Rat trap: MGB’S nasty secret
Peter Leech found this forlorn and forgotten 1978 MGB Roadster in a disused grain store in Lincolnshire. The car had been in the ownership of a classic car enthusiast who had sold up and retired to Lincolnshire some 16 years previously. The car appeared not to have moved since. The pigeons – hundreds of them, says Peter – had roosted on beams above it and their guano was piled high on the bonnet, boot and hood. Enough to put Peter off? Not quite. ‘It was easily swept off to reveal bodywork in surprisingly good condition,’ he says. ‘The history folder revealed that the car had major works including new inner and outer sills just a few months before it was parked up in this barn, so a strip-down and respray should be enough to sort the bodywork. I prefer to work on mechanicals and electrical components than body and trim, so it seemed possible. But the interior was a mess and completely destroyed by rats with huge piles of rat droppings everywhere, so I priced up a complete interior trim kit, hood and seats at Rimmer Bros, which was very reasonable.’ Despite being unable to get the bonnet open due to a rusty catch and broken cable, Peter took a chance and bought the car for an attractive price and took it home. ‘I dared not put it in my garage in such condition so set about removing the hood, seats, carpets and trim wearing gloves and a mask, using a shovel for the rat droppings. I managed to remove the grille and opened the bonnet to find two very well-established rats’ nests, one between the carburettors and the other on top of the pedal box behind the fluid reservoirs.’ Even after extensive pressure washing and disinfecting, Peter couldn’t get rid of all the detritus or the stench it produced, and when it seemed likely the pedal box had corroded because of all the rat urine, he gave up and sold the car on as a project. ‘Luckily it sold quite quickly and went to France for restoration. From my experience with this project, I would pass on the advice that external pigeon damage is nothing to fear, but when the rats get hold of a car, beware – it is much more serious!’