That awful colour MGB GT

[cros]

You sure have had a lot to do with your MGB. I worry that over the years all this stuff is saving itself up and is suddenly going to bite me, but so far mine has been the most trouble free car I've ever owned.
The only nasty job I had to do was replacing both rear lower wings. I bought the car knowing that it would have to be done, but wasn't prepared for finding that it had been previously carried out in the traditional manner by hammering a new wing over the top of an old one. A horrible corroded mess to deal with, not least because the method of covering the join with the trim strip is difficult after such barbarity.
I've been taken to task for not doing a continuous weld when making the join. Obviously the enemy is distorting the panel to buggery, but 11 years on here's how it looks from inside the boot. I seam sealed it and left it unpainted so I could keep an eye on things. So far so good.

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I was spared the misery of changing the wheel as the car came with a Moto-lita one which is very nice to hold. It had a nasty wooden gear knob which got replaced with an early standard item. The only other thing changed inside was the addition of hazard warning lights- the switch from a Merc van fitted an existing blanked off space. I've also ordered one of those radios I see you have fitted. I decided to go for a 14 quid version- there was one that looked identical for 8 but waiting for it to be sent from Hong Kong only to find it had nothing inside didn't seem worth it.

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Lastly on the oil front, pressure hot was the same when I used thinner synthetic over its previous treacle. The synthetic was free and I will revert to something cheap when I have to pay for it. Filter wise I got rid of the stupid upside down one which drains if you leave the car unused for a while, and a small mini sized one just squeezes between the steering shaft. B series Sherpas had this size - I did it when I chucked the oil cooler out.

[captain_70s]

You look under the bonnet and it looks like there's masses of space to work in.

BL engineering was seemingly based around how to take the most space possible and utilise it as poorly as possible.

The Dolomite has miles of free space in the engine bay, Because all the actual components are jammed in together and are impossible to get at.

[Eddie Honda]

You lot pissing and moaning about access on BL cars: Try French and then come back to me.

[LynehamHerc]

Our C3's access was fine.

[cros]

I ain't moaning. I've unbolted aTempra TD engine to change its starter, removed C Max sitcoms (Aircon, but spellcheck knows best) to change alternator. I reckon Rover thought they'd get in on the awkwardness act when they decided it takes ten bolts to hold the undertray on and just for good measure removal of the lower suspension to do a Freelander clutch. Wankers.

[SiC]

I can't find the screenshot of the workshop manual, but the special award for French automotive awkwardness has to go to Renault for the Mégane II RenaultSport 225 (engine code F4Rt). Renowned for its electrical and water issues plus being a pain to even just change the light bulbs, they must have gone to extra special steps on the Starter Motor. From the workshop manual, to change the starter motor, step 1: Remove engine.

[SiC]

Left work on time today so I can get the master cylinder fitted.



Pain in the arse to manoeuvre in. This way it hits the back pipes.



Nose first with the pushrod zip tied in was the trick.


Fiddly banjo bolt with two washers. Actually managed it reasonably easy today.
This is the hole you do it through.



Anyhow it's in. Pretty looking!


Zip tied the slave up to reduce the air space to bleed.


Then used a combination of a Sealey pump pressure bleeder and an Ezi-bleed cap.


This is the coupling between the two


Worked well. Didn't pump the pressure up too high, so that fitting didn't pop off and spray fluid everywhere. Kept it to just over 10psi.

I'll find out just how well when I start it back up next and go to move it!

This is the V8 master. No idea if the grit was in there or just me being kack handed putting it in the box. Can't remember if I dropped it or not.


Bore doesn't look bad either.



Tempted to fit the decent pads tonight but having a lot of luck sorting the clutch master, I don't want to tempt fate and break/brake the car again! I mean it currently works, except it squeals. Not that I believe in fate... (But I believe in incompetence!)

[SiC]

I took it for a spin this evening. Got home ok and no fluid loss, so I guess that is a success?

Brakes still do stop the car but in the dry they don't quite lock the wheels, unless I give it fully 100% travel. They did feel that the travel increased a bit after driving a couple of miles but hopefully that's just because the shoes have bedded in a bit or more simply that with the servo, it's hard to exactly judge feel. Hopefully my local garage will get them all ship shape.

Pads also may still need time to bed in before they properly bite well too I guess? Really think I'll need to change them to the decent set as the squeal is really quite bad. Mrs SiC hates squealing brakes and she doesn't like the car at the best of times anyway!

