Thinking about the other respondent's remarks about possibly not
removing the body, this may go a little astray of your essential
question. So the short answer to a very long explanation is, start
reading here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/restore.htm
A lot depends on your final objective for restoration work. If you
intend to do it on the cheap to have quicker gratification for a car
that won't last as long, then bondo over the outer body sills and
repaint the outside (and don't ever open the bonnet in public). Some
people even paint it in assembly, including painting over the piping
(which is a huge tactical mistake).
To go a little nicer you need to at least loosen the fender bolts
enough to remove the piping while it get painted, and install new
piping after painting. You also need to remove the engine long
enough to clean up and paint the engine bay. Of course remove all
exterior trim and lighting fixtures, and the windscreen assembly
before painting the body. Also take enough time to clean and paint
inside the wheel wells where it can be seen from outside.
Assuming the inner body sills are rusted out (and most of them are),
and you intend to replace the failed metal, then you start by
removing all fenders and doors (and bumpers and front valance panel
and all lighting fixtures). If the frame is in good enough condition
to be still rigid (which most of them are), then you can cut away
rusted body sills and replace that body metal while the body remains
on the frame to retain original alignment of the doors. Take the
door off in the process, but mark all hinges and latch parts and any
shims to be reinstalled in the original order. If you paint what is
accessible and then reassemble it from there, then may be called a
"body-on restoration". The problem here is that you never gain
access to clean and paint surfaces that are between the body and
frame, and you will never get to paint the inside of the body sills
next to the frame. End result is, a car that either cannot be driven
in the rain, or will be expected to rust out again in the not too
distant future.
If you go as far as replacing and and all rusted sheet metal in the
body sills and lower door posts, then you are not too far away from
having body-off restoration. There are about two dozen bolts, the
master cylinder, brake lines, heater, and half a day or so to remove
the body from the frame. It only takes about one day to put the body
properly back on the frame later. While the body is off, you have
the opportunity to clean and paint the inboard sides of the body
sills and everything else you can't get at with the body in
situ. Having done that, you may have properly painted and "pickled"
the car so it may last for decades more without rusting out
again. And you can also drive it in the rain with some expectation
that it will still be a whole car many years later rather than
needing another complete restoration some time down the road.
The real kicker to the bottom line here is the final market
value. Difference in final value between a body-on restoration and a
body-off restoration may be around $10,000 (or more), and in general
it does not cost that much to do this additional work. So for anyone
going as far as replacing sheet metal in the body sills, it is a good
economic proposition to R&R the body and do a full body-off
restoration rather than short cutting it to save time.
You may realize there are substantial differences in cost and benefit
between the first paragraph and the last. It is not necessarily a
good idea to spend lots of money in places where it may have little
return on the investment. If the car is in need of a full
restoration (and some sheet metal replacement), then fresh paint and
carpet alone might be a total waste of money, is it may all need to
be done again a short time later as part of the full restoration. So
it behooves you to do a good inspection and analysis of the car
before you start, and decide very early on what work you will and will not do.
I love to tell people, if you buy an MGA that has never had a
body-off restoration, you get to do it. Otherwise you will be
passing on the restoration job to someone else in the near future,
likely selling it for less than what you have invested.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an atttiude
http://MGAguru.com
At 07:57 PM 1/2/2012 -0500, Allan Thompson wrote:
>....
>I have had a 1960 MGA for a few years - nut haven't had the money
>nor the time to tackle a rebuild.... but 2012 should allow some of
>both... so I am wondering if anyone has a master-plan for a strip
>down to the frame and a full rebuild?
>
>I plan to have the engine tuned by professionals (with the
>crank-shaft being balanced) and the bodywork and trim also done by
>professionals.
>
>I would like to get down to the frame to have it powder coated and
>work from there - but if anyone has a master plan that would be
>great! I do have several MG A Books and did complete an MGB rebuild
>a number of years ago - but that was easier because I started with a
>new shell which I had sprayed then sat it side by side with the donor car.
>
>For instance, some of the panels have small dings and dents...
>should I take these off and get them prepared and painted before
>reassembly? Should I take the engine out before I take the panels off?
>....
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