MGB New Project

[Captain]

For part of my childhood, we lived in the city of Milwaukee as my Dad landed a job at Allis Chalmers. (He worked there 29 years, we later moved out to farm country 35 miles west)

Milwaukee was a Industrial Giant in those days.
All the Large Manufacturers were there, and ALL had their Tools made with the Company Name Branded into them. (Now collectables)
So it wasn't uncommon to see a hand tool or two in someone's garage.

Asked a Friend once about a set of 1" drive sockets that had "Ladish" embossed on them?
He quickly said, Oh those?....
They are from the "LA Dish Tool Store" !

[DanStokes]

My god, that handbrake doesn't look as robust as what was used on the Mini!

Guessing it'll get the job done. There really isn't much room for it though.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Back to the MGB -

Got the refurbed handbrake assembly back in place. The welded-in nut plate had long ago lost it's threads so I had no choice but to add nuts inside the driveshaft tunnel to hold the whole deal together.

Tunnel side:





And inside the car. As tight as the driveshaft tunnel is I'm surprised that they ran the handbrake inside the tunnel but that's what they did.

My god, that handbrake doesn't look as robust as what was used on the Mini!

[DanStokes]

Back to the MGB -

Got the refurbed handbrake assembly back in place. The welded-in nut plate had long ago lost it's threads so I had no choice but to add nuts inside the driveshaft tunnel to hold the whole deal together.

Tunnel side:





And inside the car. As tight as the driveshaft tunnel is I'm surprised that they ran the handbrake inside the tunnel but that's what they did.

[DanStokes]

Funny story Captain. Way back when, Dan had the opportunity to outfit a new testing program with lots of neat stuff, including new tools for the technicians and engineers to use in a heavy duty diesel dyno cell. And he did a great job, especially considering some of the procurement process restrictions at the time. And the most obvious purchase was a monster toolset with HUGE rollaround tool box system.

And rightfully so, he guarded those tools like they were his own. An aside, tools did have a habit of growing legs in the lab and finding new homes. So we had to pull off a prank!

Took some magnetic thing like you stick to your refrigerator, painted it the same color as the box, fastened a grease fitting to it, and smeared a little grease on the fitting. Yup, he didn't appreciate it, until another friend, Jim S. pointed out the deception. Idon't think he's ever forgiven the heavy duty guys (me included) for that one...

I'd blocked that from my mind.

In an feet to be able to identify which tools belonged in who's tool box I ordered different brands for each tech. Mine were S&K so if I saw an S&K tool anywhere in the lab I simply picked it up and returned it to my box. By the time I retired almost everything that came in that box was there although the 1/2" drive flex head ratchet was missing and had been almost from the time I got the tools. Can't help but think it went home in somebody's lunch box.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Again......
STILL Amazed at how CLEAN your (work space) Shop IS !!
Even with a Hydronic Heated shop, and sweeping up daily, mine is Dust, Cobweb mix of cat hair and dirt, and Not to mention the welding slag and cutting grinder grit that seems to get everywhere.....

Funny story Captain. Way back when, Dan had the opportunity to outfit a new testing program with lots of neat stuff, including new tools for the technicians and engineers to use in a heavy duty diesel dyno cell. And he did a great job, especially considering some of the procurement process restrictions at the time. And the most obvious purchase was a monster toolset with HUGE rollaround tool box system.

And rightfully so, he guarded those tools like they were his own. An aside, tools did have a habit of growing legs in the lab and finding new homes. So we had to pull off a prank!

Took some magnetic thing like you stick to your refrigerator, painted it the same color as the box, fastened a grease fitting to it, and smeared a little grease on the fitting. Yup, he didn't appreciate it, until another friend, Jim S. pointed out the deception. Idon't think he's ever forgiven the heavy duty guys (me included) for that one...

[DanStokes]

Overall view showing how I rotate the car now that there's some weight involved. I'm fixing' to reinstall the handbrake lever and need access from this angle. Handbrake pics tomorrow though the (hopefully correct) cable is a couple of days away. Note the wood block to protect the rocker.

[DanStokes]

Again......
STILL Amazed at how CLEAN your (work space) Shop IS !!
Even with a Hydronic Heated shop, and sweeping up daily, mine is Dust, Cobweb mix of cat hair and dirt, and Not to mention the welding slag and cutting grinder grit that seems to get everywhere.....

Nope, not so clean! I worked in a Buick shop where you could literally eat off the floor and sometimes we did when someone would bring in lunch for us all. Mine's a comparative pig pen but I just can't seem to keep up with it.

[Captain]

Again......
STILL Amazed at how CLEAN your (work space) Shop IS !!
Even with a Hydronic Heated shop, and sweeping up daily, mine is Dust, Cobweb mix of cat hair and dirt, and Not to mention the welding slag and cutting grinder grit that seems to get everywhere.....

[DanStokes]

Rotisserie removal getting closer. Before the final flip I think I'll run the undercarriage brake lines (I have a set from England with all their funny fittings) and I'm working on the E-brakes (or "handbrake" in British) but with the weird stew of parts I'm working with I still haven't sussed out the right cable assembly. As of tonight all of the suspension is in place and seemingly functional:





If you zoom in here and there you'll see that the rear shock links are now in place after they arrived today - they were the last piece needed for a complete system. Also, the front sway bar is in place though the rear one needs a clean-up/paint tomorrow so it can assume its place.

[DanStokes]

Looks good! How will the added weight change the center of gravity / rotisserie rotation? Aka be careful?

Probably will need the shop crane for the Final Rotation. It's about time to take it off the rotisserie and start fitting the engine and trans.

[Russell]

Looks good! How will the added weight change the center of gravity / rotisserie rotation? Aka be careful?

[2020 mustang]

Here in Coastal NC the mezzanine IS the basement as the water table is way too high to build a hole in the ground. So ya, it's gotta stay.

I did not know that. I always figured no point of digging because of lack of frost line.

[DanStokes]

You know, if I had it to do again (build a new house), I'd incorporate a couple of beams in the garage for a crane rail. Yesterday fiddling with the lathe stand using a cherry picker, by myself, I was thinking just how easy it was back at Lenox Machine to manipulate big hunks of iron all by myself, safely. And those a-frame hoist things just don't make it. Either not big enough to get the job done, or so big that it's in the way whenever you are not using it.

Dan's garage could probably be retrofitted for a crane rail system, however he'd have to get rid of the mezzanine... And we all know that will never happen.

Here in Coastal NC the mezzanine IS the basement as the water table is way too high to build a hole in the ground. So ya, it's gotta stay.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

You know, if I had it to do again (build a new house), I'd incorporate a couple of beams in the garage for a crane rail. Yesterday fiddling with the lathe stand using a cherry picker, by myself, I was thinking just how easy it was back at Lenox Machine to manipulate big hunks of iron all by myself, safely. And those a-frame hoist things just don't make it. Either not big enough to get the job done, or so big that it's in the way whenever you are not using it.

Dan's garage could probably be retrofitted for a crane rail system, however he'd have to get rid of the mezzanine... And we all know that will never happen.