The AutoShrine Network Owner Journals

What???

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:40:12 -0800

Jason Hoffman's Journal --

Well I started the initial phase of the paint removal. Working now on my area of the "crack of doom". No crack, just alot of repair work. Removed the wind screen to work on the hood area. Not too bad, but just trying to get some of the rust out of those little cracks really sucks. The dashboard is a real nightmare though. Everything is epoxied in. Alot of time consuming work to be done with this section.

Found some spots around the passenger light well with some rusted out spots. I guess its par for the course. Just taking this one day at a time. The re-wire harness came in from painless yesterday. Should be a really nice installation once I get the fuse panel in.

I hope that by June I get her back on the road again for a nice hot summer of driving with the top down.

I will upload some pictures soon. Just trying to get thru the blue dust today.

Posted 2012-02-07 08:40:12 by Jason Hoffman

Off To Paint

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:35:50 -0800

Barry Rivers's Journal --

The mg is ready for paint and we moved it on Feb 4. Hopefully it will be out by the end of April, just in time for some summer fun.

<Sitting at Bad Attitude Designs in Airdrie, ready for paint>

<Ready for paint>

Posted 2012-02-07 08:35:50 by Barry Rivers

Finally Getting Started

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:21:03 -0800

Michael Steeber's Journal --

Well it took a bit longer than I had hoped but I finally found a donor car for my new girl. It is perfect for what I need and only cost me 200 bucks...Sweet. Anyway I am taking her to the body shop today. Very excited to get this part of her done so I can move on to getting her prettied up.

<front fender donor>

<rear fender doner>

Posted 2012-02-07 07:21:03 by michael steeber

Rack For Sale

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:04:11 -0800

David Bane's Journal --

Rack for sale

<pic 1>

<pic 2>

<pic 3>

Posted 2012-02-07 07:04:11 by David Bane

MGB Restoration - Rear Suspension Rebuild

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:58:08 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

With the completion of the front suspension, the next task was to rebuild the rear suspension of my MG. The rear suspension was completely removed. The hydraulic shock absorbers were rebuilt using the same methodology as the front. After they were refilled with gear oil, they were painted silver to match the front. At the same time the gas tank was removed. The original tank was starting to deteriorate on the edges and contained stale gasoline over three years old.

I purchased a new rear suspension rebuild kit from Brit-Tek that contained new leaf springs and hardware. At the same time I also bought a rear drum brake rebuild kit. The rear axle was stripped and repainted a fresh coat of black paint. I was fortunate that there was no rust on any surfaces of the axle. The rear brakes are now safe for many years to come with the new hardware. I purchased the new tank and hardware from the Little British Car Company in Michigan. The tank was successfully installed this afternoon.

The next projects on the list include cleaning and refinishing the battery box and freshening up the under chassis and wheel wells.

<2012-02-06 16-41-58 328>	<2012-02-06 16-42-04 791>	<2012-02-06 16-42-16 471>
<2012-02-06 16-42-20 842>

Posted 2012-02-06 14:58:08 by Jeffrey Louis

Let The Games Begin

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:20:04 -0800

Andy Bloom's Journal --

Finally started pulling her apart to see what I've got myself into. Drivers side need some serious attention. Lots of fiberglass holding things together. I think I can save the "A" and "B" pillars but will have to replace all the sill work and rear inner fender sheet metal. Also will need the usual front lower fender repair and rear dogleg.

<Fiberglass in sill area>

<"B' Plliar and Rear Inner Fender>

Posted 2012-02-06 06:20:04 by Andy Bloom

Update GTS Project

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:43:28 -0800

Stan Bowles's Journal --

Stage 2/3
Engine is now being assessed - block sound and will be chemical cleaned to remove all the rust from the water galleries. Pistons junk and crank to be grounded -10 under - +40 on the pistons and all new bearings etc. Head ok - new Exhaust Valves 'n' Guides and Seats to install - Captain Kirk providing the necessaries!

Body - now being 'GemBlasted' - all rust removed and new floor pans and eventually "Bullet-Proof" primed - supposed to be better than anything else and used on military vehicles. 50 calibre will not be installed!

Will go with the Sebring fibreglass kit to replace the metal wings - presently sourcing a supplier - I hear MGOC are Ok but MG Motorsports' kit is better.

Amassing lots of new bits but just scratched the surface – new oil cooler, head light assembly, heater assembly and control valve, electric fuel pump, rear struts (to replace lever ones) - I have Koni's on my CGT as well and like'm!!, and servo. Still lots to get and haven’t started on the interior!!!

Presently spending time dismantling the dash instruments and refurbishing - junking the crap - bought a parts washer - which works well – everything being inspected and repainted – lots’a time consuming stuff but moving ahead.

Posted 2012-02-05 15:43:28 by Stan Bowles

Dash Mods Done

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:11:32 -0800

MGB GT V8 Motorsport Build --

I've finished the modifications on the dash; it's turn into a bit of a hybrid between early and late styles. I've trimmed the ends and the return under the instrument binnacle so that I can get the dash panel in and out past the roll cage without dropping the steering column. The aperture for the fresh air vents needed to be reduced slightly so that the locating tabs would fit properly. I've welded up the rectangular switch holes and redrilled them to take round switches. I've also relocated the heater controls to the dash, in the style of the early dash. The last job was to removed the choke cable bracket, widen it and reweld it the right of the column to take the bias brake adjuster.

It's been too cold to paint anything - I managed to warm the garage up to 2C after several hours of 5kW heat output - so there's a bit of a backlog with the dash needing crackle paint, and the heater flap and gearbox crossmember ready for a coat of black.

Next is to check, clean and regasket the Real Steel built engine, fit the ceramatallic twin plate paddle clutch and throw the whole thing into the car. Sounds easy when you say it quickly!

<Dash awaiting paint>

Posted 2012-02-05 13:11:32 by John Yates

Have Pics Of My 74.5 Up Now

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:27:33 -0800

ROGER R's Journal --

pics of my 74.5

<168>

<163>

Posted 2012-02-05 11:27:33 by ROGER R

Update On MG TF/B Pickup Project 2-5-2012

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:08:24 -0800

Ken Smith's Journal --

I have updated this project elsewhere, but I thought I might add a couple of photos here.

I haven't progressed much since last fall due to a number of factors; work, family, holidays, other cars, etc.

What I have done is create a transmission tunnel, re-finish the floor boards, add the MGA gas tank, spare tire carrier and wood panels to the the pick up bed.

<MG TFB 1-24-12 small>

Posted 2012-02-05 10:08:24 by Ken Smith

The Car I Always Wanted

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:29:23 -0800

Larry Duthie's Journal --

Since high-school days, many, many years back, I have wanted a full-sized Austin Healey. My high-school car, however, was a '29 Model A into which I grafted a flathead Ford V-8 and all the hot-rod stuff I could afford -- which wasn't much. My second car, however, was a bug-eye sprite ('59 and purchased new).

Over the years I owned two more Sprites, the later versions with roll-up windows and trunk lids. And they were fun -- but not as fun as the bug-eye, and certainly not as fun as the car I admired in high school, a 100-4.

The car in my profile is a recent restoration that my son and I did, a '38 Ford pickup modified to a "woodie" flatbed. I am now finishing restoration and modifications on a 1988 Alfa Romeo, which will primarily be a track car. It will be much lighter than stock, and deliver more horsepower, so it will be fun to drive. But there still is that desire for an Austin Healey. So, I'll follow this bulletin board hoping to find one suitable for a restoration. My wish list is topped by 100-4, followed by a 100-6, but really any decent car will fit the bill.

Posted 2012-02-05 09:29:23 by Larry Duthie

Rear

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:12:07 -0800

Mark Freece's Journal --

Done with trunk, rear lights, reverse lights, license plate light and hokder

Posted 2012-02-05 08:12:07 by Mark Freece

Recessed License Plate

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:21:49 -0800

Rick Anderson's Journal --

I sometimes get carried away with the angle grinder and MIG welder. This is a perfect example. I hate the look of the exterior mounted license plate bracket and wanted to do something a little different so I frenched a license box into the rear. I still need to trim and weld it into place. I like the way it ties the rear of the car into the Sebring valance.

<IMG 6732>	<IMG 6734>	<IMG 6736>
<IMG 6737>

Posted 2012-02-05 07:21:49 by Rick Anderson

02.04.12 -- RD

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:07:46 -0800

Lou's Journal --

Replaced drive shaft U-Joints on the RD today - pretty straight forward (done U-Joints once before on the GT) and uneventful procedure. And yes, I made sure I viewed the "Dick Moritz Perennial Phasing Photo" :)

Posted 2012-02-05 07:07:46 by Lou A.

