buy an mgb

[@grantkoeller8911]

The rusty rims are in need of a wire brush, and a coat of silver Rust-Oleum paint.

[@thomaswermager1819]

I had a ‘76 MGB way back in the early 80’s. Great little car, but really liked to be worked on! You mentioned something about not being a car you wouldn’t want to go across country in. My new bride and I drove from Vermont to Minnesota & back on our honeymoon with no problems other than getting a huge crack in the windshield! Seeing yours makes me wish I still had one! Thanks for help bring back old memories!

[@jimrky6062]

Try a Clymer and a Chilton's Manual, Dylan - I went through my 69 with just those - straight through to a valve job and re-ring, replace electric fuel pump, rebuild calipers, replace brake and clutch master, rebuild clutch slave ... much more. And it was 2 x 6V batteries with Positive Ground, twin SU's, lovely Lucas electricals and Lockheed hydraulics plus the REAL spinner wire wheels and an external Bendix spring on the starter. Mine was bought out of a junkyard for $350 in 1976, was a hatchback, was driven home, and got full body work and paint in the garage - GM Metallic close equivalent of Hunter Green; bit darker😁.

[@erikwiderstedt3240]

You should have some atf-oil in the upper part of the carb, under the little yellow cap. It stabilises the throttle. Fill until you have some resistance when lifting the throttle. Good luck and a great video as always.😊

[@ChristianHasselberg]

Yes, dashpot oil. I was surprised there was not SU Carbs. The Zeniths came in my Triumphs

[@stevebier710]

That’s the seatbelt buzzer. Way before the days of chimes, beeps, and synthesized voices.

[@mowler8042]

I had a buddy in high School that had a few of these and I remember him telling me it's a very simple car to work on.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

I would love to see more videos on this old Girl @Dylan McCool

[@cabdriveruk]

You did put oil in the dashpot on the carb right ?

[@wanderinggentile]

I'm here for this.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Omg that Car sounds Bad ass With the muffler Missing 😮😮😅 so awesome @49:00 @Dylan McCool

[@jesterr7133]

Lol. I restored a 79 Volare that sat for nine years, and I spent almost $200 replacing vacuum hoses. It is amazing how much hose they used during that era.

[@0richbike]

Gauges are important in an old brit shed ...temp to show you its running right even though its virtually seized...fuel to show you there might be a fuel tank installed so you dont have to stop and check the trunk ...oil pressure to warn if its going to leak additional oil when you move it and a clock so you know how long the tow truck will take...

[@Puddnutz1]

My sister has been after one of these for a while as a project to work on with her husband. Nice to see someone like yourself dig into one and see what kind of trouble someone can get in!

[@ProblemChild-xk7ix]

She will be sorry about that decision. Just get a Miata. 1000% better car in every way and reliable. MG's are very unreliable. Parts availability and price will also be a problem

[@nathanw7114]

@@ProblemChild-xk7ix look at the classic parts industry and come back again (you can get nearly everything, right down to body shells!)

[@tomcole020]

As an MG fan from England it’s great to see you do an MGB even though i subscribed for mopars it’s nice to have some variety

[@roxannepleasant5250]

I watched this video to the end. I smiled when it started and then laughed when you took off, and I heard the engine. I have wanted an MGB for years. If you lived near me so I had a reliable mechanic, I would buy one. Thank you!

[@suef3428]

My boyfriend also has a 1979 MBG. It was a one owner car that hasn’t run in years so should be fun to get running again

[@phillippowell9042]

Greetings from England🙏 Wow! MGb Roadster. That’s was a highly desired car in The UK back in the day. Love it👌

[@Uzidoesitson]

Love it when we get to see something different or odd on the channel. It’s fun to learn with you as opposed to learning from you

[@farrah4424]

Hey Dylan, when a car excessively Diesel's like that, the quickest way I've I've dealt with it is to put the car in gear, and release the clutch. And make sure the parking brake is on.

[@knuckleheadsgarage4627]

As someone who just started reviving the first project car i ever got, a 77 mgb with a 74 engine swap (with the dual SU carbs and stainless steel headers) that my uncle gave to me about 16-17 years ago i have to say good luck! Nothings incredibly complicated but these old british cars can be finiky! Mine unfortunately had quite a bit of rust as it was a daily driver for years until the late 90's where it sat outside at my cousins house after a small engine fire. Its a labor of love but my father and i have the car in probably the best shape its been in for about 20 years! Down to nothing but bodywork and attempting my first full car spray job in the coming weeks! Moss motors will be your best friend for this car hahaha

[@tommaples9174]

I picked up a 1970 MGB that had been sitting for 27yrs. First thing I did was replaced the water pump and thermostat. Fresh fluids and it was running. Which surprised me and so far has proven to be reliable.

