| THE MG |
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 | April 11, 2008 - It's like some sort of sad commentary.
The badge is oozing.
entry 16 |
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 | April 11, 2008 - This is the perfect set of keys for this car.
I suspect that key fob has been around since the car was new.
entry 17 |
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 | April 11, 2008 - It's like a 60's revival in the back yard!
And two of the guests aren't even here. When I finally get the Cadillac, the GT, Basil, the Seven and the Mini together for a picture it's going to be fun.
entry 18 - tags: other cars |
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 | April 13, 2008 - Typical of the little things that need attention are the rear hatch springs.
The teardrop-shaped cover for the coiled spring is missing. Also typical is the fact that I can pick up a brand new one from Moss Motors.
entry 19 |
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April 14, 2008 - The best part about British cars is the parts catalogs.
They're fantastic. Every section has an exploded parts diagram with arrows pointing to each little gubbin and knob, so you can happily order a lower trunnion bush kit without having the vocabulary beforehand. How else could I identify the teardrop shaped cover for the rear hatch supports? I used to carry a Rovers North catalog in my old Land Rover simply because it was a great way to see how everything worked at a glance. I expect I'll do the same with this car.
I put in an order for a number of parts today at the B Hive. Just little trim bits and switches to freshen up the interior - and a rebuild kit for the master cylinder.
entry 20 |
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 | April 15, 2008 - There's a shield that usually covers the brake master cylinder pushrod.
One of the screws that holds it in place had been damaged by a previous owner, but after a bit of work I got it free. And here's what greeted me underneath. Yuk.
So it's a good thing I ordered a master cylinder rebuild kit yesterday. Moss says the master can't really be rebuilt, but I'm willing to give it a try. It's the difference between a $270 part and a $18 kit.
On a similar note, I got a call today from Gordon Strickland of the B Hive, confirming some of the slightly odd quantities in my order. He was very helpful, discussing some slight differences in the badges that might cause difficulties in my planned grille design.
entry 21 - tags: brakes |
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 | April 15, 2008 - The back of the car sits quite high.
You can see it in this picture. And this might be the reason. These shackles are very obviously aftermarket, and a quick query on the MG Experience forum (a very helpful bunch) returned the information that the length between the holes should be 2.5 to 4", not the 5+" I have now. If I flip these around and use the bottom hole as the top, I'll get a good idea of if that's too long or two short. It's a distance of just over 3".
I'm guessing a previous owner did this in order to raise the rear and hopefully stop that tire/fender interference.
entry 22 - tags: suspension |
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 | April 19, 2008 - Ah, the things you learn.
One of the members on MGexperience.net spotted that my turn signal lenses were on backwards. They really look as if they should be mounted this way, but they're not. Quick and easy to fix!
entry 23 |
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 | April 19, 2008 - I spent a bit of time welding up the exhaust today.
It's not the prettiest job, but it only has to hold together for a year or so.
It's not the first time this joint has been welded either. Why? Probably due to this exhaust hanger that had separated. There's nothing supporting the exhaust from the engine to the tailpipe as far as I can see.
entry 24 |
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 | April 19, 2008 - The solution to the exhaust hanger.
This strap is an axle limiting strap used on Land Rover suspension. It's tough stuff and should easily last a long time on the exhaust system.
entry 25 |
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 | April 19, 2008 - In what is probably a futile move, I spent a bit of time trying to restore the paint on the roof and hood.
It's badly sun-blasted. With some rubbing compound and various other magical pastes, I was able to bring it back a bit. It's still pretty bad, but it shows a little less than before. And it's all smooth, so it feels good when you pat the car on the head. As you do.
entry 26 |
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 | April 21, 2008 - New wheels!
I've been planning to install a set of pre-1987 SAAB 900 wheels since I discovered they would fit the car. After all, the wheels that came with it are pretty darn ugly. And a car like this should have a set of Minilites - or a reasonable facsimile thereof, anyhow. So after a bit of searching around, I turned these ones up in Colorado Springs. Janel was up there this weekend and picked them up for me. Well, for her really.