2/5/12

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:00:23 -0800

Scott Beattie's Journal --

Been pluggin along . Ordered pretty much all the suspension parts . Repainted the steering wheel w/ rustoleum hammered finish and did the grill upgrade . Turned out pretty good me thinks .

<IMG 0081 2>

<IMG 0083>

Posted 2012-02-04 22:00:23 by Scott Beattie

MGB Restoration - Transmission Tasks

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:54:55 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

Transmission work has started today. The first step is the cleaning and degreasing of the transmission exterior and internal components. As seen in the picture, the internal portion of the transmission has years of grease and sludge from your s of neglect by the previous owner.

After the transmission is completely cleaned, all of the gaskets and seals will be replaced and fresh transmission oil added. The overdrive mechanism will also be cleaned and serviced.

The last picture shows the newly installed QH Clutch kit. The car still has the original factory clutch even with over 97,000 miles on the odometer.

<2012-02-04 11-20-12 975>	<2012-02-04 11-23-55 432>	<2012-02-04 11-37-42 135>
<2012-02-04 11-41-50 324>

Posted 2012-02-04 15:54:55 by Jeffrey Louis

MGB Restoration - Rebuilt Engine - Close Up

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:43:55 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

I added a few more pictures of my rebuilt engine. The engine rebuild is completely done and is ready to start having external parts added on. Parts include an original Stromberg dual carb system and original air filters. I have an original valve cover that is restored and will be fitted with reproduction emblems from Moss Motors.

I attached a picture of the engine code plate. I matched it up with the engine code on my British Heritage Certificate and was pleased to confirm that the car has the original numbers matching engine.

<2012-02-04 11-38-38 905>	<2012-02-04 11-23-14 909>	<2012-02-04 11-40-46 918>
<2012-02-04 11-39-11 322>

Posted 2012-02-04 15:43:55 by Jeffrey Louis

SU Rebuild Time

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:20:46 -0800

Mark Bates's Journal --

I bought a set of SU carbs, manifold, and linkage for $75 which I thought was a good price. It would have been a great price if the throttle shafts weren’t worn out. I will need to get a rebuild kit and put in new bushings.

I took a zillion pictures of the linkages and springs. I hope that I’ll be able to put it back together. I’m leaving one carb intact to be a guide to reassemble the other so between the pix, SU manual, and the carb, I will be able to do my first SU rebuild. Here is a close-up of one end of the throttle shaft which shows how worn it was. Ain’t no way that would have run worth a crap.

<tumblr lylf6wq5aV1r391k1>

<tumblr lylfd8ttmR1r391k1>

Posted 2012-02-04 14:20:46 by Mark Bates

Funky Pistons

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:18:46 -0800

Mark Bates's Journal --

I thought this was rust from the rings but it turned out to be oil that got gummy cooking inside an Oklahoma storage shed. The previous machine shop did not offset the piston ring gaps. One of the connecting rod caps were also put on backwards. It’s a damn good thing that I didn’t fire up the engine like I found it.

<tumblr lyjlu1nSN61r391k1>

Posted 2012-02-04 14:18:46 by Mark Bates

Heater Box

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:16:43 -0800

Mark Bates's Journal --

While waiting for word back on my cylinder head, I started doing a little work on a heater box cover and valve cover that I picked up on eBay for $10 each. There was some rust through areas on the heater box that occurred after some overagressive sandblasting. I put a piece of electric tape on the outside:

and then I globbed on a nice coating of my favorite goo, JB weld on the pitted areas.

<tumblr lxvg4cSxSu1r391k1>

<tumblr lxvg9rXsv01r391k1>

Posted 2012-02-04 14:16:43 by Mark Bates

Progress Of Sorts

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:14:40 -0800

Mark Bates's Journal --

Needing a new cylinder head has given me pause to consider other options. An aluminum head was suggested and I thought long and hard about it. It’s benefits are mainly are weight but mainly allowing higher compression using the same octane fuel. Since I plan one day to either supercharge the engine or out and out swap it, I will stay with an iron head since I already have new stock compression pistons in it.

I am so glad I live in Grand Rapids, MI since this is the home town of John Twist at University Motors; a well known guru of all things MG. I bought a used head from him for $200 and it is already at the machine shop. I may have the exhaust ports opened up a little to increase the flow. I won’t port and polish it since it will remain a street car run at lower RPMs.

My wife has a 2003 Mustang V-6 that she loves (not sure why) and the brake light kept coming on. I knew that I could have her take it to the shop but I just hate paying full retail for something I know how to do. Well, the thing had 55,000 miles on the original brakes so my suspicion was the brake fluid level sensor was intermittently firing off.

The front pads were quite worn down and they were a snap to replace. I used a little Mity-Vac to flush the lines and this is the crap that came out:

I did have some MG news this weekend. I bought an aluminum bellhousing that mates the MG back plate to the Ford T-9 transmission. I just happen to have the tranny left over from a Locost roadster project that I had been working on prior to the MG. This thing is a work of art!

<tumblr lxi8jsE0Rx1r391k1>

<MG to T-9 bellhousing>

Posted 2012-02-04 14:14:40 by Mark Bates

MGB Restoration - Harvest Gold - Interior Paint

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:03:48 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

As the final stages of painting my body shell in Harvest Gold, the work today was focused on the interior of the body shell. The interior cabin was stripped completely in the initial tear down almost 3 years ago.

The interior surface including all the floor pans were rust free. I was also fortunate that the rear deck above the battery box was never cut into for aftermarket speakers. The interior surface was first chemically stripped to remove excess glue and grime from the musty carpet and tattered door cards. The surface was then sanded down to smooth out the rough spots. Finally the surface was applied with a spray gun with the original Harvest Gold finish.

The boot section was also stripped and cleaned as above and also given a fresh coat of Harvest Gold paint. I am also installing a trunk carpet kit, but making it removable in case I want to show the car as original.

The plans for the future interior restructure include replacing the cracked and sun dried 50th anniversary dashboard. After a 3 year search, a fellow MGE forum member was able to sell me a beautifully preserved 50th anniversary dashboard. I already purchased from Steve at Northwest Import Parts a complete 1976 Black interior restoration kit. It includes the seat rebuilt kits, carpeting and all the interior panels. I am planning to replace the aftermarket radio with a well preserved British Leyland original dealer radio, I purchased on Ebay years ago.

<2012-02-04 10-25-48 55>	<2012-02-04 10-26-26 61>	<2012-02-04 10-26-42 315>
<2012-02-04 10-27-04 1>

Posted 2012-02-04 12:03:48 by Jeffrey Louis

Tunnel Work

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:05:40 -0800

Rick Bosak's Journal --

The 86 Corolla GTS 5 speed trans is bigger than the stock trans, and as we were going to replace the floors, one thing led to another. We've added some strength to the car in the process.

<tunnel>

<side view>

Posted 2012-02-04 10:05:40 by Rick Bosak

Old Models

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:29:53 -0800

Bob Evans's Journal --

In response to Al (Falkon's) post on old models I dug out two I could not part with. A 1/8 scale Monogram Jag E-Type coupe that I did when I was 15 or 16 and a 1/24 scale Monogram die-cast metal MG-TC that I did in my 20's. The glue is letting go on both and they will have to be refurbished if I keep them. The plan is to put them in a glass case in my garage.
Bob
Feb. 05/12

<Monogram 1/8 E-Type Coupe>

<E-Type Model circa '66- '67>

Posted 2012-02-04 09:29:53 by Bob Evans

My MG B 2L

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:38:15 -0800

Wim Glazenburg's Journal --

In 2008 there is build in a new 2000cc tuned engine-block in my MG.
Top speed 170-180 km.

Posted 2012-02-04 06:38:15 by Wim Glazenburg

Just The Master Cylinder

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:51:02 -0800

Bob Moloney's Journal --

This is how one replaces just the master cylinder quickly... oops

<floor plan and plasma cutter>

<replacing the master cylinder>

Posted 2012-02-03 17:51:02 by Bob Moloney

A 500 Dollar Winter Beater

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:38:31 -0800

Bob Moloney's Journal --

I walked into a deal that I couldn't refuse. It was a 1975 MGB winter beater roadster that was pretty complete and the rust looked to be mostly in the floor boards but of course there was rust in the sills and several other places.

The plan was to stick to a very tight budget and basically just repair and touch up as needed. And that plan was for a quick fix of the brake master cylinder and clutch hydraulics and get it on the road as a beater by winter.

