Luv2Wrench Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Very excited to start a new project that is very similar to the Metz Roadster project. The MG TD is also a basket case and my daughter is also going to be helping. The differences, however, are pretty big. The MG TD was a running car that was disassembled for a restoration that was never completed, the sheet metal is in near perfect condition and was, at one time, ready for paint. Unlike the Metz, parts for the MG TD are available online... very different from the Metz. This is also a different daughter, as this is my younger daughter and she will be joining the project this summer after she returns from her freshman year in college. I hate to interrupt the Metz restoration just as I had finally gathered/reproduced the missing items but the chance to work on the MG TD with my daughter this summer might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. While the Metz is an interesting car to me, the MG TD is an amazing looking car to my daughter and thus very interesting to work on. We can also order parts and spend our time working on the car rather than making parts (though that process is growing on me). Here is a picture of the engine, parts (and junk), main body and chassis parts. The body, engine and transmission are all number matching so this is a real car and not an "accumulation of parts" like the Metz. It appears the car was last on the road in 1978. Yes, you see MGA parts here and there. The MG TD was being restored along with an MGA and MGB GT. My parts include a fair number of MGA parts though the MGA is nowhere to be found. The person I bought the TD from still has the MGB GT and it is for sale. The plan is to sort parts, rebuild engine/transmission while waiting on daughter to finish first year of college. Once she gets home we'll get the chassis painted and assembled. From there it will be body work/paint, assembly and then interior. (I must chuckle at how simple the plan seems...) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 10 hours ago, Luv2Wrench said: The plan is to sort parts, rebuild engine/transmission while waiting on daughter to finish first year of college. Once she gets home we'll get the chassis painted and assembled. From there it will be body work/paint, assembly and then interior. Simple plan, complicated execution! Seriously, this looks like it will be a great project. Early British sports cars are somewhat simple machines ( I have a Triumph TR3A) but have some weird quirks that can baffle you at times. Consider hooking up with a good MG TD forum that can provide advice, how-to's, and even leads on parts sources. It's great that you and your daughter are going to work on this car together. My two sons would assist on the old cars when asked, but didn't seem to "enjoy" working on them (but did enjoy riding in them, which was good). Keep us informed via updates here, will be looking forward to following your progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Can't wait to see your posts. I'm sure you will pass by my MGA timeline quite quickly and get in right back on the road. Good luck going forward. -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unimogjohn Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Jeff, it looks to be a great build for you both. Look forward to following along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 At least, parts are not as heavy as the ones from a US car! Good luck with your project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 Thanks for the support guys, I'm sure I'll need it!! We've gotten a pretty good start. All the boxes have been gone through and parts have been sorted. Unfortunately it seems that all the neatly labeled tiny boxes with nuts/bolts and other small parts are for an MGA. Would be great if we had the MGA all the parts came from. I guess that somewhere someone has an MGA with no small parts and maybe they have all the small parts for my TD. In addition, a lot of the new parts are for an MGB. The good news is that it doesn't look like we're missing very much other than nuts, bolts, cables, wires, etc. The engine turns over easily, all valves move properly. Once small concern is that it might turn over a little too easily as the spark plugs are still in it!! The gearbox is my first focus. The "first motion shaft" (the shaft that sticks out and goes into the pressure plate and clutch) was either broken off or cut with a torch. While that can easily be replaced I was worried that whatever force broke the shaft might have damaged the rest of the gearbox. Fortunately after taking it apart and inspecting and measuring, it looks like just replacing bearings, thrust washer and gaskets will put the gearbox back in top condition. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 I'll be creating videos as I go. They will be a little behind the posts in here but might contain some additional information. Here is the first one. