I'm converting a BGT (and a Mdget1500) at the moment.
I was able to locate a rusted CB BGT, and was able to strip all the bits I
needed from that, although I am not changing the interior.
Body -
you will need to modify the bit under the tail lights.
also the front guards to take the CB front parking/blinker assembly.
Bumpers -
New mounts in the front and rear for the CB bits..
Cut back the front RB mounts and cap off so that there is room for the
grill.
Suspension -
You can get various after market springs, dropped spindle king pins,
flattened rear springs, spacer blocks etc to lower the car. Problem with all
of these is reduced suspension travel and/or reduced clearance under front
suspension.
I used CB front cross member, and modified the rear spring mounts back to
CB locations. CB cross member requires shortening the pinion shaft and
rebuilding the steering box mounts.
It is not practical to carry out the rear spring mount modifications unless
the car is on a rotisserie. The rear spacer tubes are very difficult to get
at.
The conversion was only worth while doing because I was able to locate a
donor car, and my RB car was esentially rust free. The donor car supplied
the tail light bits and the front side light sections.
I have no idea of the cost, but it hasn't cost much more in dollar terms
than the the full rebuild that I was going to do anyway. I has taken a long
time though.
Cheers
Ian F
----- Original Message -----
From: <mark.d.melvin@jpmchase.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 9:52 AM
Subject: New list member / B owner with special part sourcing question
> Hello,
>
> After a lapse in MG ownership, I'm back in the family. I previously owned
a
> '76 and a '71. It was as if I had to buy it, about 30" of bookshelf space
> with shop manuals, old catalogs, magazine articles, etc. have moved around
> for 15 years waiting for me to get another B. Requested new catalogs from
> the major suppliers today. It is nice, there is more available today than
> there was 15 years ago.
>
> I now have a '77, with which I'm about to offend some purists. The car was
> a recent arrival to the northeast after spending at least some time in
> Arizona. It was almost totally free of rust, original floorpans, original
> tack welds on the sills, just great. Some bubbling started in one quarter,
> blisters in the repaint popping on hood and a few other places. Trashed
> door skins, trunk lid mangled beyond repair, nose dent in hood, horrid
> replacement top, beige cloth GT seats in an otherwise black interior, but
> the tub was excellent. More or less my own version of a heritage bodyshell
> for less money with a running engine and original painted wires. So to fix
> the panels and then strip and repaint is first (other than stabilizing the
> mechanicals, which I've checked and they were surprisingly good). Dropping
> in new interior, for a third time offender, should be easy and I'm
fighting
> the illogical temptation to do interior before repaint.
>
> I want to build (like most nuts) a chrome bumper, smooth overrider, chrome
> grill exterior. Inside I want to retrofit the chrome line panels, leather
> seats (no contrast piping, no basketweave) and good carpet. The kicker, I
> don't like the 77-80 dash. Not at all. I'd rather have a '74-76 dash. It
> was my first car, and for some reason it is what I like. Okay, to be even
> more unpure, I also like the chromed banjo steering wheel instead of the
> brushed aluminum of the later ones.
>
> So my questions:
>
> a) To convert to chrome bumpers, aside form the labor, and ride height and
> etc. etc. etc. at a vary practical level I need new bracket mounts and
> humps to fill the flats under the taillights. I have found places in the
UK
> selling kits with these conversion bits, but no US suppliers. Are there
> any? I'd rather weld the new brackets before repainting rather than
> repainting that area later.
>
> b) Anybody converted to an earlier dash and have a spare 74-76 dash, radio
> console & etc to sell or trade?
>
> c) can anybody tell me which jets should be in a DGV for a non-emission B,
> presumably stock cam (until I find that it isn't)?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark Melvin
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