Luv2Wrench Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Not much to report but still making good progress. I've managed to work around some of the things I was missing and I've paid some outrageous rates to get a few things sent overnight all in an effort to push this baby past the finish line. There will be a few things I'll have to take back apart and replace some pieces when the proper parts arrive but I think it is worth the effort to keep things moving along. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Jeff, fantastic work, you are almost there! You'll be just in time for spring driving season. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 Luv2Wrench, Beautiful work all way round. What a pretty car. John S. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted January 23, 2022 Author Share Posted January 23, 2022 (edited) Getting closer and closer. Got a new front bumper because the original I had re-chromed had a piece of chrome flake off. I chose not to take it back to get them to redo the work as I don't trust them and I'd pay $300 just to not have to drive back to their place. The reproduction chrome piece is acceptable. All of the wiring is done for now. I need to change the wiring for the fog lamps as it is modern PVC. I've ordered some modern PVC wire with a cloth braid exterior that I will rewire them with. The gas thank was filled with (ethanol free) gas and the gas stayed in the tank!! After all the issues I had with the tank I was very relieved that nothing leaked out. The car restarted almost immediately which was another big relief. With everything wired up there was quite a bit of stress when applying power for the first time. Fortunately the "magic smoke" stayed inside the wires. I did cheat and use a lab power supply for the first power-up as I knew it would protect against any short. Overall the results from testing the electrics was pretty good. The horn, headlights, fog lights, brake lights and dash lights all worked. The turn signals sorta worked but they don't flash. I believe the problem is the relay unit is not making contact with the chassis as I didn't realize it needed to be grounded. The side lights worked briefly but then blew a fuse. The good news on this is that the fuse that was blown was one of two that I added to the wiring. The headlights and sidelights were not fused originally. That seems pretty crazy and I'm glad I followed the advice of some of the MG group in adding them. I need to figure out why they blew the fuse as they worked fine on the initial power up (with the lab supply) though were a little dim. They worked fine with the battery for about 10 seconds. Possibly could've been a bad fuse. Tomorrow I'll finish troubleshooting the wiring and try to get the sidelights and flashers working properly. After that it'll be back to that stupid top. Edited January 23, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank29u Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 A lot of progress and taking set backs with your usual aplomb. Amazing work! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Drool. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Very nice Jeff...your attention to detail really tells. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Mixed bag of progress. After several days of the gas staying in the tank... it started leaking from the fitting where the fuel line connects. At first I feared a threading issue but later realized that it wasn't fully screwed in. The threads on the tank side are sketchy and I was very, very conservative when I screwed the fitting in. Some of the tank sealant was on the threads and I left it there because I thought it might help prevent leaking past the threads. What it really ended up doing was stopping the fitting before it was all the way in and thus the gasket didn't compress between fitting and tank. I cleaned everything out, applied Permatex Aviation Gasket maker on the threads, fitting and gasket. I carefully tightened it down until I could see the gasket compress. Tomorrow I'll put some gas in and hope it stays. Most of the electrical issues have been resolved. The short issue was pretty simple, I had the license tag light wired backwards. While the light bulb doesn't care, the way the bulb holder is mounted to the carrier allows the ground to connect with the car chassis. Not a good connection but a little was enough and it would eventually blow the fuse. With that cleared up the side lights no longer blew the fuse. I took the flasher relay apart and aligned the contacts as well as cleaned them. That appeared to do the trick and the turn signals lights flash. Unfortunately they flash too fast and the indicator light on the dash doesn't flash at all. I think the flasher unit (not the relay) is either bad or the wrong type so I'll order one and replace it. Hopefully that fixes both issues. The cloth covered PVC wire arrived and I rewired the fog lights. Another task is the battery. I both a "tar topper" that covers a modern battery is supposed to look like a Lucas battery from the 50s but I think it looks terrible. The tar topped batteries with rubber cases had a very definitive material look... one that was anything but glossy plastic which is what the "tar topper" I bought is. I'm not sure how I'll go about building this battery but I have a 3D printer and I can build models so I don't think it will be too difficult. I still need to finish modifying the top bows and try to get the top fitted correctly. I cut the new extension pieces and marked the out. I needed to clean them up a bit, round over the edges and then they should be ready to weld to the front bar. Once welded and test fitted I'll need to clean the up again, shoot epoxy primer and then paint them. I'll need some warmer weather for that but it seems like Mother Nature is going to deliver that by mid-week. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Such a beautiful car. You've really done it justice. You must be feeling pretty good right now...and rightfully so! Thanks for the pics and updates. