In 2002 I was 21 years old and bought a 71 MGB roadster as a weekend cruiser! Fun car!! My nextdoor neighbor liked it so much that he went and bought a Spitfire roadster. Then a co-worker of mine bought an Alfa Romeo Spider too!! They were all cool cars!! I sold mine after three years of driving it! My co worker buddy sold his a year after I did. My neighbor still owns his green Triumph!! All good stuff, fun cars!!!!!
No offense.... but that is a bizarre american affliction - sticking those awful monza exhausts on British sports cars. It sounds like a crappy dirt bike. I have an Austin Healey Sprite that has a proper english Maniflow racing exhaust... and the sound of that car is to die for.
I am 73 and all my rides are behind me,but what a ride it was. Bought myself a 1970 Spitfire for my 21 st birthday. Spent the next two years going everywhere I could up and down the west coast. It was a different world,it truly was. It was freer, or I was .The spitfire along with my 650 Bonneville,I flew.
You're comparing the wrong cars, the Spitfire's true MG counterpart is the MG Midget, the MGB is a bit of a boat in comparison. The Spitfire has double wishbones up front and swing arm suspension at the back that will bite on the limit, no McPherson struts!
The MGB was always a class bigger than the Spitfire, the MG Midget was the directly comparable car. Having said that, I have never owned nor wanted an MGB but have had two Spitfires (1x 1300, 1x 1500) and would buy another if the right opportunity arose. You need to watch the rear suspension though, all but the last Spitfires had a poor design where extreme rear camber change would occur as weight moved around when cornering which would lead to breakaway loss of grip and a nasty slide and probably an accident.
First met my wife when I had a '69 MGB. When she could use the screwdriver to get the starter going, I knew she was the one! Now have a '74B for fun, but have always loved driving the Spitfires, TR4 and 6's
I had a MGB and loved it many years ago. My girlfriend had a Spitfire that I drove a lot as well. I’m 6 foot two and the B had a lot more legroom for me. I also had a Datsun SPL 311 roadster that was faster than both of them.
Dear 72dodge, I have a 1977 spitfire 1500 and my wheel is off by about 90 degrees and am wondering how to fix it. My steering wheel is also way to close to the washer/light stocks. I’m wondering if my steering wheel is missing a spacer. -Fly
The real comparator is the Austin Healey Sprite / MG Midget. The Midget of course is the greatest car ever. When you drive one everyone smiles and waves at you. You can also expect about 30 mpg. When you drive one 50 mph feels like 80 mph. I wish I bought one 30 years ago. It is just that much fun to drive.
Just came across your video and I appreciate the simple and honest approach to it. Very enjoyable to watch. I had several sportscars but only spent some time in one British car, a '71 TR6. The two cars you reviewed are different in that the MGB is unibody and the Spitfire not, so that would account for the greater solidarity of construction. Also, the 77 MGB will take a performance hit compared to a 73. And those bumpers are just an unfortunate outcome of the US bumper requirements. What I like about the Spitfire is that awesome long hood which tilts forward with the fenders, and those great looking chrome latches on the side. It's probably more of a conversation piece too. Thanks for the great video.
I had a 69 spit as first car and 73 bgt as second, both great fun cars. I had to use the screwdriver starter as well:). Thanks for the great vid. Had a monza pipe on the spit, sounded great.
I had both, But mine were earlier models. The B was a 1969 in British Racing Greem, early air ejected Smog and had 98 HP (pre 1968 pre smog had 102 HP.. I pulled all the smog crap off replaced the Twin SU carb with Webber 45 DCOE, shaved the head .60 raising compression, and added headers. With 132 hp the B would move out. B have Unibody construction and live axle , the were also 2 inches lower than the later cars. The Spit is body on frame with independent rear suspension (early cars were a swing axle, 1970 and later yours had Stromberg maybe 62 HP.
Spot on with your assessment! I do like the profile of the Spity. But the B is more practical regarding comfort. BTW I have a ‘79 MGB and love it. I’m 6’4” and fit very comfy in my B.
That's a very nice comparison of these 2 great ole roadsters. You have the ideal location and roads to enjoy these vintage cars. Just make sure that the rocket acceleration doesn't give you whiplash. :-)
Forgot the mention, I did have a 1972 "B" non-running and swapped in a 289 V8. NOW that was a beast! These days if I were to do it all again, I'd get a Miada.
Yes it has the same feel as the MGB be but with none of the rattles. If you are looking for a modern upgrade to either car I can recommend the Porche Boxster.
You live in the perfect location for cars like these. My first car was a 1972 Spitfire MKIV that I bought back in 1978. While I always liked both MG's and Triumphs, I much preferred the looks of the Triumph's (still do).
Having owned a 1977 MGB, but not owning a gold mine or oil and gas company to finance another one in terms of upkeep, I'd have to go with a restorable Spitfire since many parts are interchangeable and having driven a 1972 extensively way back when, I found it, the Spitfire, to be an absolute joy to drive in the "twisty-turnies" of the Smokey Mountains....
Great video!! Sorta close to y’all here in NH! I’d go with the MG myself! Had some fun with one back in the day! A bit more refined in my opinion. Although.. glad you keep the tools close! You’ll need them!
