MGB - THE ROT BOX RESURRECTION! MGB gt restoration - Removing the outer sill 

Every Garage needs an Archie, if only to keep the human sane. Sometimes the YT algorithm sends you somewhere wonderful like this channel. No Wrecked McLaren's or Lambos, just a bloke and his rusty MBG. Getting my popcorn for the long run !

Yes, that brings back vivid memories of my own mgbgt restoration. I did both sides castle, inner and outer sills, two door skins, both rear lower wings, both inner wheel arches, both front wings and the triangular reinforcement panels, jacking reinforcement and cross member repair parts. I used an oxyacetylene welding kit but, after going to college to learn the skill but found that welding lovely clean metal on the bench, was not the same as welding rusty bodywork when laying on your back being showered with molten bits. Eventually, it all came together and all the drilling, chiselling, and grinding was worth it. Just keep plugging away and you'll get there and save a heap of money. I found Lindsay Porter's book on mgb restoration extremely useful. Best wishes.

A proper honest old car.THUMBS UP MATE

great watching how you (and most) unfortunately uncover the troubles of previous metalwork below - - I loved it

Always loved these cars beautiful shape. My first car was a j reg Morris Oxford still remember the smell of the interior but always loved the mgb

One step at a time- love the video! It’s going to be great when it’s all done

Can't wait for part 2, a fantastic inspiration for when I get to restore my own MG!

Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing the progress.

Great project especially as its the second time you have had the car. It's a great example for others what to look for when buying an apparently nice car. Having restored a 67 GT many years ago and a 72GT a few years ago, you should pause for a while and gut the interior. Remove as much of that underseal as you can within a foot of anything structural around the suspension. Drill a few access holes on the other sill and inner wing and inspect inside with a borescope. Looks like it has had a few layers added over the years which only allows any rust to spread deeper. Then you can really assess what you have in store.

Hi, reminds me of my BGT I took the sills off in the early 80’s. Forgot to cover the windscreen and had metal sparks imbedded in it🤪. Someone welded it all for me but redone I the 90’s. Good luck removing the bodge. 🙂

I would put a brace between the A pillar and the B pillar now you have taken the door off, Measure the gap first

Oh dear, been there, done that with a similarly green, bodged and looked alright when I bought it Spitfire. Hope you don’t encounter any brazing cause that’s a pig to get rid of!

A lot of work. Looking forward to the next one. 🙌

You can jack it up on the Diff or center of the leaf spring if you are only jacking up one side at the rear jack up both sides jack under the diff.

Wild. More rust and holes that sill and strength. A shame. Still it will be nice to see it with new metal and rebuilt and welded back together, its going to take time and a lot of work, so good luck!

Great job. Looking forward to seeing the future restored MGB GT!

YOUR A BRAVE MAN. IVE BOUGHT A RUSTY MGB JUBILY. SILL REPLACMENT IS £3500+OTHER WORK. I MUST BE MAD. IM 71 BUT YOU CANT TAKE IT WITH YOU, GOOD LUCK

Those door hinge screws are really torqued on from the factory. I used a Pozi-Drive #4 driver bit attached on to a socket wrench. There is also a bolt under the wing. If possible, I would just remove the 6 Pozi-Drive screws behind the door card. It makes rehanging the door much easier. If you remove the door hinge to body screws, re-hanging the door becomes difficult because of the multitude of adjustment combinations to get the door flush with the body and the gaps equal.

Enjoyed this one!

That section at the bottom of the sill is called the "castle rail", as in "Beeston Castle" or "king of the castle". It looks like a great project though. I'm a bit jealous of the book and the availability of panels - I'm a complete novice and I'm doing something up with no documentation and almost no available structural panels, so I'm having to learn fabrication and make it up as I go along.

Good stuff fella, I've bought myself an mgbgt aswell and will be posting my first upload on it soon, reckon I'll be in for some sketchy stuff on the underside aswell haha subscribed to see how you get on

To be fair to you the previous unscrupulous person who bodged that side has given you an incredible amount of additional work. The sills, inner and outer and castle rails are layered in order, inner to outer. What you have uncovered is both cheap and bloody dangerous! Keep at it, be methodical but also it’s worth the time to completely remove the interior for that side!

Good luck with the repair, enjoyed the video!

I'm glad I don't work doing old vehicles anymore for any body else no more not even bits for MOT sick of people expecting a cheap rush job I take pride in my welding over the 25 years of welding and fabrication I bet you will find more rust and holes as jobs get bigger on the mg you will get it done and be a great car and you will enjoy driving it again just don't sell it again this time

Good start Henry, seems like you have lot of work... will be watching it ... If I may make a short comment "avoid excessive camera movement", it makes it hard to keep focus... Of course that could just be me

Try to cover the Glass when grinding as the sparks melt into the glass, ask me how i know

Do it once do it right nothing worse than having to fix other people's bodged work beautiful car deserves the love.

I would repair the inner rear wheel arch. a complete new one, never lines up properly with the new outer wing.

Make that Four of us.

