New body tub fitting.

[Ray White]

Hello all. I am due to take delivery of a new body tub from Andrew Denton (MG Ash Frames) and I have a few worries as it is something I have not attempted before. The tub will come in primer and will be painted in Reno Red cellulose. I have decided to reuse the original double humped scuttle top panel (which I have here) and I have stripped and treated it for rust. it is in reasonable condition but it will need a little more attention then it will have to be brazed or welded to the corners of the front quarter panels.

The dilemma I have is regards fit and finish. The original plan was to have a local body shop fit the scuttle top and paint the completed tub while I got on with stripping and painting the other panels. I would prefer to do it all myself but the tub is too big to go through the door of my "painting" shed and I didn't want to paint it "in situ" on the chassis in my garage if I could possibly help it.

The plan has subsequently changed because it occurred to me that there could be unforeseen problems with the tub (I hope there isn't!) but it might be better to see if every thing fits together first before spending a considerable amount of money on a paint job!

So, when the body tub arrives on the transporter; rather than continue onto the paint shop perhaps it would be better to mount it on the chassis and offer it up to the bulkhead and see if the bonnet lines up. I could also weld the scuttle top on and pin it to the frame. I expect all the bulkhead holes will also need to be drilled and the rubber seal temporarily fitted.

Once I am happy that everything lines up I imagine the body shop /coach builders will be able to collect the tub for painting. They would also deliver it back to me when finished. I will supply the paint so it matches with what I am using on the wings/bonnet, etc.

Does this sound like a plan?

[antijam]

It will save a great deal of subsequent hassle if you assemble the tub, wings, running boards, bonnet and latches, apron, bulkhead, , windscreen, radiator and shell, fuel tank and scuttle top to the chassis to check fit and alignment before painting. Getting the line of the front wings with the running boards smooth and continuous, the fit of the bonnet to the tub and radiator shell and the side hinge of the bonnet perfectly in line with the bottom of the scuttle can be a trying and laborious task. With already painted panels there is very considerable risk of damage to the finish. Once you have the fit of everything as it should be when the car is finally finished, take everything apart for paint. When back from paint the risk of damage during reassembly is much reduced. Even so, protecting the paint while wiring and trimming is a wise precaution.
When reassembling my TC I taped over sensitive areas as protection.....

[stephen stierman]

Ray, I built and skinned my own tub and fitted it and the wings to the vehicle at least 3 times. Once doing body work/adjustment, door and bonnet fitting etc. Second time shooting primer surfacer and finish body work, and finally putting it all together after finish painting, color sanding and buffing. Each time some adjustment of shims, doors etc. was required. Hopefully that tells you something! Remember to drill holes for tonneau etc. before painting, which means you really should fit that stuff up too. I would also strongly suggest that the chassis be on the floor on wheels with the running gear in place as this all has a relationship to how things fit up, that chassis does flex a bit and it is noted in the door and bonnet fit. Also keep in mind that the door gaps should not be too tight as over time things move! Also you mentioned using cellulose (acrylic lacquer over here) to paint the car which I did. Now this is fine, but be aware, cellulose is nice for the home painter and easy to repair, but also is rather brittle and the TC does flex and you may find stress cracks not to far down the road from this. I suggested that if I had it to do over again I would either use urethane or catalyzed acrylic enamel because of the durability. These can be shot out doors on a good day and color sanded. This is of course your call, and just a suggestion to you. I did the under body and petrol tank in catalyzed acrylic enamel and should have done the entire car that way. Keep in mind what spilled petrol does to cellulose! Just my thoughts and best of luck in your project.

[Ray White]

Antijam... thank you for your advice. In fact it was from reading your earlier posts that made me change my mind about how to go about this job. If I can get as nice a job as you have made of your car I will be more than happy. In truth, I now wish I had opted for blue (which was the original colour) but I have bought the red now and sprayed the bulkhead.

Stephen Stierman... You are far more adventurous than me!! I considered building the Ash frame from a kit; then I thought about skinning a ready built frame; then I chickened out and ordered a complete tub. That was nearly TWO YEARS ago!! I am still waiting for it to arrive but I was told yesterday that it is nearly finished so it shouldn't be that much longer now.

I will definitely be fitting everything to get it right before paint. Thank you for your advice.

[stephen stierman]

Ray,
It is good to be realistic about such an endeavor and being aware of your capabilities! That way the car gets competed and doesn't sit in a shed for 20 years...... I am really a Morgan guy so like my timbers and tin.

[Ray White]

My chosen trimmers have sent me (at my request) the plywood backing for all the interior trim parts slightly oversize so I can adjust and return to them for a neat covering. This will be one of the first jobs I need to do.

Any tips?

[stephen stierman]

That is an interesting and probably a good idea. Although that said, the upholstery kit that I bought from a major supplier really did fit up pretty well. Suspect selling these kits for years and listening to complaints or maybe lack of complaints helped them get things pretty close to what they should be. I will volunteer that the side curtain and top(hood) kits were also pretty good, but I would have liked the top to have come down a little bit further on the sides so that the curtains would fit a bit better under the top flaps. This is something that you will want to be aware of when you start thinking about or fitting a top as there seems to be some adjustability involved with windshield placement and top frame positioning which can affect all this.

[Ray White]

I am just trying to head off any potential errors that may have crept into the new body tub. I am not anticipating any serious problems as Andy Denton has a good reputation... but you never know.


My hood and side screens are from Pickerings in Bolton. That part of the job seems a long way off right now but I am grateful for any suggestions that could make the finished article a bit more weather proof!

[ROGER FURNEAUX]

hi Ray - I cannot add much to the excellent advise already given, because I did my TC in about 1991!

One comment though: the scuttle is not welded on to anything: perhaps that is not what you meant. It is held on by the tacks along the front edge, and one round head woodscrew in the centre just ahead of the windscreen. And the three raised head bolts on either side through the screen brackets.
One point regarding the bonnet: the centre hinge MUST be slightly higher at the rear (don't ask me how much!). Years ago a well-known supplier of body tubs used a poor example as a pattern and got this wrong...if the bonnet is lower at the rear, the car looks as if its back is broken!

Roger
TC0978

[stephen stierman]

I am probably not explaining this very well, but speaking of the scuttle, the bottom edge around each side of the instrument panel, is soldered to the inside edge of the front quarter panel where it turns in at the door shut. At least that is what I found when I replaced those quarter panels and had all this apart.

[SteveW]

I think that that bottom edge is lead loaded to create a smooth curve from the overlap of the scuttle to the quarter panel where Stephen has indicated (actually, just below that, where it's covered by the closed door). Other than that, as indicated by Roger, it's held on by tacks along the edge where the bonnet meets it and also by the three bolts on each side for the window frame brackets.

[stephen stierman]

Yes, Steve that is an accurate explanation of the use of lead in the area.