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MG MGA - Attitude Adjustment - body sills

It is time to celebrate a major milestone. The MGA with an Attitude now has all inner body sheet metal replacement finished, and it is time to lift off the body for under-body painting. This project has so far spawned 22 new web pages for documentation of the body sill replacement, including a few innovative techniques. Among other things, I have produced about $900 worth of replacement panels from about $20 (wholesale cost) worth of sheet metal flat stock formed by hand, and it wasn't particularly difficult. See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/restore.htm#sills
Page 22 has a nifty before and after picture pair.
Barney Gaylord

Barney,

I hope that you have constructed some good stiffening bars to join up the front and rear of the cockpit, before lifting the body off.
After all that good work you would not want the inner sills bent.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Mick, shouldn't need them. I have a shell off the body at the moment and have had to move it several times. I don't have any stiffeners, so long as the sills are all good the shell is rock solid. It can be lifted on/off and moved around easily with one person lifting the front and one the back.

I should add that mine is a good original and has had no welding done to the sills, Barneys may even be a little stronger!

Neil
Neil McGurk

Some neat welding there Barney - how do you find the time to update the website, log on to this BBS and do all that? Excellent photos thanks Cam
Cam Cunningham

Mick, -- Perhaps you don't understand how strong these body sills are when in good condition. Maybe the attached picture will make a better impression. Details are on page 16. I believe I weigh somewhat more than the complete MGA main body. A few days ago a friend and I were beating vigorously on the sills and pillars with a two pound dead blow hammer just to make a point. Not even a dent, as long as you don't hit it in the middle of a flat panel.

Barney Gaylord

Another step up in the project. The body came off yesterday, so we have good look at the inboard side of the new sills and the bit of touch up and painting to be done. http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/rt622.htm
Barney Gaylord

Great photo record of the restoration Barney - I note your pose standing on the sill section - note to self " Self - remember to hold in stomach for photo" !! Sorry Barney couldn't resist that - but you have a ceratin resemblance to Howard Keel in that shot - - keep up the good work - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

Great work Barney, as always.
Where did you buy the spot welder?
Cliff(SC)
Jones

Time for a breather. Catching up here. Two questions from Cam. Time is no problem for now. The formula is: quit your job or take an indefinite vacation, then spend all waking hours on the car project and web site, about 50/50. I take time out for an occasional club meeting.

As to the stance in the photo, that's intentional, including the knee high camera shot. Regardless of what you think I might weigh, it's a pittance compared to the strength of the box beam. That thing could hold three of me and still have safety margin. The measured yield point is well over 800 pounds in the center.

To Jones, Cliff, -- The spot welder is new from "daddyneedshelp" on eBay. $129.98 delivered. I spent another $37.99 for extended tongs from Harbor Freight so I could reach around the door post to spot weld the rear flange.

Now while lots of folks here are enjoying a holiday weekend, I just spent the entire day in the garage with a scraper, a pot of gasoline, a stiff brush, wire wool, and the (cheap) liquid/air pressure blaster going through four gallons of water spiked with Mr Clean floor cleaner. I got all the dirt and grease off the main body, except under the boot floor which is tomorrow's chore. I was delighted to find that gasoline is a decent solvent for carpet adhesive, but I still spent nearly half of the time removing the glue, most of it in the boot.
Barney Gaylord

This thread was discussed between 10/03/2008 and 16/03/2008

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