Unfortunately or maybe fortunately firewood needed to be cut split and stacked before I could play.

When I had a few minutes, I started pulling off carpeting, sanding a little surface rust, and then removed the seats. I think you all know where this is going.

So here I am, a couple of months later. The seats, dashboard, windshield, front fenders, bumpers, and front and rear hoods are off. The car is on jack stands, and a plasma cutter has already cut out much of the floor rust. (Excuse my not yet having adjusted my language to bonnets, wings, etc)

Anyway, I am still trying to be a tight fisted New Englander who wants to stay on the bare bones budget. Plus, I have to freeze my spending for a few months to save for the house. Wasn't I supposed to just fix the master cylinder? A full restoration has never been the plan.

So I have time, access to a plasma cutter, and a MIG welder, but very tight on cash. It looks like I will have to decide whether I can go after the sills and floor panels myself and still get it trailer ready for moving in July. I love working on this little car.

Thats it for now.

Bob

Posted 2012-02-03 17:38:31 by Bob Moloney

Inventory

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:01:15 -0800

Dan's Journal --

First thing I want to do is to create a complete inventory of what extras I have. Here it is.

1) 4 New original MG tires (in addition to the ones that are on the car)
2) 4 Chrome tire trims
3) 1 Fuel gauge
4) 1 Duralast ignition coil (LU800)
5) 1 Wells Distributor cap (JP974)
6) 1 Bosch Premium Oil Filter (3402)
7) 1 B&B Spark Plug Wire Set, Suppression Wire (Nissan S4-28224)
8) 1 MGB Brake Master Cylinder (GMC235 - needs rebuild)
9) 1 Pierce manifold (CP 91052)
10) 2 K&N High Flow Air Filter (RU-4410)
11) 1 box of 4 NGK Spark Plugs (BP6ES)
12) 1 Powertune Adjuster Assembly Break (181-780 and BAU2294)
13) 1 LUCAS Distributor Cap (DDB106 and 163-815 and GDC103)
14) 1 LUCAS Rotor Ignition (151-710)
15) 1 S.U. Carb Rebuild Kit, 2 carbs (375-398)
16) 1 DeeGee Relay Switch (131-520 and CHM68)
17) 1 Hose Kit, Fuel Pipe Conversion (376-108)
18) 1 Clutch Master MGB (needs Rebuild)
19) 1 A1 CARDONE Friction Choice Caliper (19-444)
20) 1 A1 CARDONE Friction Choice Caliper (19-445)
21) 2 Wagner High/Low Beam (H6024)
22) 1 Front Chrome Bumper
23) 1 Rear Chrome Bumper
24) 1 chrome side kit
25) 1 J.DEUS Radiator

I think that's IT

Posted 2012-02-03 11:01:15 by Daniel Barenboym

Bought It

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:52:52 -0800

Dan's Journal --

OK. Hello everyone or anyone who will decide to read this journal. After a few years of searching for a Midget I have finally found one. I bought it from a really nice guy who do to home circumstances could no longer take up valuable garage space. I did buy the car for a little more money then the car is worth in its current state but the reason I did it was all the extra goodies that came with it. Apparently before making the decision to cell the previous owner bought or inherited a whole bunch of stuff that I can use to fix/enhance the car. Next post I will make a detailed list of everything I got.

after posting a message in the forum on this site I found incredibly nice people who responded right away and gave me lots of welcome and initial advise. so for that THANK YOU

SO HERE WE GO... There is a first time for everything and this is my first full restore. despite the initial plan to get the car running and then see whats up I decided to do a complete restore right away. There are a few reasons for that.

a. after careful evaluation of the car I realized that the car has spend some time ether submerged in water or being exposed to rain or snow for a prolonged period of time.

b. as it stand now it has no fuel tank, radiator, the wiring is bad, something is going on with the wheels and plenty of other stuff.

So rather then get frustrated by find the next broken thing I chose the road less traveled and will strip the whole car down, fix the body and then go one step at a time.

This will give me plenty of time to read those wonderfully entertaining manuals and restoration books I just ordered.

<this is it.>

Posted 2012-02-03 09:52:52 by Daniel Barenboym

Civic Duty

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:05:07 -0800

A Cool Blue Cat --

in the last post, i talked about past autos i 've owned.
the honda civic is another standout from my past.
i got it free, from a friend who owned it for nearly 20 years, so i was already familiar with it. it had one or two engine rebuilds,and a
crate motor. originally it was a 1500cc, but after the second re-build, they put a crate 1335 in it. now this little car was a 2 speed
hondamatic, not very quick, but dead reliable.
it was lowered 4 inches in back, and 3 in the front, so it was like
driving an overgrown go-kart. it only let me down once in the 5 or 6
years that i owned it, and that was an electrical issue brought on
by age and corrosion of the main fuse leads. it had some other small
issues, but they never caused a breakdown.
that car probably had very close to 300,000 miles on it when i sold it. i even drove it from wash. state to minnesota and back, which
was around 3,000 miles round trip. the only trouble i had that time
was with the fuse box. the lighting section of it to be exact.
it melted on the return trip, in montana, and so i had no head or tail lights. i just drove during the day, and changed the box out when i got home. in retrospect, i was lucky it did'nt catch on fire.
everywhere i went, at home,and everywhere else, i got questions and offers to buy it. alot of people said, "i had one of those in college"
and hey man, cool little car! volkswagon guys really liked it too.
and of course it was always a hit wuth the ladies, they always thought it was cute. i drove that car everywhere, and find myself missing it at times as well.
i have had mostly un-usual cars,so i'm used to questions and comments
about them, and the jag is no different. what i get from it are
nice old jag, and what year is that? or, i'll buy it! thats a popular
one among some of my friends, only because they know i got a good
deal on it,and they know i don't own junk. series 2 jags are supposed to be crap cars, but by looking at mine, which is original except for the engine, you sure can't tell!

<wanda>

Posted 2012-02-02 22:05:07 by harris d

MGB Restoration - Rebuilt Engine - Painted

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:04:07 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

The newly rebuilt engine in my MG was painted today in the correct factory color of black. The paint used was the standard Moss Engine Black. The engine had 96,000 miles on it and it received a complete rebuild. The engine had all of the original California Emission equipment removed and also fitted with a larger cam. Dual Stromberg carbs are next to be added.

The damaged after-market aluminum valve cover will be replaced with a freshly restored original steel cover. I plan to purchase reproduction emblems from Moss motors to complete the valve cover.

The plan is for the engine to be reinstalled later this month. The transmission will be fitted with all new seals and the clutch will be rebuilt with a brand new QH Clutch rebuild kit.

<DSC05964 (320 x 240)>	<DSC05962 (320 x 240)>	<DSC05963 (240 x 320)>
<DSC05961 (320 x 240)>

