'66 B progress update

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gorms68
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'66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

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I have been making good progress on our B. This weekend my wife and I assembled and installed the windshield. I had been dreading this part of the project, but it went rather smoothly. I credit all those who have struggled before us and shared their advice. So I too will do the same. I think the things that made our install go smoothly were, new Triplex windshield (with the modified corners), sent the frame off to be polished, and used the wax used to run wires in conduit from Home Depot. The hardest part was just figuring out how to proceed though the whole intall. We actuually put the completed windscreen on the car twice as I forgot to install the metal spacers that most people leave on the car. But not me I "had" to remove everything before the body went off to be painted. Overall I am pretty happy with the results.

The next project I finished was making the torsion spring that broke on the door lock lever. Found some music wire at a local hobby shop and after a few practice runs made a spring that closely resembles the original.

The wiring on the car is about half way done. All the wiring on the car is complete outside the passenger's compartment. The engine compartment, underside, and boot, are all done. I am using the Advance Autowire harness and Painless Powerbraid to make it blend with the rest of the car. I am real happy with the way it looks so far. The dash is my next project.

I also have all the bumpers on now. Only the bonnet is left to install now. Progress is good!
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Chris Gorman
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by tdskip »

Nice work Chris - she looks great.
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Steve Simmons »

Boy oh boy, I can hear the engine rumble already! :bow:
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Larry Kluss
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Larry Kluss »

Wow, it's looking terrific, Chris. I hear you on the windshield, it is a pain in the...
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by CJ Steak »

Good job!

You better drive your car as hard as mine when you're done. It'll be practically new... you need to wear it out as fast as possible. 8)
Chris "From Texas" Salisbury
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

CJ Steak wrote:Good job!

You better drive your car as hard as mine when you're done. It'll be practically new... you need to wear it out as fast as possible. 8)
Thats a tough order! I've seen how quickly you rack up the miles. :bow:
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

It's been quite a while since I posted an update on our MGB project. As many of you know we got the car ready to drive only to find out that the transmission that we purchased about 20 years ago for the car needed to be rebuilt. Well the Vintage MG Swap Meet in November provided the source for another O/D tranny. Now I just needed he time and cooperation of the weather to make the swap.

Steve S made an offer I could not refuse. He offered to drive over and help make the swap. I spent my hours after work the days before getting everything ready. Then on Saturday we pulled the engine and tranny out and before late afternoon had the new tranny mated up and back in the car.

A few more days of work on the car after I got home made it ready to pull out of the garage last night. And I am very happy to report that the transmission works great so far, still need to try out the O/D. The icing on the cake is that there are no leaks!

Here is a picture from my cell phone of my wife and son leaving for a trip around the block. the bonnet will go back on this weekend and the rest of the car will be put together once I am happy with the way she runs.
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Steve Simmons »

Woohoo! Awesome to see the car driving again. :) :thumbs: :drive
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Larry Kluss
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Larry Kluss »

Congratulations. It looks great. Very rare to see an MGB gone through as completely as you have done yours. I love the B in BRG..I had a BRG '65 for a short time 30 years ago.
Hope we can see it in person at Queen's English next month. :)
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Jimmy »

Steve Simmons wrote:Woohoo! Awesome to see the car driving again. :) :thumbs: :drive
And when was the last time you had that happen, Steve? Huh?
In baseball, running into someone is apparently a "collision".
But doing the same thing in a car somehow makes it an "accident".
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Larry Kluss wrote:Congratulations. It looks great. Very rare to see an MGB gone through as completely as you have done yours. I love the B in BRG..I had a BRG '65 for a short time 30 years ago.
Hope we can see it in person at Queen's English next month. :)
Looks like a fun meet. I'll try and make that one.
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Just took the car out for a run to Cable Airport in Upland for lunch. Car ran great most of the way, little rough on the way back after we went about a mile on the freeway. Will check that out later. But look at this picture we took in front of a Tiger Moth also parked at Cable. Wonderful day for a drive!
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Rough running fixed, loose spark plug wire on #4. Whew, glad it was that easy!
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Another milestone is passed! Plates and tags on the car.
Note the 1966 tag on the plate.
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Steve Simmons »

Nice! Good letter combination, too. Now that you're legal, and assuming you only plan to run one plate on the car, you can safely hang the plate with the original tags in the garage and put your current tag on the other plate like you would a modern car. As far as I know there's no way for anyone to ever know you assigned the plates through the YOM program, so I can't think of any reason to run for tags like they tell you to.

See you tomorrow on the London to Brighton run? 8)
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Unfortunately no, Chandler has a baseball game. He is starting pitcher too, can't miss this one.

I kinda of like having the old 1966 tag on their. The frame is kinda of different in that I can display both and not alter the YOM plate.

We also juggled our SAFTY FST plate onto our truck while Jill was at AAA making arrangements for the B and the BGT. It looks better there and with the MG logo in the rear window it might make more sense to some people.
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Been way too long since I posted an update on our '66 B. Took this week off so I got some time to work and play with the car. One annoying bug I have wanted to fix is the breather for the side cover. On this car I chose to deviate from stock in two areas. First I installed a Maniflow intake to promote breather air flow and a smoother idle, seems to work very well :drive This eliminates the location for the stock PCV valve though.

Well I also replaced the two piece side covers with a single one piece aluminum plate. Initially I thought I could get away with just a small open air breather. Worked fine as long as I was not on the gas and not on the freeway. Pleanty of oil made it past the breather to spray on to the hot header :(

This time I drilled a 9/16" hole in the side cover and taped the hole for some 3/8" copper pipe, which feeds a hose to the "new" air filters I bought. Neither the stock air cleaners or the aftermarket unit I had put on the car had an opening to suck the vented air/oil mixture out of the pressurized engine. My "new" Burgess Wet Type Air Filters have a port on the rear air cleaner assembly that does the trick. These filters were stock for a AH 100 from the mid 1950's so they look period correct on the engine another important consideration of mine. MOSS also sell parts for them if needed and I can fit K&N filters in them in the future. So far I am very happy with the results.
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side cover drilled and taped for a 3/8&quot; copper vent pipe
side cover drilled and taped for a 3/8" copper vent pipe
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Burgess Wet type air filters with PVChose to rear air cleaner
Burgess Wet type air filters with PVChose to rear air cleaner
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the first attempt to let the engine breathe
the first attempt to let the engine breathe
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and my first aftermarket air cleaner
and my first aftermarket air cleaner
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Steve Simmons
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1967 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8
1969 MGC GTS
Location: Co-Nay-Ho Valley
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Steve Simmons »

How original are all those electronics you put in the car? :devil:

Seriously though, it looks great. I love those air cleaners!
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

More good news to report!

I finally have the O/D system working! Just got back from a test drive and boy is it neat when that O/D kicks in for the first time. Another project accomplished :drive
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by Larry Kluss »

Looks great Chris. I was really hoping to see it at QE, but...
Perhaps the memorial day run???
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gorms68
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Re: '66 B progress update

Post by gorms68 »

Time for another update.

Got the windows and door panels installed last weekend. This weekend we installed our new tonneau cover. I am real happy with how nicely it fits.
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Door panels and windows finally in.
Door panels and windows finally in.
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