[@nascargas]

😂😂😅😅😂😂 Just started the video. Youre going to attempt to start this car. All I can think of is my Neighbor from the early 1970s trying to start his MG. Same model. It ran once a month. The rest of the time the hood was up and it wasnt running! 😂😂😂

[@davedavepbtfcyouth8122]

My son and I have just finished a revival on an MGB coupe, was stood for 20 years and came out of a hedge! Wish I could share photos, we swapped the rubber bumpers for chrome, and added electronic ignition, plus has overdrive which really helps on the highway! Great project and good to drive

[@TheHangarmenBand]

I started cracking up as soon as I read the title of your video. I am an early (former)70's triumph spitfire owner. Great fun car, built to work on for real, super easy to work on, and you had to every day. I used to set my alarm 2 hours early in the morning when I "planned" to drive it. Super fun car... Not even close to dependable... ever. Thanks Dylan for reminding me why I own old GMs these days. :)

[@TheHangarmenBand]

I am so cracking up watching this! The love and hate of owning old british cars. sweet.

[@TheHangarmenBand]

And let me be clear. I absolutely loved driving my old british sportscar/convertible. So fun forever if you like turning wrenches to drive. Thanks Dylan.

[@christaylor2168]

I love your channel I love that there’s no foul language that means a lot. You find the coolest cars.

[@jgill1175]

Loved this one Dylan. Growing up my dad had a dark green MGB. Rode a many mile back and forth to the NC Coast in it. They are super temperamental cars though🤣

[@sum-tingwong9936]

My aunt had one of these little cars and my uncle put an inline radiator cap in the middle of the upper hose, also I cant believe that buzzer survived all these years without someone deleting it, always kill them on my vehicles unless they are low volume or rarely activate.

[@shelbythecheese]

it may just be because my dad has owned an MGB since before I was born but I love the way it sounds

[@facundozalazar]

Best episode so far!!

[@thewilliamss2392]

Normally the zenith carbs go in the bin and swop it out for a Weber

[@roberttaylor7462]

a side draught 45 or twin SU's, a tubular manifold/performance exhaust and a high lift camshaft would make a welcome performance improvement though the Zenith has plently of torque.

[@gusser2121]

despite the minimal approach to patching it up, it runs and sounds pretty good. A little extra effort and she could be a wonderful runner...

[@jayman4095]

Awesome find of a car I've only had to repair a few things on an MGB... I usually work on vintage saabs however one of the classic 9-6 owners had one of these as well. I had to replace all the relays, go through the entire car cleaning every electrical connection, replace worn connectors, and dielectric grease all the connectors. Shockingly everything started working as it should on the car. Edit: Also the owner complain to high hell about the original zenith carburetor saying "it had moods and decided when it wanted to be nice to you" "so I put a Weber on and it's like the car was reborn".

[@byrongilbert3720]

"its little, its obnoxious," and i love it. cool lil ride.

[@dfp48]

I appreciate your willingness to try something new. Now there’s a whole new genre of cars you can work on. Maybe EFI next?

[@marcisstrals4807]

Dylan is one of the few KZbinrs who can make sponsor messages entertaining, Getting that early 2000s TV vibe. Absolutely love car content ❤

[@goptools]

Hey Dylan. My sister had a 1980 (last year they made them) MGB that she bought brand new. It was really a fun little car. With the soft top, you could put the top down, from the driver's seat, while you were driving. Weird thing about her's (maybe all of them) was that things would go bad on it, just while it was sitting in the garage. Thanks for the video!

[@jimreutener8059]

Fun video! Similar story with our '74.5 B, now she's a daily driver. They are a blast to drive - top down fun. Keep up the great work, God Bless!

[@danowens7145]

Spray your starter fluid down a vacuum line. It reaches the engine better. Also you can put gas on a rag and stuff the rag into air filter housing works just as good as starter fluid.

[@bobulele]

I just got my 1973 MGB running after it had been sitting since 1993.

[@bobulele]

My tires all leak because the wheels are rust pitted on the bead area.

[@kennethsonier1766]

It was worth watching the video just to see the car diesel for two minutes 😂 I think the water pump is acting up and the thermostat. That engine was hot 🔥 keep up the good work and the awesome videos Dylan 👍✌️🇺🇲

[@georgecarter1725]

Great video Dylan. As a former MG guy i like watching this type of video.

[@brandonhunteioupdated7359]

Getting everything figured out and it'll be ready for Power Tour

[@caroled5734]

Hi from MamaCard, That was the only standard I couldn’t drive! The clutch grabbed so low I stalled every time!

