MGYT Filler Fuel Neck

When our 1949 MGYT arrived in to us from Cyprus amongst the many components missing or broken was a missing filler fuel neck. Dave has now remade the piece and painted it ready to be refitted.

Sourcing the original number

Whilst on the hunt for evidence of the original UK registration number (prior to it being exported to Cyprus) we have come across a couple of fantastic vintage photos.

Although the car was originally Clipper Blue these look to be taken after the colour change but do show the original UK number. PXN 577

Let’s hope we can successfully re-register the car to have the original number now she is back where she belongs, in the UK.

Re-chroming the handbrake lever

Although the handbrake lever is not obviously visible we have decided to go ahead and chrome this piece.

We believe the original finish would have been black but as the component is in such good condition and wants very little repair work to carried out we felt that refinishing in chrome would look much more impressive.

Fitting the newly refurbished dash

We have temporarily refitted the newly refurbished dash so that any adjustments can be made to ensure a snug fit.

MGYT Screen In Light On

With the new screen being made as we speak the frame work has now been built up and fitted into position to ensure all curves and lines meet the areas that it should.

And as you can see, we now have the eyes back on the car!

The brand new headlights have now been fitted and they look amazing. Every angle of our 1949 MGYT looks stunning but with the lights now in position it has been completely transformed once again.

It’s the final big push on the project now with the electrics and interior being the last big tasks to carry out.

MGYT Dashboard Refurbished

We’ve now completed the work on re-covering our 1949 MGYT dash. With the edging strips already re-chromed and the centre plate fully restored the dash can now be pieced back together.

Fitting the new MGYT badges

We had a very indecisive moment this morning in the Bridge Classic Cars workshops.

The big question, should we or should we not replace the front and rear badges. These are the original badges which in itself is lovely but when you have them fitted to an almost new car they really stand out.

With a little help from the family who own this beauty we all decided that replacing with new was the best solution.

Here we have the new badges fitted and looking lovely. The originals will be kept safe and will make up the fantastic history of the car.

Refitting our MGYT front grille

With the newly re-chromed and rebuilt front grille now complete we have been able to loosely refit to the car. This will be tightened once the bonnet section are fitted and secured.

It’s all in the finer detail

A unique feature on our 1949 MGYT is the invisible cooling blind that is operated by a pulley system beside the radiator.

When pulled a blind lifts up in front of the radiator but behind the front grille. It can not be easily seen but it acts as a temperature control feature.

The blind itself was in desperate need of repair so as part of the stripping process we removed the blind mechanism too. This has now been fully rebuilt, using the original parts but with brand new textile fitted.

This has now been refitted and will once again be fully functioning.

Fitting up the chrome to the MGYT

Dave is now starting to refit the chrome on our 1949 MG YT.

A lot of the original parts have been re-chromed however some of the parts were beyond repair so we have replaced with new.

When the car arrived at Bridge Classic Cars both the front and rear bumpers had taken a serious hit during the overseas transport and were beyond repair. Due to the rarity of this model we were prepared for a challenge trying to replace these.

Luckily for us we have Mike from NTG just round the corner from our workshops. Mike is one of MG’s most knowledgeable enthusiasts and has built a world renowned MG spares company. Anything to do with MGs Mike is the man, as they say, what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing.

Mike informed us that the bumpers from this model are the same as those on the MG TD so we were able to source new.

Building up the re-chromed MGYT grille

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

Can you re-chrome a classic car grille as one piece? The answer is yes…

…but we wouldn’t recommend it.

If you want to do a job right, do it properly. It may seem like a daunting task stripping a grille like this into individual pieces but it is absolutely worth it for the final finish. Ensure you have a piece of paper and a pen with you and simply jot down everything you take off so you know exactly where each slat goes when you are ready to refit. Drawings, notes, measurements, whatever it takes to make your life easy during refit is worth it.

Here we have the finish front grille. We totally stripped the components and rebuilt once chromed and polished. The brand new material surround has been refitted so it’s ready to be fitted back up to the car.

Fitting up the blue piping

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, Dave has been concentrating on fitting up the blue leather piping around the front and rear wings of our 1949 MGYT.

