The “Must haves” list

Post any and all methods for doing things here, if you think you have a good method, that you don't see most builders using
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OrangeQuest
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by OrangeQuest »

Since my 2nd ex was a Brit I got her a 1980 MGB that was in great shape for her birthday. Since her birthday was Dec 17, for Christmas I got her the repair manual, tool box with set of tools and coveralls so she could work on it herself. Her idea of working on it was Daisy Duke shorts, small tee shirt and barefoot. All she had to do was add a smile and the car got worked on. One day during a liquor run she called me that she had a flat. I told her that I would be there in a few but to stand by the car and look helpless. Sure enough when I got there, she had a crew of 3 young guys helping get the tire changed out. I could have saved a lot of money and NOT buy the tools, book or coveralls. :doh:
"that it isn't just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it's a Boat, and sometimes it's more of an Accident. It all depends." "Depends on what?" "On whether I'm on the top of it or underneath it."
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Jaysen
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by Jaysen »

Mines a midget. 1500 single ZS150D. Delete of emissions and electronic ignition. Decked head/block and 0.010 over on cylinders. Flattop pistons. Brings me 9.7 compression. Require electric fuel pump and 93oct. Pulls about 92hp when I can keep the motor intact.
My already completed 'Lil Bit'. A Martens Goosen V12 set up to sail me to the fishing holes.
Currently working on making a Helms 24 our coastal cruiser.
“Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens” wrote:Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
Jaysen wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 3:44 pm I tried to say something but God thought I was wrong and filled my mouth with saltwater. I kept my pie hole shut after that.

bklake
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by bklake »

My most used tools:
C-clamps. Lots of C-clamps. Buy more every time you go to the store. When you think you have enough, buy 5 more.

Carbide paint scrapper. Nothing better for knocking down drips and runs.

Japanese style pull saw. The little floppy one especially. Use these all the time.

Capt UB
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by Capt UB »

The best is a Triumph TR6, my favorite in British Racing Green.... someday!

Then the TR4

Then the TR3

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Netpackrat
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by Netpackrat »

Capt UB wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:35 pmBritish Racing Green.... someday!
There’s not actually any such shade.... Back in the day, it was decided that different nationalities’ racing cars would have specific colors (and the stripe would often denote the nationality of the driver). Red for Italy, white for the USA, silver for Germany, and green for Britain. What you consider to be a “correct” BRG will differ whether you are a fan of Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lotus, etc. But there was never a specific shade called British Racing Green.

FWIW.

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Netpackrat
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Re: The “Must haves” list

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Jaysen wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 6:37 am Mines a midget. 1500 single ZS150D. Delete of emissions and electronic ignition. Decked head/block and 0.010 over on cylinders. Flattop pistons. Brings me 9.7 compression. Require electric fuel pump and 93oct. Pulls about 92hp when I can keep the motor intact.
I’m sorry I think is the best response. The 1500 engine in the Midget was just bad news in general. I had one briefly that was given to me. I did the math on how much it would cost to put in a condition I would be happy with and it far exceeded the cost of buying one in that condition, at which point I would have at least chosen one of the earlier models with the 1275 engine (or a B). So I passed it along to someone else who also never did anything with it.

terrulian
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by terrulian »

There’s not actually any such shade.... Back in the day, it was decided that different nationalities’ racing cars would have specific colors (and the stripe would often denote the nationality of the driver). Red for Italy, white for the USA, silver for Germany, and green for Britain. What you consider to be a “correct” BRG will differ whether you are a fan of Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lotus, etc. But there was never a specific shade called British Racing Green.
That's great info! And it explains why, when I bought my B, which was pretty trashed for being only about 10 years old, it was three different colors of BRG. I painted it Porsche white; I never liked British Racing Green in any variety.

