1958 MGA Coupe

[JPhil]

Pulled up to the local machine shop to get some bellhousing bolts today and saw this in the front. Immediately I thought that looks like an MGA engine! I asked the guy in the shop and he said "I dunno. They just dropped it off. I haven't even looked at it." We saw the plate said MG so I said, "I'm gonna say '59 MGA." He pulled out the reciept, smiled and said, "Nope, you're wrong. 1960 MGA."



Sure is a cute little thing! (& thanks Bob for helping me look oh so knowledgeable to the shop man!)

 

[bobs77vet]

they are small engines for sure...

6 hours of real work today.....there are no more areas to weld that I know of!!!!!!!




















and I made a tent city to keep out of the sun in the 90* plus heat and I sanded and sanded and sanded



use a hammer backed by a spoon to take out the high spot

 

[bobs77vet]

Today I worked on the boot lid and sprayed some paint. I am using lacquer duplicolor paint shop red. its a base coat and then a clear coat. its a lacquer based product. This is the paint I am using for several reasons but mostly the ease of spraying. I am not saying that lacquer is the best paint because its not. I am not saying it takes less effort because it doesn't. I am also not saying its cheaper then using other paint but its not really much more expensive. I have used this product before and I was really impressed with it. We sprayed my sons old vintage camper with this paint and it has been sitting out side in complete sunshine for 3-4 years and it gets no love whatsoever and it has not faded or had any paint issues what so ever. I also like the patina of the lacquer paint jobs they just look right to me. I know theres lots or people who don't like lacquer paints and I have sprayed other paint products before, but for this car this is the paint I am choosing.



that's wet sanded with 400 grit





so I bought lots of paint...to take care of lifes future little events ....a basket ball bounced of my healeys show paint, my kids drove match box cars down the TF fenders, lets not talk about the trailer hitch and the corvette......etc,etc,etc. I am not sweating it this time and my paint product is great for touch ups

so we get three gallon containers , mix the paint, and then pour some into each container mix it and then pour it back into the qt containers .this ensures complete uniformity in color from each quart.








so I used the extra paint from the gallon containers and sprayed the boot it still has to be color sanded and then clear coated

 

[Sam Cogley]

The world's first MGA to be made entirely of MIG wire. :shocking:

:beer:

 

[denpo]

The world's first MGA to be made entirely of MIG wire. :shocking:

:beer:

1958 MIGA?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

:lol:

 

[bobs77vet]

i did stop buying the small wire spools......

 

[bobs77vet]

oops this should have been the last photo

it still needs to be color sanded, resprayed and cleared, this was just using up the extra paint in the gallon cans and was thinned. i used a touch up gun and didnt spend any time on setting the gun up. curiosity was getting the better of me i wanted to see some color on something.

 

[mrvette]

I glanced through the first ~10- pages of this thread, and did not spot any post by me about an old buddy, who went into another friend's garage, set up a TIG welder, bought panels for his very similar car, cut the body down to having just the trans tunnel holding front/back sections together, TIGGED it all in himself, painted it yellow, having redone the drivetrain previously.....

So he packed up a ton of tools, and luggage, drove it from Wash DC region to Prudhoe Bay AK........and took a pix of him at the Park sign.....turned around and drove home.....this all about 25-30 years ago by now.....got back and bought a flower mill to live in, on the shores of a creek with waterfall on his property.....

He flew C130 in 'Nam and finished up with B52's.....head pilot....


When you get done, I recommend a similar trip....tons of fun.....

 

[bobs77vet]

I noticed a faint feather edge that I must have missed so I decided to play with a new Christmas tool and experiment with it, its an orbital sander that feeds water to the paper



the boot has a "play" coat of paint on it so its a great opportunity to get to know the capabilities of my new tool.

so I used 220 wet paper



followed by 400 wet

 

[bobs77vet]

worked some more on the boot lid, basically just sanded and used some glaze on the line that needed a better feather edge



this still has to be color sanded and then clear coated, I will let sit over night and then color sand it with 2000 and then spray the clear

 

[bobs77vet]

happy fathers day to everyone.... that means tools for gifts and garage time for me

scuff the front for some body filler


guide coat for the bonnet





put little joe on the sanding task


finished form





some final color sanding and clear coat



high build prime



color coat



final color coats


first clear


second clear



third clear

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I like the enamel fertilizer... cures grass problems

 

[Sam Cogley]

How do you keep dust and bugs out of your paint? I can't even rattle-can a piece of bar stock outside without something getting in it.

 

[vette]

What type of paint are you using? Because if its base coat clear coat you don't need to sand the base coat.

 

[bobs77vet]

the color sanding on the trunk lid base coat was because i missed making a nice feather edge on two spots. i touched it up with more base coat after that.

the paint is lacquer and I intend on doing the final wet sanding to the clear coat.

the beauty of lacquer is bugs sand right out.

