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Ten years ago, a month before my 16th birthday, my dad spotted a roadside sign for a $1000 '87 Polaris Waverunner in the middle of Illinois. For some reason my dad had to have the thing. He probably should have smelled something fishy when the seller offered to throw in a running '76 MG Midget in rust-red for free. The Waverunner sputtered to a quick death in the middle of a lake on our first outing and never ran again. I kept the MG on constant life-support through all of high school.  After college I got my own garage and started trolling craigslist. I found another '76 Midget that looked in much better shape for $1500. The ad said the "transmission went bad after a clutch job." Turns out the shift linkage hadn't been reinstalled right. A few hours of fiddling and it worked fine. I dumped the rust red one for $1000 and enjoyed my $500 upgrade.   I drove the new car for two summers. Installed a really bad Victoria British interior kit that only looked good for a few months. At some point the transmission started sounding like a broomstick in a bucket of rocks, so I got one for $100 from this sad place:  A huge personal triumph:  And that's when I should have been happy. The project bug started biting. The car I had wasn't perfect (that's that problem word) but it was drivable and far too nice to tear apart. Like an idiot, I bought this:  Someone else's failed project. Everything was stripped off and thrown into random cardboard boxes without any organization. Most bolts were just thrown away. Why didn't I run? Why Why Why? The only redeeming part of the deal was the $3000 in new VB parts thrown in. Also not sorted in any way. Inspired by the milk truck thread, this started as an "I'm going to learn to do everything!" project. The first step in turning this into the car I always wanted was converting it from the big ugly rubber bumpers to chrome ones. To do that, a few things have to happen. On the rear end, the flat squares on the left here have to be flattened, and the bottom portions of the tail fins have to be built in.  That all sounded very difficult, and I had only just bought my first welder and learned to use it on Youtube, so I decided to tackle the front end first. Rubber bumper MGs have a big gaping hole for wires to pass through the front fenders rather than mounts for lights. I wanted those filled so I could run halogen retrofit headlights with integrated turn signals. It started out kind of OK, then it turned REALLY bad. I was too embarrassed to take any photos past this point.  Depressed and overwhelmed for a few weeks, I made arrangements with a body shop owned by a British car nut. The car quickly looked like this:  Not long after, it looked like this:  They did a seriously impressive job with the tail end. I can't imagine how badly I would have screwed this up. Basically everything under the taillight was fabricated from nothing and there's no evidence of the former big square bumper mounts.  And that's basically where I've stalled. The body shop murdered my wallet. It's been almost 2 years since I've done anything to the car. I think I've finally got all the old and new parts sorted and shelved, though I'm still hunting for some important, difficult to replace bits. I think I'm ready to hit this hard and make some progress, but I still get some anxiety when I think about the car. I'm trying to break it down into manageable steps, and maybe this thread will help me see my own progress. Steps as I see them: code: (I hope I can make this into an interesting thread.)
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Jan 23, 2014 06:34
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 10:07 |
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Did you have a thread before? I swear I've seen your car on here previously? Anyway, if the bodywork is done, everything else should be a big assembly kit, they aren't that mechanically complicated. With the engine, these cars aren't so rare as to demand keeping things original, so you could change it out for something else. A friend of my dad had one with a Rover V8 in it.
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Jan 23, 2014 07:46
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Would a V8 fit into a Sprite? A MGB sure, but I think the Sprite would be too narrow
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Jan 23, 2014 12:33
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You Am I posted:Would a V8 fit into a Sprite? A MGB sure, but I think the Sprite would be too narrow There's a guy somewhere in the midlands who built a V8 AWD Midget using a Rover engine and Sierra 4x4 drivetrain parts.
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Jan 23, 2014 13:25
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I have seen Rover V8 conversions as well. Comedy option: aluminum 6.2 used in the corvette.
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Jan 23, 2014 14:02
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I've always wanted an MG for putzing around town. I'm looking forward to updates.
