LMG 5K

New blog...

2009-10-13T11:17:00.001+01:00

Check out my new blog - http://bangernomic.blogspot.com

The last hurrah.

2009-08-17T13:47:00.002+01:00

Id like to think that selling up and calling an end to my involvement in this project is only temporary and that in years to come i will be able to work on another '72 RWA Midget and complete what i have started.

For now, time and funds have called an end to this chapter of my dream. Its all for sale.

The shell is on ebay: 1972 RWA Shell

engine and gearbox have already gone and all the other items and parts will hopefully follow suit.

If you are interested in any parts please let me know, we can come to an agreement on very reasonable prices!

Its the right decision for me at this time but ill be back.

Throttle body upgrade...

2009-07-28T09:59:00.003+01:00

As a cheap and effective upgrade to the standard 1.8 VVC engine, replacing the 52mm plastic throttle body with the 56mm MGF Alloy body will give a noticable increase in the "feel" and livelyness of the engine. The increased volume equates to almost a 15% increase in air flow making a bigger bang!

A secondary advantage is that the plastic body has a tendancy stick a bit when it gets hot, which the alloy body doesnt do!

Its a like for like swap and can be had for very little! A worth while upgrade!

Triangle web and VIN Plate...

2009-07-27T13:09:00.005+01:00

I need to takle some corrosion in the triangle gusset sections just behind the front susspension area. These web sections transfer loads from the susspesion to be absorbed into the rest of the body - so they have to be strong.

The original construction is thin steel formed in a structure. The triangulation gives it its strength.

Rather than pay circa £40 a side for the new panels, i plan to cut these out and replace with 50x25x2.5mm steel box section. I will re-create the triangulation and keep within the same boundries, but the end result should be much stronger, and more corrosion resistant.

Its common for racers to plate this section over for added strength. Plating alone would mean replacing the sections, and so incurring greater costs. It would also limit acces to the engine and other ancillaries.

The VIN plate is mounted on the right hand (facing the car) brace and so i have drilled out the rivets to remove the plate. It will need to be replace in the same location when the new structure goes in. I will also have a new plate stamped as the original is past its best - id like to keep it, possibly on the dash as a feature.

www.vintagsuk.com

Wheels...

2009-07-02T12:20:00.007+01:00

I have set my mind on running 16" MGF 160 Trophy wheels. There are a couple of issues with this:

1. The PCD is different. Midget is 4"(101.6mm) MGF is 95.6mm
2. The centre bore of the hub is slightly larger than that of the wheels.
3. 16" Wheels are a lot larger than the std 13".

The PCD can be solved by either having an adapter plate made converting to 95.6mm or re-drilling the existing hubs to 95.6 PCD with larger holes. The new holes would have to be offset to fit and the rear brake drums and half shafts would also have to be drilled. Either way there is some cost and time involved.

I think i prefer the drilling method. Adapters can be weak.

The centre bore could be lathed down by 0.5mm or so, but thye are rough castings, so may not be accurate for each.
Ive knocked up a design for an adapter but it would be costly to make.

Withdrawal symptons...

2009-06-18T11:52:00.002+01:00

Having not work on LMG 5K for almost a month now, im starting to miss it! I want to get back into it, but circumstances just don't allow right now.

Sometime a break is good and ill come back to it with new enthusiasm! Unfortunately it doesn't make for a good blog!

Have a nice MGA instead:

Type 9...

2009-06-03T09:12:00.003+01:00

Several months ago i bought a Ford Type 9 5 speed box for my conversion, it was collected by a friend and was waiting for me to collect or courier! So i couriered it down this weekend!

Its a standard type 9 from 1.6/1.8/2.0 Sierra and has been used in a ginetta race car, so has been serviced well.

Slowly I'm getting bits together. Even though at the moment i don't have time to work on it i can still gather info and parts!

On Hold...

2009-05-27T09:35:00.002+01:00

The project is on hold until August!

I have a week of gigs with a band in the 1st week of August so with practices and other commitments, LMG 5K is on hold for a few months.

Its not all a bad thing. It wil give me time to refresh and brush of all the rust thats accumalted in my hair.

Rest assured work will commence as soon as possible after!

bulkhead front...

2009-05-08T20:52:00.004+01:00

I'm going on Holiday next week so i decided i must finish the front of the bulkhead today as i wont be able to do anything this weekend, or when I'm away!

I made a small patch for the lower right of the spring hanger and welded it in. I ground the welds smooth and sprayed the hanger with zinc rich weld through primer.

A little more trimming helped the new bulkhead front fit well. I made 4 7mm holes on the left and right of the panel to plug weld to the spring hanger, then cleaned the panel to bright metal and sprayed with the zinc primer.

Positioned and clamped i plug welded the panel onto the hanger. I then stitched the main joint with the original remaining bulkhead. I did this about 1 inch at a time with a minute or so in between to avoid distortion from heat buildup.

I ground all the welds smooth and had to fill a few pin holes with some more weld. Another grind and it was smooth, ish. A coat of grey primer will keep it all moisture free until i return from my holiday.

Next task is the rear bulkhead panel!

Bulkhead/Spring Hanger...

2009-05-08T10:23:00.007+01:00

With the face of the bulkhead off, i made the decision that the existing spring hanger was solid and could be left. I trimmed the opening and cleaned up the spring hanger.

Using the strengthening flutes in the bulkhead as a guide i cut my repair panel to size. After some trimming and fettling it was a good fit.

In order to prevent further rusting in the bulkhead and spring hanger i gave it a coat of Hammerite and the front and rear bulkheads will be covered in primer once
they are in position.

There is a small repair required at the left hand base of the spring hanger. Some of the floor and sill was cut away to give better access.

Sill, A-post and Bulkhead...

2009-05-07T08:44:00.006+01:00

I created a small repair panel for the front outside of the lower a-post. I started by taking some measurements with the sills still in place, then using a small piece of stock steel i marked out and cut a patch. This was tacked in place with the sill in situ to keep alignment. The sill was then removed to allow me to weld the patch in correct alignment with the foot well side.

