Try to use your imagination!


The Beginning
06-21-2002

I found this MGB through an online search and it was one of the many that I inquired about. This car was advertised as a restoration in progress with the difficult bodywork completed. Through email, the seller provided me with five pictures. I arranged to go down to Carmel, IN on a Friday to purchase the car, providing the pictures and information provided by the seller were accurate. After brief inspection of the car, its removed parts, and the hardware (in individually labled plastic bags) my decision was made. I purchased my MGB on June 21, 2002 for $1,500.


Teardown
07-27-2002

In the free time that I have found, I have begun stripping the car of its many components. Thus far, I have removed the other door (driver's side), wiper motor and assembly, dash, hand brake, as well as other bits and pieces. Yesterday I borrowed a neighbor's engine hoist and was able to remove the engine and the transmission. Also, my first parts order (from Moss Motors) arrived yesterday, minus the backordered parts. Out of their summer sale flyer, I purchased polyurethane bushings for the front suspension, wheel bearings, a new grille, cupro-nickel hard brake lines, stainless steel braided brake lines and oil cooler hoses, a handbrake cable, and some other small stuff.

Out comes the engine!   


Engine Bay
08-02-2002

A few days ago, after having removed the brake lines, clutch line, fuel line, and wiring harness, I began sandblasting the engine bay. I found that it takes a long time to get through the paint so I decided to invest in some paste paint stripper.

Originally, the car had red primer with British racing green paint and, at some point, it was repainted with gray primer followed by a thick layer of red paint. The red paint job was done poorly, as can be seen by the chips, cracks, and overspray in the engine bay, on the old grille, etc. My guess is an average Maaco paint job. The engine bay and the interior remained the original British racing green. I plan to strip off all the paint and start over from bare metal. That way I don't have to worry about adhesion between various paint layers, or possible rust forming somewhere beneath. I will use a fast drying, gray, sandable, automotive primer, and probably a candy apple red paint. Though the interior panels and the seats (black) are still in suprisingly good condition, I would like to go with a tan interior... but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

After applying paint stripper to the cowl and engine bay, I found that the red paint on the cowl blistered terrifically but the green paint in the engine bay blistered only slightly. Perhaps the red paint is really cheap, or maybe the paint in the engine bay has been baked on to some extent. Still, I think the stripper has softened it some, as it seems to sandblast a little easier. Upon sandblasting, I found some spots that have rusted through the wheel wells into the engine bay. Additionally, It appears as though the front suspension on the passenger side rose up to form several dents in the wheel well. Perhaps a front-end collision or a run-in with a curb.

left side sandblasted with spotted rust preventive primer   sandblasted, primed, and ready to fill


08-05-2002

After about twenty-five hours of sandblasting and priming the engine bay, I am nearly finished. I still have a little to go, and then I can repair those wheel well dents and rusted through spots. Also, I think I will run some seam sealer along the creases in the engine bay.


MGB BBQ
08-18-2002

Over the last week or so, I have designed and built a rotator for the car. The idea behind this car rotisserie is to simplify sandblasting, cleaning, painting, etc. of the underside and otherwise hard-to-reach spots. I got the idea online and found several variations - a few constructed of tubular steel and one built of two-by-tens and four-by-fours. Becuase I don't have easy access to much metalworking machinery or welders, I designed mine to be constructed of two-by-tens and two-by-sixes. I removed the front and rear suspension several days ago in preparation for the rotator. As a result of the absence of wheels on the car, I have not been able to move it outside to finish sandblasting the engine bay. Today, my dad and I were able to maneuver the deceivingly heavy body onto the base cart of the rotator. Next, I fastened the vertical tripod supports, which I had already made and fitted several days ago. The rest of my day was spent stripping the multiple layers of paint from the quarter panels with paint stripper and a scraper, followed by a lot of sanding (down to bare metal) with 120 grit on a soft sanding block, and finally, a coat of primer.

aerial view of car on rotator base   car on rotator base   vertical tripod supports installed

the messy work of stripping paint   sanded down to bare metal   freshly primed!