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Jan 23, 2014 15:21
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InitialDave posted:Did you have a thread before? I swear I've seen your car on here previously? I honestly don't remember if I started a thread when I was all-in, before I gave up being a body or paint guy. I might have. I know I've posted a few pics like this favorite:  Originality has already been thrown way out the window, but I'm kind of leaning toward keeping the original Triumph 1500 engine because I already have a spotless overdrive transmission that bolts right up. I've been told the engine can be made decent with some minor improvements and a compression bump. Finding a twin-SU carb setup might help too, but that's going to take a lot of watching ebay.co.uk. I guess anything would be possible as far as what else could be shoehorned in. Technically anything is possible with enough effort, but its a very narrow engine bay and the steering rack rides really high, just an inch from the front of the stock engine. I've seen those rover kits, but they're very pricey and the engine isn't easy to get stateside. This guy lives nearby with a Chevy 2.8l V6 of some sort, but it looks... different and drives pretty squirrley. I'm OK with stock power, and it sounds nice with cheap Harley dealer take-off mufflers. I've got a motorcycle if I want to go fast.  Right now my big hurdle has been sourcing fasteners without driving an hour to VB and paying a dollar per bolt. I really have almost none of the nuts and bolts that came off the car. I keep hunting for a farm store or by-the-pound place, but nothing carries a match for the threads. I think I was told UNF, does that sound right? eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 15:29
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13B swap. 
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Jan 23, 2014 17:36
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eddiewalker posted:Right now my big hurdle has been sourcing fasteners without driving an hour to VB and paying a dollar per bolt. I really have almost none of the nuts and bolts that came off the car. I keep hunting for a farm store or by-the-pound place, but nothing carries a match for the threads. I think I was told UNF, does that sound right? Sup British classic buddy. Have you looked around for other parts retailers? If you can find a Moss dealer you could get in on group orders to save on bulky items. I've been ordering almost everything from the UK (Minispares and Minisport) and Moss for big parts. You seem like a prime contender for this as well http://www.aseriesspares.co.uk/clas...s/prod_896.html I think next time around it'll be worth not having to gently caress with rusty/missing/improper fasteners. Bulk Vanderhuge fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 17:49
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Holy poo poo I want a complete fastener set for every car I've ever owned. I wanna watch a stock one of these race a stock Datsun Roadster.
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Jan 23, 2014 17:53
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Initial D: Classic Euro Stage
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Jan 23, 2014 17:55
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I actually did place a large order with a Moss reseller about a year ago. Part of the sorting process has been ebaying poor quality parts that the previous owner bought at VB. VB is great for me because they've got a local counter where I can inspect things before I buy, but I feel sorry for anyone who has to gamble on their catalog orders. I was tempted by that in-a-box kit at one point, maybe even in your thread, but enough of the body and suspension are together that I think even paying per bolt might be cheaper. The body shop guy told me he just gets the right fasteners at a nearby farm store, mixed bags by the pound, but no luck for me so far.
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Jan 23, 2014 18:07
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Today is my first day off and home since I started this thread, so I'm getting some piddly stuff done. I'm probably overdoing it with the amount of Fat Mat I've put in an old convertible. After seeing the silly mix of low quality metric and standard hardware that comes with repro parts, I broke down and ordered that full fastener set earlier in the thread. I'm going to have some duplicates, but having my own little hardware store of high quality stuff sounds like a dream I got the headlight assemblies roughly installed. The halogen setups are from "Chevs of the 40s." I like the clean look of the integrated LED turn signals, but the plastic lenses feel pretty cheap. Hopefully they put out decent light.  I found a used early Austin Healey Sprite grille in the pile of parts from the previous owner and set it in. I think it makes the car look like its got braces, so I'm thinking about painting it black and getting a chrome oval like this:  Opinions?
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Jan 30, 2014 22:15
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Right now, the car looks like it might get shoved into a locker or have its books dropped by a bigger car. Definitely paint the grill black and lose the metal-mouth look.
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Jan 30, 2014 22:26
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quote:quote:
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Jan 30, 2014 22:46
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eddiewalker posted:Opinions? Get your hood louvered like that but don't go as crazy overboard with it. I rattlecanned my sprite's rusty grill black because I was poor so my advice is probably terrible. In retrospect I should have clear coated it and called it "patina". Maybe just paint the verticals?
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Jan 31, 2014 09:30
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I'm not a fan of the louver idea, personally. Messes with the clean lines of the car. I agree about the grille though, it needs something to break it up somewhat.
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Jan 31, 2014 09:43
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Here's what that "almost every bolt on the car" kit looks like. Not as impressive as I imagined, but it's still been an incredible luxury so far. I dug into rebuilding front calipers. I was afraid they were all seized up because it looks like the PO already tried. A lot of pushing, pulling and swearing, then I found a crazy tip somewhere. Plumbers putty over all the inlets. Football inflator on a bicycle pump. Pump pump pump, POW. Piston shot out like a cannon. I can't believe it actually worked.  Took 4 hours, but finally got one door's internals assembled. These late revision reinforced doors are probably marginally safer than earlier doors, but dang, there is no extra space. Figuring out how to get the regulator wedged inside completely sucked. Now I'm going to try making these look pretty. I assume any kind of blasting is off-limits. Lots of paint thinner and a toothbrush? 
