1961 MGA for Eric

 Been installing more parts, we think we've got everything in place now except for the new top.  We have to wait on the header rail sockets, which are on back order. We've also started driving the car to find the inevitable problems when you assemble a complex device like a car.  Three problem areas found so far. First is the thermostat was installed upside down: This results in no flow at all.  Fortunately we were close to the shop when the temperature went way high.  This was easy to correct. Second was the wrong ignition coil was installed.  Due to being installed upside down, you couldn't see that the high tension wire from the center of the coil was the push in style, but the coil itself was made for the screw in type connector.  The rubber boot was holding the wire in place.  It fell off about 3 blocks from the shop, resulting in a dead car.  Fortunately there were some downhill portions as we pushed the car back to the shop, easy diagn...

 Picked up the repaired starter, needed new bushing, engine turns over fine now, even started it for a short while. Received the last parts order, we were about to run out of things to do but not a problem now!   Darrell the body man stopped by today.  With his help, we realigned the hood from what he had done to increase the gaps at the front of the hood.  Required "C washers" that we made to space up the back of the hood on it's hinges.  Front alignment looks much better now: Darrell also spent about an hour with me fettling the door strikers.  I had never gotten the doors to close far enough to catch the second hole in the striker.  This also left the door "proud" of the body by about 1/4 inch at the back of the door on both sides.  We ended up slightly reforming the strikers themselves (new parts), moving tap plates, and yes I may have used the sledge hammer briefly.  But eventually we got the striker alignment to where the doors cat...