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 Last week when I put gas back in the tank it started leaking in about 2 hours. I think this was a fault of mine and Permatex. I'm not sure if the product was defective or if it just didn't work but chocolate syrup would've done a better job. My fault was thinking I might use a neoprene gasket instead of a fiber gasket. Yeah, I know (now) that doesn't work. Took everything back off, ordered the proper fiber gasket and used a different Permatex product. This was basically how I put the drain plug in and it hasn't leaked so I felt confident it would be ok. A couple of days have passed and it is as dry as a bone. I took the car for a quick drive through the neighborhood this afternoon. It was a GREAT little trip. This is the first time I've driven the car with the new radial tires. Previously it had very old bias-ply in the back and needed most of the road to sorta go straight. With the new radials it was just as smooth and steady as it could be. It drove straight with no hands on the wheel which is a stark contrast to the death grip that was needed before. I briefly got up to 50mph and it seemed very steady. It seemed to have plenty more but I need to get a bit more confidence (not to mention insurance) in the car before I take it out on the roads . Last week I welded up the top bows and I got the assembled and painted with epoxy primer today. Should be ready for a top coat tomorrow. I did a brief test fit with the modified top bows and it seem like I might be able to get a good fit with the top *and* the side curtains. That said... I'm done playing around with the top. If the side curtains don't fit that great then that's just going to be how it is. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 Wow, the car looks great. Haven’t looked at most of the restorations that I used too because of time constraints. Took some spare time to catch up. It’s beautiful, just beautiful. Must have felt really great on that little drive. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 (edited) The top is finally on!!! I modified a set of top bows and was able to get the side curtains to fit. It was a heck of a battle but I think I'm going to come out the victor. Here's how it looks (and yes I realize I have some of the short trim pieces in the wrong place). I've marked out the area that is cut away to expose the clear plastic that is sewn inside. Once marked I took everything back apart and I'm going to take the curtains to an auto upholster and have him run a stitch around the mark and then cut away the fabric. I think this is how it was done at the factory. Edited February 18, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 That looks AWESOME! Beautiful job. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Funny, I was thinking about the fitment issue this morning. The statement in this entire thread I did not agree with was along the lines of "I might just leave it"..... Great job!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalef62 Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Looking Awesome!!!!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 5 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: Funny, I was thinking about the fitment issue this morning. The statement in this entire thread I did not agree with was along the lines of "I might just leave it"..... Great job!! Yeah I had to repeatedly step away from the top/side curtain fitment. I had to mentally accept that it wouldn't be right so I could relax a bit and approach it from different angles. Fortunately I finally found one that worked. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) Got the side curtains back from the upholstery shop today. They finished on budget and 1 week early. I happy with how they look. Per my research this is how they were done at the factory (so to speak). I'm still waiting on some solid rivets to attach the bottoms of the rear panels. Once those are on I'll need to paint all the nuts on the inside. Next up is to try and make a battery cover. Once I get that done (or decide to not mess with it) then I'll need to tune the engine, set the valve lash and put the hood on. There are still a few miscellaneous things to do but it is very close to being done!! Probably another month. Edited February 26, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank29u Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Beautiful work on the top! Everything, really! 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 One of the things that has really bothered me on the car was the battery. A 1950s "tar top" battery has a very distinctive look given how it was constructed. Basically it was hard rubber case with a molded in "LUCAS" and "King of the Road" logos. Inside were 6 "cells" that were bridged together with completely exposed lead connectors. To seal the battery hot tar was poured on top. Each cell had a vented cap with "Lucas" embossed into it. There are some lookalike modern batteries but I felt like they didn't look like the Lucas battery that was used in the MG TD and whatever was available had no delivery date. I bought a kit that consisted of a molded thin plastic top that went over the top of a modern battery and while that did look better I felt like it was a disappointment to have spent 4 years pushing my limits on the car to stick a plastic top on a battery. So... I decided to make one. Obviously I didn't want to actually make a battery but I thought I could make a case that I could sit an AGM battery inside. I collected as much information as I could and a couple of the MG TD enthusiast family were very helpful in providing some great information. Armed with pictures of an ad for a Lucas battery in 1954 and an actual 6 volt battery from a bit later I started to design. I bought a 3D printer because I thought that was the best way of getting the embossed "LUCAS" and "King of the Road" logos as well at the detail of the cells. After doing several test prints I determined that the material used in the printer would not be acceptable... it needed to be rubber like. There is a rubber like 3d printer filament but I couldn't get my printer to work with it. As such... I decided I would build like a model, old school. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) Picking the battery was a bit harder than you'd think it would be. I need the positive terminal to be in the back right (or front left) and the top needed to be flat. I went with an AGM battery because they are (mostly) sealed and there would be no need for maintenance and not chance of spilling. I found a NAPA battery that was perfect. It even had its "vents" (these are mostly blow-out plugs) in the same place I would be placing the vented caps. On eBay I was able to find some great 3D printed "Lucas" vented caps as well as the "LUCAS" and "King of the Road" logos printed in resin. These I could stick onto the side of the battery. I started on the top with a sheet of door skin and started laying things out. I added a bit for the "cells" and closed in the case. When I stuck the 3d printed "stickers" on it looked pretty good but what I really wanted was the correct embossed look. Since the "stickers" were a little thinner than the plywood I was using I tried to cut out a hole and have the sticker recessed into that. While I was doing that I thought "what I need is a little router that I could clear out a recessed hole". Then I thought... "no, what I need is a CNC router that I could route the logos right into the wood". And so a quick search on