Rust Prevention
08-16-2002

After some online research and email inquiries, I purchased a few rust-prevention products from POR-15® at www.por15.com. I first heard of this product at British Car Day (2002) at Eastwood Metropark in Dayton Ohio. The owner of a beautiful 1966 MGB roadster, told me that silver POR-15® should be used on the back of new aftermarket bumpers and overriders to avoid future rust problems. I also decided to use the semi-gloss POR-15® on the underside of my MGB. I for one am not a fan of that tar-based gunk undercoating, which can sag and hold water. POR-15® supposedly chemically bonds to rusted surfaces (and new metal surfaces with the use of POR-15® surface preparation products) and will not crack, chip, or peel.


Sandblasting
08-18-2002

With nearly thirty hours of sandblasting the engine bay, it is finally finished and primed. Next I will sandblast the trunk (or boot).


Winter, Wheel, and Wiring
02-17-2003

With the finger-numbing cold and the snow that come with Winter in Ohio, I have not been able to finish sandblasting the trunk. Once the car is stripped of paint, primed, and painted, the front and rear suspension should be the next step. I have decided that once the body is painted and reassembly begins, I will install nothing onto the car that has not been thoroughly inspected, cleaned, and restored or replaced. One exception to this ruling is the wheels and tires. I would like to purchase a set of five chrome, 72-spoke, Dayton wire wheels but there is no point in spending a large sum of money so early on in the restoration on such an item which can easily be swapped out later. Also, I would hate to see a set of brand new tires age and develop flat spots from sitting in one place while the restoration slowly progresses. Since the cold garage has steered me away from body work or suspension restoration, I moved to smaller projects that I can work on within my workroom, or at least within my house.

I plan to build a wooden steering wheel around the guts of the current one. The plastic molded onto the steering wheel had cracked at some point and a previous owner had attempted an epoxy fix. I was able to crack away the brittle plastic and epoxy from the rim of the steering wheel by using a chisel and soft blows with a mallet. The epoxy was also holding several of the spokes to the rim. The welds had apparently broken and will need to be silver soldered or welded back on.

The guts of the steering wheel with the molded plastic ring chipped away from the wheel

I received my second order from Moss Motors, which contained the complete wiring harness and other miscellaneous parts. When I removed the old wiring harness from the car, I labeled all connections and unknown components with masking tape and a permanent marker. I was unfamiliar with some of the electrical components and unsure of the purpose of the various switches (having never driven the car). For this reason, I would use tape to label a switch "switch 3," for example, and label the wires accordingly, taking care to note which connector went to which terminal on the component. Last weekend I taped both harnesses to the floor next to one another so that I could compare them and make sure that the new one was correct for my car. I am pleased to say that the new harness matched the old harness nearly perfectly, with a few exceptions including some modifications that had been made by previous owners. Using the old harness' masking tape labels and wire colors as a reference, I made temporary masking tape labels to put onto the new harness. This weekend I removed those temporary masking tape labels one by one, and replaced them with printed wire labels. I had to do some research with a Moss Motors catalogue and a wiring diagram in my Haynes manual in order to correctly identify various components and switches. For example, I had labeled one unknown component "flasher 2," as it resembled the turn signal flasher in some respects. A brief look at the Moss catalogue - and a comparison between the wiring diagram and the colored wires that I had labeld "flasher 2" - told me that this component was actually a "voltage stabilizer." The new wire labels (which I plan to be permanent) reflect these terminology corrections.

A sample wire label


Sandblasting Upgrade
02-17-2003

In order to speed up the sand blasting process, I purchased a 60 gallon, 2 stage compressor. It seems to maintain 90 psi during blasting, whereas the old compressor couldn't keep up and ran constantly to maintain about 30 psi. The increase in pressure makes a huge difference, and I can now blast through layers of paint, which could only be compromised by paint stripper before. Additionally, I am now using glass bead (#9) in the sand blasting cabinet in order to achieve a smoother finish for parts that I plan to have plated.