They're actually Carroll Shelby wheels. Yes, that Shelby. Ronal did a version as well. Reasonably but not exceptionally light at 15.8 lbs each according to the UPS scale at work. These came with 5 full sets of lug nuts and some decent Falken tires, a big step up from what we had on the car already. The wheels are 15x5.5 and the tires are a 195/60-15.
If they look suspiciously shiny, it's for good reason. They're polished! I was originally thinking of some way to dull the centers and leave the lips polished, such as bead-blasting or painting the centers. But on the car, they look good. We'll see if that impression sticks around.
When I was looking, I found very few pictures of MGBs with these wheels fitted. So brace yourself, there are a bunch coming. If you want more, just email me.
entry 27 - tags: wheels, saab |
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 | April 21, 2008 - A side view of the car with the new wheels.
15" is as large as I'd want to go on this body. The SAAB lug nuts fit perfectly, but the ones on the car already were also suited to the SAAB wheels. It's my understanding that the Ronal version uses a tapered lug nut.
I also picked up a fifth, non-polished SAAB wheel to use as a spare.
Janel wasn't so sure about my enthusiasm for the wheels when I first started talking about them, but now that she's seen them on the car she's a big fan. They look right.
entry 28 - tags: wheels, saab |
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 | April 21, 2008 - The offset of the new wheels is much greater than the old ones.
This means they're tucked under the car more. That's good, because they're not going to interfere with the body. But I'm tempted to install some spacers to push them outboard a bit. To my eyes, the car needs a wider stance. Not quite as wide as the previous one though!
entry 29 - tags: wheels, saab |
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 | April 21, 2008 - Check out the nose of the car compared to the last shot!
There's a new grille after several minutes worth of work with a screwdriver. It's the design used from 1973 on. I chose it instead of the earlier 60's grille because the black center looks a bit more aggressive. It popped right into place, although I'm still working out how the upper brackets fit in properly.
I stuck the front overriders back on the car, and we both agree that the car looks better with them on. So expect them to make a reappearance very soon.
entry 30 - tags: grille |
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 | April 21, 2008 - The only downside to the late grille is the red badge.
It looks a little downmarket compared to the early black and red design. So I picked up one of the latter as well, and I have plans to fit it to this grille. Somehow.
By the time I'm done, this car will drive the purists nuts.
Okay, the badge isn't the only downside. I'm going to have to do something about that exposed teal paint where the original grille sat. A repaint is definitely in this car's future anyhow, so I'll do something temporary for the time being.
entry 31 - tags: grille, badges |
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 | April 21, 2008 - A little surprise awaited me when I pulled off the old wheels.
They weren't intended for this bolt pattern. Someone egged out the holes to make it fit. Dodgy. It turns out these wheels were originally intended to be fake wire wheels, but the wire overlay is missing.
Between the questionable aesthetics, the completely dead tires and the ugly bolt pattern work, they're going to the scrapyard.
entry 32 - tags: wheels |
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 | April 21, 2008 - Typical of the little jobs ahead, the driver's door handle needs fixing.
Nothing major, I'm sure, just something else to take up a pleasant hour or two of fettling. I enjoy this kind of thing, as while it's easy to get used to a wonky door handle like this, it feels really good the first time you walk up to the car and the handle works perfectly.
entry 33 |
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 | April 23, 2008 - Time to change out the badge on the grille.
The first step is to figure out how the original one is attached. So I disassembled the grille, only to discover that the original was stuck on with double-sided tape. A prod from behind with a screwdriver popped it out.
entry 34 - tags: grille, badges |
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 | April 23, 2008 - The old and new badges are not identical.
The new one (the red) is completely flat and has a bevel on the back side. The black one does not have the bevel and is ever-so-slightly larger. A bit of time spent with a grinding wheel and lots of test fitting, then a touch-up of the edges with black marker and it pops right into place.
entry 35 - tags: grille, badges |
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THE DIARY