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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1500 Ariel

Hello there

I am looking to fit an original looking ariel to my 1500 midget.

I understand they were fitted on the from drivers wing but unsure of the exact position and style.

Does anyone have any idea what type they were and any pictures would be really helpful.

Thanks

Simon
Simon Taylor

this is where mine is think it is original wing


mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

Brilliant cheers mark

I don't suppose you have the original ariel do you?

Thanks

Simon
Simon Taylor

looking at the photo of the original final 500 black Midget 1500 on page 118 of Terry Horler's book Mark's is spot on

you can't see the exact style in the photo other than the top of it as it's a telescopic that's fully retracted, the end cap looks a little dome shaped but I could well be wrong as my eyes aren't the best

on page 124 the top photo of the Golden Jubilee model just shows the aerial in what looks like the exactly the same position

according to Terry's book (page 137) radios weren't a (factory?) standard fit until May '78 so if your car is before this you could do what owners at the time would have done and fit it where convenient or where you like

Original Sprite & Midget The Restorer’s Guide by Terry Horler – http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1906133336

ETA: it took me several attempts to get the spelling of aerial correct (forgot to look at it in Terry's book)
Nigel Atkins

Hi Nigel

That is really helpful thank you. My car is a 1979 registered in 1980 so maybe a radio was fitted.

Thank you for your help

Simon
Simon Taylor

could not find a ariel that fit exactly angle is a bit steep the one i have comes out at a odd angle


mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

no problem

I just looked in Terry's book for the info as I knew radios weren't a standard fit until the much later cars

if you're not worried about originality of the aerial - (cut and pasted that word as it's hit and more miss that I'd spell it right) - then I'd suggest to save the hassle of a manually retractable aerial (remembering to lower it or raise it and before you want the radio on, the cleaning/lubricating to prevent it getting stuck) you could fit a bendable (to help prevent vandalism) stubby black flexible aerial (match in with rubber bumpers)

I can remember about 14 years ago being loaned an older car and moaning about the radio reception forgetting it had a manual retractable telescopic aerial so I hadn't raised it, the previous car I'd been loaned had an electric powered telescopic which raised itself when you turned the radio on and I'd expected the same
Nigel Atkins

Hi Simon I have some of the original Metal consoles that were fitted to late 1500 cars I also have just got in a 1500 midget that is fitted with a BL radio in a small console this car is only suitable for spares which I will be breaking. Contact number 01332 510130/07749838528.Email Richard.woolley@hotmail.com
rj woolley

I fit a modern deckless radio as they are quite shallow in depth


mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

by Mark's second photo and comments that perhaps then the factory fit aerials were slightly further up the wing then, difficult to tell in those photos - BUT - perhaps the aerial is down the wing a bit so that the aerial aligns with the windscreen side pillar so that it's more out of driver's view

sorry I should have put Mark's *looks* *to me* spot on, I lacked caution, it certainly doesn't look, to me, to be far out (if at all) - BUT - if Mark's car is a post May '78 and it is an original wing

sorry it seems I've not been as helpful as both of us thought I was

perhaps others with more Midget books than me might have a better photo (or better eyes and brain than me) or even a confirmed original wing on a post May '78 car
Nigel Atkins

How about this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-BMC-AUSTIN-MORRIS-MG-CAR-CHROME-WING-MOUNTED-CAR-ARIEL-/351277118688
Dave O'Neill 2

Mark

I don't think much of your parking ;o)
Dave O'Neill 2

having looked at a couple of period photos in my copy of the Brooklands road test book I'm more convinced that the hole in Mark's wing is correct

it *looks* *to me* like Mark *might* have an aerial that lacks the fuller adjustment and variability some of the telescopic aerials of that time had - the ones I (now) remember had a chrome piece that went over the plastic adjustable bit and the aerial had a lot of adjustment for the angle, it would go to be vertical in all directions

like this one (perhaps) - run you mouse over the top photo to zoom in on it for the detail - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autoleads-RMA134-Universal-Replacement-Car-Aerial-Antenna-Chrome-Wing-Mount-Mast-/351233216843?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item51c721914b