Posted 2012-02-02 16:04:07 by Jeffrey Louis

Road Trip Breakfasts

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:14:14 -0800

Road Trippin' With Steve McCarthy --

Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy

I’m not really a morning person. Yeah, these days I seem to get up early, but that’s just a function of age and habit. I’m not what you’d call awake before about 10AM. Thirty years of teaching and needing to be out of the house before 7AM to get ready for the little dears has made it tough to sleep in. This means I’m rarely awake enough to bother with breakfast. A cup of hot chocolate (I really hate coffee- I know, sacrilege in this Starbucks driven world- but then you know me, an iconoclast to the hilt) and a breakfast bar is about it. If Marianne is making bacon, well, naturally I’ll have some of that, but really, I’m just not a breakfast guy. Unless we’re on a Road Trip.
If it’s Road Trip Time, I’m a breakfast-o-holic. Our usual deal is to hit the road at O’Dark-Thirty, and about an hour or so down the road, pull in and get some eats. As a creature of habit, for me it’s always the same thing. Pancakes. Unless there’s Waffles. Then either sausage (only if it’s link sausage in the casing, don’t give me those patties!) or bacon, lots of maple syrup and butter and a cup of hot chocolate. I tell ya, nothing beats good flapjacks in setting up the day for a long drive. Ya got yer protein from the porky goodness, carbs from the pancakes, sugar from the syrup (hopefully but rarely is it REAL maple syrup) and maybe blueberries for some fruit. What more can you ask for?
Now every one has their own favorites to get the day going and I’m not about to try and break you of your favorite day starter. It is perhaps the most personal food choice you can make. Some people love eggs. Me, I’m not an egg fan. Put it down to my Mom making Christmas ornaments out of whole egg shells and me having to eat scrambled eggs every morning for what seemed like months. Still, lots of you love ‘em and your choices are endless. Hell, that greatest of all French cookbooks, Larousse Gastronomique lists some 250 or so different ways to do eggs, and that’s not including omelet variations! Eggs are a very personal choice and people are exceptionally particular about having them perfect and their way. I get that. Then there’s the SoCal invention, the Breakfast Burrito. Again, very personal choice as to what it should contain. A Talmudic Debate can arise just bringing up the topic.
The point of all this is to give you our Top Spots for Breakfast On the Road. These are the non-corporate, locally owned, mom and pop diners that once were the staple of Road Trip Life. These are the places that sustained generations of Fellow Travelers, both professional and recreational. There was an old saw about “Eat Where the Truck Drivers Eat.” Once I think that was true, but usually it meant that the food was cheap and plentiful, not necessarily good. Today, most truckers still prefer that (it’s coming out of their pocket and their profits after all) and the Mega Eateries know this and cater to it. It’s just not that good a guide any more. In unfamiliar territory, it is a good indicator if there are a lot of cars in the parking lot that look local. Locals know and support places that are good. Places that give good value and good food. So, in unfamiliar territory, let that be your guide.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg of course. It’s not definitive and best of all, it’s local. All of them are within an hour’s drive from Monrovia.
1) LeRoys. 523 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, California (626) 357-5076 · leroysrestaurant.com. This place is on old Route 66 and is in our backyard. It’s a serious diner that is open only for breakfast and lunch. It’s almost always crowded, and prepare for a long wait on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It’s also terrific!!!! Pancakes that flop over the edge of a dinner plate, good bacon, good sausage and a great staff. It’s been an institution for decades here in town. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m in a bit of a rush because I’m meeting my sister Sue and her husband Rog there for breakfast this morning!
2) Worker Bee Cafe 973 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria, CA. (805) 745-1828 Dear Constant Readers and you who have my book will have heard of this place. It’s one of our favorites and a must stop if we were headed north on 101. The couple who run it are wonderful. He cooks, she wait’s tables. He’ll come out to chat and the locals all give him guff and he gives it back. The waffles are quite good and again the place is crowded. The decor is wonderfully kitschy, filled with Bee Themed Stuff. As it should. Like all good diners, they also cater to families and will bring out a bucket of small toys for kids to fool with while they wait for the food. As with LeRoys, they only do breakfast and lunch.
3)Summit Inn Restaurant, 5970 Mariposa Rd, Hesperia, California, (760) 949-8688. This is another classic Route 66 Diner. One of the originals and one of the few real one’s left. Get there NOW because there are new owners and it seems a bit up in the air if they will keep it open. That would be tragic. This place is right at the top of Cajon Pass and is perfect if you are headed east. The staff are what you’d want. They call you “Hon” and serve up good food with a smile and some conversation. This place is open for dinner and serves exotica like buffalo and ostrich burgers. Seriously, make a stop there and SAVE THE SUMMIT!!!
4) Bun Boy 1890 West Main Street, Barstow, CA,(760) 256-8082. OK, Barstow is more than an hour away, but this place is another classic Route 66 spot. It’s pretty far off the interstate, but why the heck are you on the interstate in the first place? If you take Route 66 from Victorville, it’s just as you get into Barstow. There’s a huge parking lot from the days when the trucks rolled by and the food is great! Truly homemade everything, and all the funky decor that you’d expect.
So, there’s four places to start with. Please support your local diners so we won’t be reduced to McJackKing slop as our only choice. Try ‘em all, and if you have one to add to the list, let me know at steve@theacemagazine.com. Good Eating, and Good Road Trippin’ to ya!

<The Summit Inn, top of Cajon Pass>

<LeRoys in Monrovia>

Posted 2012-02-01 14:14:14 by Steve McCarthy

Well, Here I GO!!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:25:52 -0800

Jason Hoffman's Journal --

Well its time, drove her into the shop today for the beginning of a new color scheme! It Ain't Fittin' is going to get stripped in the next few days, so I can start to remove some paint and prep for the new color.

Will keep ya posted on the updates as I go along.

Wish me luck!

Posted 2012-02-01 09:25:52 by Jason Hoffman

Morris Forever

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:23:03 -0800

Peter J.B.'s Journal --

hullo to all,this is my first time letter.I reside in invercargill
NZ> at the very bottom of the country. I own a 1957 mm,2 door and are restoring it.The only change from originality,is i've fitted mitsubishi velour seats.Under vehicle appliance the seats were bolted to the original morris seat frames after being cut down.The rearseats fit pretty snug,doing away with side panels,and replacing with flat panels. will supply photos at later date.

Posted 2012-02-01 01:23:03 by Peter J.B.

Vehicles Past Pt. 2

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:28:29 -0800

A Cool Blue Cat --

my last post made me think more about the cars i've owned.
it's by no means a big list, but there's been a few.
my first car was a '71 pontiac ventura 2. it had a chevy 307 and 3 speed stick. i bought it in 1983 for 300 bucks, from my neighbor. i did'nt drive it for long, because my cousins friend wanted it real bad.so i traded for my second car, a '62 olds starfire.
i really liked the olds alot, and kept it for a year or so,and traded for a '67 cutlass.
the cutlass had some issues,(a blown headgasket), and being wet behind the ears, i did'nt know what the trouble really was. i traded it for a motorcycle that i crashed badly on, and i traded that bike for a '64 dodge dart.i sold it to a salvage yard for 100 bucks. i caught cal look fever around the time i went in the military, and my next ride was a 71 squreback, which i traded for a '71 rally nova.i traded it for a big block '71 el camino, which i sold, and bought the nova back,and in between i traded a motorcycle for a '68 toronado.
i got a '69 fastback then, and when i sold it, i got the fiat.
after the fiat, i got a '76 plymouth 2 door fury,and i traded that in on a 86 5.0 capri. (it was, and still is, the newest car i've owned).
i sold the capri after i bought an '81 mustang, and sold that when i bought the '67 polara. after the polara, my friend gave me a '77 civic
hatchback. i had this car the longest, about 5 or 6 years,and when some one maliciously damaged it, i sold it. i bought a chevy luv next,
and kept it only long enough to fix some of its ailments, and that brings us to the jaguar.
there have been several cars and motorcycles in between the cars i listed here, but i got them cheap, for parts or just to fix and turn over for a profit. i have an affliction for motorcycles, but deep in my heart, i am, and always will be, a car guy.
i kept that old civic the longest of all, and i miss that one sometimes too. i think the jag will be the last old car i buy. i know i won't trade it off,(it'd have to be pretty lucrative, like a harley maybe),and i won't sell it. it took more than 20 years to find out what i was missing. i have always been a chevy lover, and the the jag has the best of both worlds for me, with a new 350,and that touch of engilsh class. the thing is though, it's very quiet, and very fast,
with 100 horses more than stock,(and 100 ft pounds more torque),
it'a one hell of a sleeper. jags have a rep for being fast anyway,
but now it really is a 120+ mph car, easily...is there a law for intent?
(heres a pic of a starfire, not mine but the same color, and my little honda)

<62 olds>

<wanda the honda>

Posted 2012-01-31 21:28:29 by harris d

Selling The Flying Pylon

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:36:39 -0800

FlyingPylon Journal --

https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#album/111071842294177019354/5695755858685085473,authkey:Gv1sRgCOmKqbuJ34jjPQ

Posted 2012-01-31 18:36:39 by Paul Knauer

Carpet And Headliner

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:47:32 -0800

Gary Brown's Journal --

Well the new carpet and headliner kit is on the way from PJM Motors in the UK. Can't wait to get started putting it in. I'll be sure to post some pics when it arrives.
Big push now to try and finish the GT in time for MG2012 in Dillard, Ga. Wanted to take the GT instead of the roadster as I want to get some things taken care of on the roadster this summer. I only have the money to work on one at a time, so the roadster is waiting now while I finish up the GT.
Major debate going on in my head now as to whether I am going to put the '65 up for sale. Being on fixed income makes it difficult to maintain 2 MG's at a high level.

