MGB V8 Roadster restoration project Report 123

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Tabitha Bennett
5 years ago
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27th February 2017. More power cuts yesterday. It seems to be like living in a third world country at the present time up here in North Norfolk. I was amazed how good the door trim pads were.

I can t glue down the wheel arch and side carpets until I have fitted the chrome waist mouldings.

In my forty odd years of doing bodywork I have never come across the trim pad being protected in this way.

The reason for always protecting the door card is, that any moisture that gets down between the window glass and seals, does not soak into the trim card backing, making it soggy and so destroying the

1 27th February More power cuts yesterday. It seems to be like living in a third world country at the present time up here in North Norfolk. I was amazed how good the door trim pads were. After cleaning they came up like new. The boot area is starting to come together, more or less, as I envisaged. It s a shame that the space is compromised by the filler hose. I can t glue down the wheel arch and side carpets until I have fitted the chrome waist mouldings. I thought this was a good way of protecting the back side of the trim card backing from damage due to moisture. In my forty odd years of doing bodywork I have never come across the trim pad being protected in this way. I have always applied the polythene sheet of protective material to the inner panel of the door, as the car manufacturers used to do. The reason for always protecting the door card is, that any moisture that gets down between the window glass and seals, does not soak into the trim card backing, making it soggy and so destroying the fibre board card. Another job that I was able to get on with, without electricity was to clean up some of the door trims. OIL THERMOSTAT When I received the oil thermostat from Merlin Motorsport I was a little worried that the push on alloy ends were a bit small on the inside diameter. The oil stat would work with ½ bore oil hose, but as the wall thickness of the alloy casting, where the rubber hoses pushed on to, was fairly thick, being aluminium, I was concerned about the possible reduced flow of oil. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 1

I contacted Mocal, 0208 568 1172, who make the oil stats and was advised to go for the

I ordered one; you can see it starting to be fitted in the photo below.

metal, then treated with Kurust and etch primer.

What I needed to do was to make a bracket up to fix the oil stat to the bonnet shut

2 I contacted Mocal, , who make the oil stats and was advised to go for the larger bore OT2/C oil stat. I ordered one; you can see it starting to be fitted in the photo below. The oil stat bracket was then blasted to get rid of some surface rust on the sheet metal, then treated with Kurust and etch primer. The oil stat included a hinged mounting bracket. What I needed to do was to make a bracket up to fix the oil stat to the bonnet shut panel. I marked out the size on a sheet of 16 gauge steel, drilled the fixing holes and bent it to shape. After spraying, in my customary satin black, the bracket it was ready to fit. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 2

MAKING BRACKETS FOR MOUNTING THE 4-POINT HARNESSES The oil thermostat firmly

I included this photo of the marking out to show what you can do with rusty metal.

cabinet to make the brackets for the seat belt shoulder straps.

Pipe sealant was applied to all the threaded nuts before fitting them to the oil

belt mountings and the three new fixings on the rear bulkhead.

3 MAKING BRACKETS FOR MOUNTING THE 4-POINT HARNESSES The oil thermostat firmly bolted in position on its freshly made bracket. I included this photo of the marking out to show what you can do with rusty metal. The metal was cut up and cleaned up on the grinder, linisher and then in the blast cabinet to make the brackets for the seat belt shoulder straps. This is a view of the oil thermostat from inside the bonnet area. Pipe sealant was applied to all the threaded nuts before fitting them to the oil stat. The brackets were welded onto the bar that will bolt to the original seat belt mountings and the three new fixings on the rear bulkhead. Not only will the bar support the seat belt straps it will stiffen the bodyshell between the wheel arches. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 3

After welding the underside and back, I ground down the welds.

I will bolt them in using the bolts that come with the straps and stainless

Before the bar got a coat of primer and top coat.

what to do with the rear section of the cockpit.

4 After welding the underside and back, I ground down the welds. This is one of the fixing for the four shoulder straps. I will bolt them in using the bolts that come with the straps and stainless steel Nyloc nuts and washers. The bar got treated with a coat of etch primer. Before the bar got a coat of primer and top coat. I still can t bolt the bar in for its final time, as I still need to decide on what to do with the rear section of the cockpit. I also need to find out from Moss what is happening about the carpet that I sent back to them. Are they going to remake the navy blue carpet section that fits over the battery box area, or are they just going to send me a bit of carpet to make up into a carpet that fits? V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 4

IGNITION COIL CONNECTIONS For joining a couple of heater pipes I made his joiner out of some 5/8 diameter steel tubing,

The white and black wire goes to the ve side of the coil and the white wire goes to the +ve side I hope!

The inside rear edge leaves a lot to be desired. I tried cleaning the flexible windows with Frost s glass cleaner.