In anticipation of dirt and oil finding their way to the new braided cloth bound wiring harness, I decided to look for some sort of protectant. My dad suggested using silicone water repellant used on hiking boots, etc. This was exactly what I was looking for, except products of this sort seem to require periodic applications. Instead, I decided to simply use 100% silicone caulking. I applied and smeared it into the braided cloth thoroughly with a glove, and then wiped off the excess. After curing, the harness obviously looks more glossy than before, but should hold up to any heat encountered, resist road grime, and be easily cleaned.


Front Speakers
06-17-2003

As I may have previously mentioned, and will probably restate in the future, I am not determined to restore this car to perfectly original condition. In fact, I will not hesitate to make any modifications to this car which will increase my appreciation of it. After all, I do not plan on ever selling this car (I would never get a fair price for all of the time I will end up putting into it) and thus the potentially higher monetary value associated with factory originality does not concern me. That said, one modification for which I am planning is to upgrade the sound system. True, it is very early in the restoration to be thinking about such finishing touches, yet I will need to do all necessary cutting of sheet metal for speaker openings prior to painting the body. For those who are unfamiliar with the factory sound system of such an MGB, it consisted of a radio and a single speaker below the dash (just ahead of the gearshift). I plan to use four speakers, which I have recently purchased such that I may plan for their mounting. I purchased:

for the rear - one pair of Pioneer, 6"x9", 3-way, 220 W speakers

for the front - one pair of Pioneer, 4"x6", 2-way, 100 W speakers

The front speakers will be mounted in custom enclosures that I have made (see pictures below), which will be located in the kick panels. The enclosures are constructed of 0.25" Sintra sheet, which is a PVC product that machines well with woodworking equipment. These enclosures will mount to the outside of the kick panels, and the speakers will mount to the enclosures through the kick panels from the inside of the car. The enclosures should prevent dirt and moisture from getting to the speakers.

   


Rotation
06-19-2003

In preparation for putting the car body on the rotator, I made a couple of braces out of extruded aluminum to provide extra support for the door openings. Some people suggest leaving the doors on to prevent buckling of the body but I decided braces would be stronger and easier. Without such supports in the door opening, I can't say for sure whether the body would fold in half, slightly deform, or none of the above. It does have the frame and the transmission tunnel to provide support, but I would hate to find out later that the doors don't fit, so I decided to play it safe.

After purchasing a $200 engine hoist from AutoZone, my dad and I were able to lift the body up onto the rotator. Everything seems to be sufficiently rigid and reasonably balanced. Due to the location of the end pivots, the body naturally wants to be inverted, but is close enough to balanced that one person can fairly easily rotate it through 360 degrees. Starting with the body inverted, a strong rope tied to one of the door opening braces and the opposing side of the rotator base allows me to position the body at just about any angle that is convenient for sandblasting. This is going to be a great way to sandblast hard-to-reach and hard-to-see places. Not to mention, rotating the body around is a quick way to pour the sand out of compartments and crevices.

   

      


More Sand
07-27-2003

Sandblasting of the underside is completed... now to finish sandblasting the trunk, interior, etc.

   


Battery Cages
07-29-2003

I will be using plastic battery boxes from Moss Motors in my battery compartments. I think they will look cleaner and will better protect the battery from road debris and dirt. These boxes have a flange around the opening, which serves to suspend the battery, without needing the original undercarriage battery cage (it seems these original cages are quick to rust out). I could remove the original cages since one is kind of tattered, but have decided to reinforce them both in case the plastic flange should ever fail or I decide not to use the plastic battery boxes. I have made two matching reinforcement trays of 0.04" aluminum, which I will probably pop rivet to the metal of the original battery cage that has not rusted away. This should work well, as only the bottom of the cages have significant rust (in the pictures, the "bottom" of the cage is up, since the car is inverted on the rotator at this point).

   


09-06-2003

Two coats of POR-15® looks pretty good, don't you think?

       


09-20-2003

At this point, I have gutted the driver's side door (taking careful notes) and removed its door skin - the previous owner had already dismantled the passenger door. The insides of both the bare door frames and the front fenders received the sandblasting and three-step POR-15® treatment. Also, using a particleboard template, a 1/4" solid carbide cutting burr, and a plunge router set at 12000 RPM (slow speed), I was able to cut out my kick panels to receive the speaker boxes that I made back in mid June.

