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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Moral Support Needed!

Hi Everyone,

I have been quiet on the forum of late, but busy in the workshop and I need some encouragement from you lot to get me through this next stage please!!!

Photo's on my blog as usual.

http://1965mgmidgetrestoration.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/new-panels-required.html

Getting a bit overwhelmed by the scale of rust on the offside rear wheel arch which is where so many panels meet.

Just got to take it small section by section I guess.

Many thanks

James
J Paul

Hi James,
Rust in the usual places then! My advice is to just focus on one area at a time. Don't cut out too much rusted metal until you have taken measurements, photos and made some templates of the pieces that need replacing. Bits like the lower edges of the inner wheel arches can be made from flat steel sheet cut and curved to fit. No need to buy expensive replacement panels for simple pieces like that.

Just make templates from cereal packet cardboard and use these to cut your replacement panels. Cut back the rusted metal and weld in your replacement panels. Focus on just one area at a time and work through that area until it is sound again. This way you will make advances, get the satisfaction of completing each piece, and are less likely to get disheartened. It's like how do you eat an elephant - one bite at a time.
Guy Weller

When I finish a particularly nasty piece of rust repair, I reward myself by working on a more pleasant and immediately rewarding part of the car- the heater box, dashboard, whatever. That way once the body's done you have a pile of shiny restored parts to bolt straight in.

Growler

Keep posting, keep going, do as Guy says, don't destroy it, do it in bits that are supported to keep its original shape as you work.

Keep the floor flat and check the doors fit all the time. (particularly when doing the sills). More time checking the door fits than anything else at the sills point.
Dave Squire

I also like to keep the doors in position as long as possible. Because they do unbolt the tendency is to rush ahead and remove them, but they are essential for checking and maintaining the relative positions and angles of sill, A post and B post. You can also level across between one door and the other to check that you aren't inducing any twist into the car tub as you replace parts like the sills and floor.
Its a good idea to weld a length of angle across the door openings to keep them right as well. Or make up an adjustable brace (photo) that can be used to spread or close the door openings as needed. I had two each side, top and bottom and fitted inside the opening so that the door still closes. When the sill was off I could open and close and adjust the angles between the A and B posts to get the door alignment right.

And, . . . I have probably said this before but take a check around local industrial estates for businesses doing sheet metal fabrication work. They are likely to have a skip for all the off cuts from their guillotine and you may well be able to get all of the sheet steel that you need for free, or at least for next to nothing!


Guy Weller

Moral support from me! The man with 1/4 an inch of car missing! ha ha

Guys advice is great as ever.

Yes be careful of door gaps, I learnt this the hard way! :-D

Malcolm
Malcolm Le Chevalier

Two floor pans, a pair of sills, a rear heelboard and start from scratch

It will be nice and rewarding building a straight and square floorpan, plus you can then be sure you got all the rust and you wont have that gash bit thats hidden causing you nightmares and sleepless nights.

Anything salvageable from the original shell can then be prepped and welded to the new floor pan.

PeterJMoore

Guy that bit of tin pop riveted could, perhaps be a wee bit bigger. In such a critical spot I'd also go with at least 8 rivets, or if you want to be really sure, perhaps go with some beefy 5/32" steel rivets. Looks like galv so should last ok. To keep the draft out perhaps some underlay under the carpet as well. ;)

James all I can say is what the others have said and that's break it up into little projects so you feel like you're getting somewhere. I find getting on the pc and buying parts is good for relieving stress.
Greg H

Hi,

Thank you again for all your support (especially Guy!). It's very welcome.

Buying in the necessary panels would be the next step forward and help me focus on the repairs and not the rust or holes!

So would aftermarket be worth while to save a few pennies or should heritage be the only option.

Many thanks

James
J Paul

James,

Keep at it! Keep looking at Guy's 'Bodywork' thread for inspiration!!

Others will no doubt give advice on panels but the Steelcraft ones I've bought seem well made. I got them from Moss when they had 15% off - worked out much cheaper than anywhere else. Whether they will fit is another matter!!

I've not got much further with mine unfortunately. The engine is out and I've managed to inspect most areas of the shell but progress is going to be slow while working away from home during the week. At the moment I've got a rusty wreck and £600 of panels - just need to get them welded together.

John
John Payne

Hi John,

I remember looking at those photo of your MK1 a few months back and thought you're a brave man than me, but seeing what Guy has had to work with makes me think I need to man up and get on with it!!
J Paul

Ah well Greg, a bit of screwed up newspaper, polyfilla and a blast of paint from a rattle can soon sorted that corner out!


Guy Weller

Funny you should say that, This bentley came into the shop. The lower 4inches all the way around were made as you describe. Except for the inner wheel wells that were made from the buckets the poly filla were in.

It was definatley done in its country of origin as the products label was not from the states!


Steven Devine

Oh I forgot the moral support! Keep crakin at it, eventually something will happen. Hopefully its good!
Youll do fine!
Steven Devine

your the man james...hang in there

when this is done your going to have some specialized insight ...you will definatly have expert status connected to your name

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Wow Look,
Prop even took time out from enjoying his watch purchase to give you a thumbs up! And it is a really good thumbs up!

Thats good : Carma! Karma? CARMA! U know what I mean...
Steven Devine

wow, good job it's only Prop and not the good book that's being attacked or my keyboard would be in meltdown
Nigel Atkins

The good book?, You mean the drivers manual?
Steven Devine

oh god... what was I thinking

I meant to say...

what the heck man... you should get deny to restore it


whew....now I feel much better

hahaha

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

as to the good book... the vatican is extending full criminal immunity from world wide prosecuting of the pope today as long as he stays on vatican grounds....

Hmmm I didnt know that criminal conduct was a medical condition.

opps.... the biggest problem with the truth, is its always in the way of a good criminal cover up...I bet the pope hates that.

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Oooohhh, I see were back to this again!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwirWWnzJKM


Ha ha ha ha....
Steven Devine

Drivers Handbook ! !
Nigel Atkins

what about more moral support for James
Nigel Atkins

Guy that's a super effort. I hope you didn't skimp on the filla and went with the exterior stuff. I think your definition of 'soon sorted' and mine may be somewhat different. I’d use that term for something like changing the wiper blades, where as for you I think it’s a bit of an under statement of the effort and recognition it warrants.

Nigel, moral support for James? ok.

James, don't feel uneasy if you don't yet have a Drivers Handbook, you'll survive just fine without one.
Greg H

Thanks everyone for all your (sometimes interesting) comments!!!

Going to start learning how to weld over the next week or so, using all the patch metal that I have taken off the car recently.

If my skills are up to scratch then going to order some panels and see how we get on!!

Regards

James
J Paul

James,

Fire me an email with what panels you want and I can price them up for you

pete [at] brooklandsmg dot co dot uk

Would be heritage panels - so everything should fit up nicely for you and ease the pain of bodging poor panels into place
PeterJMoore

This thread was discussed between 17/02/2013 and 19/02/2013

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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