Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Modern Classic Cars Frontline Abingdon Edition

Unfortunately, I have just spent my pocket money.....
.... but if you are looking to get a Frontline car - this auction might be for you: The Market

This car also confirms that ChrisConvertible is right - it has a 2.5L Mazda engine and the door sill says "Abingdon Black edition"

What is also quite striking is the lack for TLC on the underside of the car for just 4000 miles.

TimB,

That is a very nice car, past reserve so it is going to get a new lucky owner. Looking at Google maps The Market is in the same building as Frontline so I expect The Market has seen a lot of their cars, also Get Patina I think is a website run by The Market and there are stacks of pictures of Frontline cars being built on the Get Patina website.

Yes being a 2.5 Abingdon GT does confirm my theory of LE's are 2.0L and Abingdon's are 2.5L regardless of the body style. Therefore mine really will be an Australian LE.

Reading the details is interesting. Sounds like the guy got someone else to do the body work and fit the engine, gearbox and suspension as he didn't want to wait for frontline to be available, then got Frontline to do the interior once they were free. From the comments and some pictures it looks like a nice job but not really to Frontline spec. Still very nice.

That car sale for 56,000 pounds with the price increasing about 15,000 pounds in the last 15 minutes with a bidding war between two buyers. While I expect the car would have cost a lot more than that to build it still seems like a good result for the seller.

More photos of the body nearing completion hopefully in few weeks they will start painting it.

Underneath looking good but I assume one battery box will be closed in to be used for a speaker.


Passenger sill replaced and seams welded


Rear seams welded


Boot has had spare wheel holder removed, will have no spare wheel and just carry a can of emergency sealant stuff. Hopefully never get a flat


Drivers floor has reinforcing at the back lower corner where the suspension bolts onto underneath, I think still needs seam welding.


Passenger floor looks like it has been welded along the seams.


Engine bay looks like it just needs the front panel welded in, engine mounts have been removed. No progress sine last photos but the rest of the car has progressed

Quite a lot of effort. Was there still a substantial saving left compared to buying a new body?

Not really allowed a new body in Australia otherwise it has to be registered as a new car with ABS, airbags and all the other things new cars have. I have heard of people buying new bodies but they already have a MGB and transfer the body numbers etc. over and never tell anyone just saying it was rust repaired. I have seen new bodies for sale for $20,000AUD and my car cost $10,000, if I wanted to go the new body route I would have still had to find a car to buy to get the numbers then get it crushed so no-one ever tries to register it with the numbers on it. Yes I expect this is still cheaper.

Also reading MGB websites it seems people in the UK who have bought heritage shells still have a lot of work getting them nice and straight.

My car is nearly ready for painting, I was hoping it would have been done by now but it is getting very close, since my last visit the rollbar brackets welded in and interior 100% ready, the front guards welded on and all seams removed, body gaps on the bonnet and doors are perfect and they are just fixing the fit of the boot so not much longer to go.

I just got back from having a look at it (7 hour return trip) and saw the car before mine was still in the workshop. On the inside of the boot that is going to be covered in carpet but easy to remove the owner and all his children had written their names with a black texta. (I think texta is an Australian term and the rest of the world call them felt tipped markers).

I am planning on doing the same thing in a few weeks but thought it could be cool to have my nearly two year old grand daughter to do a hand print and years later I can show her her hand print when she was so little. Currently she loves to scribble on anything she is allowed to but I prefer the idea of a hand print to some unrecognisable scribble.

Any ideas on type of paint to use that will do a neat job but also last? I am thinking maybe using one of these to cover her hand with paint and then she can put it on the body part and hopefully get a neater job than her putting her hand in a tin of paint, I can also then write my name and date etc. on the body part using the same paint pen. I notice they make 3mm and 15mm pens so maybe easier to buy one of each and use 15mm to cover her hand and 3mm for writing. Anyone used one on a clear coated car interior piece of body, or kow of anything better?

https://ironlak.com/product/ironlak-pump-action-paint-markers-3mm-bullet-nib/

Exciting times C.C. seems like it may not be too long before your "B" is ready for delivery. Your mention of the names/signatures of those involved in your "B`s" recreation bing applied to the boot floorpan, takes me back to the build of the GoMoG webmasters Morgan, it having been lost in a rear collision accident which caused it to catch fire and destroy it`s self, which must have been a very traumatic experience. I digress, fortunately such was Lorne and his good lady`s fondness of touring in their +8 that in time The Phoenix as Lorne`s Morgan came to be known, rose from the ashes as a very special Morgan, so much so that many at the MMC involved in it`s creation signed their names on the woodwork...

I guess it will ever be the case that some cars will ever be a bit more special to their owners in a variety of ways.. Looking forward to reading of the day when you finally get behind the wheel C.C.

My boot has been painted and looks great.


This morning I signed inside it and by Grand Daughter did a hand print. Those sections will be covered in carpet but easily removed, hopefully the kid safe hand paint lasts. The plan is for the shop to come back next week to pick the boot up and assuming i am happy with the colour which i am they will give the outside a light sand and then spray the whole car in one go. The issue is the workshop is now in a COVID lockdown area so not sure they can visit me. Looks like COVID could potentially delay my car project a bit


I also got a Telecaster body painted that I will start building into a guitar to match the car, something to enjoy while waiting for the car to be finished.

Body is now painted. Unfortunately due to COVID Travel restrictions I will not see it in the flesh for a while but happy to see the photos and to know the car is now painted.