   


Battery Cages Completed
06-17-2004

Though the underside of the MG is painted with rust preventive POR-15®, I plan to paint over that with a do-it-yourself polyurethane truck bed liner called Herculiner. This will further prevent rust and chipping, hide minor dents currently highlighted by the gloss black surface, and may help to reduce road noise. Before I apply the bed liner, I first must make a few repairs on the underside. One of the jacking points is damaged so I assume that they are both original and have been cut off and rewelded to the new floors and sills, so I have decided to replace them both. For this, I invested in a wire-feed MIG welder (Hobart Handler 135) which may also come in handy down the road. Additionally I have noticed that on both sides of the car, the bottom edge of the sill is not in perfect alignment with the rear quarter panel. While it may be difficult to notice unless you are sighting along the bottom of the sills, I have decided to attempt a cosmetic repair using body solder. I found a lead-free body solder from Johnson Mfg. called 523 auto body solder which looks promising. Also, I can now fasten the battery cage reinforcements. After cutting away the bottoms of the battery cages, I decided to slightly modify my design (from July 2003) for the battery cage reinforcements. I still used 0.04" aluminum and chose to fasten them with 10-32 stainless steel pem nuts and machine screws. I will end up grinding the machine screws flush where they protrude past the pem nuts as seen in the pictures. Please feel free to use my dimensioned plans if they will help you to reinforce your battery cage!

       


Wiper Reassembly
08-29-2004

Finally some reassembly! It sure is nice working with clean parts and clean grease (lots of grease in the wiper motor assembly).

before    after


Engine Disassembly
01-16-2005

I realize that it has been quite some time since my last entry, but I have still made some progress here and there. Realize that I am still a full-time engineering student during spring and fall, and work a full-time engineering co-op job during summer and winter. Excuses aside, I managed to dress up the bottom of one of my sills with body solder (as I mentioned on 06-17-04) and will do the other sill once it gets warmer outside.

As a way to make some progress indoors, I began my engine rebuild this weekend (or rather tear-down at this point). A friend lent me the "MGB Engine Rebuild Video" starring "Dr. Doolin." I highly recommend the video as it is very informative and quite thorough. At this point I have disassembled the entire engine, of course keeping all parts in labeled bags. I have never dismantled an automotive engine before, but armed with my stunning mechanical aptitude and the direction of "Dr. Doolin," I can honestly say it went very well. I am really looking forward to reassembly with lots of glistening new parts! The next step, however, is sending out parts to be machined, ground, bored, honed, hot-tanked, etc.

   


Carburetor Disassembly
01-30-2005

This weekend I dismantled, cleaned, and inspected my HS4, SU carburetors. Knowing very little about them to begin with, I first watched my friend's copy of an SU carburetor rebuild video. After disassembly, I did some research to discover that the carburetors I took off my '67, were not fitted on MGBs until '69-'71. These later model HS4s feature a port on each carburetor between the piston and the throttle disc, which connect directly to the front engine side plate cover to vent gases from the crankcase. The earlier models connected the side plate cover to the inlet manifold instead of the carburetors, having a PCV valve in between. Since crankcase gas flow was driven by the balance between both crankcase pressure and inlet manifold depression, oil escaping with these gases would often puddle on the diaphragm of the PCV valve. After reading about these HS4 differences on British Automotive's technical website (specifically the "MGB Engine Oil Use" link), I discovered that my '67 had been upgraded at some point to this later model HS4, yet without taking advantage of this improved crankcase venting feature. My system was still equipped with the PCV valve, and the carburetor ports were connected together, essentially canceling them out. I have found British Automotive's website to be very thorough and informative and have also been referring to it for technical information regarding my engine rebuilding plans.

After pricing out the parts I would like for a carburetor rebuild (about $350), I am seriously considering purchasing new ones. Genuine SU carburetors are available through Moss, and are made in the UK from new and original tooling for under $587 per pair. While my carburetors are generally serviceable, some aspects are not easily repaired, such as wear in the bore from contact with the throttle plate, as well as between the piston and dashpot. I do plan to get a good deal of use out of this car upon completion, and will certainly put my share of wear on such components. I think for the price difference, brand new carburetors will be worth it. I can hopefully sell my very clean carburetors to someone who is not as picky as I am. Before selling them off, I will purchase the new ones and make sure they are as nice as they sound.


