It's not so bad after all

Another fruitful session on the MG after a rather frustrating 3 weeks of staring, pondering and musing. The weather has been great but alas not the finances or work. I've been travelling the length and breadth of our fair Isle with a very busy and demanding work schedule plus no cash to impart onto the project. Added to which the demands of family life and their finances have taken priority, all on Ideal sunny days on which to work on said project, but c'est la vie, as the French say.

Happy birthday Fufferfour...............I'm now 50...yes five ohhh. Still feel like a 29 year old though perhaps with 21 years of experience. Some would argue with that and I'm not one to cause an argument........least yet whilst I know where my bread is buttered !!


The MG has had some giant strides of late ( only the last two days actually)
On my birthday I took the day off and sallied forth with wifey to the MGB Hive to buy new panels...................Oh joy of joys. A proper garage/business who it is apparent are very dedicated to ensuring your pride and joy is catered for. All with a free cuppa and friendly service too. Even rounded down the sum total of new rear wing, new inner outer wing, 1 mtr of wing beading, front wing repair section and rear light bump Plus a free beaker !!!! Fitted repair section to front wing easy peasy. The MGB Hive even let me "joggle" the panel whilst waiting so that made it much easier.
Depression only set in when I came to cut the rusty section from my front wing with the scary grinder with cutting disc inserted. All went well for two thirds of the way from front to near the back, then clouds of white dust billowed forth .

Yes you've guessed it, the rear portion of the wing was full of filler. How much filler though ?
Bloody lots........and lots ...........and lots. There must have been one eight of an inch covering up one hell of a depression. Funny that it was not visible from the inside though.
So welded on new bottom half repair panel leaving only slight kink in shape of curve of wing near door gap. Remedied this with expertly applied filler.
God................aint sandin filler borin ( best Yorkshire dialect.....I am from Sheffield !!)
Anyways, after what seemed like an eternity it looked good and fitted a treat with good gaps etc. Even ventured into bowels of shed to find wing retaining bolts.......this took approx 70 mins as most of the contents had to be removed then replaced to much sweat and cursing.
The net result is the wing fits almost perfect, the door has the quarter light fixed, sort off to aid alignment and some gentle persuasion of the bolts for the wing should see it all tickety boo.
Here it is in all its glory. The rear wing has been added for show as a giant ego boost fro me.

The car was bought with it missing so to see one propped up there is a major boost, even though its only duck tape keeping it attached . It looks wonderful and a real sign of progress.
I'm really looking forward to attaching the rear wing and inner /outer wing.
Please take note though...........when welding be sure that the panels are perfectly aligned.
Otherwise adding and sanding filler is messy, dirty and very very boring.

More soon............!!!

I've got a Fan

Yes folks, hard to believe but I got it myself after a lot of hard work.






The fan is actually the heater fan removed from the MG with no little effort, lots of sweat and pondering and probably even more swearing.






For once I didn't read the the MG bible by Mr Porter. I read another publication I bought on E-Bay for a fiver. It's very good, don't get me wrong. But removing the heater is a dirty job so I popped indoors and got said book because its a little grimy ( For our colonial cousins read dirty)






Read instructions and away I went. Some inventive blows with the hammer onto the large screwdriver in turn resting on Phillips screws very rusty, managed to free them without loss or damage. Removed two hoses connected to front of heater, easy peasy.

Should be free to be lifted up and forward, perhaps with some gentle persuasion.

Grrr......


puff.......


pant......


ouch !..( screwdriver slipped)


wrestle...


rock........


Time for a re-think. The bloody little thing would not budge.


Looked under dashboard to see if any pipes are connected......No, not much is actually connected dash-wise anyway after its removal and a few heater pipes last year.


Pokes around into where base of heater feeds to....nothing.


Back to wrestling then, but re-positioned to LH side of car.


Slowly some movement but then static and unmovable.


Grrrrr


Reads book again


Wrestles again.............more Grrr


Looks at mess under dashboard again.


Re-reads book......................................Ooooops "REMEMBER TO DISCONNECT THE HEATER CONTROL WIRE AT THE DASHBOARD CONTROL LEVER"


Yes it said it there right in the first paragraph. How can you not understand that !!! doh!!


So here is a picture to prove it.

There on the transmission top was a rather rusty and forlorn device dangling like an ignored heater control lever. Two small nuts undone and away it came from the brake cable type wire and sheath. Round to the heater box, a few wiggles and plop. Out it came.

Well bugger me, it was the wire holding it in all the time. Don't let that fool you though.

Apparently they are quite difficult to remove, and even harder to put back with nice new fat and not very spongy foam seals. The heater don't look too bad. It would never have worked though. The large flap at the base of the fan, which directs air down to the four internal pipes/vents was rusted shut and stuck with manky foam. The bracket that the wire attaches to on the flap had also parted company with the flap so not all was in vain. The rest of the heater looks in good nick. It just needs a good clean and new seals/foams. The wonderful MGOC offers uprated heater matrix and larger fan as the heater on the MG is not the best. In fact our American friends think its the heater from hell. Hey-ho, you have global warming now.

I'm tough though and can stand a little cool air in winter. ...................Ha. Not true. I cant afford or won't spend the money, on what I see as a pretty pointless mod.

