Hi those who care,
The '77 B w/air conditioning, etc., is home. Left here at 3:45 this am,
arrived in the middle of Vermont at 8am and started the preparations. A few
observations:
1) it's a b**ch to get underneath the car to disconnect the driveshaft.
The stopnuts have a pretty grip on the bolts after 21 years. There is not room
around the bolt head for a socket to enjoy the leverage of a ratchet wrench.
For anyone contemplating this fete, I suggest that you find a couple of long
handled 1/2" combination wrenches. Bungee cords work fine to secure the
unbolted driveshaft, but I'd suggest bringing some padding material to cushion
the driveshaft where it rests on the crossmember. When I got home I headed
straight for my neighborhood service station and reconnected it while up on
their lift.
2) The RB mounting plates are perfect for the connection of a towbar. Use
Grade 8 bolts,
use a round bastard (file) to slightly enlarge the slots in the bumper shim
plates to accept the bolts for the towbar mount. I used 7/16". The spacing of
the outer mounting holes is just about 24". This is adequate for the towbar to
handle the wheels. Using the steel shim plates shares the stress among both
bumper mounting holes. I chose not to use a tonneau cover to avoid the
possibility of friction against the steering wheel.
Got home about 7 this evening. Has been a long day. I'll look the car over
tomorrow and let you know what I find.
Bud Krueger
52TD (no longer an only child)
77MGB (new kid on the block)
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