The Frame

The frame of the MGA is a unique design, it's midsection is bowed out towards the outside of the car to allow the floor and therefore the driver to sit lower in the vehicle. This is one of the reasons that the MGA is so much fun to drive. The driver's sense of the road is increased the closer he is to the road.

The frame is a closed design and uses actual wood for the floorboards. This wood can add to the deterioration of the frame, it sops up water and holds it against the metal frame increasing the chance of corrosion. Most MGAs, particularly the roadsters have problems with rust in the cabin section of the vehicle.



My MGA was no exception to rust. Most of the floorboard rails were replaced and sections of the frame itself were replaced. I've never done any welding before this project, but with the help of small mig welder and the internet (for reference and moral support), I've been able to repair the frame and I think I can accomplish all the welding I need for this car. I guess we will see. I'm very happy with the results so far. Why didn't I start welding long ago?

Original MGAs used a 12v positive ground system. Two 6volt batteries were placed in series and stored behind the driver under a steel cover. A lot of MGAs today have been converted to a single 12volt system and some have been converted to negative ground. Since I will also be changing to a single battery and negative ground, I have extended one of the battery trays by a couple of inches to allow for a small 12volt power source. I guess I will store my lunch in the other tray. Converting my generator to a small alternator will provide me with 20 extra amps of available power.




The cross-section tube at the front section of the frame is bent down to accommodate the transmission and it tends to take a real beating and usually shows major road scars. Again mine didn't disappoint, the tube was virtually crushed to the point where the bottom was flat. One method to correct this is to heat the metal and apply air pressure to the tube and everything should pop back out to normal. My tube was to far gone, it also had a large tear in it which even with my newly found "expert" welding skills could not get to hold any real pressure. So I had to replace the flattened out piece with a new pipe. The repair is almost invisible.




After all the welding repairs were completed I had the frame sand blasted. The results were quite satisfactory and no other weak points were uncovered. I then painted with "Chassis Saver" paint. This is a self leveling one part "epoxy" type of paint which I brushed on. The results, I think are great., the frame looks new. This paint has a very strong bond, it's also a rust paint so I didn't have to worry about any spots missed with the sandblaster. Be sure to wear gloves, it's very hard to get off your hands. It has no UV protection so you need to top coat if exposed to sunlight. I will be using a flat finish type to prime the inner panels before painting the body.


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The Plan

The general plan is to build a car I can drive. Show cars are great,and I enjoy them but not for me. The big attraction to the MGA for me, besides it's great looks, is the simpleness of the design. The body can be removed from the frame which allows easy access for inspection & repair. This car was not a luxury car and with the lack of roll up windows (roadster) the number of components that need refurbishing is reduced to a minimum. You are left with the barest of essentials of a true sports car. And a sports car needs to be driven.

I want to keep the car as true to original as possible while still allowing for some modern upgrades when they can be easily hidden, the vintage spirit must be maintained. Some of these will include a 5sp transmission, MGB brake calipers --did I say modern?--,a MGB cylinder head, a removable third brake light, a radio hidden under dash, 3 point seat belts.


Since this project is for fun, I'm not sticking to a real ridged time line and therefore will be jumping around a bit to keep things enjoyable. The plan is to begin with chassis and all its components including engine and transmission. Hopefully this will be completed by fall of 2009. Then spring of 2010 I will begin the body.

Getting Organized

Before it got to cold, I organized all the bits that came with the car. As you can see everything is tucked away, the fenders, doors and other odd bits are in the rafters. The engine is green which is strange since the factory colour is red. Hmmm....makes me wonder what I'll find when I check out the engine.
Throughout the fall I carried on with organizing different parts. With help from the internet I was able to determine what all the different parts were. I ended up having a few parts that are from various other English cars which I will probably sell. I also determined what other parts I needed to complete my project. Most parts are available, either new from places like Moss Motors, or used from E-bay or the like.

3 cars in a 2 car garage

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The first order of business was to find a parking spot for the new addition. I separated the body from the frame which allowed me to raise the body to the roof using large ratchet straps. (I've added another strap in the center for added support.) I moved the frame outside and wrapped it up for the winter.

The New Car

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During the summer of 2008 I was surfing the internet for MGB, thinking about a high school chum who had a slightly beat up MGB we used to bomb around in. After viewing a bunch of MGBs, a photo of a MGA appeared on the monitor and I was hooked;  I had never seen one before-- I guess growing up in Edmonton limited my opportunity to see an MGA. Wow what a gorgeous car! I hadn't been so excited about a car since my first one, a 65 Chevy.

I spent a couple of months reading up on these cool little cars, getting a feel for them. There was no question, I had to have one. I was lucky to find one for sale in Canada and struck up a deal with the owner. My wife & I picked up the car on the Sept long weekend 2008. The wet weather didn't dampen my excitement, and after a long round trip drive to Saskatchewan the car settled into its new home.

The car is a 1958 MGA1500, designed and built by British Motor Corporation B.M.C., more famous for there very successful MGB, I suppose.

MGA was extremely successful when introduced, with over 100,000 cars being built between 1955 to1962. The car had some minor styling changes through out the production run but most of the changes were to mechanical upgrades for power and reliability. The majority of units were exported to the United States, which is still the best place to find used parts.

• 1500 (1955 - 1959)
• Twin Cam (1958 - 1960)
  
• 1600 model (1959-1961)
  
• 1600 Mk II (1961-1962)
  
• 1600 Deluxe & 1600 MK II Deluxe (After the Twin Cam was phased out, Some 1600 and 1600 MK II were offered using the twin cam chassis, along with unique twin cam options. These were designated as "1600 De-luxe & 1600 MK II Deluxe") .

All years and all models were offered in both the roadster and the coupe versions (1956 on), as well as, Left-hand and Right-hand drive. It is a fairly easy task to convert from LHD to RHD or vise-verse, and with many US cars coming home to England, it is a popular conversion.


With its unique and powerful engine the Twin Cam is the most sought after MGA, and the 1500 the most plentyful. The coupe seems to trail a little behind the roadster in popularity. although they do have their own class of coolness. Coupes have a few neat features lacking on the roadster, like door handles and roll-up windows. 

The simplicity of the MGA makes it a perfect candidate for a DIY restorer. Not much more then typical home mechanic's tools are needed. 

My car's previous owner had started a restoration, basically the car had been dismantled and stored in boxes. Some "bodywork" has been started. Hopefully I can figure out where everything goes.



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