The Restoration Images...

Here's the photodocumentary of most everything I did to the car during my ownership.

All of these images are thumbnails, click on the image to see a larger version.


[ MGB ]   This is actually a pic from before I owned the car, parked with the previous owner's other MGB.
Date Unknown
[ MGB ]   Coming home. Why do I have a picture of every car I owned on a tow truck?
December 1997
[ MGB ]   This was where I bought it from. It was a cold day, you can see the clouds from us breathing as we sorted it over.
December 1997
[ MGB ]   I later found out exactly why the bonnet wasn't attached. The hood pull cable is missing. Whoops! Oh well, a half hour with a stiff wire and I got it open.
December 1997
[ MGB ]   Small amount of front end damage on the bumper. Doesn't seem to have affected any sheetmetal. I replaced the bumper with a good used one.
December 1997
[ MGB ]   Split bumpers, this model year only. Quite rare and attractive.
December 1997
[ MGB ]   The boot, with spiffy 80s era speakers. The yellow shade is the original colour according to the MOT.
December 1997
[ MGB ]   Engine left side (from front). That is a GM alternator, probably installed because they provide about twice the current of the original LUCAS ones. I didn't install this, but the installation looks ok except for a rather "roughly made" bracket. But since it works, I'll leave it.
December 1997
[ MGB ]   Engine right side (from front). Twin SU carbs. The engine is from a later car, perhaps from a 1974-ish?
December 1997
[ MGB ]   New grille bits from the UK, the proper type for the year. One of my three cats looks on with approval.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   I'd done as much as I can do without major repair, it was time to buy a welder. This is a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 with the gas conversion kit. It seemed to work very well and was easy to use.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   First, off comes the windshield. Since I was going to put Brooklands Screens on it anyways, it wasn't going to be used.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   In theory the fenders and trim bolt on, but after this many years they might as well be welded on. It took a lot of sweat and blood to get the car to this point, but it's the only way to see what it's really like inside.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   With no windshield, the little quarter windows (vent windows) look really silly. They would of course be coming off too.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   Doesn't look too bad... but we'll change the metal anyways because we are in here.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   Let there be floors.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   Welding these in was actually pretty straightforward. Working way up under the pedals was no fun at all, especially with all the smoldering tar and carpet from welding heat.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   I replaced the front fenders with fiberglass ones. Saves quite a few pounds on the final car and will never rust.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   The fenders were painted to match the car to get it safetied, but the whole car would get a respray eventually.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   Almost there. The windscreens look VERY nice. The rims are aftermarket and kind of nice, but could really use a polish.
Spring 1998
[ MGB ]   Big changes. All the above work focused on getting the car mobile, since I was moving out of that apartment. With car safetied, I was now able to get the car legal and get it to the new house!
All pictures from now on are taken in my swell garage, where I can at least leave a screwdriver overnight and reasonably expect it to be there in the morning.
Also just in time to continue the restoration, I managed to get a set of oxy/acetylene welding torches. I prefer to weld with the MIG, but the torches are simply invaluable for removing rusty bolts and cutting large stock.
June 1998
[ MGB ]   Here is the new metal to go in (with the original front fenders in the background). With some time, this small fortune in black Steelcraft product will revitalize the old dear. Having a big basement now, at least I can sort all this stuff.
June 1998
[ MGB ]   To replace the sills, you have to remove this section of the rear fender. That hurts actually, to cut perfectly good metal.
June 1998
[ MGB ]   And here we are with both inner and outer sills welded in.
June 1998
[ MGB ]   A closeup of welding in the rear section of the sill. It's also been painted here to stave off the return of rust.
July 1998
[ MGB ]   View of the sill from above.
July 1998
[ MGB ]   Same job, other side. The usual rust.
July 1998
[ MGB ]   All new metal installed on the driver's side.
July 1998
[ MGB ]   This is the new lower half fender. In this picture, that part is in, and I am working out the dent above. The top half was solid but dented, but with a lot of careful panelbeating it hardly required any filler.
July 1998
[ MGB ]   I had to fix the leading edge of the hood. Minor rust and dents. This was kind of fun, making the famous MG "nose".
July 1998
[ MGB ]   Finally, ready for paint.
July 1998
[ MGB ]   A few coats of Dupont 30S primer...
August 1998
[ MGB ]   ...followed by sanding and more 30S primer...
August 1998
[ MGB ]   Primer is done, and the car waits in the zip up paint booth.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   Freshly painted bodyshell, the paint is only hours old.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   Love the reflections in the glossy paint.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   You can see the "booth" shield on the left. There is a lot of masking involved in a convertible, that is for sure.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   Freshly painted, ready to emerge from the bubble.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   Rolled it outside for an inspection in proper light. To the left, my Magnette, to the right, my Celica. In the back, the Midget.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   ...And this is what happens to your garage floor when you paint blue cars.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   The engine was treated to new rings and bearings, and all valves were lapped and replaced when necessary.
August 1998
[ MGB ]   The bores are honed and reamed to give a good surface for the new rings.
August 1998

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