disassembly

I took a break for a few days as I had other things to take care of around the house. Those important things, like laundry and mowing the lawn! Also, moving the junk out of the barn and getting the mercedes onto the trailer was harder than expected, so my back was hurting from it all anyway.

10/1/02 I've taken the radiator out. This was so I could get at the front of the crankshaft in an attempt to see if the engine will turn. It wont. Mr. Tokar at Vintage Restorations LTD told me to expect that after mentioning the missing spark plug in cyl #2. There's a chance that the piston is irrevocably frozen to the cylinder wall, which would mean some expensive repairs. I was encouraged to dump some "Marvel Mystery Oil" into each cylinder and let it sit for at least a week, then see if it turns. As soon as I can get some, I will.

Mr. Tokar also told me how to identify the engine in the car. Since the MkIIs had the largest engines, having the original would definitely be beneficial for the car's value - the MkIIs are also the second rarest model of MGA. If you look on the picture, you can see "1622" formed into the block. That confirmed that it was at least the right block, and most likely original.

I also got the remains of the convertible top off. The frame itself isnt so bad, but the screws mounting it to the body are pretty, well, screwed up (pardon the pun).

From this picture, you can see what the original color of the top frame is. It's a shade of beige. This is original paint, but since it was completely protected by the top, it's not surprising. Also, if you look accross the top of the windscreen, you'll see a wooden bow. I found this sitting in the parts pile in the barn, and it was a brand new part my dad had bought for the car. It's used to form the front ridge of the top between the vinyl and the steel frame. At least I won't have to buy this again! :-)

10/06/2002 Made some real progress this weekend. I finally cut through all of the stupid screws put through the lower rocker seam by some quack body shop guy. Once those were cut off, I was finally able to get the right front fender off. I also got the front facia panel off as well. That also required cutting the screws too. This is a picture of them laid out after removal. The thin strip down the middle is a 1/2" wide piece of aluminum that was screwed in over the bottom lip of the rocker panel (see some of the grinding marks on the lower edge of the fender). This is not supposed to be there. Instead, the MG has a really nice trim piece that covers all of the smaller screws and shows no screws externally at all. This P*O*S was attached right over it.

Also, whomever had previously repainted the car (probably the blue paint job) put in the wrong fender welting (that's the rubber stuff that seperates the fender from the main body). It was rubber with an aluminum bead. The proper stuff is silver colored rubber.

Since I was cruising right along (on the right side no less!), I proceeded to remove the crappy rocker sill repair panel. I knew it was going to be ugly underneath, but what appeared was worse than I thought. Anyway, there was a ton of rivets holding this thing on. Actually, that's about all that was holding it on. You'll see why later.

With the rocker sill and front fender removed, the rust cancer to the inner sill box (which is a box beam that gives the body all of its front-rear strength) is nearly 100% rusted away. I expected this after having the chat at the restoration shop. There are repro replacement parts to fix this, so it's not a lost cause.

When I pulled the rocker panel off, the amount of debris that fell out was astonishing.

I also began to remove the windshield, but one of the bolts on the driver's side is being a bit stubborn, so it'll have to wait until that fender is off. However, when I was under the dash to start removing those bolts, I discovered the hole from hell! It's not rust either. Something catastrophic occurred here that ripped the metal right out. Probably a past wreck with the car. Considering the existing frontal damage, that wouldn't surprise me.

I also then removed the right side door. This is where I am now. I've also started removing the bolts for the left side fender now as well, and have already cut through the screws on the aluminum trim strip on that side too.
By next weekend, I should have the left fender and door off too. However, I have other plans going on then, so squeezing body work in might prove difficult.

So far, I've started totalling up the cost of the repair parts alone for the metal work. From Moss motors (which is probably the best choice anyway), the parts alone have exceeded $4000. Now, double that just to get the body back into shape. That still leaves out all of the mechanical and interior work. This will easily exceed $15k when I'm done. Good thing that I can space this out over time as I need. Unlike car payments, they're always due, regardless if you have the money. And, the more work I do, the less for the resto shop to do.

10/11/2002 Now I have removed the rear quarter panel (fender). From this view, you can also see what the car was previously painted as well. From under the trunk deck lid, you see the metallic blue that was the first repainting. Under the tail lamp plinth block, you see the original black. Neither the pale yellow nor the blue were official MG colors. Also, look at the rear hanger of the leaf spring. Some bozo mechanic (or the owner) thought that fixing a sagging suspension was as easy as putting on some approx 6" strap steel extentions onto the springs. Well, it wasn't such a good idea, because if you look closely, the inner strap had started buckling. I'll be putting new springs and the proper mounting hardware on when the time comes.

10/15/2002 Did absolutely nothing over the weekend - I needed a break. Anyway, rather than attempting to squeeze between the car and the wall, I started to remove the floor boards. Fred Flinstone, eat your heart out. The floors of the MGA are actually plywood panels that are fit over the frame cross-rails. They're very prone to rotting, and these were no exception.

