Head Turner or Mouth Breather: 1977 MG MGB Custom

This next feature is going to be controversial, not because people will love it/hate it, but because of the strange decision to paint the side exhaust exhaust pipe.  I’m all for customization, and the Fauxrarri front end with leather hood strap looks cool, but that cherry bomb side pipe muffler setup has got to go.  Find this 1977 MG MGB Custom here on eBay bidding for $4,250 reserve-not-met with a few hours to go, located in Temperance, MI.

Later examples of the classic MGB (1962-1980) are not only slower (more weight and more power sucking smog
parts), they also feature hideous bumpers and raised ride height due
to US headlight height requirements. These are issues that can be fixed with a few aftermarket parts and weeks of your time…but did the builder of this MGB custom go too far?

The customization doesn’t stop at a Ferrari-esque nose cone, it goes all the way in a motorsports inspired interior, an external trunk mounted spare tire — this thing is almost unrecognizable as an MGB.

The late 70s were not a good time for MG’s B-series engines, power was now rated at a paltry 62 horsepower and 85 ft-lbs of torque.  If you live in a place that allows engine changes, it is easy enough to coax more power out of the little 4-cylinder, but forget about getting it to pass an emissions test in California. 

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