MG Sports Cars

I just got off the phone with Terry and it's all good. He would like very much to see a painted car at the meet but also recognizes what we're up against in terms of the work needed to get there, and also understands the attraction that a running car that can be driven has. To his credit, he is willing to go the extra mile to make the job easier for us. Not only is he willing to do finish work such as attaching flares and fitting fenders (provided he doesn't have to make the flares or determine their mounting position) but he is also willing to pull his guys off paying jobs in order to give us a 2 week turn-around. Now that's dedication.

In the end, we reached much the same conclusion that the rest of us have, that this next work weekend will largely determine the direction that we'll go.

I asked him also what condition he would want the car in, and what we're talking about is a roller. Interior, glass, and engine removed. Suspension in place. In my opinion we can strip the car to that condition in a week-end's time without too much difficulty. The trick then is putting it all back together.

So that's where we stand. Terry is willing to paint it either before or after the meet but he'd prefer to show off a shiny new paint job at the meet and that's certainly understandable. So let's not worry too much about it, just see how much work we can get done in Feb. and take it from there.

By the way, Pete and Rick have some sort of a meeting set up in Indianapolis for early Sunday morning so they were wondering if we could adjust the schedule a bit, and work on the car from Thursday through Saturday. I have no objection to doing it that way, in fact Steve often came to my place on Thursday for work weekends and that approach has been very productive in the past. The question is, can our members get away to go early? I probably cannot and therefore will only be there from Friday evening on but if others can it would certainly help.

Jim

I have attached the photos re the Sebring wings. The front piece must be removed from a steel fender and attached to the front corner of the Sebring fender.

As for the rears, the pictures are whats needed if you are using fiberglass flares. If Bill is going to make flares using an English wheel, less metal needs to be removed as well as the inner fender needs to be widened to accommodate the wheel.

Hope this is of some use.

Richard

I can get there on Thursday late afternnon or early eevening. It's a long drive.
I can start taking things apart. I am no good at body work. I can assist only.
Leaving early Sunday would also suit me fine.
When going to Jim's to work we would work in the evenings, after eating, for a few hours. We could do that too, but it take alot of the social aspect out of it.
Just let me know.

Steve

I can still adjust my vacation days I requested, but need to know for sure about the schedule by the 15th as my boss requests a couple of weeks notice if possible. I will see if I can take 3 days off and drive up Wednesday so I'd have Thrusday, Friday, and Saturday there.

That would be great, Bill....I'm working Thursday morning, but will be available later that afternoon as well as Fri-Sat.

You are welcome to rest your bones at Chateau Southpark d'Ingram

Pete asked what I thought we should line up as tasks for the upcoming work weekend Feb 25, 26 &27th (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) at Mantell Motorsports in Sidney, Illinois. So I wrote him this reply and then thought it would be appropriate to copy here: The question was, should we make the car drivable or tear it down for paint?
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What to do, what to do? Guess this is why I get paid the BIG BUCKS eh? (or was that funny money?)

Well here’s my take on it. Terry can go either way. Doesn’t especially want to but he will. Which ever one, we still have to fix the fenders so that is what I’d be inclined to start with. Plus the slam panel of course. I am not sure we are at the decision point just yet, and part of what we do will depend on who shows up. For instance, if Richard makes it, carb tuning should be done.

I won’t be there until Fri. evening so that limits how much I can do. Finishing up the slam panel will probably be about it, plus hopefully the tin work around the radiator. But I am also bringing the inner wheelwells for the rear so that work will be delayed unless I ship them to you (Pete) right away or they pull parts from another car. If no ‘glass is available for the rear and we are to use tin, well I’m also bringing the ‘wheel so that work is held up too and about all that can be done there is to make the filler strips for the inside and templates for the outside.

On the front we need a decision. The OEM glass fenders fit well but do not have enough flare. The sebring fenders are an admittedly crappy fit but do have the flares. One member has objected to cutting the flares off the sebring fenders and bonding them to the OEM style fenders but personally I think this is the best way to get the job done in good time and at minimal cost. I’d welcome your opinion. If we use this approach that would give something to work on Thursday, fitting up the OEM fenders, positioning parts, marking cut lines and possibly even preparing the parts for bonding. The justification in objecting to this approach was that we might sell the spare fenders to generate cash. I do not know how much cash we could sell the OEM style fenders for, but personally think it would be a pittance compared to the man-hours required to make the Sebring fenders fit properly. Besides, no one except me has ever stepped up and sold any spares and I’m about done with that game. Far as I’m concerned anyone who objects to splicing the fenders can take on the job of selling the spares.

I think I will post part of this writing on the Roadmaster thread and see what responses we get. Seems proper to give the membership the chance to decide, whether they take it or not.

