MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Bottoms up - How to sandblast the underside?

I am doing a frame off restoration and I have a sandblasting question for you. I've seperated the frame from the body. I have a blaster whose work I’ve seen and am comfortable that he won’t warp any panels. My question is how to do the underside of the body. I’m thinking that if I brace the door openings can I blast the top and sides of the car and then lay it on its side to reach the underside. Will the f pillars support the weight of the car without being damaged? In other words can you do a through job without building a rotisserie? Thanks for your help and suggestions
Bill Mc Daniel

Bill, use 2 pieces of angle iron to brace the across the cockpit from front to back then the body can be moved, turned upside down and laid on its side. I did this on my mine and it stood on its side for 2 years without any damage.

When you have removed the front trim from above the dash and the rear one from the tonneau panel, use the fixing holes to locate the cockpit bracings. I bolted two short lengths of angle iron behind the dash and tonneau panel then drilled and bolted these to the the bracings. Hope this helps.

George Dutton
Chairman MGA Register UK
George Dutton

Braced properly you can roll it any way you want. Roadsters sit on the flat of the door post so when on the side they are very stable.
R J Brown

Brace brace brace. I used the dash and rear cockpit holes to put braces in. I put L sheped angles, and then I weld 1X1 tube to it. I used engine hoist to lift the body up and moved the frame out of the way, FAR out of the way and blast it. It is dirty, horible work to do on your back, but it is just the one time to do it right.
Do I have to mention the all protection you should wear? The cleaning was as painfull as the sand blasting.
season greetigs
Matin
Marti

Thaks for your input. I'll weld up a couple of braces and blast away. Who knows maybe by spring the beast will be painted.

Bill Mc D
Bill Mc Daniel

"Who knows maybe by spring the beast will be painted"
Oh my, my sides hurt from laughing so hard. Thanks for the humor!
Of course, you do live in California, hopefully the warm part, so you won't spend much time shoveling snow.

Best of luck, God loves and optimist..I know!

GTF
G T Foster

Make that "a optimist"........OK, English as a second language.....don't paint fast either.

GTF
G T Foster

Bill,
A body rotisserie is quite simple for the "A tub & was probably the single best decision I've made. Not only did the Media Blaster reduce his price significantly, but it has made all subsequent work so much easier and accessable.(too old for contortions)
I cobbled one together using large diameter elecrtical conduit and angle iron all from Home Depot. Our club loaned me the two stanchions, but one could use a set of telescoping lally collumns to make them.
Mine is a 1500 which is open through the boot, spare wheel cutout and out through the grille opening which almost perfectly balences the whole for easy rotation.
Post an e-mail & I'll send photos.
Regards,
Doug
D Sjostrom

I put the shell upside down on a dolly by placing two 2X6s, with the tops cut in an arc to match the cowl and rear deck curves and padded with a strip of carpet, across the top of the dolly. The shell was turned with a system of cable come-alongs dropped from the garage roof framing (or a couple of people could do it). The shell remained in an inverted position while all the underside work was done and could be easily wheeled outside for sandblasting. I also braced across the shell with 1x1 steel tubing bolted to the frame mounting holes in the cockpit. When the shell is in its upright position these tubes sit on the dolly and the shell is supported at the four chassis mounting points.
John DeWolf

This thread was discussed between 01/12/2005 and 06/12/2005

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.