Mike And Tricia Marshall's Journal

Gloria has been off the road since in 1992, and after being dismantled in our garage in Cardiff, followed by some initial welding work, she has been manhandled, boxed, and transported to Kanata, ON, Canada (where she lived in boxes for 4 years) and subsequently to Massachusetts where she has lived for the last 11 years.

In December we finally plucked up the courage to seriously start her restoration, and in mid-Jan she found her body on RMR Restoration's brand new transporter on her way to some serious bodywork.

Today she finally came home, and this photo shows the result of RMR's hard work. (Full marks to Matt and Scott (and the rest of the team) for all their hard work.)

As you can see by the attached photo, Gloria is now back on her own four wheels. The suspension is complete, brake lines, fuel lines, fuel tank, sender and pump all installed. The door assemblies were a b***h - couldn't have done them without Norm's articles - thanks Norm! We bought the doors back in 92, when we first started this resto, but they were never installed. The lower hinge on the right door needed mods to fit, as did the latch area. It seems like this was a factory defect!! The latch panel had been welded in too low, so didn't match up with the receiving latch on the B post, so some mods were required there, too. However, perseverance won through and both doors are complete with Q/L's, windows, winder mechs, weatherstrip (and the fuzzy strip!), and the door capping.

The engine is slowly coming together. The bottom end is complete, it's been rebored to +60, new pistons, cam, timing gear. Head has been skimmed and hardened valve seats added. Just need to assemble it with all the valve gear and new rocker assembly, and it's ready to go on the block. The rest will be assembled over Christmas, and may even get installed if all goes well - the new Datsun 5 speed is getting impatient for company!

Just got the dash back after having it wrinkle finished (it's been too cold here for the wrinkle to, well, wrinkle well, so got the paint shop to do it for us!!), so we'll be putting all the gauges etc back and installing it. Wiring loom is almost ready to go back in car. Added several relays, some extra earths and some additions for hazard and security cut off switches. Rear loom is in the car already. We've started work on the interior, and just got the last of the seat components so can get on with those. Our original aim was September 2012 to have Gloria up and running, but Spring is looking more and more likely!

The engine went back in today!! After having a bottom end rebuild by R & L Engines in Dover, NH (with all parts supplied by Hap!), and Mike rebuilding the head (again, with all parts and advice from Hap!), the engine was mated with the Datsun 210 transmission overhauled by Rivergate, and using their conversion kit.

The front wings, the front panel and the bonnet are still off, so we had plenty of room to maneoevre, but it was still a tight fit! During the bodywork rebuild we had RMR adjust the heater deck slightly so that there would be no chance of the slightly larger Datsun transmission making contact and vibrating, but even so, it was an inch in, an inch down, a couple more degrees, before she was set.

The rear transmission mount from Rivergate was a bit of a bear to get in. The top plate is already mounted on the transmission, which goes in first, then the bottom mounting plate is supposed to just slide into place!! Not so much!! It took a bit of wriggling, and curses, and a tip from Will of Rivergate! We left it alone overnight to contemplate its' unhelpfulness, and low and behold, it just went right on in today!!

We still have some of the ancilliary bits to go on, we need a new pulley for the alternator conversion, and have a new dizzy and coil on order, but she's looking good so far!!

Well, we hadn't done a whole lot since the engine went in. We had family visiting from the UK, and while they are excited about the prospect of the Sprite being back on the road, they are not quite as enthusiastic about us spending every waking minute in the garage with Gloria instead of with them.... so not much progress!! Added to which, Mike started a new job, and we took a vacation (shock, horror, gasp!!) so we put things on a bit of a hiatus for a month or so!.

However, we're right back to it now, and last weekend we finally got the engine running after almost 20 years! BIG moment!!

It wasn't quite as straightforward as we hoped. We wanted to get oil pressure before we started her up, so disconnected the spark plug leads, and turned her over. Turned over great, new starter with the Rivergate kit, good charge on the new battery, no oil pressure:-( Tried several times but not even a flicker on the new Oil/Water Gauge. Searched on MGE for any tips about how long it might take for oil pressure to build, eventually found a post somewhere from way back when that suggested keeping the engine turning over for a lot longer than you might think. So we tried again, and suddenly we have great pressure!!

Now for the start up - reconnected the plugs, and we turned the key. She fired up on the first turnover, and despite the timing not being quite set yet, she sounded great. Here's a link to a very short video we took of the first start - https://vimeo.com/43437905.

Just need to tweek a few things and we'll be able to put the rest of the front together, a bit more carpet gluing and we'll be done (Yeah, right!!!)

Well, we did it!!!

Gloria is now a certified US Citizen, she's been legally adopted by the US RMV and has US Licence Plates and a Massachusetts State Inspection sticker to prove it!!

Many thanks must go to the very nice Boston Customs and Excise Officer of the Department of Homeland Security who gave us new paperwork to allow Gloria to be registered, after her original import papers were lost in a basement flood at our house 2 years ago. Without this paperwork, the RMV would not consider registering Gloria, and would most certainly not give us a new US Title.

One of the last things to install was bonnet and boot gas struts from Pieces of Eight - Rick Ingram - MOWOG1 on the MGE forum. Gloria is the first Midget/Sprite to get these from Rick, and they make a huge difference in both operation and accessability. Relatively easy to fit, with easy to follow install instructions from Rick.

We're still waiting on new door seals from MacGregors - we had new ones from Moss, but they were just too bulky and the doors wouldn't shut properly. Martin's are closer to OEM spec so should fit much better.

Then Gloria will be officially 'finished'!! Well, as finished as these cars ever are - we're still tweaking this and that, and will no doubt always find a little something to work on - but we met our deadline of getting her finished in time to take her to the British Invasion in Stowe, VT next week!!



More to follow!