Starting to Repair the N/S/F Wing

Some filler had broken away behind the top of the headlight rim so I removed the headlight today to fill the gap. Turns out quite a bit of the wing behind the light is missing and the rest held together with crumbling filler so a bit more work was needed. After a rub down the true history of the wing was revealed. The original headlamps were a dirt and moisture trap and it seems to have eaten the front of the wing away on this side. The upper edge appears to have gone completely and been replaced over the earlier years with both steel and aluminium fillets which have been pop riveted on and filled. The aluminium has reacted with the steel and dissolved leaving the bare steel to corrode and the rivets are proud on the outer side, making a wider contour to the wing that I only noticed as I rubbed it away which will have to be addressed when the wing is filled.

I duly headed to Halfords to buy a new tub of P38 body-filler, but with big gaps and little for it to cling on to I also picked up a tub of P40 fibreglass filler, which is a bit tougher and bridges holes, as well as a small sheet of aluminium mesh to help form the shape of the ring and bind everything together. First though, to combat the rust, I threw on a thick coat of Finnegan's No.1 Rust Beater and stippled as much as I could into the fissures.

The aluminium mesh fillets were then cut out and pushed into place behind the headlight surround using the tacky paint to hold them temporarily.

I then began to mix the Isopon P40 fibreglass filler. I've not used it before and it turns out to be strong stuff which sticks to itself very well and, once it starts to harden a little, becomes really easy to form. I put a quick skim over the back of the mesh to fix it into place and then added a few extra mesh fillets to reinforce the inner edge around the top of the ring, which will be holding the weight of the top of the headlight.

I used two more slugs of filler of about the same size to nicely bind everything in at the back and fill the gaps at the front, though I may have been a bit over zealous with the thickness of the repair and it'll need a good rub down, not bad for a first try. The mesh really helped to make the shape - the filler clings to it superbly.

Soon as I find time I'll be rubbing down the rest of the wing's blemishes and breaking out the P38.

Painting the Chassis

The chassis rails and centre-framework of the MGA is solid and has lasted very well during storage. In 1989, Dad painted the fore and aft ends of the chassis with black Smootherite [now just called Hammerite 'Smooth'] to protect the bits sticking out under the wheel arches while the car was being moved around and this still looks as good as new. The rest of the chassis, round the footwells and cabin haven't been painted since my parents got the car in '73 and they just used a black coach-paint, so it hasn't lasted and I thought I would make time to get the messy job of filling in the gaps out of the way while Dad and I are struggling to find time to get together on the car and sort the mechanicals...

Finishing the Bulkhead

After a couple of test cans we decided on Rover Carmine Red to paint the bulkhead at least, even if we changed out mind for the rest of the car. It's a deep purplish red that is probably closest to the Orient Red original MGA colour, but is more like the maroon coach-paint ours had been covered in long ago. As we only had one can of Carmine, filling in underneath the wings was done with a failed test-can of Rover Damask Red, which is why the paint looks orangey in the hidden places.

I touched up the sides of the heater-recess where the paint didn't get to with a white applicator I had lying around. I then started throwing the parts back on after cleaning them with WAXOYL, about time really. Also threw on the new pedal fume/dust excluder and rubber-seal for the heater. 

The re-conned heater then went back in and my work on the bulkhead is complete! Phew, now for the rest of the car!

Preparing the Bulkhead for Paint

With the restored heater still out I decided to remove as many more of the bits as I could and repaint the whole bulkhead / firewall. This also gave me a chance to refurbish the wiper-motor and other parts, and means that when they all go back on with the heater and master-cylinder they won't need removing again when we focus on the bodywork.

I began by rubbing the bulkhead down as much tp the bare metal as possible using 180-grit sandpaper and removed parts as I went along.

I then treated the bare metal bulkhead with Hammerite KURUST...

...which turns it black and cruddy - I was expecting shiny metal. This stuff is supposed to kill any remaining traces of rust and chemically protect the metal. It also prepares the surface for primer.

KURUST also prepares the surface for primer, apparently, though I think I'll still be giving it another rub down before painting.