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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Frogeye parts needed

As my re-assembly from the random boxes and crates of parts that represent the car, I am beginning to narrow down onto a few missing items that I need. There may be others, but at the moment these include:

Wiper rack tubes. I have the wheelboxes and the spiral rack itself but the outer tubes aren't amongst the parts boxes and have gone walkabouts.

Demister vent. Why have I only got one ? !

Heater control switch. The dashboard one. I have never seen one on a Frogeye and don't know if it is the same push-pull-twist type as on the later cars.

Smiths heater snail. The big plastic housing for the early style heater fan. I have one, but it has broken and been poorly repaired with gaffa tape. Repro ones are available but AFAIK the same snail shell was fitted to lots of cars including landrovers until quite recently so I am hopeful of finding a decent one on Ebay before too long.

Rear bumperettes and the lower brackets. Hard to find, and although repro ones are readily available at a price, there has been lots of criticism about poor quality chrome which doesn't last. Oddly, I have two newly powder coated upper brackets so why the other bits are missing I don't know. Possibly the bumperettes were sent off for re-chroming and never reunited with the rest of it.

This forum isn't supposed to be a trading post, but if anyone has any spares of the above I would be happy to pay P&P and sensible prices or make an appropriate donation to a charity of your choice.
GuyW

Guy
can't help with the parts as i used my spares when I replaced items stolen from the car but I can say the heater switch is the same as the later cars but with slightly shorter cable length.
The heater snails are also reproduced by Ashley Hinton who may have the vents (you should have a pair).
Bumperettes are often on one the usual site. Best to get originals and have them rechromed.
Bob Beaumont

Guy can do wiper rack tubes, and should also have a screen demister vent, will look later today.
David Smith

Re. the bumperettes, I bought the repro ones a while back from Stadt on ebay. Isn't it more about the chroming quality than the steel itself? Not that mine are necessarily that good but original ones would have to be chromed by the same method as the repro ones wouldn't they? And I figured the chroming could cost almost as much as the repro ones anyway.
Bill Bretherton

I bought repro bumperettes from what was Ron Hopkinson some 30 years ago. The chrome on them is perfect still
Simon Wood

Snail from Richard Woolley (Classified section)
http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/or17?srchkey=richard&srchtype=B§ion_req=&model_req=&country_req=&county_req=&matchall=yes&runprog=mgclassnew
Dominic Clancy

Thanks all!
I would go for the Ashley Hinton snail except I can never get beyond pictures of things on their web page. There doesn't appear to be any on-line ordering option? I don't know if maybe I have somehow "cached" on old URL but the site never seems to change and only allows prices to registered Trade customers.

Now I know the heater swich is the same as later, and hpefully more plentiful ones, I can look out for one. Why didn't I just check parts numbers!

And thanks David for offering to check stocks. I am still after bits to assemble a front ARB as well.
GuyW

Give Ashley a call he will give you a price over the phone. He also sells via ebay and the prices are the same
Bob Beaumont

Demister vent, wiper rack tubes (except the really short end one), std a/roll bar and centre mounts will be on the way tomorrow. You'll need new drop links and the little triangular plates that go on the A-pan.
David Smith

Thanks David. Much appreciated! Email me how much I owe you. I can probably make those triangular mounting plates. I haven't checked if they are available from the usual suspects. I already bought a pair of drop links on your advice.
GuyW

Guy,
you must have forgotten Ashley sells retail through his eBay shop. -
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ashleyhintonmgparts2002/

"If you need more help with heater parts just e-mail me - [thro' eBay I guess] - as I make all the heater parts for the MG midget Mk1/2/3 1500cc, Austin Healey Mk1/2/3/4
I have the OE tools for the Blower units 13H51, AHA8091, AHA4745, heater box, clips 17H1595, 17H1605, heater rads 17H1590, 37H7914, 37H6194, 37H8818, rubber elbow 14G3499, heater H knob 17H1602, air intake duct 4 ins dia 13H53, AHA9172, AHA8501, duct 1 1/2 dia elbow to nozzle14A4766, AHH8394, water tap on head 88G588, we also make the 4 ins clip hose to wheel arch AHA5714, AHA8768, (and clips also made in stainless steel) heater motors 17H1455, 37H4583, fans 17H8108, air intake duct 14A4763 that fits up the front of the Austin Healey this fits on the bracket that holds the rad at the front of the car, cable clamp 27H1193, trunnion and screw 24G1482 and 53k1016, and the Air intake valve AHA8416, AHA8092, AHA1592, 13H59 heater outlet door fits in footwell used on Austin Healey Sprite, MG Midget, Austin Healey 100/4, 100/6 and Austin Healey 3000, and MGB I have this item on EBAY"