Speaking of one more restoration story (man, we have SO hijacked this string!) In the mid-2000s I decided my B needed some more touching up, even though it was mechanically always great and the SUs were no problem if you knew how to tune them. But I decided new leather, paint, and some body work and a couple of fixes of peripherals needed doing and I looked into some low-rent guys I knew for paint and interior, and pretty soon I was up to $10,000. And I'm thinking, for that kind of money, you can't buy a car that shitty, with a crappy heater/defroster even when working perfectly, a leaky soft top that is a complete CF to get up, wimpy power, no safety features, and handling that could outdone by any modern middle of the road sedan. So I got a Miata with a hardtop that goes up in 12 seconds and drives great, and thought, this was actually what Morris Garage had in mind anyway.
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Netpackrat
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by Netpackrat »

terrulian wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 4:49 pm Speaking of one more restoration story (man, we have SO hijacked this string!) In the mid-2000s I decided my B needed some more touching up, even though it was mechanically always great and the SUs were no problem if you knew how to tune them. But I decided new leather, paint, and some body work and a couple of fixes of peripherals needed doing and I looked into some low-rent guys I knew for paint and interior, and pretty soon I was up to $10,000. And I'm thinking, for that kind of money, you can't buy a car that shitty, with a crappy heater/defroster even when working perfectly, a leaky soft top that is a complete CF to get up, wimpy power, no safety features, and handling that could outdone by any modern middle of the road sedan. So I got a Miata with a hardtop that goes up in 12 seconds and drives great, and thought, this was actually what Morris Garage had in mind anyway.
That's the problem with MGBs and restoring lower value classic cars in general... You can never get your money out of them. The only way to actually make money in the restoration business is to be a shop owner and have a client who doesn't care what it costs bring you his car. Otherwise you are far better off buying the best one you can afford, preferably one that somebody else has already dumped the time and money into. But it's easy to get screwed there too unless you really know what you are looking at and how to evaluate condition. I've got a '73 MGBGT needing restoration sitting out at my brother's hangar that I picked up a few years ago, and I am probably going to get rid of it without ever doing anything with it for that reason. I'd dearly love to have a BGT to drive at some point but if I get serious about having one I will probably buy a runner. I don't mind spending the money but I have too many other things I want or need to work on.

An MGA like the one I am restoring isn't quite the same proposition. Mine will never be sold, but the overall values for the type are high enough these days, that it's possible for an amateur restorer to at least get his money back out of it if he needs to sell it. You'll never get your time out of one but it's a lot better than spending $20,000+ building a $10,000 car. But you really have to be committed to doing quality work and keeping to original spec.

The other issue is the quality of replacement parts has gone to complete shit over the last couple of decades. On the one hand, availability of almost every part you could want is good in terms of reproduction, but on the other hand the parts are garbage. Especially electrical parts; I never would have predicted that NOS Lucas would become the gold standard for quality, but that's where we are now. NOS electrical parts sometimes go for big money on Ebay...

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Jaysen
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by Jaysen »

Netpackrat wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 4:21 pm I’m sorry I think is the best response. The 1500 engine in the Midget was just bad news in general.
That is the correct response.

Engine #1 was tired when I acquired MadGe. I bought engine 2 to spec. Rebuilt engine one (original) to stock. Put #1 back in and spun bearings due to running NY viscosity oil in the south. Put two back in and installed oil cooler and better oil. Moved to Charleston and forgot that “spank != faster speed” and developed the cyl 2-3 gasket hole end of trip. It’s just a quick gasket job but no place to do it right.

I love that car. It’s a pit but so are boats. Just love driving that thing so I’ll pay someone to fix it here before too much longer.
My already completed 'Lil Bit'. A Martens Goosen V12 set up to sail me to the fishing holes.
Currently working on making a Helms 24 our coastal cruiser.
“Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens” wrote:Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
Jaysen wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 3:44 pm I tried to say something but God thought I was wrong and filled my mouth with saltwater. I kept my pie hole shut after that.

terrulian
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Re: The “Must haves” list

Post by terrulian »

Jaysen, great post.
I like working on boats and cars but have avoided considering the economics of either. You can't start thinking that way if you want to be a sailor or a wrench monkey. [Oddly, I just looked that phrase up in the urban dictionary and it says that wrench monkey is a term limited to guys working on muscle cars. I don't think so.]
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