MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Australian sills

Evening all
I am about to install outer sills (rockers). I seem to remember reading somewhere that on Australian CKD cars, they were riveted not welded on the underside. I've looked through the archives but can't find anything. Can anybody confirm this?
Cheers, Matthew
M S Randell

Matthew,

There is a Powerpoint presentation that mentions this at:

http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/mga/index.html

This is a large 3.0Mb download. OK only if you have fast broadband.
I have attached one slide.


Mick

M F Anderson

Matt, I have only ever encountered them spot (resistance) welded along the top and bottom flanges. They are also welded to the door pillars, front and rear.
Barry
BM Gannon

Thanks Mick and Barry
I have seen the Powerpoint, but forgot. I think I'll weld them. Seems to be the way to go. Not sure where I got the idea they were riveted.
Cheers, Matthew
M S Randell

Matthew, you are probably thinking of a thread a few months ago on the The MG Experience site. The thread heading was "Sil advice".
Australian CKD MGA's had their outer sills spot welded along the top, pop riveted along the bottom, gas welded along 2 inch front flange and generally no fixing at all on rear flange. This is perfectly adequate strength wise, as the inner sill is spot welded top and bottom and "ties" the front and rear halves of body together and provides most of the strength in this area, (then there is the substantial chassis side members).
Garry
Garry Kemm

Thanks Garry
Interesting. That could be where I saw it. Actually, when I pulled mine apart I discovered that the inner sill wasn't welded to the chassis plate(?) and the chassis plate wasn't welded to the front and rear of the body. The two halves of the body were really only joined by the inner sill. (Hope you can follow that). Very shabby workmanship. Perhaps this car was built before a lunch break:-).
Cheers
Matthew
M S Randell

Matthew, I wouldn't call it shabby workmanship, there were parts that weren't spot welded because the "chassis jig" made things inaccessable to the spot welder.You're MGA hasn't fallen apart, so the welding has been adequate and served its purpose. In my previous post I said the inner sill was spot welded top and bottom, but I should have added not for its entire length, as you have discovered.
Garry
Garry Kemm

I guess you're right Garry. I'm being a little harsh. As you say, the car has held together for 50 years, only now defeated by the dreaded 'Tin Worm'.
Cheers
Matthew
M S Randell

Matthew, you can see in the attached period photo of the CKD chassis jig with front and rear body assemblies fitted, that when the inner and outer sills are attached, spot welding certain areas would be impossible.
Garry

Garry Kemm

This thread was discussed between 01/11/2009 and 03/11/2009

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGA BBS now