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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - new hood

I am in the market for a new hood. i am not sure whether moss is the best place to go or whether i should look elsewhere. therea a company in the midlands which supplies them in range of materials from 130 QUID FOR VINYL UP TO 250 FOR DOUBLE DUCK ANY THOUGHTS?
d j kirk

Depends which company it is.

If it's Don Trimmings/Don Hoods, then they do get some good reviews here.
Dave O'Neill 2

Great question.

Also if you don't mind dj, can answers please include pros cons of removable rear window. I have a good vinyl hood, but with a stuffed rear plastic window.

Can you get replacement rear windows for the zip out jobs, or is it the same as the fixed type?

That is, if the rear windows clouds or splits, it's a new hood everytime.
Lawrence Slater

My hood replaced a few years ago came from PJM

http://www.pjm-motors.co.uk/midget_sprite.html

Pleased with it.
I have a zipped rear window, but it doesn't fully remove as it remains stitched along the lower edge. I haven't investigated to see what would be involved in undoing the stitching.

Its main value to me is it enables me to carry long items when it is raining. This may seem an infrequent requirement, but for me it isn't!


Guy

I've looked at Don's hoods too as mine needs a new hood too. I'd be interested in opinions on the cheap vinyl ("Heavy duty") versus the premium vinyls ("Superior" and "premium") they offer. The price differential seems small enough.

Has anyone any thoughts?
OrangeSpyderMan

I went up to Prestige and used their fitting service (Mohair Hood)happy with the results..
K Harris

You get what you pay for with vinyl. It wasn't for nothing they used to be known as "5 year vinyl" and "10 year vinyl"
Paul Walbran

How about the windows though?

It's those that seem to give out first by going milky. Are they longer lasting now?
Lawrence Slater

as has been said before (archive!) Greygate plastic polish will sort a lot of your opaque milky problems...
David Smith

Lawrence, i attempted the replacement of the windows myself. product called vybak 20 quid sheet was enough for back window and two quarterlights. . . my needlework skills weren't really up to doing the rear window but is clearly a cheaper alternative. getting the tension right on rwar window was nigh on impossible and the roof fabric is quite impenetrable to the domestic sewing needle. . . Thats why am looking to get a new one
d j kirk

I had a zip out window on my old MkIII Spitfire and really wished that I had it on the Frogeye.
It means that not only can you carry large objects like Guy has done, but also in really hot weather when you want the shade of a roof, you can still have a nice flow of air. In addition with the roof up and the rear window unzipped, there a lot less buffeting when travelling at speed.
Gary & Gaps

My vinyl hood is 13 years old and starts to tare on the corners above the plastic side windows.
Even after reinforcing these corner bits...

But my windows are still very good and not at all milky, scratched or wrinkled.

Dint have a rearzip window on this one but surly would like one in the next hood.
Next hood is going to be vinyl again.
Arie de Best

OK, tanks chaps.

I did try polishing mine once with t cut, it cleared for a while then went even more milky.

I guess then, zip out is the way to go.

So back to djs' original question. Who's best and what type?
Lawrence Slater

Mine's a double duck with a zip out window (for all the reasons above). Only issue I have is removing the whitish spots on the hood.

Jeremy
Jeremy 3

With regard to what type is best, it surely depends on how much you use it. Personally I would spend as little as possible if I was buying a new one, as it only gets used on average about once a year.

I bought a tonneau from Don this year (the Premium Quality Vinyl) and am very happy with it. Its worth pointing out that the premium quality vinyl is actually thinner than the cheaper ones but is more pliable and supposedly lasts longer.

Trev
T Mason

Hi, DJ.

I installed a Prestige hood last March, and was very pleased with the quality and appearance. It's got the zip-out window, which really helped during the summer when I wanted to keep the sun off, but still have decent airflow inside.

I documented my installation in pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/safety_fast/sets/72157623606866759/

Hope this helps,

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

"when I wanted to keep the sun off,"

Gryf, thats something they dont need to worry about in the UK. ;)
Arie de Best

This thread was discussed between 18/10/2011 and 21/10/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.