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Feb 17, 2014 23:03
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I wonder if a F22 from an S2000 would fit in that thing...
Nomex fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Feb 18, 2014 |
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Feb 17, 2014 23:51
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Sinestro posted:13B swap. It's funny you mention this. I'm the one who had the previous thread about the sprite with the 12a going into it. I'm nearly ready to start trying to build a brake system for it. This thread will be a good one. Sprite  midget forever.
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Feb 17, 2014 23:55
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eddiewalker posted:
Are those the door latch mechanisms/striker plates? If so, try Soda or Walnut blasting. Both are finer particles so it may take longer, but both (especially the baking soda) shouldn't be a problem if they get caught in the internals. I'd think that the mechanisms would just kind of chew up the walnut shell and eventually it would all work its' way out. That or some kind of solvent or oil bath?
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Feb 18, 2014 00:01
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Captain McAllister posted:Are those the door latch mechanisms/striker plates? If so, try Soda or Walnut blasting. Both are finer particles so it may take longer, but both (especially the baking soda) shouldn't be a problem if they get caught in the internals. I'd think that the mechanisms would just kind of chew up the walnut shell and eventually it would all work its' way out. That or some kind of solvent or oil bath? Yes. That's all door latch hardware. I took it all in to a nearby blasting and powdercoating place. The only thing he was willing to do was pressure washing, so I left.
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Feb 18, 2014 00:04
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Jealous of that bolt set. If you have a compressor you can rig up a soda blaster with an air nozzle.
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Feb 18, 2014 00:38
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So, by the way, what are you planning on doing with the brakes? Are you keeping it a single chamber? If not what are you moving to?
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Feb 18, 2014 00:44
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Mr. Wiggles posted:So, by the way, what are you planning on doing with the brakes? Are you keeping it a single chamber? If not what are you moving to? You mean the master cylinder? Midgets got a dual-line master cylinder in 66/67. I have shoes, pads, brake hardware, wheel cylinders and a master cylinder all new and unopened from the PO. I bought a pre-flared nickel-copper line set from Automec.co.uk, but other than that I intend to just put on the stock stuff. I've never had trouble stopping a Midget with a properly functioning brake system, and hey, I'm shedding some bumper weight. Little less momentum to stop.
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Feb 18, 2014 03:04
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It's just really entertaining when you suffer from hydraulic failure and have absolutely no brakes at all. To me, it's worth the peace of mind to adapt a later-model dual circuit system.
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Feb 18, 2014 04:04
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Raluek posted:It's just really entertaining when you suffer from hydraulic failure and have absolutely no brakes at all. To me, it's worth the peace of mind to adapt a later-model dual circuit system. There's no adapting needed. This car was born in 75 with a proportioning valve etc.
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Feb 18, 2014 04:10
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eddiewalker posted:There's no adapting needed. This car was born in 75 with a proportioning valve etc. Oh, alright, sweet. Forgot that this was a later one. Rock on.
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Feb 18, 2014 04:39
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I'm living in the past withy 62, I guess. But your mounting looks the same so that gives me some ideas actually.
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Feb 18, 2014 07:26
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Nomex posted:I wonder if a K22A from an S2000 would fit in that thing... F20 and F22. K series is FWD.
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Feb 18, 2014 13:37
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Trying to keep this thing out of the archives. I still spend so much time digging through boxes of parts I didn't remove, trying to sort them. I picked up a 22gal oiled compressor from HF for like $130 and their $25 media blaster. I don't really know how much soda blasting is supposed to accomplish, but its really good at removing paint and grime. Not so good at removing surface rust, unfortunately. In an effort to do something that actually has noticeable results and keep myself motivated: Complete door! The regulator was a baffling mess, but the window actually goes up and down pretty easy. I couldn't get the door lock to work, even moving the bare mechanism in my hand, but forget it. I'm never going to lock the doors anyway. Side note: kind of disappointed in that nut and bolt kit already. It had replacement screws for the car-end of the door latches, but not the door-end.  Jumping way ahead of myself, but I went ahead and had the seats done. A few years ago on my last car, this is what I did with a $450 repro kit:  The material was junk, and I wanted something better. I dropped the frames off with a local upholsterer and said, "make them nice." This is what $160/seat bought me. Vinyl feels really nice, and I think they're going to hold up well. Now I have to find some seat rails to mount them on, because the dingbat I bought the car from lost the originals. 
