Thread: 51 MG restoration.

Wish I understood more of what you guys were talking about! Thanks for updating. Love seeing old cars brought back to their former glory. You gotta love the bold lines and curves on the pre-50 cars.

Just don't lower the car and put spinners on it.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

The second ignition switch under the voltmeter is to run the auxiliary fuel pump for end of season tank draining btw..
There are a series of brass petcock Vv’s under the rear end that route the fuel to the second pump and to a discharge hose under the front right wing for collecting in a Jerry can. Previous owner was a fussy pharmacist as I mentioned early on in the thread.
However I don’t have the key for the second ignition switch so will replace it with a toggle switch mounted somewhere out of the way, in the new dash build.

Still not sure if polished aluminum main dash body with a burl center insert will look as good as a newly built wood one, modeled after the original..
Plus not sure if buddy will drop his price on the aluminum one..
And this is what the original looked like, for point of reference gents.
Attachment 289760

i like the idea of a key switch if you would keep this option. Not a toggle anyway. Even "out of the way" I would somehow manage to accidentally bump it.

I agree with Roy on the pre, glass fuel filter. Helps to keep the otherz cleaner longer. And i think id go with a darker wood dash like the se ond pic with an aluminum plate to back the gauges. JMO. Its been fun reading this thread. U like Joshua i do understand it all. And what i keep thinking about is the funds. I know you havent had to get real crazy yet, but you have put a fair anount of money into this. Thats why i gave up on this big toys.

Good ideas on the brakes Tom. Im with ya on the added booster. As long as the rubber hoses in the syztem have been upgraded too. The old rubber might not like the extra preasure. Keep it up Mike. Enjoy that machine.

BTW, the more gauges the better IMO. Just put them in a nice lay-out so they look nice.

I thought about a glass strainer but figure I’d want that under the hood and the filter is back by the tank under the car near the pump, so I’d need to add an entire new length of fuel line to move everything up and I’m not sure I have room for both a fuel strainer and fuel filter up front so for now, change a few filters as she sits.
Will decide when I remove the tank what the long term will be.. cause it’d look cool with a glass strainer up front by the firewall..

That fuel pump dedicated to pumping the tank out seems silly to me, Mike.
Crawling under and turning valves and affixing a hose from somewhere to a gas can and finding the key to turn it on is sort of anally redundant. Not to mention complicating the rat's nest of wiring. Sorry!

End of season, take the fuel line off at the carbs and affix a hose there into the can.
Use the 'running' fuel pump to pump out the tank?
Besides, you will be going out into the garage and running it a bit during the winter, I suppose..

He (previous owner) was a pharmacist and quite fussy.
Me, I’ve always left fuel in the vehicle and started it throughout the winter. Sometimes go for a rip at -10 But on a dry road in January.
So while I wouldn’t have added the additional fuel circuit, I may leave it installed and have a back up fuel pump already plumbed in in parallel. Kinda neat feature for that alone.

Yeah...HEY! a 3 way switch to use either on or BOTH on when you are racing!

Glad to see some action. I was afraid you had given up and I was going to have to take it unfinished.

Just what you need, Bruv!

Just another of my random thoughts... Could you use the "winterizing" pump to flush the tank? would it pump enough volume? use 10L of gas lean the car to the left where it looks like the pickup is and shake it around while pumping. Use a coffee filter or similar in your funnel while catching it to see if crud is coming out. run the same fuel through a few times.

Maybe more work than pulling the tank....