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R6MGS

R6MGS

Yoda
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Finally got the MGB LE back from the mechanic with a brand new clutch....
The tops of the front fender where the innersplash pan meets the fender had the usually MGB bubbling that has been repaired in the past but a poor job was done an primer can be seen showing through the paint....Sometime in the 2 months the car spent sitting at the mechanic's someone put some pressure on this soft spot and cracked the bondo leaving a noticable indentation.....Luckily we had planned on having the fender tops repainted, just not so soon.
Now the problem is finding a bodyshop willing to do the work at a reasonable price....All I want is the two fender tops blown-in.....Went to CarStar, MAACO, and Lyons autobody here in Mississauga Ontario....the cheapest was $600!....If I hadn't just spent $1000 on the clutch it wouldn't be such a problem but it really hurts to put another $600+taxes into it. If it really comes down to it I could do it myself but I honestly don't have the time.
Does anyone here know of any place in Ontario that can do this job at a reasonable price.

Thanks
Zack /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thirsty.gif
 
Well, for anyone that is interested I've decided to do the work myself...I've got a sprayer, compressor etc. and I am using black primer...I'll smoothen out the area of question first then sand down the rest of the fender and spray it but is their anything I should watch for before starting?
 
Go to this site:

www.autobodystore.com

Click on "Classroom" then "Discussion Page." There are a lot of helpful folks on the forum. I just painted my car in my garage at home and they walked me through the process. They help many folks with small repairs also.
 
Ah, I've done body work before....not a big deal although I'd rather do mechanical work.....I can't even keep track of the number of times I've blown in the rear wheel well arches on my 84 Camaro(possibly the worst desined wheel wells in automotive history) in an effort to preserve the original paint and it always turns out perfect, corse thats a much smaller area....I also painted the entire rear quater panel on my 73 Corvette and it turned out alright, it's fiberglass though so their wasn't much body work involved(the old paint had just flaked off due to sitting under a tarp for 12 years).....

I was looking for more car particular info about doing this job.....one thing I was wondering about is should I remove the inner splash panel to attack the problem from underneath as well or am I just looking for trouble??

Actually I had also considered doing the clutch myself too and after my experience dealing with the mechanic and driving back and forth with parts I think next time I will......Basically all this comes down to is if you want the job done right ya gotta do it yourself.

Zack
 
Boy I still think that is a loaded question still very hard to answer and still up to the individual. I know once you start to remove trim and stuff, how far do you go and where do you stop. I think it's really a personal thing specific to what you want out of your car:

98strippedS.jpg

webered.jpg
 
If you question that I can refer you to a good cousler!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif
 
Zack,

Pull the splash panel and see what lurks beyond. Probably a good bit of rust. That is were they all get it. You need to fix that first before you paint, or the rust will rear it's ugly head again and spoil your job. Probably the splash guard extension has rusted out. I had to replace both of mine as well as my LS trumpet. I will attach a photo of my bulk head, now coated in POR-15
 

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"The tops of the front fender where the innersplash pan meets the fender had the usually MGB bubbling that has been repaired in the past but a poor job was done an primer can be seen showing through the paint"

Only way to really correct a problem when 2 fenders have been welded together to make 1 is to replace the entire thing...bubbling through from the bottom requires taking it down to metal on both sides, removing the rusted area & repainting....but it will return over time

...sounds like you need another fender.
 
Nice job Gary...but what really impressed me was the neatness of your garage! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Bruce /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
...sounds like you need another fender.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not in my lifetime!I can see how that might be the best solution, but thats the last thing I want to do right now....I really just want the ugly gone so I can take it to car shows without drapping the union jack over the front fender because the rest of the car is perfect. Plus it's not like I am drving it in the rain it will probably never see bad weather(yeah I know about the moisture in the air) but even if it returns in 10 years by that time I might have the patience to go through it properly...right now I just wanna finish my TC.

Zack
 
[ QUOTE ]
WOW..nice shop,tile floors? Geeeze I work in a deathtrap of a shop.

[/ QUOTE ]

No kidding... and I thought I was doing good because I have a real concrete driveway instead of all those years working on gravel.
 
Well the floor is since marred by welding and working on cars. I really didn't paint the floor to make it look nice as much for other reasons. The additional light is very helpful from a white floor. Having the concrete painted makes it easier to clean the floor. The painted floor doesn't soak up grease, oil and the bare concret cannot be swept as clean. Unpainted concrete is always breaking down creating dust. When I clean the floor I typically do it with a bucket and rag on my knees. I will probably re-do it when the car is done. Either way it's not as nice as it looks in the photos. The shop was new at the time and I hadn't done any work in it yet.
 
Gary, haven't seen you on the MGB Experience lately. I really wanted to see pictures of you reassembling the car. You coming back anytime soon? Or should I just keep checking over here? Thanks, James
 
I'm still reading the forum just haven't contributed in a while. I actually out of the country right now. I think this is my last computer access till next monday. I am in position to get the suspension under it soon. I am moving slow but we moved into our new house about 10 months ago. I am getting in better position to make more progress.

Gary
 
sorry for reviving an old post, but I thought I'd update anyone who's interested on my progress.....I know it's been awhile but I had other projects to finish before I could start this one.....anyway I've got both fenders repaired, primed and sanded out as smooth as glass....removed the splash pan and the inside of the fender actually looks pretty good the only spot of rust is where the extension on the splash guard has rotted out...I just scrped the area and undercoated it, hopefully that will keep it from further rusting. Were ready to spray the paint of tomorrow so hopefully everything will go as planned...wish me luck...

It's been a difficult and frustrating process but it'll be worth it in the end.....it still isn't as bad as installing a carpet kit in the MGA.

Zack
 
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