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 The machine shop called and, finally, I got some good news about the engine. He magnafluxed everything and found no issues. Valves and guides are fine. Camshaft is fine. Crank is fine but will need a 20 thousandths grind so I'll get 20 under main bearings and rod bearings. Cylinders were fine but were pretty rough at the top. They were already 60 thou over so we're taking them out to 100 thou over. Everything cleaned up great and head was nice and flat so only needs a skim. I've order the parts and they should be here next week. I also ordered gearbox parts as well as chassis and brake parts. I'm probably going to switch the plan up a bit and shoot for a rolling chassis a little sooner. Space is really tight and I still need the shop for occasional vehicle maintenance and repairs (6 cars in the family) so I think the best place to store things is, well, on the car and in a state where it can be rolled around. Here's a link to the next video. These videos are a little boring as their primary goal is to help me remember how I took the things apart so that I have some hope of putting them back together. In addition, I'll apologize ahead of time for repeatedly calling the gearbox a transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Jeff, I like your videos. What video editor are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 (edited) Thanks Paul. I'm using iMovie on a Mac. It works fairly well as long as you don't need to do anything more than drop clips into the timeline and insert some transitions. You can do some basic editing on each clip and insert some titles and whatnot but it is pretty basic (it comes free with the operating system). Here's the 3rd part where we stumble our way through taking the engine apart. One of the issues with the MG Workshop Manual is that it is written from the perspective of fixing a certain item, like the oil pump or water pump. It doesn't really serve as a guide to tearing down the entire engine at once. Edited March 25, 2018 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Jeff, Great video on the trans. Maybe I will try to work on my own trans, I had originally thought it above my skill level and I should farm it out. I'd love to be able to do it myself, maybe your videos will encourage me to give it a try. -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 Chris, I very much thought the same. I figured I'd just poke my head in there and see what was what. I found multiple sites with great information and it really turned out to be one of the less complicated parts of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 15, 2018 Author Share Posted April 15, 2018 Working on a "basket case" restoration is like working on a puzzle without the box top to show you what it looks like. In this case it is even more difficult because I don't have all the pieces and pretty much none of the special BSF nuts and bolts. Today that changed!! I picked this guy up for a reasonable price. The engine is seized, the body is rusted through and it has no usable interior parts... but it is a great "box top" and a great supply of nuts and bolts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 Wow, the elements have done a number on that one! Do those bodies have a wooden frame with sheetmetal covering? By the way, really nice blast cabinet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 Yes, wood frame with sheetmetal wrapped around and nailed. The wood on this poor guys is 90% gone... not just rotted, but decomposition cycle complete gone. Thanks! I made the cabinet long enough to handle axles and it has worked out very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 The parts car has proved to be even more useful than I had imagined. For every part I removed that I needed it seemed that part was connected to two others that I didn't have either. I've removed everything I need for now and will keep it as is to serve as a guide during assembly. I'm getting ready to do that assembly right now! I removed the body tub from the frame and set the frame up outside. I pulled the Clogmaster 3000 out of deep storage, bought 500 lbs of blast media and went to work. The Clogmaster was in rare form... nary a clog the whole time and it produced a wonderful stream of media. I blasted the frame twice and was done in about 3 hours. I have no explanation for its performance. It worked wonderfully and acted as if it were a piece of professional equipment. I've got some pretty good tools in my shop now so maybe it got used to hanging out with them and decided to up its game. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 NICE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Wow, you'll be caught up to me and pass me by in no time! Great work, nice to hear the Clogmaster is working for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, hursst said: Wow, you'll be caught up to me and pass me by in no time! Great work, nice to hear the Clogmaster is working for you. After breaking down the parts car I have a much better understanding of what you went through taking your car apart. I can easily see how it took you so long. I also found out why the Clogmaster was in rare for. First, it didn't clog because it was virgin media straight from the bag. Second, it easily removed the thin layer of primer someone had applied to the frame after they properly blasted it. I tried using the Clogmaster on part of the parts car and it wouldn't do much of anything... so I increased the amount of media coming out and it pretty much clogged right away. So... new rule, only buy project cars that have already been blasted and primed. Edited April 30, 2018 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 1, 2018 Author Share Posted May 1, 2018 Paint... is always a good thing. Two coats of SPI Epoxy primer with one more to go. On the last coat I'm going to up the reducer to 20% to flatten the finish a little more. I do like gloss, but the MG chassis parts were satin, so satin it is. SPI Epoxy primer has UV protectants in it so it doesn't need a topcoat. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Yes, paint is a good thing! It can be a nightmare, but usually not on a frame. Nice little frame! I'm sure you can lift and move it yourself without the help of a hoist, or am I wrong? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 1, 2018 Author Share Posted May 1, 2018 3 hours ago, Roger Zimmermann said: Yes, paint is a good thing! It can be a nightmare, but usually not on a frame. Nice little frame! I'm sure you can lift and move it yourself without the help of a hoist, or am I wrong? Thanks Roger. The frame is about 250lbs which is about my limit so yes, I can move it around by myself but it sure is easier when the daughter is around!