Thread: 51 MG restoration.

Thanks very much for your insights Nessmuck!
I didn’t know about the application window for the next primer steps.
I’ll try to be ready for that but realistically will be scuffing and one more coat of epoxy, on car once I’m really ready to build the final finish. The nailed on panels just can’t be replicated with clamps properly despite my creative attempts.

So new fillers aren’t as crap as back in the day then and I can use them judiciously after prime on spots I missed?and they can go on epoxy primed surfaces too I understand? That’s pretty enticing. But I always thought the finished repair is brittle and will crack,always.

Yup get bare metal in epoxy as soon as possible...let set 24 hours...then give it some tooth with some 220 paper...don’t do through it...and you can apply body filler over the epoxy .

And this weekend it looks like I’m getting into repairs from the 70s.

Both rear tubs have bondo’d nasty dents in about the same locations.


Only thing I can guess is the suicide doors must have popped open at speed, slamming back into the fenders.
Seems rather than hammer it out the PO cheesed them.
I can get in there and beat it/make it look a lot smoother before committing to more filler.

Think this can be taken even smoother once I weld the split lip back together..
Progress and on.
Figure tc will still be jogging before I’m painting her up but hell, he’s a younger model..

Are you going to paint it back to the original color (Green) when you are finished?

That s the plan John, so far..
Although I may change it up a bit. Seen a few two tone models I really liked the look of.
So possibly green on black is under consideration with a bit of ghost green pearl effect in the black to make the reflections off the curves pop.
Sort of like this one, but green where the cream is. And left hand drive of course.

I’m thinking that with the black interior I already have and the black top I’m installing, would look rather classy, and striking.
And since I’m painting everything apart, I could always respray the wings if I don’t like the two tone look.

Aside from spoiling my bride this weekend, both her birthday and Mother’s Day, which saves me presents, hehe, I spent some time installing the tubs with their proper, final hardware and tightening everything up to final install position in the back half of the car.

Started from the rear, and installed the two known bolts, to the frame, and rear vertical, then started drilling through the steel. Trying to press the curve of the b into the curve of the wheel well as I went.
At first thought I messed up as the holes seemed really close to the outside of the skin. But once the captive nuts were on (I’ll weld them in position, off car) I realized it’s actually perfect. Will all hide behind the trim panels when the interior goes in! Some times I get lucky and all the plans come together.


Plus I’ve actually gone through the strongest part of the panels and it’s such that the bolts go through all three panels. They feel wicked strong and very car like. The profile is spot on and I’m psyched to move on to the running boards. Another MAJOR milestone this weekend.
Cheers gents.
Spoil your lady friends tonight!

Been some time since I’ve stripped the paint of a car, before this project, decades since I’ve had need to go back to bare steel like in this project.
Heard these new 3m wheels are something so bought one to checkout.

$25 for one wheel, so I hope it lasts as long as a box of sanding pads, cause damn that’s pricey.




Things a beast! Amazing how it only removes paint, rust, and crap, does not touch good steel! Better for this task than any stone or paper I’ve tried as those all take off everything. Leaving the bits in the low spots so I can find them to dolly out later.
Disk is starting to lose its edge a bit now but I’ve done over 2/3 of the car tonight and if I blow it out with compressed air, it wakes up the pad quite well.
May get the entire car stripped with one disk, so yeah, worth the twenty five bucks IMO.
Cheers.

And on to the front wings.
Fair bit of damage hidden under paint and bondo.


Expected it based on the frame damage repaired earlier.
Should be easy to beat most and use a few lbs less filler.

Thats the nice thing about having it apart. Pounding out ugly spots. Looking good Mike!

Careful my friend, those dents look deep-----------the deeper the harder to get out--'Easily'