[Nobbc] Andy's MGA Coupe

[Dawson Church]

OK, we MUST pick a date for a meet at my new car-friendly digs early  
in 2009, so you can show it off!

Dawson

On Nov 25, 2008, at 7:38 PM, Ron Engelhardt wrote:

> Thanks for the update Andy. I'm looking forward to seeing the car on  
> the road at one of our rides in the new year.
>
> Ron
> 58 MGA
>
> andy preston wrote:
>> Ron, you asked for an update on my 1960 MGA Coupe restoration.  For  
>> those
>> who don't know about this car, I bought it 2 years ago this  
>> Christmas from
>> some one in Grass Valley.  The car had sat outside in a farmer's  
>> field in
>> Sacramento for about 20 years.  The weeds had grown through the  
>> floor boards
>> to the roof.  It had been home for many small animals for many  
>> years.  The
>> previous owner had "rebuilt" the engine and purchased a complete  
>> interior
>> trim kit with leather seat covers.  I have always loved these cars  
>> and had
>> been looking for one for many months so I thought it was beautiful  
>> even with
>> the no-native plants and animal presents.  I decided to do a  
>> complete body
>> off, nut and bolt restoration.  I must say that the body was  
>> relatively rust
>> free with the major hidden damage being to front right hand front  
>> wing.  It
>> had been in a major front side collision which destroyed the front  
>> fender
>> (covered in bondo) and also bent the frame.  I had the frame  
>> straightened
>> and then sand blasted and painted it with Endrust primer and  
>> chassis black.
>> I've rebuilt all of the suspension with new parts and reinstalled  
>> them back
>> on the frame.  I've rebuilt front the calipers, rear brakes and all  
>> the
>> brakes are now installed.  The wiring harness, fuel pipes and brake  
>> pipes
>> are also new and installed.  With the help on Norm's Auto machine  
>> shop we
>> rebuilt the previously "rebuilt" engine, and this time magnafluxed  
>> the
>> block, installed new camshaft bearings, cleaned all the grinding  
>> paste left
>> in all the oil ways, polished the journals, honed the bores, on and  
>> on.
>> I've bought a five speed gearbox kit from Pierce Manifolds and just
>> installed it with the engine last weekend.   So the frame is almost  
>> complete
>> just waiting for the transmission tunnel and floorboards, which I'll
>> probably install this weekend.  I started doing all the bodywork  
>> myself but
>> finally found an expert body guy and painter in Cotati.  He took  
>> the body
>> tub, wings, doors, bonnet and boot and all other items that needed  
>> painting.
>> He stretched both front fenders 3/8" to make them fit, and re-did  
>> all the
>> work that I had done.  He said "who did this body work, it's  
>> terrible".   I
>> reluctantly admitted it was I.  His work is superb.  The body work  
>> is all
>> finished and just waiting for me to put it back on the frame.  The  
>> color is
>> my version of Chariot Red, or what I think Chariot Red should look  
>> like.
>> Brilliant!  I've had all the chrome re-chromed by Chico in Santa  
>> Rosa and
>> his work is great, and fairly reasonable.  Hopefully I'll be able  
>> to get the
>> body back on over Christmas and then it's onto the inside trim.     
>> My goal
>> is to have it back on the road in the new year.   Andy
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