1958 MGA Coupe

bobs77vet · Oct 3, 2021

thanks guys, I have found the sponsored ads are more representative of what our last searches were then anything else, and it must be tied to an IP address because I get bombarded with female clothing ads courtesy of the Mrs and daughter.

so those relays are more of a look in the mirror .....

I sure would like a 32 roadster like in the movie Iron man. if I could fine one done in the 60s that was unloved for the last 20 years i would seriously think about it.

SuperBuickGuy · Oct 4, 2021

bobs77vet said:
thanks guys, I have found the sponsored ads are more representative of what our last searches were then anything else, and it must be tied to an IP address because I get bombarded with female clothing ads courtesy of the Mrs and daughter.

so those relays are more of a look in the mirror .....

I sure would like a 32 roadster like in the movie Iron man. if I could fine one done in the 60s that was unloved for the last 20 years i would seriously think about it.

On my bucket list of cars to build, also a AC 427 Cobra - but given my utter hatred of all things Ford, a LS 427.

BBShark · Oct 5, 2021

bobs77vet said:
time for a new project....yet to be determined, so far under the belt has been
three motorcycles, 74 cj 5, 65 c10 fleet side, 54 mgtf, 53mgtd, 69 tr 6, 3000 healey, 60 mga roadster, 58 coupe, 61 econoline van, 8? 280zx, 69 vette convertible, 77 vette restomod, my slightly customized 04 vette, 37 ford, i can t think of any more at the moment.

I had a 69 TR6 in the 70's when I was in college. Every once in a while I have looked for one in good shape to use as a candidate for a V8 conversion. They were tremendous rust buckets so a good condition resto candidate is rare and too expensive.

I saw one earlier this summer with a supercharged GM V6, 6 speed and custom front and rear suspension. It was probably one of the best packaged resto-mod cars I have ever seen. Wish I had pictures.

bobs77vet · Oct 12, 2021

i think building a cobra or daytona coupe would be alot of fun.....all new parts it would be like christmas morning every day during the build.

the TR6 was a really road worthy car, easy to put the top up and down , right from the seat, decent power ,IRS made bumps easy along with huge wheels .

definitely a fun car,

SuperBuickGuy · Oct 12, 2021

bobs77vet said:
i think building a cobra or daytona coupe would be alot of fun.....all new parts it would be like christmas morning every day during the build.

the TR6 was a really road worthy car, easy to put the top up and down , right from the seat, decent power ,IRS made bumps easy along with huge wheels .

definitely a fun car,

I've already been offered stupid money for the Corvette - and it's exactly that thought that even has me considering it.... but not this year, it's going to run 2022 Optima with me driving it.

I also would love to have a 1968 C3 Convertible....

bobs77vet · Oct 13, 2021

SuperBuickGuy said:
I've already been offered stupid money for the Corvette - and it's exactly that thought that even has me considering it.... but not this year, it's going to run 2022 Optima with me driving it.

I also would love to have a 1968 C3 Convertible....

for me the fun is the project.....nothing wrong with taking the money and running and starting all over again.

SuperBuickGuy · Oct 19, 2021

bobs77vet said:
SuperBuickGuy said:

I've already been offered stupid money for the Corvette - and it's exactly that thought that even has me considering it.... but not this year, it's going to run 2022 Optima with me driving it.

I also would love to have a 1968 C3 Convertible....

Click to expand...

for me the fun is the project.....nothing wrong with taking the money and running and starting all over again.

I completely agree with you... my life mirrors this. The Corvette has 300 miles on it since I got it roadworthy. The FJ40 - 3000 miles - in 6 years... I don't show, the worst part is I really will need to break in the transmission - 500 miles - it took me 6 months to get 300 miles...

bobs77vet · May 30, 2022

my buddy "Ohmite", Eric looked in his parts Bin and spread the love to me and sent me an original style steering wheel and a 5/8 MGB sway bar. My wood motolita was just a little to small for me to get a comfortable driving position and the bigger MGA wheel just makes the driving easier. Thanks Eric

so today the procrastination has ended....

nothing like a shipment of parts arriving on a sunday!!

lets clamp it in place and figure this out

I conferred with Eric, and Bill Spohn whose installation write up was what i followed. here it is from Barneys site

Original type Front Sway Bar adapted underneath

this locates the sway bar on the bottom and uses the factory bolt hole which needs to be drilled out

Bills instructions say the 8.5" links need to be cut down to 4.5" and welded back together

drill out the hole

lets make and add some doubling plates to weld on to the lower control arm

lets do a test fit

the links are handed and have an off set so lets get a quick measurement and cugt my brand new parts in half.

and lets drill some holes for the shortened shaft

and the journey continues tomorrow, just like old times.

