David:
If you want to be able to drive the car anytime in the near future,
shove a cork in the devil's mouth.
Bare shell restorations take a long time to put back together. Many
never get completed. What would happen if you had to relocate in the middle
of a restoration?
Unless you are planning on a color change, which can only be done
properly with a bare shell, keep the car as complete as possible.
There are so many things that have to be pulled for a good repaint
that you have more than enough work to do.
My Suggestion.
Pull all lamps, including the trunk light
Pull bumpers
Pull the steering wheel, t/s switch, shaft assembly out. (9 bolts and a u
joint, the bolt in the u-joint must be removed, not just loosened) (this
makes pulling the dash back easier)
Remove windshield frame assembly, this is easier with the dash undone and
pulled back, do not remove the dash from the car unless you are really sure
you can replace it.
Remove windshield wipers, wheelbox nuts and spacers. Leave the wheelbox
stubs sticking through the sheetmetal.
Remove the washer squirters, these do not usually come out intact. Plan on
replacing with new ones.
Pull the window regulator mechanisms and glass out of the doors.
Pull the exterior handles, key holes (buy the nifty new installation kits to
put these back in), mirror pedestals (purchase new ones), outer rubber
window seals and chrome side trims from the doors.
Pull all the bright trim from the fenders (each piece has one mechanical
fastener)
Drill out all the side trim clips (purchase new ones)
Practice installing new side trim clips with a pop riveter. The art is to
automatically pull back when the rivet breaks, not fall forward and scar the
new paint.
Remove the aluminium rail that surrounds the cockpit. 5/16" wrench, lots of
patience
Remove the lift a dot studs and rear top pegs (very carefully, the screws
will fall into a black hole if dropped)
That's about the gist of it. To do the paint job right, lots of
stuff needs to come off. Enough that it is a major program to put it back
on. Pull as much stuff off the outside of the car as possible to make
smoothing the paint easier. The less masking of the outer shell the better.
Do not bother with painting the inside of the car shell unless you
are a real lunar, or color changing. The interior kits cover pretty much
everything up. The underside of the firewall should be detailed as it does
tend to corrosion. Make sure that the dash is wrapped up so that you don't
get overspray on it. Use high quality masking tape to mask anything left
inside of the car. The body shop will not keep it clean. All electrical
parts must be sealed to prevent sanding dust from getting into them. If you
mask something, make sure the job is completed and the masking tape removed
in a reasonable time. The stuff turns to cement.
That's enough for now. If you want specifics e-mail me directly. I am in
the process of sripping my 78 down completely to rolling chassis for a
repaint.
Kelvin.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Tulchinsky [mailto:tulch@ccsalpha3.nrl.navy.mil]
> Sent: Monday, July 26, 1999 12:37 PM
> To: MG List
> Subject: preparing body for paint
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm presently in the process of removing the engine/tranny
> for a rebuild --
> and the little devil on my left shoulder keeps saying to me
> -- just keep
> removing parts until all your left with is the body shell,
> and then send
> it off to the paint shop to give her fresh coat of paint to
> make her really
> beautiful, as well as functional. The devil on my right
> shoulder is a little
> more pragmatic and keeps reminding me of the cost of a new engine and
> a new paint job, and reminds me that I'd rather be driving the car.
>
> Any thoughts on my dillema?? If I do decide on the paint job
> (and I win
> the lottery), how many parts should I remove. How much chrome??
> Do I remove the seats, dash, and carpeting and get the
> interior painted?? \
> How about all of the other stuff in the engine compartment (brake and
> clutch MC).
> What about the suspension components (would be hard to get around w/o
> the wheels), but what of the steering column and rack???
> How much of
> this stuff do I leave to the body guys, what shouldn't I
> leave to the body
> guys???
> Is it less pricy to do it my self or let the paint guys do it???
>
> Any stories out there. I'm willing to listen to the horror
> verions as well
> as the
> "look it turned out beautiful". Mine you, I don't want to
> undergo a complete
> take it all apart restoration, just a function good looking MGB.
>
> Thanks--
>
> -David Tulchinsky
> 77B, in pieces
>
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