Amazon and a CNC router was on the way to my house. I got that, assembled it, learned some software, scanned in the logos and after a few test prints I had the front of the battery. After that I added a bit of "depth" to the case to mimic the image of the original 6 volt battery I had. Edited March 19, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) At this point it was getting close but what I had was a very obvious wooden model. The trick would be to make it look like rubber with tar poured on top. The first step was the usual, epoxy primer to seal everything then 3 coats of sanding primer to get it all smooth. The making it look like rubber was shockingly easy... Flex Seal to the rescue!! Yep, I used Flex Seal. It is, after all, liquid rubber in a can. I was pretty blown away with how it turned out. It not only looks like rubber it feels like rubber... because it IS rubber. I then focused on the top so that each "cell" had the right "hard smooth rubber' look. To get the tar top finish I mixed black pigment into epoxy and poured/brushed that on top. It turned out really good. I felt like it reflected light just the way it should. The next part was the lead "bridges" that connected the cells. It make those I modeled the inverse of them in the CAD software and then had the CNC router cut out a mold. After a couple of test pours I was able to pour them all in one go. Edited March 19, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 After that it was just a matter of a little final finishing work and getting it assembled. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 WOW! 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Nice, but now you have a 12 V battery...Or am I missing something? You also may have issue by connecting both cables; the recessed plots could be a problem. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, Roger Zimmermann said: Nice, but now you have a 12 V battery...Or am I missing something? You also may have issue by connecting both cables; the recessed plots could be a problem. The MG TD had a 12V battery, the picture of the 6V battery I used as a guide was for a different car. I believe the cable will fit fine as they didn't snug all the way down when I test fit them. Hopefully they still fit!! edit: So after a slight panic at Roger's suggestion that they might not fit... I put the battery in the car and they do fit. Edited March 19, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history) 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lahti35 Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Looks great! Fantastic work. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957Birdman Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Jeff, I never fail to be amazed by the talent on this forum. The result speaks for itself. I had a thought you might consider. I don’t know what the market might be, but producing a kit for other MG owners to purchase and make their own Lucas battery cases could be a way to help other MG owners and make a little money on the side. You might be surprised by how many people would want one. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 14 minutes ago, 1957Birdman said: Jeff, I never fail to be amazed by the talent on this forum. The result speaks for itself. I had a thought you might consider. I don’t know what the market might be, but producing a kit for other MG owners to purchase and make their own Lucas battery cases could be a way to help other MG owners and make a little money on the side. You might be surprised by how many people would want one. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird Thanks for the compliment! I have had a couple people ask already and it is something to think about. I will be happy to share the g-code I created for the CNC router if anyone is interested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 13 hours ago, Luv2Wrench said: After that it was just a matter of a little final finishing work and getting it assembled. That is BEAUTIFUL Jeff!! Great work. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Great looking battery. Job well done. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Mereness Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Good looking battery case !!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 16, 2022 Author Share Posted April 16, 2022 I'm finally nearing the finish line!! A long list of little things have been checked off and the car is in great condition. The timing is set, valves lashed and carbs tuned (I used ColorTune and that is an awesome tool). The brakes are finally working correctly, the gauges, indicator lights, side lights, head light, fog lights, etc, etc all work correctly. With all that squared away and the battery complete I was able to install the hood. One of the last pieces is the tonneau cover. Pretty nerve wracking to install this because it really didn't seem like it would fit *and* put one of those lift-a-dots in the wrong place and you've wasted $670. Fortunately it went smoothly. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Fantastic job Jeff. I think you've clearly demonstrated that the non-professional restorer CAN do first rate work... 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Job well done! All your hard work has payed off. Now it's time to hit the road and enjoy. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank29u Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Beautiful! Fantastic work! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 I am really impressed with your battery model. It looks fantastic . Wood working was sort of your hobby before you decided to take up restoration of cars wasn't it? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 That surely is a beauty! Great work. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 Outstanding!! Are you having second thoughts about selling it on?? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 17, 2022 Author Share Posted April 17, 2022 9 hours ago, nickelroadster said: I am really impressed with your battery model. It looks fantastic . Wood working was sort of your hobby before you decided to take up restoration of cars wasn't it? Yes, I've alway loved woodworking. There's just something about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 17, 2022 Author Share Posted April 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: Outstanding!! Are you having second thoughts about selling it on?? Thanks! I am having some second thoughts so we'll see. I do plan to drive it to make sure it is completely sorted before I sell it. My biggest concern with the car is safety. There is almost nothing between you and whatever hits you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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