In readiness for visit from Reef of Trowbridge I wheeled the MG outside. While there I thought I would have a go at removing the awkward last bolt from the quarterlight. I applied my bendy socket and it came out with really very little fuss. Easy when you know how. So, I now have a door without quarterlight or winding mechanism. Just the passenger side to do next then.  

Less good news when I decided to ring around for another company to be interested in the respray. I rang AN Other Restorations and spoke to a nice man called John. He speculated that the paint fault on the MG was caused by 2 pack being sprayed over cellulose, causing the reaction which is what the horrible pitting is. Bad news is this means the paint needs to be removed and the respray done from a bare metal base. Darn! There are two ways to do this. Physically sanding the paint away or using chemical remover. On balance, I think the chemical method looks better, although it requires some careful handling due to toxic fumes. There are a few products around, and the method is to brush it on, two to three coats, and then use a scraper to remove the paint which will have bubbled up. Something about neutralising it too (soapy water) to stop the reaction once the paint has been removed. It is all a bit of a balls-ache, but if I send the car as is, the shop will have to do it, and this will add to the cost. Somewhat frighteningly, John though that my budget (£4k) was too low, and a figure closer to £8k was necessary. This can’t happen as its makes the whole thing unaffordable, so I am going to have to think carefully about how to prepare the car and who might be suitable to do the work. 

Visit from Gavin, Reef, Trowbridge

A good meeting. Gavin inspected the car and concurred that it is essentially solid. He wants the engine out, brake lines removed, and the loom disconnected, bagged and wrapped. Ideally, he wants to remove the fascia, but was happy to do that himself. He proposes soda blasting (cheaper than by hand or chemically), then gloss and clear coat (2 pack). He is happy to repair the boot floor (probably with a new panel), and the doors with repair panels. We discussed stonechip finish to the front valance which is a bit ropey. He suggested leaving the doors with their latches to prevent them flying open during transport. In short, he was enthusiastic about taking the job, was knowledgeable and free of BS. He gave a guide price of £6k, plus welding of £750 to £1k, but advised that until the car is soda blasted, it won’t be clear what’s going on. He noted the stonechip and underseal to the inner arches and the new repair panels to the rear. We discussed painting the underside of the bonnet, inside of the boot, floors in smooth black, but leaving the interior in white as it is now. A good meeting, I’m a little bit surprised at the price, but thankfully I had spoken to the other bloke who was more expensive so that took the sting out of it. He would require £500 deposit and he is taking bookings from June onwards. I spoke to Helen and she said okay we have to save for it.