Weathered the storm but still tilting to port

 A strange title I hear you say.

Let me explain. The ground crew arrived early Monday morning after a frantic week of me and wifey preparing and moving "stuff", mainly the large Keeter storage box and other boxes, plus lumps of wood and pebbles and fences and plants and lots of plant pots full of wifeys pride and joy elsewhere to other patios.

A kind neighbour let me park the MG on his drive together with wifeys trusty Fiat panda. He has just restored his fifth ( yes fifth) MGA. It looks wonderful. Concours restoration far above what I could do. I must admit it inspired me to crack on......but wait there will be a big delay whilst the driveway and garage base is complete.

The MG did start on the second attempt, ran a little, well a lot lumpy. Move it did though and there it stayed for nearly two weeks. The old base looking like it has done for the last 20 odd years.

The new base, flat smooth, large, clean and welcoming. 

Sadly to say after standing for 10 days the MG would not move. It did start on the second attempt, ran lumpy for 5 minutes but stalled when I put it in reverse and by that time the battery was too low to initiate ignition. Big strapping son #1 to the rescue. 10 yard push off the drive slightly uphill, 20 yard easy push slightly down hill and onto new garage base. Result.Here it is in its new home.

And being actually worked on one fine day.

One Job I was keen to do was fit the newly acquired seat belts. But first I had to fit the rear wheel inner carpets. I deliberated over about say three lengthy sessions on the toilet and a few nights pondering before sleep as to fit the carpets, glued directly to the inner arch. Or fit the sound deadening that's been in the shed for about 2 years.

Unwisely I decided on the latter. It's quite stiff and not very sticky compared the the rest of the earlier deadening, which was a dream to fit, soft, sticky and extremely pliable. But sadly it was all gone so I used the stiffer silver backed stuff. I had to use some wide masking tape to hold it in place and even then it's not exactly stuck down. I may revert to using the old evo stick contact adhesive as I'm sure I 'll have to use it on the carpet anyway.

I test fitted the sort of moulded arch carpets anyway, did a little trimming and am a little unsure so I did what I normally do, go do something totally unrelated and ran the engine after having the battery on charge for a few hours. 

Again it started at the second attempt, ran quite better with the choke on at about 1000 rpm.

'

'Twas then I noticed a slight trace of steam/mist/smoke emanating from side/ front bonnet gap.

A very quick Ignition off move followed by popping the bonnet led to dismay.

Brown boiling water was spraying from the overflow vent straight back towards the scuttle and everything in between.

Moreover, there was a long stream of brownish water flowing out from underneath towards the front of the car. 

All over my new garage base. If wifey saw it she would go apeshit full tilt again. Good job she was not at home. A quick sweep up and hose away and all evidence gone......it never happened, did it ?

Investigating as to why it happened was more straightforward.

Top left-ish of picture shows broken thermostat temp sensor spade clip adrift from wire. For some reason I'd had it zip tied to the rather hefty engine earth strap which must have been tugging it loose. Prior to this the fan had always worked when the engine got hot. Not this time though.

One other slight annoyance was the wiper arms running slowly and even stopping. This may be to a weak battery, hopefully. If not it looks like a dash out jobby, oh no, just as I was starting to get it all together. I think I'll ignore that for now.......or run away.

Anyway I can still fit the carpets and another job halfway through are the interior rear trim panels.

I made a replacement Left side one using the old masking tape template trick.

I have the closed cell foam sheets and plenty of Interior vinyl to complete this final stage of the interior, barring aforementioned wiper issue. I forgot to mention that I fitted the rear Cant rail. After trying for 2 hours to get the fiddly clips aligned, bending them and getting thoroughly pissed off I used three black self tapping screws. I don't care, it looks good and can easily be removed. I forgot to photograph it though !

Next up I"ll address the engine running issue by fitting the air intakes, filters and other related gubbins.

That's enough for now folks. Rain on the way so I may have a few enforced easy days. Front of house driveway looks good though.

From this 

To this in only 10 days

More soon folks. Post a comment too, please.

The pressures on full tilt

 So a side project has always been to have the front and side driveway re-tarmac'd as well as making the front of the drive wider and a large flat garage base to the rear of the house. Since day one the MG has sat halfway down the drive behind the large driveway gates.

Well after 30 odd years the time has come, and boy has it. The lovely contractor paid us a visit to finalise details then came the bombshell, I can start it next week !!!   it'll take just short of a week.......nearest other start date is late August.   

I bit the bullet and said " next week please". This sent wifey into a flat spin of panic mode full Tilt.

Plants to uproot, stumps to level, boxes to move, storage Keeter to empty and move, find new temporary places for some plants, order new fencing and paint, repair current fencing on driveway.

''Twas only hard labour for me but for wifey It meant making decisions, something she avoids at all costs.

Whilst I got on with the labour part of moving stuff off the drive and front, about 8 pots and 4 storage boxes ( full of all my tools and misc MG stuff ) she stood in the front garden wondering and prevaricating.

I did dig out 2 large plants then left her to her wondering.

The big thing for me was I had to get the MG looking like it was somewhat finished and would start, stop and be mostly legal and be moved each day off the driveway and onto the road.

Here is a view of my containers that's been my life for years and years.

Below is the very old garage base area that was going to be done " soon", 30 odd years ago.

Taking things in order I first had to mount front and rear number plates. I started the front last month before we decided on a contractor, but I left them loosely attached and poorly aligned. I left them like that. I needed to make a bracket to attach behind the bumper but in front of the " L" mounting brackets.

I decided to make one from the rear bumper too. The trial one I made a few weeks ago from a Fiat Panda sill section was too weak and flimsy.

I did find a large sheet of powder coated Aluminium 3mm thick left over from the new TV purchase so I utilised it, waste not want not, up cycling and all that.

Here it is marked out.

And finally cut out with trusty jigsaw using only one blade. I took ages though.

And here are the mounted plates. Again not  perfect, loosely held in position with bolts and nuts, and some ahhhem ( double sided carpet tape ) but workable.

Still got lots to tell as this was only a few days ago and only the first day of full tilt up to teatime.

So, more tomorrow...if I have the energy ,