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Ah! so much! Well, considering that the body has almost no influence regarding the stability of the whole car, that weight is justified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 7, 2018 Author Share Posted May 7, 2018 The parts car is out of the shop and I'm thrilled to have some room back. I rearranged the shop a bit to make room for an long narrow rolling table. I wanted to be able to lay parts out and make sure that I had everything prepped for paint or plating. I've run into some issues with the dampers (shocks) but I think I'm pretty close to getting those rebuilt. It is a long story but the short of it is that I've decided to do it myself. I've got the lathe, mill, press and other tools I need to get it done correctly and promptly. The frame paint is complete and I'm very happy with the sheen. It'll probably take me all of next week to get the parts prepped and painted but I'm hopeful I'll be able to start putting them on the frame next weekend. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 Dampers (shocks) have consumed a lot of time but they're sorted now and I'll reassemble after paint. I'm getting close to paint right now... need to blast front drums and a half-dozen other parts and then go back over everything one last time before wax and grease removal and, finally, paint (epoxy primer). My goal was to get a rolling chassis this weekend but I managed to mess that up by forgetting to order a few parts and some parts didn't get here on time. I've been fairly good with getting things to the shop when I need them and not waiting around too much but it has been a battle. I certainly underestimated the complexity of procuring parts. Fitting this around a full time job and family life has been tricky as well but I've enjoyed it so far. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 I think you are a lot better organized than I am. I like the rolling table. That is a really good idea - much better than piles of parts on shelves all over the shop. If I had to guess, this will be a breeze compared to the Metz but I'll be interested to get your take on it when it is further along. Cheers, jp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 11 hours ago, JV Puleo said: I think you are a lot better organized than I am. I like the rolling table. That is a really good idea - much better than piles of parts on shelves all over the shop. If I had to guess, this will be a breeze compared to the Metz but I'll be interested to get your take on it when it is further along. Cheers, jp I'm a very visual thinker/worker, if I can't see it then I really struggle hence the need to have the rolling tables (there another one on the other side though its primary function is a welding table). As for being easier than the Metz, that is largely the case. The ability to order parts in the range from used, NOS and multiple reproductions is a huge benefit. There is much more information available as well though more doesn't always mean better. The enthusiasts for the MG TD and a brass era car like the Metz are a bit different. The technical knowledge available for a brass era car tends to be much deeper while the MG TD tends to swing towards upgrading the cam, adding horsepower, etc. I have found that having the ability to make parts coupled with being able to buy parts on the Internet provides one with wonderful options. Though while I can buy most everything I'm still making parts. The odd custom bolt, bracket, etc. There have been a few custom bolt-like parts that were very expensive to purchase (more than $50) that I was able to easily make with the lathe. The dampers (shocks) often leak because the bore for the shaft and the outer bore for the oil seal are not always concentric. That was trivial to fix with the horizontal mill. All that said, I do miss the Metz and can't wait to get back to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Those parts look familiar... You are progressing quite quickly, great work. Love your shop layout, it makes it so much easier with the space. My shop only works for contortionists. Can't wait to see it come together and still interested in the Metz, when you get back to it, too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 18, 2018 Author Share Posted May 18, 2018 Moving along a little... Painted the engine. There's nothing in the engine, just bolted a couple of pieces on to paint them. While it takes a good bit more time I like to paint the pieces and then put the engine together rather than painting the engine after assembly. I really prefer the contrast of paint and natural hardware. That progress is stalled because, of course, I ran out of paint. Progress on the chassis parts has stalled as well. I ordered a new paint gun (DeVillbiss Finishline 4) and, of course, it got lost. I did finally get it but, of course, it is raining and will be for the next 8 days. Hopefully there will be a break or two this weekend and I can get the parts painted. In addition I managed to not order all the parts I needed and will now wait on those to come in. I've really struggled to have what I need when I need it. It really is amazing how I can get a sub-project going, get stalled by some missing item or problem, start another sub-project, get stalled, repeat, repeat. Eventually I get to the point I just have to wait on UPS. Thanks goodness shipping is so fast these days. