1958 MGA Coupe

[bobs77vet]

plastic....original one too...

made a bottom gasket from a tire tube

 

[Sam Cogley]

Repop is $12, I think I'd just replace it. http://www.northwestimportparts.com/MGB-Windshield-washer-bottle-62-72-d1437.aspx

Printable replacement decal: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/accessories/at105c.htm

 

[bobs77vet]

Repop is $12, I think I'd just replace it. http://www.northwestimportparts.com/MGB-Windshield-washer-bottle-62-72-d1437.aspx

Printable replacement decal: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/accessories/at105c.htm

the original ones with the small top are N/A. ones with Larger tops are not much more then that....I guess I will clean it as best I can and then live with it until it bothers me into action. maybe better yet have that be a gift from the kids since my pusher for the water squirter is DOA.

 

[bobs77vet]

strictly hypothetically speaking.......if the boss isn't home is their a rule against wet sanding in the kitchen sink?


400 grit paper using dish washer detergent as the lubricant.









i can see getting one of those Mr clean eraser pads and doing this wet i bet i could even buff it with some polishing compound

i think it needs one more time with a really fine sand paper maybe 800

 

[bobs77vet]

have to figure out which carpet sample looks the closest for the rear area....






i am not sure i am going to use this



with the PCV i have nice support to run the water line




and that frees up space nicely for the vacuum advance bulb

 

[bobs77vet]

picked the carpet and thats on the way

now to the heater valve





and to the heater box control

clean the contacts




test with ohm meter after cleaning contacts and sanding bullets






now to the magic.....spray clear, if you had told me just cleaning and spraying with clear woud do this i would have not believed you

 

[bobs77vet]

thanks guys

well i have been putting this off.....i really like the weldwood HHR glue and i decided to take down the headliner insulation and reglue . that was a PITA






and done




i used the heavy viscosity sprayer on this it was a PITA






then cleaned the headliner bows with steel wool and cleaned it with degreaser so it will slip through the head liner loops. when you got it lined up just right it slips right in.













i still have to figure out how to slip the headliner down over the screws but i will let it relax to its new position over night before i futz with it any more.

and i remembered i had a new knob for this


i have been thinking about lowering the body back down and i think i can use the coupe top as the support for using an engine lift and picking it up
i can even use the lip as a centering device so the board doesn't slide

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I had to use a steamer to get the last of the wrinkles out of a headliner that looked like yours .... steam really is your friend, that and many cuss words.

 

[bobs77vet]

its so freaking hot and steamy here it may relax on its own


this is also in a parallel thread for searching purposes for the next guy/gal
http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?2,3209648,3275056#msg-3275056

so i found a previous thread

http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?2,2056993,3275038,page=2#msg-3275038

and read it and asked a few questions and John Larsen helped me through the process, my top was different then one that Randy used in Barneys photos/write up and my loops were much longer and i could not figure at first the process to use.


but the answers and photos and sleeping on helped me sort it out.....interior work is not my strong suit

so heres the drill...



heres the over hang the bow is inside



this the idea










its been sitting in a box for 35 years.....

it can have over night to get use to a new shape






and now to buy 12 feet of 1" binder clips.....

 

[bobs77vet]

and back to rear parcel shelf....paper template to cardboard template to 18 ga steel to trial fit




and lets see if i have enough material



to cardboard and more trial fits



to template



to straight sheet


not everything needs a fancy brake


remember the parcel shelf frame i made i have one left (if any one needs it send me PM) so it gives me a fit gauge







i have to think about what to do here its almost like the shelf was suppose to be 3/8 thick, i have seen a sturdy foam for interior panels i may have to look at that again to put on top of the `18 ga

 

[bobs77vet]

so I loosened the bows on one side and only cut from the bow loop the amount of the red body color showing for the bow and then moved to the other side. and did the same... then pulled the fabric down to the door lip. Jim Cheatham was gracious enough to cut the door surround trim and windshield headliner trim piece. so i need to make a trip south to pick those up this week. I still need to get the binder clips too finish the stretch. no reason to push this let nature and heat relax the fabric.