I am using lacquer duplicolor paint shop red. its a base coat and then a clear coat. its a lacquer based product. This is the paint I am using for several reasons but mostly the ease of spraying. I am not saying that lacquer is the best paint because its not. I am not saying it takes less effort because it doesn't. I am also not saying its cheaper then using other paint but its not really much more expensive. I have used this product before and I was really impressed with it. We sprayed my sons old vintage camper with this paint and it has been sitting out side in complete sunshine for 3-4 years and it gets no love whatsoever and it has not faded or had any paint issues what so ever. I also like the patina of the lacquer paint jobs they just look right to me. I know theres lots or people who don't like lacquer paints and I have sprayed other paint products before, but for this car this is the paint I am choosing.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

the beauty of lacquer is bugs sand right out.

You know, that statement pretty much sums you up... and really, you rock! :clap::hi:

 

[SRountree]

I agree with SBG, you rock! It makes me want to get one of those little cars.

 

[vette]

the color sanding on the trunk lid base coat was because i missed making a nice feather edge on two spots. i touched it up with more base coat after that.

the paint is lacquer and I intend on doing the final wet sanding to the clear coat.

the beauty of lacquer is bugs sand right out.

I am using lacquer duplicolor paint shop red. its a base coat and then a clear coat. its a lacquer based product. This is the paint I am using for several reasons but mostly the ease of spraying. I am not saying that lacquer is the best paint because its not. I am not saying it takes less effort because it doesn't. I am also not saying its cheaper then using other paint but its not really much more expensive. I have used this product before and I was really impressed with it. We sprayed my sons old vintage camper with this paint and it has been sitting out side in complete sunshine for 3-4 years and it gets no love whatsoever and it has not faded or had any paint issues what so ever. I also like the patina of the lacquer paint jobs they just look right to me. I know theres lots or people who don't like lacquer paints and I have sprayed other paint products before, but for this car this is the paint I am choosing.

Thanks for the reply. You certainly can sand lacquer between coats. Makes a nice job when done! Rock on!

 

[bobs77vet]

time to do the big push before the heat gets too bad.....ambitious goal of getting two rear fenders and both doors painted by COB tomorrow

scuff the areas needing some more love



apply some body filler sand and prime


work two sides at once so the staging works out right



use a guide coat and pay attention to the dark spots, my guide coat sanding is all wet sanding.




dark spots mean they are depressed areas and they need some more love and attention...could be hammer dolly work or body filler or maybe even spots that the sanders couldn't get at and it needs to be done by hand with a block

 

[bobs77vet]

did a little more wet sanding tonight and finished with a high build primer, it will dry overnight and hopefully weather permitting some things will get painted tomorrow....I need to think about where I am going to store painted parts?????

once I know the panels are nice and straight I will take them off the car for painting. the idea is that any distortion from being tightened down will be addressed when its on the car and mitigated. so whens it on the work stands it just for final painting.

 

[bobs77vet]

i seem to have run short of time.....

tools of the trade....the saying goes fingers are for picking, hands are for holding and blocks are for sanding....



I think I am pretty much done on the rear fenders





now to the doors


sand sand sand



And just keep sanding until the filler is all smooth



and to continue tomorrow

 

[bobs77vet]

rain rain rain.....a make shift canopy so the blowing rain wouldn't invade the garage and to give me some more work space

two tasks today.....make doors flat....and remove rear fenders





yes that's water











we are on track for some painting tomorrow....

 

[bobs77vet]

the goal today was to paint the two rear fenders and doors, but after the first coat of paint one of the doors I stopped painting that one because I saw some dings, I am not looking for perfection but you cant ignore the big things.

an easy way to hold the filter



why did I think there would be no more welding? two pin holes





tent city











everything got primed with high build primer and then wet sanded with 400
first coat


three coats or base and three coats of gloss

 

[SRountree]

Nice work!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

what kills me is you do better outside then I do in a booth.

 

[bobs77vet]

lacquer is very friendly to use, I had no runs. and only 3 gnats in the clear coat. lacquer is so easy to repair. I don't want to sweat scratches and nicks on this car. and want it to be fun for my kids and grand kids. my daughter cleaned the snow off my first MGA with a snow shovel once when she was about 5. the lacquer paint job even looked better the second time.

 

[SRountree]

Its awesome and I agree... I am trying to get my Vette on the road to have fun too. I had a lot of parts powder coated like a show car but that was only for me to look at. I finally have it "almost street legal" but it wont be too long before it is. I am working on a electric headlight mod that's almost completed but I had to order a headlight switch to complete it. After that, I need to install a rack n pinion and I should be good to go. (my steering is really swirly) outside of that to actually finish the car Ill need to build a dash so I can see how fast I am going! lol Like I said "almost street legal"

after I get this completed I am going to see about finding one like yours! such a cool car! I enjoy seeing the progress!

 

[bobs77vet]

thanks, the rack and pinion made my vette steer better but the new trailing arms, bearings , stub axles. et...stopped all the rear steer I had going on. that made the car rock solid. so if the car has a mind of its own look to the rear suspension.

 

[SRountree]

Thanks for the tip... :O)