<67 GT 001>

Posted 2012-01-31 08:47:32 by Gary Brown

Entry 1

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:21:37 -0800

Kahenya K's Journal --

Sitting here drinking my second favourite cider. Just committed myself today to buy and restore a Morris Minor Pickup by August if the bank and time allows, but more a bank thing. Put all my guys on the ground to find me a suitable unit, and got a legend mechanic to actually do work with me to rebuild the car. Most probably will be sporting a 475 small block Chevy engine and if all fails, well, a Subaru B4 or a Merc 190 engine if that even can work, not too concerned about original parts inside, but outside will be as original as the parts can be found. This is to be my daily run car so its pretty exciting to imagine myself driving a Minor daily for work. My other choice was the old Range Rover 4.6 or a '94 Mercedes S 320, both of which I am absolutely in love with, but its not that time yet, this feels right. Hopefully will get help here when we run into problems, gonna be an exciting time.

Spellbound by Malcolm Motler is a huge inspiration, but I'm not building something that big. I know its strange since I'm aiming to put a 475 but I'm working with whatever is available and I hate throaty sounding engines and underpowered cars. Driven way too many of those, and it plains sucks and besides, if I want a more powerful car, I wouldn't be able to afford what i want. Really hoping this works out.

Kahenya

Posted 2012-01-31 07:21:37 by Kahenya K

Vehicles Past

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:20:27 -0800

A Cool Blue Cat --

as i already posted, ive had a few cars. one of my favorites was a '69
fiat spider. it had the 1438 engine, and man! could it go!
i got it from a friend,(i actually bought the tires and got the car free), just like the series 2 jags, fiats are supposed to be bad cars. x-one nines probably, but not the 124. after some tweaking and tinkering,it was a reliable car. i sold it after driving it for a year. the thing was, it had no heater at all. i mean no heater core, no fan,no nothing,and i froze my patootie off that winter, but it sure was fun. it was a 69 124 sport spider, it had a really nice walnut dash,(if only the jags was as nice!)and trashed upholstery and top. coming home from work one day,i saw an old ford hot rod and followed it, and wouldnt ya know it, but the guy said he had a brand new top for the 124. his son had an 850, and they had gotten the wrong top! i got it for 25 bucks! it fit like a glove too. what a difference that top made. with some good seat covers, and a fresh coat of flat black paint, it was ready to go. i took a co-worker for a ride in it once, and he never asked again! he literally kissed the ground afterwards. i took my mom out in it a few times,on some hard dirt roads, we were sliding and drifting the whole way,and she loved it! (she was 60 yrs old too hahaha).my dad thought we were insane.. the 124s were somewhat advanced, with 4 wheel disc brakes, a 5 speed trans,twin cam motor,(first production twin cam driven by a belt), but oddly enough,no rack and pinion steering, just an old style box.it made a few people i worked with jealous,because i had an eye taleeyen car,(sic), and they implored "we're buying a jaguar"..well, i hate to tell 'em, but now i'm driving the jag, and they're driving a mini van. i still miss that little car! p.s. the pic is not my car.

<fia124spider>

Posted 2012-01-30 21:20:27 by harris d

Downtown & Arroyo Drive

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:50:29 -0800

Rachel B's Journal --

Took the Wolfie on a drive through Downtown Los Angeles. People seem to like him, he got lots of attention, thumbs up, honking, yelling, "i like your carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" one guy yelled from his porch. Next we drove to the Arroyo in Pasadena for a photo shoot. Wolfie needed a new profile picture. It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles, sunny and warm, the windows were open.

<L1010254>

Posted 2012-01-29 18:50:29 by rachel b

One Seat Done!!!

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:56:07 -0800

Rich Beamish's Journal --

Disassembled the seats down to the frames. I figured as long as I was putting new foam and webbing in, I might as well do the whole seat. Sanded the frames and primed and repainted areas that needed it. The foam and webbing were easy, but getting the back stiffener glued and in proper place was a little more fun. With the seat separated, I began to have lots of fun! I had no idea how the leather was going to fit over the seat back with the stiffener made of art board. Ended up putting a piece of plastic over the top of the back and then pulling it onto and over the back. Half-way down it tightened up and took me a couple of hours to get the seat back and bottom on properly. Lining up the "pleats" was the biggest trick and it just took lots of pushing and pulling to finally get it right. Headrest was easy money.

Yes, I did have to sit in the seat when completed and it was well worth the effort!!!!! Totally different feel and the leather was a nice touch with the looks and feel. On to the passenger seat.....

<leather seat done>

Posted 2012-01-29 15:56:07 by Rich Beamish

Looking For

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:40:09 -0800

Rodolphe Valenti's Journal --

looking for spitfire mk2 1966 or 1967 or spitfire mk3 1968 in good condition around montreal quebec

Posted 2012-01-29 15:40:09 by rodolphe valenti

No Winter Project Progress

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:28:48 -0800

George Heissenberger's Journal --

OK so its been pretty mild this winter- ideal to work in the garage. I haven't got to the heater valve replacement yet, nor pulled the radiator to fix the pin hole leak. I hope to before the end of February!

Posted 2012-01-29 13:28:48 by George Heissenberger

Sound And Heat Proof Liner And Battery Box

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:16:20 -0800

Mark Williams's Journal --

Completed two installs this week;

I used Hushmat to line the floor and drive shaft tunnel to help reduce cockpit over heating and reduce engine and road noise. I was very easy to install but will have to wait to see if it works.

I also installed a new battery in one of the battery compartments . I used an Autocraft Silver 26R3 that fitted in one of Moss Motors plastic box's really well.

<Hushmat liner>

<Battery in box>

Posted 2012-01-29 11:16:20 by Mark Williams

It's Been Awhile, New Stuff

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:02:08 -0800

Robert Nunya's Journal --

I've done some things since I wrote my last entry.

About 3 months ago I put in a relay system (from Moss Motors) for the headlights, so I can use modern technology headlights. The process was super easy and works great. At the same time I put on new windshield wiper arms, they work pretty good, but the return springs are a little weak so I don't get super good pressure on the windows.

Put on a new exhaust system late summer early fall 2011.

Yesterday (2/28/12) with some help from RM (ok, so I watched him a lot, ha ha) we got the defroster working and installed the air flow tubes that I bought 3 or 4 years ago when I first got the car. I don't drive the car very much when it's winter, but when I do, this will help keep the cabin warm as well as keep the windshield defrosted.

Posted 2012-01-29 10:02:08 by Robert Nunya

Mark's GEETEE!!

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:49:03 -0800

Mark M's Journal --

She is at her new home and all snug and tucked away from the cruel Wisconsin winter.
I went over the entire car again with a magnet, just to make sure, and it is SOLID METAL EVERYWHERE!!!
Looks as though the interior replacement was rushed but nothing insurmountable with some TLC.
The PO gave me sooo many new spare parts with it, it took 2 hours to sort through it all!! That's a good thing!!
Stayed with her until 10pm last night when the wife gave me "the look" and it was off to bed.

<New Home>

<The Ride Home>

Posted 2012-01-29 05:49:03 by Mark M

Packed And Ready For The Ride Home

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:28:03 -0800

Mark M's Journal --

It has to snow in Wisconsin, especially if you are transporting a BGT.
She is all bundled up and ready for a 2 hour trip home.

<DSC00043>

Posted 2012-01-29 05:28:03 by Mark M

1/29/12

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:14:22 -0800

Scott Beattie's Journal --

Seems i'm going to have to get creative getting the rear suspension back together . Will have to fab spring lever tool to assist getting the lower control arms in place . With the bare chassis could be a trick . I might have a plan . Have to order bushings . Make a note .

<IMG 0080>

Posted 2012-01-29 04:14:22 by Scott Beattie

Mulholland Drive

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:05:16 -0800

Rachel B's Journal --

Wolfie and I took a drive to Mulholland Drive. It was a warm night, even though it's winter in Los Angeles. From Mulholland drive you can see helicopters below. It looks pretty funny.

<IMG 20120126 203845>

Posted 2012-01-28 23:05:16 by rachel b

Wiper Motor

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:45:16 -0800

Paul Mansell's Journal --

We are having many days of rain here over the winter months so I have not had the chance to take the B for a drive very much, so I thought lets do a few small jobs.
#1 on the list was the wipers that always seem a little sluggish, although I have not had to use them at all yet I wanted them to be working 100%.
So I followed a guide that was on this site and set to. Getting the motor off was very simple, undo the Acorn nut, two bolts on the saddle clamp and it was out.
Over to the bench and took the cover off and dismantled all that could be taken apart.
Well there was not as much grease in there as I thought there would be or that I have seen from other members but still it was the thick axle type and even turning the inner wheel by fingers was difficult.
A good clean up all round including the armature and I was ready to start reassembly.
Using white lithium grease and sparingly the inner wheel was far easier to turn and it all went back together easily.
I also cleaned off the cable that turns the wiper heads greased that with white lithium grease as well and was then ready to install. A quick 180 degree turn on the wiper heads first and the cable was fed back in fully. simple re bolt up and it was ready to test.

