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My 74 MG Gasser Project

417K views 3K replies 42 participants last post by  mmhotrod 
#1 ·
I had a vision of a v8 MG and then I thought of the nose in the air over an I Beam Axle rolling down the street in Gasser fashion. So last winter I started taking the car apart and building my vision. I stopped the project in April of 2012 and just picked up on it again. The first few pixs will show how much of a mess the floors were.
 

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#37 ·
Today it is so much easier to have pictures (and videos) of everything. No need to take them to the drug or grocery store to get the film developed.

Cellphones & the compact digital cameras make taking pictures & videos so easy. I go no where without my cellphone.... which explains why I have over 800 pictures stored in it!!!! HA!!!!
 
#38 ·
Technology is amazing now. Back in 1980 it drove me away from the automotive repair industry. That's when I decided to go into printing and prepress work. Then technology retired a lot of journeymen and almost sidelined me. I got on board in 91 by buying my first computer and been working with them ever since in the printing and packaging industry.
 
#39 ·
I know what you mean about not tossing metal! The only metal I scrap is old internal engine parts, as they don't have much use. I have a couple milk crates in the storage shed, and every piece of metal either stacks in one, or stands in the other, with sheet stuff behind them! Anytime I see someone wanting to get rid of any metal that I might use, I grab it quickly!
 
#40 ·
The only problem is that I stack so much in a box that I can't find anything I want. Gotta pull it all out and look thru. Its funny I never thought I would need an organized scrap metal filing system.
LOL
 
#43 ·
more pics of the frame work. I welded the perimeter first to keep everything in place.
I still need to flip the crossmember but I wanted everything secure before I cut that and flip it 180
 

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#44 ·
I pieced in the full length rails from the back cross member up to the front bumber area.
Not sure how Im ending the front yet but boxed it for now.
 

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#45 ·
I finished boxing the end but its just temp till I figure out the front spring area.
 

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#48 ·
Thanks and yes I do. I am planning a small blk I already have from a 72 350 impala. I also have a 3spd setup. But I'm not sure about foot pedal room now that the engine will take all the floor room. I may need to go automatic. Or go on a strict weight loss. Lol
So it's a 350 3spd 410 rear. For starters.
Mario
 
#52 ·
I agree. Kinda like a wind up toy. Forward a bit and then in ciircles. Lol
 
#53 ·
Agree. The turbo 350 may be my sideline on this one. I used to be 4spd die hard. But now I kinda like just holding on for the ride. This one may dictate holdin on for the ride.
 
#56 ·
Don't worry very soon we will be slowing down to real time. I lost a whole month between sickness and vacation at moms to help her out. I'm still not feeling well and I'm trying to get in the garage. This flu or whatever has a grip on me and I can't shake it. I should be hanging the motor right now. To map out the steering column and floors.
But yes the photos are running quickly and soon to slow back to week by week.
Mario
 
#57 ·
Mario.... just heard on the news that whatever type of FLU you have can last over two weeks..... OUCH!!!!

Hope it stays away from me..... I had a flu shot back in November and so far so good.
 
#58 ·
Was perusing my copy of Gasser Wars book after coming in from the garage this afternoon, and came across a picture of Norm Cowdry's 1954 Austin Healey with a blown 327 Chevy and hydro in it! Sure reminds me of what you've got started there!
The caption shows Norm's car frying the tires and says, "The car was so powerful that Norm could literally explode the tires into smoke at any time."
 
#59 · (Edited)
Im sure it could. Mine won't be that radical though. yeah it will turn the tires pretty good. iTS only 9-1 compression motor. the cam will sound good and hopefully run good.
I cant build a car for the track around here. so mostly street on this one,.
 