With lots of blue fabric options on the market as well as a great choice of dark greys and blacks in leather this turned out to be more of a challenge than we expected.

We looked through lots of samples from various manufacturers and finally decided on the dark blue leather option that you see here. Now it is in position, we are very happy that the research really paid off.

We’ve seen a number of the MGY’s with black piping but that’s not what we wanted. In our opinion, settling for black, or even dark grey would not have been right.

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Reshaping the new MGYT floor

Although our MG YT came fitted with solid floors, they had seen better days and needed attention. We felt the car deserved better so rather than repainting the old flooring we made the decision to reshape and build a new floor.

A few pictures from the chromers

Here we have a couple of up dated pictures taken by Tony at Wyatt Polishing as he gets stuck in to the MGYT chrome work.

We should be expecting all of the chrome back with us next week just in time for the refit.

Our MG YT engine and gear now fitted

With the new wiring loom securely in position we have now been able to fit the engine and gearbox of our 1949 MG YT.

Fitting the new MGYT wiring loom

Due to the rarity of our 1949 MGYT the wiring loom as been specially manufactured, for us, by Autosparks. It was an 8 week lead time but due to forward planning it arrived within our time scale. Forward planning reduces the risk of set backs, doesn’t always work this well but on this occasion it has!

Autosparks are the world leading supplier’s of classic car wiring looms. There are lots of wiring looms suppliers online but from previous experience they all seem to use Autosparks as their supplier so we choose to buy direct from source and deal directly with the manufacturer.

We started back on the MGYT today, with Dave’s first job being to to install the new wiring loom.

Rebuilding the MGYT engine

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Back in November 2016 our 1949 MGY Tourer arrived with us from Cyprus. As you can see, the engine wasn’t quite right upon arrival.

If you were to remove the sheeting and pull out the white perspex boxes off the front and back seats you’ll find a 1949 MGYT engine…

…and if you look under the bonnet you’ll also see that we seem to be missing an engine.

So one of our first tasks was to rebuild the engine. In order to do this we needed to establish what parts, if any, were missing from the white boxes.

We called upon our good friend and one of the UK’s leading MG engine builders George Edny to help source and rebuild the components on our engine.

We have now carried out a full and extensive rebuild; including work to the front pulley, ring gear, water pump, oil filters, rocker caps, plugs, bearings and brackets. The exhaust has also been blasted and sprayed, the gearbox has been totally rebuilt, along with the carbs, inlet manifold, dynamo and starter motor.

The engine is now back in our Ipswich workshops ready for work to commence once again next week.

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Polishing the dash surround and centre plates

We’ve been debating over the issue of whether to polish and re-chrome the dash of our 1949 MGYT. There was no question on whether to recover the leather as this was very much needed but the metalwork was debatable. It looked tired but were we about to open doors to more issues if we start to re-chrome the intricate shapes.

The centre piece has been painted brown at some time in it’s life so this could have been tidied up simply by re-painting.

We made the decision to remove the metalwork from the dash and do the job right. This means the edging strips and centre plate will now be re-chromed and polished so they can be fitted looking just as beautiful as the rest of the car.

Not all occasions require the chrome to be re-polished but we felt this was one occasion that deserved the treatment.

Repairing, Blasting and Painting the Hood

With the hood removed from the car we are planning to repair the areas that require attention. When this work is carried out we’ll clean up the entire frame to remove all grit, dirt and grime that has built up over the years before finishing in a beige.

Dismantling the front grille

The final few sections of the bright-work have now gone off to be chromed at Wyatt Polishing in Thetford

The front grille has been completely stripped back to individual sections. This is best way to achieve the ultimate results. If someone tells you they can re-chrome something like this as one piece be very cautious. It will be very difficult to polish in between the individual sections with it in one piece. It can be done but it will not give you the best results.

Templates have been drawn up to ensure that each section goes back in the correct place.

Here we have the separate components all as individual pieces.

Is it best to buy new or re-chrome?