[@FreedomRock44]

Dylan your excitement is great!!!!! Glad you are enjoying that puppy!!!!! Nice Chirp in 2nd!!!!!

[@adamperry2147]

Absolutely hilarious! It's a runner, but quite cantankerous. Keep up the great work!

[@puddleduckist]

Nice to see u change it up a bit Dylan! Looks like a solid mg, the hard top is nice! My brother had a 79 MG as well, it was orange with black interior and had the convertible top. It was a clean car, I'm 6'2 and could barley squeeze into it, the 4 speed shifter would press again my leg. I had to unfold my legs to get out 😂😂😂😂😂! The British cars I believe have the negative n positive reversed on them. The shocks are a strange cartridge type and are quite expensive. Definitely interesting lil cars, the british smart car of the 70's!!! Look forward to seeing what u do with it Dylan! Man never have I seen a car diesel that long or that much, wow!

[@RoninDosho]

Good to see you back! That ting fought you all the way! But in the end, it ran. Nice One.

[@edwardmohr5798]

Fun to drive, easy to work on, pain in the booty to keep running, and rust buckets.

[@ladamurni]

I have a 1998 MG-F very similar in shape and size to your MG. Also with a soft top and a hard top. There is always a lot of work to do, but that is simply the case with English cars. Nevertheless, I have a lot of fun with it, And although the engine is small, the weight is also small and you can tear through the corners with it and have a lot of fun with it.

[@neilcollin4269]

Mg used a B series 1.8ltr four cylinder engine. The British used twin carburetors on UK models and capable of doing 105mph. The buzzer could be a seat belt warning alarm.

[@dbabyzo]

That oil filter looks like it's Overkill, looks like it would last a lifetime for that engine! And that alarm probably was to remind you to put your seat belts on

[@504RoadTrips]

That’s the same PH43 oil filter that the pre-1990 Chrysler 318 and 360 V8s use (back before I found out what crap Fram filters are).

[@dbabyzo]

Oh yeah my 76 Ford f-100 six-cylinder it had ph-1 fram it was 5" long orange can... like you said before you knew how they were.. figured cheap was good

[@504RoadTrips]

@@dbabyzo also back then, oil got changed every 3 months or 3000 miles. Today, with synthetic oil, you can get 3 times that out of the oil, (I still do mine every 5000…the book says 12,000 LOL) so it’s important to have a really good filter.

[@halcyondayz1]

When Worlds Collide! Been watching you and envy your rides and now you have a British rot box-got a 1967 mgb gt on my drive being hacked to Ribbons because of rot. GOOD LUCK!

[@williammcguire3rd]

This car brings back memories. My mom had a tennis ball green one. It was supposed to have been mine when I got my driver's license buy times got hard she had to sell it. Love to find me one. Thanks for sharing.

[@Kellysg126]

The main thing with those carbs are the diagrams (make sure they arent ripped and they seal), the spring (ensure its not stretched), the dashpots (full of atf or similar light oil) and finally ensure the throttle rod isnt leaking air.

[@danielventura8073]

I've had 2 MGBs, a 76 and a 77, both droptops with Overdrivs (right stalk) they can be electrical nightmares but fun to drive.

[@G-Force_70]

Awesome video, my uncle has a older MG and it has been sitting for a few years as he can no longer drive. Gives me a lot of ideas for getting it running.

[@alanmoore78]

Now I really want to get the heater core, brakes, and front end work done on my Town Car so I can pick up the orange MGB GT hatch sitting in a field somewhere around me. Convertibles are cool but only useful in mild weather. Also, no rubber baby buggy bumpers in '74, just rubber caps on the chrome bumper guards. Might be a fun little commuter car once it's roadworthy. Can't be any more of a money pit than my minivan was...is...it's still not done either but I'm driving it anyway to get the work done on the Lincoln.

[@SirFace4]

omg I saw that front left tire was wobbling and I said "I hope he sees that and gets it tight".

[@FreedomRock44]

Stole this for you from a MG site: As long as the alternator is still turning, power is back fed through the white wire to the ignition relay. The same white wire that powers the fuel pump. The ignition relay stays energized so the ignition coil still see's 12V. Even if the fuel pump isn't getting enough current to deliver more fuel there's enough in the carb float bowl to continue running for a few seconds. I have an 80 model and diagnosed this condition long ago. The anti run-on system is absolutely necessary and it can be tricky to correctly diagnose. It should only pull a slight vacuum on the carb's float bowl when you switch off the key. It can fail to pull ANY vacuum or can pull a slight vacuum all the time and interfere with idle. Get the anti run-on system working and you won't have any problems. OR change the way the ignition is wired.

[@heofthesquarebum]

That thing runs better with the key off than it does with the key on!

