Still, it’s better than sanding or using a wire brush. First, I got the valve cover sandblasted and cleaned. I decided to paint it gold but the only paint I had was lacquer and I didn’t know if that kind of paint would hold up to the conditions in the engine bay. So, being the impatient person that am, I went ahead and sprayed three coats. I then sprayed three coats of lacquer over that. It looks pretty good and I guess I’ll see if it holds up once the engine is running.
I still have all of the other stuff to do (clean the rest of the engine compartment, cockpit, underside and get them all sealed and painted) so I won’t bore you with that until it is done. What I really want to do, however, is get the car started. Now to do this, I’ll have to get a lot of stuff done. I admit that one of the main reasons that I want to get the car started is just because she hasn’t run since 1998 and I just want to hear her running.
But, on the more logical side, since she has not run in 10 years, I’d like to get her started sooner rather than later because I just have no idea of her mechanical condition after she sat so long. I’d hat to get everything done and then start her up in the spring, just to find that there is something seriously wrong and I have to pull the engine.
I figure that I’ll have to do the following at minimum: Get the wiring cleaned up and loose wires safed so there is no shorting out, get the fuel tank cleaned, repaired and installed, replace the rubber fuel lines, gaskets, hoses, etc. I can borrow a radiator so I don’t have to get it or the heater core flushed, pressure tested and repaired yet and I can pull the battery out of my old, unused Chevy van so I don’t have to buy a new one yet. I’ll also need to adjust the valves and get the distributor cleaned up and reinstalled. As for the carbs, they seem to be in fairly good shape after 10 years of inactivity. I’ve cleaned them out, adjusted the float levels and I’m replacing the float chamber and throttle shaft seals so, hopefully, that will be enough to at least get the car running..
I also got the distributor cleaned up, haven't relaced the points, condenser, rotor, etc, but I'm hoping they are good enough to get the car running. I lightly sanded the points to make sure they were corrosion-free and reassembled the unit after cleaning.
I also got the dashpots on the carbs polished until they are nice and shiny...it won't last long but they sure look good now!
I have parts orders placed with Moss and Victoria british. Mostly small stuff-screws, rack boots, hoses, etc. I'm concerned about the quality of the parts as most MG owners on various forums report that they get stuff that doesn't fit or is just low-quality crap...We'll see...I'm not one to pay good money for something and not bitch if it isn't worth the $$$ I shelled out for it.
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