MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 - Which hood material

I need a new hood. Which is the best choice? PVC as per original or mohair? Which stands up to the usual wear and tear of being put up, folded up and put down, put up again etc.?
Chris Hasluck

Chris, PVC is a composite material with the PVC laminated onto a fabric substrate. Given that (I suspect) the PVC for replacement hoods comes from the east quality will probably be an issue. Having said that I replaced my hood (4 years ago) with a PVC one from Moss and it fitted very well and looks great. Time will tell on its longevity. I dress it regularly with "armourall" (don't know what its equivalent is in your area.
Mohair from memory is made by "raising" a nap on a thick substrate fabric. It is inherently more flexible, however again where was it made??
The rear window is the weakest point here in OZ the sun kills them real quick.
HTH
Cheers
Rod
R W Bowers

It seems you get what you pay for, as in so many things. You can get vinyl or "premium vinyl" hoods which I would expect would last longer.
Mohair or double-duck (if it's still available) are expensive but nice.

Part of the issue with the flexi windows seems to be that some cheapo hoods seem to use (I suspect) polypropylene for the windows. The same stuff that pop bottles and cheap ropes are made from. I've seen several like that recently. UV light just eats the stuff as if to a band playing.

Proper clear vinyl windows can be treated with Greygate polish, which not only cleans and restores clarity it also replenishes the lost volatiles in the material and preserves the windows.

Personally Chris I'd go for a premium vinyl hood but check what the windows are made of, then treat myself to a bottle of Greygate.

Cheers.
Greybeard

I went with a black double duck hood years ago for my frogeye, it looked great initially but not so good when after a few years it began to fade. Maybe there are treatments for that, I don't know.

Greybeard,

Pop bottles in my experience are PET https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate
David Billington

Vinyl needs less looking after than mohair and as Greybeard says comes in various qualities. Interestingly I discovered that premium quality vinyl is actually thinner and more pliable than standard when I ordered a new tonneau from Don Hoods. I guess the real question is how often do you use the hood? If like many of us the answer is not very often then the price of the premium ones is not warranted. If however you use it a lot then maybe it is justified.

Trev
Trevor Mason

Thanks for the comments. I prefer never to have the hood up unless really forced to by the weather. I find it is the folding up and stuffing behind the seats that seems to do the damage to my existing hood (which is PVC) leading to split seams and a cracked window. Still it is well over 12 years old so I think I had my moneys worth.

I'm thinking of going PVC and as I will be using Aldridge Trimming because they are round the corner from me and a quality outfit who usually trim Jaguars and other exotics, their PVC should be a good quality one (I'm going to get them to fit it as well).
Chris Hasluck

I have a mohair one from PJM and am very pleased with it!
It has an zipable rear window and is very flexible.
Pvc is suppose to last 10 years
Mohair 20 years

Ofcourse it all depends if its dry stored or lives outside in the full sun/weather.

My pvc one did 14 years but at 8 orso yrears the sealed seams gave up so had them stitched up but that gave in as well then duck taped it.



Im now thinking I should clean mine ad treat it again...




Arie

Chris,
if yours is folded most of he time then consider as Arie has done, having a zippable rear window. It doesn't go through the same stresses when it's folded.
David,
my d/d faded too. I used Autoglym fabric hood cleaning and reproofing kit and a dye from ebay. Worked well and beads really well when wet.
Jeremy Tickle

Jeremy
Do you mean that the window is unzipped when the folding takes place. I have a zipped window but do not unzip - perhaps I should
Chris Hasluck

Yes Chris. If you unzip the window before folding the hood it can be stored 'flatter' than leaving it zipped.
Jeremy Tickle

So Chris, did you come to a decision over the hood material?
I see that PJM are now offering one made of Ever Flex, which I think is an upgraded type of vynyl, so might be a good choice. has anyone any experience of that material?
Guyw

I have the standard pvc with a twist

i took my new top to a commercial upolster and had them restritch it over the top of all the stitching with a think clear thread like fishing line... its still very strong and looks great...and you cant see the clear thread

monofiliment ???

Prop
prop

IIRC, Ever Flex used to be standard fitment to RR.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

I'm still a little undecided but veering towards PVC a originally fitted. I'll talk to Aldridge Trimming about that.
Chris Hasluck

Just ordered mine fron Don Trimmings. Went for their superior quality PVC with a zip out window.

Now, anyone had a go at renewing the hood frame rivets? They wear and this then effects the angles between the hinged sections of the fold down hood frame. Makes them harder to fit and the shape / tension is then wrong when erected.
Guyw

>>If you unzip the window before folding the hood it can be stored 'flatter' than leaving it zipped.<<

Never thought of that Jeremy. Thanks.

Guy W I did a quick repair on someone else's hood, replacing a broken rivet. I used an ordinary St/St pop rivet. Seemed to work fine, but it was only a "get you home" fix. It was a summer visitor's car last year. Nice Dutch couple, but I have no idea how to contact to see if it lasted.

She was called Anneka or somethiing like that. Can't remember the bloke's name - anyone know them? Ivory white 1500 with minilite wheels.
Greybeard

Were they member of any club?
MGCC or midget&Spriet club?
If so I could check and maybe contact them.

Btw, how come you remembered so much of her and nothing of the bloke? ;)
Arie

GB,
The rivets I am talking about are the quite fat ones, that act as the articulation points for the hood. Unless your rivets are very big (!) I doubt they would work. I had wondered about drilling them out and using bolts with a Nylock nut, which would allow for adjustment. But it wouldn't look as neat.

I sometimes unzip the rear window when folding the hood. It hangs down and lies on the rear shelf area. I spread it out flat under the rear carpet where it lies sandwiched between the underfelt and the carpet to protect it. Just leaves a few inches of it exposed against the rear" firewall" panel, but quite neat.
Guyw

Quite right Guy. Big rivet. I think 6 or 8 millimetre. Had to use the lazy tongs - the pliers-type tool wouldn't "pop" it.


>>Btw, how come you remembered so much of her and nothing of the bloke? ;)<<

Arie what do you think? Pretty Dutch blonde - need I say more? And be fair - I remembered more about the car!

But thinking about Guy's rivet prob. What about countersunk full thread screws cut to length with thin nuts? Just a thought.
Greybeard

Speaking of hoods I've just got a vinyl one for the Frog restoration from from Moss as they have a good discount on. It was £193 which seemed ok BUT this thread prompted me to do another web search and I came across Don Trimming Ltd who currently list a Frog hood at £139.20 with VAT + £15 Postage. Damn, I thought, bet they supply Moss! Anyone heard of them. Might take Moss one back if there's £30 saving.

Bill
W Bretherton

Bill, That's who I just bought from - as in my message above at 17-27 yesterday
Guyw

Guy

Oops, should have read thread more carefully. It's so annoying when you somehow miss finding a cheaper supplier.

Bill
W Bretherton

Bill, It may be down to different qualities, not just price. Don Trimmings have had good recommendations but maybe if they do supply Moss, they are only doing their better quality options. Don Trimmings will supply fabric samples if asked. I went for their superier quality option, but it was still cheaper than MGOC, Moss and others I could find.
Guyw

I just used a bolt that I ground down a bit and nut that I did the same to, and thread locking compound.
Scott Linn

This thread was discussed between 06/06/2016 and 15/06/2016

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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