This is the beginning of my build log. It is a continuation of my post in the "MGB GT will be coming to the Non-traditional Builds Log soon" Well, after 4 months of waiting patiently as another B-GT came and went, this one’s time has finally come. The car has now moved from the driveway to the garage.
I have always been a proponent of looking 3 to 5 steps ahead before committing to a plan. Today I ran into the 1st oops of many to come, I’m sure. I found that it will be difficult to access the storage loft above the garage door with the car taking up one place. Oh well! I hope the Truckster will sell quickly. Maybe I’ll swap with the storage in the main loft. If I only knew what I wasn’t going to need access to for the next few years.
It will be after Xmas that I’ll be able to actually begin to turn a wrench on it.
This will be a 4 to 5 year project, I’m sure.
Let the fun begin.......
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Last edited by rx7locost on December 19, 2021, 10:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chuck.
“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman
There is a fair amount of rust in the usual places and a cut out crossmember that needs to be fabbed later on. Average rust considering the original cost of only $350 (with a valid title in the seller's name which saves me a bunch of headaches and $ on my end). I am prepared to spend 1-2 thou on new sheet metal alone. I will KNOW the condition of the car instead of guessing and hoping some previous owner did it right. I'd rather start with a real dog and build it up than with a nice appearing car that may have hidden "issues". And there are always hidden issues. That's just the way I roll.
BTW, after buying this car and a donor, then selling some parts (I still have more to sell later) and the scrap value of the donor, my "purchase cost" is down to only $75. I can afford a lot of sheet metal at that cost.
I am going into this with eyes wide open. I just hope that I don't get anything in my eyes along the way.
Chuck.
“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman
Yup. Well aware of Moss, and a half dozen others like Victoria British, Start Your Engines (bought by Moss), British Parts Northwest, LBCarCo, Scarborough Faire (aka NOS Locators), Northwest Import Parts and more. I even bought bumpers and exhaust pipes from Warshawsky (aka JC Whitney). I bought a lot of parts thru all of them and thru Moss's Distributors 20-30 years ago when restoring my MGA. I've been playing with various British cars on and off for about 40 years.
Thanks for following this one, Feel free to contribute or just simply post somethin' interesting.
Chuck.
“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman
Ron, The slate is clean at the moment. I have many options to consider. Currently, I am thinking GM 60 deg V-6 engine w/ FI. The goal is 160 - 200 HP & Lb-Ft torque. Followed that up with a T5 trans with ~ 0.7 OD ratio and a swap of Diff gears to 3.31 or 3.7. The car will have A/C, cruise and possibly electric power steering. A lot of sound deadening and insulation will be added too. Exhaust will be as quiet as I can get. I'm not interested in a "sporty" sound. I can't decide if I will add power door locks and windows. Probably will add seat heaters and adjustable lumbar pillows to the MGB seats.
I want to keep the look of the GT so the basic bodywork will stay OEM as will the interior. Some mods will be made to the dash as I abhor the pillow dash. What can I say? That's what I have to work with! And of course, a modern radio. I just added that last one as I've never found the need for a radio in an open roadster. But this will be a quiet GT cruiser.
I've got time to sharpen my goals a bit. I give myself about 1 to 1-1/2 years to get the car stripped down and the rust and body work done. Then I will need to have a final plan.
That is the plan as it sits today. Changes to that plan may and probably will change as time goes by.
Chuck.
“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman
I'm looking forward to seeing how this will turn out. Having had a few GT's, I have a soft spot for them. One of these days I'll pick up another and turn it into something similar to what you're planning though I really do like the look of the Sebring MGC GTs.
Among all the suppliers (retail sellers) it is generally agreed that British Motor Heritage Ltd makes the best OEM panels as they are built on original tooling. Anyone selling BMH panels would be equal in quality. There are other mfgrs beyond BMH that make partial, or patch panels as well as reproduction panels that vary in quality. Some sellers including Moss, offer both. Oddly, BMH also owns and sells under another mfgr, Steelcraft, whose panels may, or may not be made on original tooling. I haven't quite figured that out yet. And it may vary part to part. To their credit, Moss (US) sometimes sells both BMH and aftermarket for the same part and it is clearly listed in their online catalog:
BMH.JPG
All vendors sell the sills as individual parts. Some sell the sill parts as a package set under one part number per side. Even when buying the "package set", they are still loose parts, not pre-assembled. I hope that answers your questions.
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Chuck.
“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman
That seems like money well spent. I've had not great experiences with non-BMH panels on the Mini. The BMH ones sort of just slide into place - the non-BMH stuff will take much more than $32 of my time to make work!
Just for information, TRF posted in one of their e-mails recently that they were taking orders for 2019 from BMH for the complete MG roadster and GT bodies. Starting price of around $ 15 K. That is if you want to start with a clean slate.
