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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bit of help with body work :)

Hello! :)
First of all thanks to everyone who helped out on my dads post earlier about the engine starting. I have scratch marks on my head trying to figure out what was going wrong there!
I'd like to pick your brains about the sills, on our 76 they're just about knackered so much so in one part you can see road. My question comes around the bracing situation for replacement, i've been reading all over the internet do one side at a time and brace to make sure the car doesnt basically fold in on it's self but i think this has already happened with the collapse of the inner sill. Reason i say this is the door gaps arre way out and it's a bit tight at the top.
Any suggestions of how i can straighten this out so i can then brace the door in the proper position to remove the sills? Again any help will be appreciated and if someone wants to come down (i live in doncaster) there WILL be beer
Thanks again
Rick
R Rawson

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be along shortly. I think the procedure is to get the car on axle stands / blocks etc and get the door gaps right first. By placing the stands in different positions it will flex back to where it should be. Then take some measurements, remove the door, and fit a brace in.

Ant Allen

Ant has it right - assuming the car was straight before the sill collpased, ie no accident/impact damage, which should be straightened first of all.

A
Anthony Cutler


They go through this procedure (on an MGB) in the "An MG is Born" video. What they do is put the car on axle stands with the door fitted and the old sill removed. They then put a jack under the middle of the car and tweak it around until the gaps are right and then weld a brace into place. He uses a 1/8 drill as a gauge.

I was fortunate that the sills were OK on my resto so I don't have any experience of actually doing the job, but it makes sense - I'm sure someone will be along with some genuine 'been there done that' experience shortly.

Whatever, I'm sure you'll have great fun doing it!!
MarkH1

Ive been through this! Although mine was not sagged to start with.

With the car on stands i placed a large 2x4 next to the tunnel on the side of the sill i was removing then raised or lowered it with a jack. With the door in place and a sill off raising the jack will open the top door gap and close the bottom, lowering will be the opposite. When they are just right brace the door gaps both sides, i also added a diagonal brace from front to rear bulkhead just to be safe.

You can see my pics and short write up in the archives of my blog...http://www.k-midget.co.uk
Rob McGeown

This thread was discussed on 07/05/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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