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Bruce's 1958 MGA Frame-Up Restoration

Bruce · 1958 MGA

MG MGA

Bruce's MGA Restoration

Read the full write-up at Bruce's MGA Restoration ↗

Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration

A 1958 MGA frame-up rebuild, now on the road after 20,000km

Bruce documents a frame-up restoration of his 1958 MGA, covering interior trim, dashboard conversion, windshield rebuild, seat repair, grill restoration, and the mechanical sorting needed once the car was back on the road. The blog is useful for its detail on fiddly trim and instrument work and for the honest account of post-restoration teething troubles, including an engine swap after a crankshaft failure.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
1800cc 5-main-bearing MGB unit fitted after the original 1600 crankshaft broke
Clutch
MGB clutch and flywheel (67 MGB flywheel, early 2-pin pattern) with MGA rear plate machined for 5-main rear seal
Fuel system
Aftermarket SU-type fuel pump with added pressure regulator set to 1.5psi
Suspension
Front anti-sway bar added
Steering
Steering rack adjusted for improved self-centering
Windscreen
Original chrome-over-brass frame refurbished with re-chromed posts and new Triplex glass
Interior
Wool carpet, custom-fit trim panels, hand-made oak dash trim rail, sound-deadening underlay
Grill
Original solid brass grill re-chromed after Moss reproduction grill proved unsatisfactory

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 3

Fuel & Ignition 3

  • SU-type fuel pump

    Original repaired pump failed again and was replaced with an aftermarket unit

  • Fuel pressure regulator

    Added to the aftermarket pump to hold 1.5psi, improving SU carburettor tuning

    In the shops
    Fuel Pressure Regulator with Filter ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $153.25 USD
    Fuel Pressure Regulator ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $167.68 USD
    Fuel Pressure Regulator Adapter ↗Flyin' Miata· $23.99 USD
  • Home-made ram air horns

    Fitted to the SU carburettors to help at highway speed

Cooling 2

  • Core plugs (frost plugs)

    Two replaced

    In the shops
    Steel Core Plug ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1.85 USD
    Brass Core Plug ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $5.10 USD
    Steel Core Plug Set ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $4.99 USD
  • Electric cooling fan

    Added to the SU carburettors with a manual switch

    In the shops
    Cooling Fan ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $17.99 USD
    Cooling Fan ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $8.55 USD
    Cooling Fan ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $178.83 USD

Gearbox & Drivetrain 3

Suspension & Steering 2

Body & Trim 3

Interior 5

Electrical 3

Photos

40 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Bruce's MGA Restoration. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Home-made tonneau cover fitted to the MGAPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Work in progress on the restorationPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
MGA on a drive through the mountainsPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Interior or trim work in progressPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Interior or trim work in progressPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Interior or trim work in progressPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Close-up of the original MG grill badgePhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Original brass grill before restorationPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Grill undergoing chrome removalPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Restored grill after straightening and polishingPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Windscreen frame marked with Auster maker namePhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Auster company badge detailPhoto: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration
Photo: Bruce's MGA Restoration

How it was done

Seats and interior trim

Bruce repaired rusted and bent seat frames by welding and straightening, rebuilt the plywood cushion bases, and reused the original risers and mesh baskets. Fitting the pre-cut interior trim panels and wool carpet required extensive tweaking, and he hand-made an oak dash trim rail when the purchased one did not fit.

Dashboard rebuild

Receiving two dashboards, Bruce converted a tidy MKII dash to the earlier gauge layout by welding a patch and pressing a new depression for the signal light. He kept the MKII chrome trim, serviced the instruments, built a working fuel gauge from two units, and fixed the pneumatic turn-signal switch.

Windscreen restoration

The brass windscreen frame was cleaned and polished, and the chrome-peeling posts were re-chromed. New seals and sundry parts came from Clarke Spares, and new Triplex glass was fitted following the MGA Guru's installation method.

Grill restoration

After an initial Moss reproduction grill scratched easily and sustained a dent, Bruce restored an original solid brass grill found with the car, confirming its authenticity, stripping the chrome, reshaping it by hand, and smoothing out sanding marks.

On the road and sorting problems

After the restoration, the MGA covered 20,000km but needed many fixes: a cracked crankshaft forced an engine swap to a 1800cc unit, plus replacement of core plugs, exhaust manifold, alternator, clutch slave, brake light switch, wiper motor, windscreen, and other parts, along with small upgrades like a front sway bar, ram air horns, and a tonneau cover.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Bruce's MGA Restoration ↗

Worth knowing

  • Pre-cut interior trim panels still needed substantial custom fitting, so cutting raw material may have been easier
  • Aftermarket replacement parts (alternator, clutch slave) were sometimes of questionable quality
  • Maintaining correct fuel pressure (1.5psi) via a regulator was important for proper SU carburettor tuning

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Bruce's 1958 MGA Frame-Up Restoration | Restomod Life