David -
I'm not real close - about 4+ hours away in Craig County VA - but I've just
finished welding up a badly rusted '65. BTW, the new body shells won't
work for your '66 (they're for '68-'74). The transmission tunnel would be
too wide and that all-important metal dash wouldn't fit at all. Possible?
Yes, and in the book on Heritage Bodyshell Rebuild, they show this being
done by the Rover Bodyshell program. Major job! Maybe easier to rebuild
your's.
In addition to the usual new sills, inner sills, castle sections,
jacks/jackpoint reinforcements, rear inner wings, rear quarters, and
floors, I had to replace pedalbox sections, a battery box, rear spring
mounts, and fabricate some frame and front inner wing repairs, as well as
a lot of flange material on the bottom of the transmission tunnel and
heelboard. Oh yes, I also had to reskin the doors - even harder on this
"pull-handle" car (not all of the problems are solved yet).
Since you have your own MIG welder, I presume you have some experience
with it. You're off to the right start bracing the door openings. Have
you done it such that you can leave the doors hung? That way, you can
check and recheck your work as you proceed - very important. On sill
repairs, complete one side before starting the other. None of your new
pieces will fit - you have to cut and fuss with every piece. John Twist
warned me a long time ago to trust the lines of the original car. In other
words, alter the pieces to fit the car, not vice-versa (Presuming the car
is not sagging or severely accident-damaged). When replacing rear
quarters, I was so proud of myself for separating the seam below the
tail-light without damaging the inboard section at all - only to discover
the new panel doesn't really have enough flange material to mate up with
the inboard flange. ' Did finally get it, but it wasn't easy. Moral:
carefully examine each new panel to see exactly what fits (and doesn't fit)
and where.
A general rule I've heard from others that I have since learned to apply is
- don't cut/replace any more of the original metal than you have to. '
Breaks your heart to cut those expensive new panels down to just the
section you need, but that's how you do it.
Rust and gunk removal is a headache no matter how you do it. I rented a
steam cleaner. It helped...some... I used a wire wheel on my angle
grinder to prepare welding surfaces. Gotta have clean shiny metal there.
I didn't learn until real late in the game to strip off the suspension.
With absolutely everything stripped from the shell, it is fairly
light-weight and easy to manage. I don't have a rotisserrie, but I do have
a ceiling hoist. I ran a heavy chain through the transmission opening and
out one battery box, back in the other to hook on itself (for balance).
Then I hooked it all to the hoist and lifed the shell up about 5 feet,
allowing it to tilt nearly 90 degrees, then lowered to rest on wood beams
covered with mover's quilts on the floor. Make-shift, yes, but it worked.
This way, you can really see the bottom - what you need to clean up and
repair. Shell now rests on a dolly made with 8" pneumatic castors from
Northern Hydraulics and 2" angle-iron.
Touchy problem: aligning the rear inner wings to the rear quarters. More
on that later if you wish.
Go for it!
Allen
From: David Macedonia <david_macedonia@hotmail.com>
>
>To All,
>
>...I was wondering if there is anyone in the
>Crofton, MD. area... who might be able to give me
>pointers from time to time on the restoration of the body of my 1966 MGB. If
>I listened to my brain, I would be buying a new body shell... (I have my
>own MIG >welder... I have removed
>the floor pan and sill on the passenger side... (I have a piece of
>angle-iron welding >across the door opening..
>
>David Macedonia
******************************************
Allen H. Bachelder =iii=<
Sinking Creek Home for Wayward MGs
New Castle, VA 24127
USA
540/544-7333
******************************************
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