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MG MGA - Book recomendations

Hey folks, new guy on the block. Hope to start on a restoration of a 1960 MGA quite soon. Is there a consenses on which book(s) are best? Thanks, Tom
Thomas McNamara

Hi Thomas, If you want your MGA to be original, then Clausager's "Original MGA" is highly recommended if you can lay your hands on one at a reasonable price.

Lindsay Sampford

Thomas

I think we would all agree with Lindsay. Clausager's book is an excellent authority on originality. What it does not cover is how to carry out an MGA restoration.

Try this one for many aspects of the restoration: http://www.flipkart.com/mga-restoration-guide-malcolm-green/1855203022-h0x3fmysdd

I have a copy. Useful book.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Hi Thomas - you aren't exactly overloaded with options here! Try Malcolm Green's MGA Restoration Guide and your North American Tech Notes are pretty good for lots of techie bits (not much on overall restoration though).Get over the fact that, no matter what you do, it'll never be original - you don't want it to be a museum piece, it's for driving.Remember Morris Garages took 'standard' cars and modified them - nothing wrong with that - Safety Fast!
Cheers
Andy
A S Duff

Steve, how much in £s is 1233 Rupees?
Lindsay Sampford

Thomas

You need the parts book and the workshop manual as absolute essentials.

The good news is that both are available at the the link here: http://www.clancy.ch/Owners_Pack.html

plus a load of other useful literature at http://www.clancy.ch/Library.html.
dominic clancy

And don't forget the most valuable assets of all - this BBS and MGAGuru.com
dominic clancy

Lindsay

I found an Amazon copy within the alotted 5 minutes editing time. However, when I tried to do the edit I was not allowed because of another post. I was just trying to show the image, not recommending the vendor!

1233 Rupees is $25.4, £15.6, Euro 17.7, $Can27.7 and $Aus30.2

Lol

Steve
Steve Gyles

I'd put "A-Antics Tech Tips" right up front with the Workshop Manual and Parts Manual. May still be available through NAMGAR. Marvin
Marvin Stuart

A-Antics Tech Tips is available from the Michigan Rowdies NAMGAR site see this link
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/michiganrowdies/ttip-book.htm
Mike
Mike Ellsmore


Tom, while there are many books about MGAs there are not very many good books on their restoration. I would endorse the suggestions that you have received so far and add this: MGA Owner's Information & Technical Guide by Todd Clarke. You can buy a copy through Clarke Spares & Restorations. He does have a small web site but you have to purchase material off line. Google the site to get the contact information. If you are doing a restoration of an "A" you need to get to know Todd anyway as he is the best source for repair panels that fit and all of the strange little fastners that most other suppliers don't bother to stock. Also he makes and sells the best and most original door seals on the planet. While you are at it get a copy of his Parts Catalogue too.
Keith Lowman

Thomas,
You might also consider
MGA, a History & Restoration Guide
by Robert P. Vitrikas

I have all the books mentioned. They each add something.

Good luck with the restoration.
Gerry
G T Foster

I just order (yesterday) The MGA restoration Guide of Malcolm Green in Amazon (USA) for 22 dollars.
R Garcia

Thomas,
I spent forever trying to locate Clausager's book without luck. Amazon has a copy at present for £250!
Graham M V

I also recommend the Clausager and Malcom Green books. For good information on the details of repairing damage to either the body or frame I highly recommend spending some time going through the photos posted on the Eclectic Motor Works site. http://www.eclecticmotorworks.com/ Lots of quite detailed shots of various repair techniques. Helped me clear up many details from the descriptiions in Malcom's book.
Bill Young

Thomas,

whilst Claussager is very good, I've found a combination of resources more useful, as no one book covers everything, and I find Classager is focussed more on the niceties, rather than the nitty gritty detail I needed for a full nut and bolt rebuild.

I tend to use the following:

- Claussager
- MGA Restoration Guide - Malcolm Green
- MGA parts catalogue - Brown and Gammons (more detail than Moss)
- Workshop Manual - original or the smaller reprint

I also use Barney's site a lot, and Dominic Clancy's is pretty useful too (he has some original docs and manuals that you can download).

mgaguru.com

www.clancy.ch/MGA.html


good luck!