Wow definately better running now, just need to be brave and take it out in the rain and really test it.......maybe not.

Posted 2012-01-28 20:45:16 by Paul Mansell

1979 Interior Redo

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:40:08 -0800

Rich Beamish's Journal --

Well, I've got the interior out of the car (mostly) and started work on the seats and anything else I can do in the warm inside. My wife is "absolutely thrilled" with me turning the sun room into an upholstery, parts, tool box, and general repair room but......

<not bad>

Posted 2012-01-28 20:40:08 by Rich Beamish

Fuel Tank

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:01:51 -0800

Buckeye Mike's Journal --

I removed the old tank today. It actually went very well. I had no surprises in the removal. It took almost no time at all. I removed the fuel about 2 gallons. I then removed the gas supply, evaporation line and then the fuel neck and then the bolts and that was it. The big surprise was how good the condition of the bottom of the car. There was no rust on the bottom. I was all prepared to repaint the bottom of the car, now I won't have to worry about that.

I am going to paint the new tank. The manufacturer of the tank said not to because, they put a protective oil and they say that's all is needed. I'm not buying it.

Part 2: I went back over today and started painting the tank. I didn't use my typical POR method I couldn't find the etching bottle so I used self etching primer and then put the top coat on half the tank. I am going to try and go over to the shop this week and finish painting so I can install it on Saturday.

<Tank is out and rusty>

<Old repairs of leaks>

<New tank and accessories>

Posted 2012-01-28 18:01:51 by Mike Madden

Sabrina

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:05:37 -0800

Ronn Kilby's Journal --

To date, I have done the following to make Sabrina a better LBC in every way:

Replaced plugs, air filter, flasher unit (hazard), flasher unit(turn signals), hazard switch, fuel tank sending unit and float (used a brass float from a '65 Mustang), new soft top (Robbins, tan, zip-out window). Adjusted valves, set timing, fixed backup light and horn.

Purchased parts to do the following:

Change needle in Stromberg Carb and adjust, replace brake master cylinder, clutch master and slave cylinders.

Later:

Replace stereo unit. Maybe Anza Exhaust. New carpet for boot.

Posted 2012-01-28 15:05:37 by Ronn Kilby

Gauge Modifications

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:25:19 -0800

Dave B's Journal --

Well I decided to put new 2 inch gauges in the center part of my dash. The background of the ones I bought are white. I decided to do a mod on my original tach and speedometer. I took them apart removed the number plates and scanned them. I then used photo shop to inverse the colors and fool around with the font. I printed them to a vinyl sticker material and stuck them to the gauge faces followed by a few coats of clear lacquer. After putting them all back together I was happy with the look.

<face plate>	<original look>	<paint face plate white before sticker>
<finished product>

Posted 2012-01-28 12:25:19 by Dave B

Progress

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:26:44 -0800

Scott Beattie's Journal --

New bearings for the rear , u-joints. It's coming along , although getting to the point I'm going to have to start spending some cash .

<IMG 0076>

Posted 2012-01-28 03:26:44 by Scott Beattie

MGB Restoration - Harvest Gold - Exterior Paint

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:27:53 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

My MGB has finally has progressed to the final paint stage after three years. The body prep and final primer and blocking have been done for a few months.

The MG is being painted in its original Harvest Gold Finish. I am modifying the painting process from the original single stage to a base-clearcoat finish.

The pictures represent the first steps of the painting process in which the engine compartment and body shell are being painted first. Next the inner fender and under chassis will be painted and protected with a thin under coat.

The final stages will involve finishing the whole car in base-clearcoat and finishing the doors, hood and trunk lid.

The rebuilt engine is being installed next Friday and hope for complete re-assembly by May 1st 2012.

<2012-01-27 16-37-22 132 (816 x 460)>	<2012-01-27 16-37-54 982 (816 x 460)>	<2012-01-27 16-38-47 143 (816 x 460)>
<2012-01-27 16-38-56 639 (816 x 460)>

Posted 2012-01-27 17:27:53 by Jeffrey Louis

MGB Restoration - Rear Suspension Tear Down

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:18:47 -0800

Jeffrey Louis's Journal --

After the completion of the front suspension; work has begun on the restoration. The pictures show the condition of the rear suspension after a complete degrease and power wash. After 36 years there was absolutely no rust.

I plan to repaint the suspension and repaint to freshen up. I purchased a rear suspension rebuild kit from Brit-Tek and plan to replace the leaf springs.

I also purchased a rear drum brake rebuild kit and plan on replacing the drums and installing new brake lines.

<2012-01-27 17-17-10 627 (816 x 460)>	<2012-01-27 17-17-15 889 (816 x 460)>	<2012-01-27 17-17-48 485 (816 x 460)>
<2012-01-27 17-17-57 475 (816 x 460)>

Posted 2012-01-27 17:18:47 by Jeffrey Louis

The Dual Axle Stork Arrives Tomorrow

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:10:52 -0800

Mark M's Journal --

The new baby arrives via my dual axle stork tomorrow and I am getting all the rest I can tonight.

I have a feeling I will be spending many nights to come tending to baby.

The crib is made by Bend-Pak from Northern Tool and Equipment and on it's way!!!

Posted 2012-01-27 17:10:52 by Mark M

Beginning The Journey

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:51:47 -0800

Norm Nolde's Journal --

I purchased the MGB as a Spring/Summer driver. Took it to a British care specialist (My daughter's future father-in-law) and had him go through the car. It wasn't running when I purchased it. After a few parts, new top, new battery, brake job, and a bunch of labor hours, it is now drivable and running in good condition. Car body and paint was in excellent shape when I bought it, but the previous owner didn't take very good care of the mechanical systems. Whoever did work on it didn't know what he was doing. The water choke was inop and bypassed, and the brake system was a disaster. The future plans for the care are to detail the car throughout, replace the thermostat body (current one is not standard), install a roll bar assembly, and perhaps replace the current wheels with wire wheels. All that is in the future.

Posted 2012-01-27 14:51:47 by Norm Nolde

1/26/2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:32:27 -0800

Lenny Racanelli's Journal --

After living with Kate about a month I finally came to grips and purchased her on 1/26/2012. She has been living in my garage mainly because the seller had her outside in the elements and I convinced him that I would store safely and check her out at the same time. She has a small issue with her cylinder head at this time but imp sure we will fix that in short time.

Posted 2012-01-27 07:32:27 by Lenny Racanelli

My New Hobby 1/26/2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:29:35 -0800

Lenny Racanelli's Journal --

Kate is a lovely automobile with an engine that runs well and flawless body. She is painted the color of my lovely and penitent wife’s eyes. I will give her the tender care she needs and in a few years she will be older but definitely better.

Posted 2012-01-27 07:29:35 by Lenny Racanelli

Wheel Openings

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:34:38 -0800

Rick Bosak's Journal --

I'm fitting wider tires to deal with the increase HP. I've mounted 195/60R-13 Sumitomo HTR 200 tires, only $50 each. Rolling the rear wheel openings was just not going to do it. I really prefer the square wheel arches to the RWA version so our solution was to just cut loose and raise what is already there. Now there is plenty of room and the Sprite still looks stock.

<cutting out some height>

<weld in some filler>

Posted 2012-01-26 17:34:38 by Rick Bosak

Rear Suspention

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:51:53 -0800

Dave B's Journal --

Well got the rear all back together. I put new shocks,wheel bearings,urethane bushings, and U joints. Sand blasted all the parts and painted them with epoxy followed by satin black urethane.

<Picture 096>

Posted 2012-01-26 15:51:53 by Dave B

Ready For Paint

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:43:27 -0800

Dave B's Journal --

Well body is about done just a light sanding. I am very happy with the way the hood and fender vents turned out.

<Picture 098>	<Picture 100>	<Picture 101>
<Picture 106>

Posted 2012-01-26 15:43:27 by Dave B

Ditto On Last Year's Post

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:10:08 -0800

Jere McSparran's Journal --

January 25, 2012, still no progress on the rebuild. This is the year I get started on the body work.

Posted 2012-01-25 16:10:08 by Jere McSparran

Diff Replacement

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:32:43 -0800

Dave B's Journal --

Picked up a used diff for 100 bucks. It was from a GT6 with overdrive and has the same gearing mine was. I change 2 bearings on the outputs and 3 seals.