Here is a view of the base of the heater box.

Great Innit !

Next few week should see some major strides in bodywork additions. Wifeys allowing me loadsOmoney to spend as a birthday prezzie. New L front wing base repair section, new L rear wing complete, repair panels for inner outer wing. Hope it don't rain then as we've not seen any for a few weeks..yippeeeee.

Sods law though. I've got no money so not much work has been done.

I'll be 50 next post.................almost one of Wogans T.O.G's

see you all soon

things went to plan......about bloody time !

Well look left, some progress to show and it ain't half bad.


The doorskin bought on E-bay looks great and was fitted by me, myself all alone and with no help, no disasters or dodgy happenings. Twin No 1 did hold the door whilst I hammered down the curvy bits near the top, however he got bored after approx 15 seconds so spent at least 3 minutes arguing with recalcitrant teenager on father/son bonding issues.


However, back to the progress, this is how it happened.......all according to plan, almost.


Once said doorskin had been purchased I set to work removing old doorskin by grinding the edges on three sides ( Most of the top is open to accommodate the window)


I had done this before last summer remember when practicing on a scrap door ( again bought on E-bay, this time I was conned somewhat as it was beyond repair, under the filler was new panels welded directly on top of the old rusty ones)


The old skin came away fairly easily since there was rust around all three sides. The front corner was probably the worse with nothing their at all.


So, some skill, logic and experience came to the fore. Most of the lips of the door, but not all, were rusty so needed replacing. Thus at strategic points I left parts of the lip in tact and welded on new lips. This was tricky in itself as I kept blowing holes when welding next to the remaining lips as it was so rusty. But with time and patience I managed to get a full ( almost) lip with only about 3 cm total ( 1" for non metricated) missing in two places. Used a excellent product called "Kurust" from Hammerite on the remainder of the lip and inside door bottom.


This stuff looks like milk but dries quickly to a dark Blue/Black and stops rust dead.


I think I'll need a lot of this. I literally poured it into the windscreen pillar base and on the rear window surrounds till I get chance to repair them.
Anyway, after it has dried a liberal coat of red-lead ( another Hammerite product) all over lips, inside door frame, outside door frame and inside of doorskin, we were ready to fit the skin.

So, a few days later ( actually Easter Saturday 2007) I set to fitting the skin.

I must admit this worried me as I did not want to make a balls of it as a new door would be over £100 quid. After reading the fantastic Mr Porters book on how to, I did as he said.

Tapped the edge all way round a few degrees in, taking it slowly and steady. After about eight circuits of the door it was ready for the edges to be bashed down firmly using a short block of wood and keeping the doorskin side supported underneath.

Hey presto here's the result..............................

My biggest concern was how the door bottom would line up with the sill I fitted. I expected to have the same gap as the old door which was around 10mm ( 3/8")

But NO it looks good. with some taps and bangs on the hinges I'm sure Ill get a good fit.

The waist swage line is a little high according to the wing but what the hell. The wing needs extensive repair and won't fit or go back on as it came off for some reason.

Below is a shot of the wing I've moved on to repairing. The bottom half will be replaced with a new panel but the inside double wall strengtheners and mounting nuts need attention.

Also the front headlight orifice needs a new inner piece ( available for £4.40)

The rusty double wall panels have been treated with kurust already.

More soon folks ! I'm off to scoff the kids easter eggs.

Never in the field of human indifference has so much...

Well...........I did do something that lifeless Saturday afternoon.After lunch I summoned much steely resolve to keep going and get the project going.
That's despite feeling tired and a little snuffly.
So, out with the mig and rest of tackle from MG bootspace.
Cutting cardboard templates, jigsaw buzzing, grinder scary grinding, clamps, drilling holes and finally welding. Hey,....it looks OK. My weldings getting better.
The end part of the sill needed closing in the rear wheel arch looking forward.
I've been putting it off for ages but now with mammoth effort and not a little skill..its DONE.
So just to prove it and the attempt at the rear wing attaching edge from last time
See below.............................
















The left hand photo shows the cover plate welded over the sill end plate. Just like the perfect Mr Evans showed us. Even "puddle welded" onto the correct vertical flaps too.
The right hand photo probably looks worse that it actually is since I took the photo in the dark.
I think I said a few posts ago I'm resorting to using .................body filler......sin of sins
A few ( bugger, the formatting won't remove...please excuse the font and colour)
deft whacks with the planishing hammer and It'll be perfik.
I did suffer later on in the day a it was apparent I was suffering from a stonking cold so I laid low for a few hours. Addendum. lying alert. I did have the Mon and Tues off work due to sneezing and severe "man Flu".
Did manage to purchase a brand new door skin on good ole E-bay though, and quite near by.
Collected it last night and its loverly.......little things and all that smirks the wifey.
Had a good look at the sellers MG and its spurred me on a little. Thanks Andy.
Please don't laugh too much when you see my repairs......yours looks perfect .
So, since wifey's away again this weekend and if the weathers OK looks like I'll be repairing the door and fitting the door skin.............maybe.

Oh for the wings,........the wings of a ( MGB GT 1977 Passenger side rear) !