This is Miss Trixy - a 1958 MGA with 67000 miles. Acquired in near-running condition, and gradually being brought the rest of the way there.
Timeline
June 13 Acquired, towed home
June 17 - Bought a crank on e-bay. Silly, and I'd break my wrist if I tried to use it - but there's a bracket in the trunk for it. Gotta fill the bracket.
June 20 - replaced battery, rewired fuel pump and rebuilt points in fuel pump. IT STARTS! Oliver and I ran it around the block - but it still needs the master cylinder rebuilt - It can't fully release the clutch and there's very little brake. Tachometer doesn't work, gas gauge is way off. Other electrics seem very good. Other notes - It's already been converted to negative ground. One less task!
July 2 - It's RUNNING! Replaced master cylinder, installed, reinstalled, tightened, reinstalled, bled and bled and bled the clutch - and it's FINE! (Though somewhere in there I moved something and now the windshield wipers won't stop.) Drove it to dinner and the movies. Tomorrow, electrical gremlins.
July 3 - Rewired windshield wipers, license plate light. Getting into the brake light thing.
July 9 - 100 mile trip - after new tires. Runs great, a little rattly at highway speeds. But the heat sticks on sometimes, gotta fix that or we'll dry up!
Observations
It's interesting working from a British shop manual. Though there were infinitely many more left-hand-drive versions of the car sold, the manuals are all right-hand drive - so the master cylinder is on the wrong side, etc.
Plans
Move the battery back into the car, in the right battery box. This in-the-trunk stuff takes up too much space. | |
Fix the tach, or get it rebuilt | |
Tires, fluids etc. all around | |
Seat belts | |
Shake it down properly, and learn what other surprises are in store. |
Here are some links, more for me than for you, dear viewer.
Groups
www.mgaguru.com - I love this site.
UK MG group - Great page http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mga.html
http://www.mga1600.btinternet.co.uk/
One like mine http://www.morrisgarage.com/mga/
Chicagoland Club http://www.chicagolandmgclub.com/
North American MGA Register, www.namgar.com
The MG Car Club, www.mgcc.co.uk
Parts
Victoria British http://www.morrisgarage.com/mga/
Moss Motors (parts), www.mossmotors.com
Rebuilt master cylinder with new sleeves http://www.oconnorclassics.com/parts_mgab1.php
Service to do it http://www.applehydraulics.com/brakes.htm
Diecast model
Electrical
MGB stuff on Positive Ground Conversions http://www.mgb.bc.ca/service/tips/electrical.html
http://www.mgb.bc.ca/service/neg-convert.html
Another one on the Nash Metropolitan
http://retards.org/library/met/archive/msg04006.html
And a Jaguar http://www.jcna.com/library/tech/tech0023.html