By Corky Guenther
October 21, 2013.
It started with a crease. It was a minor crease in the left front wing, self-inflicted. From there it escalated – big time. The process went something like this. We met the adjustor at a body shop and she assessed the damage. A couple of weeks later we had the assessment in hand and accepted the check. No problems with that phase. Next, a conversation with self that went something like:
Self 1: “The paint is lacquer and is 25 plus years old and is starting to craze and crack. Maybe we should think about repainting the entire car?”
Self 2 said: “That sounds good.”
Self 3 said: “This could be really expensive.”
Self 1: “We’ll check it out with the shop.”
Self 2 & Self 3: “OK.”
The shop owner offered a “Club Rate” for labor based on working on the TC as shop load allowed. Self 1, being the dominant one, agreed. Selves 2 & 3 went along.
And so it began. Before going further, I have to credit and thank Dave Ahrendt, David Poe and Dean Sprague for their invaluable help at every stage of this project. Without their help, advice and encouragement we’d probably still just have a bunch of pieces.
First task, assemble some shelving in the garage attic to store pieces. Then take the seats out and place in storage.
The next step - remove everything that touched green. Dash facia board (first remove instruments and all connections, a non-trivial task). Send the facia panel off to be refinished, eventually a decision to replace (Self 1 again).
All Interior panels; some came off in pieces meaning a new interior kit, a consequence.
Carpet, floorboards: Ditto.
Next to go, all of the removable exterior pieces. Headlights, bonnet, radiator with shell, front wings, running boards, doors, rear wings, rear lights, fuel tank etc. Drive train removed too, facilitating access to the body. Nothing remained on the frame except the tub, suspension and steering components. These were trailered to the body shop on March 6, 2014 where paint removal from the tub began.
Meanwhile, the other green pieces were soda blasted.
Stripping of the tub revealed a couple of rusted through spots. Also, a rotted section of the ash frame at the lower front corner of the passenger door sill was discovered. Both of these (consequences) required removal of sections of the outer skin for repair. So, another decision, all three selves agreed, off with all of the sheet metal. A new section of door sill was grafted in, all the screw and nail holes were plugged and glued with dowels and toothpicks – yup, common ordinary round hardwood toothpicks. The wood frame was then coated with a marine penetrating epoxy. Later it was used it on the new floorboards too prior to painting them. The sheet metal was repaired and the interior coated with POR 15 prior to being nailed back on the frame.
Meanwhile work was being done on the other sheet metal pieces as other work in the shop permitted. The problem was that the other work in the shop was not allowing much time for progress on the TC.
Another decision, the three selves and Priscilla concurred. At the end of June, 2014, we found another shop; Jimmy’s Auto Body in Lenoir, only 15 minutes from the house. As an aside, as some (maybe most) of you know, I’m a closet Mopar fan and Jimmy is a fan as well but not closet. He is building a ‘37 Plymouth Pickup Street Rod with a twin turbocharged modern Hemi that I’m anxious to see completed.
First, Jimmy provided an estimate which the original shop was unwilling to do. Then Jimmy and crew (Dru) started work. Our goal was to attend the 50th Anniversary GOF of the New England MG-T Register in October (2014). The schedule was very tight. Progress was rapid and on line to meet the deadline even with a couple of additional sheet metal changes inserted into the schedule. Hiccups occurred when the new valence (decision) needed to be sectioned to fit under the grill shell and the front fenders required rework to match the running board profile. The bonnet required trimming as well (consequences). When they completed their work preparing and painting all of the body and other sheet metal pieces ready for assembly, they had it done on time and without exceeding the estimate. Jimmy also steam cleaned the chassis to get rid of the months of accumulated grime and dust.
The delay came when the upholstery shop didn’t have space available. I borrowed Bobby Cox’s trailer to store the car and was able to assemble some of the back of the car while waiting. When the shop had space, we were able to mount and align the doors while the interior was being installed. This resulted in a couple of chips in the paint so back to Jimmy’s for touch up (consequence). Even with the delay into the upholstery shop, and paint touch up, the deadline was within reach, almost. The problem was that I’m not now and to be truthful, never was; very good at “all nighters” and certainly not the series of them that would have been required. Under those conditions, I make mistakes. Which are usually costly. So the three selves decided to admit defeat. We weren’t going to make it.
To be continued.
