MGC MGC engine is free!

[tdskip]

We had a short break in the rain here, and after gently rocking her in gear a couple of times over the last couple of days, I roller her some today and the engine is definitely spinning freely. Yippie.

Oh sure her compression and loads of other stuff could be completely knackered, but did I mention that her engine is spinning freely? LOL.

 

[tony barnhill]

Great! Now start disassembling the thing!

 

[rick_ingram]

Great news!

 

[drooartz]

Woohoo! Now get back to work.

 

[tdskip]

Woohoo! Now get back to work.

Which one? LOL.

 

[drooartz]

One which on? LOL.

I was going to ask that, but didn't think it would be polite.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

One which on? LOL.

I was going to ask that, but didn't think it would be polite.

Well, that doesn't stop most of us!

 

[tony barnhill]

One which on? LOL.

I was going to ask that, but didn't think it would be polite.

Well, that doesn't stop most of us!

Disassembling the MGC GT is what I meant....the only way to make that car the car it could be is to strip that bodyshell & redo everything!

 

[tdskip]

Got it Tony (and the first time too!). The guys are giving me a hard time, and fair so I might point out, that I have a couple too many projects going now. I was all set to focus on the Bugeye and TR4A when the MGC came around.

As soon as it stops raining and I can move some cars around all the paint is coming off her so I can see what I really have here...

Ditto for the engine, itching to get compression figures on her.

 

[tony barnhill]

Just gut the interior, strip all the brightwork & glass out of the body, yank the engine & trans, drop all the suspension & sandblast what's left!

Do it like Bob67 does!

 

[DrEntropy]

I wuz gonna say: "Watch out Tom!! Colonel onna rampage!"

...but that C is kinda hard to find lately. But he's right, and now YOU'RE responsible.


...no pressure...

 

[Monark192]

Just gut the interior, strip all the brightwork & glass out of the body, yank the engine & trans, drop all the suspension & sandblast what's left!

Do it like Bob67 does!

Bob67gt does all that <span style="font-style: italic">before</span> breakfast.

 

[DrEntropy]

Bob's an animal. Us mere mortals need more TIME!

 

[tony barnhill]

But Tom IS now responsible for a rare beast! No half a$$ing that one!

 

[bob67bgt]

Thats a expensive MG to rebuild properly. Be sure you are prepared for the amount of work and money to do a good job. I would probably do component rebuilds. Build the carbs and fuel system and make it run. Then get the hydraulics going and try out the transmission. Even if it has good compression that does not mean it will not drink oil. Depending on what you can do yourself you can go ALOT over what its worth when finished. Thats OK since most people with really nice cars are upsidedown. Price out rebuilding the engine and braking system and interior parts on the MGC before you remove one bolt! Be sure you know what you are getting into. It looks like a great project for the right person! Be sure you are that person. Sorry about the lecture. Bob

 

[tdskip]

But he's right, and now YOU'RE responsible.


...no pressure...

Oh, great! Now I've <span style="text-decoration: line-through">inspectors</span> auidence to satisfy. :lol:

 

[tdskip]

It looks like a great project for the right person! Be sure you are that person. Sorry about the lecture. Bob

No need to apologize, all of the feedback from you and Tony (and even Doc - ha!) is being taken the right way. Seriously, this is all good stuff to keep in mind, and having been through this before I'm highly appreciative of how valuable your experience-driven coaching is.

As you can probably tell I'm still in the early giddy phase. I know I've got a long - long road ahead. I think the key decision to make is what priority I'm going to slot her into. She was a total surprise and right before she showed up I had decided to put my head down and focus on getting the Bugeye and TR4A IRS back on the road.

As of this AM the plan is to get her cleaned up and all the crap (literally) cleaned out and get get her into the garage. I was thinking of getting her compression as a base line since if it looks serviceable that will be me a big kick-forward. I've got a backlog of vacation days to use so I might take a couple days and get her paint off as well. Between her compression and seeing what rot needs to be dealtht with that will give me a better of idea of my plan of attack.

If her engine is knackered and the rot is worse that I'm expecting I'll have to regroup and ask if I can/should pursue this or find an owner who will be a better caretaker than me.

So rather than just whip everything off her I think I'd rather have a better idea of what I'm looking at first. Sound like a plan?

 

[Grantura_MKI]

I would be very carefull with that motor. They are expensive. If the vehicle has been standing for a number of years, I would never attempt to start it before disassembling it first. Chances of spining a bearing or worse are very high.
Just my 2p!
Cheers,
David.

 

[tony barnhill]

Tom - the same thing happened to me a couple years ago when I ran into a 1969 MGC GT AUTOMATIC transmission car...partially disassembled & sitting in a garage after a minor accident since the 70's....I bought it, brought it home, cleaned it up, reassembled it with good parts (not the bent bumper, grille, etc.) & got the major dents out of the door & front fender & left rear qyarter so it looks okay...I made sure the engine was free & pushed it into a back corner of my garage & told it "after my '68 MGC roadster" which is after my '71 MGB GT comes off the QuikLift which if after I finish my '63 Midget & in between in my V8 MGB & my Corvette! You get the picture.....

But, its sitting in out of the dry & I occassionally find some of the higher dollar items I'll need when I do totally disassemble it, buy them & put them inside it. Heck, I even found an extra automatic MGC engine - frozen but I add oil to it every now & then & try to turn it over.

 

[DrEntropy]

Sounds as if your approach is good, Tom. "Out-patience" any urge to light it off, survey the body/chassis WELL. Plot your path systematically. You're into a really neat, interesting car. If I were a decade or so younger I might be jealous. :wink: