ozbilt's California MG TC build

[ozbilt]

I was flown over to California to help with a TC project a friend of mine had volunteered to help with. A couple of months before I had some Skype video time looking over what I had to make before leaving the ranch at Duggo. I was sent a door & a template of a front mudguard section that needed to be fabricated. Door received a new skin (formed with the help of Mrsozbilt) & the mudguard section made. All boxed & then delivered into Sydney where another United pilot took them back to CA.

I arrived after an eventful flight with my daughter & 2 grandchildren. My daughter sprained her ankle the morning of our flight, so it was me pushing the 3 of them from terminal to terminal at LAX.

The car .......





When I arrived .....







First fitting of the front apron .....

[ozbilt]

First assembly started to see what needed to be done ......





Firewall arrived all finished in the correct French Grey (probably a military colour as these cars were produced directly after WWII & MG had been making a lot of war stuff including ammo boxes that you can see in the firewall. That colour would have also been war surplus.



The heart of the beast ......



4 forward crash gears .....



Discovering differences in the front mudguards .....

[ozbilt]

The proud owner Ron. He was a little concerned at first of what he purchased, but he really had bought a nice car with lots of nice gear & most of the mechanical work done ......

[ozbilt]

Still fitting it up for the first time, well at least OUR first time ....... :rotfl:







The door I made the skin for, going on for the first time. One great thing about the car was it had all new wood, so no dealing with rot .......

[ozbilt]

Door skin I made then received the lead work they have to finish the fit .....

[nassi]

Nice to see, keep it comming.

[hybrid]

That will be a great looking car!

[Nuts]

You've got your work cut out for you there Oz. The panel gaps will move all over the place with variations in temperature and humidity. They are a great car though. Have fun!

[Pinto-Pete]

I arrived after an eventful flight with my daughter & 2 grandchildren.

Cattle class no less, and not a sky bed in sight, Oh the injustice of it all...

[ozbilt]

I arrived after an eventful flight with my daughter & 2 grandchildren.

Cattle class no less, and not a sky bed in sight, Oh the injustice of it all...

Actually I could "see" the sky beds as we were in the first row behind the J seating ......

However not many book Y + so I had a complete row a few back from where we were to stretch out & sleep. The 777's are usually weight restricted on the Oz run so there is usually plenty of space.

[ozbilt]

You've got your work cut out for you there Oz. The panel gaps will move all over the place with variations in temperature and humidity. They are a great car though. Have fun!

Wonderful thing about California. Very little variation in humidity & with the ash the frame is made of, they do not move much with the latest way we can get the frames together.

As I said in the "Ozbilt's travels" thread

It is at least the 6th TC we have built, however we have also built a few tubs that we never got to see the car. We have also built a PA & NB, both 1934 models along with 2 1951 TD's, so quite familiar with rotted wood, rusty metal, oil leaks along with electrical systems that do not function .......

Also forgot I built a TF when I was living over here ......

[ozbilt]

Making the door skin at Duggo back in January.

Wheeled up a piece cut oversize with the help of Mrsozbilt .....



Removed the old skin that had some questionable repairs ......



Marked out for cutting ......



& cut allowing the edge to be folded ......



Edges turned & check fitted, then inner primed .....





Fitted, hammered up ......







Rear inner corner panel was missing ....



Now made & fitted ......



Front outer corner made & welded in place. Turned out to be fairly close, just a little lead work upon fitting to the car & it was fine .....

[ozbilt]

Probably the biggest treat was the delivery of a new bonnet, the last one made in the UK by a guy who died not long after it was sent. A really beautiful piece of work & I can only guess how many man hours there was in the making of such a great panel. It was made too long as you always have to "make" the gaps, just like the factory did back in 1946. It screwed into place like it had always been there & allowed us to mark it out & cut to size.





The Three Amigo's. Bob, Ron & you know who .....





We moved the car onto a flat floor to make sure we were not fitting the bonnet to a twisted car. That chassis has a lot of flex .......























Comparing an old bonnet side panel with the new one .......



Total man hours fitting that bonnet, probably in the vicinity of 30 hours. That was one of the easiest bonnets on an old MG that I have ever fitted ......

[Ausjacko]

I notice the owner was not in the shot as you hacked into the bonnet. I trust you packed the 'hardwood' panel repair log in your case ;-)

[ACTstanglover]

Oz, you are the man, that is outstanding workmanship. If only apprentice panel beaters could learn the trade on real cars, not the plastic ones of today. Keep up the good work