Its not pretty but it fits.

I positioned the hing plate repair panel and tacked it on. A few measurements were taken to make sure it was within reasonable tolerances. I then placed a few stitches of weld to fix it to the rest of the a-post, but it cant be welded to the foot well side until i check full fitment with the new sills in place.

Next i decided to completely remove the outer sill. This was fairly easy as the last person to do some work had simply tacked this on, the welds had almost no penetration and broke very easily! I will keep the inner sill on as long as possible as this gives me a good reference point for the floor and bulkhead work. There a couple of layers of inner sill as again a new one was attached over the old!

I cut away a section of the bulkhead so i could inspect the spring hanger. From beneath it looks OK and the captive nuts aren't corroded. Through the inspection holes i can see only surface rust on the hanger. The rear of the bulkhead will need replacing but the hanger is solid and would benefit from a cleanup and spray. This saves both time and money with a new spring box being close to £30.

Inspecting the front cross member it appears solid too, thus saving more money and time! The remaining work consists of:
Lower a-post cover
Front of bulkhead
Rear of bulkhead
Inner sill
Outer sill
Floor
boot repairs
rear clip repairs
left and right rear shock brackets.

What Lies Beneath...

2009-05-06T08:54:00.007+01:00

I bought a couple of panels for the left hand side and started preparing to fit them. The foot well side will be the first to go on, followed by the lower a-post repair. I'm going to try and keep the sill on as long as possible to keep the alignment.

Cutting out the old foot well side its clear that, as per the right hand side, there have been a myriad of bodged repairs to both the foot well and the sills. In order to fully remove the foot well side i had to cut away some of the sill and lying beneath it were four layers of sill and inner sill! I'm not surprised there's more than one, as the right hand had a new on old, but four layers is quite excessive and shows a complete lack of brains by the previous repairer!

After cutting a few bits, wobbling the welds was the quickest way to remove the sill sections as the weakened rusty metal fell apart.

After taking some careful measurements i also cut away the very rusty lower a-post. I need to keep the sill attached beneath this to keep the correct alignment. The lower a-post repair will go on after the foot well side.

There was some decent metal behind the a-post, so i decided to keep this in place and i cut my new foot well side to suit. I'm not sure if this is an acceptable method for this area, but it seems to work and its strong enough.

I cleaned up the edges of the panel to shiny metal and coated in Weld #2 zinc rich primer. Positioned and clamped, i stitch welded the panel in place. It looks better already.

I have noticed that there were several patched on the front of the foot well, so i will cut them all out and replace with one large patch. Also the toe board will need some work.

Front susspension and stub axles...

2009-05-01T23:35:00.005+01:00

i decided that now the rear axle was complete, i should do the front stub axles, meaning i would be ready to the shell back on wheels when the panels are done. Of course nothing with a '70s car is a simple as just "doing" it.

Looking over the exploded diagrams in the Haynes manual for a few minutes, i started to strip the right hand stub axles and suspension. Firstly i removed the anti roll bar and its mounting, then moved on to the brake calipers. These were seized on, so took some work and WD40 to remove. Once off i could remove the brake back plate which prevents the stub axle from lifting off the king pin - that and the top trunnion, washer and bolt. With that removed i lifted the stub axle from the king pin.

I removed the four bolts holding the brake disc to the hub and then removed the hub nut after first taking out its split pin. The hub nut is 15/16Th's and i had to buy in the correct socket. Using the hub puller, still on loan from Team Neaves, bolted to the hub with 2 wheel nuts, i removed the hub and disc from the axle. It came of freely with a single slide of the puller.

The brake disc was stuck to the hub even though its four bolts were removed. With a rubber mallet i hit the centre of the hub from behind, thought the brake disc and it started to move. Five or six taps and it was off. I checked over the bearings and although dirty, they seem OK.

Its often the case that the fulcrum pin, which holds the king pin to the wishbone, rusts on to the king pin preventing its removal. This was the case for me. I have tried almost everything to remove it including an impact driver - it wont move. Its important to note the there is a small pin going through the king pin base and fulcrum pin which locks them together. It has to be remove to remove the fulcrum pin.

As it wont budge i will have to carefully cut it out with the grinder. I tried a hacksaw but i didn't cut it. This method means i will have to replace the fulcrum pin and possibly the wishbone too. The fulcrum pins don't often fit refurbished wishbones well, so it maybe a bit of luck to get a good fit. A bad fit would result in slop in the fulcrum pin thread and a likely MOT failure.

The left hand stub axle all came apart cleanly. The fulcrum pin was not seized and all components will be reused with new bushes and washers.

I will run either fast road or race bushes all round and for the mean time I'm not going to replace the wheel bearings.

Moving on....

2009-04-27T08:24:00.012+01:00

I decided it would save both time and money if a created a project plan! So out came MS Project 2003 and i dumped all i could think of into it, including hours and costs. Looks like with all the parts ready i could finish within 2/3 months - a rolling chassis that is.

With this in mind Ive started work on the passenger side. The drivers side is all but complete, just need to finish the a-post cover there.

I have learnt from my mistakes on the drivers side and wont remove more than one or

two rusty panels at a time! I started by patching the front of the foot well. The panel is mostly sound except a small area to the top left and a strip where the floor attaches - this will be patched when the floor goes in. The usual process applied, measure and cut a patch then stitch in. I had to extinguish a few small fires as the under seal caught lite!

Next i removed the foot well side, i simply cut around the existing flanges. I left the foot well section behind the a-post for now, this isn't rusted so i may cut my new panel to suit this area. A previous repair was very badly done and I'm sure it made any rust in this area far worse. With the foot well side removed i can see the inner shell is shot. Not unexpected.

Focusing on the passenger side it seems there is less work than on the drivers side, but its a bit more tricky. The rear arch is rusted through and without spending hundreds on a new wing section i will have to make one. Some say a Mk1 Ford Fiesta rear arch is a very good replacement, but as i want to flair the arches i will try and fab my own.