I read somewhere (can not remember where it was) that the right side of the car is more prone to rusting out around the rails than the left side. I found that to be true here too. I spent a great deal of time trying to remove the screws that held the floorboards down. I had to drill the heads off in order to remove the boards. Once they were off, I was using vise-grips to twist the screws out. Some are coming out, others seem to be hopeless.

Now that the right side is pretty much dismantled, I'd like to rotate the car around so I can get at the left side easily. Once the rest of the body panels are off, I'll start working on stripping down the engine to get it ready for removal. I figure I can have the car's body and frame ready for the trip to the shop by December. I don't want to take too much longer as it will start getting too cold in the garage to work comfortably.

10/19/2002 It's been another productive 2 days. It's now looking less like a car than a pile of parts. Here's what's it's boiled down to.

I have gotten the windscreen off now. I'll be stashing that in the attic to prevent it from being broken. The glass is just fine and just needs cleaning. The chrome surround looks good, and I might just do the necessary repairs to it rather than spending a lot of money on rechroming. Although, if I wanted show quality, I would really need to.

I've also removed the remaining parts from the back end. That includes the trunk deck lid, bumper, and the left quarter panel. You may also notice that the convertible top frame is now off too. I had to finally resort to drilling out the screws on the left side. You'll see why below.

I've also got most of the left side dismantled. I still have the door and rocker panel to remove, but here's a look at the rear pillar. This side was rusted worse than the right. There's almost nothing left of this pillar, and the sill box is totally gone.

Previously, I mentioned about a nasty hole that was punched through the left side kick panel. Now that the front fender is off, you can get a really good look at that hole. The only thing I can think of that caused this is that somebody rolled the car over years ago and the windscreen pillar just punched through it. It's gotta get patched, otherwise I have a hole through to the outside where water and dirt can come in.

Left rear quarter panel gone. Wire wheels for the Triumph sit in the corner.

The left fender gone too. This picture is just a bit fuzzy, but I was too lazy to go back and take another one. Digital pictures may be cheap and quick, but that doesn't mean I'll keep retaking pictures just for perfection.

Trunk lock and actuator rods were removed as well.

Ok, so what's next? I suppose I'll take my own advice and start stripping down the engine bay so I can get ready to remove that. I'll also need to remove stuff from underneath such as the fuel tank and lines, fuel pump, brake lines, and the electrical wiring. However, that's for another weekend.

10/1/02	I've taken the radiator out. This was so I could get at the front of the crankshaft in an attempt to see if the engine will turn. It wont. Mr. Tokar at Vintage Restorations LTD told me to expect that after mentioning the missing spark plug in cyl #2. There's a chance that the piston is irrevocably frozen to the cylinder wall, which would mean some expensive repairs. I was encouraged to dump some "Marvel Mystery Oil" into each cylinder and let it sit for at least a week, then see if it turns. As soon as I can get some, I will.
	Mr. Tokar also told me how to identify the engine in the car. Since the MkIIs had the largest engines, having the original would definitely be beneficial for the car's value - the MkIIs are also the second rarest model of MGA. If you look on the picture, you can see "1622" formed into the block. That confirmed that it was at least the right block, and most likely original.
	I also got the remains of the convertible top off. The frame itself isnt so bad, but the screws mounting it to the body are pretty, well, screwed up (pardon the pun).
	From this picture, you can see what the original color of the top frame is. It's a shade of beige. This is original paint, but since it was completely protected by the top, it's not surprising. Also, if you look accross the top of the windscreen, you'll see a wooden bow. I found this sitting in the parts pile in the barn, and it was a brand new part my dad had bought for the car. It's used to form the front ridge of the top between the vinyl and the steel frame. At least I won't have to buy this again! :-)

