I don't remember where all the ambition comes from but I do
remember having some at some time past.
The swap can be accomplished two ways. The hard way and the
harder way. The front is a snap. You have to take the whole thing apart
and swap the wire hubs for the lug-type hubs. You will be that far into
the thing anyway to do wheel bearings and stuff. Make sure the splines
and/or wire wheels are not worn out or you will be causing yourself a lot
of grief/money/time, etc.
The rear of the swap can best be done by swapping the whole mess
from one car to another. There are kits available but these are adaptor
type things which require a lot of money. You need to remember that the
disc wheel differential is about 2" wider, outside of one brake drum to
the other, so the parts are best left en masse. You will probably (you
should be) rebushing the leaf springs, etc., so you will already have the
hard work done.
So, for not much money but a lot more time you, and your son, can
have wires. If his enthusiasm runs high enough to disassemble two cars,
then let him have at it.
Larry Dickstein
bugide@juno.com
On Sun, 06 Jul 1997 02:07:49 -0700 Wally Teto
<monadnoc@wgserv.crystal-mtn.com> writes:
>I am in the process of DIY restoration of my '71 MGB roadster,
>equipped with rostyle wheels. They are in sad shape (to be generous).
>
>I have another '71 as an organ donor, complete with wire wheels.
>Before
>I dig in and start a project I will probably end up dreading, I'd like
>to know what I am in for in swapping the wires to the other car. What
>needs to be removed, front and rear to accomplish all this? My
>original
>plans were to just blast and paint the rostyles, but 20 year old son
>says "let's use the wire wheels"! Why does all this ambition come
>with
>being young and where the hell does it go when you're 49? Actually I
>like the wires but if it involves bucks to swap them, that is more of
>a
>consideration than the effort involved.
>
>Wally / Templeton, MA
>
>with his first restoration project (at least he got the new floor pans
>in, but is not looking forward to the wiring harness swap).
>
>
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