MGB GT Restoration

[Chris Stevens]

Decided to finish off a job on the door post that I have been putting off for a while.

A good while back I made the basic box shape but didn't drill amd tap a thicker plate to screw the hinges too and then weld it in place.

So these are the pictures all together for the door post. Think it's the A post. I never get it right.

It does mean I can get the passenger door skin on the frame and back on the car which is the next job I think

What have you done in the way of bracing the door gaps? Without braces things tend to move all over the place and you will probably find that out only when you come to fit the doors. Leading is really very easy, but only if you have a very controllable heat source. Seemed to me that things like blowlamps mean either too much or too little heat, and tend to make things pretty difficult.

 

[Maxakarudy]

Springerdinger,

I'm doing a Gt resto at the moment, I had too scrap the first shell and it was better than yours,
I repaired the Webasto roof, I had to let 4" into the rear, repaired the front top screen area & pillar, I thought that was the difficult bit.
I stripped the shell completely and had it shotblasted, it uncovered accident damage at front crossmember mounts, I wasn't happy to restore crashed shell, so scrapped it, I got a much better one for £300.

Thanks for posting your exploits, the patch panels take most of the time and need the most skill as you have hand fabricate them, well done

Martin

 

[HopefullySoon]

working on the rear drivers side window today.
the next lot of pictures show the repair piece for the inside.View attachment 44391View attachment 44391 View attachment 44392View attachment 44391 View attachment 44392 View attachment 44393View attachment 44394View attachment 44395View attachment 44396

Holy thread bump batman !

Was looking for this repair when I saw google found you had done it . Saved me head scratching

What's happened with your B since ....

Thanks

 

[Springerdinger]

Holy thread bump batman !

Was looking for this repair when I saw google found you had done it . Saved me head scratching

What's happened with your B since ....

Thanks

Hi still on going
I am rebuilding the front suspension and steering on the bench at the moment. It 80 per cent ready
The engine is ready to be painted.
I am hoping to have the engine and gearbox back in and rolling on all four wheels this summer

 

[HopefullySoon]

Are you refitting with poly bushes (I I intend to myself , along with telescopic gaz shocks at all corners ) or rubber bushes ?

But mines going to be a fast sebring styled road car in time , not oem

 

[Springerdinger]

Are you refitting with poly bushes (I I intend to myself , along with telescopic gaz shocks at all corners ) or rubber bushes ?

I have poly bushes.
I bought a kit to refirb the whole thing
However I have found holes don't line up on the spring plates the bump rubber brackets don't fit to name but a few issues. So loads of fettling has been needed.
Also very poor quality bolts supplied with the kit. To the point that the head snapped off one when I tightened it. Its fair to say I was disappointed



But mines going to be a fast sebring styled road car in time , not oem

 

[Springerdinger]

Suspension build
Lowered springs poly bushes and a 3/4 inch anti roll bar going on to this.
Other side is done
Waiting for the stainless steel backplates to arrive and I can get the hubs discs and calipers on.

This weekend I'm going to try and make some bodywork progress loads of little jobs I had forgotten.

 

[Springerdinger]

Paint stripping a bonnet today.
Very messy job.

 

[Springerdinger]

New door skin fitted to the door frame today. And mocked up with the front wing.
I had to shape the edges of the frame flanges before fitting the skin so that I have the shape and fit correct.
This is a lesson learned from the other side where I just assumed the frame I bought from a different car would fit.
It didn't and it was after fitting the skin I found out.
This time I checked the frame fit first several times making sure when the skin was added there would be door gaps.
Live and learn

 

[HopefullySoon]

Nice job

I went with FG doors to solve that issuse once only ever again .

If it bolts on its FG mine

Originality went out of the window when a front wing is 650 and vat .

I got 2 doors , a boot lid ,sebring front wings , an mgc bonnet , sebring front / rear valance . And sebring rear flares, not full panels 680 quid , all fits badly , but isnt going to be a show winner , but it wont rot their ever again

Too much for my long arms and short pockets

 

[Springerdinger]

Nice job

I went with FG doors to solve that issuse once only ever again .

If it bolts on its FG mine

Originality went out of the window when a front wing is 650 and vat .

I got 2 doors , a boot lid ,sebring front wings , an mgc bonnet , sebring front / rear valance . And sebring rear flares, not full panels 680 quid , all fits badly , but isnt going to be a show winner , but it wont rot their ever again

Too much for my long arms and short pockets

Totally agree with you. It's taken me a few years to grab some of the bits I've needed.
Even then from ebay and the like half the stuff is not what is described.
Example was door hinges sold as having no play in them. When they arrived they moved up and down 10mm.
The kit is a great idea and they do look good when they are painted.

 

[Springerdinger]

Fitting a new set of wheel bearings onto the new stub axle.
Important thing with mgbs is to get the shimms correct between the rear and front bearing.
Something that the previous owner of this car never bothered to do. In fact they didn't even put a rear oil seal collar on.
This job takes a bit of patience as you have to assemble them disassemble the hub several times to get to the 0.3mm backlash. Dial test indicator is a useful tool.
Looking forwards to the other side next

 

[Springerdinger]

So I have decided to deseam the rear wings of the car.
It normally has a bead strip which is famous for rusting. I have seen so many deseemed I decided to have a go.
Now the rear wing on this car are let's say... Ugly.
The metal is going to be thin.
I wanted to tig weld it but there is so much impurity on the underside of the wing and its also difficult to shield. In the end I decided to mig it.
Problem... Not much gas left and this is going to need some time.

I needed to build up a solid base on the wing to weld and make a strong seam
So I set the mig low to give very small raised welds... You cowboy you say.
The reason was to keep the heat out and to give me a base to build on.
This will look bad before it gets better

 

[Springerdinger]

So if you look at the dots of weld by the gap in the metal you will see that I have given myself some points to weld to.
These need to be carefully ground down before the next layer.
Weld a little then let it cool
Don't warp the panel

 

[Springerdinger]

Still looks awful but don't panic. The metal under there was thin.

 

[Springerdinger]

Be patient keep the heat out. Small welds. Let it cool. Hit different areas.
Trying to make my last shots of gas last
Weld then grind. Let it cool
A much more solid base. No deformation of the wing

 

[Springerdinger]

Gas getting low by now but still going
Building the layers.

I did run out of gas in the end and decided to get some primer on.
Luckily I will have a new cylinder tommorow and I can finish it off

So far the top of the wing is nice and straight I can now weld and Shape so there won't be tonnes of filler going into this.
Having done a few sculptures where you weld them grind. Weld then grind. Weld v then grind I decided to take the same approach. I'm biased but I like how it's gone. It's also strong
Setting the welder low for poor penetration to start allowed me to turn the welder up later and really put in some nice penetrating welds.
I will post more pictures of this as it gets closer to finished

 

[Springerdinger]

One more picture
You have to take care only to grind your welds not the existing metal on the wing.
This takes time but it's cheaper than a new wing

 

[HopefullySoon]

I'll have you know sir the rear wing are NOT ugly , that's (spelling ... I can never spell it ) Piannia Ferina ...

Styling roof and rear wing when they hard topped the soft top ....

Aside from that , I agree the rear seam and also scuttle to wings is a rust trap and mine will be going ...

Nice going on the rest

 

[HopefullySoon]

How do you plan on mounting the rear quarter light bottom trim .... or are you not ....