1978 MG B GT

A New Sunroof

Our 1978 MGB GT is getting even closer to leaving the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Classic car technician Brian has been busy making and fitting

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Progressing Nicely

As our 1978 MGB GT continues to move through the restoration process, things are progressing well and more tasks have been ticked off the checklist.

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One Last Photoshoot

As our 1978 MGB GT is leaving us again, after returning for some repairs to the paint and the engine, we thought it would be great to take some photos of this beautiful classic car before it goes back to its owner.

It has come a long way since it first arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and we are very happy to see it in its finished form.

Engine Out & Radio In

Since our 1978 MGB GT returned to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently, classic car technician Rob has removed the engine and installed a new DAB radio.

The engine was removed in order to replace the crankshaft rear oil seal. Removing the engine from a classic car is never a small job but the experienced workshop team were able to get things done in preparation for our MGB GT to go back to its owner again soon.

Finishing A Paint Job

After recently returning to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our 1978 MGB GT has been in the paint shop with technician Chris.

The paintwork that our classic MGB GT needed has now been completed and the car looks great and will soon be returned to its owner.

A New Sunroof

Our 1978 MGB GT is getting even closer to leaving the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.

Classic car technician Brian has been busy making and fitting a new sunroof for this eye-catching classic car. Brian started by fitting the wood sections to the metal brackets that surround the sunroof opening. He then laid the frame bars onto the old cover to see where they were positioned.

He went on to fit the wood and brackets around the sunroof opening before trial-fitting the roof bars to check everything was the perfect fit.

Brian riveted the roof cables to the front rail before fitting the lock and handle too. The front rail was also trial-fitted so Brian could make sure that it locked into position.

The rubber handle was fitted to the underside of the lock handle before Brian turned his attention to a new headliner board.

He made a new pattern for this and then cut out the new sunroof headliner, glueing the edges ready to be sewn. The frame bars were then laid onto the sewn headliner and the front wood trim was glued into place.

Wood trim and a chrome surround for the handle were installed before Brian fitted the roof bars in place and glued the headliner flaps around the bars. The sunroof cover was then cut out ready to have its edges sewn.

The front rail was then glued to the hood material and fitting straps were fitted to the sides of the material to hold the frame in place. The cover was glued to the frame and the corners were trimmed before the cover was fitted to the car.

The sunroof was bolted to the car before being sealed with mastic.

The headliner could then be glued and stapled in place while the new headliner board was marked out. The headliner board was cut out and had holes drilled in it for the clips to be fitted. This was then trial-fitted before being covered.

With the addition of the sunroof, our 1978 MGB GT is looking great and will very likely soon be leaving the workshop to be reunited with its owner.

Nearly There – 1978 MGB GT

Classic car technician Rob has been looking at our 1978 MGB GT. As this car is getting very close to being ready to leave us, he has been double-checking that everything is working exactly as it should.

While there is still some work needing to be done on this eye-catching classic car (the sunroof being the main one), it is clear to see that it won’t be too much longer before it drives out of our workshop and back to its owner.

The workshop team here at Bridge Classic Cars have put a lot of time and effort into bringing this classic car back to life. It has recently been started and, like Rob has been doing recently, checks will continue to be done until everyone is satisfied it is good to go.

We love a classic MG so we always love having them come into the workshop. However, it is equally as exciting to see a fully restored MG as beautiful as this one leave us and move on to the next chapter of its life on the road.

Our 1978 MGB GT might not be quite ready to leave us just yet but, once the sunroof is installed by classic car technician Brian, and Rob has finished his checks, we will have to say goodbye to this beautiful classic car. Until then though, we will continue to enjoy having it with us.

New Hardboard Panels And Badges Refurbished

The interior trim of our 1978 MGB GT has had new hardboard panels made. The finish of the new panels goes a long way in making this classic car look refined and very appealing.

The badges of the car have also been undergoing refurbishment.

Seemingly small tasks like this do a great job of bringing a restored classic car back to its original state so they are very important.

Our 1978 MGB GT continues to make good progress and we are very excited to see it back out on the road in the near future.

