CANNONBALL!!! (intro)

That's right, I'm taking the plunge! My name is Jarret, I am in Nebraska and I am just starting to evaluate my father's 1969 MGC roadster for restoration.

Our C displays the following data tags: Car# GCN1U 73816, Com# 002648 and another tag below that which is stamped MGCU002401. The C has 59255 actual miles.

My father acquired this car in 1974-1975. It moved around NE with him and then out to Las Vegas, NV (Henderson actually) in the early 80s where it lived until last October. Unfortunately, once in NV my father began a restoration, but for various reasons the car was put aside and spent the last 20-25 years tucked into the corner of dad's back yard. I imagine in that climate the cheap blue tarp rotted away within two years, so we are not in good shape.

Being from the midwest originally, the C was full of rust. All floors were replaced, along with fenders, rear quarters and both doors. The fella who did the body work was trying to cut and paste the necessary bits from the rotted roadster doors to donor GT doors so they would fit better. I really don't think he did a horrible job on the driver's side, but he must have had a stroke while working on the passenger side because it's simply trashed.

As you can see by the pics, we are a LONG way off. If only my father had been able to keep the C stored in his garage... Since these pics, I have cleaned the years of NV dust and scorpion skins out and have begun to inventory what we have. There are still small rust holes at the very front of the floors where they meet the bulkhead.

I did find the brake/clutch masters packed away in one of many boxes of new and take off parts, but the reservoir is apparently cracked as there is a glob of some sort of epoxy on the outside of the unit, and it appears as though someone has had it off the master before and maybe tried to seal the front back in with some sort of (lord I hope not) JB Weld.

The plan for this C is to bring it back to driver status. I want it to appear fairly original, but I will not hesitate to experiment with alternatives that will look/perform as good or better than stock.

I do have some mechanical and restoration skills. From 1988 to 1996 I worked as an ASE certified tech at a GMC light/medium duty truck dealership. I can weld, work engine internals, work with manual and (some) auto transmissions, set up rear ends, etc. I am one of those guys who knows something about a lot of things, especially mechanical things that require work with your hands.

I restored/rebuilt my 1979 Jeep CJ7 about four years ago. It is currently powered by the standard straight six :) with a Ford carb upgrade, GM HEI ignition upgrade, Ford manual trans upgrade leading to International axles with lockers and Isuzu sourced disc brakes on the rear and a Mercury master cylinder... there's more.:S

I have read just about every page of this forum. You all sound like a very knowledgeable group. I thank you in advance for your guidance and insight.

My first question. It has become clear to me that the best course of action with this C would be to find a good donor roadster for replacement fenders and doors and other items. The units I have are sketchy. Both fenders have damage in weird places and I don't trust the guy that did the doors. The entire interior is beyond repair and the top does not exist. So, I've noticed a slight difference in marker lights in the pre 69 fenders. I don't really care about this as long as the fenders match. So what years of MBG roadster will offer the most potential fr donor parts?

Here's some picture goodness.

Two more of the C.

OK, I feel the need to show my work... and I use what I build.

Lots of work ahead of you. Do you have the Hydraulic cylinders, brake and clutch? [url=http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php][/url]

Swamper, yes I do have both cylinders but I am really leaning towards making at least one attempt at replacing the dual servo system all together with either a junkyard single master booster or aftermarket street rod application. I will have more questions about this down the road.

Koby, yes and thanks. It was a couple of your older posts that got me looking closely enough to spot the difference. In fact, the white fender om my C is a 68 = wrong. If the right pre 69 donor pops up I will probably go for it as long they match.

Is it reasonable to assume that the closer I can stay to the 1969 model year, the more I can expect other odds and ends to also swap over if needed? I will likely be scavenging many interior pieces and basically whatever else I can find that is in better shape than what I've got now.

Hi and Welcome , you will find all the support and encouragement needed in this and a few other sites dealing with C's. ask and you shall receive!

All the very best, nice to have your fathers car, makes it all the more important.

Hi Jarret,

Welcome to the MGC world. My car also had mismatched fenders when I bought it. Instead of buying a complete fender, I bought the front one foot of a correct MGB donor fender from a junk yard just to get the front marker light area. Then I had a competent auto body guy measure and cut out the wrong marker light from the fender on the car using a laser cutter. Then he measured and cut the correct marker light from the donor piece and welded it in the correct position on the fender. The fender on the car was not removed for this work. He measured the correct fender on the other side of the car to locate the doner light marker.

