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MG MGA - Two piece body

I have a 1600 Roadster that I received in boxes plus its body in two pieces, Q... Has anyone had to do this and if so can you warn me of the best possible way to get the body into one piece so the doors any all other body parts fit correctly. Thanks..Clive...
c allen

Do you have a chassis (frame)?
Is that also in two pieces?
Yours
David
D Brown

Clive,
I was basically in your position with mine due to previous poor quality restoration work. I had to remove and replace completely A & B posts, both sills, both front flitches, duct panel, inner wings, etc.

Use your chassis frame as your jig and build the body on it. However, you should first check that your frame is dimensionally correct using the dimensional drawing in the WM. I got my frame checked on a factory frame jig and it was very bad so I had to ditch it and get another. I guessed that the frame had been so badly rusted that it had started to sag in the middle; a PO had had it welded up but had not corrected the sag first!

Support the good frame so that it is perfectly horizontal front to rear and side to side. Use the bottom central straight part of the frame sides to check this. Maintain the frame in this position throughout the body restoration.

You can now sit both halves on the frame and use the body mounting pads at front and rear. I found on mine that the front of the rear clip didn't quite rest on the frame and had to be raised 1/2" or so with small wood blocks.

A useful dimension when putting the two halves together is the cockpit length i.e. the distance between the top front and rear of the cockpit down the centre. Carl Heideman gave on this forum some years ago the figure:-
34.5 +/- 0.25".

Although not gospel, and the door fit should be the final determining factor, it is comforting to get the front and rear separation in this range.

You should also make sure that the A pillars are vertical in both directions; this is absolutely crucial.

The horizontal bottom line of the body should be in line with the bottom of the frame.

Use the door/pillar dimensions given in Malcolm Green's book as a good guide.

During my body work I frequently checked if the frame had been knocked out of it's horizontal position. Also I made assumptions on whether certain surfaces were supposed to be horizontal. For example the duct panel surface, the battery cover surface, the heater shelf, etc. I even assumed that the radiator was intended to be vertical!

How easy your job is going to be depends on how many panels/brackets etc. are missing. If it's just the sills missing with the rest intact and original then it should be fairly straightforward.

Good luck...............Mike
m.j. moore


Hi Clive,

I've just had this body reconstructed in UK. The second time I've had this work done.

As Mike points out, a straight chassis is key.

Purchasing good quality complete "F" sections is also important. Depending on how much rot your existing body has.

It would be worth having your chassis check for straightness by Carl Heideman or others with a specific MGA Jig.

Cheers
Mark


Mark Hester


Rear Section



Mark Hester

Get the inner panels from Todd Clarke, they are better. Attach all the panels with sheet-metal screws for fit before mig-welding them together.
David Werblow

Carl Heideman's body and frame fixtures/jigs are now owned by Sports Car Craftsmen in Colorado. At least that's closer to Washington!
G Goeppner

If your frame is square, no problem using it as a jig for reassembling the body.

I seems your A and B posts are really in good shape...don't cut them off! Just repair the bottoms where they intersect with the box sill (which you will need to buy or make).

The whole secret to getting the car right is to assemble the car around the doors to get the right fit.

Put the packing on the frame. Put the front on and bolt in in place, then hang the doors with one shim behind each hinge. Then loosely fit the rear end and the front and rear wings.

Once you have the door gaps correct on both sides, do the sill repairs, welding the front half to the back half. Use the doors again to make sure the outer rockers are in the right place.

Once done, you will be able to lift the body off of the frame as one piece and continue with the rest of the restoration.

If the doors don't fit right at this point, they never will - but if you take your time here, you'll be in great shape later.

Your car - even in halves - looks like a great place to start a frame off restoration! Better than mine was by miles!

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

Thank you all for your information. You have all made me feel alot easier in my mind and eager to get the body in one correct piece. I had the Frame obviously as Key to getting all panels fitting correctly and you have confirmed this in my mind. My frame measurements are within fractions of each other on diagonal checks which is comforting.... Again thank you all. Clive...
c allen

Clive, set the frame on trestles and check there is no twist in it. Level the top of the goalpost with the rear body mounts.
Good that the diagonals are OK.
Art Pearse

Thanks Art. At the moment I have the frame on a 4 poster lift in my garage and just put the wheels on thinking this could be important to do.
c allen

As someone who did it many years ago take your time and, as others have said, keep checking.

Paul
Paul Dean

I agree with Jim, think "door fit" at every stage during the welding. I had my doors and wings on and off at least a dozen times during the sill and pillar (A and B post) repairs.
http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?2,1990813,page=1
Neil McG

This thread was discussed between 23/08/2013 and 27/08/2013

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