See you soon,
Jim
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OK, there it is in it's entirety. Make your wishes known. How we handle this decision is up to you and if you want it done differently from what I've suggested then you need to step up. But understand this before you do. I'm not interested in hearing a recommendation that we make either set of fenders work and sell the other unless it's from someone who knows fiberglass work and is willing to show up and at least direct the work. This isn't one of those deals where you can coach from the sidelines, you need to be in the game.

JB

Also, for those who are coming to work on the car, please bring along your filter mask if there's any chance you'll be helping with the fiberglass work, otherwise you won't be able to help with that. It will consist of cutting the pieces, fitting, prepping for bonding (light grinding) and bonding the pieces into position (no mask needed for that). Terry said he could take it from there. Pete is understandably concerned about health hazards and we certainly don't want to contribute to silicosis. If you don't have anything suitable, something should be available at a HF nearby at a reasonable price.

JB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2010 04:52PM by BlownMGB-V8.

Jim...we can cut the arches out of my 67 GT if we need to do so...probably not in this weather...but it should be melted by the end of the week.

Is that Jean? We all know it's not you. :)

No...that's me (from 2006!)

Jean is in Ft.Myers, Florida this weekend.

Oh yeah, Girls Getaway!

We had snow here in SC. Not much, just 5 inches. Lots of meeting were postponed to the last week end in FEB. I do not know why as my BGt went everwhere I wanted to go. But anyway, I can't make the Roadmaster weekend. Sorry, but you'll have to suffer along without me.

steve

First work-comp claim of the project.

Bill fell off of the lift.

Jim,

Off topic but I came across that clip of you and the blown 215.

[www.youtube.com]

Kevin.

Did they have the one where he & his brother, Dan riding shotgun, were getting goofy sideways playing around?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/2010 09:17AM by MGBV8.

Carl,

Haven't seen that one but will keep a look out for it if it's on you tube.

Did you mean this one?

[www.youtube.com]

Kevin.

It may not have been filmed. Jim made a run with his brother, missed a cone, then decided to "drift" the course, getting silly sideways & 360s, not really making a run, just playing.

Mike Moor's our Donut King, though. I can't find any video of his tire shredding, spinning on a dime antics. I know it has been recorded at a couple of events.

Those Blackwood boys, always being a "bad" influence. I blame them both for my hang over on Saturday morning. We did get some work done on the car though and even got to gather at Hooters for some refreshment.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2010 10:52AM by Bill Young.

Yeah, them three day hangovers are a bitch.

It was another great weekend, and we got a lot of work done. By the time Dan and I got there, the guys had the front fender flares cut and fitted up and a good start on the rear tin work. Of course Bill fell off the wagon. So anyway we painted the flares black, attached them with sheet metal screws, and went on to the front tin work while Bill and Tom continued on the rear. Dave K and I went over to Rick's and cut a couple panels off his car to close in the tin work around the radiator (Dan sand blasted all the purple paint off) and Bill and Pete welded them in whilst I beat the holy crap out of them to make room for the radiator. Still a little work to do there but the radiator fits. I came back with a pattern for the slam panel which I'll get Spring Grove Sheet Metal (one of our contributors) to bend up and then ship to Pete for final fitting. Dave took the corrugated stainless upper hose with him to see if he can find a formed hose that will fit, and I brought the air cleaner back to do a little clean up on the mill, then Pete is going to powder coat it I believe.

We got far enough along on the rear that we were able to tack weld one wheel well into approximate location (It isn't right and will have to be re-positioned) so that we could lay up the sheets for the outer panels and determine the cutouts for the wheelwells. Then using a scrap piece we experimented with the English wheel enough to get a rough idea of what we needed to do to make that work. But that was it, we were out of time. So we took the car back around to storage, and I left the wheel with Pete so that he could experiment with it. Best of luck Pete, and I mean that quite sincerely.

Now I had an excuse for taking so long to post. What with all the beers these guys pushed at me on Saturday night it's a wonder I even made it home at all! Anyway at the very least I was expecting to see some of the photos that were taken over the course of the weekend. Believe me, there is a very good photographic record and if I was you guys I'd demand to see them!

Later,
JB

They were pushing beers at you on Saturday night too? No wonder you took so long to recover. Must have been after I went to bed. Maybe you meant Saturday morning? The way you were swinging that hammer Saturday evening, it is a good thing we were staying with a pharmacist. And nobody twisted Bill's arm! In fact, I think he is the only one who was hanging out with Mr. Jamison. How can we be blamed for that?

But seriously, Bill and Tom did great work on those rear wheel wells, and the front end of the car is shaping up nicely as well.