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3000 Miles in a Rally-Prepped MGB GT, Fresh from Hagerty Marketplace
The transmission went out on my 1939 Buick Special, and it wasn’t going to be fixed in time for the 2024 Great Race—a time-speed-distance rally that runs some 2300 miles over a different route each year. I thought about taking my 1963 Austin-Healey 3000, but it was going to be really uncomfortable and cramped. Then I saw a rally-prepped MGB GT on Hagerty Marketplace. I threw in a bid, and when the auction ended, Hagerty called saying I was the high bidder. The reserve hadn’t been met, but I volunteered to go halfway to the reserve and the seller agreed. The transaction couldn’t have been easier; after a wire transfer and a few days of paperwork, I owned it.
I was worried about the car arriving on time. The car was in Utah, I was in New Jersey, and the auction closed six weeks before I had to be in Owensboro, Kentucky, for the Great Race registration. Luckily, I found a transporter who could get the car to me in three weeks. It actually arrived a little early, on Memorial Day.
My navigator Tom and I spent a day removing rally equipment not allowed in the Great Race, installing our Timewise speedometer, and assessing the condition of the car.
I was pleased to find that the technical report on the car understated its condition, if anything. Nevertheless, I spent the next two weeks going over the MG B so it would be reliable for the rally. I fixed a few electrical issues, changed out all the hydraulic clutch bits, checked the suspension and brakes, and changed the fluids. My new MGB GT was ready. I loaded it onto a U-Haul trailer and set off on the 800-mile drive to Owensboro.
Our rally destination in 2024 was Gardiner, Maine. We took nine days to complete the zigzag route, very little of which was on major highways. I split my attention between the road directly in front of me and the speedometer while my navigator called out the route and timing instructions—go 30 mph down the road until we come to a stop sign, wait 15 seconds there, then turn right and go 45 mph. The Great Race regards stops and starts as instantaneous, so we have to know how long it takes to brake to a stop from different speeds, then how long it takes to accelerate back to them. Also, when Aunt Gladys pulls out in front of us and does 20 when our instructions say to go 30, my navigator has to figure out how many seconds we lost before we passed her, if we are to get back on time. Maybe we’ll go 10 percent faster until the balance is made up. It’s tricky to get the timing right, but it feels great when you do.
The MG made it all the way to Maine, then home to Princeton, New Jersey. I added a quart of oil as we went along, but nothing else. Not bad considering I drove 3000-plus miles in a car I just purchased.
This story first appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join the club to receive our award-winning magazine and enjoy insider access to automotive events, discounts, roadside assistance, and more.
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Congrats on the successful rally in a new-to-you car. Time to buy a lottery ticket!
MGB’s are fun cars. Glad to see the rally was a fun way to break in the new to you car.
First time I’ve heard it implied that an MG was not as cramped as a Healy. You must be less than six foot tall. Glad to hear you avoided the Lucas gremlins.