<new diff ready to go in>

<old diff finished>

Posted 2012-01-24 18:32:43 by Dave B

Valance Overhaul

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:18:24 -0800

Dave B's Journal --

Well the last part of the car to prep for paint turned out to be rusted badly and filled in with bondo.After sandblasting I had to cut the inner and outer layers off and weld in new metal. I was happy with the results. I am at 328 hours of work thus far and it will be ready for paint this week

<rust>	<more rust>	<rust cut out>
<new inner and outer metal>

Posted 2012-01-24 18:18:24 by Dave B

What I've Learned About Doors

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:07:19 -0800

Steve Lyle's Journal --

When it comes down to it, the key factor in an MGB body restoration are the doors. Basically, you assemble the side body panels around the doors, and if they're not right, if they don't fit correctly, if the surrounding panels (front and rear fenders and the outer sill) don't match up correctly, then the entire body will look out of sorts. Maybe even more than that, the doors are the part of the structure that the occupants physically come in contact with most often - how they fit, how they move, how they function will be a major factor in how the car is perceived.

So for the benefit of those coming behind me, here's what I've learned about MGB doors:

1) Understand the anatomy

Like anything else on the car, you need to understand the parts, how they function, how they're built, how they connect to the structure, etc..

The key aspects of the hinges: Two per door (duh), 5 fasteners for each hinge to the body, 3 for each hinge arm to the door. The body fasteners are four #4 Pozidrive machine screws on the hinge face to two threaded bars 'floating and captured' in the a-pillar, and one nut on the front face of the a-pillar that attaches to a stud on the front face of the hinge. Thus the hinges 'bridge' the a-pillar, and are fastened fore and aft, and really locked into position.

The 3 fasteners for each hinge to the door are also #4 Pozidrive machine screws, that pass through holes in the door inner panel (the steel panel under the vinyl door pad), through the hinge arms, and screw into threaded floating plates 'captured' in the inner door structure.

2) Start with the hinges.

Our cars are old. Hinges wear out. There should be NO vertical movement possible in the hinge arm. Open the door partway, lift up on the end of the door - you should not feel any slop in the door - the lifting force should be transmitted directly to the body of the car. If the door moves and the body doesn't, then your hinges are worn.

There is some adjustment possible to account for this wear, but at some point the hinge wear will exceed the adjustment range. When that happens, you will not be able to correctly position the door in the opening - and ultimately the lower rear corner of the door will have too small a gap, or even contact the sill/b-pillar, and/or the latch will not engage the striker. You'll have to lift up on the door to get it to close correctly.

If your hinges are worn out, your options are:

- Buy new hinges. These are available from the usual suppliers, at $100 to $125 per hinge. $400 to $500 for a complete set.

- Buy used hinges. These are available from junk yards, parts cars, and E-bay. E-bay prices are in the $50 range, but you may get a better deal. The problem with used hinges is, of course, that they may be worn as well.

- Rebuild your hinges. I went with this approach. I searched the web for car door hinge rebuilders, found a couple and emailed them. Neither had done MGB hinges, but one seemed confident and quoted $25/hinge. I sent off some pictures and got a positive response, so off the hinges went. Two weeks later I got them back. The shop had media blasted them, dissassembled them, custom made new bushings and sleeves out of oil-lite bronze, custom made new hinge pins out of hardened steel, reassembled everything, and primed them. They were perfect. Hinge movement was stiffer than before, but that had to be. There was NO slop in the hinge arms at all. Closing effort was reasonable. I was happy.

My hinge rebuilder was:

Wilson Antique Car Parts
1067 Clearview Dr.
Forest, VA 24551
434-258-2606
willie@hoodhingerepair.com
www.hoodhingerepair.com

I waited until after the body work was done to do this. I would have been better off doing it before - it complicated things a bit. The sooner you rebuild hinges that need it, the better.

3) Work around the doors

If you're doing body work, and your doors are good and your door fits are good, try to avoid messing with the doors if you can. You're way ahead of the game. You can do a sill job with the doors on the car. The pain of doing this is likely less than the pain of getting your door fits back the way they are.

4) Get good at removal/installation

If #3 isn't possible - if your doors are rusted out, your hinges are shot, if the doors need work as well, you're going to have to get them off the car and address whatever is wrong. In my case, my doors needed new skins, rust damage to the lower door inner frame had to be repaired, and the hinges needed work, so #3 wasn't possible. If that's the case, you need to get real good at getting the doors on and off the car, because you'll be doing it a lot. Here's what I learned about that:

- Get #3 and #4 Pozidrive sockets. I ordered mine from Snap-on. You'll need the #3 for the door latch and striker plate. They have them in their "Blue Point" line, for about $8 each. Google: Snap-on Bluepoint Pozidrive #3 (or #4) and you'll find them. Don't try using Phillips bits on these screws, you'll just mess them up, except for the following exception. If you'd like Pozidrive bits to insert into a bit driver, you can get them from Jamestown Distributors for not much, as well, in packs of 3.

- If, however, you're dealing with hinge screws that haven't been touched in decades, that are rusted in place and aren't budging with your #4 Pozidrive sockets, get a manual impact driver. Sears has them. Mine came with a #4 Phillips bit. Clean out the layers of paint from the screws, get a 5 pound hammer, and have at it. This is how I got my hinges off the car initially, and there was no slippage or damage to the pozi drive screws.

- Replace the Pozidrive screws with Torx drive. Go to the McMaster-Carr web site and order Torx head cap screws, 5/16"x 24 x 1". These use a T-40 socket, which you can get anywhere that sells car tools. The beauty of these screws is that the Torx driver will not slip. I went through several Pozidrive screws before I converted to the Torx drive. As careful as I tried to be, I'd still get some slippage with the Pozidrive, which wore out the screw heads. And replacing the screws wasn't cheap. Even if you're looking for originality, go with the Torx screws while building the car, then switch to the Pozidrive screws at final assembly.

- Keep the original Pozidrive screws and sockets around. They have pointed ends, and are handy to use to line up the floating plates and do the initial assembly. Once they're in, but not torqued down, replace them with the Torx screws for the final torque-down.

5) Tricks for adjusting doors
Fitting new doors, or reskinned doors, to the body is likely to be an iterative activity. There are several adjustments to get correct. The door must:

a) be at a height, fore and aft, where the body feature line, just above the chrome strip, is continuous, from the front fender, to the door, to the front fender;

b) be flush with the surrounding panels - the front fender, the rear fender, and the outer sill;

To achieve this, the hinges, which control the lateral position of the front edge of the door, must be located correctly in the a-pillar, the door must be positioned on the hinge arms correctly (which controls the gap between the door and surrounding panels - fore and aft and vertically), and the striker plate must be positioned correctly (which controls the lateral position of the rear of the door).

To get this done:

a) Start by locating the hinges as far outboard on the a-pillar as possible. Mount them semi-tight.

b) Remove the latch mechanism from the door.

c) Get two decks of playing cards. You'll use these as shims to control the door's height. Count off about 30 cards, locate one deck just in front of the rear outer sill/b-pillar seam, and one deck a few inches back of the a-pillar.

d) Put the door on the hinge arms, then carefully put it in a closed position, making sure you don't hit either fender in the process.

e) Attach the hinge arms to the door, loose for now.

f) Adjust the fore/aft position to get even door gaps to the front and rear fenders.

g) Evaluate the feature line height of the door relative to the fenders. If the fender is high or low at either end, take your best guess as to how many cards to add/remove. Open the door, supporting it carefully, and add/remove cards - then close it back. Re-evaluate the feature line height. Repeat as necessary.

h) When you think you've got it, tighten down the hinge/door screws. Remove the card decks, and now evaluate the door position. It's likely that the front won't have moved, but the rear might have dropped a bit. Estimate the number of cards to add. Close the door, loosen the hinge/door screws, open the door just slightly, add the cards, close it, readjust the door position, snug up the screws, and reevaluate. Repeat as necessary.

i) When you've got the door positioned correctly in the opening, fore/aft and vertically, make a note of the # of cards you used in each deck, write it down, and put it where you won't lose it (I have two decks of cards dedicated to this purpose, they stay in my workbench and the note is kept in one of the decks).

j) Now for the cross-car position. The position of the leading edge is controlled by the front hinges. Ideally, the door is initially 'proud' of the fender a bit, since you mounted the hinges as far outboard as they could go. Loosen the hinge mounting screws a bit (all of them - don't forget the forward nut if it's on - I generally leave it off for this entire process), close the door, and press the forward edge into the car until it's flush with the fender. Carefully open the door, and tighten up the hinges. If the hinge moves when you open the door, you had the screws too loose, tighten them a bit and try again. Do each hinge separately, i.e., get the top of the door flush by adjusting the top hinge, and the bottom of the door with the bottom hinge.

