P1800s - Best upgrades

[Jocky66]

I would go with the grey, would be worried red would fade over time.

[Badgley]

My colleague gave her a bit of a clean and a polish and the results were astonishing - we're staying with the original red, she looks stunning!

[Mr Thirsty]

Hi Badgley,

Good to hear from another owner of the one year only variant of the 1800S.

My car has been on the road for 9 years now - I bought it in 2005 as a stripped car and several boxes of bits which led to a 12 month mechanical restoration. The bodywork had been done to a reasonable condition by a previous owner, but it is now in need of a bit of work and a respray.

As to upgrades, I agree with Ron that halogen headlights and new wiring on the headlamp circuit is a must; I have yet to change over from the three fuse system to a multi fuse set up but might get round to it this winter. Fit hazard warning lights (you never know when you will need them). I have a bosch alternator with an external regulator instead of a dynamo; the wiring needs adjusting but it is not a difficult job. I have fitted front footwell lights to the interior circuit as the C pillar lights only illuminate the back seats in the dark.

The original ignition keys are soft metal and are prone to snapping in the ignition barrel; fit a starter button and you will only have to turn the key to position 1 thus taking a lot of strain off the key (a new barrel and keys will cost you £60-70).

I have polybushed the car throughout and it makes a big difference. Slightly stiffer springs help with the handling if (as I did) you find your coil springs have broken (speak to Rob Henchoz at Amazon Cars).

The brakes, once set up properly are more than up to the job although there is no servo repair kit available for the Ate unit on this model year (or at least I don't know of one). The discs for this car are mounted on hubs and to replace them is expensive; check the thickness of your discs!

Inertia reel seatbelts are a cheapish upgrade from the static belts; I bought mine from Moss Europe - the C pillar reel is adjustable vertically and horizontally as it is designed to fit the MGB - a Securon kit I seem to remember.

I have replaced the original steel wheels as the stud holes had splayed after 45 years. The minilite (replicas) look the business in my view; they are 5.5" wide and put more rubber on the road.

These are great cars and are incredibly reliable. Mine is insured for business use and I regularly use it to get up and down the country for work; last week was Norfolk, next week is Nottinghamshire. The second picture was taken in Holland on holiday last year.

Happy motoring and welcome to the club!

[Hat]

Nice starter button, a sense of occasion! Mine's hidden away.

Don't go too 'restomod', don't want to be driving like a modern car, goes against the point of it all.