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MG MGB Technical - Chrome side trim refitting

My Mk1 'B' is due to return from the paint shop in the next few days. I undertook the strip down myself, no problems there. Removing the chrome side trim strips was successfully accomplished without any damage apart from a considerable increase in blood pressure. In the interests of health preservation can anyone offer any tips re the correct way to refit the six sections?

Thanks

Chris
Chris Woodfield

Fairly straight forward Chris - best to hook the strip under the bottom of the buttons and roll up and over-works best--don't forget to fit the threaded lock plates into the stripss before you fit them.
willy
William Revit

As above although I hooked then over the top rather than the bottom, and hit with the palm of my hand.

Paint the back of the strips with Waxoyl.

Unless you have done it already dip the clips and threaded plates in Waxoyl before fitting them. If you are going through double-thicknesses anywhere i.e. a part wing change then you may need to get longer rivets of the correct size and swap the cups over. If any of the holes are irregular than you may need washers behind the panel.

Last year I was seeing comments that the MGOC kit had cups that were too big and not being able to get the strips over them. A kit from Bresco was recommended, unfortunately the original link no longer works.


paulh4

That's assuming you have the buttons already fitted. If you have to rivet on the buttons you need to take great care. The squeeze type rivet guns are prone to suddenly jerk up as the rivet nail shears making it dead easy to score the paint above. I bought a rivetter that is driven by my drill. I found this much easier to control.

Snapping them on isn't hard, as Willie says. Get one edge under the button and with a gentle heel-of-the-hand bump they should go on easily. Do make sure you have the correct pieces in the right places before you begin.

On my V8 GT with all new panels I couldn't face drilling all those holes, so it has no side strips. Oddly enough when people have looked at my car at shows they never notice the lack unless I point it out. The swage line along the body looks fine without embelishment in my opinion.
Mike Howlett

Possible Bresco item, quotes the correct BL number

https://www.bresco.com/acatalog/Round--Tuckers--moulding-clip-for-11.3mm-moulding-gap-and-3.2mm-panel-hole.-MG--Hillman-Minx--Singer-Vogue--and-general-application.-BSF078P.html

Mike's comment reminds me, Press the tool down until they start to bite, then try and lift it off as you carry on squeezing and that should stop it hitting the panel.

Also I slid a small nut over the pin as the nose of the tool was slightly too big to fit in the cup.
paulh4

Thanks for the comments gentlemen they are all valid and very helpful. I've been in engineering all my life and fully understand the problems a bouncing pop riveter can cause because one is never quite ready, therefor in control, when the snap occurs. Prepare the surrounding area for impact beforehand is definitely the answer. Paul, thanks for the comment about oversize cups, I will contact Bresco, I don't fancy fitting incorrect ones only to spend time removing them again. Over the years I've done probably hundreds of jobs on MGs both minor and major but never attacked the trim before. It just proves every day is a school day.

Thanks again

Chris
Chris Woodfield

This thread was discussed on 26/08/2024

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