 

[Sam Cogley]

Just watched the "Wheeler Dealers" MGA episode last night. They're definitely cool little cars, and they got a pretty penny for theirs when it was done.

 

[bobs77vet]

yeah they do in an episode what takes us months...although I do like the show.....Ed Chinas tools have gotten better over the years.

I think I figured out why I have this gap



this is how the parcel shelf frame is lining up with the bottom of the window panel



this is an original parcel shelf frame lined up with the bottom of the window panel (from DanielR)



and that's why I have this gap, its pretty clear to me that the bracket tab got pushed down on the ends probably from someone leaning on it as leverage to pull a battery out. should be an easy fix to push the tabs more up right

 

[Sam Cogley]

yeah they do in an episode what takes us months...although I do like the show.....Ed Chinas tools have gotten better over the years.

Among the things I really like about the show is the lack of time-wasting "shop banter" stupidity that most of the US shows engage in, and the fact that Edd is very up-front about how long things take and that the work is compressed to fit in an episode. I also like the lack of intrusive sponsorship deals that most of the US shows engage in. I want to see someone working on a car, not spend 1/3 of the running time while the host engages in advertising. Even the tool brands (Teng in the UK, mostly Craftsman in the US) are damned near impossible to spot on-screen, and only get a small note in the end credits. One exception was in the MGA episode (I think) when Edd was using a specialty tool with a very large and impossible to hide Snap-On logo. On the other hand, the lack of a deal with sponsorship banners all over the shop means that if he needs a tool from Snap-On, he can just go ahead and use it.

Mike wouldn't have touched your coupe with a 50-ft pole. When he was looking for an MGA, he talked about the notorious rust problems and that they wouldn't make any money on a car that required more than minimal rust repairs.

 

[bobs77vet]

4 years later and I sometimes wonder what was I thinking.....although I do like the journey, but i dont need a another trip any time soon thats for sure

1000 binder clips later....

funny thing is you cant see those stretch marks with out the flash....looks like i found a trick to see how i am doing and no more complaining about Va heat and humidity...its actually helping me once in my lifetime

 

[bobs77vet]

today was a road trip day to pick up the door and front window trim pieces that Jim C made for me when he made his own pieces. it was nice meeting Jim and talking MGs with him

 

[bobs77vet]

lets wrap up the parcel shelf as much as we can

move the rear parcel shelf frame so the bottom is where its suppose to be and drill a hole for a fastener



repeat other side



cut the panel to size to take up the gap



close fit on both sides with the same panel flipped over



when the 1/8 Luan is doubled up there is no gap



prime the steel



so the plan is use the steel as the supporting structure and get some 1/4" water proof panel board or maybe even masonite and glue it to the steel and then glue the vinyl to both of them.....the angle where the shelf drops down has no supporting piece so this is my way of dealing with it.

 

[bobs77vet]

time to finish the parcel shelf.....dont really know how to do this smoothly so i am just doing it.....1/4 panel board

this was 5 hours of constant work

this is where we start the panel has been primed and dryed over night



fit the panel, use tape as a spacing tool off the back bend and make 5 holes for the top, i have decided to use #6 finishing screws through out the coupe....my #4 screws are loose in the existing holes so i am just going up one size. my original screws are an inbetween size of the now #4 and #6. any way decision made...too hard to find the original holes in the boot

the panel board is glued to the sheet steel



beveled edges sanded and puddyed up with 2 part glazing puddy


while i cut the material



just do it.....what could possibly go wrong? just paint up the panel and vinyl



and then pick up the vinyl to the panel so theres no wrinkles



flip it over and work on the edges




and just work your way around it




and done







and some clamps to compress the seams

 

[bobs77vet]

a little side track but you guys seem to like the metal working aspects of things especially from the bead roller

a fellow car guy Ed C asked me to help him make some panels for a truck project he has going on.

this is in the bead roller, I think its pretty cool.

 

[bobs77vet]

start with rthe MG work

let the headliner get nice and warm and get another 1/2" stretch all around









i will let this take its own shape for a while

so time to do some garage chores...

my bead roller stand needed some more die storage and to be painted





treated with a metal prep