MGB GT Restoration

Springerdinger · Sep 3, 2011

Passenger Side sills, footwell panel/ Splash guard mount, and top box trumpet replacement.
The drivers side will be having a new floor and chassis rail. I have just cut the floor out. Pics to follow.
The outer sill panel was a pig as it was spread out. compared to the membrane. But with a workmare, a block of wood, a car jack and a full day wrestling it it went on nicely with a decent door gap

stormin · Sep 4, 2011

Nice bit of work, please tell me it took you more than a day to do all that surely!

Can't believe the inner sill edge was in such good condition given the rot on the outer and centre sections, that was a stroke of luck. Or is it just the pictures show after cleanup?

As a military vehicle nut I've got to ask what the large green thing in the background of picture 10 is, as I don't recognize it?

Grrrmachine · Sep 4, 2011

Those sills are in monstrous condition! I always fancied having an MGB, now I'm not sure whether you inspired me or put me off for life.

julieanncharters · Sep 4, 2011

Grrrmachine said:
Those sills are in monstrous condition! I always fancied having an MGB, now I'm not sure whether you inspired me or put me off for life.

for an mg rot box i thought it was pretty good :laughing:

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

Hi folks

The sills were not that old and the water had only got to the outer side of the memberane. They were only about 5 years old with very little road use.
Just badly fitted at the time.

The drivers side will not be so easy. The floor, chassis rail, castle are a mess.
I have cut out the floor and have the parts ready to go.

The work in the pictures was done over the wet bank holiday. I made a tent over the car out of the pond liner you see on the roof.4
If I was paid by the hour I would starve. I have decided to take my time no matter how long it takes. Dont want to be doing this again for a while.

If your going to buy an MGB, check the sills, floors, chassis rails everything else can be fixed easily. Dont be put off.

I will post pictures of the drivers side as it is later just for the comedy factor :doh:

Feel free to comment or offer advise I am a rookie at this so all tips welcome.

No really I need more welding tips 0.6 and 0.8 :whistle:

Cheers

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

Th large green thing in the background is my neibours six wheel range rover project. Just at the end of a rebuild. I live in a street where a man must have a hobby, Steam engines, tractors, cars. Yo

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

Just a note on the rusty membrane.
The garage that changed the sill last time caused this rust problem.
They cut down the length of the old membrane and joined a new piece onto the bottom.
The membrane had rusted from the weld down because there was no way to paint the weld on the inside of the mebrane.
I supplied them with a full membrane and they chose to do a bodge.

My lesson to learn't here.
1. If someone else is doing a job like this for you ask for photo's of the repair for your service history and piece of mind. If they refuse your probably in the wrong garage
I have seen a few sill repairs done like this. My advice is change the whole membrane it's no more work. In fact its probably easier. Otherwise 12 months later another rusty sill

Hope this helps

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

So first picture is the old floor hacked out avoiding the fuel line, break pipes etc for now

Inner chassis rail is rotten. The plan here is fold up a new one and attach it to the solid metal on the curve and to the cross memeber. About 3ft section in all.

The castle, Inner, membrane and outer will be cut out once the chassis is repair and the floor is drilled and can be mocked up for fit.

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

Ok The next few post will be a bit of C-archeology.
When under taking a restoration you always get to find out the standard of work carried out by the guys you trust your pride and joy with.

The inside step sill was the cause of an MOT failure on my GT a few years back. So I paid the experts a large sum of money to put it right. Supplied the panels - Castle, step sill, membrane, outer sill, trumpets, bottom half of rear quarter etc etc.

What follows will make you cringe.
Bear in mind when you get your car back the carpets are guled down and there is lots of shiny paint and underseal covering the job

First count the number of membranes there should be 3
But wait theres 4 here so whats going on

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

Another Clue. There was a patch from the side of the inner sill onto the floor panel hiding the shame :ashamed:

The bandits had fixed the new inner sill over the top of the old one and just tacked it down. The patch then covered the bodge.

You will see in the first picture the top of the castle rail, the floor panel, the the two inside sill's.

The thing now is to chop the lot out and sort it.

