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I finally have all I need to install the body onto the chassis. Welded in the pasenger floor pan and moved to the driver side. It was evidently replace once before because this pan was welded about every 1/2-inch along the inner edges compared to every 1-inch on the pasenger side. Also, for some reason, the front and rear inner corners were bead welded. Its taking me a lot of extra work to clean off this mess so I can install the new pan. While working that I noticed I forgot to run the accelerator tube out of the slot cut for it so I tackled that job. The shift rod bracket took a little figuring out but the great folks in the TDreplica club passed on some needed advice and the bracket was installed. Yesterday the floor pan gasket came in along with the body washer kit. The rear brakes went on and then I had to tap the drum on with a mallet. After pulling one rear drum I checked the thickness of the brake shoe material and the brake shoe metal plate. Turns out the thickness of the metal plate of the brake shoe is considerably thicker than the stock shoe. Note to self…never get rid of the old parts until the new parts come in and then compare the old with the new.
After taking a break on Sunday afternoon, I cut the hole for the steering wheel, battery box and the gas tank. The front corners of the gas tank extend beyond the side of the body just a little so I’ll round those corner edges just a bit and install the tank after adding in my shutoff valve and fuel filter down on the chassis. Things are starting to come together and I’m feeling okay with the progress. Hope I’m over the hump with major issues. More to follow as I progress with my building of Moneypenny.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackOn a big project of this sort, I often have to wrestle with myself mentally. Did I make a mistake. Will I ever finish? Just how committed to this am I? And then, hopefully, one day the sun comes out and it really starts to look like something that I am intensely proud of….and I can’t sleep, because adrenalin has me up wanting to bolt on that last piece and drive it down the road.
Sounds like you have crested the hill and are clearly over the hump. I’m excited for you and look forward to seeing your beauty at Carlisle.(And with the builds going on right now, yours, Gkesseru’s, Rocky’s and others, I’m really glad that I went to last November’s car show in Virginia Beach. I feel that was my last chance to win a trophy.) 😉Allen, before you drop the body on, you sealed and painted the pan, right?
Much easier to do that while the pan is sitting there uncovered.Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
As soon as I get the driver’s side floor pan in I’ll do the seam sealer on both the underside seams and the inside seams. I usually seam seal around the brake pedal stop bolt as well. But thanks for the reminder.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackSounds like you are making great strides Allen! Be sure to take lots of pictures of the progress… It keeps folks like me motivated! 😉
Roy… I struggle EVERY DAY with myself mentally over my project! lol
Good Luck Allen!
Doug
Struggle mentally over your project? Shoot…I struggle mentally period! Does that make me mental?
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackAllen,
I would use something like Por-15 or Rust Bullet on the entire top surface of the pan before you drop that body on it, essentially creating an impenatrable seal over all the metal.Por-15 seems to have been the go-to coating…but I just read about Rust Bullet…PMOSSBERG2013-01-15 12:48:42
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
I’ve been using POR-15 for years. Use it anyplace that water may get into that is unreachable when the car is assembled. Inside door panels, floor pans, underside of fenders, wheel wells, the underside of the dashboard and even on the bottom of the winshield frame. For the floor pans, after I weld them in and apply the seam sealer, when the seam sealer cures I coat the entire top and bottom of the chassis with POR-15. Once I put the body on I don’t want to have to pull it for rust.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackI just ordered the 6 pack of the Rust Bullet. I’ll try it out and let you know what I think of the product.
mustang_evets2013-01-15 21:18:00This was the first time I’ve seen Rust Bullet.
If nothing else, whoever manages their web site makes a pretty convincing case!Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Well I got the rear brakes changed and all fits and the brake drums rotate freely. Then I moved on to the driver’s side floor pan. Its welded in and ready for me to add the pedal cluster etc. That’ll be tomorrow. Should be a warmer day tomorrow. 65 degrees me thinks.Did pretty good for an old geezer. Now its some pizza and beer. Then….watch “Duck Dynasty” jack! lol
One question for the rest of ya. After you put the pedal cluster in and all, did you weld in the piece of the tunnel opposite the pedal cluster and shift bracket access? I’m welding mine back in for structural integrety.newkitman2013-01-19 17:42:10
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shacknewkitman wrote:One question for the rest of ya. After you put the pedal cluster in and all, did you weld in the piece of the tunnel opposite the pedal cluster and shift bracket access? I’m welding mine back in for structural integrety.I plan on welding my access panels closed once I make sure the P.O. did everything inside correctly. Always a good idea to make sure the backbone is strong!
Spend most of this morning going through the bolts and nuts in the kit. I had 51 sandwich bags of hardware each numered and there was no rhyme or reason to the numbers. So I took the assembly manual and each time the instructions said to bolt this using this or that hardware I put that hardware in a bag with a label saying which item it was securing. Ended up with 39 bags of hardware with the rest I have no idea what they go to. So those are in my parts box and I’ll deal with those when/if I get to them. Now I won’t have to spend hours searching through bags trying to find the correct bolts and nuts etc. Also I did this to give my hands a rest. Pounding and wrenching all day yesterday made my hands so stiff I couldn’t hold a wrench this morning. Darned arthritis!
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackMy kit came with two bolt lists! One in the assemply manual which had absolutely no coorilation to the bag numbering… and what looked like a hand written “invoice” with a listing of numbers, bolt sizes and quantities. Matched perfectly… and I was able to re-bag, number, and cound and replace what was missing from the old torn bags. I think the Original Fiberfab listing in the manual and the FMC listing, packed many years later, must have packed differently.
