Mike Duvall writes:
>>I was looking at the kit in JC Whitney that lets you replace the lever
>>shocks with standard shocks. Are these things anygood or should I go
>>with replacement lever shocks?
I don't have any first hand experience here, but I know that the tube shock
conversions offered for midgets and mgbs generally get good reviews.
Personally
I am sticking with the lever shocks, but that's for originality.
>>Also, How much frame damage can be tolerated from rust? My A has had a
>>rusty frame with shade tree mechanic patches around the rocker panels
>>on the interior side. The floor rails have been replaced with angle
>>iron. Basically along the drivers side the frame has a hole about 1 inch
>>tall and 15" long under the angle iron. On the passenger side the frame
>>has some rot I discovered about 6" long on the bottom of the frame.
>>There are two patches with 1/8" or better steel welded on. The damage is
>>very old but has not really gotten worse in the last 15 years it has
>>been sitting in my garage. Should I: 1. Rip out the floor boards and
>>have the whole thing redone at a great expense including the old
>>patches, 2. sand blast and add more patches, or 3. sand blast and
>>undercoat but leave the holes alone. I really don't believe the holes
>>are bad enough for the car to break in half while I'm driving down the
>>road. There is no area that is rusted or patched on more than one side of
>>the box frame.
Without actually seeing it, its hard to saw whether you should leave the
patches
as is. Holes, however, are definite spots where the structure of the car has
been compromised (the degree is obviously based on the size of the hole and the
area in which it exists). I have similar areas on my frame on the inside of
the
frame channels where the plywood floors were butted against the frame. I am in
the process of removing the thin metal and welding in patches. I've had my
frame
dipped, so I can see exactly what it compromised and what is not.
I also have lots of rust on the floor board supports. I have purchased
reproductions from Clarke Spares and Restorations in Doylestown PA. Todd
Clarke
makes these peices, as well as frame rail strengtheners which might be what you
need to sure up your frame. A call to him might be worth it. I've always
found
his advice to be good (and free 8^)
Some things I would look at:
- Did the doors close properly when you last drove the car? And do they
close the same with you in the car or out of the car?
If so, the car is probably solid enough to drive around without much worry.
- What kind of car are you building?
If you're trying to do a "restoration", then IMO you should make the frame as
solid and as close to original as possible. On the other hand, if you're
trying
to make a nice driver, you can probably leave it as is for now and repair it if
the time comes to do a "restoration".
-Al Legerlotz
(disassembled) 1957 MGA Roadster
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