k) But maybe your problem isn't that the door is proud of the fender, it's that the door doesn't come out to the fender, even with the hinge adjusted as far outboard as it will go. This was the situation with my driver's side door. It was a replacement door that wasn't mounted when I bought the car, I reskinned it, and had the hinges rebuilt. So lots of things changed. My fix was to measure the adjustment that I needed to make, using a straight-edge and feeler guages, and then make a shim up out of sheet metal just a bit thicker than needed. The shim needs to be roughly the size/length of the portion of the hinge arm that's inside the door, with holes in it to allow the hinge/door bolts to pass through it. The shim then goes between the outside face of the hinge arm and the door - effectively moving the door farther outside of the hinge position.

l) Finally, what if the hinge is mounted as far inboard as it will go, and the door is still proud of the fender? My passenger side door had this problem, but only on the upper hinge. Measurements indicated I needed to move the hinge in another .034", which wasn't possible with the standard hinge adjustment. My solution was to grind about .040" off the outer face of the hinge arm. This was roughly 10% of the hinge arm thicknesss, which left plenty of hinge arm strength. And got my doors flush.

m) Last, get the rear edge of the door flush with the b-pillar. Mount the door latch in the door, and the striker plate on the b-pillar. Line up the striker plate vertically by slowly closing the door with your eyes at latch level, moving the striker plate up/down and rotating it so that the bottom of the latch just clears the plate, and the latch engages the striker cleanly. That gives you the vertical alignment you need. Now you need to get the striker located in/out from the centerline of the car so that the rear edge of the door is flush with the b-pillar. Take some masking tape and put a strip just above and below the plate, and a strip on the top and bottom horizontal surfaces of the plate. With a fine point marker, put a reference mark on the top and bottom strips so that you'll be able to measure the in/out movement of the plate, both at the top and bottom (you don't want to change the vertical position of the plate, since you've got that correct, and you don't want to rotate the plate either). Close the door, evaluate the rear edge 'flushness', ideally measuring it if you're close with a straight edge and feeler guages. Now open the door, loosen the striker plate screws a bit, and move the plate in or out the corresponding amount. Tighten up the screws, close the door, and reevaluate. Repeat as necessary.

When you've got the hinge location, the hinge arm adjustment, and the striker plate adjustment set correctly, take a 1/8" drill and drill locating pin holes, two in each hinge face, two in each hinge arm, and two in the striker plate. Get some 1/8" steel rod and make locating pins. Now you can remove and reinstall the hinges, doors, and striker and return them to the exact position that they came from, without going back through steps a-m. Just line up your holes, insert the pins, and tighten your fasteners, and you'll be back in position.

This "pin trick" works for the hood and trunk lid, as well.

<Hinges in the a-pillar, hinge arms in the door, Torx screws vs Pozidrive>	<Handy tools: impact driver, locating pins, BFH>	<Using playing cards as door locating shims/jigs>
<Reinstalling the striker plate with locating pins>

Posted 2012-01-24 10:07:19 by Steve Lyle

#2

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:25:00 -0800

Scott Beattie's Journal --

Been making alot of progress this last month, scraping , cleaning , sand blast , painting . Im to the point of getting it back on it's feet (at least )

<IMG 0071 2>

<ready for assembly>

Posted 2012-01-24 07:25:00 by Scott Beattie

Gt6 Mk 3

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:16:33 -0800

Scott Beattie's Journal --

My first post to journal , Hope to get organized as we go . This will be my second frame off . First effort with a GT6 .

<And so it began>

<Back from the blaster and primed>

Posted 2012-01-24 07:16:33 by Scott Beattie

Three Months An Owner

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:13:00 -0800

Andy Mathers's Journal --

It is now just over three months since I found "B2" and brought her home. She has fitted well in to the family and looks gorgeous sitting beside the Mazda 3 "family car" in our double garage. It is almost a shame to put a cover over her to protect her from the dust and gecko droppings that are unavoidable.

We have bonded well, I absolutely love driving her and she draws looks wherever we go (as she should too). As a beginner in this field, I spent the better part of last week putting spacers under the right engine mount to help alleviate the proximity of the steering universal to the distributor. In RHD Mk II's, this is a known issue as the rotating universal joint can actually wear or pull on the plug leads. So much to the extent that it has actually pulled #1 right out of the dizzy socket. Hopefully that is fixed now, although they are still quite close.

I am hoping to take her to the Australia Day Rally at Ormiston School this Thursday. The club I belong to (Bayside Vehicle Restorers Club) hosts the event and we are expecting more than 500 vehicles from all over the country. Unfortunately, the weather for the last few days has been bloody awful and we have had lots of rain causing local flooding. There is no let up in sight. Time will tell. I will still attend and help out, but if we still have torrential rain, the Bstays in the garage.

Posted 2012-01-24 03:13:00 by Andy Mathers

Squadron Blue

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:14:43 -0800

A Cool Blue Cat --

as i said before, i got lucky finding this particular car.
persistance and patience were the keys.
it has low mileage(imo), for the year, and has a really straight,
and nearly rust free body. oh, there is, without a doubt,places with rust that i have'nt seen yet, but so far it's minimal,and in the usual places.
my oldest friend likes this car alot, and he says in my hands it'll
only get better. i'm not trying to be concieted about this,but i have a good record with unwanted cars. i actually like this car the way it is now, which could be described as non-descript.
i happen to like that. to me, that means it does'nt attract the wrong kind of attention. case in point: 11 years ago,i bought a '67 dodge polara(always liked those too),from a bank after the guy defaulted on his loan. i'd been after this car for three years, but he did'nt want to sell. so,once a month, i went and asked if it was for sale yet, and one day he said 'here's the number for the bank, it's for sale now'. well i bought it, did some repairs to it, and enjoyed it.
one day my wife and i were shopping at a major store in our city,
and when we came out to leave, some one had scratched the car all the way from the hood to the rear bumper...up the hood, over the roof,and down the trunk. it was a red car. i had spent hours rubbing out the paint, and it looked good.it was scratched to the metal and i was crushed. a few months later i sold it via a newspaper ad.
well now i have this blue car,with old faded paint,not too shiny,just a straight old car,and i'm a little reluctant to shine it up too much.
i like it the way it is for now. in the future though, it will be taken to bare metal, all rust repaired and repainted in its original
squadron blue livery. it sure won't be living outside any more!

<squadron blue>

Posted 2012-01-23 21:14:43 by harris d

MGB Wheel Changes

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:29:42 -0800

Eric C's Journal --

Hi all, I am new to the MG Experience and am looking to buy a project MGB project car. I was wondering if you can convert a car with bolt on wheels to wire wheels?

Posted 2012-01-23 16:29:42 by Eric C

Suspension

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:28:19 -0800

Dan Goodwin's Journal --

This project is a slow go, since I have like 2 other projects as well, and am getting married in the next few years and am trying to save up money.

But, as of right now, the brakes and suspension is undergoing a full overhaul. When done, the front and rears with have tube shock conversions, new race spec springs, poly bushings, better sway bars, a panhard bar in the rear, and some traction bars as well. It will be lowered about 2 inches as well, and also converted over to bolt-on hubs instead of wire wheel hubs. I think that's about it for suspension. The brakes will get all new parts as well, some slotted rotors up front and better pads and shoes, new booster and master cylinder. I'll get some new pictures soon.

Posted 2012-01-23 15:28:19 by Dan Goodwin

Year 7 Begins

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:54:07 -0800

The Little Car --

Wow! I haven't posted to my journal in over a year! My 1975 B has owned me since December 2005 and I have to say that I am as happy with it 6 years down the road as I was the day I picked it up. I've attended numerous shows,even winning a trophy or two, but my greatest pleasure still comes from driving the car. While I have made trips of over 200 miles,there are some great drives right here in my backyard. I especially like the roads of the Palisades Interstate Park System. The view of the Hudson river from the top of Perkins Drive is a standout. This is a popular spot and you are often rewarded with an impromptu car show when you reach the overlook. Last year was a quiet one on the MG front. I started a new job in March which required a lot of Saturday office time. I was forced to miss several shows including my favorite,PEDC's Brits On The Beach. Driving season 2012 is just around the corner and my New Year's resolution is to attend a greater number of events and put more miles on the B. On the mechanical front,a valve adjustment and some suspension work will have me ready for Spring.

Posted 2012-01-23 05:54:07 by Jim Hargrave