MGB GT Restoration

[Springerdinger]

great job fella, love following this thread, it's what a home restoration is all about using what's at hand, utilizing the greenhouse, gonna be a really nice motor when you've finished. Keep the updates coming

Thanks Norm. I always try to finish each job on a good note which makes it easier to come back to it next time. The weather is slowing me down a bit.

I have to say the pond liners I use to cover the car have been amazing - They have allowed me to leave metal unpainted for months on end through the winter - It has stayed as shiny as the day I left it - This is my top tip for outdoor restorers.
The caviat is dont use it on finished paint it will rub it away

 

[Springerdinger]

How's the MGB progressing, just come across your thread and have found it really interesting as I am rebuilding my son's rubber bumpered MGB GT for hillclimbing.
Welded the sills, wing bottoms, floors, headlamp surrounds, windscreen bases and rear window corners on both sides. No new panels used just butt welded patches and homemade repair panels as this car is unlikely to last that long the way my son drives!!!!
We have replaced the front crossmember with a chrome bumper one and lower springs to drop the front by 5"s. Polyurethane bushes all round apart from the crossmember pads which we removed completely to drop the car by a further 0.5"s (not for road use, incredibly harsh ride).
Front anti-rollbar replaced with a 3/4" one.
Rear suspension has a 5 leaf spring with the short springs moved to the top, 60mm homemade lowering blocks with longer U bolts and re-drilled the front spring hangers to lower the back by 4.5"s. Can't think how to lower the back to match the front without spending lots of cash on flat springs. Again polyurethane bushes all round.
All this has been done on a budget as my 17 year old son is paying for the parts from his limited income.
I will try and post some pics.
John

Hi John

If your keeping the leafs have a look at making a panhard rod for the back to stop it tramping on corners. There not to bad to fabricate. It will be a greater benifit I would guess than lowering it.

Also a stiffer anti roll bar on the front

If you have the standard damper arm shocks you can get stiffened ones quite cheap as well from most of the MG specialist.

Have a look on the MG Car club forum - they will be able help regarding the lowering as there the guys that organise the MG Live at Silverstone and other race events. It is different to the MG Owners club

http://www.mgcc.co.uk/

 

[MG David]

How's the MGB progressing, just come across your thread and have found it really interesting as I am rebuilding my son's rubber bumpered MGB GT for hillclimbing.

Is your son planning to run the car in the MGCC Luffield Speed Championship? It is a mix of hillclimbs and sprints. I sometimes enter my B roadster, just some of the events not every one in the championship.

If he is I hope he has checked the regs and knows which class he is aiming for before you make too many changes.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

We are only about 25 miles from Wiscombe, the September MG car club meet will be its first run. RAC Blue Book followed meticulously.
I will be glad to get it out of the workshop so I can start work on my project, a 1938 Austin Big 7 that I am going to take the existing body off (more perforations than a teabag) and put an Ulster type alloy body on. Light and simple.

Not sure whether to put a Panhard rod on the rear or anti-tramp bars, can't have both so we will see what happens in the test drive.

Bought some Tetrion paint stripper from the local autofactor and its rubbish. £7 for 500ml, glad I only bought 1 bottle. I will see what the Auto Refinshers sell tomorrow.

 

[Springerdinger]

Ask for or check the key ingredient is methylene Chloride, it will also contain an extra mild acidic ingredient. My tub was 5l
Just looked up the Austin - Looks like a very nice project you should get some pictures up when you get started.
look forward to seeing some picks of the mg as well

 

[Springerdinger]

Couple of minor updates regarding the front wing - Sort of before and after
You can see the wing in the background of the door frame picture

There is now no filler on the wing just primer - Still some work to do on it but I will come back to that another day

I had to do a test fit it to make sure the oil cooler tray lines up but also because there was a gap around the scuttle by the windscreen from a previous resto.

 

[Springerdinger]

This is another minor update to see how much filler was needed to cover the weld around the reversing light square hole and also the join of the valance to the rear wing

there is filler already on the rear wing the join is past the filler line

Still a lot more work to do to get this right but it was a good bit of practice.