I have a 79 Spitfire. Getting into it is like getting into a kayak. The driving experience is like a self-guided roller coaster. Which means I love it. I can't drive two blocks without somebody saying something about it. I put headers on, so it sounds even better.
Steering wheel adjustment is quite simple, they never left the factory like that. I have a 72 Spit MkIv 1300 with overdrive. I had the car for a while on the road and loved it to bits. It's a kind of car where you have to know how to drive, no power steering etc. It was a breeze on the motorways with the overdrive on, it made the car sound with a low growl. I quite fancied the MGB but I think the Michelotti styling wins it for me. I'm in the process of getting the old girl on the road again as it's 52 years old now and looking forward to driving it again. Good vid btw very enjoyable... Clive
I had a 1972 Spitfire that I drove for 5 years in the milder months as this car was not made for Minnesota winters. I have a buddy still to this day that was 6 foot 7" and weighed 270 lbs who was with me a lot. Complained the whole time he was in that car but hopped right in when I went to pick him up. Really a fun car that brings back a lot of fun memories. Wish I still had it. I thought they were beautiful cars and I still thinkso
They're both cars I grew up seeing a lot. I'd love either, but my choice would be the Spitfire MkIV. Both motors are quite tweakable, by the way: twin carbs, headers, free flowing exhausts (like on the Spitfire ;) ) etc..... The Spitfire also has the easier engine accessibility with the whole front coming off. :)
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I can't take the extra spice added to the descriptions. "Rocket ship" "painted orange for extra power" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Huge fan of your content, dude. Keep it up.
This takes me back to my youth. Friends in high school had 2 Spitfires, a TR4A IRS, and a TR3. I rode in and drove everything except the TR3. One of the Spitfires I drove back from Myrtle Beach to Ohio and my buddy and I lived in that car for 3 days. I was more interested in the TR6 and the wedge (TR7). Never pulled the trigger on any but remember how much I enjoyed driving the Spitfires. Didn’t really care for the MG Midget. It struck me as cheap and unreliable, since I saw many come into my brother’s shop back in the day. But did like the style of the MGA and Austin Healey 3000.
They're both neat cars, and of course I have an MGB as well, but the Triumph was always referred to as a "sports car" where the MGB a "sophisticated" cruiser. The MGB is slower, but also a fair shake heavier then the Spitfire.
I had a 63' Triumph Spitfire back when I was in my early 20's and it was always in the shop being fixed for one thing after another. Loved it when it was running well, but it broke the bank with repairs so I had to sell it.
I am nearly certain that MGBs from that time did not come with two tone interiors; where the seats are one color & the door panels are another. Especially mis-matched seat vs headrests, like on this car. I was around a ton of MGBs back then. My 78 had tan seats and door cards & black carpets.
I owned a new Spitfire, my roommate who made more money had an MGB. I liked the Spit but the B was considerably superior. As said below the comparison should be made between the Spit and the Midget. I compared both when making my purchase. The winning point of the Spit over the Midget. I had legroom in the Spit and was cramped up in the Midget at 6'1" and skinny (then).
Dude you are totally right, I replaced Webber carb, tried to find vacuum leak endlessly , and when switched to electronic points , all problems cleared . What a relief
Very different style video for you, Rural Vermonter, and it's quite good. For me, the best car is a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. I'd love to see you tearing up the back roads of our fair state in one of these (just watch out for the Sanderista enviro nazis, haha)!
Ill try and concentrate on both Cars. Both those cars are worth a good dollar in today's market however the longer you can hold on to them the more they will be worth. Dont be fooled by anyone telling you there not worth that much. Im into cars like you, if you painted that car in RED acrylic ? Let it dry out weeks then you wet n dry it before using a foam buff and compound beware not to burn paint especially edges, how) so practice b4 doing your cars, try 900 then 1000 grit up to 1200 wet n dry with soap and a soft block You amaze me with your many talents needless to say to much, you keep trying no matter what, and that makes me want to keep viewing your jobs. You could well go along way on the tube, your talent and looks lol and personality you can't go wrong. Take care.
Those are both ancient engine designs, debuting in the early 1950's. To put it in context, that same "B" engine in the MG was also used in the Nash Metropolitan. Not that I would recommend it on one this old, but on either of those cars you had to use all the space on the tach to get power out of them. There were some MG coupes that had the Buick-derived Rover V8 in them. Still underpowered for the displacement but in that light car it would 60 mph in about 8 seconds.
What! This MGB has a 5 Main bearing 1800 cc engine, the Metropolitan was a 1500 3 main bearing engine. The 1800 engine was developed from the 1500 but is not the same engine really. Carburetors are.totally different as are intakes and exhaust also.
More like late 1930's in both cases. Just bored and stroked and revised over the years. There were also 6-cylinder MGCs, but the V8 version was MUCH better.