We get asked this a lot, is it best to buy new or re-chrome original parts? Let’s look at the facts:

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

Buying New

Who is the supplier of the new products? Are they a reputable company and do they specialise in your particular vehicle? I guess the last part isn’t crucial but it is something we consider when working on our projects at Bridge Classic Cars. The way to look at it, if you find a company that has been trading for many years and they specialise in a particular make or group of vehicles then it’s certainly more reassuring that the chrome they supply will fit. At the end of the day, it’s all about reputation, if you are good at what you do then you get known for being.

With new, more often than not the parts are produced of a lesser quality material. Because we live in a world of tight budgets products have to be produced cheaper, this way they can be sold more competitively.

People are often put off by the ‘Chinese’ market but it’s no longer the case that something made in China is no good, it is. If you are sold into the idea that a product produced in Germany is better than one from China then unfortunately you may be missing out on a great product.

Buying new is often the cheaper alternative to re-chroming the existing products and this is really important. If the part is small and considered less significant then buying new is totally the way to go. Why waste money on the most expensive option?

To sum up, buying new is fantastic, everything is shiny and perfect and with modern tooling it is safe to say that it will most likely fit how it should. There is however one key thing to consider…

Using Existing

…it isn’t original.

Original is great, it has a story. The car came with it on, it belongs on the car, therefore, if it can be refurbished then it should remain.

Having said that, it can often be the most expensive option so you do need to sit down and really assess the importance of original against cost.

Secondly, do you have a good chromer and polisher? There is an art to rechroming so do ensure the company you use are good and that you’ve seen their work. We use a company in Thetford, Wyatt Polishing, they are fantastic and have been doing it for many years. They undertake all kinds of metal restoration on classic, custom cars and bikes. Basically anything that needs plating they can provide a triple service which involves copper, nickel and chrome. They offer a repair service for damaged items such as rusty and holed car bumpers, damaged trims, badly pitted mazak can repaired before plating.

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we do not limit our options. We consider both options on every occasion. Some parts are nearly impossible to get hold of which therefore means our only option is to repair. Other’s are so much cheaper to replace with new so it makes sense to do it that way. There really is no right or wrong answer to this question.

This is our 1949 MG YT chrome, we have purchased some parts new but the majority has gone over to the platers to be refurbished ready to be refitted.

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

Original chrome taken from a 1949 MG YT

The return of the MGYT to Bridge Classic Cars

Today, we welcomed back to our Ipswich workshops our 1949 MG YT from the paint shop.

She is now completely transformed from white back to the original colour of Clipper Blue.

As a temporary fix, the panels were loosely fitted whilst in transit.

We’ll now mount the body back onto the chassis, lining up every angle and securing it into position as a permanent fixture. The body will be laid on top of a body to chassis fitting kit and all new wing piping will be fitted.

Once everything is securing fitted, the rebuild process can commence.

MGYT ready to be rebuilt

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1949 MG YT has now been completed in our paint shop so will return to our Deben Road workshops in preparation for the rebuild.

As we speak, John and Asa are across town with the truck and trailer return to bring her back.

The first job will be to secure the body shell to the chassis with the correct spacing’s. Everything is loosely fitted right now so it is down to the team to ensure it is safe and secure with all of the relevant checks taking place.

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MGYT Update: Body on Chassis, Engine Almost Ready, Parts Ready For Refit

Today’s the day our newly refurbished chassis reunites with the freshly painted ‘Clipper blue’ body shell of our 1949 MG YT.

We’ll now loosely fit the body panels and start to rebuild. Once we are in a position where we are happy to tighten the panels we’ll proceed to do so.

We’ve had just received confirmation from George Edny, internationally renowned MG engine specialist, that our engine will be complete and back with us for the end of February which is great news as it means will are on time for our schedule.

Lauren has been busy behind the scenes sorting through, cleaning and refurbishing all of the components ready for the refit. We like to be ahead of the game when it comes to sorting and refurbishing. It’s very easy to sit back and think that you have plenty of time but the sooner it can get done the better. Not only can you wrap everything up reassured that the job has been done but it gives you time to repair and replace any components that need doing.