I am hoping that a local coach trimmer can tidy up the bottom edge inside the hood, especially where the metal bar fits

5 IGNITION COIL CONNECTIONS For joining a couple of heater pipes I made his joiner out of some 5/8 diameter steel tubing, which was treated with Kurust, etch primer and top coat. Coil connections. The white and black wire goes to the ve side of the coil and the white wire goes to the +ve side I hope! The other side of the heater was connected along with the heater valve. The outside of the hood is quite usable. The inside rear edge leaves a lot to be desired. I tried cleaning the flexible windows with Frost s glass cleaner. Better than they were, but by no way perfect. I am hoping that a local coach trimmer can tidy up the bottom edge inside the hood, especially where the metal bar fits into its pocket as this area has been worn away in places. I had been contemplating getting a new hood in blue mohair, but it seems a waste to bin a perfectly usable hood that will do its job for the time being. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 5

GEAR STICK MODIFICATIONS Cutting ¾ off the end of the gearstick with the 1mm

Before I started the cutting I used an old ½ UNF nut as a guide, this also

I tidied up the original weld at the junction of the wider part of the

I then threaded the gearstick down as far as it would go with ½ UNF die.

6 GEAR STICK MODIFICATIONS Cutting ¾ off the end of the gearstick with the 1mm cutting disc makes for an interesting photo. Before I started the cutting I used an old ½ UNF nut as a guide, this also helps to reform the thread at the end when you remove the nut. I tidied up the original weld at the junction of the wider part of the gearlever where it meets the narrower diameter section on the bench grinder. I then threaded the gearstick down as far as it would go with ½ UNF die. Now to cut off the excess thread at the top of the gearstick. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 6

MIKE AND WOOD DEFINATLEY DON T MIX I used the white pen and the old gearstick surround as a template to mark the position of the screw holes that are

If I saw it without a hat, brings me out in a rash, working with pine gives me dermatitis if I don t wear gloves.

Robert will laugh when I tell him about it at our Saga Louts pub night tomorrow. I just can t be trusted with wood.

7 MIKE AND WOOD DEFINATLEY DON T MIX I used the white pen and the old gearstick surround as a template to mark the position of the screw holes that are required in the new gearstick rubber. Wood does not like me! If I saw it without a hat, brings me out in a rash, working with pine gives me dermatitis if I don t wear gloves. The only block of ply that I glued in on the rear panel I glued the wrong way round. I found this out when I tried to screw the rear trim pad in. The plywood block was too proud. Hence you see, if you look carefully at the photo, I have got an old Surform rasp file to shave some off the protruding plywood block. Robert will laugh when I tell him about it at our Saga Louts pub night tomorrow. I just can t be trusted with wood. I then punched out the holes for the screws and stapled the old leather cloth gearstick gaiter onto the rubber. I hope it still fits when I try to change gear. If not, I will have to ask Jane nicely if she will make me a new one out of black leather. After screwing the panels in place I used Car Plan black trim wax on the edges of the mill board to hide up any grey bits that were showing. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 7

I put some masking tape on the outside where I thought the hole was marked the position of the chrome moulding and probed with

After brushing the wax on I polished it off with a soft cloth.

A couple of holes for the rear wing chrome trim had been lost when the bodyshell went for painting.

The rivet-on trim clips for waist mouldings that Moss used to supply were metal. The new ones they supply are plastic.

8 I put some masking tape on the outside where I thought the hole was marked the position of the chrome moulding and probed with a scriber. It didn t work! I ended up drilling another hole for the trip clip which was rather annoying. After brushing the wax on I polished it off with a soft cloth. I used two bolt-on trim clips on each moulding rather than just one that was originally fitted. A couple of holes for the rear wing chrome trim had been lost when the bodyshell went for painting. I could feel inside the rear wing where the filler had come through the hole. The rivet-on trim clips for waist mouldings that Moss used to supply were metal. The new ones they supply are plastic. They seem to work well and less force needs to be applied to push the moulding onto the panel than with the old metal clips. I used to be worried that the force required to hit the trim moulding with the heel of your hand would dent the panel behind. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 8

Before pop riveting the clips into place I used a

All done apart from one trim clip hole to re drill

FITTING THE HEATER AIR INTAKE GRILLE I did wipe the

trim. I could not push the plastic fixings on by

9 Before pop riveting the clips into place I used a brush to apply Waxoyl in and around the hole. All done apart from one trim clip hole to re drill near the rear. FITTING THE HEATER AIR INTAKE GRILLE I did wipe the excess Waxoyl off before fitting the waist moulding trim. I could not push the plastic fixings on by hand. I used a ¼ drive socket. V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report-123 9

Checking the diameter of the plastic bush, with a vernier, after the bushes were

Note the stainless steel mesh grille to stop leaves blocking the heater drain

them. I had to push down quite hard to get the bushes to fit.

place. You can email me at: mikemacartney@btconnect.

10 Checking the diameter of the plastic bush, with a vernier, after the bushes were fitted to the chrome heater intake grille. Note the stainless steel mesh grille to stop leaves blocking the heater drain pipe. The socket just fitted over the plastic bushes I suppose you could call them. I had to push down quite hard to get the bushes to fit. I had to enlarge some of the holes in the body to get the grille to push into place. You can me at: mikemacartney@btconnect.com with any hints or tips you have that may help me, or other V8 register members. 2nd March V8 Register MG Car Club V8-restoration-Mike-Macartney-Report

MGB V8 Roadster restoration project Report 138

MGB V8 Roadster restoration project Report 138 24th May 2017. FITTING THE CARPETS - continued I have included quite a lot of detail and photographs on the carpet and trim fitting, as it may help those who decide to do this job on their own car. The