1957 Standard 8 - Winter upgrades

[Nathan]

Mar 22, 2023 20:38:14 GMT Alpina99 said:

Loving this thread and car,
Love your MG,
Have to say though, I'd donate vital parts of my anatomy for a garage / workshop like yours, 😁😁
As usual, looking forward to seeing future updates, it gets closer to being back on the road with each update,
Nigel

Thank you Nigel, the workshop still feels like a dream if I'm honest as I'd saved for probably 10+ years for it :-).
Well it shall certainly be a trial by fire moment for the Standard as my "go-to" Classic MOT site is 26miles away HAHAHAHA. It'll have a few runs up the street prior to that sort of trip just to be sure.

[horrido]

That sits really nicely.

[Nathan]

Well it's moved under it's own power for the first time since we got it!
Seat belts are in, washers sorted, gearbox oil filled.

Right at this point I was ready to take it up the road for a little test run, jumped in a and could instantly smell fuel.
The carb gasket looks to have failed...old cars eh..
Not risking all the work that has gone into this for the sake of a few days wait.

Does look cool, with some linseed oil it should help blend the aged paint a little. I have missed out some spacers for the rear door it seems, so whilst at the NEC yesterday we managed to find some on a random stall.


Back we go.


Swapped with the GT as that has an impending MOT...got my eyes on a new project too ;-)

[daddyshortlegs]

Always wished that they made a 2 door version as Austin did with the A30/A35.

[Nathan]

Mar 27, 2023 20:36:11 GMT daddyshortlegs said:

Always wished that they made a 2 door version as Austin did with the A30/A35.

Yeah a 2 door would clean the lines and possibly make them as popular as the Ford counterpart.

[horrido]

SHouldn't be the most difficult car to stretch the doors on. It's one profile. No nasty angled swage lines or anything.

[daddyshortlegs]

Mar 28, 2023 14:56:28 GMT horrido said:

SHouldn't be the most difficult car to stretch the doors on. It's one profile. No nasty angled swage lines or anything.

As it dose not have a separate chassis that would probably be classed as a "radically modified vehicle", would it not?

[horrido]

Yes, unfortunately.

[Nathan]

Monday afternoon I packed up work early and thought I'd have a go at some "Patina Sauce" on the bodywork. Stuff smells like linseed oil so I presume it's just an overpriced version (got it for free so not to worry).

Roof and part of the bonnet:


Back


Came up OK with a quick go over.


Last night the wipers arrived, the GF was in so I said it's time to take it out for a test run. Loaded up the rigid bar and threw her the keys to the trusty Kia and instructed her to keep her phone on loud.

Idea was to just take it a mile or so from home to see what noises the running gear made, apart from up and down the drive a couple of times I had no idea of the box or axle state.


Well from the outset the exhaust is horrific! I am sure the new backbox has little to no wadding in the baffle and with no center box it's so loud on anything over 500rpm, so I've ordered a universal center section that I'll pack more wadding into if it's thin on that front.

It's slow.....but my word does it ride nice, no clattering (well none heard over that exhaust) or banging. The steering box is worn but I did notice there was no oil in it prior to the test, topped up and it's better. I'll do the whole Escort rack conversion in Winter.

The brakes need another bleed up, they stop but the lack of assistance and a bit too much sponge meant it was far from ideal.
Throttle needs a new or at least stronger return spring, as it is slow to return to idle after W.O.T.

Carb is leaking again, the FPR needs lowering I think but it's an easy one to sort.

But was it fun? OH YES!!!!!!
Once those few jobs are done the GF will be handed the keys, she obviously needs to learn how to not dive bomb speedbumps though :-)

[OAY842F]

Excellent! Lovely old thing. The car obvs...

[daddyshortlegs]

Escort rack sounds interesting, the steering boxes are a known weak point.

[Nathan]

Little update.

The cars been used a bit, firstly she took it up to my folks (35 mile round trip) to get a feel for it.







