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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Side Screens (Frogeye)

Hello brothers.
Can anyone help me please?
I have been restoring a Frogeye for eons now and am currently looking at the side screens. I inherited the Frog as several hundred boxes of parts, and the side screen frames and perspex windows they accomodate were sepperate. When I offer the perspex up to the side frames the perspex looks too deep in the vertical plane by about 1cm, can anyone advise of the correct dimension?
Also, I dont even know where to begin with inserting the perspex and its accompanying felt into the frames.
There appear to be two inner grouves in the frame, one much narrower than the other, is this so that the foreward half can be fixed and the rear slide?
Thanks for any help you can give
Bob Skerritt
R C Skerritt

Hi Bob

The front panel is fixed and the rear slides. I fitted mine by warming the perspex with hot water so they would bend and then sliding them into place. The heat makes them more pliable. You may need a good supply of hot water!!
Bob Beaumont

Only the driver side front panel is fixed. You can fix it by hammering the alu frame. You can see the scars of that in the front of the frame
I also softened the Perspex in the bath. One day I tried to put the Perspex in the frame on a hot day without the hot water trick. The Perspex broke.
If the Perspex is to big you can cut it with a jig saw machine and shave it with sandpaper. (only the edges...)
The felt is another story, I glued it wit contact glue, and fixed it with pieces of the old Perspex, it took me some hours. You need very thin felt.


Flip
Flip Brühl

When I did the sidescreens on my frogeye I went to the perspex supplier and they had some high impact perspex which is more flexible than standard and it went in without heating.
David Billington

Thanks for all the advice guys I appreciate your help.
I'm just wondering how I avoid "her indoors" when filling the bath with hot water and traipsing through the house, I can do when shes out, BUT, she'll know, SHE'LL KNOW!
Thanks for the felt idea, I was wondering how to get it into the channels neatly.
Has any one got the top to bottom measurement of the perspex panels please?
Regards
Bob
R C Skerritt

mmm.... I recognise your problem. I had some nasty gray marks in the bath. Aluminium on enamel. The second time i did put a towel between the bath and the aluminium frame.
You need an other measurement for every frame. I guess about 5-8 mm more than from the bottom of the rail to the underside of the frame side.
Flip Brühl

Odd that the drivers side front is fixed. On mine, which I've had since the late '60, both front and back on both sides slide. Could be that is because they where after market in the states. Sorry for the slight drift.
Martin

Not a problem brother, always happy to hear from the colonies!
Hope you all have a good christmas out there
Bob
R C Skerritt

I always thought that on Mk1 Sprites only the rear piece slid no matter which side. On the Mk2 Sprite and Mk1 midget both slid on both sides.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

My Sprite originally came with the one piece soft plastic screens with the snap to hold down the back end. Since mine are after market they may well be Mk2 Sprite/Mk1 Midget ones.
Martin

As I am the second owner a lot was original on my April 59 Frogeye. So were the screens with the original Perspex stamps. Only the front of the driver side was fixed. I had to renew the screens as I could not see through them, even after polishing.
Flip Brühl

You can also jack the sidescreen opening in the center - just enough to allow the perspex to pop in. Has no detrimental affect - done it a few times.
Fergus

I do remember that the insertion of the felt was a truly horrible job. Or I should say that it required application, and a determination not to lose my temper.

You open the parcel and find flat strips of felt, and you think, '$^&&*(&*(^*^!!!'
But once I'd wetted it, and selected the right tool for working it into the groove, all it took was time, and therapy afterwards.

Once dry, it stayed in without glue.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Thanks Nick,
I'll give it a go.
R C Skerritt

OK. Close investigation of the frames makes me think I sould get them anodised. I originally spent considerable time polishing the alloy, but find that there is already significant oxidisation.
Can anyone reccomend a good UK source of anodising for classic car parts?
Thanks
Bob
R C Skerritt

This thread was discussed between 11/12/2016 and 15/12/2016

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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