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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 MGB Technical - Rebodying a GT

Sadly according to the body shop the GT is near its end but mechanically it is very sound.
I would be interested to hear from those who have rebodied a GT. I am interested to learn how long it took them (I am assuming DIY), pitfalls and apart from the cost of the shell what the other costs were? Also did you need specialist equipment such as a device for turning the car over. (I don't fancy lying on my back fitting pipes, wires etc). Also I am not certain whether a hoist is much help.

Alternatively what was the cost of getting third party to do it?

Thanks

Bob Marshall
R J Marshall

Might it not be easier to buy a good car and keep the current one for spares?

Herb
H J Adler

Re-shelling will probably cost much more than finding a decent car to buy.

You can sell off the spares from your car.
Dave O'Neill 2

I was faced with this issue with my Roadster about twenty years ago (and in reality 25+ plus years, but I carried on patching in meantime). I liked the car and wasn't interested in a concours vehicle, just a sound hack that I could use all year round. I heard mixed reviews on the new shells and didn't want to spend months and thousands rebuilding it. I love my MG (and MGs generally), but if I was going to rebuild something it'd have to be a lot rarer and exotic. Over the years the car's been a bit like George Washington's axe (or Trigger's broom), and there's hardly anything left from the car I bought in '84. In the end I found a chap who basically replaced the bottom six inches of the car between the wheels, the price was a bit of jolt back then, but loads cheaper than a new shell and proved money well spent. I'm still running it on a daily basis. Every so often I put some more Waxoyl in the sills, and get underneath and slap some more red oxide and whatever I've got around as top coat on the exposed bits. Topside it looks a bit ragged, but hey that's called patina in some circles.
Peter Allen

Bob
My own experience is with re-shelling a Mini.

A detailed project with lots of sub assemblies prepared before hand, the body painted before hand etc it still took about 7 man weeks.

Was it worth - financially no - but when the owner was sideswiped a couple of years later the shell did not collapse and they walked away.

The cheapest solution is to find another car but maybe you need to find an alternative body man.
George
G R Wilder

Bob, A Heritage shell will consume huge amounts of time, just to get it just rolling, trial fitting of most parts and ready to paint. My time contribution, which was the minor one, was 66 hours. They are quite inaccurate. The last one I did, a GTV8, involved lots of remedial work. Cutting out and replacing some panels and brackets, expanding the N/s door opening, cutting and re-welding the tailgate hinges, moving the demister slots, moving the column mounting brackets, re-positioning several captive nuts and locating holes, are just a few, of the many, I remember!!!
Allan Reeling

Allan's experience with a new shell mirrors what happened with a friend who built a V8 roadster into a Heritage shell. He made the mistake of having the shell painted before he started work. Big error, as lots of parts of the shell were poorly fitted or just plain wrong.
Mike Howlett

Bob, 31 years and it's still only in primer! Mind you, I have done a 1300, midget, 356 kit car, kept the daily driver going, turned up occasionally to raise a family and worked away from home for at least 5 of those years....

I'm inclined to agree with the comments above and change your body shop. I mean, just how bad can it be?
Yes it's expensive to pay someone to do it and another car where someone else has taken the financial hit is the way to go. But I would do as Peter and do what needs doing when it's needed.

One of my GT's is on a rotisserie currently and I think it's the only way to go for a serious amount of welding.. I've got a roadster in final prep for painting but it's taken me years to do the welding one day a week.... roll on retirement!
The other big thing you have to ask yourself is "how happy am I putting all these old parts on a nice new body"? My experience suggests you'll end up spending the same again on trim, electrical and a mechanical re-furb.

I say keep it going for a few years and I'll do you mates rates when finally get enough wedge to semi retire :-)

Best of....
MGmike
M McAndrew

Gentlemen

Thank you for your comments.

1. The trouble is with buying another B is that the same or similar problems could be faced If I could find a recently rebodied example that would be fine
2. I have no sentimental feelings for this car (unlike some of our other cars which have been family members for over 50 years). Scrapping it causes no problems.
3. Unfortunately patching is not on.
4.It would be fun (maybe) and certainly very satisfying to rebuild it but I take note of some of your comments. If I could weld etc it might be worth a try but I can't.
(I have rebuilt a 1952 TD and 1954 TF which reside in the garage and get used here and abroad).
So we will get it back and plan its disposal. If anyone is interested in a project get in touch. The engine and transmisson (overdrive) is excellent (we did about 2000 miles in France last autumn at good speeds). There is a new fuel tank, new radiator etc. It handles well - when a Frenchman pulled out in front of us when we were doing about 70 mph it went round him at a flick of the wrist and kept on the road!
R J Marshall

RJ, have looked at this eBay item number:222416857246
?
It might be a reasonable starting point with less welding required than yours. A quick acid dip, welding, then paint and you should have a good shell with money left over when compared to a new one.

Best of....
MGmike

M McAndrew

Mike

It's a pity you didn't post that earlier, as I was there this morning.

I believe that Paul Hunt was also there, just before me!
Dave O'Neill 2

That would be Classic Spares Lye? A very sore point with me!
paulh4

This thread was discussed between 20/02/2017 and 23/02/2017

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