Thread: 51 MG restoration.

Be happy to brainstorm with you one day in person tc! Once this MF pandemic is behind us and they let us mingle again, hehe.
I work for the BBC ya know. Brisket, beans and corn bread.

Started putting stuff back on the proper frame. So psyched to get to the final tweaks and start to tie things in permanently..

Worked on the oak rails for the front of the car tonight as they will be needed soon enough to tie in the front quarters and start to dial in the scuttle (dashboard).

Ripped the boards down to the appropriate thicknesses for the respective pieces, 3/4, and 1 1/8”

Trace out my remnants and give the new bandsaw a real test, with thick oak, and an angled table.
The rikon worked perfectly. What a difference in power and cut accuracy over my old skil.


Gave a slightly more acute angle for my front pieces, that fit under the bonnet halves, on purpose.

There will be a gasket on this angled face when installed that sits under the rear edges of the hoods. I’d rather have a little gap under the hood than deal with sanding and trimming later. The latches will more than compensate for this, if there is any compensation required.
And every piece is a little longer on their connecting faces to allow for slight trimming when it’s time to put everything together for permanently like..

As usual, LOOKING GOOD!

Beautiful work. I hope we get to have a virtual ride along when this is done.

I will definitely being hooking up a GoPro for a few windy test drives..
And tonight I got ahead of myself and tossed the scuttle on, just to see how things are lining up..

The windscreen holes intersect both the scuttle, and the front quarter panels, so the three original holes must realign on each side. Plus there’s the wood cross piece, and the inner metal tie in bracket, all need to line up for everything to flow.
But at this point, thinks align. Good stuff..

Originally Posted by MikeB52

But at this point, thinks align. Good stuff..

Woo-hoo! That must have felt good to see.

Wait...is that light up the tunnel?

Working on the rear wheel wells lately. Trying to get all the measurements needed before I separate them from the rear quarters.

Key design nuances and shape definers must be maintained, or copied somehow.

Cardboard gets you close.

But plywood will make a stronger template and double as a form so I can make matching twin opposed wells from the one template. I picked up the frame mounting holes and will use these to help hold the 18 gage steel true while I bend the edges over to create the lips needed to connect to the radius plates.
Slow progress, but progress none the less.

Felt fairly frisky still post Guinness fest last night. Another nice thing about Guinness, I find, is no hangover.

So worked on the first form tonight.drivers side first.
Center the sheet and bolt them together.

Cut off the excess to make a consistent shape for the overhang.

Beat the panel to my will with old hammers and dollys



Too late to make the passenger side tonight, but looks like it’ll work for the task.

Cheers gents.

Pair made, and they fit.


On to the next sections. Those will be made as a match set as well so hopefully by the end of the weekend I’m ready to actually start to fit the rear skins.