MGB Tear Down Day
November 2, 2003 - Streamwood, Illinois
Hosted by Tom Sotomayor

Well ya see we got dis parts car dat needs ta turn inta jus parts an go away. So we git dis fifteen or sixteen people, some of who wants da parts an some of who jus wants ta see how da ting is put tagetter. Den we proceed ta disassemble da ting right down ta da bare bones. An dere's dis here engine dat wants ta go inta anudder car, so we has ta change out da front plate ta switch from da early mounts ta da later ones. In da process everybody has fun gittin dere ans dirty, an da space gits empty, an da nudder car gits da engine it wants, an everbodys appy spreadin da parts ta da four winds ta recycle in udder cars. It was rainin a little, but not so's ta dampen anybody's spirit, an dere was dis nice lunch wit cold samwitches and stuff. So if ya wasn't dere ya missed a real good time, an ya prolly mist out on some good parts too.

Click for BIGGER pictures, average 34K.

When the good parts started coming off everybody wanted to grab something. There was a nice center console, a real cherry keeper of a rear bumper. Took near half an hour to pump out and filter several gallons of old gas. Meanwhile Tom there was showing us how to use a chissle to sacrifice the thin nuts on the wiper spindles so as to save the expensive wheelboxes.



We had people undoing engine bolts, pulling the heater, windscreen, seats, dash, master cylinders, fenders and wiring harness all at the same time. Some sticky fingers was pocketing parts, but that's part of the party. A couple of people were saving the number plates to go with the good title, because someone was going to restore this car with another body shell on it. Yeah, that's how it works, just mix and match the parts until you make the car all new again, and all the rust goes way.



Tom got to show us all how slick the nifty engine balancer works when you stick and air wrench to it to screw the lifting point fore and aft. You can start near level, pull forward a little, then tilt it up like crazy to get the tail of the tranny down while you hoist the engine up over the front of the car. Then tilt it back level again to set it down on the floor. Must be Cowboy under there after the rear u-joint on the propshaft. Then the gas tank comes out, showing off a complete top cover patch with fresh paint already and looking to find another car to serve.


Tom was up front showing us another trick, welding a screw into the engine mount bracket to make it easier to assemble in the car. Might have been even more impressive if he didn't weld it in backward and have to do it over with everyone watching. Then after the new front plate was installed, the timing sprockets in palce and the front cover bolts being tightened up, someone noticed the cam sprocket nut lying on the side, so that had to come open one more time. By early dusk this time of year the party was breaking up, but the engine was about to be laid into its new host car. Somehow the parts car still had four wheels, but there wasn't much left holding the last few parts together. One good kick and the bare shell would be ready for the crusher.