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Feb 23, 2018 17:11:34 GMT
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As I have have a MGB GT for the last 40 years, I have had a lot of time to come to the conclusion that the drivetrain is best suited to secure small water-craft at anchor. Slathering it in $$$ has no real benefits when measured against baseline, so best not to go too far down that road.
My suggestion would be a 3.4L V6 out of a GM vehicle even if you had to import it from the USA along with the installation kit.
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Feb 21, 2018 21:12:17 GMT
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Stuff a pool noodle in the gap. That’ll do. I’ll get my coat... 😂 You actually come closest to the general idea. Only think small diameter pool noodle wrapped in a burl walnut wrap.
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Feb 21, 2018 15:51:01 GMT
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Screw the deadline - just do it right. But...she GLOATS as I hand over the $$$!
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Feb 21, 2018 13:16:29 GMT
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One of the tipping points for using the Miata dash in its entirely is that it brought along all the HVAC functions and controls with it. All of the Miata ducting is in place and un-altered. The de-misting vents fall right where I need them to be.
The lower leading edge is a bit of a pain, but I think a decorative strip of some sort will deal with the issue. A more difficult decision is, with another $1000 deadline looming on June 22, do I move on to other things that are required to get the car on the road ( not painted) or do I bolt the dash in place and revisit later when the wiring will make it harder to remove and work on?
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Feb 21, 2018 12:11:56 GMT
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You bring up a point I keep trying to make for those on the sidelines. Yes, this is about skills, but the truth is that the skills often follow, not lead, the determination to get the job done.
I have never done about 85% of the task completed on this project. The thread is in real time as I learn how to do stuff. If I show the failures and the do-overs it is because that is the learning point and maybe the best bit ( after I get it sorted) that I will laugh about in the future.
We all learned to walk and talk in about a year, this stuff is easy by comparison!
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Feb 20, 2018 20:42:03 GMT
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So you did decide to forgo the telescopic conversion...what tipped that decision?
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Feb 20, 2018 16:07:09 GMT
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Speaking of progress...more proof that this is a non-linear game. When I went out to the shop on Monday morning, I had the dashboard installation and wiper system installation firmly crossed off the list with big exclamation points of relief. They are both back on the list. When I installed the dash and its PITA A-pillar mounts, I was locating the dash position based on 4 bolts on the tunne ( see the little rectangular hole at the bottom of the dash?) l. With the tunnel bracket on the dash located so that the four bolts looked centered, I built the brackets to hold the ends and leading edge of the dash. And there was much rejoicing because it came up nice and close to the windshield and yet allowed for the window rubber to go in place. And there was room for the wipers to fit underneath. What I was missing at the time was the center stack piece for the radio and HVAC. Had one on order but not yet here. Should have waited. When I went to install the centre stack for the dash ( aka "Tombstone" in Miata vernacular) the leading edge would not match the console. Furthermore, the shifter mechanism ( has a tongue that travels under the front of the console via the tombstone) would hit the tombstone. So, the dash had to rotate a few degrees forward, tilting the leading edge downward. Needing the mounts cut off the A post and the leading edge of the cowl. And the front of the dash had to be re-contoured to match the lower position. Broke my spirit to cut these off the A-post since they were so fun to make and install. So, the dash is in a workable position now. Just need to re-make the side brackets and dream up a new forward bracket of some sort. The more interesting challenge is that I will need to carve some clearance into the leading edge of the dash that will accommodate the wipers, and then figure how to trim-out the front so as to hide the wiper mechanism and 1.5" drop to the dash. It has to be something elegant because it is going to be right in your face the whole time. On a more positive note, the front clip is firmly attached and most of the grinding to clean up the welds is done. Maybe a few more hours to fine tune some of them, but let us pray the front clip never has to come off again. Pete
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Feb 17, 2018 11:45:40 GMT
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When pondering modifications to a classic car, I try to adhere to a philosopy of " lets not just give grandma a boob-job". If I am going to whore-out a classic car, then I am going for High Class Hooker status by doing the entire system. I like the products from Classic Car Conversions. They address the front suspension limitations of the MGB with a comprehensive kit that deals with all of the shortcomings in the geometry. Good-bye and good-ridance to the kingpin swivel axles. Maybe have a look if you are still shopping? I run their rear 4 link system in the GT and it transforms the ride to the point where the wife unit no longer dreads drives in the GT.
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You are correct in that I am thinking of circa 1985 telescopic kits.
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God hates a coward, so with no further ado and one last read of my warning, the front clip has been welded on. The car is now one piece again. Big milestone in my book. This is the DS cowl. Pretty much have the DS welding done and started on the PS. Bit of the old grind in my immediate future.
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Feb 16, 2018 21:02:37 GMT
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I am not a fan of the telescopic conversions for the MGB. The main design requirement for the telescopic conversion is "They fit the space". There is a fair bit of science that goes into matching shocks to cars, and the telescopic conversion kits ignore most of it in favour of investing in marketing.
It also always looked a bit naf that, in the front you still have a stock damper bolted in place right next to the factory piece that serves as the upper control arm mount.
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Feb 15, 2018 21:53:35 GMT
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I have done a "mop" by attaching a sponge to a long rod and running it down the length of the sills on an MGB. If you can get a 1/2 drill motor on the end of your rod it will fling the paint around to where you want it. Only way to get any paint in the two box sections. I use POR for this type of activity.