A week or so later it was the Thorsby classic event, and seeing as a big show we like to attend is also here later on this year it would be rude not to venture. 78 mile round trip and no real issues, she's using a bit of oil but a few weeks ago we thought the motor was knocking so the spare 1500 Midget unit is sat awaiting install. My view is go until it blows at this point, just enjoy it for what it is.

At the show the GF got more questions about it than my Turbo MGB



Does sit well in these images.





It's a hoot to drive, I certainly do love the slower pace to it also the general smiles from people looking on.












Since then we've not really used her due to work, I've been far to busy getting the MX5 sorted between work to attend anything local. I need to get it up in the air before the weekend as I'd prefer to install a sump guard as a few local shows are not "lowered Friendly".

Passenger doors still require adjustment, new door seals need installing, new plugs and the exhaust needs another hanger it seems.

[Paul Y]

Lovely.

P.

[brachunky]

I remember meeting you and the BGT years ago and was in awe of your work at even back then! Twas at The Navigation near the A50 (Nice food too) Your skills are brilliant, wish I had just a tiny bit of them!

[Nathan]

May 22, 2023 19:07:21 GMT brachunky said:

I remember meeting you and the BGT years ago and was in awe of your work at even back then! Twas at The Navigation near the A50 (Nice food too) Your skills are brilliant, wish I had just a tiny bit of them!

Hello There.

Aww thank you, honestly I just make it up as I go alone.
Wow that little meet was some years ago now, come to think of it the food was excellent.

[Nathan]

Little update:

The GF has been out in it at any/every chance she could.

Two weeks ago at Brookhill Hall show:















On Sunday we attended Clique53's show in Nottingham.
3 cars ventured out, only two made it! The Turbo BGT is causing me issues at the moment with fuel trim leaning off until it's undrivable, so it's a job on the list...

Anyway.







I am going to measure up for some helper bags as it does tend to scrub when we are both in it with some weight.

[Nathan]

Whilst I am on a roll we may as well update this thread.

Again not much has changed with this one, after summer of last year we did have an issue with the float in the carb so I ended up just rebuilding it.


We've taken it to a few shows including RRG23/24 MorrisFest etc, one thing I have noticed is the backend is too low! As this uses a flipped axle to gain those lows I have had to CNC cut some longer shackles as the diff housing was smashing the underside.

She does need a litle more pep and gearing changes.

Early on the idea was to MX5 swap this like I did the MGB, but to be honest I think it would ruin the car. Probably my age but something pure and in that vein slow really appeals to me, just not this slow HAHAHA

So many years ago (and I still have it, there should be a thread too) I started restoring my first car, a 1500 MG Midget. During this restoration I rebuilt the engine with a few spicy parts to hopefully make the midget sing along, the Midget shell is pretty much past restoration but under the bench covered over is that 1500cc engine ;-).




Now I am not reinventing the wheel here, the 13/60/1500 swap in a standard has been done many many many times. However with pretty much all the parts laying at mine and the folks garage it would make sense for them to be used here wouldnt it?




So to fit the 1500 the process is pretty simple, the front engine cradle needs removing from the 997 and bolting to the 1500. Being a twin carb setup either a Herald pedal/cylinder assemby needs to be used or simply fit a 13/60 single inlet and carb which I think is the route we will go down.



Also I will need to pickup an early Herald rear diff as just changing the engine really wont bring anything to the party. The early rear Herald diffs will give us 60mph (currently 45 and screaming it's head off), I am sure there is more I can do with the gearbox internals and I do have a few Spitfire/Herald and Midget boxes laying about.......I'll need to research more on that.



Apart from the above the car is very enjoyable, which is why I was/am reluctant to go down the more modern powertrain route.

[glenanderson]

The 1500 engine and the right rear axle ratio will make a huge difference.

Is there room for an overdrive gearbox?

[blackpopracing]

....and a turbo ...

[thomfr]

Or a Ford Sierra 5 speed box?
Thom