Progressing Nicely

As our 1978 MGB GT continues to move through the restoration process, things are progressing well and more tasks have been ticked off the checklist.

Classic car technician Rob has painted and fitted the number plate backing panels, fitted the door trim and handles on the right-hand side of the vehicle, as well as making new backing panels for the C pillar trim.

Rob has been extra busy as he also assembled and fitted the rear anti-roll bar and fitted the rear roof trim too.

New Lines And Trim

Classic car technician Rob has been making and fitting the new brake and fuel lines for our 1978 MGB GT.

He also fitted the brake master cylinder, which brings the car one step closer to being able to get back out on the road.

Other work continues on the MGB GT in the form of more trim being installed. This helps the car look much closer to how the finished restoration will look.

Refitting Refurbished Parts

Several parts of our 1978 MG B GT have been refurbished. Some of these parts include the servo, air filters, and oil cooler. All of these have recently been refitted to the car ready for its first drive back out on the road.

Classic car technician Rob was responsible for reinstalling the refurbished parts and, as you can see from the photos below, they fit perfectly back into the car (and are looking better than ever).

Rob also fitted the repainted front spoiler making the front of the car even more recognisable.

New Carpets and Rear Seat Installation

Our 1978 MG B GT is starting to look more and more like a complete car.

Not only have our classic car technicians finished fitting the interior carpet, but technician Rob has also fitted the rear seat into the car. With the interior of the car starting to look more recognisable (with the exception of a few missing key components), now is the time when you can really see how cool this classic car will look when its restoration is fully complete.

A New Carpet For Our 1978 MG B GT

The classic car technicians at Bridge Classic Cars can turn their hand to many jobs. One job that you might not expect them to excel at though is carpet fitting! However, that’s exactly what they have been doing with our 1978 MG B GT.

The exterior of this classic car is enough to catch many people’s eye but, for its owner, the interior needs to be equally as well finished too.

That’s why new carpet and interior trim have been fitted recently. Installing carpet in a classic car takes a steady hand, a keen eye, and a good amount of patience. Luckily the team in the workshop have a whole load of experience (and skill) in these areas and, as you can see from the photos below, the interior of this stunning car is coming together nicely as a result.

A Classic Car Technician In Action – 1978 MG B GT

There has been a lot of work completed on our 1978 MG B GT to get it into its current state.

As it continues to be beautifully restored here at Bridge Classic Cars, our classic car technicians, like Rob, can always be seen working hard to lovingly bring this classic car back to all of its former glory.

1978 MG B GT – More Progress!

Our 1978 MG B GT has taken another big leap forward on its restoration journey.

With the fitting of its propshaft and radiator, real progress has been made to get this classic car back on the road, where it rightfully belongs.

In addition to the propshaft and radiator, the MG B GT’s headlamps, front spoiler and bumper have also been fitted. This has made it even more recognisable as the truly stunning car that it is!

Rob continues work on MG B GT

Lots of progress has been made on our 1978 MG B GT (Blaze).

As you can see, the rear brakes have now been stripped, serviced and refitted. The handbrake lever and gear lever have both been overhauled and refitted. The prop-shaft has been sandblasted, the U/J’s have been replaced and painted and the cooling fan has been overhauled and refitted.

In Order – Fitting and Fixing Trim Pieces on the 1978 MG B GT

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars has been working their way through several pieces of trim on the 1978 MG B GT.

This is a full ground-up restoration on the classic MG B, so the team is going through every single piece on the car, starting with the quarter light window.

The team have been repairing the mountings for the quarter light window which Rob has carefully cleaned up and replaced the hardware and get fitted back into the car after cleaning up and polishing the brightwork.

With the window frame now complete in place, Rob could fit up the door cap onto the door.

Then, it was time to get the rear bumpers back together. Each of the pieces has been inspected and test fit before being finally built up and installed onto the car.

The Details – Reassembly of the 1978 MG B GT Continues

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team are continuing the reassembly of the 1978 MG B GT which is being restored by our in-house team.

