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MGB MGB Body change

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PAUL161

PAUL161

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Restoring my 1972. The body is so rusted out from road salt that I have to replace it. I have a 79 that has a perfect body and I'm going to use it for the change. I know that I have a lot of body work to do, but That is no problem as I have the shop and the knowledge to do that. My question is; My 72 has a overdrive transmission. Is the tunnel in the 79 wide enough to except it?
 
All transmission tunnels from 68 on are wider for the 4 synchro trans and will accept either the dip stick or side plug overdrives. Banging out the early tunnels with a hammer allows use of the later tranny in the early models as well.
 
79 vs 72: Different bumper mounts, different crossmember, different firewall and steering column, different spring mounts on the rear. There is more, but those are the hard parts if you want it to look like a 72 and have the same handling and ride height.
 
Thanks for the comeback. Jim, you said that the firewall is not the same in the 79 and 72. Could you give me some more info on this? Thanks, Paul
 
The point where the steering column goes through the firewall is different. The mounting for the steering column under the dash may be different also. You can make a 79 shell into a 72 shell, but it will take lots of work.
 
There is a big differance in the design on the engine bay! It would be easier to find another shell and move all the parts over if you want to keep the CB look all around.
 
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