Editor’s Note: For car enthusiasts, this is part 2 of Ian and Brenda Fenech-Soler’s real time chronicle restoring a newly-acquired 1973 MGB.

By Brenda Fenech-Soler

The day we brought our new little MGB home, Ian noticed that the brakes were less than responsive, and the brake lights were not working.  Safety issues both, so that was the starting point for our restoration.

A car buff in his younger days, Ian worked on numerous British vehicles, including the MGB.  And as a retired electronics engineer, his expertise with wiring and electrical systems serves him well for this project. 

He fixed the brake lights first;  no problem! He determined that new front brake rotors were needed, and the rear brake drums needed to be re-surfaced.  For good measure, he also installed a new brake master cylinder.  Done and dusted!

Figure 1 – View of Front Brakes

Our goal was to retain as many of the original parts as possible, only replacing safety related and maintenance items, and refurbishing what and where we could.  We were pleased (and surprised) to find that parts for our MGB were readily available, and reasonably priced.

Because she’s such a compact car, Ian thought it would be easier to work on the interior if the seats were removed.  He did, and then took out all of the interior trim including the door cards and vinyl covered panels.  They were in excellent condition and I was able to get them cleaned up so well, we decided we would keep them to re-install when the time came. 

The carpet was another matter!  Convertibles are not always water-tight, and after the seats came out, it was obvious that at some point she’d been wet inside.  We initially planned to shampoo the carpets and call it a day, but based on their condition we decided to order a complete new set.

Figure 2 – Out with the 48 Year Old Carpets!

With the carpets gone, our poor little car was looking a bit sad!  We needed to treat the floor pans for surface rust and painted them with a durable truck-bed liner for protection.

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The next step was to install a sound/heat barrier that will make for a more pleasant “passenger compartment” experience.  I tackled that job while we waited for the new carpets to arrive.

Figure 5 – Self-Adhesive Sound/Heat Barrier Installed in Rear of Passenger Compartment

Meanwhile, Ian started on myriad tasks: refurbishment of the battery compartments;  wiring the audio system;  removal of the dash and windscreen;  removal of the steering wheel and column;  removal of the driver’s door for minor body work, and removal of the lock tumblers to have keys made for the doors, trunk and glove box.  The latter was kind of important, as the car only came with the ignition key!

Another aspect of restoration, beyond the physical garage work, is research. There are numerous websites, car enthusiast forums, Facebook groups, local suppliers, etc., who are willing to willingly share their expertise.  Additionally, there are YouTube video tutorials for all manner of things relating to MGB restoration.  I’ve fallen down many rabbit-holes while doing “resto-research”, and have learned much in the process.

One frustration Ian encountered is that the car has a hodge-podge of fasteners in metric, imperial and even an old British standard called Whitworth (which is no longer used).  The age of the car has made the plastic components and wiring brittle, and most of the rubber seals and gaskets have gone hard or perished.  And so began our relationship with Moss Motors (British car parts specialists);  AutoZone;  Advance Auto Parts;  Ace Hardware;  Harbor Freight;  Home Depot;  Lowe’s;  Tractor Supply; etc.  Let me just say there’s a spreadsheet involved;  I’m sure you get the picture!

NEXT INSTALLMENT:  Parts orders start to arrive;  my husband is an re-assembly genius, and fifty reasons why I hate contact cement!