This time, our technician Rob, has been getting some of the bigger details installed onto the car. The first was getting the new brakes installed onto the front suspension, the brand new rotors, callipers and lines have all been put into place and checked to make sure everything fits correctly with no interference.

Then, Rob could move onto the getting the rear light assemblies installed into the car to, later on, get the wiring in place and finished up.

Then it was a case of installing the dashboard, heater box and pedal box. All of these have to be in place to also check the fitments and tolerances of each piece individually and together.

Front End – Front Suspension and Valance on the 1978 MG B GT

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars are deep into the reassembly of the newly repainted bodyshell of the 1978 MG B GT, beginning with the front end.

Our technician Rob has been working on getting the front suspension put together and in place on the newly installed cross-member. The spindles and control arms are in place to check tolerances and operations before they will be tightened down to spec and secured.

Also, Rob has fitted up the colour-matched front valance to the car and aligned it perfectly with the rest of the Blaze Orange bodywork.

Coming Together – Body Panels Back on the 1978 MG B GT

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars HQ have begun to refit and adjust the panelwork from the 1978 MG B GT back onto the car.

Our technician Rob has been working his way from the front of the classic sports car to the back beginning with the front wings. The wings were bolted on followed by the doors in order to adjust and align each of them to get the right fitment and panel gaps as part of the rebuild following the paint and body work being finished off.

Then, after the wings and doors had been adjusted Rob could fit the rear hatch and adjust it accordingly.

Underneath – Fitting Up the Exhaust and Crossmember on the 1978 MG B GT

The Bridge Classic Cars team have been making progress on the 1978 MG B GT.

Our restoration technician, Rob, has worked on getting the new exhaust fitted up on the underside of the classic sports car. With the whole system fitted front to back, the team could then move on to the next job.

The team could begin to prepare the front cross-member to be fit up into the car. The whole car is being fit out with new polybushes all round and the bushings in the front cross-member is no different. Rob has fit the bushes in before being able to bolt the whole assembly into the underside of the car. With it completely fit up into the car, the team then began to hang the front suspension and steering parts while also being able to slip the engine mounts in and bolt the engine firmly into place.

Coming Back Together – Rear Axle and Engine & Gearbox Back in the 1978 MG B GT.

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been given the delicate task of getting several key pieces of the 1978 MG B GT back into its freshly painted and perfected bodyshell.

Our technician Rob, who has done a lot of the work on the classic 1970s sports car, has been methodically working his way through the task.

To begin with, Rob fitted up the freshly painted rear axle and the leaf springs into place – with new polybushes throughout. The reason for this is not only does it have to go in there at some point, but with the car on the ramp it acts as somewhat of a counterweight to the engine.

With the rear axle in and bolted in, Rob could move to the front end of the car.

The newly refinished engine and gearbox were then hooked up to the engine crane, and inch by inch gingerly dropped into the shimmering blaze orange engine bay. The engine is just placed in at the moment, soon it will be firmly bolted into place after any adjustments that need to be made have been done.

Clean Look – Parts of the 1978 MG B GT Refinished

Some of the pieces of the 1978 MG B GT have been refurbished by the team before being handed over to our paint team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.

The paint team have refinished the parts in hard-wearing and durable black as part of the restoration.

Strengthened – New Rear Bumper Section and Welding the Front Crossmember on the 1978 MG B GT

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on several key pieces of the 1978 MG B GT in for restoration with us at our Suffolk HQ.

Firstly, our technician Rob has made up an all-new rear bumper box section for the classic MG. This piece was heavily corroded so the team made a new piece which made up the rear bumper and crash structure in the car.

Next, the team got to work on the front cross-member. This, over time, had developed some hairline cracks in the thinnest areas near the mounting tabs. So, Rob has carefully and methodically rewelded these areas making sure to add in material to strengthen certain parts of the component.

Changing Places – 1978 MG B GT Back in the Workshop

The 1978 MG B GT has been moved from the paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars to our main restoration workshop for the team to begin reassembly of the classic MG B.

As part of its restoration, the car was stripped back to bare metal and any areas of corrosion fixed before our paint and body teams worked on getting the sportscar into the best possible condition. Then, it went into our in-house paint booth/oven to be refinished in its beautiful Blaze Orange colour you see here.

