No turning back......The project gets serious

Well the removal of the dashboard proved an enjoyable event.
If swearing, cursing, cramp in arms, cramp in neck, damp, cold, confusion and frustration can be called enjoyable.
Of course I'd read the book many many times on how to do this. In fact I'd read the book so often we needed a new toilet seat. So I was thoroughly prepared if not a little inexperienced.
More good news was that in the evening previous another cardboard box entered the house, it only cost £215 too, a bargain at half the price.
Don't know what to do with the new microwave that was inside though.

Before I embark on this new episode of no turning back let me pontificate on the dearth of cardboard boxes in our modern society. We all know what they are and what they are used for. We have all seen them many times. They are always free when you want one of them.
But let me warn you................Just try asking at a supermarket for one !!

My local 24 hour shop used to have thousands in the doorway at one time. Just take one sir, take thousands, build a new estate in Bulawayo sir, we just don't care, they are there for you because we don't want them.
Same went for the large multi nationals, Sainsbugs, TrespassCo, MoreReasons ect.
These often used but mainly Ingored items were there in their thousands ( hope the grammars good or Dave the teach will frown)

But like some Alien conspiracy now they have all GONE !!
Remember the rules on the wall in Orwells Animal farm, every time the downtrodden referred to the rule it had somehow mysteriously disappearedd.
Well supermarket cardboard boxes are like that.
First they were huge regular sizes and weird shapes that no-one ever took home.
Then they went to rectangular and square that were very handy. We all loved these.
At some point in the dim and distant past they began to get smaller and smaller till now they have disappeared completely.

Apparently they are a fire hazard and must be disposed of Immediately.
Disposed of by squashing flat in a regulation box squasher flatter , then Incinerated.
All by trained and certified supermarket staff courtesy of our wonderful H&S legislation.
I dare you, ask for a box near the large plastic doors next to the Deli counter and you'll get a look like Greek taverna owners reserve for German tourists.

On with the Dashboard.

Left hand upper bracket removed with socket set ( 1/2")
Cardboard glovebox liner removed frontwards by squashing slightly.
I must have spent 40 mins trying the former before latter occurred to me.
Removed both centre air vents easily. Dash showing signs of freedom as left side moves slightly.
Undid steering column bolts easy peasy. Whilst down there, upside down, head in footwell, feet splayed at odd angles out of window and out of sun roof I made a discovery.
previous owners of this vehicle lived like pigs. Nuff said.
I did find the trip re-set though and a "secret" switch which I will investigate sometime.
From this position of recumbent tranquility I also removed Right upper bracket.
Dash loose at both ends slightly but solid in centre.
40 minutes later it occurred to me as to why the centre vents should be removed.
" They hide the last remaining bracket holding the whole thing in position"

But that's when the serious stuff started.

Presented before me was a giant multicolour mess of spaghetti.......God what have I done.
It looks too difficult to but back quickly and run away, and its getting late.
Be brave Potter Pig.....Onwards and upwards.
To be fair the only tricky bits were the vent connections. Small nuts high under the padded top.
All the wires and cables were well colour coded.labelled them though just in case.

I have a feeling this statement will come back and haunt me later on.


Disconnect choke cable - both ends.
Disconnect & label up -:
Interior light
Cigar lighter
Ampmeter
Oil gauge
Fog light switch
Heated rear window switch
Speedo
Rev counter

And then it was lifted clean away...........Thus no turning back.

I'm sure I broke some switches or maybe they fell apart and disintegrated.
However boxed and labeled both ends and feeling rather smug.

Next job. Padded Dash top and heater pipes/vents. Maybe this can wait till after x-mas as yesterday we discussed wallpapering the bathroom this weekend.
Sacrifices. Sacrifices.

Oh yes I almost forgot..........I still need somewhere to store the bloody stuff.