10/06/2002	Made some real progress this weekend. I finally cut through all of the stupid screws put through the lower rocker seam by some quack body shop guy. Once those were cut off, I was finally able to get the right front fender off. I also got the front facia panel off as well. That also required cutting the screws too. This is a picture of them laid out after removal. The thin strip down the middle is a 1/2" wide piece of aluminum that was screwed in over the bottom lip of the rocker panel (see some of the grinding marks on the lower edge of the fender). This is not supposed to be there. Instead, the MG has a really nice trim piece that covers all of the smaller screws and shows no screws externally at all. This POS was attached right over it.
	Also, whomever had previously repainted the car (probably the blue paint job) put in the wrong fender welting (that's the rubber stuff that seperates the fender from the main body). It was rubber with an aluminum bead. The proper stuff is silver colored rubber.
	Since I was cruising right along (on the right side no less!), I proceeded to remove the crappy rocker sill repair panel. I knew it was going to be ugly underneath, but what appeared was worse than I thought. Anyway, there was a ton of rivets holding this thing on. Actually, that's about all that was holding it on. You'll see why later.
	With the rocker sill and front fender removed, the rust cancer to the inner sill box (which is a box beam that gives the body all of its front-rear strength) is nearly 100% rusted away. I expected this after having the chat at the restoration shop. There are repro replacement parts to fix this, so it's not a lost cause.
	When I pulled the rocker panel off, the amount of debris that fell out was astonishing.
	I also began to remove the windshield, but one of the bolts on the driver's side is being a bit stubborn, so it'll have to wait until that fender is off. However, when I was under the dash to start removing those bolts, I discovered the hole from hell! It's not rust either. Something catastrophic occurred here that ripped the metal right out. Probably a past wreck with the car. Considering the existing frontal damage, that wouldn't surprise me.
	I also then removed the right side door. This is where I am now. I've also started removing the bolts for the left side fender now as well, and have already cut through the screws on the aluminum trim strip on that side too. By next weekend, I should have the left fender and door off too. However, I have other plans going on then, so squeezing body work in might prove difficult.
	So far, I've started totalling up the cost of the repair parts alone for the metal work. From Moss motors (which is probably the best choice anyway), the parts alone have exceeded $4000. Now, double that just to get the body back into shape. That still leaves out all of the mechanical and interior work. This will easily exceed $15k when I'm done. Good thing that I can space this out over time as I need. Unlike car payments, they're always due, regardless if you have the money. And, the more work I do, the less for the resto shop to do.

10/11/2002	Now I have removed the rear quarter panel (fender). From this view, you can also see what the car was previously painted as well. From under the trunk deck lid, you see the metallic blue that was the first repainting. Under the tail lamp plinth block, you see the original black. Neither the pale yellow nor the blue were official MG colors. Also, look at the rear hanger of the leaf spring. Some bozo mechanic (or the owner) thought that fixing a sagging suspension was as easy as putting on some approx 6" strap steel extentions onto the springs. Well, it wasn't such a good idea, because if you look closely, the inner strap had started buckling. I'll be putting new springs and the proper mounting hardware on when the time comes.

10/15/2002	Did absolutely nothing over the weekend - I needed a break. Anyway, rather than attempting to squeeze between the car and the wall, I started to remove the floor boards. Fred Flinstone, eat your heart out. The floors of the MGA are actually plywood panels that are fit over the frame cross-rails. They're very prone to rotting, and these were no exception.
	I read somewhere (can not remember where it was) that the right side of the car is more prone to rusting out around the rails than the left side. I found that to be true here too. I spent a great deal of time trying to remove the screws that held the floorboards down. I had to drill the heads off in order to remove the boards. Once they were off, I was using vise-grips to twist the screws out. Some are coming out, others seem to be hopeless.
	Now that the right side is pretty much dismantled, I'd like to rotate the car around so I can get at the left side easily. Once the rest of the body panels are off, I'll start working on stripping down the engine to get it ready for removal. I figure I can have the car's body and frame ready for the trip to the shop by December. I don't want to take too much longer as it will start getting too cold in the garage to work comfortably.

10/19/2002	It's been another productive 2 days. It's now looking less like a car than a pile of parts. Here's what's it's boiled down to.
	I have gotten the windscreen off now. I'll be stashing that in the attic to prevent it from being broken. The glass is just fine and just needs cleaning. The chrome surround looks good, and I might just do the necessary repairs to it rather than spending a lot of money on rechroming. Although, if I wanted show quality, I would really need to.
	I've also removed the remaining parts from the back end. That includes the trunk deck lid, bumper, and the left quarter panel. You may also notice that the convertible top frame is now off too. I had to finally resort to drilling out the screws on the left side. You'll see why below.
	I've also got most of the left side dismantled. I still have the door and rocker panel to remove, but here's a look at the rear pillar. This side was rusted worse than the right. There's almost nothing left of this pillar, and the sill box is totally gone.
	Previously, I mentioned about a nasty hole that was punched through the left side kick panel. Now that the front fender is off, you can get a really good look at that hole. The only thing I can think of that caused this is that somebody rolled the car over years ago and the windscreen pillar just punched through it. It's gotta get patched, otherwise I have a hole through to the outside where water and dirt can come in.
	Left rear quarter panel gone. Wire wheels for the Triumph sit in the corner.
	The left fender gone too. This picture is just a bit fuzzy, but I was too lazy to go back and take another one. Digital pictures may be cheap and quick, but that doesn't mean I'll keep retaking pictures just for perfection.
	Trunk lock and actuator rods were removed as well.
	Ok, so what's next? I suppose I'll take my own advice and start stripping down the engine bay so I can get ready to remove that. I'll also need to remove stuff from underneath such as the fuel tank and lines, fuel pump, brake lines, and the electrical wiring. However, that's for another weekend.

Disassembly

Updated October 19, 2002