This process sure beat removing and replacing a fender.

Best of luck with your project. Wish I had your automotive repair skill sets.

Chuck

Hello Jarret! And welcome to the C'n eye - you are now in the temple!
I wish you all the luck - but - rest assure, if you have a question - you'll find the answer in this nock of C'ber dyne!
I'm undertaking a GTS project - the 'donor' car is proving to be a hand full - my $20K budget is in serious jeopardy - BUT! - WTH - keeping another C from the crusher is what its all about!
Cheers
Stan

Jarret

Welcome to the Forum.

As you may have noticed from other threads the body parts of the C from the firewall aft, with the exception of the floors, are the same as the B of those years. Doors are more or less interchangeable with only minor differences between years. If you can find a pair of doors off a donor B that may simplify that part of the equation.

Jarret, first of all you should have the motivation as it was your Dad's car, as you will know from your other projects motivation and will will get you a long way, and over time funds are achievable. You may be hard pressed to find a C donor roadster, and even then that may be in worse condition, do your best to work with what you have, commonality with B replacement body sections and now reproduced C body parts, floors etc. At the end of the day 1/2 the fun will be sourcing parts and ideas and the people you will come across doing so. Go for it, I like originality with a touch of modern technology (poly bushes, shocks, maybe ingnition, electronic fuel pump) which makes the C that much more driveable.

As you have also seen the worldwide C community is here to help. 'B' 'C'ing you, regards Bill

Jarret
Welcome to one of the best support groups on the internet and probably the best for US based MGC owners. As Larry points out the C is unique mostly in its bonnet and what lies beneath...firewall forward and the 4 corners. Hydraulics are Girling not Lockheed...Girling likewise being the preference for Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini...mentioned only to suggest you might want to rethink swapping out or in units made for 4 cylinder cars. The servos for instance have a couple of worthy alternatives in addition to being capable of being rebuilt with proper kits or a proper rebuilder. The nylon brake master reservoir is worth its weight in gold or near so and is totally unique to the MGC.

The mechanical targets are indeed the brakes, suspension and possibly steering and of course the engine. Nearly all the parts needed to restore those mechanicals exist and as suggested with the exception of the front floor pans everything else is mostly MGB or the same era.

Good luck and keep us updated and feel free to ask away. You have a world wide resource of very good information available here on the MGE. You may also wish to consider joining the AMGCR...the only US club devoted to the marque.

Jarret;

A belated Welcome to the group! Looks like you have another good project on your hands.

I like the CJ7! Good cage, reverse shackles, etc. Nice to see a beautiful Laredo that is also used out on the trail. (I have a ZJ that gets used, too.) Like most of my old Jeepin' Buddies say "A Real Jeep Is Built, Not Bought!" And for everyone else: "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand."

For the record your car's number should end in a "G" as in GCN1U/7381G. That would make it a mid- to late 1969 model. Looks like it has some things that are often missing and some missing that are important. The connecting hose from the fan to the air filter assembly is usually missing and that is rare. The steering wheel might be the 1969 only optional woodrim wheel. If it is, it will have a double "L" on the bottom of the center spoke near the wood.

There should be a part fitting on top of the radiator that holds seals between it and the radiator and also the bonnet. This is important to keep the engine cool. The fan shroud is also important. Hope you have that part as well.

The front wings should have the front turn lights close to the grill and there should also be reflectors mounted on the sides of the wings. Amber on the front and red on the rear. Of course many have deleted these when restoring for a more classic look.

The bonnet looks like it is steel. Is that right? The late cars had steel instead of the original aluminum, but there is no record of when this change occured. Perhaps your bonnet is a replacement, perhaps original. P.M. me if you want to try and figure this out, I can tell you what to look for.

The MGC is unique in the structures from the floor and firewall forward. All the exterior panels are the same as the MGB for the same year (except for the bonnet) so anything you find in good condition 1968-1974 will fit for doors or front wings. The US 1969 seats are the only year with the tall headrestraints like those and the seat bottom frames are shorter than the MGB's. Otherwise the same interiors.

I would try and restore the brake system to the dual booster Girling system as the factory built it. Then if it doesn't work out I'd try something else. But that's just me.

Do hope you can get it back on the road and enjoy it as well as keep it in the family.

C Ya,
Mark