ETA: - Dave I think, but could of course be wrong, that the one you've linked to is similar to the one Mark has and *may* lack enough adjustment to get it to go vertical in all directions
Nigel Atkins

sorry Simon to get an aerial the same as the one on page 118 you'd need a mix of Mark's aerial and the one's Dave and I have linked to

the aerial Dave has linked to does have the domed end piece on the tip of the aerial that I *think* I can see (I've not got a powerful enough magnifying glass to see for sure) on the page 118 aerial, the one I linked to has the chrome curved adjuster cover and Mark's has the long black plastic base piece

Dave,
could it be that the one you linked to was for ADO16 cars, are the wings on those with the same/similar curve as a Midget wing?
Nigel Atkins

Nigel

I don't know for sure, but the guy selling it sells a lot of NOS BMC stuff, much of which came from Abingdon.

Here's a 1500 that I used to own.

Unfortunately, it's a very low-res scan.


Dave O'Neill 2

And another one...

I also have 1500 OSF wing that I could measure, if necessary.


Dave O'Neill 2

>>the guy selling it sells a lot of NOS BMC stuff, much of which came from Abingdon<<
fair enough Dave, perhaps that aerial is the correct angle, sounds like the seller would know so if I was Simon I'd ask him

the V reg car at least seems to have the chrome adjuster cover I was thinking of but perhaps MG had various supplies of aerials, perhaps at different times
Nigel Atkins

A standard, cheap aftermarket multi-fit aerial fits well.
Mine is from the last 500 cars made (yes Nigel its been repainted from the original black)
Cheers
Rod


R W Bowers

I wonder if the holes were stamped, or manually drilled.

Yours seems to be a bit further forward, Rod.
Dave O'Neill 2

Dave,
perhaps it's not an original wing (apologies if it is)

the aerial on Rod's car (*hopefully*) shows what I mean about it being vertical from all directions

Rod,
you absolute vandal ! - the Originality Police must never find out about this, we'll all keep quiet about it

I can't think why you'd prefer a white to a black car where you are

at the risk of being wrong yet again, did you import the car?
Nigel Atkins

Nigel some PO painted it and the lady I bought it from brought the car with her from London when she emigrated about 15? years ago. I wouldn't have bought it if it had been black.
I think the wing is a replacement. Cheers
PS It seems to only fit vertically.
R W Bowers

cheers Rod

if the wing is a replacement then it probably explains why the aerial is a bit further forward as Dave noticed

I thought it was imported as if I remember correctly (but based on my previous uncertainty on this thread I might be wrong) that factory sales to Aus stopped well before the 1500 was introduced
Nigel Atkins

Hello

Thank you for everyones help and good advice. It seems like a bit of a minefield and I have decided not to fit an aerial (copy and paste!!) after all. If I was to fit one I would want a NOS one ideally to keep the car as original as possible. I think these are going to be hard to find.

Thanks again

Simon
Simon Taylor

I had the impression that radios. and therefore wing mounted aerials, were a dealer -fit option. But perhaps this was not the case on the later cars? If it was dealer fit, they would have been supplied with dimensions for drilling, or possibly a stick-on marking out template. So one might expect some variation depending on how careful they were! The position is such that the aerial stem will retract down into the wing cavity. Too far up the wing and it ends up not standing vertical. Too far down and the angle between the bodywork and the aerial base clamp is too steep. So the correct position is fairly precise.

Standard Halfords supplied aerials are a reasonably close imitation of the BL 1970's version.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-styling/aerials/autoleads-standard-wing-mount-aerial


Guy W

Probably dealer fitted, the cutouts in the console were a bit rough.
Nigel the 1500's are rare in OZ, earlier models predominate
R W Bowers

This thread was discussed between 06/01/2015 and 09/01/2015

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