Reader Profile – Doug Foster and His 1969 MGB

Reader Doug Foster recently sent me an email telling me about his car.

I still own the first car I ever bought (while in college 1971): A 1969 Primrose MGB.  Currently has 72k original miles and over the last few years have cleaned her up and rebuilt the motor.  She is virtually the same now as when she left the factory – no reproduction parts!  She won second place in the Forest Grove Concours last year…

Recently my wife and I fell in love with MG Magnettes and purchased a 1958 ZB Varitone that is in great condition.

1969 MGB Readers Rides Doug Foster

Robert A. Mac Millan of Salem, Oregon bought the car new on May 29, 1969. Doug purchased the car in 1971 from Robert while Doug was completing college. He drove it daily for several years and frequently entered various time speed distance rallies, an occasional auto-cross, and the British Field Meets.

After a few years, it was driven only on nice days in Portland. In 2009, Doug had the car exterior repainted the original color and new leather seats fabricated identical to the originals. Doug removed the engine and transmission in November 2013 as it needed updated valve seats and guides installed. The machine shop ended up rebuilding the engine.

While it was out, Doug removed all the components under the bonnet and had the engine compartment re-painted to match the newer exterior paint. The only ‘reproduction’ parts are internal engine parts. Cleaning up all the original parts took more time than expected, but now (July 2015) she appears just as she did when you left the dealership in Salem only the original odometer now reads 71,XXX miles.

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Michael Carnell
Editor at Just British

Michael Carnell is the editor and founder of the Just British Online Motoring Magazine. As a lifelong British car enthusiast, he has owned or driven British cars of all ages from Austins and MGs to Jaguars and Triumphs. He currently owns a 1966 Vanden Plas Princess 1100 and a 1977 MGB. But there is always room for more - no matter what his wife says.

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