#64 ·
Thanks so much. Jeep Cj front springs on a 3" drop axle. I wanted a straight axle but it would have been ridiculously high.
She handles steady and straight as an arrow as you saw in the drag video.
Mario
 
#66 · (Edited)
http://localbrush.com/motionperformance.html

this is the link direct to the motion cars ... the site has these kind of buried. gotta look hard to find.

you'll see the cobra pulling up the wheels on sunrise highway. where was I when all this was going on. I started late, plus I was younger.
Mario
 
#67 ·
#68 ·
ok now more progress on the mg. I started placing the leaf spring perches on the frame to see where the I beam will be. I naturally wanted the I beam dead center of the front
fender wheel opening. eventually I realized I can't do it this way. But that's experience for you. later on you will see the different way of handling this. the frame up front was lengthened to support the leaf frame mounts. I cut and measured , cut and measured till I realized this is not the way to do this. Axle and leafs need to be assembled as a unit and then placed up to the frame marking the wheel spindle center line. I learned the hard way last spring.
 

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#69 · (Edited)
more from the same night. I eventually put the car away to work on the other car which will soon bring us up to last november.
I used a dummy leaf spring to put the car on the dolly and tucked the car under the stairs for the summer. I have to play musical chairs
for work space so once I work on the mg the coupe becomes sideways storage and I cant drive her. How can I go all summer without
driving her.
 

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#70 · (Edited)
sizing up the 50's chevy truck I beam axle for the mg. you can see the weld stitch in the middle to shorten it for the coupe many many years ago. someone did a bone yard extravaganza.
Car had 55 chevy truck front axle and 6 lug aluminum slots , an LT1 350, a 58 chevy open rear with leafs in the back. And a muncie 4spd with home made traction bars using very large truck
tie rods from the axle tube to the side rail with a mounted angle iron. It was really interesting. I still have the large tie rods. Must have been from some big rig. the rod end went into the frame angle iron welded to the side frame. they actually worked pretty good for home made.
 

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#71 ·
WoW !!! Thanks for the detailed photos & description of each.

Doing the things we do is like putting together a Christmas present or something from IKEA without looking at the directions.

With the one-off stuff we find ourselves doing with most of the cars we work on there are NO directions most of the time. For hot rodders who build instead of buy it seems like there is always so much ""measure & cut.... "measure & cut".... "stand back & stare..... & stare" .... "thrown away & start over"..... "measure & cut" & so on .... and so on .... until we get it right. Ahhhh that sure does feel good!!!!!

No doubt your MGB came without directions!!! GREAT BUILD!!!!
 
#80 ·
If I had something to make an accurate z cut it would have been great. All I have is cut off wheels and sawzall so any angle would make me nervous. Besides the flat stock was used prior and it's not going to be that noticeable. But the idea was definitely a better way too go although front steering makes me nervous so flat stock it is.
 
#73 ·
Mario. Many times when installing a straight axle, the axle gets mounted farther forward than the original location, spindle centerline. It's a visual thing. The higher the front end the farther forward the axle. If you place the wheel center in the original opening and then raise the front end. It tends too look too far back. There was a gasser I saw on a thread somewhere, that had the axle in the original location, and it was OK but still looked just off. It's a very suttle thing but makes a big difference. I'd throw it farther forward by 1 inch. Mark L
 
#74 ·
Thanks for the heads up Mark. I actually did go 1\2 inch forward on the axle center line to compensate for the motor weight but I won't be able to tell what happens till I put the motor and tranny in and see where it goes. It shouldn't move much. The wheel opening is close on the tires because the MG fenders kind of curve towards the tire at the bottoms which makes it tight. But so far its only tacked in at this point anyway. Springs are I think 7 leaf and its way up there. I will post the pics soon of where its at right now.
thanks
Mario
 
#76 ·
Mario..... I am a little confused..... Is that MG a MIDGET or a "B" model.

At first glance I just assumed it was a "MGB"......


Then in the last group of pictures I noticed how with the front sheetmetal off it appears to be a MG Midget and NOT an MGB


Plus to add to my confusion ..... in '74 all MG's were "required" to have rubber bumpers to meet U.S. goverment front end "impact" standards..... your's still has the chrome bumper from an earlier year car.

If so the MG Midget's wheelbase is only 80 inches ...... curb weight of only 1510 pounds..... talk about a "light weight"
 
#77 ·
Yes it is Mg midget. The bumper has been off so long I don't remember what it looked like. I think it had a rubber strip on the front side. Not sure if its original. I guess I never cared about it. I only had a vision. Lol
 
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