Short driving video

This link is to an amateur video of the car running and shifting.  Oil pressure 65 lbs at speed, 40 pounds at idle.  The car has MGB front disc brake conversion and an MGB rear-end with the 3.9 ratio. MGA coupe video.

Windshield "Chrome" trim

The car is running well, shifting is good with the Borg Warner T35 auto transmission.  The car is not real fast but fun to drive.

I was hearing a lot of whistling from the windshield at speeds above 55.  My windshield installer said it was most likely from the flaps in the groove for the chrome finisher.  I don't have an original set so I used the plastic supplied by Moss USA.  The windshield guy lent me a lacer tool and a blunt hook, these made the project very easy, which was opposite of my fears.  I also soaked the plastic in hot water which made it very flexible.

To my surprise the whistling was much improved after the installation. The plastic finisher also stretches the rubber gasket so it feels tighter on the car.

The rear bumper bars were also installed.  Along with the Idaho British Car Club license plate surround.

More photos:

Summer Progress and Fall Driving!

I did the paint prep and actual painting myself, a mistake in all regards except cost.  It took a long time and still didn't turn out very nice, but it looks good moving.  Cindy and Liz applied vinyl racing stripes which helped cover some bad paint.  The windows were put in by professionals, it would have been hard to do alone with no past experience.

The car is fun to drive, the Borg Warner T35 auto tranny works well, there are some fine points to work out but it feels great to be driving.  The Speedhut gps Speedometer works very well.

Painting: 

Fender ripples from prior damage and bondo.

Sanding in progress.

STRIPES!!

Windows installed:

MGA/MG ZB Magnette Window regulator repair.

The sprocket on my MGA left hand window regulator has damaged teeth on the gear sprocket. I used a rust-frozen Magnette regulator for a donor gear sprocket. I tried to dismantle as carefully as possible so I could re-use everything.  The pivot pin with a "swagged" or hard press fit to hold it in place was tricky.  The small tabs were prone to break, this loss of metal necessitated spots welds to hold the pivot pin solidly. The pictures give some insight on how it is done.  There is a page of pictures on Barney Gaylord's mgaguru site too.

ZB Magnette donor regulator, pivot pin pressed in place.

Hole for swagged pivot pin. Pivot pin was tapped loose carefully
and was reused. Spot welds to hold it in place.

Magnette donor, it was rusted solid, but the
sprocket was good.

The chewed up MGA sprocket on top, the modified
Magnette sprocket on the bottom.

Welded pivot pin, pop rivet as original also seen.

Spot welds. 

Tabs spot welded, just to be sure.

Time will tell how long this lasts.  The cold and wet weather is holding up most work now, I hope to be driving before summer.

22 Dec 2015  The spot welds I made didn't last through the initial attempt to re-install, so I had a real welder fix it and all should be good now.  The windows are in and working all right for now.

Winter work on paint prep

In the dim past, this car was modified to widen the wheel arches and to repair front end accident damage. In additon the fender seams were closed with welding and liberal use of plastic filler. My intent is to as cheaply as possible make this car go again and to look all right at the same time.  I have two or three potential little british car recruits who don't want to drive a stick, hence my switch to an auto tranny.  I also confess that I don't mind a nice auto transmission for most daily driving.  I am planning to do at least the paint prep and possibly the actual painting.

The current plastic filler has various cracks that must be dealt with, primarily on the rear wheel arches and on the rear fender seams.  I intend to sand and grind out as much filler as I can to end up with a minimal skim coat only.  I will keep the rear lights "frenched" with commonly available LED light combinations, seen often on tractor trailers. The front turn signal/park lights will be restored to stock lights from Moss Motors.

I am sure some decisions, weighing practicality versus originality concerns, will arise.  The wheel arches will have to be resolved somehow.

Harbor Freight temporary shelter for sanding outside my garage.  

On the right the filler/metal crack is at the upper edge, where
the filler joins the original fender.

Rear fender seams ground out.

Crack in filler at junction with metal wheel arch edge,
on the left. The metal edge here seems to be a piece of pipe added
by the custom craftsman.

Some more summer work pictures.

My son-in-law and I worked hard in June and July for several days. We got the body off, frame and motor mounts redone and the body back on. Since then travel, duck and goose hunting and the need to finish up a prior commitment to an MG ZB Magnette have limited progress to some preliminary paint prep work.  I hope to get that done and the car painted by Spring.  Hopefully back on the road by June, we'll see.  

Two coats of rust bullet on the frame, first silver and then black.

Floor boards calked and painted:

Engine in frame, and then with body on:

The Iris Blue was a test coating, I am going to use a darker
blue in the end. 

Welding the motor mounts.

Miata seats, they looked good at first but
seem too high with the body on.

This bent throttle rod was par for the course with the carb
rebuild guy I selected.  SU Carbs is a fraud. 

The '58 ZB came along pretty well, I need to have some trim re-chromed
and then she should be done, as done as they ever are anyway.

Frame painted

 We test fitted the 1800 MGB five main with its Borg Warner 35 auto tranny to allow us to re make the motor mounts (removed by the V6 butchers) and footwell supports. The tranny is fairly wide compared to the stock four speed, so will narrow the foot room a bit.

We used grinder flaps and wire wheels to clean the frame.  We then painted with roller and brush-on  Rust Bullet, first in silver and the a black top coat.  It looks pretty good: