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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Frogeye wheelarch dimensions

Can someone with a Frogeye help with some dimension information please. I am trying to work out if the front and rear wheel arches are both made to the same radius arc. And indeed if they are both parts of a true circle. They look the same but I could do with confirmation.

Guy
Guy

I am beginning to think that the curve of the rear arch begins to flatten out from about 2/3 the way round. I am trying to align a repair panel that goes behind the wheel but it is difficult without any fixed datum to work from.
Guy

I guess a picture helps.

I don't really know where one could measure, but I think the red-line distance would help - measuring from the lower edge of the rear light fitting (that's the blue squiggle thing on the photo!)




Guy

OK, beginning to think I am talking to myself here, although that isn't unusual these days!

Other dimensions that would help would be:
A) The horizontal distance between the bottom pointy bits of the rear wheel arch, in front and behind the wheel. Say to the nearest 1/8". and
b) The distance from the rear pointy bit, vertically up the curve of the body panel to the outer edge of the wing bead.

Some lucky person out there must be fortunate enough to own both a Frogeye AND a tape measure! ;-)
Guy

Guy,
You're not on your own. Honest. I can't assist at the mo, however I would like to see a photo of the car you are wanting to repair. Have you got one showing the state of the wings?
Neil K

Hi Neil,
Photo in which you can see the rear wing I am currently dealing with. You will see that there is a bit of rust around the edge of the wheel arch and the bottom of the wing behind the wheel.

Guy


Guy

Guy,

I call a mate as he has a couple of frogeye rear wings, one which we believe to be a genuine BMC wing. I'll see if he can take a picture and send it to me for posting.
David Billington

Thanks David,
I am not sure that a photo would necessarily confirm what I am after - I think it will need a measurement - or two!

Just looking at various photos, I would have said that the rear wheel arch forms part of a true circle, centred on the wheel hub. But from what remains of mine I am not sure - it seems that from around the 11 O'clock position (view of right hand side wheel), the radius of the circle increases slightly so that by the 9 O'clock position it is maybe an inch or so greater.

But maybe mine has lost more through rusting away of the wheel arch lip than I realised.
Guy

Guy,

My mate said he'd try and get them down out of his loft and let me have some pictures. If you don't find out in more detail then I'll be seeing him next week and could borrow one and take a trace of the arch profile and send it to you. I wouldn't be able to send you anything before a week this Friday though.
David Billington

Thanks for the offer David.
The more I measure up what is left of the two sides the more I am convinced that the arch isn't actually supposed to be truly circular, but "opens out" a bit towards the rear.
I have mocked up the parts and fabricated a new wing lip repair held together with self tappers and it looks right. A simple horizontal measurement between the bottom rear corner of the sill and the leading edge of the bottom of the rear wing would confirm. That is, between the two "pointy bits" that I was referring to before.

Guy
Guy

Guy,
Just had a look on my Frogeye for you. The horizontal distance between the bottom tip of the main sill (in front of the rear wheel) and the bottom tip of the rear wing (at the back of the rear wheel) measures 24.5 inches.
The other measurement I have checked is your red line distance. This measured 21.5 inches.
Neil
Neil K

Neil,
Thanks very much. I didn't realise that you had a Frog as well as your midget.
Those measurements more or less check out with they way I have it mocked up. I have the horizontal wheel arch length as 24 1/4" and the other one is also out by 1/4" at 21 3/4". Probably close enough although I will probably just ease the repair panel round by rotating it clockwise by a fraction before I weld. That should do it.

Thanks again.

Guy
Guy

Guy,
Drop me an email on pendinedash at hotmail dot co dot uk
Neil K

Neil,
you have mail.

Guy
Guy

Sorry Guy. Nothing arrived.
pendinedash is as written here
Neil K

Yes, recognised the reference to Pendine Sands. Cut and pasted, but lost the "h"
Guy

This thread was discussed between 19/03/2011 and 20/03/2011

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