The front suspension support section (triangle gusset) is corroded on both sides. With this i am planning to cut it all out and replace with a 2" box section structure. This should be stronger but also give more access and not trap crud!

A Historical Supprise...

2009-04-24T14:08:00.005+01:00

Tralling a few spridget pages today i came accross a photo i recognised. It was a picture of the hard top i bought with LMG 5K. Without knowing it i had allowed a website to publish the photo!

www.williamsandpritchardregister.co.uk

It turns out its quite a rare hard top. The Finlay Panorama was produced in the late 60's by Twyford Auto Conversions and is largley unknown!

Made me smile!

Paint shop...

2009-04-22T08:52:00.003+01:00

A few coats of paint later and the back plates and brake drums are done! They will probably need a few more coats but they're looking good so far!

Ive been thinking about a side exit exhaust system similar to this one by Rob Thomas. I would have to make my own manifold and the system would probably exit just above the sill through a slot in the front wing.

new bearings...

2009-04-21T11:05:00.006+01:00

After cleaning up the hubs and painting, i pressed in the oil seal. I didn't really press it in, more tapped it in with a hammer and blunt screwdriver, but it went in well and undamaged. Next i pushed in the o-ring seal with the help of a squirt of WD-40.

The bearing kit came with a sachet of grease, so about 1/3 of this was applied to the back side of the bearing and a little smeared around the inside of the hub to aid in fitting. I aligned the new bearing over the hub and placed the old bearing on top. Starting with a rubber mallet i tapped the old bearing, working in circles to push the new bearing into the hub. Later, i switched to a steel headed hammer and things went a little quicker! The bearing went in smoothly and is flush with the hub. I was a little confused to see space between the bearing and the oil seal when looking from the back, but this is correct and the bearing is sitting home.

The remaining bearing grease was loaded into the bearing and squished in!

I started cleaning one of the brake drums so that i could test my "Yellow" paint. It will take a few more coats before it looks bright enough, but i think it will look good against the black of the axle and diff. The back plates will be painted too.

I have just ordered new screws for the half shafts and drums as i destroyed the head of the old ones.

I have also bought a replacement hub as i had to drill out a screw from the old and ruined the thread!

more axle...

2009-04-20T16:09:00.014+01:00

Removing the hub nuts was particularly difficult, until i asked for help! The hub nuts have opposite threads, the left has a left hand thread, the right a right hand thread to prevent them working loose with the wheel rotation etc. Removal requires a 1.7/8" socket, or the easier cheaper method, a metal chisel and hammer!

I was at a loss as to how to remove the nuts without the correct socket so i called upon the knowledge and experience of Team Neaves Racing whom i met through the MG BBS and Forums. Local to me, they were happy to help me out. 60 seconds with a chisel and hammer loosened the nuts. It would have taken me hours to do this myself simply because i didn't know the easiest method!

Team Neaves Racing is a family team based near Dunsfold near Godalming Surrey. Blaine, Ollie and Dan are very friendly guys preparing their MGB's, powered by VHPD K-series, for the Peter Best Insurance Challenge this year with their first race at Brands Hatch at the end of May.

With hub nuts off and the loan of Team Neaves hub puller i was able to remove the hubs and strip out the bearings and oil sills. The back plates could then be removed.

With the axle casing now bare i stripped it back using a combination of wire wheel
in a drill and flap wheel in the grinder. Not all rust was removed, but i painted in Hammerite Direct to Rust paint so it should be fine. I chose hammered black as the finish should smooth out the rough bits. The hubs were also painted. I am going to paint the brake drums and back plates in Hammerite Yellow as highlights.

I bought new hub nuts as the old ones were damaged whilst being removed, and new lock washers to keep it all safe. The new bearings will be pushed in to the hubs with new oil seals today and the back plates and remaining parts will be cleaned up and painted.

A drop of paint...

2009-04-15T11:00:00.004+01:00

An hour to clean up the diff housing with a wire brush allowed me to give it a quick coat of Hammerite Hammered Black paint! Looks a treat now! Just got to do the rest of the axle when i get hold of a 1 7/8" socket to take the hubs off!

steering cross member box repair...

2009-04-14T12:22:00.005+01:00

While working on the chassis rail repair, i noticed the box section under the steering cross member, between the chassis rails was badly dented and corroded. So i decided to replace it.

I began by measuring the piece i needed to replace. it was roughly 18cm by 27.5cm. I then cut out and ground clean the damaged section. I measured up and cut the patch
from a scrap foot well side i had to had. This is a nice thick gauge steel and should hold up well. It was a good job i decided to do this as there was a lot of soggy rust in the box sextion!

I punched four holes each side along the length of the patch and plug welded it in place. I then seam welded to shorter lengths. It was then ground smooth and primed. Not bad work and it took less than an hour! :)

Chassis rail repair...

2009-04-14T12:13:00.004+01:00

Another job on the list for this bank holiday weekend was the RH chassis rail. It has corroded badly and had plenty of holes! A new chassis rail panel was bought from Sussex Classic Car. Its the complete front from the steering cross member forward.

First step was to measure up, mark and cut the old chassis rail. I left 1/4" flanges extending from the steering cross member to weld the new rail to. On trial fitting the new rail was too long by 1/4", so it was trimmed and re trial fitted. I held it in place and tack welded. It needed some persuasion with the mallet to keep it straight.

Once fully seam welded all round, i ground it smooth and primed.

gaskets, seals and bearings...

2009-04-14T11:58:00.005+01:00

With the diff rebuilt, i bought the required gaskets seals and bearings to put the axle back together. I bought the correct wheel bearing kits which include the bearing, oil seals, spacer. They include a sachet of bearing grease too, which is nice. They don't include the hub gaskets, so these were bought individually. I also bought a new diff to housing gasket.

