Thread: 51 MG restoration.

With removing the front and rebuilding both that makes sense.

Well t’wernt easy, but she’s out. Took lots of adjustments and I ended up needing to drop the oil pan to get the clearance I needed but it’s done.



Pulled the transmission and pressure plate off already as well.
Need to get some longer bolts to mount her up to my engine stand for the proper tear down, but happy to get this far before the end of the year.
Cheers gents.

Think back in 2016 or 17 I was upgrading my Corrado to it’s 1.8 turbo upgrade over the christmas holidays. 7 years later similar work on an older car.
Got the flywheel off and the engine mounted on her stand so I can remove everything else required to really assess her condition.
Valve job at the least, and possibly new main bearings, seals etc.
The existing flywheel weighs over 50 lbs easy, and I am considering an aluminum racing unit seeing as how I need machining done to accommodate the new pressure plate regardless. And the weight reduction will provide improved acceleration and off the line umph.


Wet sleeve clean up will dictate how far I go, and in the spring, this will all come back together in a tight, oil drip free peppier condition! Marry that up to a newer gearbox and I’ll be a happy motorist turning heads and gettin spirited speeding tickets like a new car, hehe.

Hope y’all enjoy your end to 23!

From my perspective it can hit its ass in the door on the way out. Was a shit year, filled with medical appts with the wife and lots of world struggles that I couldn’t solve, only gripe about.
Hope this year things get back to normal. Even though I fully expect it to not occur gracefully.
Normal was making money, respecting what others have, and earning what you do not! No more hand outs, but hand ups. To all those that can appreciate the differences between the two anyway.
Health, safety, and prosperity for all my brothers in blades around this flat globe of ours!
Time to drink like a man with a younger liver!
Cheers all.

As long as you have it apart etc. I agree with updating the clutch.

I knew a guy that spent $10,000 USD upgrading an MG head!

Trans case is back from the repair shop


Only stung me a C note and it’s way stronger than I would have been able to pull off.Bearing surfaces still look good and I will just clean up those inside welds a touch.
Now that I have the case back I can start on the next step. Ensuring the new transmission will actually fit in the car. Based on how tight I was with the OEM I expect to need to tweak the inside run and angle of the tunnel slightly, and may need to remove some actual floorboard material. Like an inch a side. Convenient that the floors are both wood, and removable, hehe.
Gonna use the empty case and new mounts to figure all that out over the next few weeks.
Worse case I need to fabricate a new center tunnel I can improve the design and make it more heat resistant than the original one was. Toes got some toasty in August last summer..

Cheers gents. Was a rough first day back at the plant.

Wow, you really never do get done with it do you? I remember those days. It all comes back to me reading this post.

I hope you love it. You'd have to for it not to be a drag.

Well ‘done” is a relative term with respect to this project Paul.
When I bought it, done would have been fully restored and original.
Once I realized that was impossible due to the modifications made by the PO, ie non original engine transmission and engine mount locates, the next goal was done meant fully safe reliable and as original, cosmetically as I could make it.
That was then enjoyed for a year or so while I decided that the limitations still with top speed, shifting and overall modern drivability was also within my grasp to improve if I did a few more things, which are now underway.
Done now means a 70 year old looking car that in no way behaves, or feels like a 70 year old car to the driver.
Luckily I do love the creative challenge of this kind of work, as you said, or this would be ridiculous. And may be to some. But not to me, and that is all that matters.
If I surprise folks at car shows, or at the streetlights, as they eat my dust, that will be the ongoing reward. And if my wife is comfortable enough to go on longer jaunts after this, that’ll be even better.
Cheers.