MGB Roadmaster

[BlownMGB-V8]

Steve,

He's going to try to finish up the heads  before Easter. They should get there Wednesday but he'll have to get valves and springs. Probably it'd be best for you to get in touch and follow his progress so you'll know what works out the best. I'll try to keep Dave advised also, so that we can coordinate it as well as possible. Haven't heard back from him yet (I think he's on vacation) but maybe the weekend after Easter would work out OK. If you can follow your customary pattern of coming in on Thursday we should be able to have the car together and ready to go by the time he gets here.

I finished up the cross brace. Pressed out the bushings and welded in gussets, then annealed, normalized and needle-peened the eyes so I think the bushing mounts will be plenty strong. Once the paint drys and the bushings are back in everything will go together except for the diagonal braces, which I haven't made yet. They have to be done last.

I did some more checking on the wheels and tires, and a 17" wheel with up to 6" of backspacing should work fine on the rear. We could probably get by with 6-1/2 and maybe a little more if we have to. The front needs a 17" wheel with 4-1/2" backspacing max. Any more than that and the tire will contact the bulge above the shock I think. So Tom, if you want to start looking around at wheels those are our targets. As far as rim width, I don't think we can go narrower than backspacing plus about 1-1/2" so that probably means at least a 6" rim in the front and 8 will probably be OK. On the back about a 7-1/2" rim with 6" backspacing *might* be made to fit under the stock fenders (I haven't cut the sheet metal yet) but we could go as wide as 10" I think. I see where Weld has undergone some sort of reorganization in a management buyout. I'm still going to call them but we'd better make plans in case they can't come through for us.

Oh, Carl, I've started on oiling modifications so the sooner I can get the pump lower housing the better.

Jim

[Citron]

Jim,
I can probably make it the weekend after Easter.  I'll check with Margaret and see.

Steve

[rficalora]

Jim, here's what I did to extend the Omni flares on the back of my car.  I added about an inch an a half this way.  In addition to adding width, it also brings the flare up a bit higher on the side of the car too...

[BlownMGB-V8]

Sounds really good Steve, if you can do that. If not, we'll just have to figure something else out. If some slippage is unavoidable, we'll just deal with it as well as we can, which is what we're trying to do in other areas as well such as the cam for instance.

Rob, that does look really good. In fact it isn't that much different from the way I did the flares on my car, just used a wider piece of metal. I'm sure that approach can be made to work. I don't know exactly when I will cut the wheelwells, could be today, could be next week, but probably sooner than later. I've nearly finished up the IRS and I'd like to complete that first though. How far we extend the inner wheelwell will determine the exact fender treatment. I will initially retain the wheelwell lip and tack the pieces into place I think, and then take a look to see what will work the best.

Honestly guys, I can't guarantee that we'll get this car running in time. I know we'll be real close, but there are still key pieces missing. We have 73 days left. That's 10 weeks and 3 days. I know that sounds like a long time but it's easy to lose a week or two at a time so really it's not. Take out Easter and it's even less, figure in shipping delays and we're coming into the crunch. I'm putting as much time aside for this as I can but I'm afraid it may not be enough. So anything you guys can do to help things along is a big benefit.

Some things we need which are still real uncertain:
Water pump ('67 430 Buick, aluminum)
'71 cam, lifters, pushrods
clutch mechanism- Brian may or may not be able to handle this piece, I haven't gotten a definite commitment from him. (EDIT: Correction, I have just heard from Brian. He said just give him a date and that's when we'll get the HTOB. What a guy, eh? It's great to have such enthusiastic supporters.)

In addition to that we need to do many many small tasks of every description, from removing the struts off the green GT and installing them, to brakes, to interior work, to wiring and plumbing. If anyone can come and help, now is the time to be doing it.

Jim

Edit: see above.

[Citron]

Jim,
I will pick up the stuff from Dale the weekend after Easter.
It may be just me, don't know if Margaret can make it.  She rarely works on the car anyway.

Steve

[CBV8]

Re Denso alternator. I plan to go to Pull-A-Part and pull one and then have it checked out. I've tried finding an application chart to no avail. Anyone with knowledge of which cars/trucks these alternators were used?  It seems p/n 8060 and 8162 were higher amp and single wire and they don't take up much space.

[BlownMGB-V8]

The higher amp ones do not have the tin cover on the rear, and they might have a little better plug I'm not sure about that though. They are just slightly larger than the tin cover ones.

Jim

[BlownMGB-V8]

I'm quite happy to be able to report that aside from a few minor hardware details the IRS suspension is finally complete. If you've been following the 340 thread there may be a few of you with especially sharp eyes who will be able to pick out the tell-tale differences between the two units. Visible differences are there, I assure you.
 