On the Inside – Inner Arches of the 1978 MG B GT Painted

As part of the paint side of its restoration, the 1978 MG B GT has had its inner arches sprayed.

The paint team cleaned down the insides of both the front and rear arches on the classic MG before applying the raptorguard to help protect the metal from any form of moisture which may find its way into the newly refurbished shell.

The team do this on nearly all of our restoration as we’ve found it is the best process to securing the longevity of the inner wings on classic cars.

In Colour – 1978 MG B GT Painted in Blaze Orange

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have got the 1978 MG B GT refinished in its original colour, Blaze Orange.

The team have laid down several layers of bright, vibrant orange on the body shell and panels of the classic MG B. The car will be taken out of the booth after the paint has begun to cure and left to fully harden before being colour sanded and polished.

This is a massive milestone in the restoration of the 1978 MG B GT!

Primed & Ready – Getting the 1978 MG B GT Ready for Paint

The body shop team at Bridge Classic Cars have handed over the 1978 MG B GT to our in-house paint team to get the classic sports car ready for colour!

The team have been working on refining the lines and form of the MG B GT in our body prep area before it was taken into the paint prep bay to be thoroughly cleaned down for its final stages of primer and reworking.

The team always make sure that every panel is inspected and checked over before the car enters the booth and any dust or debris is removed from the car before mask up and again afterwards. The team then could use Polyfan on the shell to recheck for any low spots once it has been sanded off the body and any adjustments made.

Then after another clean-down, it was taken into the boot/oven once more for the final primer to be laid. Whilst the primer was curing, the team could begin to seam seal the boot and engine bay of the classic M B and another layer of primer laid down in those areas.

Next Phase – Moving the 1978 MG B GT Into Paint Preparation

The 1978 MG B GT has moved from the workshop into the Bridge Classic Cars preparation area for our paint and body team to start work.

With all the metal work and repairs complete on the bodyshell, the classic sports car has been transferred into the paint and body department for the team to begin preparing the body for the next phase of its restoration.

We’re excited to show you the beginning of the next phase of the journey with the 1978 MG B GT very soon.

Delicate Work – Metal Repairs on the 1978 MG B GT

The 1978 MG B GT is having some of the final stages of its metal work carried out by the restoration workshop here at Bridge Classic Cars.

Rob, one of our technicians, has carefully been cutting out the corroded areas of the bodyshell to be replaced with hand-made and high-quality patch panels from specialists.

Rob has replaced the area in the rear drivers side pillar which at the base has corroded all the way through itself. For this, he made sure to inspect the piece entirely and form a panel which will fit tightly and also add strength into the area before welding it in.

Then, he could move onto the rear quarter panel. This had a few areas requiring work, some with small handmade patches and others (like the forward section) having high-quality sourced replacements installed into the bodyshell.

Replaced – Metal Work on the 1978 MG B GT

The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been continuing with the metal repairs to the 1978 MG B GT in with us for restoration.

The team have been working on the right-hand side of the car to remove the areas of corrosion to key parts of the bodyshell. This begun with cutting out the corrosion at the rear of the car in the valance. These were cut out of the car to create new templates for replacements, so the team could make the new pieces as close as possible to the originals.

Then the team could move on the car’s windshield pillars which had areas of corrosion at their base. This was peeled back to expose just how in-depth it had gone into the piece before the team replaced it.

Along with this, some pieces at the top of the inner wing was also replaced due to corrosion and to allow for the best fitment of the new wings which have been test fitted to the body to check alignment.

On the Left – Body Repairs to the 1978 MG B GT

The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on completing the repairs to the bodyshell of the 1978 MG B GT in with us for restoration.

The team have been carefully removing all areas of corrosion on the classic MG from front to back in order to get it into the best condition possible before it heads to our body shop for further refinements ahead of paint.

Each piece that has been removed from the car was used to template some of the handmade pieces which had to be created in order to fill the gaps caused by the corrosion. These were then welded into the car delicately so as to not create any warpage or movement in the surrounding areas.