Springerdinger · Sep 4, 2011

Not sure yet if they changed the outer sill and the castle, I will find out when I chop into it. That will be in about a weeks time after the chassis rail is replaced and the car is braced up.

Thats the end of the C-archeology session.

I will post some pictures of the chassis rail once its done. Need to buy some sheet steel plan to use 1.2mm thickness

This GT really is a car of two halfs. The chassis rail and floor are in great condition on the passenger side as was the inner sill and the castle.

Anyone else find that with their cars?????

stormin · Sep 5, 2011

Bet you really wish you had done the job yourself the first time now!

I really hate paying for someone to do any job as you can gaurantee they always want to cut corners and bodge it. There's not much I feel I can't do better myself.

As to the tale of two haves, I'm certainly hoping that's the case on my discovery, started on drivers side because it looked the worst and I've found more rot than the initial inspection revealed so hoping there's not too much on the passenger side.

mike 109444 · Sep 5, 2011

Think cars on British roads tend to rot out on passengers side quicker as thats the side nearest the gutter (rain + snow + road grit/salt ends up on the gutter side of road).
If the people/garage that done the work are still going i'd be tempted to cut out that 4 ply section and drop it on there doorstep and maybe paint on it "Get yer welding done here" samples avaible

Keep up the good work. What are you using to protect/prime the bare/new steel? ps if you have not seen it yet it would be wort your while watching Mark Evens program "A MG is reborne" one program coves much what you've been doing with the castle rail replacement. It's a good series of progs for any classic restorers.

Springerdinger · Sep 6, 2011

For priming I'v been using a UPOL weld through for the pulg welds.
The insides of the sill have a been primed and painted in Hamerite ruston.
The membrane panel area is well painted on both sides. This will then be wax oiled/mixed with engine oil.
The underside of the car I will probably stone chip and then waxoil underseal.

As for the garage. Its closed a couple of years ago.

Its strange how they rot more to one side. At least I get to have a go at making a chassis rail.

Ordered the splash guard mount panel, and a rear valance yesterday to add to the collection

Springerdinger · Sep 6, 2011

I have recorded the car is reborn series. First time I watched it it looked like he used less of the original body. But watching it again it now makes sense what he's done in most cases. Wish I had his budget though

The suspension and axle refurb part is interesting as thats on the list to do over the early part of winter. Going to take the back axle off. Cant decide wether to work on the front still on the car or take it off. Access to the front axle is good so may leave it on

I have an issue with the wheels not being central at the back of the car. It suffered some wing rub on the tyre on one side after the car was lowered. It may be spring sag or something else. not sure yet

Luckily I put a recon unleaded engine in just before I took the car off the road so that side of things is sorted.

My main concern in the engine bay is the stearing column universal joint is rubbing the distributor cap so I need to get the steering geometry sorted properly.

I will be painting the engine in the car and repainting the engine bay. Dont think I need to take the engine out for that as theres plenty of room in there.

I will post pictures of the issues soon

Springerdinger · Sep 18, 2011

Fabricated a section of chassis rail using a piece of aluminium, my workmate and some strurdy length of timeber. Oh and a few hammers
Sadly the workmate never survived the ordeal.
Death by 1.2mm steel :doh:

New chassis rail fitted, the cross member patched to attach it to. Gear box cross member reattached.

Springerdinger · Sep 18, 2011

After the chassis rail was in I chopped out the drivers side sill....All of it.
Angle grinder put a shift in

Springerdinger · Sep 18, 2011

Cut out the front and rear Wheel arch's during the removal.
I have left the rusty edges for now so that when I go back to the job next time I can still see the shape of the arches and the position of the castle rail.

The rust will be replaced with new panels or metal.

Pictures are front wing then rear wing.

Springerdinger · Sep 18, 2011

The temptation is to cut out the splash guard mounting panel.
Decided to leave it there for now until the castle rail, step sill and inner sill are fitted. The car has not moved so far.
My worry is if I remove the spash panel it will cause the car to flex. So patience for now. Again by leaving it there I can use it as a positional reference going forwards

I have a new panel and trumpet ready when the time is right

Grrrmachine · Sep 19, 2011

So basically you have the roof of an MGB, and you're building a new car under it?

Top work! and great pics too.

MGB GT Restoration

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