1972 MGB GT

[sorted]

I started a thread on this when I bought it (called Oops how did that happen) but it went off on many tangents so thought I would start again now I have some progress.

Lots of parts sorted, all suspension, brakes etc painted ready to fit, heater rebuilt, diff and rear axle rebuilt, dash and instruments, steering rack rebuilt etc etc. and front wings test fitted and fettled along with front panel, thought I was doing really well.

Shell is on my jig and looked mainly ok underneath but I thought I’d strip the black stuff off. Then I found the silicone sealer. At first I thought it had been used instead of seam sealer, but on removal it appears to have been used instead of welding! Video shows- if the link works- passenger sill and rear wing lower joint with pretty much no attachment to the car, so glad I checked, imagine hitting something in this.

youtu.be/BdM5uKkzsU4

Plan now is to remove wing and outer sill and see what lurks beneath 🤔😬

[upkeep]

I have had the misfortune to be involved in one of our directors and our CEO's MGB's what a dreadful experience 50 years of bodges every step was a backward step nearly broke me.

[sorted]

Some progress on this at last- all welding done now and got the underside de-rusted and a good coat of Gravitex on.

Now to clean up and prep the body.

[sorted]

Outer panels derusted - Jenolite gel is superb stuff- and now had 2 good coats of epoxy primer, all filler work done and a final epoxy primer coat.
Moving on to cellulose soon, primer then colour.

[sorted]

All done with cellulose hi- build primer and colour now on inside, underneath and on the roof.

Next job is get it off the roller on to stands, fit the wings, front panel and doors and get them all lined up, then final prep and paint exterior. Further ahead than I thought I would be at this point!

[studabear]

I've always liked the B GT. First garage I worked at dealt in them. So I did a few bits on them as an apprentice.

Thinking back I think a lit of them were bog monsters and underseal species for top whack and that was 27 years ago

[sorted]

This one has pretty much zero filler now, just the odd smear where I’ve joined panels such as the half rear wings and back panel.

Took advantage of the cooler weather to finish painting the shelll and very pleased with the finish from the gun. Now wait a couple of weeks for it to harden off before flatting and polishing, then the real fun begins getting it all back together when I didn’t take it apart!

[sorted]

Finally got there, first start day.

I did my usual routine, check fluids, set static timing and base settings on carbs ( I have no time for the YouTube clowns who slap it together and wind it over for ages while a mate plays with dizzy and carb in the hope of finding the sweet spot before the battery dies). Then I span it over plugs out until it built oil pressure, plugs in and went for start. She fired up good as gold as if parked the night before instead of a bare shell rebuild after 30 years off the road.

I let it run for 20 mins to warm up and bed in cam etc, then stopped it to check fluids. The link below is the warm restart and I then checked timing with the strobe- one degree out setting it static- and mixtures. Now just need to bleed brakes and clutch, bonnet on and test drive.


youtu.be/jws8-FENtUk

[studabear]

Car looks great from what i can see in the video.

[huffo]

Looks fantastic from here! Well done. Hope it gives you the years of pleasure you deserve for having built it so beautifully.

[Rhubarb]

Looks and sounds lovely, well done

[Noberator]

Lovely that is you could eat your dinner of that engine.

[valhalla]

Superb job there. Very nice start and smooth idle - you cannot beat proper preparation and set-up - a testimony to "Doing the job right first time". So many people rush up to this point, get the flashy bits bolted-on, then wonder why their "freshly restored" car is unreliable, thus giving them months if-not years of aggravation. Usually leads to a premature sale.......

Myself....even with the modern stuff.....I try to do exactly what you have done there; strip, inspect, overhaul everything as you go - not leaving anything to chance. It's quicker in the longer run, and it's just like driving a new car!!

[sorted]

Well I had my first breakdown in more years than I can remember at the weekend when the MG died on me.

Very lucky it was at the end of my drive so I could push it back down and into the garage. Quickly found no fuel arriving at carbs.

Turned out the new old stock Bosch fuel pump- direct replacement for the old SU type- no longer identified as a pump and had transitioned into a fuse testing device. Allegedly a sealed unit but with some careful work and desoldering I managed to get inside to find the piston jammed solid. After eventually getting it out I found it was covered in rust so presume this NOS item was store somewhere damp. Cleaning, polishing and reassembly left it good as new and normal service is resumed. Very annoying though and to avoid being stranded in future I have added a cheap and cheerful eBay special kit car pump to the box of spares in the boot, thereby guaranteeing the fuel pump will never fail again!

[rhyds]

Glad to hear you managed to get the problem fixed.