Middle picture shows before the L repair was made there was a pile of filler in there. Also valance not added

 

[MG David]

Given the amount of trouble you are going to it might be worth taking the trim strip studs off the wing for painting. You often find a little rust under them.

 

[Springerdinger]

Given the amount of trouble you are going to it might be worth taking the trim strip studs off the wing for painting. You often find a little rust under them.

Your spot on about the studs David.
There is still a lot of work on that rear wing, in particular around the window where they rot out at the back
I ordered a Dremel 3000 this week which im hoping I can also use to detail a few of those really tight spots. (And finish a model boat off)

That wing will be taken down to the metal if we ever get a few decent days of sun.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Springerdinger]

With the weather being a bit kinder managed to get outside today and do a mock up of the oil cooler tray, wings, bonnet, and front valance.

Also re-did some earlier work on the front inner wing that I wasn't happy with - No pics yet

Lining up the cooler tray has taken hours, It did not want to sit properly between the inner wings because of the older resto work that had been done

Everything at the front end is effected by the positioning of the cooler tray.
If it's out of position the front valance will be off centre and the wings won't line up. Which could also effect the shut lines between the wing and the door
Also the irons for the front bumper wont pass through the square holes in the valance.
Bonnet lines will be a nightmare too.

Finally managed to tack it in

In the photo wings are just sat in place - Loads more work to do yet will post some pics of the cooler tray weather permitting soon

 

[the snooper]

is that rust on the roof ?

 

[Springerdinger]

Its a very rusty roof. However it will be having a new roof skin and doing away with the webasto. It was not in good shape. So going for shiny paint instead.

Saving that job for the Summer. Ha ha

 

[the snooper]

Saving that job for the Summer. Ha ha

emigrating then

 

[Springerdinger]

I should have got a bigger greenhouse

 

[DanDan]

Great work there fella. I too am restoring a 1970 MGB GT but im doing a couple of modification while i am at it.

Keep up the good work

 

[Highway_Star]

I'm quite enjoying this thread, I've just been given a 1976 MG. Not sure if it's a Midget or a B. All I do know is that it's a roadster.

It was running until 2 years ago when the elderly owner parked it in his garage last, it's now a non starter, but there can't be too much wrong.
He's in his 70's and reckons he's too old to tinker with it now, so offered it to me for nowt, rather than go through the hassle of selling it as is.

Quite how I tell Mrs Highway_Star that we're going to have to move to a house with a double garage I am not sure....

 

[Springerdinger]

Hi Highway Star

Welcome to my world
The midget is smaller than the b. I believe the later rubber bumper models had 1500cc engines and squarer rear wheel arches

I dream of a double garage but love working outside as well.
Good luck with your project. Please post some pics

I will post some more updates pretty soon

Chris

 

[Highway_Star]

It's partly Mrs Highway_Star's fault. She has designs on a Mini, a real Mini, not one of those BMW monstrosities.

So there will be her Mini, my Range Rover, my company Skoda, our MG and our Land Cruiser.....
I think there's a motorbike at the back of my mums garage too....

 

[chucksdad]

Hi Springerdinger, I found your story and pictures of renovating your MG great, I see at one point you say you will be reskinning your roof and as the sun roof on my MG has a fair bit of rust it would be great if you could let me know how you get on. The job seems really daunting to me so any pictures would be fantastic. Regards Chucksdad.

 

[Springerdinger]

Hi Chucks Dad.
Planning the reskinning as soon as it warms up and drys up a bit.
the basics for the job will be to drill out the spot welds under the top of the windscreen.
Also the gutter channels. You also have to cut across the top of the rear pillars.

There is still plenty of frame under the skin to keep the shape but i am expecting that a car of this age will no longer be the same shape as when it left the factory so i will take my usual lifetime to line it up with the new skin.
Not going to rush this job but have ordered the skin this week so i can start staring at it.
the door skins are also on the way i believe.

The pond liners have protected the car nicely over winter and its all looking nice under the covers. Haven't been able to do anything on it over winter due to work and weather. That said did some welding at work today and the bug bit hard again. Watch this space