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In spite of no updates, progress does continue on the BGT on multiple fronts. I am simultaneously working on removing undercoating and sound deadening tar-like stuff to get down to the steel. At least where there is no rust. I am filling in new steel along the way.At the same time, I am finding new places where new steel will be required. My first major repair is to the center floor crossmember. Somebody along the way had torched it out in order to do a clutch job without having to remove the engine. I decided to keep the feature but needed to replace the missing section's function. It is also where the jack receiver is attached to. Keeping full strength across the body in this location is required IMO. I hand formed a section to bridge the 2 sections. Then I welded in some nuts to the existing remains. I trimmed off the ends square and capped off the ends with new metal and welded them back to the trans tunnel. Pics and more updates to follow.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Chuck
If you can, please include before/after pics of the sill and rocker panel fix in your up-date.
I was never impressed by the stock MGB jack receiver.
Davew

Dave. Can do!

I'm not sure exactly what details you want to see. There are a lot of intersecting pieces of the puzzle. Let me know if there is anything you want details on and I'll try to accommodate.

We are doing sill and floor replacement work on a club member's car. I was there last week and got 1 side disassembled and new steel roughed in. He needs to finish the plug welding. I am going back next week to help with the other sill. I am helping for my education as much as helping the other guy. Already I have learned a lot and feel much more confident.

BTW, I saw that you are a member of MGexp.com. Small world.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Here are some pics of the crossmember repair. It is now bolted in with six 5/16" bolts into welded in, blind nuts. The capped ends are there to seal off rain and slop from getting into the crossmember under the floor. and the original metal is now welded back to the tunnel as it was from the factory. It was cut free with the torch, or maybe when the PO had replaced the floor. Either way. it needed to be reattached. I still need to box in the new metal. That will be easy comparatively and will come at a later date.

I was real happy with the final fit of the hand formed replacement. Metal brake? We don't have no metal brake. We don't need no stinkin' metal brake! It was formed old-school using a section of railroad rail, a hammer and a dolly. Please, no jokes about my dolly.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Chuck
Just general pics of the sill area. Years looong ago when I was in college I had an MGB, which the Michigan road salt had a eaten some major holes in the inner/outer sill area. Back then I was to worried that if I cut that much metal out, to make repairs, in a fully assembled car, it would take a permanent sag. I like your crossmember fix Wish I had that when rebuilding the trans 3 times in five years. Davew

OK Dave. Stay tuned. there are a lot of pieces in play. I'll try as I go along.

On to some more prep work. The sill assemblies are made up of 4 main pieces. One of those, the inner sill, was not in the kit I bought as usually it is still in good shape. Yeah, Right!! I bought the "rust repair" panel rather than purchase the complete part. The repair section was simply a 4ft long piece that was formed with 3 longitudinal bends. In my case it needed to mate to the toe board with some flanges spot welded. It also has to taper towards that panel.

I got out the parts and formed the forward ends as the OEM part is done. Here is the result. the trial fit photo below is laying across the parts that yet needs to be cut out.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Today's update.

I've been working on prepping for the replacing of the sills. In order for that to happen, said sill parts must be welded to the front vertical panels which, over the years, has been donated to the environment via iron oxide. Pieces/parts were fabricated and butt welded into place replicating the original geometry. Unfortunately the welder decided to push out goobers on the LH side. Fixing it required some maintenance on the welder and providing a better ground connection to the body.

Also some other steel that had succumbed to the rust worm was replaced along the LH side of the tunnel. It feels good to have fresh metal where nothing existed before.

I now need to turn my attention to the rear wheel wells where the sills tie into there and what steel there is, is no longer viable. Not sure how I'll address this as there are multiple curves. and bends.;

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Progress continues, albeit at a snail's pace. Life happens. Lawn mowing is every 4-5 days now My wife had recent shoulder surgery, we needed to transplant some yard plants to my son's home. my mother-in-law needed some small chores done at her place, etc... You all know the deal. On the car front, I had to wait for some sheet metal to arrive before making this next step.