Who knows!Well welded in the driver’s side floor pan Friday after work. After supper, I went out and tested the welds by grabbing the floor pan outer edge and jerk it up. Well……I jerked and the entire floor pan came off. I inspected the welds and they looked good but noticed that a lot of welds came up with the floor pan. Something wasn’t right. After about a half hour of trying to figure it out I looked at the spool of wire in my welder. It had Aluminum wire in it rather than the correct metal to weld with. I had run out of wire and went to Sears and bought a new spool of wire. I never looked at the spool I pulled from the shelf, I just took the top spool and went with that. Someone must have put the aluminum wire with the standard welding wire. Well back to square one. Nothing I can’t fix. Just a slight delay. But I’ll get er done! newkitman2013-01-27 19:13:00
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackFrustrating.
When I bought my welder to do my rear suspension, it said the wire was for non gas usage which was what I wanted. None of my welds held. I put the pieces together, took it for a drive and came home on a hook. Didn’t figure it out until I went to replace the empty roll of wire and found the welder had come with the wrong wire. Once the correct wire was installed the welding went well. Over the years I’ve only had a couple minor breaks (there’s another thread on that) You start to question your ability not knowing the error is not yours.
Carry on with confidence.Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"It’s like you soldered ’em in! 🙂
That “grabbing what’s on top and gettin’ it done” thing has bitten me any number of times. 14 years ago I was buying my first house & it was a definite “first time buyer” kind of deal. Hadn’t been lived in for 5-7 years and the old lady who owned it (she’d grown up there; parents bought it new in 1928) was doing nothing. Bank needed repairs done or there’d be no loan so I volunteered a couple pals to do a few things, including a new ceiling in the sun room.
All needed to get done fast to close the deal so, on a lovely Friday night in January I headed to the Despot after work with my friend Chad to get the sheet rock for the ceiling job. Small room so we only needed three or four pieces. Grabbed the first stuff we came to and lashed it to the top of his Jeep.
Man, that stuff was heavier than I remembered sheetrock being. But I chalked it up to me being tired ’cause it was late.
Next morning, Chad and my pal Mike are doing that ceiling while I’m up on a 25-foot extension ladder outside chipping thigh-sized ice chunks from the gutter. Mike comes out all pissed off: “Ed! Why the hell did you buy fire rock?”
I’m like, “what the hell is ‘fire rock,’ inside boy?”
Right! As I now know, ‘fire rock’ is the 5/8-inch-thick sheet rock, so called because it’s one-hour-fire rated and thus suitable for use between units, on garage walls that abut living spaces, etc. It’s also nearly twice as thick–and thus twice as heavy–as the 3/8-inch stuff I should have bought.
Decided to finish putting up my portable garage today. Needed to install the front and rear panels. Instructions say not to assemble in high winds. Wind was about 5 mph…when I started. Got the front panel on (garage door end) and switched to the rear panel. That’s when the wind decided to increase to 20 mph gusting to 25. I was half way finished and had to finish. The wind blew me off the tall stepladder and I fell really hard. Fortunately nothing broken…only hurt my derrier. FINALLY got it finished so I don’t have to start and stop in a hurry when it rains. Tomorrow I will add the brake lines and new master cylinder. Then its install the body on the pan. Had to grind off the rivets the PO used to install the body-to-chassis seal. So at long last I will be able to say that I have a replica of something. newkitman2013-02-03 18:27:37
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackYeah I’ll be careful. I sometimes forget that I’m a tab bit older now.Still can do what I used to do but now it takes longer. Thanks Ed.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackWell I have a house project to take care of so when I can (so as to not hold up the TD project) I’m tearing down my engine to see what needs to be ordered. I’m thinking a new 1641 engine rebuild kit is in order but I have to tear down the engine to see what size bearings I need. While I have the engine torn down I’ll do a dye penetrant check on the case halves to make certain there are no cracks. Any cracks and its a new case. I’ll also have the case align bored if required. That’s all there is at the moment. Moved the body into the portable garage as the rain will start soon. Glad I don’t have all the snow my friends and relatives on the east coast have. I may miss the 4 seasons but I sure don’t miss the snow.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackNewest update. I got the engine partially torn down. Turns out the #4 cyclinder rings are frozen to the cylinder wall. Can’t get the cylinder off the piston. No cracks in the case and the new engine rebuild kit comes with everything but the case, oil cooler, and engine tins. I have all the rest. I’ll finish the teardown and then go back to building the body.
I set the body on the pan and it didn’t fit right. Turns out I hadn’t cut out the notch that allows clearance for the torsion tube cover. Some of the other kits have a raised box-like piece on the front of the rear fender or on the rear of the running board that fits over the torsion tube but my Fiberfab kit does not. Ah…the dinner bell. Yes, time for some biscuits.Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackAllen,
If you doing a 1641, you might was well go to 1776!
I’ve had both in my Duchess. The 1641 did not feel that much different than stock. But for all around cruising, back road and highway, the 1776 is really nice.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
I’d like a 1776 but for now I think a stock 1600 will do. Was going to go with a 1641 but the budget won’t allow for it. Perhaps next year.
Interesting find. My engine is a 1600 AH fuel injected engine. A rebuild kit for that is $100 less. I’ll have to see what the differrence between a 1600 FI dual port and a regular 1600 dual port is. The kits look identical.newkitman2013-02-10 20:26:22
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack
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