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How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 2:46 pm
by LynehamHerc
As this forum seems to have settled down I thought that I'd try and document the complete mess I've made of this, partly as a complete contrast to PhilA's thread.

It won't necessarily be in chronological order as the first picture shows:

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I was faced with this in July 2017, some 9 years after starting to 'rewire' it. Needless to say I didn't make any notes as it was going to be back on the road by 2010. Over the years I'd added so many extra accessories the circuit diagrams were next to useless.

The next is at the same time. It would have been earlier but the carport roof was blown off in a gale, I slipped on the old bit whilst I was waiting for it to be collected and broke my wrist. When that had healed I found that a Robin had opportunistically made a nest behind the box next to the T-cut on the shelf so I had to wait for the two chicks to fledge.

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Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 2:55 pm
by fried onions
Ah, this is coming back to me. I remember the robins' nest.

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 3:28 pm
by mercrocker
This is beginning to sound much more like one of my back-on-the-road sagas.....

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 5:21 pm
by xtriple
Sounds to me like one excuse after another! :) I moved house the day after I broke my elbow, but then, I'm a man...
What a load of bollox I do talk. Good work chap, much respect for leaving the lovebirds to their own devices.

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 5:30 pm
by Hooli
This promises to an excellent* example of how to get a classic back on the road...

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 6:57 pm
by SiC
What about buying a premade loom from autosparks? Not the cheapest but will make it a crap load easier to get it all connected back up again if the connectors are at least in relatively the right place.

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:44 pm
by LynehamHerc
In retrospect I should have done that but I thought that it would be relatively easy to remove all the scotch blocked etc. additional wires, especially when comparing them to the wiring diagrams. I was wrong, but it did give me an excuse to buy some nifty electrical testers and other tools like electrical bullet crimps, which must be made out of unobtanium judging by the price I seem to remember paying for a good quality pair.

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:29 pm
by mercrocker
The other small problem with pre-made looms comes with the modifications made over the years too. I have been toying with the idea of getting one for the Minor but towbar electrics, alternator, stereo etc. make them less appealing. I will probably end up getting a proper sparky to do it - there is a really good one in the next street from me who keeps threatening to retire - should tap him up really.

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:53 pm
by LynehamHerc
I got a custom made one for the T2 as I'd added an alternator, hrw, additional fusebox etc. and the original one was pretty basic.

Re: How not to get a MGB back on the road

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:12 pm
by Hooli
Wiring a classic isn't that difficult, just order enough wire to start with.