Grant :-)

(7 years on and it'll be ready by "Christmas")
G Hudson

Here's your book list for MGA: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/books/books.htm
Start with the Short List which is mandatory, the first book required being a copy of "The MG Series MGA Workshop Manual". Much of teh Short List is free or downloadable, but I do recommend you try to get hard copies of the books. Also grab all the free parts catalogs form various vendors, many of which can be ordered on line.

Then bookmark this index page: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech
Browse through and read as much of the 1700+ web pages as you have time for. It is nicely indexed and has a search function. If you ever have a question about MGA that is not covered there, feel free to ask (and you may get honorable mention on a new web page).

Before doing much with the car, join a local MG or all-British car club, start attending meetings and get to know the people. Local club members are a great asset for technical knowledge, advice, assistance, and peer pressure to keep you motivated. The club may also have a technical library and some tools for lending (not to mention a bunch of fun things to do). Find a list of every known MG and all British car club in North America here:
http://chicagolandmgclub.com/links

After that, "Original MGA" by Anders Ditlev Clausager is high on the wish list, not required to get the car back on the road, but highly desirable for concours originality AND a very nice coffee table book to share with friends and visitors (great motivation).
"MGA a History and Restoration Guide" by Robert P Vitrikas, and "MGA Restoration Guide" by Malcolm Green (not necessarily in that order) are good reference with pictures for most restoration work. Once you get into the work, additional books become more obvious depending on what you're doing. A LOT of the tech/ref books are by now downloadable or readable on line.

"A-Antics Tech Tips" by Michigan Rowdies is kind of neat. It was my first non-factory tech book in first edition, then more recently third edition. Not enough info there to restore a car, but about 250 pages of tech tips, some of it a bit obscure, all accumulated via the School of Hard Knocks. You would have to buy that one, still in copyright so not free on line.
See here: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/michiganrowdies/ttip-book.htm

That should keep you busy for a while.
Barney Gaylord

Ah the Robert P Vitrikas book - turn to the picture of the Hare and Hound MGA natter - I'm the really good looking one, centre shot, in a cricket sweater and WWII flying jacket (I never, ever, had the hood up in those days - my lungs have been paying for it ever since)- sadly, tempus fugit and I don't seem to look like that any more!
Personally I'd recommend Green's book before Vitrikas for restoration stuff.
Cheers
Andy
A S Duff

Thanks to all but especially Barney Gaylord for his amazing website. WOW! As a little background, I have just finished a restoration of a 1973 MGB. It joins a 1947 MG TC and a 1953 MG TD in my mini fleet. This is my first venture with an MGA. It is a 1960 wire wheel car. I dread finding rusted panels as I have no welding skills or equipment. Who to call?

I have ordered severl books on Barneys short list and will read a bit over the coming weekend. Thanks and Regards, Tom
Thomas McNamara

Tom,
While my welding skills are not aircraft grade I can "git er done". What part of New York are you in? I live near Binghamton.

Cheers,
Gerry
G T Foster

Welding skills are not a prerequisite for restoration work. Surprise! I had not used a MIG welder or spot welder more than 5 minutes in my entire life before I started my MGA body sills replacement project last year. For years before I had done welding the hard way with the acetylene torch. You can learn as you go. Grab a few scraps of metal and practice a little before you start fiddling with the real car parts. Then do the hidden under body parts first. By the time that's finished you will be better at welding before you get to the outer body panels.

The angle grinder is a handy tool for dressing up a multitude of welding issues. Looking through my pictures of body sill replacement you may see lots of very nice looking welds. You might not see many pictures of what the welds looked like in between initial welding and final grinding. There were a few times and places where this process took multiple passes and lots of time, but if you have enough patience you can "git er done" with acceptable results.
Barney Gaylord

This thread was discussed between 30/08/2009 and 02/09/2009

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