With the attrition of increasingly older post-war sports cars, the remaining examples seem to be becoming more and more costly. So where you could get a running (if somewhat dilapidated) car with the remnants of an open top and a fruity exhaust note, perhaps enhanced by a couple of leaks, that is no longer as common an option. Poking around classifieds will still net you some of those deals of the past, though, and many of those are the cars highlighted here. Check out this 1968 MG BGT, for sale for $1200 in Petaluma, CA.
A bent fender that unbolts, albeit with some swearing and tool-throwing, is probably easier to fix than something that needs welding. The car is still old enough to have the chrome grill, and if you’re lucky the bumper survived nearly unscathed. The car is said to have last been running a year ago, and the seller suggests either fixing it or using it for parts, so it’s likely no longer running. That said, these are fairly simple machines, and if the engine is all together, it’s not likely to be seized. The rear suspension looks kind of low, but hopefully that’s the weight of a trunkload of parts! Even if blue California plates are as irrelevant to you as bicycles are to fish, it helps underscore the car’s origin, so you won’t have to deal with salt damage and a car built from permanently seized fasteners.
The interior looks okay, although there looks to be sun damage on the dashboard top and steering wheel. Toss the torn cover to expose the wood, and fling the beaded seat cover and cheapo floormats into the weeds. Seat kits are readily available, as are most parts for this car. Go through the car, clean all the electrical grounds, do a full fluids and hoses revival, and you’ll have a good start on debugging a budget GT.
Rusty But Trusty 
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