This is a very messy process by the way and uses a lot of paint.
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Feb 15, 2018 17:05:06 GMT
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You would have noticed the rounded holes where the lower pivot for the swivel axle bolts on. If you did not have to beat the bejeezzuus out of the bolt to get it out, the perhaps it was not seized and eating into the lower control arm holes.
With the amount of vertical play you describe, I would be surprised if there was not any side-side play in the lower swivel axle bush. I would clean everything up and reassemble dry to see if you can feel any movement.
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Feb 13, 2018 21:31:08 GMT
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When you say "Underside" you mean body or mechanical? How has the new Burges cylinder head been working out for you?
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Feb 13, 2018 15:48:43 GMT
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We are kind of lucky here in Ontario Canada in that the rules for emissions are pretty common sense. The gist of it is that they do not want your car creating more pollution that it did when it was an original spec classic car. Fair enough.
If it is spewing smoke because it is worn out, of course they will fail you. If it had certain emissions controls when it was made, ( EGR, Closed circuit Evap controls ect) they need to be in place. It is NOT like California where the emissions controls have to be the exact factory parts, so you can use aftermarket cats and fabricate what you have to.
If you think about it, engine conversions to more modern engines( especially if EFI) should be encouraged as they tend to run cleaner than what was originally in the car.
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Feb 13, 2018 14:47:42 GMT
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No need to worry about compressing the spring to get the front apart. Just undo the 4 bolts that hold the shock to the crossmember. Seriously, it wont have much stored energy in there. It's how I do it now. Course the first time I did it this way I was shitting myself with worry that it would fly across the room and kill the cat, but it was a non-event. If you are really worried, run a chain up through the spring just so it could not go far if it wanted to. And by the way. while the paint might not be to your taste,Rick's car is a rather nice V8 conversion. On the subject or welding...what is it that people have against preparing a panel for welding? If you expect good results you need clean metal a minimum of 1" on all sides of the weldment. And this has to be on both sides. Think about it...the purpose of the inert shielding gas is so that the metal can go to molten state and not react with oxygen or other reactive gases. If you don't clean the weld, you are boiling off the crud that is near your weld and mixing the fumes with your shielding gases. Those fumes do nothing for the consistency and/or chemistry of your weld. And since you are of course doing a full penetration weld, the same thing applies for the backside. Welding tin is hard enough without the weld bead reacting with random combustible gasses and popping like a rice-kryspy all over the place. Trust me, once you start to weld clean tin, you will never go back. I keep hearing the bit about being a better grinder than a welder, need to try the grinder BEFORE welding.
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Last Edit: Feb 13, 2018 15:10:14 GMT by bjornagn
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Feb 12, 2018 12:00:26 GMT
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I'm for option one, pulling it all together in one nice custom cover piece. To me that would be more in keeping with the rest of your build. Can't remember off the top of my head where your console ends, but I can even imagine a nice barrier from one arch cover to the other fitted behind your seats. Separating boot and cabin visually a little bit more. Although I'm not thinking of a high plate (creating a box shape), but rather something with some shape to it and a lower centre... If that makes sense. The though of something behind the seats has crossed my mind also. Just so happens that Mazda makes a crossbar that bolts right into the shock towers. It would give me something to tie stuff to so that it does not go slidding into the rear window. Structurally it would be kind of redundant since the roof does kinda the same thing. Option #1 is certainly a good one, I do however think it needs a lot of detail development ( read as "more work"). It should be fun to look back on this point of the thread from the future and compare to what was actually done.
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Last Edit: Feb 12, 2018 13:00:07 GMT by bjornagn
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Feb 11, 2018 15:57:17 GMT
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North america is lucky to have SEMA around to remind all the pea-brained-well meaning bureaucrats that the car mod industry creates a lot of jobs and taxes for the country. Even at that, its a never ending battle to fight back the morons who see our hobby as a podium to build their political careers.
As someone who has to deal with the EU lowest common denominator bureaucratic mentality, I was kinda hoping that Brexit would ease off this kind of limited short sighted thinking. Sad to see that the Brit gov-wonks are dumb enough all on their own.
What irks me from a personal level is that on the one hand the bureaucrats cant figure out why kids no longer develop any manual skills, and on the other hand they go around closing any door that might encourage the development of those same skills.
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Feb 11, 2018 13:57:39 GMT
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And with a final bit of welding, the cowl area is done. The patch joins the outer edges of the Miata scuttle to the Volvo a-post area. In other words, welding upside-down in the footwell over your head. Because of the contorted position required, I will admit to procrastinating about doing this for a bit. Like two years worth of procrastinating. Quite happy with the results now that it is done. So with that done time to finish off the job with a touch of shine. Wire wheel all the welds, scuff the paint with a scotch-brite pad, degrease, mask and shoot some rocker guard to hide the scars. The reason for white was in case I ever have to stick my head up under the dash, the white will help with the mood lighting. Anyone else have this problem? This is the result of the one patch panel that I had to make. Why is it that any job I do takes every tool I own to accomplish!? Wipers can now go on to stay and the project moves on to getting a wiring harness routed; the plan is to use a thinned out Miata harness.
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If you went for option 1 could you fit a speaker in the V between the tower and arch ? That would be a part of the thought process for going that way. So yes, I hope so!
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