MGB GT Restoration

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After finishing the CSK Range Rover, as much as one of these can be classed as finished link, I found myself looking to scratch an itch.

Somehow I've managed to reach my current age having only owned Land Rover products (2x Series 3, 3x Range Rovers, 1x Discovery). I have driven other cars through work/friends/hire and family but I've never owned one.

So, I decided to remedy this by buying an MGB. I prefer the look of the GT to the Roadster.

Scouring ebay I found one local to me and arranged to have a look. I will add here I was buying with the aim of a complete restoration so I was looking to pay low with the knowledge I'm going to strip back everything and would likely be replacing panels regardless of one small patch of rust or a gaping hole.

The car was a late 1979/1980 model which fits with my intended engine path nicely (post '76 cars have the engine mount and front end modifications that allow me to drop a V8 in with ease).

The GT was last on the road in 2010, I have a sparse amount of detail on the history but it seems there was a substantial amount of work done by a ford main dealer some time in 2007, certainly a large bill.

Photos of the car before I started stripping it down;

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This weekend I put the car up on the ramps to get a feel for what was underneath, it was actually in better condition than I had hoped but still needs a lot of work;

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As with all restorations, I started by stripping the car.

All glass/seats/soft furnishing was removed along with the tailgate and dashboard, sorry for the photos but it was getting dark when I finally stopped work. The strip down did highlight some nice rust areas;

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The current plan is to strip the engine/box/bumpers and knock together a "swivel frame" to bolt the car too. This should allow me to turn the car onto its side if not all the way over to work on the shell.

More updates as they come.
 
remember my grandad doing this with one in similar condition, there was a lot of nastiness hiding behind the front wings, ended up sticking a load of new metal in there.
 
Interesting project :cool: Lot of rust for something that has had major work in 2007, but then why on earth would someone take a B to a Ford dealer?!
 
my dads just at the end stages of his mgb roadster restoration...make sure you have lots of welder gas!
 
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Firestar_3x said:
Another great project, will be reading with interest :)

Take it you've watched Mark Evans fixing the MGB Roadster up?
Click to expand...

That guy is awesome, I watched both the MGB series and the 4x4 is born, I far prefer his work to wheeler dealers and the even worse classic car program channel 5 spewed up recently.

Recent developments...

Engine and gearbox were removed;

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Front and rear rubber bumpers removed;

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I then constructed a roll-over jig, 2x A-frames and a mounting jig bolted to each end of car that allows me to do this;

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I then removed the Webasto roof and a front wing, once again getting dark;

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The jig took a fair while to construct so I didn't get as much done on the car as I'd have hoped but it should speed the process up a lot.

I've also picked up a replacement gearbox and 2x engines to start the work on.

Gearbox is an auto :eek: This is likely to be a controversial choice but this isn't going to be a race car, more of a tourer with a lot of poke.

The engines I've acquired are both 3.9 Rover V8, one from a 1993 Range Rover and one from a 1997 Discovery (interim engine, serpentine).

That's all for now!
 
Some great pics there, I've seen parts of the shell that I haven't had to look at on mine yet. I run a MGB GT LE as a daily :) The GT shell does look solid once all the interior it out. I reckon a v8 auto would make a lovely tourer too.
 
vanpeebles said:
Some great pics there, I've seen parts of the shell that I haven't had to look at on mine yet. I run a MGB GT LE as a daily :) The GT shell does look solid once all the interior it out. I reckon a v8 auto would make a lovely tourer too.
Click to expand...

How do you find the MGB as a daily? I'm probably going to use this for a lot of my daily duties so I'm interested in your thoughts and what you'd change with the B.
 
Mine needs some work which yours would get done anyway as part of a resto. New rubber seals all round etc. I've also got some uprated heater bits to fit but didn't get round to it before winter. The heater does enough to keep the front windscreen clean but that is it, so you need windows open.

All my driving is back country road stuff and it's been spot on. I've driven it through the odd flood and some snow covered roads and it's never missed a beat but I do have ice touring tyres on on a second set of LE alloys.

It been my first rwd car so I was a little apprehensive about it but I've found it very sure footed and you would have to be pushing it to get the tail out which I haven't done yet although on the normal summer cheapy goodyears it would do a wiggle in the wet when pulling away from a sharp turn on a junction etc.

http://www.zen70509.zen.co.uk/mgb/mgb/nov2.jpg
 
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looks lovely, I'd thought the heater could require some help when I stripped it out, what's the uprated kit you've got?
 
Definately following this one, I have a 1981 last edition MGB GT in Yellow with 33k on the clock sat on my drive waiting to be put back on the road, cars original owner was Kevin Keegan! Perhaps this thread will give me the motivation.
 
A matrix with more cores, uprated motor and larger modern fan blade(a bit like the kind you got on some cpu coolers) I also think the wider alloys help with the handling and traction.

I read up a lot on the net and raised the tyre pressures. Around 27 in the front and 30 in the rears which improved it, I was running on the factory pressures(supposedly for old ply tyres) which was around low 20s and +3 more in the rears which was heavy going. Made a huge difference and I'm settled nicely with steering which is a lot lighter than what I was expecting.

Going the full resto route will be great because you are starting with a fresh canvas and you will know your parts are good, I'm still finding my way around and replacing/fixing stuff that was ignored or bodged about.

Oh and once the shell is done I'd do it out with dynamat and then dynaliner, mine has proved to be a very damp and cold box at times!
 
Hmm, I wonder if this is going to turn out to be a good thread...

*clicks Range Rover link*

Holy cow this is going to be epic!
 
The a-frame looks interesting, where have you bolted it to out of interest? How high does it get? (top height when on its side)
My dad did a resto course at Leeds uni and is looking for a full resto project to get into, looking more like a moggie van or pickup for him though, was just wondering with the A-frame as it might be worth him making one if it'll work.
 
Looks interesting, looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

I'm a big classic nerd. But I'm never sure what to make of the B.

I drove one for a year as my daily drive 2009-2010.
Looked epic, sounded as sweet as melting chocolate, turned heads.

But handled like a barge. Tried to kill me repeatedly in the wet and felt about as sporty as driving an old boot.

Yes, mine was not the best example and although looked good the mechanicals, suspension etc were not at their best.

However talking to others that have experience with them, they seem to be of the same opinion.

All in all found the B to be a bit of a disappointment. Found my trusty Hillman Imp to be much more fun, responsive and dare I say 'sporting'.

However, I'm sure good examples with sorted suspension etc are great fun. Looking forward to see what you do with this one to make it go as good as i'm sure it will look. :)
 
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