CONSOLE AND DASHBOARD COMPONENTS RECEIVED

I had ordered some parts from Moss Motors to complete the dashboard and console and I received them  yesterday evening.  Unfortunately, I had an adverse encounter with an oral surgeon Friday morning.  Consequently, I will not be back to work until Monday...hopefully.  I feel as though I just went 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion of the world and he just kept hitting me in the same place.  

When I return on Monday, I will be fitting the switches and gauges on the dashboard and console.  Following that, I will be fitting the hood supports.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

PNEUMATIC HOOD LIFT SUPPORTS

One of the most aggravating things about working on an MGB, or any other British sports car, is the position of the hood when it is raised.  And that support rod...it is always in the way.  To remedy the situation I have decided to install dual pneumatic lift supports on the hood.  If I use a 28" support, the open hood position should be near vertical allowing greater access to the engine compartment.  They should be relatively easy to install...wish I hadn't said that.  

I will be fitting the hood in the next few days and I will post photos of the lift supports installation.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

THE CUSTOM DASHBOARD

The original dashboard for my MGB was a disaster.  The upholstery material was cracked and both ends of the metal frame were compromised by rust.  

I removed the vinyl cover and foam pad.  John applied fiberglass to the metal dash frame to form a smooth surface.  I am trying to decide whether I want a painted finish or a vinyl covering.

We are converting the radio console, which mounts below the dash, to a switch panel.  The original shifter console will be attached to the transmission tunnel.

Urethane primer has been applied to the hood and the finish coat of "hotrod black" as been applied to the underside.  The latch assembly has been fitted as well as the release cable.  The hood will be permanently installed soon.

The archive listing of this blog contains detailed step-by-step photos and narratives regarding this restoration since it began late.  Please direct any comments and questions to tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com.

Enjoy...

Tom McCurry 

Materials and equipment purchased from:

Moss Motors (mossmotors.com)

Victoria British (victoriabritish.com)

Eastwood (eastwood.com)

The Roadster Factory (the-roadster-factory.com)

English Parts (englishparts.com)

Napa Auto Parts (napaonline.com)

Apple Hydraulics (applehydraulics.com)

Coker Tire (cokertire.com)

INSTALLING THE ELECTRIC COOLING FAN

TEnglish sports cars, such as the MGB, are notorious for overheating, especially in the warmer climates in traffic.  But there is a solution.  The original radiators simply cannot do the job.

To eliminate overheating from the equation, I chose to install an electric auxiliary cooling fan in front of the radiator.  The fan was purchased from Victoria British and required additional bracing.  VB furnished a mounting system, but it was not as "permanent" as I thought necessary.  The mounting system consisted of plastic ties, that resemble wire ties, which pass through the radiator core. Push nuts, of a sort, when fitted to the plastic ties, secure the fan to the radiator.  I fabricated metal brackets to attach the fan to the radiator support as shown in the photo to the right.

The archive listing of this blog contains detailed step-by-step photos and narratives regarding this restoration since it began late last December.  Please direct any comments and questions to tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com.

Later...

Tom McCurry 

Materials and equipment purchased from:

Moss Motors (mossmotors.com)

Victoria British (victoriabritish.com)

Eastwood (eastwood.com)

The Roadster Factory (the-roadster-factory.com)

English Parts (englishparts.com)

Napa Auto Parts (napaonline.com)

Apple Hydraulics (applehydraulics.com)

Coker Tire (cokertire.com)