Old cars are best left to memories. Usually bad ones. Especially if you are talking MGs, or Fiats. Even Japanese had their problems. Owned a '76 280Z that was atrocious--British Racing Green paint crackled to spider webs, vinyl seats tore at the seams, foam dash cracked horribly, antenna motor stopped working. But compared to my MG Midge, and 124 Spider, the Datsun was first rate, all the way. LOL
Reel to reel is one of those things that makes no sense. Today. First, where are you going to get parts? Second, open reel tape is scarce and through the roof, price-wise. NOS and old tape formulations are hit and miss. Mostly miss. In my experience, consumer machines were built to last a few years, and then it was Goodbye Charlie. Back in the day I contacted Studer/ReVox when they were in Nashville about overhauling my B77. This was, I guess, 1984 or 85. They quoted me $500.00 for basic maintenance, heads x-tra, should they be needed. And if you are going to the trouble to send it off, you might as well get new heads. A new B77 was about 2 large in the mid '80s (almost 5 grand in today's inflato dollars), and the brand wasn't 'discounted' like the usual consumer thing. I could see where this was taking me, and quickly put an add in the local newspaper (no Ebay back then). Let it go, with about 30 boxes of reels (Maxell, TDK, Ampex/Quantegy and some others I don't remember). FWIW, there are open reel tape simulator plug-ins you can get pretty cheap, if you have mixing software and want to 'experience' the good old days. That is the only way I'd get near open reel.