I carefully put the diff gasket over the housing studs, but a small tear appeared. This isn't much of an issue as the gasket still formed around the stud.

The diff was then carefully lowered onto the studs and bolted down using the original spring washers and nuts. I then started to clean up the diff housing. Next task is to remove the hub nuts and hubs to replace the wheel bearings. These are notoriously hard to remove. The left hand hub nut has a left hand thread, the right a right hand thread, important to remember when undoing them!

thrust washers...

2009-04-14T11:39:00.006+01:00

It took me well over 2 hours to remove the cross pin which holds the roll pin in place. i had to drill out the peening holding the pin in and drive the pin out with a 1/8" parallel drift, which ended up bent! I also had to remove both the bearing retainers to get a clean line on the pin. This is risky as the crown and pinion mesh i accuratley set and not easily reset when disturbed! Hopefuly i kept it good!

With the pin out, the roll pin drifted out smoothly and was in great condition. I .was then able to walk the planet gears out along with their washers. The old brass thrust washers were very warn and had a sever lip and were substantially thinner than the new. The picture shows old left and new right thrust washers

The sun gears cam out easily with nothing in their way. There was only one thrust washer on one side! The other had either completely warn away or was not installed originally! I placed new Tufnol washers on the sun gears and put them back in the diff.

Inserting the planet gears with new washer is much more difficult! Because all the new washers are so much thicker than the warn old ones, there is no play or movement to get the gears in. Both planet gears have to be inserted at the same time, from opposite sides of the diff. It took me another two hours, but with both planet gears part meshed and their washers tucked in a little further, i inserted one half shaft and gave it hard twist...bingo! Both gears rotated in and lined up. The washers needed a little encouragement into position.

More diff work...

2009-04-09T09:36:00.005+01:00

I took an hour to finish the axle strip last night. Once the half shafts were removed the diff case could be worked out slowly. Having not seen a half shaft or diff before it was all suddenly de-mystified!

Using a flat screwdriver i tested the planet gears for play, and there was plenty of it meaning the thrust washers are warn. Replacing these is not difficult once you get to them and it makes sense to replace the sun gear washers at the same time.

In order to get the planet gears and get to the washers you need to drive out the cross pin holding them in place. The cross pin is secured with a roll pin which is peen ed over on one end. In order to remove the cross pin, the roll pin has to be driven out; its hard to find a replacement for these so care must be taken if you want to reuse it - I'm not sure if its safe to reuse it yet!

£25.00 will buy me all the replacement bearings, gaskets and washers i need to rebuild the diff and put it all back together.

Axle strip cont...

2009-04-08T08:39:00.006+01:00

Last night was sunny so i move the axle into the garden. It was very nice to work outside, only i kept forgetting tools so was running in and out of the garage!

The plan is to strip the axle, de-rust and then paint it and re-construct. The first thing to do, i thought, was to remove the diff. After an hour of trying to prise the thing out i decided to check the Haynes. It turns out the first thing to do is remove the half shafts!

I started removing the brake drum on one side. I removed the drum, shoes and handbrake mech and then undid the hub retaining screw holding the hub in. A little prising and it came out most of the way. It didn't come all the way out and was getting stuck on something. More research in the Haynes is needed!

rear axle...

2009-04-07T10:02:00.004+01:00

The rear axle is in a bit of a state. It covered in surface rust and i can feel play or slop in the differential. It needs a strip and rebuild. I will try to re-use as many components as i can, but all seals, washers, and gaskets will be replaced. Bearings will be assessed and most likely replaced.

First off were the springs, this took all the remaining time i had, so that's all that got done!

Here a nice shot of all the new metal on the drivers side.

I rolled the shell back on its side again to give more space and access to the boot floor which will soon come out.

more b-post... than b-fore...

2009-04-07T09:31:00.005+01:00

Following on from seam welding the b-post repair in place i have ground the welds smooth trying not to grin too far and cut through. There are a few pin holes, but i think this is due to low penetration from the welds rather than over-grinding.

A lot of grinding with the flap wheel later and a coat of primer shows the two or three small holes the need welding, these should get done in the next day or so. There seems to be a little overlap are the arch end which wasn't evident until the primer was on. I'm hoping i can smooth this out with the grinder and build up with weld if needed. Else it will be a filler job when prepping for paint.

Looking back a year or so to an old photo is often a real encouragement. Look at the state of the b-post and bulkhead!

I'm often working on the car in the evenings after work now that there is more daylight, but once it passes half seven-ish i don't want to make much noise, so i have started to work on things like the rear axle.

B-post reapir...

2009-04-02T09:38:00.007+01:00

While i wait to buy the new a-post skin panel i moved on to the lower b-post repair. There was some major rust in this area originally and it was one of the first things i cut out when i stripped the car. Its good to be putting something back in!

The repair panel from Sussex Classic Car seemed a good fit and was well formed. I offered it up to the b-post and marked a cut line. I cut 1/2" lower than the marked line to allow some over lap and margin for error.

Some further trimming was needed and i ended up trimming to my original cut line for a flush fit. I positioned the new panel and checked alignment from and rear. I closed the door several times to check the door gap was equal all the way down. The rear of the panel did not follow the arch perfectly top and bottom so i aligned it to match the top and will build up and smooth out the bottom join later. The panel was tacked in place.

5mm holes were made in the door shut flange and these were plug welded to the inner flange. This method meant there could still be some adjustment in the panel, which was needed!

Once securely tacked in place, i seam welded the lower joint; this decision was made some time ago when i decided i want a seamless look on the a and b posts. Traditionally there is a visible seam here. To avoid distortion, i welded about 1" at a time alternating ends. The top seam was stitch welded, again to avoid heat build up and distortion. Every few welds i closed the door to check the gap again!

Door gaps are very important to the finished look of the car!

