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Re: 74 MGB Restoration (Kind of Long)

To: Ken Waringa <kwaringa@dynsys.com>
Subject: Re: 74 MGB Restoration (Kind of Long)
From: James Nazarian <jamesnazarian@netzero.net>
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 12:43:03 -0700
Sounds about right to me.  I read somewhere that you should rebuild stuff as 
you pull it off the car, ie remove heater clean paint etc then shelve it.  
Leaving the body to last with this method.  This way you are doing the little 
stuff when you have the most enthusiasm, and you are less likely to just put 
the heater in and not paint it.  The other benefit is that the body is the time 
consuming part, and if you get to it and you are getting tired of the project, 
it is the easiest thing to pay someone to fix.  Then when the body is done you 
can put the car together like a puzzle, since you restored all the parts as you 
took them out in the first place.  

Personally I do just the opposite.  I don't like body work like I like 
mechanical work, so I get the stuff I don't enjoy out of the way when I have 
the most enthusiasm.  Then I restore the little bits while I am waiting for 
parts or when I want a small job to make me feel like I am accomplishing 
something.  This works for some, but you end up with a lot of parts sitting 
around that look like garbage, rather than a lot of parts that look pretty and 
new, so it can be a bit daunting when you walk into your shop.


-- 
James Nazarian
71 MGB roadster
71 MGBGT (the one that is supposed to be a v8)
01 Impreza 2.5RS

"Given a conflict, Murphy's law supercedes Newton's."
-Anon

"Nothing good has ever been reported about the full rotation 
of a race car about either its pitch or roll axis."
-Carroll Smith


On Thu, Dec 07, 2000 at 07:45:49AM -0600, Ken Waringa profoundly declared:
> List, again I ask for guidance.  After the first of the year I plan to start
> total restoration of a 1974 Chrome Bumper MGB.  I'm trying to do some
> planning so the restoration goes smoothly as possible.  What I'm asking is
> the basic order to proceed with the task.  I searched the web and found a
> lot of good information , but no one I found has the basic order in which to
> proceed.   I'm concerned that some jobs may be better performed early, while
> others should be left till the end.
> 
> Some details are, basically the body is in very good condition.  The outer
> sills were rusted and a previous owner cut the rusted sections out.  The
> Inner sills, floor pans, dog legs are all rust free.  The doors have the
> crack of doom but I have a spare set of good doors.  The engine sat without
> spark plugs for god only knows how long.  The engine does turn over by hand
> and soon after I got the cat I put oil in each cylinder and turned the
> engine over some.  I then installed an old set of plugs to keep the moisture
> out.  I plan on a total rebuild of the engine.  I also have a gentleman in
> Northern Virginia that has a 1974 wire wheel MGB that wants steel wheels.
> I'm going to trade him my steel wheel set-up for his wire wheel set-up.
> This exchange is going to be done early next year, so the suspension rebuild
> is fairly early in the restoration.
> 
> I've included a basic list of the order I think things should proceed, but I
> would like the opinions/experiences of those that have been there and done
> it.  If you found it easier to do one job before another, or if I left out
> any major operations please let me know.
> TIA
> 
> Ken Waringa
> 
> 1974 MGB RESTORATION
> 1. Remove Hood (Bonnet)
> 2. Pull Drive Shaft
> 3. Pull Engine and Transmission
> 4. Remove Rear Axle
> 5. Remove Front Hubs
> 6. Rebuild and Install Rear Axle and Suspension
> 7. Rebuild and Install Front Hubs and Suspension
> 8. Remove Top and Frame
>         Clean and Paint Top Frame
> 9. Remove Windshield
>         Disassemble Windshield
>         Install New Seals and Glass  (current glass is cracked)
> 10. Remove Bumpers
> 11. Remove Chrome Trim
> 12. Remove Seats
> 13. Remove Carpets
> 14. Get New Outer Sills Welded On
> 15. Remove Existing Doors
> 16. Clean and Paint Floors
> 17. Install Replacement Doors
> 18. Remove Gas Tank
> 19. Clean and Seal and Paint Gas Tank.
> 20. Check Sending Unit, Replace if Necessary
> 21. Install Gas Tank
> 22. Remove Components from Engine Compartment
> 23. Clean and Prep Engine compartment for Painting
> 24. Paint Engine Compartment
> 25  Install Rebuilt Engine and Transmission
> 26. Prep Body for Painting
> 27. Paint Body
> 28. Install Carpets
> 29. Rebuild Seats
> 30. Install Seats
> 31. Install Trim
> 32. Install Bumpers
> 33. Install Top
> 34. ENJOY!!!!!

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