[SiC]

You sure have had a lot to do with your MGB. I worry that over the years all this stuff is saving itself up and is suddenly going to bite me, but so far mine has been the most trouble free car I've ever owned.

I think the biggest problem with mine has been that it simply sat for so long. Possibly too that things have mounted up and just ignored.

I am its fourth owner with the previous two owners hardly using it. First owner was a garage owner around Plymouth area and bought it new. It was then sold it to the second owner around 2002 (I wish I kept a copy of the v5 from the last owner with the owner transfer dates on). The second owner (lived in Temple Cloud) apparently used it for a year or two, then parked up in his garage. It then sat in a garage until 2017, which point the second owner was moving house. The third owner was a friend of the second owner and always said that he would buy it off him if he ever did get rid. Thus the third owner acquired it (lived in Weston Super Mare). However the third owner already had a TR3a by that point and didn't really have the room for another car. Hence sent it to a garage to get it running and then sold it on. He only owned it for a few months.

Now the MOT history website doesn't show anything before the third owners MOT. I think the computerisation started around 2004-2005? So it is likely at the very least it had been sat for around 15 years. I like to think the third owner didn't really know the troubles the car had. I did quip that I hope it didn't let me down on the drive from Weston to Bristol. He was pretty horrified at the thought it would and assured me it would be ok. Which it was I guess!

I don't think he did too much work to it and left a garage to do most of it. I reckon they did the bare minimum to get it going.

Why did the second owner hardly use it? Not sure to be honest. Maybe he didn't like driving it? Maybe it broke down a couple of times and he lost confidence quickly? Maybe he realised that quite a lot of stuff needed doing, like fuel tank, seat foam, etc. A full tank of fuel made the boot stink and even on a slight incline it would leak, so very obvious. Someone knew the seat foam/webbing has gone, as they've stuffed an extra chunk of upholstery foam between the base and webbing. Vacuum advance didn't and leaked air through it - so probably never ran right for ages.

I also wonder if my rather low oil pressure could have been caused by the engine being started up after a long slumber without much mechanical preparation. I.e. fresh fuel, fresh battery and just cranked until it started. Thus bearings weren't properly oiled up not fresh oil circulated.

At some point before me it has had a lot of money spent on it. Had a respray (can tell where it was masked up and not bare metal), sills have been replaced (can see labels when looking up through castle rail), front end has had new metal put in and stuff like that. My suspicion is that it probably was the first owner - especially if he was a garage owner.

Unfortunately I have very little in the way of history on it. The third owner said his friend (second owner) had no idea where it was, and knowing his friend he probably threw it out. Annoying that. However I didn't pay top dollar for it to be fair. With the history it probably would have been a lot more expensive.

It does need a bit of welding at some point for sure. I can feel that the trumpet on the drivers side has a fist sized rust hole on top. I fear that taking that wing off will expose possibly other work there too. Both castle rails at the front have a small hole on them. Rear offside leaf spring mount has a bit that isn't too pretty looking either. Finally the drivers side rear arch looks to have been dented (getting out of a garage?) but badly repaired by putting filler over the top. I don't think it's made completely of filler as the metal seems to be underneath still. Something else I'm leaving for another time to sort.

It has to be said that it's no where near like my 1100 though. Once I get the house move sorted again and I have a proper garage I can work in, I'll get that wing off and weld up these bits. Bit more difficult than the 1100 though as far more flammable materials are attached around the areas that need welding. Fuel, oil, underseal and fabric all will be ready ignition sources.

[SiC]

Just found the car check I did at the time - I think before I bought it. This has a few dates on:
No. Of Previous Keepers: 2
Current Keeper Acquired Date: 09 May 2017
Previous Keeper Sold Date:09 May 2017
Previous Keeper Acquired Date: 17 April 2003
Registration Date: 02 August 1974

So:
First Owner (Plymouth) - Aug 1974 to Apr 2003
Second Owner (Temple Cloud) - Apr 2003 to May 2017
Third Owner (Weston Super Mare) - May 2017 to July 2017
Me (Bristol) - July 2017 on

Pretty much the only history I have on it. Unfortunately shortly after I bought it, the DVLA stopped giving MOT history information out from their records. Now GDPR is in action, I suspect it'll never be possible to get that info again.

At some point I'll buy a heritage certificate. Interested to see if the engine and gearbox numbers match. Just that 50 quid seems a lot of money to determine that little nugget of info and the dealer.