2009-04-01T08:49:00.006+01:00

Last night i removed the a-post skin and took a look at the a-post alignment. With some help and measurements from Guy Weller on the MG BBS i found that the bottom of the a-post was an amazing 1/2" out! It should measure roughly 17 3/4" from the tip of the sill, mine was 17 1/4"! This explains why the door was catching on the lower rear and why it needed lifting a little to fully engage the latch.

Fortunately i was able to fix it by widening the mounting holes on the door allowing it to be adjusted further on the lower hinge. Its not ideal, but it seems to have worked. I then made up some small patches to create the a-post to scuttle gusset. This was welded up with the door closed and the gaps correct to lock it in place. The door now closes smoothly and lings up well. The gaps could be smaller, but nothing is perfect is it!

I trial fitted the screen to make sure my fabrication would not disrupt it, with a little trimming the screen frame slid in perfectly. The patches need grinding smooth and preparing prior to fitting the another new a-post skin.

The new a-post skin will need to be carefully positioned to take out the 1/2" misalignment, but this should be do-able as the door is straight and referencing a wing will ensure it all works out, hopefully!

When fitting the last a-post skin i had problems folding the flange around the a-post. Ive been advised that using some wood to spread the load will avoid any distortion in the skin.

a-post ambition...

2009-03-30T14:52:00.008+01:00

I had previously attached the inner a-post and aligned the door as best i could. Sunday morning i decided to tackle the a-post skin an make the hinge pillar complete.

I stated by placing the skin over the a-post and making some visual checks. It all seemed well, so i removed the door in order to clamp, mark and cut the a-post skin to make it fit. Once trimmed and trial fitted i drilled several 8mm holes (using the new pillar drill) along the flange to allow plug welding in place.

Once "dry" fitted again and clamped, folded the door side flange around the inner a-post and squashed tight using a set of "mole" grips. I tacked the remaining flange to the foot well and re hung the door.

Something is not quite right! The door catches on the front of the a-post cover. I have adjusted the hell out of the hinges and catch plate, but nothing gets it clear. On top of this the door requires a little lift to fully close on the catch
In an attempt to rectify the catching issue i trimmed some metal from the a-post skin. This gave the required clearance but doesn't look good! I would need some filler and some smoothing out to make the vertical lines straight.

I need to address the door closing issue, I'm not happy about lifting it to close, it should close with a nice thud and with no need to lift it.

I may have to remove the a-post and skin and start again. Its not impossible but just a nuisance.

A special mention...

2009-03-21T12:00:00.009Z

A special mention goes to Mr Chris Wilkinson who covered his car in gearbox oil to collect my Type 9, compensated with a few beer tokens of course.

After watching a Type 9 Ebay auction for several days and seeing it end with no bids, i emailed the seller to see if he would take an offer. It turns out he had
sold it already, but also had a few other "surplus" boxes. A few emails later and i had secured a standard Type 9 from a Ginetta race car. It had been serviced well and regularly, but had been used in a race enviroment. It's missing the input shaft bearing retainer (nose cone to most of us) but a kind gentleman on the MG BBS has offered me the parts i need.

I think an essential purchase will be a quick shift kit, to shorten the throw and make a more positive change.

Its the thought that counts!?

2009-03-17T14:02:00.006Z

Who ever said "its the thought that counts" in relation to giving gifts? Of course its not! Thankfully both the thoughts and gifts for my birthday recently were superb!

My wife bought me a Titan 6" bench grinder and a Titan Pillar drill, both of which will dramatically increase productivity in the garage! Among other gifts from family and friends were several repair pannels that will be needed in the next month or so.

Shortly after unboxing my gifts I was in the garage putting them together!

Im really looking forward to a solid days work some time soon. Circumstances havent allowed much yet, but they will. I will make them.

As if she couldnt be a better wife, she made me an amazing cake resembling an Midget!

Parts list...

2009-03-09T16:41:00.003Z

Spurred on by the realisation the im very close to finishing the right hand side metal work, ive made a list of "to do's":

1. Right hand rear wing repair above sill (£6.12 Sussex Classic Cars)
2. Right hand rear arch to light repair (in stock!)
3. Right hand boot floor corner (£8.98 Sussex Classic Cars)
4. Boot Floor (£108.54 Sussex Classic Cars)
5. Right hand front chassis leg repair (£19.07 Sussex Classic Cars)

It makes a very pleasing and reasonably cheap lsit, which makes me think i can get the right hand side completed by summer, excluding the boot floor.

Its my birthday soon so i might get a few panels FOC so to speak!

Back to business...

2009-03-05T09:11:00.007Z

Having finished the house move, its now time to sort the garage and get welding again!

I was under the impression that the garage had power, and it did, until the house was re-wired and the garage was cut off! My dreams of no longer having to use an extension lead shattered, i ran my extension lead semi-permanently. I know i probably shouldnt, but i dug it in about 6 inches around the patio leading to the garage and intend to leave it there for as long as im in the house. We rent, so i cant put in fixed wiring. Its artic grade, external cable, so should be fine!

The move went smoothly, but having to move a house and garage at the same time means the garage got a little neglected. Things we just "put" in the garage, which was fine, but i have to sort it now!
An hour or so saw power and light restored and a little order brought to LMG 5K's new home.

Im quielty confident that it wont take me much longer to get the off side floor, sills, crossmemeber and bulkhead finished. The shell will then be structurally sound and the rest is just cosmetic. Id like to think i can get the structure done by the end of 2009, leaving 2010 for the mechanics and final bits.

MSA National Class B License...

2009-03-04T14:01:00.004Z

Ive recently been looking into getting a racing license. This is mainly in preparation for finishing the project in the hope of entering the Peter Best Insurance Challenge in class C! But its at least 2 years away!

Basically the first thing to do is drive a track and get some, if only a little, experience. Ive already done a track day at Thruxton which i throughly enjoyed. I drove a single seater Formula Renault, and a Porsche Cayman. These can cost anything up to £250 depending on length and car etc. My wife bought mine with Tesco Club Card vouchers!

Next, i need to purchase a "MSA Go Racing" pack at £53.00, which consists of all the docs, regs and a video with all the information you need to complete a ARDS test day.