bobs77vet · May 30, 2022

more progress today and a misstep, last week i got bigger 80cf welding tanks for my TIG and my MIG and i had to make a new bracket to hold the two tanks. right away my MIG welds were crap and I suspected i had maybe a tank of poor gas, well my first welds today I really cleaned everything well and i was still getting porosity, good penetration but really ugly welds. turns out when I was making the new bracket for the new sized tanks I had somehow moved the MIG welder and crimped the gas supply line and was getting either minimal or really low gas flow, trouble shooting that sucked up an hour of time. Eric and I worked through trouble shooting it, I never moved the Mig welder and I never expected that problem.

any way the progress, grind and test fit

weld

cut and fit

test fit both sides

weld and paint both out side and inside, then grind inside before paint

grind and paint arms

assemble and test fit

next step locate the sway bar brackets

BBShark · May 31, 2022

I like those swivel ends. Compact and pretty much sealed up. Is that the stock setup for a MGB?

bobs77vet · May 31, 2022

these are stock MGA 8.5"sway bar links, the original sway bars added late in Manufactuing of the MGA had the brackets for them mounted on top of the frame extension almost exactly above the area where I have then clamped on. you can duplicate that with some fabrication when the body is off but would be a nightmare to try and retro fit. and they had the sway bar mounted above the tie rod ends, hence the longer arms. The factory Links are so clean amd functional but they are too long for the under Tie Rod installation. So you cut them down to size. that was a leap of faith cutting up brand new parts. it is so clean and period looking with the clevis in right in the middle of the bracket.

Red77 · May 31, 2022

Nice work! Good to see you tinkering on the MGA again.

SuperBuickGuy · Jun 2, 2022

pretty cool to get care packages

bobs77vet · Jun 3, 2022

so I have seen several different methods for attaching the bottom sway bar brackets and have decided on an approach that includes a sheer panel and two doubling plates for the bolts. I liked how Eric "Ohmite" did his strengthening panels but that was done when the frame did not have a body on it, and Bill Spohn just used two heavy doubling plates on both sides of the frame extension to bolt the bracket to. so I am going to do both with a modified sheer panel.

the template, Eric and i played around with this because it had to fit with out taking apart too much stuff

sheer panel is 14 gauge

the fitting

and remember to remember that the car is overhanging the lift when you go inside so dont press the garage door closer.....

new rule the gargae door gets closed from the outside opener

and the final welding and making one for the other side

will test fit and tack weld the lower metal piece this weekend

bobs77vet · Jun 4, 2022

started early this morning.

I removed the horn and set up the sheer panel and the lower bracket and tack in place then weld and grind

prime and paint

bobs77vet · Jun 5, 2022

today was test fitting marking holes , drilling holes, test fitting and final painting and clear coat

BBShark · Jun 6, 2022

Nice job. I'm guessing the MGA didn't come with a sway bar? Should be a big improvement.

bobs77vet · Jun 6, 2022

the mga was something like a '55 to '62 production years some where in the later model years they added it, mine is a1500cc with drum brakes, then there was a 1600 with front disc brakes. google says april 59 was the year it was added just around the time of the other changes

panels bolted up nicely no issues, i need to modify the Horn bracket , it just touches the sway bar but i can see the additional doubler bracket for the inside and the nut or bolt is going to give some interference issues. i think i will weld on a small tab to the horn bracket so i can pivot it up out of the way and use the same bolt hole

I agree the sway bar should help. 30 yrs ago when I had my first MGA it handled like a dream compared to the CJ 5 I was driving at the time, now after driving the c5 with the z06 suspension and wheels, I have been pretty spoiled,

bobs77vet · Jun 7, 2022

bobs77vet said:
the mga was something like a '55 to '62 production years some where in the later model years they added it, mine is a1500cc with drum brakes, then there was a 1600 with front disc brakes. google says april 59 was the year it was added just around the time of the other changes

panels bolted up nicely no issues, i need to modify the Horn bracket , it just touches the sway bar but i can see the additional doubler bracket for the inside and the nut or bolt is going to give some interference issues. i think i will weld on a small tab to the horn bracket so i can pivot it up out of the way and use the same bolt hole

bobs77vet · Jun 7, 2022

so I got back out there today, I recalled several of my mentors would always say "do what ever you want but don't drill any new holes"

so I am applying that logic to this application. I do have another hole that has the same spacing as the horn bracket but when I mount it there it just barely touches the front cross member, after contemplating it a bit i decided to make an off set washer and use it to change the final angle of the mounted horn. so I cut a washer and half and welded both half's to a new washer and it worked.
lastly I marked and cut a top side doubling plate for the sway bar bolts. maybe later today i will tackle that

first two pictures show the problem