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MGB Underwater MGB

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Norton47

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I wasn't getting much feed back on this idea so I thought I would post it as a standalone question.

There is a 1974 chrome bumper MGB available that has been immersed in a creek flood. So it's probably full of silt.

If the body was fully stripped could you cut inspection and cleaning holes to flush the sills and open up other area's to clean them out and then spray them with LPS 3 or waxoyl and close them back up.
It has been washed down and it's been about 3 months since it was under water.
I offered 500.00 for the car. They were asking 1000.00.
The photos they sent and there over the phone discription indicates that the door gaps are correct and no rust bubbles on the exterior.

Could it be salvaged? Seems a shame to just crush it as it is a chrome bumper car.

I was looking at buying this for the front fender and hood for the 1972 car, but now that the opinion is that the '72 may have a bad case of rust in the sill, it could be stripped and used to rebuild this 1974.

Thanks
 
Sure it can be cleaned out. If you take the interior out you can get to all the hidden places through factory inspection holes mostely.
 
Just as Jack said, yes it can be cleaned out. Now, there are products that supposedly disables the rusting process, not just cover it up. I would look into this and then apply a protective coating to the rusted areas. If you apply a coating over rust, the loose rust particles can trap moisture and the rusting will continue in those areas. JMHO. PJ
 
My 1978 MGB and my 1969 MGC experienced a flash flood (along with my home, my wife's Maxima, and my Jeep) in April 1994 and sat in water up to the side chrome moulding for two days.

I dismantled everything (as described above), cleaned out and dried out the sills, floors, and boots.

I still have the MGs....and they are still intact. (I had the Maxima repaired via insurance funds, then sold it with full disclaimers....the Jeep was tall enough that I only had a little water on the floors (but I sold it as well). The house had to be gutted and pretty much rebuilt.

Fresh water flooding is *somewhat* kinder than salt water flooding.
 
Norton,

As Paul said..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Just as Jack said, yes it can be cleaned out. Now, there are products that supposedly disables the rusting process, not just cover it up. I would look into this and then apply a protective coating to the rusted areas. If you apply a coating over rust, the loose rust particles can trap moisture and the rusting will continue in those areas. JMHO. PJ
[/QUOTE]

There are products available to accomplish this task...

I used a product called The Rust Doctor when I restored my A... You brush the rusted areas with a steel brush to remove the surface rust, paint this stuff on and leave it overnight. It drys to a black color as it changes the surface rust to magnatite, an inert oxide, you would then sand it, primer and then paint.

It worked pretty well on the A and I will be using it when I finally restore my '66 B...
 
Good feedback and a follow on question.
The rust products are fine for area's that can be reached but getting them applied to the mid span of the sill say, would challenging. I am thinking this would take additional holes to allow injection of the product and then rolling the car on a rotisserie would be the ideal.
I am going to look at the car Saturday and I am having the seller look at the lower parts of the sills for rust through and I asked him to watch the door openings when he jacks it to see if they open.
He will sell it for 650.00 and I can use the front wing and bonnet even if this car could not be salvaged. See like it would be worth while, as look as it is not rust ridden.
 
Waxoyl yearly down in side will/should do the trick.
 
Having seen a few of these here is my take...Salt water would have nearly ruined the car, especially if it had been allowed to sit for any length of time and had had sand/dirt brought into the little spaces. Fresh water on the other hand is not nearly as corrosive and the silt that would have come along with it won't add too much to the situation other than help retain the water for a longer period of time. Aside from the obvious mechanical dissembles (engine/transmission/rear axle perhaps) things should work well enough if you strip all of the soft upholstery and spend a generous amount of time flushing things out with a garden hose. IMHO a soaking from immersion is not too very far from an extended period of very wet weather with the possible exception of some electrical bits and gauges.

If you really wanted to do it up right you could flush, flush, flush and flush again and then set the car up in an enclosed garage, turn on a few fans and hook up at least one dehumidifier.

Jack
 
Having seen a few of these here is my take...Salt water would have nearly ruined the car, especially if it had been allowed to sit for any length of time and had had sand/dirt brought into the little spaces. Fresh water on the other hand is not nearly as corrosive and the silt that would have come along with it won't add too much to the situation other than help retain the water for a longer period of time. Aside from the obvious mechanical dissembles (engine/transmission/rear axle perhaps) things should work well enough if you strip all of the soft upholstery and spend a generous amount of time flushing things out with a garden hose. IMHO a soaking from immersion is not too very far from an extended period of very wet weather with the possible exception of some electrical bits and gauges.

If you really wanted to do it up right you could flush, flush, flush and flush again and then set the car up in an enclosed garage, turn on a few fans and hook up at least one dehumidifier. It seems to me that five hundred bucks is a reasonable price if for nothing else to get lots of mechanical parts and a few body panels.

Jack
 
Norton47 said:
He will sell it for 650.00 and I can use the front wing and bonnet even if this car could not be salvaged. See like it would be worth while, as look as it is not rust ridden.
Click to expand...

It would have to be real bad, in my opinion, not to be worth $650.00. If you buy it, don't forget to clean out the engine and drive train right away! Pour Marvel Mystery oil in each cylinder and let them soak while attending to other things. JMHO. PJ
 
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