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 11 hours ago, Luv2Wrench said: While it takes a good bit more time I like to paint the pieces and then put the engine together rather than painting the engine after assembly. I really prefer the contrast of paint and natural hardware. Luv2, I agree with the contrast of the paint and natural hardware. To me that's what adds interest to an engine or a car. But you are right, it does take a lot more time, plus I always have to touch up the fasteners after bolting the engine together. I've done it both ways. Not sure which way I prefer..............it's usually a decision based on the car itself and how much detailing there is on the rest of the car. Great progress on this MG TD, keep the reports coming! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 Pieces ready to paint and new spray gun finally arrived. Finishline 4 FLG-670 with 1.3, 1.5 and 1.8 tips. Really great gun, atomization is fantastic and controls are easy to work. I added an in-line desiccant water filter (blue when its good and gets pink when saturated) and used the air regulator that came with it. I built a hanger system to hang the parts from and while I thought it was big enough it barely held half of the parts. I should be able to do the remainder today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 Whoa! Nice gun and nice hanger system! You are right, when parts are ready to paint it's difficult to hang them safely. I had my system when I restored my cars, it was much crude as yours! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 Fantastic work, way more efficient than me. You may not have too many more posts at this rate, as you'll have completed the car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bush Mechanic Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Well done. That certainly looks familiar. I think of it as the hanging fruit stage, when the chassis components are cleaned, restored and painted. Fruit of your labours, perhaps. And now comes the fun part of the restoration. Bolting all of those clean, shining pieces back together. Enjoy! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 (edited) Painting is finally done though, of course, a couple of pieces hid from me and didn't get painted. I'm sure another part or two will show up as we start assembly so I'm going to hold off for a bit and hope to paint the remaining items at once. My daughter is back from college and that's been a big help. We've been setting up a plating system and doing some test plating to get things the way we want them. Most nuts/bolts/etc on the MG TD were cadmium plated. That's not really an option for us in the shop but Caswell has a nice "copy cad" system that we've been able to get some good results with. The magnitude of the work is a little overwhelming as every nut, bolt and washer is to be cleaned, blasted, prepped and plated. (on edit...) Actually, some of nuts/bolts are fine and if we can get the plating to match then we don't need to plate everything. I don't want a mismatch so we'll just have to see how they come out. Caswell has a black, blue and yellow chromate solutions that you can use after the copy cad plating (zinc plating) and that give a nice black, "blue metal" and yellow cad look. I'll post some picture of the bolts we've plated next. Edited May 28, 2018 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 Plating the nuts/washers/bolts has proved more difficult than imagined... it is hard to get consistent results. I think we've got a workable process right now but it has certainly eaten up a lot of time. We're hoping to get some assembly work done this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 Depressingly little progress this weekend. It is hard to find the time and when we do it seems we're missing things. Went to a British car show Sunday and that was pretty neat as we really haven't seen an MG TD that is complete and drivable. I think we'll make better progress this week and next weekend. A lot of things needed to get "set up" and we got a few of those done. Still waiting on parts and tools as well. The shocks need to be reamed a bit to fit the oil seals so I'm waiting on a 30mm reamer. Need some 1.125" dish style core plugs and, apparently, those only come from England so we're waiting on those as well. I feel like we should be zipping this thing together and it is just barely moving. We've been having a good time so that's nice. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unimogjohn Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Jeff, I often go to BringaTrailer.com for pics of cars for sale and sold to be used as reference. Actually, there is one TD for sale and many that have been sold. All have lots of pics, some of which might be useful or interesting. https://bringatrailer.com/mg/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 The 30mm reamer came today and I was able to get the dampers (shocks) reamed out so I could fit a standard oil seal. The Girling dampers have two issues, first the openings on each side are not a precise size and second, that opening isn't always concentric with the inner bore which makes the oil seal less effective. I was able to solve both problems with the reamer. I made a guide bar that was stepped with ODs of 17mm and 19mm as well as 1/2" at the end. The guide bar fits snugly in the damper and lets me lock it down aligned with the inner bore. I then removed the bar (and chuck) and inserted the MT3 30mm reamer. All that was left then was to ream it out as the damper was locked in position. I imagine the company that rebuilds these probably has a reamer with a 17mm and 19mm pilot simplify the process. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 Shocks are back together and assembly can now begin. Starting to make some progress and I *think* I have all the parts I need to get a rolling chassis. I have, however, thought that many times. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now