Summer of 2005

In 2005 work began on the body tub. It was moved out of a tool shed at my dad's house and brought down to the shop to be put on the jig. Moving down to the shop on the bucket of a tractor was a trip in itself! My car didn't have the best "wood." Most owners of the old MG's know about their timbers. In these older cars the body tub frame is made out of wood and the body metal is wrapped around the frame and tacked into the wood. It's the rare car that has both good wood and good metal. Unfortunately mine had the later. I had great sheet metal but the wood in my car was pretty shot. And as with these cars there had been some hacking in the past.

One of my door bottoms had a 2x4 hacked to fit in replacement of the original wood. So here we are, my dad and me, going down the road with my body tub creaking and moaning to the shop. I thought at any moment it was going to bust in half and make more of a project than I already had. (sorry no pic on this one I was truly occupied)

After sandblasting the frame (lightly, too much heat is generated it could warp the sheet metal) it was put on the jig and work began. Here it gets a bit sketchy and picture records aren't helping. I don't remember how much i was able to get done on vacation but anyway work began....You can see in this door pic the way the body metal is wrapped around the wood and tacked into the body timbers. As you can see in the following pics most of the timbers in my TD had to be replaced. Some there was just no hope for. The main beam in this door pic was one (it is just below the door opening.) Most of these pics were taken when i was preparing the body tub for primer. I'll post the pics and hope for the best....Well it seems as though I can't post pics the way I would like and have the text to explain them. Anyway the following pictures are just of the woodwork in the car showing the pieces that were replaced (like most of them!)

Ok I'm going back to big pics in the center and text top and bottom. What a pain in the butt! sheeeesh!