But this is not the only news. First, Bill has mailed us a check to cover the water pump, plus we sold the Holley carb that Tom donated for about $225, at the moment I don't recall the exact figure, and I made a deal with one of the V8Buick guys for a new cam, lifters and pushrods for $165 including shipping. The upshot is that it leaves us with about $65 in the bank, but aside from a battery, belts, hoses and things of that nature we have or should soon have everything we need to get the car running. Well, other than wheels, tires, and whatever else I've forgotten. But the point is, there should be no other major items that can prevent us from meeting our goal. So now it's just a matter of getting everything here and putting it together.

I spoke with Dale today, he has the heads and is in the process of ordering parts. Incidentally, that cam is a Crower # 52241 and I guess I sorta messed up on it a little as it's going to be a little hotter than stock. The powerband is 1800-4500, but as Carl or somebody suggested earlier on that might let the tires have another second or two before they turn to jelly. I don't have a clue what we'll be looking at for horsepower but I'd bet good money it isn't going to be much under 500. Well, it may not be the perfect cam, but those guys have been saying the Buicks like a lot of cam so maybe it'll be OK. I hope so anyway. Oh, and while we're on that subject, I told Dale to go ahead and put the big valves in the heads. At about the same cost and labor it seemed like it'd be a shame to fit smaller ones. So I guess the heads are going to breathe pretty good. This really wasn't the plan and it's a good thing our ignition system has a rev limiter.

So next on my to-do list will be to cut the fenders. Can't say for sure when I'll be able to get started on that, but in a few days when some supplies have come in and I have both IRS's ready to install it's going to get real interesting trying to put those up into place using just a floor jack. We did it before without the front mounts, but I had help then. And I'm not going to wait until after Easter to do it either. Having to get the crossmember over the wiring harness and fuel lines makes it interesting to say the least.

Jim

[Citron]

Jim,
I gat an E-mail from Dale and he will have the stuff ready for me to pick up after Easter, so it is is go for me to come up and work starting on 4/16/9.  I might be able to make it on the 15th.  I'll have to check with work, Dale, and most importantly Margaret.
Wish I could get there to help with the rear suspension.

Steve

[CBV8]

Jim, Steve   I picked up the Denso alternator and a slightly smaller one that was on a Mitsibusi Galant. Its a little more compact. No luck yet on the rims. I'm hoping to have a pair by the time Steve's trucking and delivery goes north.

[BlownMGB-V8]

There may be a slight delay, Matthew has an "Odyssey of the Mind" state competition that I have to go to on the 17/18th, so maybe we should push things back a week. Getting out of that is extremely remote. Does this work with you guys? That will leave us with about 40 days left to finish up.

Also, do either of you need a table saw or radial saw? The table saw needs a motor and the radial saw sometimes won't start if the blade is in the wrong position but they are otherwise good tools. Craftsman and Delta, with stands. They are extras that were given to me and I need the space.

I think I'm going to concentrate on clean-up for a few days now that the mule is freed up and can be rolled outside. Be a good time to do some minor re-organizing and get everything put away. Then during the final push missing parts and tools shouldn't be much of a problem.

Jim

[Citron]

Jim,
I can't make it at all before Easter.
Is there something I can work on while your at the Meet?
Steve

[BlownMGB-V8]

Steve, I was thinking about the 23rd instead of the 16th. You may have misunderstood my intent. Does that help any?

Jim

[rficalora]

Jim, I put my car back on the rotisserie this weekend -- came up with a way that worked easily & will help with one man IRS install too...  Essentially, I used the engine hoist to raise the back end.  Used a come-along from the cieling to hold it while I then moved the hoist to riase the front... engine hoist made it easy to lift the shell offf the IRS -- opposite would be true to... lift the back end, slide the IRS under. Slowely lower the back end adjusting position of IRS as needed to slip it in.  Come along or something else for safety just in case the hoist were to give out.  Thought this may give an idea or two for how to get the IRS under the Roadmaster or your car working single handed...

[Citron]

Jim,
We are working on it.  I may be able to make it as early as the 22 nd.
It would be late at night.  I'll let you know.

Steve

[BlownMGB-V8]

Thanks Steve, I appreciate it. It will be good to finish the engine at last.

Rob, those are good suggestions. We dropped it out on a floor jack but going back in is a little more complicated, the big thing is working around the wiring harness and fuel lines. But I'm not going to even try until the fenderwells are cut and some shop cleanup is completed. Things have really gotten quite out of hand here and I have a big job on my hands getting it all straightened up again. Spring cleaning I guess.