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Mar 28, 2014 01:41
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eddiewalker posted:I don't really know how much soda blasting is supposed to accomplish, but its really good at removing paint and grime. Not so good at removing surface rust, unfortunately. That's about it. Soda is pretty terrible for cars unless it's paint removal only, and even then I don't trust it very much. Fine crushed glass is the go for the body and panels, and garnet is great for wheels. I believe your blaster should happily accept any media you put in it. At the blasters I worked at we used crushed glass so fine it felt like silk, but would rip through decades old rust like airborne acid, as well as help 'finish' the metal as it cleaned. It was fantastic stuff and creates a much nicer finish. You can also find extremely tiny glass beading that basically looks like white powder, that is awesome for engine / alloy components. Hope I don't sound like a know-it-all, but remember not to touch the panels with bare hands [moisture / oils from your hands can cause an insta-reaction to bare metal] and to clean it and primer it straight away as it will start reacting straight away to any moisture in the air. Also loving the new seats. They look amazing.
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Mar 28, 2014 04:06
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Seats look great! I'd be worried of using anything silica based for blasting without proper equipment. That's the appeal of soda. I heard if you crank up the pressure and buy the bigger grit, it'll do rust.
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Mar 28, 2014 04:39
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Ohhhh this is great. There are so many little details I'm finding myself staring at. I keep a project car file that lists my top choices and I've got MG on it, but next to it I've written "(British, is this really a good idea?)" If I have interior door handles like that it is! 
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Mar 28, 2014 05:04
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mafoose posted:I'd be worried of using anything silica based for blasting without proper equipment. That's the appeal of soda. I heard if you crank up the pressure and buy the bigger grit, it'll do rust. The boss said he'd tried it when he started out since it was all the rage, but it never gave the best finish, took a lot of cleaning afterwards as it left a residue, and never seemed to remove rust properly. He moved to abrasives and never looked back. There was a handful of cars that came to us after getting soda done and paint afterwards around three to six months prior, most of them home jobs. Turns out they weren't cleaned properly after blasting, and the soda residue left over reacted with the paint badly. In most cases, it looked like someone had thrown paint stripper all over it at random, so we'd end up doing a complete strip again. I also had to use our little handheld a few times for touch up / precision work and it took the light and heavy glass fine, but I never put garnet through it, so YMMV depending on the brand and quality. E: Also abrasive is a boiling hot butchers knife, whereas soda is a rather warm bread knife when it comes to removal times. 
H1KE fucked around with this message at 05:22 on Mar 28, 2014 |
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Mar 28, 2014 05:18
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Yeah the coating that soda blasting leaves is touted as a plus, in that the metal won't rust until you clean and prep it, but you have to clean it with vinegar or some poo poo so nuts to that. I think its best application is small aluminum parts that don't get refinished, like carb bodies and manifolds.
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Mar 28, 2014 06:23
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lovely deal with the bolts, have you contacted them? Mat_Drinks posted:I have interior door handles like that it is! Ooooh yeah, I've never noticed. I've seen similar setups on race cars, it should be possible to shorten the linkages on other cars.
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Mar 28, 2014 16:56
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Those seats look good. I'm trying to find someone who wants to buy mine , and I was wondering if I should get them re-done first.
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Mar 28, 2014 19:04
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The door handles: you have to reach across your body and open them with the opposite arm. It feels unnatural and no one can figure then out immediately. Great for a lean in and "Hey, let me help, sweetheart." --if you're smooth enough to pull it off. The blasting: I read a little about having to neutralize the soda before painting, so I've only done parts that won't need painting so far. Door latch hardware, bolt heads for things I have to reuse. I'll probably try it on the anodized aluminum windshield frame once I get the glass out. One thing the baking soda is great at is destroying contact lenses. Even after wearing eye goggles, I had to throw those contacts away 3 weeks early.
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Mar 28, 2014 20:13
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 10:07 |
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eddiewalker posted:The door handles: you have to reach across your body and open them with the opposite arm. These maneuvers should be pretty familiar to any Volvo 240 owners here. Media blasters own, it's like painting with a magic wand. Wave it around and watch decades of grime and dirt just disappear.
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Mar 28, 2014 23:24
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