MGB: Under wraps, work in progress, paint job in reverse

OK, I admit it. I'm pretty delinquent about sharing more pictures of my Magnette project, so I need to do some more catching up! Does the shape in the picture look familiar? It's a '56 ZB. It was basically a rust free car that had been totally disassembled and then turned over to a professional body shop to strip it down and repaint it. The PO had been in the process of starting to reassemble it but it stalled and I ended up picking it up in several boxes. While the body and paint job was excellent the engine compartment, while repainted, was not well done, and the fender wells and underside untouched. It didn't make sense to me to take it almost all the way to doing it completely, so I pulled a lot of things back off and addressed these unfinished areas. My paint job in reverse, as you can see. I'll continue to add pictures but it looks like I'm limited to 1 a day. Ed

Hilarious! Looks like a giant Christmas present.

I like the newspaper look!

Cool! Just respond to this thread once a day with a new picture and everyone is happy :)

Nice one. At least you have something to read while waiting for the paint to dry.

Is that car really made from paper macha???

Ha ha, all good ones! At least paper mache doesn't rust! And its light weight. I wonder if Colin Chapman ever experimented with it?

I cleaned and prepped the underside of the whole car. Not having a lift I put it up as high I practical on a set of jack stands. It was a challenge spraying the whole underside laying on my back. Glad that is done.

As I mentioned the engine compartment was not well done. The shop didn't prep it well, left some of the unboltable parts in place, and sprayed some kind of ripple texture on top of the new paint, which also threw the shade way off. Also there were a number of extra holes and most of the wire harness anchors were broken off. I stripped it back down, welded it up as needed, and repainted it.

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I suppose that it it would be officially described as Newsitone ???

I'm getting smarter about this! See attached (more than 1) pictures. After cleaning up the rear and front suspension, the original paint on all of the suspension components was mostly in such decent shape I masked things off so they would not end up blue. The only main exception is I did give the rear leaf springs a good wire brushing and coat of black. I took off the shocks and towers and repainted them. It has a set of Monroes on it all around and they were originally yellow for the front ones and blue on the back ones (go figure?) so I ended up repainting them in their original colors. I took off the front splash panels, removed the rubber seals and repainted them, and cleaned up and re-installed the seals with new split rivits. Everything was fine behind the splash panels. Hardware re-plated as necessary, some just replace with new, but a lot of it was fine as was as well. Ed

Very nice indeed!
I begining to think that paper look type paint could have some merit though.

Sorry to say the paper look is gone for now, as shown by this picture i just took. This is its current state. Kind of funny I didn't have any overall shots of it (except for the paper look) as its been rather immobile in the garage other than the major painting session out in the driveway. The garage doesn't lend itself well to taking good photos. I've been jumping around on various things trying to get it back together. I started on the interior recently, but I really need to get all the windows in first, followed by the headliner. The front windshield is holding me up on the glass as the one I have has a star and I don't know if I want to go through the trouble of putting it in. I need to do something with the front brakes to get it mobile again, but debating whether to put disc brakes on it now or later. No lack of things needing doing! Ed

Looks incredible Ed! Between your car and Jim Shulte's I'm going to have to hide in the parking lot at all the local shows!

It's looking great Ed!
If you have the parts for the disc conversion do it now.
It's just so darn simple that you may as well get it out of the way.

The car looks great. I haven't found a windshield in USA, where are you going to source another windshield?

Thanks for the inputs. I have a few more things needed if I'm going to do the disc brake conversion. That's why it's still on jack stands, I've been holding off putting the drum brakes back together. Roger, I haven't found a source yet for another windshield but I'll be sure to let you know if and when I do. I can re-use the windshield I have if I don't locate one. If I do hopefully the small star in it doesn't turn into something bigger. Regards, Ed

Ed, I have a new windshield that came with my car that may be available IF I don't break mine when I change the front windshield seal. I'll keep you in mind for it when the time comes.

Hi Ed, Thanks for keeping me in mind, its greatly appreciated!!! From the looks of the things you have been doing I think it will end up me and Jim having to leave our Magnettes in the parking lot after you are finished!

I take it your windshield seal is original, and probably fairly decayed at this point, like many of the cars. Are you planning to paint your car when you change your windshield gasket(s)? That's a good time to do it!

Is there a recommended supplier that has a preferred/best fitting windshield gasket? (Anyone?) A new gasket came with my car with Jeff Powell as the supplier (on the box). I think that was from quite a while ago. I've heard mixed things about windshield gaskets from different suppliers but it seemed more hearsay than definitive. Regards, Ed

Apparently the Shortens have a new supply of windshield seals that are softer to ease installation. They are designed for use with the original stainless trim.

No paint at this point for me, not in the budget.

Ed - Have you enquired with one of the "windshield doctor" type places? I've used them on other cars with great success (and only $65 out of pocket).

Hi Michael, I spoken with one major outfit who does this a couple of times, I think it was called Safe Lite (drawing a blank at the moment, sorry) because they've been here at work several times to fix other co-workers' windshield bullseyes. They have a very advanced set up for pulling a significant vacuum and bleeding the repair resin in (they no longer drill any holes either). The different folks who showed up told me they did not believe they would have good results and also had issues with such an old windshield. They would not do it. It might not be a bad idea to contact another outfit. I have not discounted doing that. Regards, Ed

I tried 3 local glass shops and no-one wanted to touch my windshield.
I bought a $35.00 repair kit from Eastwood to have a go at repairing my dinged
spare windshield which is much worse than the one in my car but haven't
tried it out yet.