By the way, the air cleaner came in today. The casting is a little rough and we will need the knob to fill the large top recess, but we will now be able to fit and trim the hood once the engine is back in the car. Perhaps we can adapt the base of the 14" round chrome air cleaner to use as a base.

Jim

[Citron]

Jim,
I'm hoping to go get the parts from Dale the week after Easter.  I'll keep them here and then come to KY on the 22nd.  I will probably get there in the early evening, about 7 to 9.  I s that okay?  That way we can work Thursday, Friday and Sat.  

Steve

[Citron]

This is, I hope, the t-shirt we will be selling this year.  Notice the changes from last year, some maturity has overtaken the group so we no longer spell out BADASS.
The cost will be $12 for sizes Regular through x-large.  If you need an xx-large or bigger PM me and I will order them.  They will be $15.
If you want to reserve one PM me and I will hold it till British V8 2009.
The color is sports grey.

Steve

[BlownMGB-V8]

Looks GREAT Steve. I may have to get a couple of the x-large too just in case the xx-large ones I reserved are a little big! I really like the design. Be forewarned though, we may have to change the wheels next year. In fact, you might check with your printer when you have the chance and see if we can superimpose a photo of the actual car. By next spring we should be ready to do that.

Guys, like last year, this will be the only chance you have to get this shirt design. There is a limited number being printed so if you don't buy one now the chance will be gone for good. Better not risk it.

Steve, I will contact Dave and inform him of the schedule change. I am looking forward to your visit this time around probably more than any other! We will be getting very very close to operational. And yes, Wednesday is quite fine.

Do we have anyone in the group who is an artist? Or enough of one to make an attractive job of putting the names of the contributors on the car? At this point I'm thinking felt-tip markers would be perfectly acceptable since we will be painting over it anyway, and it gives a lot of room for trial and error. If nobody steps up I'll be forced to do it and you've all seen the 'lovely' job I did on the driver's side quarter of my Roadster. Is that the sort of artwork you want on your project? Probably not, so step up and be counted! Otherwise, you already know what it's going to look like. Heck, I haven't even been able to come up with an acceptable logo for Blackwood Labs, and I've had 20 years to work on it. So PLEASE, somebody save us from this madman!

Jim

[BlownMGB-V8]

Guys, we need an air cleaner base. This can be any old thing which we can cut down but it needs to fit a 8-1/2" I.D. filter element and it needs to fit a Rochester Quadrajet carb. (Holley should be the same, as well as Edelbrock and Thermoquad) I probably had an old I-H one that would have worked but it is long gone. Have a look around your local junkyard or scrap pile and see if you come up with anything. You won't find the original (too valuable) but we just need something we can make do the job.

Jim

[CBV8]

I have a carb base I think will work. Its made out of aluminum and is a little "dinged up". I Think the base will do ok. I'll pass it along to Steve

[BlownMGB-V8]

Thanks Tom, very helpful. One more thing I won't have to worry about.

Well we should have the cam in a couple of days, maybe less. Final fitting on the shocks is finished, a little more work on the brake lines and the IRS is ready. Then on to the wheelwells.

Everyone concerned has OK'd the schedule change after Easter so we're good there as well. Steve, when you get here we need to check the steering for anything out of the ordinary before the engine goes in. I'm mentioning it in case I forget.

Jim

[BlownMGB-V8]

Guys, we need to raise some more funds. Dale is putting up the money to buy our parts for the heads and that is beginning to get into some money. By my reckoning (which is probably low) he's already spent $200 on valves, needs to spend that much more on springs and retainers, and probably close to another hundred on keepers and spring seats (locators) plus there are also the seals which may be another $50 as well. I know he said he'd front us the money until after the show but is it really fair of us to ask that of him after all he has done for us already? So here and now I'm calling for some donations. If you've got $50 you can spare then all we need is 10 or 11 donations that size to cover it. Dale is also going to considerable trouble and expense to host us at his place of business during the V8 meet. I think it's only fair to spread out the burden a little.

So do what you can if you will. Better we should cover this early than end up dragging it out.

Jim

[mowog1]

Jim....Do we have a PayPal account set up anywhere for cash donations?  

If not, I would be happy to accept this type of payment on behalf of the Deviant Project and forward a check on to Steve.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Rick, as Chair of Ways and Means I think that would be quite appropriate for you to do that and I certainly have no objection. Please carry on!

The cam, lifters and pushrods came in today and look just fine and the cam slides into the block just as it should. The card lists somewhat different specs than shown in the catalog, .505 lift vs about .530 and I'm happy with that. It also gives spring recommendations which should help Dale a bit. I've found the brake line fittings I need and have marked the fenderwells for cut lines. Now that there is going to be a dirty job. The wheelwells are lined with mud. Not looking forward to that one.

Jim