Thread: 51 MG restoration.

I hate those commercial grease removal products as they are very harsh on the skin. My procedure works better and doesn't cost nearly as much.

Love the Lava. A couple years ago I bought a bunch from the Dollar Store, liquid in small pump containers and bars.

Down to my last jug of liquid, I really like the liquid, but the bar works well also, especially combined with a stiff fingernail brush. The trick to making the bar last is a cheap plastic soap holder that has the little spikes the keep the bar out of the water. Leave it in water and it will melt.

You can still get bars and liquid on-line, but only in small jugs. Love that stuff, even like the smell.

Body can’t come any further till the engine and tranny are pulled. Originally it would be able to split now leaving the firewall attached I believe. But the way they modified and folded everything to fit the triumph engine means I need to get in where the engine is to undo stuff safely, so getting ready to pull the engine and trans as one lift.

My stump and root buster ready to resume its intended function. Need a few longer bolts to tie everything together still.
I believe the reason they set the engine so far back was two fold.
Avoid lengthening the propeller shaft, and avoid the steering column..


I’m considering dropping the mounts between the frame and moving them forward, say down 2, and frwd 5”.

If I can, it will allow an eromous amount of foot room once again in the cabin, as well as allow for proper pedal placement once more.
May very well be worth the effort, despite the increased complexity of the rebuild.
Looks like if I remove, and modify the support, I can drop it lower. Looks like the drive shaft would appreciate being a little straighter too, although that could just be my eye and wishful bias.
Figure the tracking will be better too, moving the C of G forward closer to the front cross member as well as lower.

Double checked my hardware and did the deed.

Note the mounts are wedge fit without any actual hardware connection!

And lots of space to work now, ended up pulling the steering rack and broke one of the mounting flanges in the process,,,

Here’s a shot of where I want to move the mount, in green.

The red circle is around the ‘dumb iron’ or non load bearing frame extension the bumper and front valance connect to. Easily replaced.

And a mock up of where the firewall needs to be rebuilt to regain leg room.
As I pulled the engine I stopped and releveled it to see if the forward move made sense, and it totally will work. Will regain gobs of foot clearance as rather bell housing moves forward.

Once the power plant was out, then I could free up all the stuff preventing the body from coming off.

Built up a wooden subframe to simulate the car frame and lagged the body frame to the supports, with every strap I had.
Hope it doesn’t split in half!

No going back now. And hope the frame I built to hold the tub is accurately sized.


Frames look nice and straight!

Relieved to have gotten the tub off safely. Now I can focus on the frame.
Repair the rot at the back left, and replace the front dumb iron pieces.
Then par 15 epoxy cladding and hopefully the freshly painted engine back in before it gets too chilly.
Accepting the body work till be a winter pursuit now, but a fun one.
at least it’s inside where it can be dealt with, bit by bit.

Looking good but maybe should just get a blueprint and start from scratch?????

I bet there won't be very many parts still connected to one another.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Once the power plant was out, then I could free up all the stuff preventing the body from coming off.

Frames look nice and straight!

Relieved to have gotten the tub off safely. Now I can focus on the frame.
Repair the rot at the back left, and replace the front dumb iron pieces.
Then par 15 epoxy cladding and hopefully the freshly painted engine back in before it gets too chilly.
Accepting the body work till be a winter pursuit now, but a fun one.
at least it’s inside where it can be dealt with, bit by bit.

A 'Tram Gauge' would be really nice to help check that frame for square.



This one shows how a guy made his own;



You'd need hangers with self centering pins to check for side to side and twist along with dimensions but as long as you feel it's good to go, then so be it.

May need to build me one of those Roy Thanks for the tip.
Goal this week off was get her stripped down' mission accomplished.

Bonus of keeping the old fuel back when I bought her was its the best engine cleaner solvent I know of, despite the smell.

Looks pretty good for 61 years old huh?
Decided to paint her MG maroon,see how many people I fool when she’s back,together.
Hehe.

Wait, I'm confused here (Imagine that!) Wasn't this car running and weren't you driving it Mike?

You can 'X measure' your frame for squareness behind the front and in front of the rear 'kick' but to get a proper measurement, you'd need the Tram to be able to get up and over the kick.

I take it that the 'MG Maroon' is the factory engine paint for your year.

Yes gasoline is quite the solvent, but after you are 100% sure that you have all oil and grease removed, I'd recommend that you go over what you are going to paint with a lacquer thinner. House hold will do but automotive is stronger. You could even just pour the thinner into a paint sprayer and us that to wash the engine down.

You want the most oil free surface you can get so that the paint will not only stick when first applied but stay in place for years to come---But you already know that.