More rust repair on the driver's side has been completed in preparation for the purchased sill metal to be installed. The lower few inches of the inner fender well was replaced. This involved making a few complex curves as it wraps to from the outer turn to the not yet installed rear fender patch panel. This was done using a bench vice opened slightly and a small ball peen hammer to form the bend radius.

The lower section of the rear frame member was rotted out along with the inner sill section that fits into it. The rust was cut out to good metal and patch panels butt welded to the remaining good metal. I didn't bother to grind smooth the weld in the inside which is not seen.

I believe that this concludes the preparation stage. Next up is the fitting of the various store-bought pieces that make up the sill assembly.

I have another parts order ready for my UK source. That will take another few weeks to receive, one item is on backorder for a week. While helping a club member do similar repairs to his car this last weekend, I found he has a parts car. It may provide the inner front fender repair sections that I will need.

I promise that I will not repeat this diatribe when performing the passenger side of the vehicle. At some point, maybe by Fall, I might even get into some design and fab work on the modifications to be made. I still need to finalize my power plant. I am currently leaning toward the GM 3.4L LA1 engine and a 200-4r automatic transmission. The 200-4R is an overdrive unit (0.67 final ratio) that as great gear ratios, is fairly small, uses a lock up torque converter, and does not require a transmission computer and can safely work with the relatively low power of the 3.4L engine.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

After much hemming and hawing, I took the big step. The 2 major parts of the sill were located in free space and welded in place. I hope that it is in the right place so the door gaps end up even. I also welded in the jack support which is fully encased when done. Then I cut out the temporary brace welded across the door. Amazingly, nothing shifted when cut free.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Boy this is the tedious stuff, isn't it? I like seeing things like this posted to see how the different models/makes/years that I have no experience with were designed.. always a life-size puzzle..

This is the dirty, thankless part.. keep the pics coming

--ccrunner

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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Chuck you have a PM

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You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

Russ, you now have a PM too

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I don't understand why you are replacing so much metal. I just watched a You Tube video done by British Pathe in the 60's about BMC car production, and it showed them dipping their cars in rustproofing solution. Pity the world can no longer benefit from their expertise.

Chevy ran full-page ads with copy bragging about their advanced new rust-proofing they were using on the Vega. But it wasn't unusual for brand new Vegas to show up at the dealer with rust already coming through the paint...

My brother worked in the body shop of the local Chevy dealer then, and said there was pretty much an ongoing battle between the dealer, Chevrolet Motor Division, and the poor schmucks who'd bought the cars.

nidugo2, do I detect a slight amount of sarcasm in your post, or are you serious?

TRX, I bought a used '71 Vega back in the day. A I recall, there were reports of beer cans being found inside cavities in the cars reportedly put in there by the line workers at Chevy. Mine was <2 yrs old when the rust worm reared it's ugly head in a couple of places, not to mention the common oil burning issues. I replaced said Vega with a shiny new '73 Pinto which got the full Ziebart treatment. That Pinto took 4 to 5 years before the door skins were rusted and flapping in the breeze. Then there were two '64 Ford Galaxies at 5 yrs old had rust through in a couple of places; a '64 Karmann Ghia gone to rust in 6 years; a 63 Spitfire, '78 Dodge Swinger and '76 Chevy Monza and 2001 PT Cruiser all suffered from suspension mount areas rotting away. And then I had a '99 Buick Century that rusted away fuel lines, brake lines, fuel filler pipe and rocker panels.

These are just to name some of my cars that rusted away into oblivion. Northern Illinois surely isn't as nice to cars as, say, Southern California!

At 50 years old this year, I guess my MGB is doing OK, considering it's peers. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd rather buy a car on the cheap and fix what needs fixin' than buy a nice example for good bucks and shortly thereafter find the resto work was done poorly. Did I ever tell you about the MGA I had that had galvanized gutters for inner sills?

Not much work being done on the car lately. I did some travel for work, Wife and I are doing some sitting for our 6mo and a 2 year old Grandkids, and helping my son replace Garage entry door and a performing a front porch re-do. I did manage to finish up the driver side sill and managed to fully remove the Passenger side sill assembly. I also bought a few more body bits to be welded into place.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766