Starting with stopping... All new brakes!

Dad bought all the parts in 1988 - new brake-hoses, copper brake-pipes, shoes, wheel-cylinders and master-cylinder, all AP Lockheed. The only original parts of the brake-system to be kept are the drums, which were skimmed inside and repainted, the two brass union-fittings that route the brake-pipes and as many pipe-clips as we can save.

Today I took off what remained off the brake-pipes and hoses, which all came off surprisingly easily. Only one of the metal clips sheared off the chassis while opening it, but it can be pop-riveted back on as two other ones had been at some point in the past. Those had to be drilled out - I hope the pop-rivet gun turns up or I'll be using self-tappers.

I salvaged the two brass union-couplings and they've kept well. The 3-way one, above, splits the pipe from the front between the two rear brakes. The 4-way coupling, below, splits the master-cylinder between the two front brakes and the pipe to the rear. Couldn't be more basic.

I gave the couplings a good wire-brushing and they came up great. The threads are pretty clean, but the pipes still had a little fluid left in them so I've given the couplings a good flush and left them soaking in methylated-spirits over night.

The only part of the old brake system that didn't just come off reasonably easily was this nut that connects to the end of the rear brake-hose and holds it in place. It's never been touched since the car was born in 1959, so it's been painted over more than once and now both the nut, washer and the end of the old brake-hose [cut off so I could get a socket either side] are totally seized to the bracket. Last night I basted it in WD40, but today it still wouldn't budge and I can't put enough force on the nut, even holding both sides, without kinking the rear sub-frame it's attached to. I have tried hack-sawing the hose-side nut a bit, but it stopped play today so tomorrow I will be drilling and hacking in a last ditch attempt to save cutting the bracket off. Hopefully the new pipes and hoses can go on too tomorrow as I'm back in work for a bit after that.

Project ready for the off...

I've got a bit more free time lately so am about to finally pick up the reigns and start work on the MGA, the first this restoration has seen since the late '80s. It's the least I can do I suppose because I received help to get my BMW's prop-shaft trouble sorted in time for winter [see www.planet5.co.cc] and the MG has the benefit of being garaged so I can fiddle away throughout the cold weather.

Before we get underway I thought I'd throw up a few snaps showing the condition of the car's underside as it has been since the abandoned restoration over twenty years ago. The bodywork isn't too bad for rust, but work hasn't begun yet and it's only rubbed down in a few places so I'll post some pics of the outside and engine later when I can roll the car onto the drive.

Painting was the majority of the work done back then and the entire underside of the body and most of the chassis, suspension, diff. etc. is done so it's good that's out of the way. The shocks have been replaced with new gas-damped SPAX. The red powder-coated lower-mounts are also new. The brake-drums are original and have been skimmed inside, though the entire rest of the system is new and yet to be fitted.

The body isn't too bad for rust, but will need a lot of filling and going over. Thankfully we're a long way off this. The structure is mostly solid, the only real bad bits being the fish-plates at the corner of the cabin/wheel-arch, which may need addressing properly although it could be hidden for an MOT ha, the car isn't about to fall apart.

The dashboard will certainly need re-leathering. All the original Jaegar clocks remain, but will probably need reconditioning. No electrics are hooked up. The old fashioned MG bus steering-wheel was replaced in the '60s with this sporty Ferrari style one before my parents bought the car, which I rather like I must say, but they apparently never have and want to buy an original.