ETA: (done quick so might be wrong bracket)
MG MIDGET AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE HEATER BLOWER, MOUNTING BRACKETS LOWER & UPPER
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-BLOWER-MOUNTING-BRACKETS-LOWER-UPPER-/253588619624?hash=item3b0b0f4168
Nigel Atkins

Heater knob -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-H-KNOB-ORIGINAL-PART-NUMBER-17H1602-/292563885520?hash=item441e2a9dd0

MG MIDGET AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE MORRIS MINOR HEATER BLOWER CASE PART 17H819 -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-MORRIS-MINOR-HEATER-BLOWER-CASE-PART-17H819-/253588619623?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10

MG MIDGET AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE HEATER AIR INTAKE FLANGE+MESHPART NUMBER 14B7712 -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-AIR-INTAKE-FLANGE-MESHPART-NUMBER-14B7712-/292552479986?hash=item441d7c94f2

MG MIDGET AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE HEATER JUST BOX PART NUMBER AHA8090 NEW -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-JUST-BOX-PART-NUMBER-AHA8090-NEW-/292525910244?hash=item441be728e4

AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE HEATER AIR INTAKE DUCT MOUNTING 14A4763 NEW -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-AIR-INTAKE-DUCT-MOUNTING-14A4763-NEW-/292555152086?hash=item441da55ad6

MG MIDGET AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE HEATER DUCT 3 1/4 ins DIA PART NUMBER 14A4762 NEW -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-DUCT-3-1-4-ins-DIA-PART-NUMBER-14A4762-NEW-/253610684089?hash=item3b0c5feeb9

MG MIDGET AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE HEATER UNIT PART NUMBER AHA8090 NEW -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-AUSTIN-HEALEY-SPRITE-HEATER-UNIT-PART-NUMBER-AHA8090-NEW-/292563445933?hash=item441e23e8ad

. . . and other heater parts available.
Nigel Atkins

Thanks Nigel. You have gone to a lot of effort to list all those parts links! I only need the plastic snail and the pull switch for the heater - all the other parts l have.

But l didn't know that Ashley Hinton had an ebay 'shop'. The webpage my screen always comes up with is a pretty static one with inactive links for price lists for trade only - l thought that is how he sold, through retail outlets. Items also come up on eBay searches but it is a bit hit and miss waiting for the part you want to be listed that way.

Now l know better l may buy from him as l know he has a good reputation.

Hope you had a good weekend. You certainly had good weather for your visit!
GuyW

Guy,
not much trouble I just clicked the link for Sprite and went down the list. I thought I'd put up all the heater ones I saw as reference for other viewers and to show the sort of range on offer.

I thought you knew about his eBay shop but had forgotten but it's more likely that I had forgotten.

Excellent weekend thank you, great weather all weekend, dry, warm but not too hot, sunny from 6am on the Saturday, excellent roads, great food, some good ale - and we got to sit in the cockpit of a Vulcan, fantastic. Sad to say we couldn't sit in the pilot or co-pilot's seat as the lady owner of the Vulcan had had people steal bits from there. The chap who gave the very interesting talk was to the pilot of that Vulcan, he started as a 25-year old co-pilot and his pilot was an instructor so he let the co-pilot do half of the take offs and landings so the co-pilot progress very quickly to pilot, and other great and interesting stories about the plane in service and for displays.

Another (like I was until then as I missed out on a previous opportunity) that's not been in the cockpit should jump at the opportunity, very interesting and very sobering.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 12/05/2018 and 15/05/2018

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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