They modified the body shell by reinforcing the chassis rails at both ends of the car and fitting steel armatures weighing approximately 50 pounds each, encased in black urethane - the rubber bumpers. The chrome bumper MGB was 1.5 inches below the required height so Leyland raised the body of the car by fitting a modified front cross-member and rear spring hangers. The first rubber bumper cars (until September '76) had no anti-roll bars fitted. Performance and handling of the early cars was inferior to the chrome bumper car as a result of these suspension changes and the extra weight of the bumpers.

Modifying an MG so that it is no longer standard is not necessarily a good idea. It can affect the car's value - most enthusiasts prefer a classic car to be as close to the original specification as possible. This conversion is irreversible - it involves cutting off parts that cannot be replaced. Having said that, the early rubber bumper car is perhaps the least desirable B to own. It has all the disadvantages of the rubber bumper car (poor handling and excess weight) whilst enjoying none of the refinements of the post September '76 cars (more comfortable interior, dual-circuit brakes, electric cooling fan, anti-roll bars etc.).

Another school of thought says that the corporate vandalism carried out on the MGB deserves to be rectified and that taking off those heavy and unnatural appendages brings the car closer to its original design and specification. Whatever, your personal views may be, this article does not intend to persuade one way or another, only to explain the process of converting a rubber bumper car.

The modifications made by Leyland were extensive and one could be forgiven for thinking that a chrome bumper conversion would be impractical. To convert a rubber bumper car to full-chrome bumper specification would certainly be very expensive and rather pointless. However, it is reasonably straightforward to make a rubber bumper car look like a chrome bumper model by modifying the visible areas only.