We have even decided to sympathetically refurbish the bumper badges. Ordinarily these owuld be kept original but with such a drastic change to the overal appearance of our MGYT we felt it was best to fresh up the badges. Here we have the freshly painted AA badge, in original AA Yellow.

A huge difference to how it came to us.

New look to our 1949 MG YT

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1949 MG YT arrived to us from Cyprus looking like this:

Last week we revealed the car looking fresh in it’s new Clipper Blue body.

Now we can reveal a full series of images of the body shell, the panels and the wheels all finished in Clipper Blue.

The next stage for us at Bridge Classic Cars is to fit the body shell back onto the chassis. Once this has been married up accurately the refit process will commence.

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First glimpse of our MGYT in Clipper Blue

One of the biggest and most exciting transformations to any car is a full ‘colour change’ body respray.

At the back end of 2016 we revealed our exciting plans to change our 1949 MGYT from it’s current colour of white back to it’s original colour of Clipper Blue.

Whoever had change this beautiful machine from blue to white had done an incredible job of it. Whilst stripping the car we couldn’t help but question it’s history as we were struggling to find any signs at all that this car was originally blue. A credit to the previous paint shop

however…

…on November 11th 2016 ‘We Found Blue’

Now, after a full strip down of every single removable item and a few months in the paint shop we had our first glimpse today of the new Clipper Blue look.

With only 2 more panels to paint it will soon be time to refit back to the chassis.

Our 1949 MGYT Refurbished Radiator

The MGYT radiator has now returned to our workshops having been refurbished and re-commissioned at Sheldrake & Wells.

Sheldrake & Wells Ltd are based in Ipswich and are now the only radiator specialist in Suffolk that undertake the repair and reconditioning of car, commercial and industrial radiators.

We’ve been working alongside Sheldrake & Wells for a number of years on the restoration of our radiators, they do an absolutely fantastic job, every time.

Paint preparation begins

Now that our 1949 MG YT has been transported to our Ipswich paint shop it’s time to start the preparation work ready for the new Clipper Blue finish. The arches have been removed as they require a bit of remedial work where it has had a dink in it’s time. Nothing too scary to repair.

As the car was originally finished in Clipper Blue this is a complete respray which means every single inch of this body (everything that is currently white) will be changed back to blue. This is not just ‘what you see’, it is everything!

MGYT dials ready for refurb

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The MG YT dials have been packaged up and sent for refurbishing by world renowned restorers Speedograph Richfield Ltd.

Within a couple days we’ll touch base with them, by which time they would have fully assessed the extent of work that will need to be carried out.

They are the experts in this field, we have trusted Speedograph Richfield Ltd with the majority of our major dial restorations for some time.

It is truly amazing how they can bring these dials back to life.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”UPDATE”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We have now received a call from Speedograph, the dials have arrived and the promising news is that they are happy to carry out a full restoration on almost all of the dials. A full restoration involves the following:

• Strip and assess the condition.
• Repair as necessary.
• Re-print the artwork at the rear.
• Refit new bezels.

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Assessing the chromework

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Now that the car is in the paint shop it gives us a bit of time to assess the chrome.

Unlike a lot of classic cars, MG parts are readily available which makes the MG’s not only an affordable classic but also a lovely classic to work on, especially if you like to do bits and pieces yourself at home.

Unfortunately for our beautiful MG YT this isn’t quite a simple. A lot of the parts on this vehicle are very rare so it is not as easy to source new.

With all of our projects we assess whether it is more cost effective to source new chrome work or re-chrome the existing.

As with everything, there are always for’s and against’s to consider; are brand new parts made with good quality materials, have they been batch produced on a tight budget, is the original tooling used to produce the parts, will they fit as well as originals? All things you need to consider before making a decision.

As a team of individuals with years of experience, between us, we’ve seen it all. We have a good idea of when to buy new and when to re chrome.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”8038,8039,8040,8041,8042,8043,8044,8045,8046,8047,8048,8049,8050,8051,8052,8053,8054,8055,8056,8057,8058,8059,8060,8061,8062,8063″][/vc_column][/vc_row]