Into each life a little rain must fall.......but not every bloody Saturday

Duties and responsibilities first. After suffering all week with a heavy cold ( Man cold......much more deadly than the "other" type which affects females mildly) I/we decided to get the house ready for Christmas.
This means I have to scramble around the loft space looking for unlabelled boxes of tree's, decorations etc. Fortunately last year at tidy away time I was rather disabled ( Broken Leg )
so they were just pushed into the hatch and were easy to retrieve.
I set to with a front room spring clean. The rest of the family pottered around attempting lots but accomplishing nutin'. Luchtime over I set too an the MG.
Yes I am actually going to drop the dashboard in order to get at those pesky frozen and spinning bolts holding the front wing solid.
Easy Peasey removing the gearstick gaiter. Not so untangling the wires for the overdrive and removing what must be 25 year-old Insulation tape............Not looking good methinks.
Bugger..........someone has soldered the wired together hence the tape.
Looks like Bodget & Scarper did work on this car sometime, hope it wasn't often, or a sign of things to come. Centre armrest removed to driveway. NOTE armrest well contains a small shops-worth of misc screws, fuses, bulbs etc.. all used/abused. Must keep them though, who knows where they came from. I must add at this point It was around 3pm and getting a little dark and cold to add to the already very damp driveway.

Removed the centre console after labelling the wires from the heater controls. I even had a box in which to put all the things in.
Then I noticed the rain. Absolutely P****ng down. And my feet and bottom half was also wet through.
NO......................................NO...........................The box and more Importantly the newly found "Kamasa" tools were wet through. The "dry cover" wet. The wet cover very wet and me wazzed off.

Fast paced was the next operation. Box in car. Tools into kitchen. Dry cover on. wet cover on.
Elastic thingies with hooks on on. Man In house very wet.

I decided to do the sensible thing and change clothes then settle down to a dark room lit by a warm fire and listen to the footy results ( Big match for me. Owls v Blades )

Then it all went wrong.
I'm putting the tree up in the room said wifey. Other room looks like an explosion at WH Smiths.
Bedroom same.
Time for some macho posturing.......................not a chance, guilt of happy families putting up the tree and smiling, Christmas records playing, chocolate being passed round.
Yes you can be happy when you think your world is crap.........thank heavens for marriage.

So it did end happily, almost. Room dark and fire lit + tree lights. Me on sofa Horizontal with remote control and quiet peace.

Except my team lost 1-0.

Never mind Toto, well always have Kansas.

The last person I expected to come to the rescue......

The Wife....!!..( said like Peter Kay repeats " Garlic bread")

Yes her Indoors. Overlapping domestic slave. The boss and giver of all things nice.

After another weekend of rounding off the incredible putty-like sockets whilst attempting to remove the left front wing she actually came to the rescue.
Here's how it all happened.

Mid week at ma in laws. Nice lady who looks after the kids and all her daughters and sons in law too.
So in a never ending attempt to get her daughter to take some of her "stuff" from her old bedroom she pipes in ..........................There's some tools upstairs you might use , let me find them this week.
Me "yes Please".
Several days later at Ma in Laws " here's them tools "
"I thought they were Bills" ( deceased Pa in Law) but they have Sue's name on the outside of the tin"
Tin !...........Sue' name on them ( Wifeys name) KAMASA HIGH QUALITY SOCKET SET .............AF...............HALF INCH DRIVE.........WITH PLUG SPANNER !!!!!!!!!!!
It did take some time to sink in. And is has rained every day since the epiphany but well........
who'd have thought that !

Wives are like elephants
Wonderful to view, they never forget and can be surprising....But choose your time, place and proximity with them carefully. Keep quiet

Frozen nuts...........is there a cure ? Will the captive nuts ever stop turning ?

Well never a truer term was invented. Simply remove the bolts highlighted inside the passenger footwell, bonnet gutter, front apron and inside engine bay front. ( 1/2 bolts ) p.s the upper ones are rather awkward.

After seven and a half hours interspersed with bleeding knuckles, cramped knees, aching back and a pair of broken glasses approx half of the bolts are removed.

The remainder either spin in their captive nuts or are rusted solid.

I did manage to remove the front bumper ( Rubber - but very heavy ) as the previous owner
had only fastened two of the four and obviously removed it recently as a socket did break when
pressured.This was a welcome diversion due to the above frustrations.

At this stage I must confess I did the macho male thing and Ignored the normal advice and bought the largest & cheapest socket set on sale at the auto shop.
How I wish I was Intelligent and experienced.
Still, why is experience is something you always get after you need it.

Keep in touch for a blow by blow account of my MGB-GT restoration on a budget and clueless as the weeks unfold and the wife see's less and less of me.