SELL

1978 MG MGB

Mundelein, Illinois

$18,800 $23,900

1978 MG MGB

Video

Vehicle Details

Make

MG

Model

MGB

Year

1978

Body Type

Convertible

Drivetrain

RWD

Fuel Type

Gasoline

Engine

1.8L Inline 4

Condition

Excellent

Description

Used 1978 MG MGB Fresh Restoration Convertible Stock # 7828GRGCV in Mundelein, IL at North Shore Classics, IL's premier pre-owned luxury car dealership. Come test drive a MG today!

Classic MG MGB Buyer's Guide (1962–1980)

Full guide
E
Emily Chen
JDM Classics
1962–1980
~5 min read
Updated Apr 2026
The MGB is the best-selling British sports car of all time — affordable to buy, rewarding to drive, and supported by the deepest parts network of any classic import. Knowing which years to avoid saves you from an expensive restoration before you ever turn a wheel.
This guide covers
✓ 12-point inspection checklist
✓ Common issues & what to avoid
✓ In-person inspection guide
✓ Market pricing by year & condition
✓ 5 FAQs answered
✓ History & fun facts
Read the Full MGB Buyer's Guide

MG MGB Market Overview

Based on 70 MG MGB listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

70
Listed Now
$13,460
Avg. Asking Price
1956–1980
Year Range
Price Position on Our Site — Above Average
This car: $18,800
Low: $3,500 High: $40,895
Transmission Distribution
Manual 69%
Condition Distribution
Excellent 17% ◄
Good 6%
Fair 6%
Poor 3%
Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 70 listings →
💰

What is this car worth?

Check sold prices for the 1978 MG MGB

Valuation Tool →

Classic MG MGB Buyer's Guide (1962–1980)

I came to the MGB through the back door — as a Datsun person who kept borrowing a friend's roadster for weekend runs up the coast. What struck me wasn't the horsepower (there isn't much) but the engineering integrity: a proper monocoque structure, all-synchromesh gearbox, independent front suspension, and a remarkably well-sorted chassis for a car designed in 1960. More than half a million MGBs were sold over eighteen years, which means parts availability is exceptional and the community is enormous. It also means the market is flooded with cars that have been poorly maintained, badly restored, or modified in ways that hurt both performance and value. Buying right requires knowing exactly what to look for.

What to Check Before Buying

✓
Sill structural test — Press firmly along both sills — any flex or softness indicates structural corrosion
✓
Floor pan inspection — Check from underneath; assess front corners at bulkhead and rear footwells
✓
Inner wing rust — Feel above front suspension turrets inside wheel arch for softness or holes
✓
Engine cold start — Should idle within 30 seconds; watch for blue smoke at startup (valve guides)
✓
Overdrive function — Test engagement at highway speed if fitted — should engage smoothly with rpm drop
✓
Wiring inspection — Check under dashboard for improvised repairs or non-standard wiring
✓
Boot (trunk) floor — Lift spare tire and inspect floor and spare well for rust
✓
Gearbox shifting — All four gears should engage cleanly without crunch or hesitation
✓
Temperature gauge — Drive to full operating temp — should stabilize around 80–90°C and hold steady
✓
Chrome bumper originality — Verify bumpers, overriders, and trim are period-correct for the model year
✓
Battery box condition — Check battery box under rear seat for acid damage and corrosion
✓
Hood / top frame — Test convertible top operation; inspect bows for breaks and weatherstrip condition

Common Issues

Sill rust is the primary structural concern and the MGB's most common serious problem. Because the sill is load-bearing in a unibody car, a rusted sill means the entire body lacks rigidity — doors will sag, gaps will open, and the car is genuinely unsafe to drive hard. Floor pan rust at the front corners and rear footwells is nearly universal on cars that have seen wet-climate use and is manageable but requires honest assessment of extent. Inner wing rust above the front suspension turrets is a more serious structural issue that affects geometry and alignment. The B-Series engine has an inherent tendency to run warm, and overheating — usually from thermostat failure or a clogged radiator — causes head gasket failure over time. British Leyland electrical systems of this era used a single-wire earth return through the chassis, which corrodes progressively; poor earths cause all manner of intermittent faults. The original Lucas electrical components have a deserved reputation for unreliability that can be addressed with modern relays and improved earthing.

What to Look For

Press firmly along both sills — the structural backbone of a monocoque MGB. Any flex, softness, or hollow sound indicates internal corrosion requiring major structural repair. Inspect floor pans from underneath, checking particularly the front corners at the bulkhead and rear footwells. Push your hand into the front wheel arches above the suspension turrets and feel for softness — inner wing rust here affects suspension geometry and is expensive to correct properly. Check the battery box area (under the rear seat on roadsters) for acid damage and corrosion. On chrome-bumper cars, verify the overriders are original — replacements are available but correct originals add value. Test overdrive if fitted: should engage smoothly at highway speed with a noticeable drop in engine revs. Check the wiring under the dashboard for improvised repairs — a consistent harness is important for fire safety on British cars of this era. Inspect the convertible top frame on roadsters for broken bows and correct folding action.

Price Guide

Chrome-bumper MGB roadsters (1962–1974) in driver condition trade at $12,000–$18,000; restored show-quality examples reach $28,000–$42,000 for the best early cars. The price premium for pre-1965 three-bearing engine cars is significant among purists — add 20–30% for correct early cars. Rubber-bumper cars (1975–1980) trade at a consistent 20–30% discount: drivers at $7,000–$11,000, excellent condition at $16,000–$22,000. MGB GTs (coupes) sell for 15–25% less than equivalent roadsters in the same condition — the best value in the segment. Project cars — running but rough — are available in the $3,500–$7,000 range and represent good value given parts availability. Beware "restored" cars with high asking prices and no documentation; a professional respray on a rusty car is common in this market.

Did You Know?

The MGB was in continuous production for eighteen years, making it one of the longest production runs of any sports car in history up to that point. Over half of all MGBs built were exported to North America, which is why U.S.-spec parts are the most common and least expensive to source worldwide. The MGB GT coupe was styled with input from the great Italian design house Pininfarina. When production ended in 1980, workers at the Abingdon factory staged a sit-in protest — the closure of MG's historic home factory was considered a national automotive tragedy in Britain.

How Does It Compare?

Head-to-head matchups for the MG MGB:

MG MGB vs Triumph TR6 Lotus Elan vs MG MGB
Browse all comparisons →

Similar Listings

1948 MG Dealer
Texas

1948 MG BGT

$45,000
1949 MG Dealer
United States

1949 MG BGT

$23,995 47,000 miles
1950 MG TD Dealer
Texas

1950 MG TD

$16,000
1951 MG TD Dealer
United States

1951 MG TD

$32,495

Contact Seller

Share only if you'd like the seller to call you directly.

By contacting this seller you accept the Visitors Agreement

Send to a Friend

Share this 1978 MG MGB listing.

Email Facebook X / Twitter

Report this Ad

Help us keep the marketplace clean. Our moderation team reviews every report within 24 hours.