Another Little British Roadster. Does anyone deserve this? I had my
fill working on TDs, TFs, As and twin cams back when they were new
three and four decades ago. I even sold LBRs for the local dealer
back in '65 (I always took a spridget to lunch.) So how did this '75
MGB get in our garage?
This is a message to say hello and I'm mighty glad to be here. I've
been messing with cars for 40 years but I'm not sure I know a damn
thing.
If I did I'd have said "Sorry, can't help" when a caller to my BBS
asked if I knew anyone who would take over his MGB project.
Instead....well, you know what I said.
Do I have to defend that? Here? Ok, running through my mind was the
thought that in 13 months my younger daughter gets a permit and will
want a car to drive 7/10s of a mile downhill to school and a British
car is up to the rigors of that...much of the time.
The B's owner, a good friend, said he'd been driving it until 18
months ago when the clutch hydraulics went and he parked it. He said
he ran the engine last in the spring.
I believe that. Still I wasn't surprised to find the fuel pump in/out
lines were reversed, the header pipe is semi-detached from the exhaust
header, a battery cable end was split, the float bowl was stuck and
gushing fuel from the bottom of the carb, and the wiring was for a
firing order of 1-2-3-4 instead of 1-2-4-3.
We know why, of course. It's a British Roadster and these things
happen to British cars.
Been studying it for a week now. The 1st plus: about $70 worth of
restoration and repair books came with it. I learned '75 was the 50th
anniversary of the marque but this isn't a 50th anniversary special.
Just the normal '75 with 70,000 mi, AIR, no catalytic converter, a
single Zenith carb. Daughter shall not go racing.
Pristine body with an excellent and correct citron repaint; good
sills(!); a few small holes in the floor pan to let the rain out; a
half-dozen very minor rust points adjacent to body seams; great glass,
lights, tires and trim; nothing at all missing. Good enough for a
used car lot so far.
Interior needs carpeting, seat upholstery and maybe padding, a top, a
few dash switches, some attention to the parking brake handle, and
most of all to stay out of the weather. She needs weather stripping,
a rebuild of the clutch hydraulics, and some attention to the front
rubber buggy bumper which...moves in and out 2 inches?
It has a comfy home now and a new battery, every speck of dirt's gone,
and we have a sound engine roaring which is how I found the loose
header pipe.
The header pipe is the first real job. The donut is gone, the pipe is
detached enough that there's a 1/4" gap between the header and the
pipe, and the nuts are rusted in place. First-rate rusting job, too.
If treasure came up from the sea floor looking like that they'd throw
it back.
You can't get to those nuts with any socket power, of course, this
being British with everything located above, below and behind
everything else. Today began a week of soaking the nuts in WD-40 but
it's even money that 1/4" gap will see a hacksaw blade next Saturday.
A lot of risk in attacking the nuts. The studs could wring off too
close to the header to grip them, not that a normal stud puller fits
in that space. Any tips on MGB header work would be much appreciated.
I don't want to pull off the manifolds if it can be avoided. Maybe
these studs are stronger than I suspect?
This is a good project for a real estate broker who spends far too
much time with computers. Daughter is gleefully getting her hands
dirty and shows promise of turning into a restorer. You never know.
By way of how we're planning this, the car is correct and we'll keep
it correct but we're under no illusion about doing a total restoration
or a 100% authentic restoration. Not on the 3,347th B of 1975. From
what I see in Hemmings the top and interior will take more or less
$500 for parts and the upholstery shop I use will charge about the
same for labor. Aside from any hidden problems this is looking like a
$1500 job. But don't they all.
Thanks for the FAQ on British parts. I actually printed it and read
every word. Somewhere there's probably a FAQ on restoring the car and
I'll be looking for it.
--
--
=========================================================================
With no other tyrant man must create his own tyranny over man. Sayonara,
Mr. Jefferson. Freeware Hall of Fame BBS
rbarry@hopper.acs.virginia.edu USR DS 24-hrs - 804-293-4710
ircnick gorby Free BBS - 1st call downloads
=========================================================================
|