Engine Plans
03-30-2005

I have done a great deal of research regarding the rebuild of my engine, refering to several manuals, as well as technical articles on British Automotive's technical website. Also, I have spoken with a friend of my family who will likely be taking over the required machining. He was able to provide me with even more general information as well as oversizes that I will require. Having also looked into engine rebuild kits and individual components, I placed an order with Brit-Tek for the following:

Major Engine Rebuilding Kit:
    AE 0.020" oversize piston set with rings and pins
    oil pump
    British Delta mild street cam shaft (step up from stock)
    cam lifter set
    0.010" oversize main bearings
    0.010" oversize connecting rod bearings
    cam shaft bearings
    thrust washer set
    lock tab set
    timing chain and tensioner
    rocker shaft and bushing set
    gasket and seal set
    special positive valve seals
    oil pressure relief valve and spring

Head Update Kit:
    4 Stellite exhaust valves
    4 intake valves
    8 silicon-bronze valve guides
    8 hardened valve seats
    valve spring set
    head gasket set (with Payen head gasket)

dual timing gear set
connecting rod bolts
13-row oil cooler


Side Sill Body Work
07-25-2005

I finally finished working on the side sills, where they were not in perfect alignment with the rear quarter panels (as mentioned back in June 2004 and January 2005). Ultimately, I MIG welded to fill the body seam between each sill and rear quarter panel, used body solder to feather out the slight step and misalignment, and finally finished it off with body filler and sanding. The result is a clean and seamless transition from rear quarter panel to sill on each side. I have also done some scuffing on the underside of the body to prepare the surface for the polyurethane truck bed liner, which will be my next step.


Underside Complete!
08-22-2005

I was hoping to get the unibody off the rotisserie during this co-op quarter before heading back to school in September and I might actually make it. It's a bummer but I am usually so swamped with homework during school quarters that I don't even have time to think about my MG. The first picture shows the front fenders roughly fitted, with the hood resting in place to use as a reference in adjusting the hood gap. The splash panels have already been mounted with stainless hardware and Herculiner has been applied to them as well as to the area behind each one, which is no longer accessible with the fenders in place. The second picture shows the result of the Herculiner on the underside of the unibody. The prep work involved scuffing the POR-15 on the entire underside and then wiping it all down with acetone. I used less than one can of Herculiner, which is the amount provided for one six-foot truck bed, and I applied it with a brush in a stippling fashion. For truck beds they recommend two coats, but it covers nicely and so I only applied a second coat to critical areas like the wheel wells, floor pans, and the leading edges of the frame, battery cages, etc. I am quite pleased with the results--a very clean and professional appearance with the toughness of polyurethane, which should prove impervious to stone chipping and moisture. You will notice that the bottom of the fenders have not been fastened to the sills, as I still need to make a few adjustments as well as re-skin and mount the doors to check their gaps.

   


Off the Rotisserie!
09-09-2005

With the unibody still inverted on the rotisserie, I injected Waxoyl into the sills and frame. Waxoyl is a waxy substance saturated with rust-inhibitors that starts off as a viscous liquid and becomes about the consistency of bees wax. I'll inject more into the same places once the unibody is right-side-up again, hoping to coat all of those hidden surfaces and protect them from future moisture and rust. After the Waxoyl, my dad helped me remove the car from the rotisserie using the engine hoist in the same way that we did to lift it into position over two years ago. The fake front and rear ends that I designed are made from 2x4's and 2x6's and are intended to mobilize the car until it is painted and the actual front and rear ends are restored. I designed them to raise the car about seven inches above the actual ride height so that I can get under it easier for masking of the underside, and the painter can more easily shoot any lower edges. Also, the casters are spaced to maintain the actual wheelbase to ensure that I can wheel it up onto just about any trailer to transport it to a paint shop when that day comes.


