Re: PA assembly

["Mike Hughes" <hughes.c.m@worldnet.att.net>]

The fifth u-bolted bracket at the center of the cross member is one of two 
that support each side of the forward end of the drive shaft tunnel between 
the seats, and thus the inner sides of the floorboards.

So the order of assembly goes roughly as follows:  The engine, transmission, 
drive shaft and rear axle, including all central oiling lines, brake cables, 
firewall vertical brackets and panel are already installed in the chassis (a 
rolling chassis, like you see in period photos in many M.G. books).  The 
radiator is mounted to the front engine mount, with rubber grommets between 
the radiator bottom and the cast iron engine mount bracket.  Then test fit 
the body to the chassis, with care to get the scuttle and radiator centered 
and aligned vertically and horizontally to each other AND the bonnet and 
side panels.  ONLY THEN, you drill the necessary holes, bolt everything up 
and check again.  It may be necessary to shim the body at one or more points 
to get a good alignment.  Spend LOTS of time on this!!!  Next fit the drive 
shaft tunnel.  It is screwed directly to the (usually) plywood angled 
vertical panel forward of the wheel arch and bolted to the two u-bolted 
brackets at the center of the cross member.  Once the tunnel is in place you 
fit the floorboards.  As each piece of the puzzle is added to the chassis it 
will be clearer which piece goes in next!

- Mike Hughes  -t?t-


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lawrie Alexander" <Lawrie@britcars.com>
To: <mg-mmm@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 5:12 PM
Subject: PA assembly


> Fellow MMM-ers,
>
> Eleven years after I brought home a basket case PA 2-seater, I have 
> finally
> made the time to begin the assembly of the body to the chassis. Naturally,
> having not taken the car apart myself, and having never restored a PA
> before, I am running into questions!
>
> The first should be a no-brainer but it sure has me puzzled. I have set 
> the
> body on the chassis and found four mounting holes - two at the rear, where
> angle brackets on the body meet angle brackets on the chassis, and two at
> the front where holes in flat plates on the body line up with holes in the
> chassis. So far, so good. However, there are, on the chassis, five
> upside-down U-bolted plates (2 each end of the two chassis cross members,
> one in the center of the forward crossmember). These look as though they
> should support something, as their flat surface is uppermost and the
> threaded ends point upwards, apparently awaiting something to be bolted to
> them.
>
> I can't believe that body is held to the chassis with only four bolts, so
> I'm guessing there are some kind of brackets that go on at least the
> outboard U-bolt plates, connecting to the side rails of the body. I have 
> no
> unidentified brackets in any of the boxes, tins, paper bags, etc., that 
> the
> car came in. Can someone please confirm the mounting method of the body to
> the chassis, and describe what goes on these U-bolted plates?
>
> TIA
>
> Lawrie Alexander
>
> ///  unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net  or 
> try
> ///  http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> ///  http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
> ///  Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/mg-mmm
> ///  Send list postings to mg-mmm@autox.team.net
///  unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net  or try
///  http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
///  http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
///  Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/mg-mmm
///  Send list postings to mg-mmm@autox.team.net