I assume you like hemis? Judging by your meme. I will point out the 1800 engine of 1962 had a kidney shaped, i.e. hemispherical combustion chamber. The power output was 95 bhp and displacement was 110 C. I. This was very close to the era’s performance standard of 1 hp per cubic inch. That could be reached by further stages of tuning. American v-8 engines of the era usuallly produced a half horsepower per cubic inch. Needless to say engineers at Mercedes, MG, Jaguar, Alfa, Porsche etc all quietly snickered at Mustangs, Corvettes, and etc. for their sloppy handling dreadful brakes, and hopelessly massive but inefficient engines. Is it any wonder any European maker who bought American v-8’s promptly tuned them for more power.
I have had several of both of these cars. MGB is way better and more dependable car. Plus the parts are easier and less expensive to buy on the MGB. Once the 1800 cc MGB is tuned up properly it will blow the doors off a 1500cc Spitfire.
@@melindamanthey2757 Thank you! I must confess that I am a MGB hoarder. As of Jan 2020 I have a fully restored 68 (red), 71(Old English white), 79 (Inca gold), 79 Limited Edition (Black) MGBs. I have my faithful 80 (Black)that needs to be restored again after 34 years. I also have recently acquired a MGC GT (British Racing green) that I have just started the restoration on.
The engine bearings in the Spitfire usually failed 30,000 miles or so on the 1500; I will stick with my 1980 MGB. Properly sorted and minus the emissions of the time, and some suspension mods, it’s quite good
I'm in love with the Spitfire since my youth (Why I never bought one when I had the money to do so? 😔), but the MGB sounds a little bit better IMHO. Although the Spitfire also sounds pretty good; a little bit like it's winged namesake.
The European spec MkIV was 67hp - apparently same power output as the Mk3 but they changed to DIN standard measurement of BHP, which came out lower than whatever method used pre-1970. Later MkIV's (and maybe all the US cars?) had a slightly less spicy camshaft as well.
I’ve driven both, and own a 76 spit. Lots of fun, but keep it off the interstate, lol ! I choose the triumph any day. Remember, the spitfire was designed by an Italian.
The biggest problem the MGB faced were the performance limitations that were put in place because of America's emissions controls. You guys got that awful single stromberg carb and a much milder camshaft, which strangled the engine. European models always had the twin SU carbs, and put out 94hp. Still a lovely car though, and great video.
Hi, The steering wheel not being centered can easily be fixed through the tie rod adjustment. That's what an alignment shop would do. You can also remove and reinstall the steering wheel yourself. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lwf2BDC5DMo.html On your 1977 MGB you can pry up the MG plastic cover in the center of the steering wheel to get to the steering wheel nut. If you remove, adjust and reinstall the steering wheel, you should test drive it to check it out. The MGB steering wheel fits onto a spline fitting, meaning there's no keyway. Ideally, the best way, by an alignment shop, is to make sure you've got the same number of exposed adjusting threads on the left side and right side of the tie rod adjustment. Then set the alignment. Then center the steering wheel. If it's way off, then remove and recenter. If it's just a little off center, use the adjustment nuts to correct. If you're not sure you can do this, take it to an alignment shop. It might not be such a bad idea to get the front end aligned anyway. For that steering wheel to be so much out of adjustment, it's probably been fiddled with by someone who didn't have a clue as to what they needed to do. Here's the correct way to lower the convertible top: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I3Zfdj9W2Y4.html The 1973 MGB would have had dual carburetors, and no heavy rubber bumpers and would have had more horsepower, especially if the all smog equipment had been disconnected and removed. Also, the brown interior color is called, Autumn Leaf. Good luck, Tom
Both cars are a little on the rough side and probably need a front end alignment. No to the Macpherson strut suspension. Both cars use dual wishbone suspension and the Spitty has rear independent suspension
Baxter is a champ! Of that era the Triumph TR6 combines the fun of the Spitfire with more comfort. But during the period the most enjoyable roadster is the Alfa Romeo Spider. The Mercedes SL of that era had barcaloungers to sit in that ruined the fun.
I dare say if you put two pre emissions cars in a comparison you would probably go for the mgb as they were better handling and had about 30 more hp in the early chrome bumper MGs cars compared to the rubber bumper mgs
I used to have a 1973 MGB GT, loved it. But once it stopped breaking down it actually got a bit boring. Then bought a 1969 Spitfire - the Spitfire is much more fun and feels quicker. The engine comes alive above 4k rpm, whereas the MGB just ran out of steam when you tried to rev it hard. Saying that, the MGB was smoother, softer and roomier. But the Spitfire feels like a sports car.
@@melindamanthey2757 I was talking about in the marketplace, not in racing. The Le man Spitfires bore little relation to the road going versions. The race cars were of course very different beasts, however, it was the midget and the Spitfire that were in the same class in 1965, where the triumph beat the MG. So, in all respects, the Spitfire competed against the midget, with which it shared a similar engine size, not the MGB with its 1.8
When new the Spitfire was priced against the MG MIDGET, the MGB was priced closer to the 6 cyl Triumph GT6. That said, your are also comparing two cars that are 40-50 years old and NOT in stock configuration (at least with regards to the muffler)
@@ARuralVermonterQqjmcb182 That place makes these car look super fun. I lived in Montpelier summer of '88. Would have done just about anything for one of these.