I then need to book an ARDS test day at my nearest or favourite track, which in my case would be Brands Hatch or Thruxton. MotorSport Vision at Brands Hatch quote £250 for an ARDS Test day . The ARDS consists of a briefing and video demo, a 30 minute practical assessment and then a multiple choice written exam. All sites say its just the basics and proving you can control the car.

After passing the ARDS a basic medical is required costing around £50.00. If your over 45 you need an ECG too pushing medicals up to £200.00.

Lastly there's a license fee, £51 for the National Class B license.

All in your looking at around £400 exlcuding the track day experiace, but i guess this is optional if your confident in yourself!

On The Side Again...

2009-01-04T17:48:00.007Z

Got out for a few more hours today, but its very cold! I wrapped up warm and got as close to the halogen lights as possible, which made it actually quite pleasant.

The outer sill needed closing at either end, and the bottom needed folding over and welding. I didn't get anywhere near as much as i wanted to done, again. The front closing panel was not even close to fitting and access was bad, so i decided to roll the shell back onto its side. This gave me a good chance to have a clear up too - I'm moving House in a few months, so this is essential!

The front closing panel was so far from fitting i decided to make my own. I took a small piece of stock steel and cut it to a similar size. I tacked it into place on the front of the sill, but on the outside not the inside like the proper panel.

I took a stretching hammer from my new panel beating kit and tapped the metal in to the correct curve, using the out sill curve as the dolly. This was very effective. I then plug welded, through some previously punched holes, the panel onto the outer sill.

Some more beating and shaping and the piece had a reasonable curve from the outer sill to the foot well, where it was plug welded again. More beating smoothed it all out and i seam welded the patch in place.

About half an hour with the grinder saw it smooth and shapely. A coat of primer finished it off. Not bad for an afternoons work, and my first use of the panel beating kit.

With the car on its side again, it was a good time to take stock of the progress I've made. It makes a good picture to see one new half and one old!

Slow progress...

2009-01-02T18:39:00.006Z

Today was a very frustrating day in the garage. Nothing went my way! First of my MIG was playing up, it seemed to have wire feed issues and was "pulsing" the wire. Not sure what it was, but the tip seemed to be catching the wire, so i replaced that, but the replacement melted! It then melted a second, but the third survived. Good job i bought a 5 pack!

The wire feed issues continued until i ran out of gas! Last time i bought a C02 Argon mix, and it really hasn't lasted very long at all compared to plain C02. After getting some more gas it all seemed to sort itself out. The wire ran smoothly and the C02 made a much nicer weld than to C02 Argon mix.

Now that i was finally underway, i tackled the outer sill. After several trial fits and aligning it to the door and wing i tack welded then plug welded the top section to the inner sill and the footwear side.

I decided to seam weld between the plug welds on the foot well side, it seemed like a good idea and i just thought the plug welds wernt that strong. Some have said that seam welding the sills is a bad idea as they actually act as crumple zones in the event of a crash. My thoughts are its a 36 year old car made when crumple zones wernt even thought of and if i crash it, i want it to stay in one piece. I could be wrong, but i dont intend on finding out!

So with the top of the outer sill firmly in place i need to work out how the bottom of it should be attached. It has a lip that could either be folded around the inner sill and welded, or i could cut it off in order to get clearance to punch holes to plug weld it on. Ive asked a question on the MG BBS to find out what others have done.

Hopefully ill get out again this weekend and make more progress.

Christmas Gifts...

2008-12-26T19:41:00.004Z

I'm really pleased to see that five people find my posts worth following - its great to know its being read! Happy Christmas to all 5 of you!

I received some really useful gifts this year, as i do most years! I was in dire need of tool storage; my small plastic tool box (a Christmas gift 2 years ago) has gone to tool box heaven so currently the Midget boot is the most convenient, yet unorganised box!

My wife, I mean Santa, bought me a Halfords Professional 4 draw chest with a top box and a Stanley heavy duty portable workshop tool case - its a huge heavy duty thing on wheels!

My Father-in-law bought me something which i have had my eye on ever since i saw it on a TV add; Black and Decker Auto Wrench. Its a powered adjustable wrench! Its really useful and a quality tool. Its powered by 2 AAA batteries and adjusts to the correct size in about a second!

I'm planning to get out to the garage on Friday 2nd January to put on the outer sill, a-post cover, arch to sill repair and the arch to lamp repair. All in a day.

More Triangles...

2008-12-23T20:45:00.005Z

The front inner wheel arch was rusted through and needed replacing. I bought a replacement arch, but i didn't come with the inner most sloped section, so i will have to fabricate that.

I cut away the arch and too it back to a straight line just under the sloped section - hard to explain but you can see from the pictures.

The triangular brace between the foot well top and the inside of the arch area had also rusted through, so i cut that out. I took a small piece of steel and cut it to size. I made it with three flanges and folded one side down, one up and left the other straight. This mimics the original. The straight flange was welded to the foot well top, the upward welded to the inner whee larch and the downward facing toward the wheel which gives the brace its strength.

Things still to do are: Fabricate front inner arch sloped section, Weld on front inner arch, outer sill, a-post cover, rear arch to sill repair, rear arch to lamp repair. That should sort most of the RH side. The boot floor needs replacing as do the braces between the boot floor and the bulkhead.

I've Got The Power...

2008-12-23T10:57:00.005Z

I managed to buy a tired Rover 218 Coupe with a 1.8 VVC K-series. Its high milage and the car is worn out, but with a rebuild the engine will be fine. I had to collect the car from Peterborough and fit a new alternator before driving it home. For £180 i was not bothered.

I spent a few days removing bits and peices and disconnecting things, it was all good fun and it grazed a few knuckles. A few months later i hired an engine crane from HSS for under £30 for the weekend and took the engine out. With the gearbox attached its big and heavy! But ive seem them in midgets, so i know it fits!

