OK, we MUST pick a date for a meet at my new car-friendly digs early
in 2009, so you can show it off!
Dawson
On Nov 25, 2008, at 7:38 PM, Ron Engelhardt wrote:
> Thanks for the update Andy. I'm looking forward to seeing the car on
> the road at one of our rides in the new year.
>
> Ron
> 58 MGA
>
> andy preston wrote:
>> Ron, you asked for an update on my 1960 MGA Coupe restoration. For
>> those
>> who don't know about this car, I bought it 2 years ago this
>> Christmas from
>> some one in Grass Valley. The car had sat outside in a farmer's
>> field in
>> Sacramento for about 20 years. The weeds had grown through the
>> floor boards
>> to the roof. It had been home for many small animals for many
>> years. The
>> previous owner had "rebuilt" the engine and purchased a complete
>> interior
>> trim kit with leather seat covers. I have always loved these cars
>> and had
>> been looking for one for many months so I thought it was beautiful
>> even with
>> the no-native plants and animal presents. I decided to do a
>> complete body
>> off, nut and bolt restoration. I must say that the body was
>> relatively rust
>> free with the major hidden damage being to front right hand front
>> wing. It
>> had been in a major front side collision which destroyed the front
>> fender
>> (covered in bondo) and also bent the frame. I had the frame
>> straightened
>> and then sand blasted and painted it with Endrust primer and
>> chassis black.
>> I've rebuilt all of the suspension with new parts and reinstalled
>> them back
>> on the frame. I've rebuilt front the calipers, rear brakes and all
>> the
>> brakes are now installed. The wiring harness, fuel pipes and brake
>> pipes
>> are also new and installed. With the help on Norm's Auto machine
>> shop we
>> rebuilt the previously "rebuilt" engine, and this time magnafluxed
>> the
>> block, installed new camshaft bearings, cleaned all the grinding
>> paste left
>> in all the oil ways, polished the journals, honed the bores, on and
>> on.
>> I've bought a five speed gearbox kit from Pierce Manifolds and just
>> installed it with the engine last weekend. So the frame is almost
>> complete
>> just waiting for the transmission tunnel and floorboards, which I'll
>> probably install this weekend. I started doing all the bodywork
>> myself but
>> finally found an expert body guy and painter in Cotati. He took
>> the body
>> tub, wings, doors, bonnet and boot and all other items that needed
>> painting.
>> He stretched both front fenders 3/8" to make them fit, and re-did
>> all the
>> work that I had done. He said "who did this body work, it's
>> terrible". I
>> reluctantly admitted it was I. His work is superb. The body work
>> is all
>> finished and just waiting for me to put it back on the frame. The
>> color is
>> my version of Chariot Red, or what I think Chariot Red should look
>> like.
>> Brilliant! I've had all the chrome re-chromed by Chico in Santa
>> Rosa and
>> his work is great, and fairly reasonable. Hopefully I'll be able
>> to get the
>> body back on over Christmas and then it's onto the inside trim.
>> My goal
>> is to have it back on the road in the new year. Andy
>> _______________________________________________
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