Tag Archive: MGB GT restoration

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.

November 28, 2022 10:14 am Published by

Delicate Work – Metal Repairs to the 1981 MG B GT LE

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the 1981 MG B GT LE at our Suffolk HQ.

The team have been going through some of the corrosion that we have found on the bodywork of the car. Beginning with the rear decklid.

The team found an area of corrosion in the upper part of the decklid which seems to have been in the same area as a previous repair. Once the team cut the area out, they found it filled with an old newspaper which was duly removed and a new patch piece was welded in after the whole area was rust treated.

Whilst this was happening, Chris was working on the door of the car which had corroded along its bottom edge and a small part of the bottom fascia. Each of these sections were precisely cut out of the car and all of the areas cleaned down and treated before being patched and welded in clean, new steel.

Finally, Monty has worked on the headlight buckets of the MG B GT which had corroded on the bottom edge. For this, the area was cut out of the car in order for the team to repair the rust with handmade patch panel made specifically for the car.

September 7, 2022 9:44 am Published by

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.

August 31, 2022 9:27 am Published by

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.

August 24, 2022 7:46 am Published by

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.

August 9, 2022 8:48 am Published by

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.

July 6, 2022 2:53 pm Published by

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.

May 30, 2022 11:39 am Published by

Metalwork – Further Body Repairs to the 1978 MG B GT

The restoration teams in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been carrying on with the metal repairs to the bodyshell of the 1978 MG B GT.

The team have methodically been cutting out any form of corrosion from the classic sports car for it to be replaced with high-quality panels that we have sourced for the project. Each piece of the car is carefully inspected and assessed to see just how far the corrosion has gone into the bodyshell which is then removed and replaced.

May 24, 2022 12:58 pm Published by

Solid Foundations – Further Metal Work on the 1978 MG B GT

The Bridge Classic Cars restoration teams have been continuing work on the metal repairs to the 1978 MG B GT.

Our technician, Rob, has been systematically carrying on with removal and repairs to the body shell and doors for the classic sports car. Rob has worked on remaking several key flanges and plates which had corroded away on the car and would be needed not only for the structure but also for the alignment of the panels once the MG B enters our in-house body shop.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1978 MG B GT.

April 14, 2022 11:31 am Published by

Clean Down – Cleaning Up the Engine and Gearbox from the 1978 MGB GT

With the bodywork on the 1978 MGB GT currently happening in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop, the restoration technicians in the workshop have taken the opportunity to clean up the engine and gearbox in preparation to go back in the car at a later date.

Our technician Rob has completely steam cleaned both the engine block, cylinder head and gearbox of the classic MGB. After plugging up any oil galleys and vital ports (as well as the exposed valvetrain), he could use our high pressured steam clean to knock the years of dirt and road grime off the 4 cylinder powertrain from the car.

Once thoroughly cleaned and dried, the engine and gearbox were put back together and stored ready for when the restoration calls for the drivetrain and the body to meet again.

March 11, 2022 3:43 pm Published by

Assess and Repair – Removing and Repairing the Interior of the 1978 MGB GT

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars worked on removing the interior of the 1978 MGB GT before it headed to our body shop to begin its rust repairs.

With the interior of the classic MGB removed and safely upstairs into our in-house trim shop, the team could begin working through the interior for the car.

The front seats of the sports car are in incredible condition, all that was needed was to tighten up the clips to pull the covers a touch tighter and regrease the mechanisms to avoid any unpleasant squeaking.

The rear seat of the MGB GT had slightly more wear, however. The ends of the foam panel underneath had deteriorated away so the trim team removed the cover and carefully cut and sectioned in new pieces to the ends of the base.

The next job was to strip back and inspect the rear squab panel. This involved the removal of all hardware, covers and foam from the panel.

March 9, 2022 9:30 am Published by

Moving Forward – Fabrication Work on the 1978 MGB GT Begins

The metalwork on the 1978 Blaze Orange MGB GT has begun!

All of the new panels and pieces have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for the team to begin work on the classic 1970s sports car. Once all of the welding is complete on the car, it will then be turned over to our body shop to make sure every line and curve on the car is absolutely perfect.

There will be more updates on the 1978 Blaze Orange MGB GT very soon

February 15, 2022 1:38 pm Published by

Special Delivery – New Panels for the 1978 MGB GT

The new panels for the 1978 MGB GT have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. These pieces were ordered for the restoration of the sports car being done by our workshop.

All of these pieces are being checked and catalogued for the car by the team for when bodywork begins as part of the restoration project.

February 14, 2022 10:59 am Published by