MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Is it possable to remove and reinstall the side crome and keep it in good shape? I am planning on repainting the car and have some body work I would like to do myself. I am planing on all new mounting hardware for this. Should I buy the mew molding as well? What I have is in real good shape and I do not know if the aftermarket stuff will be as good.
Just remember that on each of the six pieces of molding, one of the mounting points is a stud that will require the removal of a nut from the backside. on the front wing, I think it is at the front, the door is dead center and the quarter is near / at the rear of the molding. The rest are "snapped" on. Just be careful...
Welcome aboard John, this link may help you in your project.
http://www.mgtoronto.com/pdf/Tech/MGB_Side_Chrome_Molding.pdf
I have a special hammer and dolly I use to remove dings from the side chrome, be very gentle and use a soft touch, it is easy to over do the dent removal. I then level the outside with a very fine grit belt on my sander and then let my buddy Jan take them to work and do the fine polishing as SS is difficult to properly buff. They look good and best of all they are original and they fit. A couple of caveats, though, turn the trim over and gently tap the area down that snaps over the buttons, they tend to bend out a bit and if not tapped down your trim can be loose after install. When installing the buttons and you know the rivet is near to snapping be sure to pull back on the riveter firmly. If you merely hold it and let it do its thing you run the risk of uncontrolled slippage and wrecking your paint with a big scratch. Trust me, it does happen. Also when replacing the trim be sure to twist it as you hook the top edge over its button and tap the trim home with your palm or a gentle bump with a rubber mallet.
Brad
The trim is stainless steel, so polishing it is no big deal. I just did some on my drill press using HF polishing kit. One day I'll buy a real buffer.
A word on the snaps. They appear to have a bit more lip on one side than the other and that side is usually towards the top so try prying off the trim molding from the bottom side first and reinstall the same way.