One of the rubber mounting brackets was really stubborn and i could not get it off. The light was fading and i could not leave an engine half out hangning on one mount! With it being rubber i though heat would sort it. I took out my Butane blow torch and burnt the sucker for 5 minutes. Soon after the rubber seperated itself and the engine was free.
the next day storage became an issue in my single garage en bloc! I had a pallett i took from a large delivery of computers at work, so i decided i would string this up to the rafters of the garage and load it with light(ish) parts to get them out ofthe way.

So far it hasnt fallen and im still alive!

The passing of my birthday enabled me to get a nice engine stand. With the help of a good friend, a two man lift saw the engine mounted on the stand, with the gearbox off! Another few days tinkering saw most of the ancillaries removed and the engine looking much smaller.

I managed to sell the remains of the Rover Coupe for £100 to a bloke who was going to turn it into a drag racer! But not before i removed the engine loom, ecu and immobaliser!

Doors...

2008-12-23T10:37:00.011Z

My search for a replacement door found me a re-skinned surface rust only door. It was fairly cheap, i cant quite remember now how much, but not a lot. As previously mentioned there were a few pin holes, ill repair these later, but for now i took it back to bright metal with a flap wheel on the grinder and covered in a good few layers of etch primer.

Its funny how primer makes everything look great! I love it! I need to be careful not to spray everything before its done!

With the new door looking good i hung it on the newly fitted a-post and adjusted the hinges for best fit. The gaps look good, but i may have issues with the fit of the a-post cover as the gap between a-post and door is not huge. Ill overcome it somehow.

I was concerned over the angle at which the new door meets the scuttle. It looked to protrude way out. A quick question on the MG BBS informed me that it was actually fine and the wind shield when installed would line up to the protrusion and make a nice seal with the door. A relief!

All in i was pleased to see new panels covered with primer and it gives me hope! I love this picture and take great pride in showing it!
So far the panels i have replaced include: RH Floor Pan, RH Cross Member, RH Foot Well Front, RH Foot well Side, RH A-post, RH Inner Sill, RH Door!

Not a bad effort for just over a years work occasional weekends. Roll on summer!

The Sum of All Fears...

2008-12-23T10:17:00.007Z

The title kind of gives away my feelings about replacing the a-post. I was scared, very scared. If i get the a-post wrong, the door wont fit, the doors gaps will be out and it will ruin the look of the car. But i decided nothing is beyond replacing, so if i do it wrong, ill do it again.

With a new foot well side and inner sill in place there was enough strength to allow me to clamp in the a-post and hang the door to get a good position. I also clamped on the outer sill and the a-post cover. This should give me an idea of the gaps i would get and allow me to play around with the hinges and a-post positioning.

With the door closed and the gaps looking OK, i marked up the position of the a-post. After removing all the clamped on panels i made a few holes for plug welds, in the a-post.

After filling in the plug welds i also ran some beads of weld along the edges to make extra sure it was secure.

Although i love the look of a concourse MG Midget, mine is going to be some what modified to compliment the K-series engine going in it. It will have fibreglass panels on the front, either one piece or separate wings/bonnet. I'm also going to weld the seam between a-post cover and sill, grind it down and make it smooth. The same on the rear. I think this makes the car look more substantial and crisp, if that makes sense!

It was evident that a new door was required. I investigated the option of repairing, but a new skin and a lower section repair would be costly and time consuming, so i began searching for a replacement. I soon found a reasonable door that had been re-skinned. It has some pin holes, but in not concerned with that at this time.

Inner Sill...

2008-12-22T17:20:00.006Z

I often see "Sill" written as "Seal" and im not sure which is correct, but i prefer "Sill" so thats what i use!

I left the inner sill clamped in position over night. The next day i went out to the garage and found it had fallen off and cut straight through my power cable, which by the way, runs some 60 meters from my first floor maisonet around to my garage en bloc! Fortunately it didnt happen whilst i was working, and i have an RCD on the socket end!

Anyway, with the inner sill clamped in place for several trial fits i was trying my best to get it straight and level. Without the doors on, and no hope of refitting them as the a-post had also gone, i could not check the door gaps were correct before welding. I had to rely on the bracing that was put in place before the cutting began.

Using my Joggler/Hole Punch i made a series of holes along the bottom edge of the sill and around the end flanges of the crossmember and along where the sill meets the footwell side. With the inner sill in the best position i could get it, and level, i plug welded all the holes alternatly so as to not distort the panel.

The inner sill instantly gave the shell a little more strength, but no where near enough. I resisted the temptation to stand in the car and test my work!

Its really starting to look like its coming back together again, the drivers side at least. All this has to bee repeated on the passengers side, which will no doubt turn out much better being that i will have already done it once!

Triangles and Sides...

2008-12-22T16:07:00.009Z

Next up was the toe board. I righted the shell and supported it back on axle stands, with a large block of wood underneath, near the tunnel to help support the door gaps.

I followed in Ray McCaLeb's footsteps and decided to box in the toe board with a triangle patch. It seemed like a good idea!

I cut a panel to match the toe board dimensions and a small triangle to fill in the end.

Once welded on i moved on to the foot well side panel. Ive actually replaced this twice as the first attempted failed miserably and was way out of place! So i bought a new panel and did it properly

The sidewall was simply lined up to the foot well top and front, and the scuttle/a-post area.

I lined it up with the scuttle and tacked it on, then tacked it to the triangle of the toe board before slowly seam welding the join to the front and top of the foot well.

Its all starting to feel like I'm making progress. Its always a relief to get new metal back on, especially when you don't know what your doing like me!

An invaluable resource throughout my project has been the MG BBS. There's a great bunch of guys how really know their stuff and seem mostly willing to help!

Floor time...

2008-12-22T09:55:00.005Z

Now that there was some good metal to weld to, it was time to trial fit and eventually weld the floor in place.

Using a handheld joggler with a hole punch on the other side i made a series of holes along the cross member flanges, bulkhead flange and foot well front. This will allow me to plug weld the floor in place.

