1958 Coupe - Body work update

Spent more time on horse stalls (construction not poop, Kevin) than on the MGA, but still made some progress. Change of strategy, as I think I will be getting a new spray gun for Christmas (hmmm). I had started to do metal treatment as I progressed with the paint stripping, but decided I would rather treat then paint all of it at once. Now I have a partially treated back end that will need close inspection for the return of surface rust. You can see the difference the rust treatment makes between the rear end and the top/head. Parts of the rear were as bad as that top!

I have completed stripping on the exterior and am progressing through the engine bay and then inside the cockpit. My hope is to be able to straighten any metal then do rust treatment and prime coat everything by the end of Christmas break with a two part filled epoxy. Then begin bodywork (filling).

Lots more metal work to do before then as the front wing wells were both cut and folded outward. Also the front shelf panel was slit and rolled under. Someone wanted more room in the engine bay. Luckily they left all the metal behind, but it will be some major repair.

John L.

John,
You're making good progress - congrats on sticking with it! I remain "sidetracked" by my boat project (learning about Honda motors) and, on a more encouraging note, my college-age son's new project - a 1971 MGB roadster! It will be stiff competition for the A over the Christmas break as I'm sure I'll be helping Ben go through the "B" to see if we can get it running and - dare I say it - driving (at least around the block). The good news (especially for my son's budget) is that all the rust remediation is done.
Paul

I have been putting on primer with a dense foam roller as I go - if I finish a panel, I can then add filler, sand, and then prime without having to set up a gun every time I want to spray something. I don't need to worry about overspray either, and I don't have to tarp and mask everything. When I eventually spray the whole car, I will sand it all down smooth again and shoot it all in one swell foop.

It is amazing how well the roller works in getting an even and smooth coat of primer on the car.

JIM in NH

Coupe looks great John! Thanks for the update and the photos - you give us hope :)

Hey Jim - what type primer are you putting on? The roller sounds tempting, but sheesh, I'm getting a new devilbiss spray gun (oops, not supposed to know that) for Christmas...

Will you reprime in total with spray app after completing the body work? Get some pics up Jim!

And welcome to the board!

I am using Rustoleum Clean metal primer for the parts that will be painted that show, and Rusty Metal primer for the undersides and parts that don't show eventually. Primer is cut 25% with mineral spirits and a wee bit of Japan drier - it's cold here now and it would take forever to dry otherwise.

I am actually brush painting the underbody - again, as I go...

I also have a pair of DeVibliss guns and a compressor - so when it's all together I will wetsand and shoot the final coat of BRG.

I know you can even roll on the final finish - and I might try a bit of that. You can always sand it down and respray if needed.

I'll post a pic here of the progress soon.

JIM in NH

Here is a pic of the work in progress...have repaired the front nose damage and the various dings and dents to the part painted white. Will have to take it off the rotisserie to get access to the inside surfaces.

Good show Jim - given me some ideas for a rotisserie conversion for my wood dolly. Formulating the primer plan as I go, I think I will still spray the total shell after metal treatment, then roll on the paint at just the repair spots, which will be numerous.

People have trial fitted their bodies back on the frame prior to final painting, but I dont see the advantage of that, at least on the coupe. Except it would be neat to see the body sitting on the frame again.

I had mentioned the cut and rolled out wing wells and today I finally got back at it. Funny how things get in the way. Moved a work bench, which led to pegboard, which led to insulation behind the pegboard, which led to insulating all the remaining walls in my shop. Turned out nice though. Now have a body and paint work area with 14' of galvanized bench top.

Wing wells complete and front radiator shelf lip repaired. The shelf lip had been slit and tucked under like the wheel wells. The guy was a butcher. The shelf was the most time consuming by far. Or was that because I put down my welding gloves and then couldnt find them...

Anyway, I have posted my latest body work excercise on the photobucket link below.

It starts with this pic:

Nice work and thanks for sharing with us! You made it look too easy, sign of a professional!

Its hard to believe what some DPO's will do.
Great job on the repairs.

Its amazing what some people will do to a perfectly innocent vehicle, wow. Nice job so far John, must feel great to see the car literally coming back together.
Keep us posted.

Love pictures!!! Keep them coming! I'm in...

Tom

John - when will you be sick of the cold WA weather and ready to visit AZ for a bit?? I'm sure we could work out a food / lodging / entertainment arrangement in exchange for some body work help :P

Seriously though - looks great! Thanks for the update and pics!!

I just sent my daughter and son-in-law back down to the brown scorched earth from whence they came. Verrado, 20 miles west of Phoenix. Last July my son-in-law took me out golfing at mid-day, like I was some sort of native or something. About the 15th hole I told him I was feeling rummy (well, more than usual). We finished up, but that night at a local restaurant, my body locked up. First the fingers, then the arm, then my legs. Three weeks after that, I was at my local emergency room with my first kidney stone attack. All relating back to that nice dry desert air blow drying my body.

Did I mention I have heat in my shop now?

But I dont have flood control. Might have to put my shop on stilts if this rain keeps up.

Just completed the front radiator shelf yesterday and posted those pics last night.

Now I found one sill is rotten. More welding, oh boy.

John,

Loved the pics - wow, what a mess! Still, cut and folded is almost better than rusty and missing - at least you had something to put back.

In reading your comments (thank you by the way for remembering to take the time to stop and take photos...I usually get so wrapped up in the project at hand I forget that I wanted to document it until later so I get befores and afters but not durings...) I was interested in what happened with the acid etch primer in the boot. IMHO, never use acid etch on anything except bare metal - but maybe over a phosphotized surface it's ok...?

The boot floor looks to be in great shape! Mine has one side that has been replaced with a flat piece of steel so the ribs are missing - but the repair is solid, if ugly, and will be covered with carpet, so I am leaving it alone. Forming the piece with the correct ribs would be a royal PITA to do with a hammer. Maybe I'll try it just to see if I can do it. I am actually just now at the stage where I have taken the car body off the rotisserie and I am now attacking the boot myself. Just cleaning the dang thing is going to be a chore!

Glad to hear the bench, peg board, insulation, etc. is all buttoned up - I find that having moderate ADHD is actually a real advantage when doing these projects - it allows you to multitask and keeps you from getting bored. Drives my wife bananas though...

JIM in NH