[@adrianames8590]

Neat seeing you fix a British car!! Please do a series on making it a nice daily driver on a budget!!

[@ajaks7636]

The car isn't too small, you're just a Big Man! I thought you were coming off the ramp for sure. This was a Fantastic Video! Those are like motorcycle carbs. Thank you. 😀

[@jamesmcdonald5868]

You can always get a hold of Josh from Sleeperdude. His wife got a 72', and they got it together and running, but them carbs are a pain in the but! They aren't all that far from you. They are about an hour east of Nashville in Middle TN.

[@dennisreid4428]

Dash pot carbs need filling with oil,take the yellow cap off and check for oil. it's what creates the vacume. Rover used those on their V8 3500cc engines,the can be changed for Holleys. See if you can find a MG-BT. got the English Rover V8 3500 cc in it

[@dff19707]

My brother had an MG Midget in the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, he and my father didn’t know enough to keep it running reliably, and my brother only owned it for a few short years. My love of that car continues to this day, and, because of my fondness for convertible two-seaters, I am driving my second MX-5 Miata- just as fun as those British roadsters with much more reliability.

[@markpeacock6345]

I remember my old MGBGT, installed K&N air filters, twin carbs that had to have oil put in the top.

[@charleshilton4972]

I had a 1970 for about 5 years. A lot of fun and a lot of wrench turning.😎

[@GlennJenkins-xs7gn]

Some really interesting comments, a lot of these engines were very industrial. Based on pre-war tractors and such. My passion (classic mini) runs the smaller a-series and watching Dylan and other US channels engines and carburettors of the period seem so much more sophisticated in the US.

[@darcybowyer5743]

My mum used to have a '66 or '67 bright red MGB with the chrome bumpers and man that was a cool car. Still wish she had it. The B Series I must admit does sound nice in the upper rev range without a muffler 😆 They made a version with the C Series inline 6 but it was too heavy for the car and ruined the handling. the GT was nice if you liked the fastback look and could be found with the Rover 3.5 V8 which was lighter then the cast iron B Series. Very cool little roadster in my book.

[@craigallan6229]

Being from the uk I’m loving this not a gt just has a hard top fitted

[@ChristianHasselberg]

I’ve missed you Dylan! That was the seatbelt buzzer. Usually it’s already disconnected by now.

[@armorer94]

Did these things have Lucas electronics? Y'know, the "Prince Of Darkness"? 🚗🤘

[@garysprandel1817]

Oh man that took me back 40ish years as a young guy in his early 20s. Had a slightly older model MG and definitely a fun little car. Of course as a guy of my era i had to try to do the Speed Racer run to the car,vault the door, fire it over and take off. Unfortunately I face planted and stuck with the perfectly usable door.

[@sinformant]

Coild that annoying buzzing be a door buzzer that goes off when the keys are in the ignition and door is open to let you know the keys are still in the ignition so you dont lock them in the car. Used to be on most every car.

[@mikebetts5532]

awesome card my friend. You’re a great mechanic and keep up the good work. Mike from Florida.⛓️⚒️🔨⚙️🔧🔩👏👏👏

[@terryroths4254]

That ignition buzzer sounded like some Bonnie Bagpipes at the end.!

[@Wooley689]

Great thing about this channel, shows the fails and how things go together.

[@brucemelton4983]

Hey Dylan, great to see you working on this project. I'm in New Zealand and I've owned many of these. Also Triumphs . They say if you want A/C just drive with the windows down and throw money out the window 😂 . As a favor, can you lose the horrible bumpers 👍

[@jeffsr8300]

I as well was wondering where has Dylan been and Bam there you are. While MG's yes can be a little problematic if you can work out the bugs from it sitting it will almost always run. Great job Thnx 👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@kerrypierre9494]

Great vid Dylan, please find that buzzer and throw it as far away as possible 😁👍🇺🇸🤘🔥🔥

[@CarPhonix]

I’ve wanted to find one of these for years and put it in my front yard as a garden bed! Lol

[@robertoconnor3683]

Brother and I had a dual carb '68 in my 20s. Then had a MGC 6 cyl. Brother was the mechanic and I drove 'em sometimes in SF east bay where the weather was conducive to cold but not too rainy motoring.

[@bryanmorgan8501]

I always like your videos before they start because I know that they're going to be a awesome episode!

[@mattparoz4246]

Whoa whoa whoa , 28:44. 2 door Gal hardtop ? That’s one of this Aussie blokes favourite cars. A lose second to an XW GT. 🇦🇺🤙🏼

[@harnettsgarage]

I watched my boss fix a head gasket and a frost plug on an 80 MGB the day after he bought it! Haha. They are fun little cars to drive!