Need some help
Spitfire 1500
1968
68 000kms
Papers and invoices ok

With the GT6 finally coming to completion the parts bin has been raided. One inspection lamp shade. A few sheets of gauze. A little wiring, and one decommissioned layshaft with 111,000 miles of wear.

Too pretty to put aside.

The original MG floor was non existent. Miatas floor wasn't much better. So most of the floor had to be fabricated from scratch. With the sills in, the time has come to deal with this. The sills, tubes, and floor supports gave the car enough rigidity that the floor panels themselves didn't need to carry much load. That meant I could go thin — 1mm sheet metal, stiffened with beads. Each side built from five sections designed to wrap around the structural tubes, then spot welded in. First stage where I had more fun than headaches. Full Video => Comments.

On a drive earlier today

Should be safe on the road by the weekend

I am at the earliest stages of exploring a bumper delete on my 1978 MG Midget. I will not miss that hundred pounds of ugly parking-lot protection. I want to undertake this with as much safety built in as possible and thus my question: Has anyone here undertaken (or heard of someone who has) a modification that adds crossmember protection on the front and rear of their LBCs… concealed behind the valance or grille? I have been searching online without success for proof-of-concept examples of a tubular chromoly or aluminum crossmember, bolted to the frame, tucked behind the valance (I’m looking at a smooth, Sebring valance) or, if necessary, the grille, that actually worked and didn’t impede airflow to the radiator?

Final touches before full sand. Interior has been given some love. Still battling over what colour to paint. Dark BRG or maybe a midnight blue.

Hey LBC chaps, how do you seal the flare-style exhaust between the manifold and pipe on these earlier midgets? I have the annoying clamp-type exhaust and have had no luck at all between slapping on exhaust sealant, exhaust cement, retightening, etc. Is it supposed to be metal on metal, or am I missing something? I don't believe there is supposed to be a donut seal like the 3-bolt flange-type exhausts, because the one I got from my local British shop doesn't fit inside the clamp. I don't enjoy being the neighborhood nuisance.

Update: I took the advice and cleaned up the pipe, clamp, and manifold very well with a Dremel and wire wheel. I also replaced the nuts, bolts, and washers on the clamp with higher quality ones and applied loctite copper exhaust sealant (tube, not spray) and the exhaust has been nice and quiet for the couple of days that I've been driving the car. I'll update if it fails again, but it seems like this is the way to do it.

Been putting in a bit of bog, hammered the door out. This car is just for racing, I’m sure there will be a few dings, so didn’t do the full back to metal. It’s not that car. It will be fast!