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T-Series 1953 MG TD Reassembly - CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED

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The car dealers in the Far East use high power leaf blowers after the dust storms.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]It should have seven if it is like the stock version.[/QUOTE]

Yep, 7...I'll post photos Monday when I can get back in shop...I'm betting there are blind T-nuts in my posts....I haven't completely chased the holes yet & was just assuming the wood screws Moss supplied in the kit went into the 2 main holes since they didn't provide long machine screws.....

Means I've gotta go through all the loose nuts/bolts/fasteners in the big box to find the correct ones! That's the only PO thing I've got to complain about: he just tossed every old nut/bolt in a big box without separating or labeling as he planned to replace them all (which I've continued doing).....but, as I get further into the build, I'm beginning to recognize what should go where even though I'm not using them (I've got all these piles of separated nuts/bolts/screws on my table)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I did have to clean up the area where the capture nuts are with a router in order to get them to seat down in the wood properly.[/QUOTE]

WHEW!! That's what I expected to have to do...can't for the life of me figure out how the original's fit though! &, through this thread, I've figured out that those captive nuts are to hold the striker/lock onto the plate - along with 2 wood screws.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]It's the best car duster out there.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Steve, I'll grab a few!

This is turning into a helpful thread - at least for me it is!

LESSON LEARNED: Don't buy a car that the PO has started to disassemble if he didn't keep proper records/photographs.......well, I would still buy this particular one-owner TD again - even if it were in the same condition - based on what he'd done & how he'd cared for it all its life! PO owned it from 1953 until I bought it in 2000 & drove it every day until he retired from NASA & decided to restore it before his health failed. I've had it since & am finally finishing the 15-year-or-so "on again, off again"restoration!
 
You got it!! Thats how it goes together. Lets hope the PO put those T-nuts in the post. By the way, on the door side there are also T-nuts that hold the latch mounting plates.

Glad you got it figured out!!

Back to work for me - wet sanding and buffing - the rear valance today.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Back to work for me - wet sanding and buffing - the rear valance today. [/QUOTE]

Photos, please...start another thread sop I can learn more about these things!
 
Tony you should know everything about wet sanding and buffing. If you don't refer to John Weimer's article on a website whose name I can't recall
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Tony you should know everything about wet sanding and buffing. If you don't refer to John Weimer's article on a website whose name I can't recall [/QUOTE]

hehehehe...chuck...hehehehe...I meant photos of the car...as Jerri says "Silly man!"
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I would be happy to put some pics out there. Not sure how to do it. [/QUOTE]

I post mine on my website & then put the address to them inside the little"[]" thingees iwth 'img' in front inside the little thingees & '/img' behind....like this: photo address[/img]

& there's a way to put your photos here on the BCF & then transfer them to your particular thread.
 
I put some in the members photo section.

Tring to figure out the album thing and I'll upload more. If you have something in particular you want -let me know.
 
Those 3 are nice - glad to see I'm not the only one who knows how the licesne plate apparatus really goes!
 
What did you decide to do about tires? I have the same problem. Nothing wrong with them - they are just too old. And they just don't look right on the car. Have been thinking about reproduction Dunlop bias ply. But they don't give them away either!!
 
Monday: Well, no photos of the latch monting plate necessary - it fit right in! &, yes, zahnej, my "A" posts had captured T-nuts (thank goodness!)...all I had to do was find the correct bolts! & figure out which way the plates mount (hint: the captive nuts go away from the edge of the "A" post nearest the door opening!)

Once everything was put together, the doors went right on...I'm not exactly happy with the way the passenger one fits - its a little farther away from the body of the car at the bottom front than anywhere else...& after spending all day trying to finure out why, I've finally come to the conclusion that all thse years of the door laying flat have changed its shape a bit...hope as it hangs, it'll reform itself.

We took the driver door back off until after the interior & dash installation is finished.....think I'll need the extra room to crawl in & out of the car.

Man, that front kick panels are a bear to fit & shape around the underdash roll bar!

tddoor05.JPG


& the tires in the photo are my new Kumho's!


& Jim at Knox Custom Chroming called today to say he was moving my dash rechroming up on his schedule & was beginning work on it today (I can't hang the front fenders until I get it).
 
Man oh man, starting to look like a car. What do Ricky and the guys think of this?
 
Man, I'm glad those T-nuts were there!! That could have been a bit of a problem. The bottom of my doors are also not the best of fits. As long as the front of the doors are flush all my critical TD buddies will give you a hundred points!! I wish I could make your kind of progress. I have been using Graves Plating - great quality but bring your wallet. If you have shopped around, how does Knox compare?

Tony, this looks like a real nice restoration!! That door handle looks real pretty hanging there. Congrats!!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]As long as the front of the doors are flush all my critical TD buddies will give you a hundred points!! [/QUOTE]

That's the problem if I understand how you're using 'flush'...my door overhang around body is perfect; top edges of my doors line up under body line perfectly, I've the exact same amount of 'gap' between the body surround & door frame all way around...however, I've got a little gap at bottom front of the passenger door where I can slide a piece of paper up between the door where it overlaps the tub.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]That door handle looks real pretty hanging there.[/QUOTE]

I've got to take them both back off because I used a 1/16" shim & don't really need them....actually, when I remove the shim, the little gap I'm worrying about may go away!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I have been using Graves Plating - great quality but bring your wallet. If you have shopped around, how does Knox compare?[/QUOTE]

Don't know about comparisons...I'm using Knox based on Jack Laird's recommendation....I will tell you I'm pleased with my contact with them so far...I've sent them several packages of items & Friday when I relized I need my grille shell back right away, I called them...they called me back today & said they were moving it up on their schedule & were starting it today.
___________________
Jack wrote:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]What do Ricky and the guys think of this? [/QUOTE]

They're real pleased...its getting lots of comments & I think bringing in more work for him...I know everybody who stops by the shop comes by to look it over! & he now has an MGA frame-off that the guy wants painted the same color!
 
Yeah, I was talking about the overlap. I can see the overlap is not perfect at the bottom - as I said the "experts" only get critical about the overlap at the front of the door. The actual inside door to frame gap varies a bit on my car - but should be able to make it up with trim.

Sounds like your inside gap is more uniform than mine.

Fitting these doors is not for the faint of heart - especially when you replace all the wood.

Thanks for the info on Knox.
 
Of all the things that need to be done on the restoration of a T series, I've heard the doors are the absolute worse.
 
Believe it or not there is something worse - the fitting of the rear crank cap/seal to slinger.

It took me acouple of days!! Athough I may have been slowed down by the bottle of Scotch that I kept at my side during the experience.
 
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