Sebring kit conversion

[Highspeed125]

I've bought a '72 rolling GT shell and logbook after deciding my '75 rubber GT is too far gone. I'll be using my engine/drivetrain complete, interior, tailgate and Britax weathershield roof, but on inspection my wings aren't up to the job. The new shell is fully stripped but rolling, and has part stripped sills showing a good basis, as well as the rest of the chassis being far better than the 75.
Seeing as I need new wings, rear lowers, I have no bumpers or irons, and my initial fund only stretches to having the sills done properly, and my desire to create something a bit different, I wish to go Sebring. B&G do a kit for £510, Bhive similar price, and another moulder sells them directly. The wheels can be funded later on, and I have a garage in which I can fettle one corner at a time. The cost of a kit - and wheels to suit - comes in some way behind the wings and bumpers (as a guide £1000 for fronts, £2-300 for rears, £2-300 for bumpers - against £500 + £375 for 8x15 minilites - tyres additional cost irrespective of choice).
My question is - can anyone recommend any one kit over any other?

[v8250]

Honeybourne Mouldings are a manufacturer and you can buy direct from them...+ MOSS and MGOC +there's the lipped Sebring front end from Frontline which is a nice design. But, to be frank, the fit of any of the GRP mouldings is terrible and you'll have to do a lot of work to get them to fit correctly; I know...I did mine last year. If I may, some guidance...once the panels are lined up and modified reinforce the panels with extra Isopon P40 to add some extra rigidity
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-body-repai... and fill the rear lower filets with Isopon too, slowly building this up after each application has hardened. Leave for a good week to cure, then install. To fill the gap between the original rear valence and the new Sebring valence fill this with a closed cell expandable spray foam. Very few people do this and it stops any mud, muck and moisture collecting. This can then be sprayed at the same time as the rear bodywork. Hopefully you'll end end up with something like this...

Edited by v8250 on Monday 23 February 08:37

[CrutyRammers]

I'm just about to start a resto on my RB roadster, and I really fancy the sebring look, but everything I've read about how badly the arches fit has put me right off.

[v8250]

CrutyRammers said:

I'm just about to start a resto on my RB roadster, and I really fancy the sebring look, but everything I've read about how badly the arches fit has put me right off.

Don't be put off...just be prepared to put many a good hour into getting right. The majority of Sebring panels are more or less thrown on and given a shiny paint job, but underneath they're very poorly fitted. With good planning, the right tools and a reasonable eye you'll be fine...just be patient. You will need a surf form kit to get the three dimensional forms correct, particularly blending the lower rear wings and the rear downward curve from the original rear boot curve to the Sebring valence curve. Buying one of these will save you many, many hours

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/331063139415?limghl...

Plus, think through how and where you'll make your mechanical mounting points. I found tank taping the valence to the body, lining this up and then using the inner lip within the boot...drill here and mount with as many high quality rivets as possible, this will give you the upper structure. Then trim the lower side panels and fix with 3no screw+nut fixings, then if necessary fix the lower valence lip. Once fixed, then start the bodywork infill and final profiling.

[Highspeed125]

v8250 said:

Don't be put off...just be prepared to put many a good hour into getting right. The majority of Sebring panels are more or less thrown on and given a shiny paint job, but underneath they're very poorly fitted. With good planning, the right tools and a reasonable eye you'll be fine...just be patient. You will need a surf form kit to get the three dimensional forms correct, particularly blending the lower rear wings and the rear downward curve from the original rear boot curve to the Sebring valence curve. Buying one of these will save you many, many hours

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/331063139415?limghl...

Plus, think through how and where you'll make your mechanical mounting points. I found tank taping the valence to the body, lining this up and then using the inner lip within the boot...drill here and mount with as many high quality rivets as possible, this will give you the upper structure. Then trim the lower side panels and fix with 3no screw+nut fixings, then if necessary fix the lower valence lip. Once fixed, then start the bodywork infill and final profiling.

Thats a very positive response and I am grateful for it! I was a bit worried about exciting the nay sayers, but once I have got the structural work done professionally, the rest of the work will drop to hobby status, as and when. I still have to get the donor car back from storage, so I can strip it all out. Just as an aside, the donor has the collapsible column, is it possible to fit that to an early shell? Reason for asking is I will be using all my '75 rubber bumper drivetrain so the '72 speedo will be way off. I know I can go to speedy cables for a recalibration. It's all a bit of a chinese puzzle, but I dont think there's any point trying to sell the donor shell as it will provide very little for anyone else.

[v8250]

Highspeed125 said:

Thats a very positive response and I am grateful for it! I was a bit worried about exciting the nay sayers, but once I have got the structural work done professionally, the rest of the work will drop to hobby status, as and when. I still have to get the donor car back from storage, so I can strip it all out. Just as an aside, the donor has the collapsible column, is it possible to fit that to an early shell? Reason for asking is I will be using all my '75 rubber bumper drivetrain so the '72 speedo will be way off. I know I can go to speedy cables for a recalibration. It's all a bit of a chinese puzzle, but I dont think there's any point trying to sell the donor shell as it will provide very little for anyone else.

Not sure, re' the collapsible column, may be worth asking on the MG Forum. Re' the nay sayers, ignore them, it's your car and you can do what you want to it...the nay sayers are the bores full of doom and gloom who clean their wheels with toothbrushes; zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It's only a simple MGB, so you do what makes you happy.

The flip side with B's is that they are so numerous, have such easy parts supply, that any car can be easily reverted back to original spec'. One thing to think through carefully is what you're going to do with the suspension i.e. lowering, not inducing bump steer, re-balanced after losing all that RB weight and your chosen tyre/wheel choice.

[Highspeed125]

The only real carry over from the rubber car will be the interior, drivetrain and sunroof. The rest will be pure chrome bumper spec. At the moment I'm eyeing up a set of 8x15" minilite replicas, £370 on eBay. I'll have to buy tyres I matter what I do.
If my wings were better I'd convert them but as they are I'm sure they'll just go bad again.
And to set a goal, I've decide on Brunswick Green....

[CrutyRammers]

v8250 said:

Don't be put off...just be prepared to put many a good hour into getting right.

That's the problem! Having spent 5 years on the kit car, the missus is rather keen that this one doesn't take very long...she's rather fond of the B and so I'm under a bit of time pressure. So I'm thinking I'll just do a CB conversion and maybe a chin spoiler.
I do love the look of the flared sebring arches though.

[v8250]

CrutyRammers said:

v8250 said:

Don't be put off...just be prepared to put many a good hour into getting right.

That's the problem! Having spent 5 years on the kit car, the missus is rather keen that this one doesn't take very long...she's rather fond of the B and so I'm under a bit of time pressure. So I'm thinking I'll just do a CB conversion and maybe a chin spoiler.
I do love the look of the flared sebring arches though.

There's an easy answer for that. Send the wife to night school to learn bodywork and paint spraying, then she can use the B as her project car, pass with distinction and gain a new highly prized skill set ...this is excellent lateral thinking of the man cave variety

[GeeMax]

Here is a couple of pics of my conversion.
It was a complete pain to fit but worth it in the end.
The front spoiler where it meets the arches was somewhat challenging.
The paint shop did a great job.

[GeeMax]

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