The floor pan was offered up and tested for fit. It wasn't too bad but needed some bashing with a malet around the foot well front patches where they had warped.
It seemed to line up well with the spring hanger, which gave me a little more confidence, but again, i cant be sure its right. The bolt holes were slightly off, but I'm not too worried as they should pull in - i think.

With the floor now in place im starting to get a little more confident, and also realising the work thats yet to come.

I think at this point i have had the car a year and reflecting on what i have or havent achieved is interesting. Ive gone from a guy with no experiance in welding or mechanics, to someone who has stripped an entire car, removed lots of panels and replaced a few. Ive learnt to weld, but it still needs improving and im slowly building a collection of useful tools!

Chop Shop...

2008-12-22T08:32:00.009Z

Having replaced a little of what i have now removed, it feels more like a chop shop than anything else in my garage!

Moving on from the bulkhead i decided the next logical step was the floor pan. In order to get good metal to weld the floor too i decided the next bit to replace was the front of the foot well.

I proceeded to chop out the rusty section. I added a large oversize patch to allow me to trim it back to size when securely tacked on. By this time i had also cleaned up the inner side of the foot well and spraid in primer.

Next i trimmed the patch to size, seam welded and spraid. Its obvious that more patches will be required to complete the foot well front, and a small patch strip to the top, right of the pedal aperture.

A small patch was added top right of the front and then a long strip top right of the top, completing the patchwork for the front and top of the foot well. It seems so easy typing it out, but in real life this took me a good day! Remember, to this point, id had no experience welding or with any car bodywork, so I'm a rank amateur! But it seems to be going OK.

There was some warping with the patchwork, i think mainly from long sections of seam welding. I shall try and avoid long welds in the future. Hopefully i can work with the warp, if not, it'll have to stay that way

Feeling brave...

2008-12-21T16:41:00.015Z

It a great feeling getting the first piece of new metal on! Feeling brave i then tackled the bulkhead.

Reading up on the method for repair i became very concerned that i could screw up the geometry of the car as the suspension spring hangers are in the bulkhead and getting these out of place would be bad! As yet i don't know if I've done it right, but I'm going on "if it looks right, it might just be right"! I could be wrong.

I decided the car wasn't going anywhere as it was, so i might as well try!

I started by cutting out the crap! Years and years of rust had destroyed the drivers side of the bulkhead and spring hanger. So with the car still on its side i cut it out. Before i cut, i marked it up with the new repair panel and left a little excess to weld to. I also purchased a new spring hanger and the triangle brace that goes inside.

I replaced the rear of the bulkhead first, followed by the brace and the spring hanger, making a best effort to get them in the right place. I'll only know when its driven if they are or not!

I then tacked the front bulkhead panel in place, seam welded then ground smooth.

A coat of primer inside and out makes it look a lot better!

Brace yourself...

2008-12-21T16:09:00.010Z

After a lot of careful research and several conversations on the MG BBS i realised before doing anything, i needed to brace the shell to prevent it sagging when i removed rust. Sadly before i knew this i had removed the doors! I later found out that this was not a great move as i couldn't now tell if the shell had sagged or not. The hinges we so rusted i could not get them back on. In the scheme of things its not a major issue, but brace before you remove the doors!

So, with the doors off, i braced the door gaps using a length of angle. I then diagonally braced the bulkheads with the main length of the old exhaust!

Assessing the rust, i researched where best to start work. There are many different views on where to start, but the order is really down to you. I chose to start with the floor and cross member on the drivers side, but i ended up cutting out the complete sill, floor, cross member and foot well, later realising that i may have been a little carried away! This left me with almost no point of reference for aligning new panels.

To best remove the floor rolled the car on its side! I decided this would not damage anything more than tin worm already had! I rolled the car by hand on my own. I was surprised how light it was, but I'm not a small man!

I decided it best to replace the cross member first, getting it straight and level. This would give me a good reference point for later panels.

Using a half cross member repair panel i marked the old with a cut line, leaving excess to allow something to weld to. I cut off the old cross member and made to small cuts in the end to allow me to shape it to fit inside the new cross member. This seemed to work well, but I'm not sure if its an advised method! I drilled two or three holes and plug welded the new onto the old cross member. I then seam welded all the way around. I was please with the results.

These were my first ever welds and they just so happen to be on a major structural section!

In the begining....

2008-12-18T13:35:00.000Z

In the beginning there was my son. Now my son had just been born. Not, you may think, a great time to fulfill a 10 year dream of owning a classic car!

At the age of 3 weeks, Isaac's father was the proud owner of a very rusty, round wheel arch MG Midget - LMG 5K.

Over the next few days the enormity of the project became apparent, and the bad timing became even more so. A car is an inanimate object, a wife isn't! She was not pleased. Slowly over the last year or so i think Ive proved to her that it means a lot to me and I'm committed to it, as i am to her and my son, and i will finish it!

The weeks rolled on and April turned into August; the car turned into a shell and a pile of parts. After reviewing several engine options, i decided it would cost similar amounts to rework the A-Series as to convert to a more modern Rover K-series. The A-series and gearbox work promptly sold on, recouping good portion of the purchase price!

Stripped bare of its components, the 70's sports car looked a little sad. The list of areas needing work was impressive, but maily due to ignorance, i was not detered.

I should mention until this point i had no tools. I have very little mechanical knowledge or experiance, but i do have an aptitude for mechanics, the willingness and drive to learn, and a goal - a classic sports car with kick-ass power!

Back to the start...

2008-12-18T13:12:00.000Z

Early April 2007 I started a project to restore a 1972 MG Midget, and convert it to Rover K-series power. I built a website to record my progress and keep a photo diary of every step, but, it became very high maintenance and eventually i stopped updating it and closed my hosting account.

30 minutes ago i decided i needed to keep some form of web presence, if only as a personal record of the project.

So, this is me going back to the start and re-blogging the project!