MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What type of fuel should I be using? 

I wish I got a dollar every time we were asked this one ! ! ! The only answer is “ the well known brand names with the highest R.O.N “ (Rated Octane Number)

BP ultimate 98, Caltex vortex 98, Shell optimax 96.

As these cars were built back in the 1960 –1970s and they were designed to run on Super, and low compression engines on standard petrol, MGA’s and MGBL’s have a compression ratio between 8.0:1 – 8.8:1 and had to use super fuel, super was a 98 octane fuel, and now consider that the cylinder head has been reconditioned or surface ground a few times, we now have a compression ratio closer to 9.0:1, it is now imperative that your car uses the highest octane fuel available, to avoid the possible damage that pinging and fowling (High Carbon Deposits) can cause to the engine, used in conjunction with an unleaded petrol treatment  eg Penrite valve shield.

It been reported that the use of 98 RON fuels decrease the problem of run on, and increase performance, as should be expected, also the engine runs smoother, and cleaner.

Just for the record, and this is my personal option, I wouldn’t use ' lead replacement fuel ' if it was given away free!

What is VSR (Valve Seat Recession)

Valve seat recession is a term used to describe the accelerated wears of the exhaust valve seats when using unleaded fuel.

The lead in super or leaded fuel served as a cushion between the exhaust valve and its valve seat

The problem now is that without the lead in the fuel we have this problem with accelerated wear of the valve seats.

This can be solved with the fitting of hardened exhaust valve seats, but can be expensive if your cylinder head condition is unknown, add the expense of removing and replacing the cylinder head, worn valves, valve guides and new gaskets, these may all need replacing.

The easier and cheaper alternative is to use an unleaded petrol treatment such as  Penrite valve shield,  at the recommended treat rate, Valve shield provides the equivalent VSR protection of low lead petrol and will protect against VSR even under severe driving conditions . Can be added to unleaded and premium unleaded fuels only.

What engine oil should I use?  

MGA MGB MKI and MKII it is recommended that good quality mineral base oil be used NO synthetic or semi synthetic oils. We recommend and use Penrite HPR30 and Penrite products  

What gearbox oil should I use?

MGA MGB MKI and MKII the manual recommends 20W/50 engine oil to be used in the gearbox, Mineral based oil only, do not use friction modified, synthetic or semi synthetic engine oils in overdrive gearboxes.

Do not use 80W or 90W gearbox oil’s in MGB MKII overdrive gearboxes, we recommend Penrith HPR30 engine oil be used.

What damper oil do I use in the SU carbies? 

The English workshop manual recommends 30w engine oil. We have found in 95% of cars this to be too heavy an oil making the damper slow to respond and engine response slow, we have found the use of “Dextron” automatic trans oil a far better option.

This stops the flat spots and increases engine response

Does your company consign cars?

Yes, we do consign cars for full details on our consignment agreement click here

What are your trading ours?

Trading hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm and Saturdays 8:00am - 12:30pm

What is the price of the Toyota 5 speed gearbox conversion?

Click here to view / download list of price for Toyota 5 Speed gearbox.

Where is Nepean Classic Cars located?

We are located in Unit 6-8 Coreen Avenue, Penrith, 2750, NSW - 1 hour from Sydney. Click here to view map.

I had a question on the phone today:  Is the original colour of my car “Old English White“?

The answer is no, if your vehicle is an original Australian made it would be “Nurburg White” until 67 and was changed to “Snow White” or “Crystal White” in 1968. The "Old English White" was the original colour of early English made MGB's, up to 1963/64 (debatable).

Does Nepean Classic Cars work only on MGs?

We work on a range of British and Classic Cars, our shop has been involved in the restoration of Austin Healeys, Triumphs, Porsches, Mustangs, Minis and even undertaken panel repairs in classic bikes (Vespa 200).

We are recognised repairers for the major insurances companies, here are some restoration completed by Nepean Classic Cars with articles in external websites:

MG ZB Varitone Magnette

MGA T.C. Coupe

What product should I use on my soft-top?

Worm soapy water only or there is now a new product on the market that we have in stock called Renovo - Soft Top Cleaner, click here to view list of products and prices.

Do you repair spoke wheels?

If the wheel has one to six broken spokes it is possible to repair, otherwise it is cheaper to purchase a new wheel.

We have two options for spoke wheels:

Chrome wire wheels

Painted wire wheels

Purchase a set of four and we will fit and balance for free

What type of payment your company accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Eftpost, Electronic Funds Transfer, COD and Money Orders as method of payment

I am writing to you to ask your help in locating a vehicle to purchase. I am looking to buy an older second hand MG. I am looking for something around the $10,000 mark. I have outlined the specs below.

Preferred Specs:

Model: MG MGB Mk I or Mk II Roadster. - Body: Coupe, convertible with soft top. - Ext - Colour: British Racing Green, Royal Navy Blue, or Burgundy (in order of preference)
Transmission: Manual - Condition: Good, no rust. - Fuel: Unleaded - Wheels: Wire Spoke - Registered: Yes

I am not interested in any rubber nosed models. Your help in finding a suitable car is much appreciated.

Our experience is that what you are requiring is not readily available for a budget of $10K. We feel you will have to increase your amount you wish to spend to achieve a reasonable standard, possibly $15 -- $20K.

B.R.G. is not easy to find at a reasonable price as B.R.G. was never an original MGB colour -- has only really come into prominence in the last 10 or 12 years. This means that any B.R.G. cars for sale would have had to be restored and therefore will attract a much higher value because of the amount of money spent on it by way of restoration.

Our website has our car sales section, this being frequently updated as we sell or receive cars for sale.

Regards
Don Cabban

Hello Don, thank you very much for your reply and the helpful information.

What are the original colours of the MGB?

Colours depend upon whether it is a MK I - 1962>1967 Nurburg White & Champion Red were 2 very popular colours. There were Blues & Greys. "Katoomba Grey" was an extremely popular colour, to the extent that delivery time was months. Check this for a colour combination -- Katoomba Grey, Purple carpets, Red seats and trim with Grey piping, AND, this was the most sought after Factory combination!!!! I bought my only (NEW) MGB in 1965, Nurburg White, Red seats & trim with White piping, almost slept in it. To-day I now think the colour combinations on offer at that time are ........

MK II - 1968>1970 Sandown Red, Jet Red and Snow White, Alpine White, Jade Blue were most popular.

Mid 1970 > mid 1974 became an MG BL (British Leyland assumed control) saw the event of Gold colours being very sought after -- Camino Gold, Portifino Gold, Bronze Gold - all colours to-day are considered "awful", for want of a better description. Whites, Blues, and Reds took second place in the choice department.

From mid 1974>1980 the model was changed to what we refer to as a "Rubber Nose" -- colours being Signal Red, very Orange in shades, again not popular to-day, Tahitian Blue, Whites, Burgundy.

Regards
Don Cabban.

NOTE : All of the above information is to be used in conjunction with the workshop manual, and the opinions stated,  are  personal opinions  only.