1973 MGB GT - Now with MOT :D

[sonus]

The MX5 rear end requirers major surgery to the rear of the B. There was an unfinished project for sale in the US a few moths ago that had been partially converted - can't find the pics now but they should be on the web somewhere

[mgbv8]

Hi Chas!!
Yes thats my car.
Shes making about 320hp with a tad under 400ft/lbs on a 100 shot of gas. But I've been running a 200 shot of gas for the end of the 2008 season with gentle starts off the line before hitting the button due to some electrical gremlins in my nitrous system which made my progressive controler go haywire and caused my ignition systems to flutter for some reason. This knacked the 60 foot times though due to slow launches.

I've fitted a very detuned (worn) 4.6 out of a 90,000 mile Rangie. The 3500 only got me to 12.4 seconds. The tranny is a 3 speed auto out of a Camaro. A lot easier to fit than an LT77 regarding tunnel mods. Just needs a bit of tweaking under the heater box. And she is still running the stock MGBV8 diff (although its fully welded now)....
This is a vid of one of my last test runs of 2008.
I'm also thinking Sebring rear end now due to wheel arch issues on my new slicks.

Perry

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jAIgK3qnMFo

[ChasR]

The MX-5 conversion sounds ideal Nathan. If the rear end did not fit, I wonder if a bit of tinkering with custom driveshafts would sort that.

Perry, that MGB GT V8 looks fast, event with traction issues! For the Sebring arches, I would get them off somebody like Fibresports or Honeybourne Mouldings, not Smith and Deakin (like I unfortunately did, although then not many others made the kit, now a few more do, but it still seems that only using the arches is the best way.

[ChasR]

Well, more progress has been made on the car. I said before it needed some welding and that there were some holes. I may have been sparse with the truth LOL. Basically, it is fine, but one castle section was clearly worse for wear:


I said I would tackle this quickly and I did, or rather someone else did. With the net drawing in (Pug's tyres were wearing like sandpaper thanks to lower arm bushes being gone, and my other project taking up time. The fact that my welder packed up was the final straw. So here it is with the new castle section put in, and a new outrigger and jacking point:



So now I have some TREs to put on, and both are quite tired and shot.

I also did something else to get it ready for the MOT. That was in many peoples eyes (partially mine) going one step forwards, and maybe 1 1/2 steps back. That is that I sold my chrome Rostyles and put my refurbed wheels on from my brown MGB. The Chromes were ok, with only the centres needing redoing, but one was flaking quite badly, and the tyres were old, very old, probably down to the low mileage:

From this:






To this:


Yes they're tidier, and the tyres are miles better (they relatively new for one), I kind of miss the Chromes, but heyho.

So target now is to:
Change TREs
MOT
Paint Sills (they were changed recently, but left in primer (What Genii).
Tidy, possibly replace rear arches (have one arch already)
Change front wings (Possibly)

Ho hum...

[Nathan]

So your keeping the car then bud.

Its coming along well now, makes me wanna Tax my GT. A few weekends work will turn that into a tidy mile muncher.

[chip83]

castle rail looks a nice tidy job, makes me miss mine even more.

[ChasR]

May be keeping the car. If I do, I'll definately change the wings. As you say, it's a good runner that was never really put off the road for any length of time.

Hopefully either this or the brown one may attend a meet soon.

[ChasR]

Well, it was MOT day today and iiiiiitttt.










Passed .

Okay, maybe it didn't pass quite that smoothly. It failed on rear seat security (catch was missing), front wiper blade (I foolishly changed one beforehand), and a rebound strap.

The brown MGB kindly donated its rear seat catches (that will not have rear seats) and a new rebound strap (again, it has Telescopic dampers so they are not required.

All things considered I think it passed fine LOL. If I do get to keep this (family and council are having their way it appears...) I'm tempted to just replace the RHS wing replaced and keep it looking 'rat' since it is solid below!

[ChasR]

As you can see, welding still isn't the tidiest, but it is solid, and getting tidier .



I had to put this filler panel in on the other side, and on this side, it was a little rotten (it didn't seem to have paint on it and it was just glued in). so I ground the metal back around it so as to get a good weld, went over it with pre paint, and then set about putting in the filler panel (it needed a little fiddling, but within 5-10 minutes it was ready to go in), so I welded where I could. The rest was seam sealed by Sikaflex, which actually surprisingly did the job better than I thought it would!

The rest of the wing I went over with P180 to get the surface rust off, and then attacked it with etch. Paint and Waxoyl then went on top.

I'm still on the hunt for a RHS wing, over the next week or 2, I will be tidying up the rough edges around the car.

[luckygti]

Looking good bud, and chuffed it passed it's MOT. Don't be leaving the brown one though cos that is gonna be awesome when it's done.

[ChasR]

Brown one isn't being left . I was going to leave it to a mate to weld up (a qualified welder) but he's sure taking his sweet time. I may have a stab at the floor and battery compartment myself (latter is not hard to do at all, but I will be trying to butt weld the floor (with my SIP MIGmate 105), I think a cool head, and time will help me get a good job done. I still need to take out the remains of the patch from the floor (although most of it is gone).

Besides Emmisons (timing is miles out (stuck on 20 degrees) and carbs are well out of tune), indicators (they flash or they don't flash, battery isn't fresh on it, so I'll be reconditioning the batt on the trickle charger, it could be the relay mind you), and the lack of an interior, that's nearly ready for an MOT (most suspension bits are new for one, which leaves the body, engine, and electrics. But yes, when that gets MOT'd it will be a good day .