Great work and a difficult job to do. Tbh regardless of the roof I would’ve played safe and braced it

Just came across your channel ----- I too have a '69 MGB GT ------ just acquired ---- haven't started work on it yet ------ So ---- since you are just starting your Restoration ----- Thought I'd Subscribe ------ I see you are abroad ---- Cheshire England ------ you have Rimmer Bros. over there ------ It took me a long time to get their catalog ----- inside though ---- they do have very good breakdowns of parts and assemblies -------- Moss Motors has very good illustrations too ----- Google them ---- under MGB --- enter ---- Interior Body Panels ------ pick a panel you may be working on ---- say #11 Inner Panel Right Side ----- scroll down to ---- Fitment ----- click on Schematic -------- Moss has some good pictures of the parts ------ ------- Don't know if you have a store something like what we have here in the states --- Harbor Freight --- couple of things that would help out ----- (1) a Spot Weld Cutter $4.99 ------ (2) Air Impact Hammer $16.99 ----- if you have an air compressor ----- check to see if your compressor puts out enough air for the Impact Hammer ------- can get additional bits ---- four for $7.99 --------- I see you just released ---- Part 2 will watch that one soon ------ Hope you have a Good Week ------ Rodney

totaly normal for a mgb same as in the 70s when I worked on them rust buckets

You need to use an Impact screwdriver on the door hinges, I think they use threadlocker or getting induction coil heater if you've got one on them. You really need an air chisel to separate the divider to the floor pan, you might get away with using one of those vibrating cutters might work you could cut the weld in between the sheets without bending it. Treat all the areas with rust converter Hammerite the pink liquid. You know the other side is going to be a lot worse being close to the curb near side, only if it's had a better repair done in the past, really you want to weld it with gas not electric where you have rusty metal

Great car, but you gonna need a big bottle of "brave" pills. Good you are going in with the mindset of doing it right. This car deserves that. The biggest problem is that someone's been in here before. Good luck, cheers from the Netherlands.

Cover your glass with thick sheeting as grinding near it will destroy it its not to bad considering its age seen lot worse

This car will be much lighter when you are done. 8-))

Good work there mate.

Some comments with a preface, from a non - expert. Preface. My father was double indentured tradesman. He had more skill in a little finger than I have in both hands now, at 68, and after 50 odd years of amateur mechanics. But, for various reasons, dad never had any money and his own tool kit was rudimentary. We also had a series of old cars that needed fixing. My earliest car memory is assisting with the rebuild of a Humber Hawk gear box, as 7 year old. What I failed to understand for a long time was that dad knew what to do and how to do it properly, and so he was able to adapt. He also stated that "a poor tradesman blames his tools", many times. I grew up believing that you could do just about anything with the minimum of tools, adapting what you have to the job at hand. And it's nonsense, especially if you have had no formal training. I've lost count of the things I broken, distorted or buggered, because I was trying to do things I had no hope of doing well with the gear to hand. Hours and hours of time just wasted. Things having to be done twice or 3 times. I've since learned to make sure, as much as possible, that I have the right tools for the job. So, the comments. (1) Before you start grinding, get rid of all the unnecessary bits. Get the doors off, the seats out, the carpet away etc. I can see you don't have much space. I once did a V 12 Jag in a smaller space, and I get it. The more stuff you take out the more stuff you have to store - somewhere. We put boards between the rafters and stored stuff over or heads. But, do this first. It will save a fuck ton of time later and will make sure nothing gets damaged. Remember those bits of swarf in your overalls? Well, they hit the door card too. (2) Buy a step drill bit. Or two. And buy good quality. They come in different size ranges and are the ducks guts for drilling spot welds. (3) Buy a real panel separation chisel, not a wood chisel. The power file you have is a great piece of kit (I don't have one and I want one), but the step drill and a proper chisel will make shorter work of those welds, especially if you have to do the other side. (4) Keep all the shit you cut out. I don't know what panels you can buy in the UK, but if you need to fabricate something you'll need patterns. Looking forward to part 2. Cheers from Australia.

I would have welded in braces in the door aperture before I removed the sill from the base of the a post, you may have trouble aligning the door

Swarf from grinding ends up on the floor and Archie isn't wearing foot protection.

I would seriously brace this car before you chop any more out

I'm 72yrs old started work at 15 in garage did old world apprenticeship, been in car & vehicle mechanics all working life , nothing against this fella doing great, But why MGB. One of worst sports cars ever built, front suspension crap (shock absorber top wishbone?), reamed bush king pins. Let's see a couple of home mechanics repair those. Rear suspension crap, cart leaf spring!. Battery's normally air suspended as carrier is first part to rot. Rest is not far behind. A, shiver of disgust runs over me just thinking of these things. Long stroke B series van or commercial engine, Sorry I can't go on feeling sick now.

Poor sound,mate

You mean a botched job

Why take door off you need the door to aline the panel gaps

You really should cover all the glass not with paper, it will be ruined by the grinding sparks🥲🥲 also before cutting any panels always have your new panels or repair panels for reference once you’ve cut it’s to late🙉🙈. I hope this doesn’t end up on EBay in six months as an abandoned project.

The amount of rot you be better off with new shell and be safer