01-23-2006

This school quarter got off to a slow start, which has meant some free time to work on my MG. I used J-B Weld, a door skinning tool that I found on eBay, a body hammer, and a body dolly to attach one of my door skins to its frame. It worked pretty well and the other door skin should not be a problem. I also took various parts to be electroless nickel plated, including door, trunk, and hood hinges, door strikers, and various carburetor parts and linkages. I am told nickel plating is quite durable and its clean appearance is similar to the warmer tone of stainless steel. Upon carburetor disassembly in January of 2005, I had planned to simply purchase new SU carburetors. However, after checking prices once again and realizing the good condition of my current carburetors, I have decided to rebuild them. Details will certainly follow.

Additionally, I have expanded my capabilities into the powder coating realm with the purchase of a basic powder coating system. I was able to acquire (free of charge) a discarded oven from a Lowe's home improvement store. The oven is several decades old but very clean and seems to work well. Though the oven was free, I did thank Lowe's by returning to purchase the necessary circuit breakers, conduit, wiring, etc. to permit its use in the garage.


Carburetor Rebuild
02-20-2006

This weekend I was able to reassemble my SU, HS4 (AUD405) carburetors and they look great! Saturday my dad and I went to his work to borrow their machine shop to ream the throttle shaft bushings for the oversize throttle shafts. We first pushed a piece of 0.3125" drill blank stock through the bushings and then chucked one end of the rod in the mill. The rod fit snugly through the bushings since the bushings went along for the ride when I had the carburetor bodies electroless nickel plated. Holding the carburetor body on the fixed rod, we slowly adjusted the mill table until the angle plate (which we had mounted on the table) made contact with the manifold side of the carburetor body. Placing a scrap piece of plastic on the air cleaner side, the carburetor body was then clamped into place. Now that both bushings were aligned with the mill, the 0.3125" rod was removed and a 0.3155" reamer was chucked into the mill. After running this reamer through the bushings at a slow feed rate, the final ream was performed in the same manor using a 0.321" reamer. I believe the piloted reamer (piloted for potential use with a hand drill) available for these oversized throttle shafts is 0.323" but the 0.321" creates a tighter fit with less slop in the throttle shaft, while still allowing smooth operation free from binding. After I clean up and powder coat the intake manifold and heat shield, I'll post before and after pictures of the carburetors.

      

   


Carburetor Heat Shield
03-11-2006

I was able to clean up my intake manifold and carburetor heat shield and powder coat them as I had planned. The powder coating went well but I can't install the carburetors to the manifold until I get new studs. I looked all over for replacement heat shield insulation but couldn't find anything locally that was suitable, or anything from MG suppliers that was pre-cut. I ended up purchasing some excellent material, though it was quite expensive and I had to purchase a rather large quantity. However, I made a template and fixture so that I can produce insulation patches for all those who have had as much luck locating replacements as I've had.


Carburetors Completed
03-18-2006

I now have the carburetors completed and mounted on the intake manifold. With stainless steel hardware (from cotter pins to lock washers) and electroless nickel plated bodies and linkage, they look so much better than they did. I also sanded and then polished the suction chambers (dashpots) to a farily bright, chrome-like finish. Check out the 'before and after' pictures below.

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with the PCV valve atop the intake manifold. Though my car is a '67, the carburetors are from a '70 MGB, as I discussed in my entry on 01-30-2005. With these later carburetors, a PCV valve was not used, rather the engine side cover vents gases into the new port in each carburetor (between the throttle plate and the suction chamber piston). I would like to leave the PCV valve off, but have heard that this can cause problems... time for more research.

   

   


Valve Cover, Etc.
04-03-2006

I have nearly completed my valve cover, timing cover, and engine side plates (the side plates need a quick sanding and touch-up coat). I bead blasted them, powder-coated their insides with a high-temperature satin black (silicone based), powder-coated their outsides with chrome, and then top-coated them with two coats of transparent red powder coat. The pictures don't do them justice. The result is a deep candy red with a great sparkle from the metallic layer underneath. It took a lot of degreasing to get all of the oil out of the vented engine side plate, but I didn't want any oil to burn off in the oven and possibly contaminate the powder coat. The color turned out so well that I will use these as a starting point in my search for body paint when that day comes.

   

   

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