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MG MGA - Austral Fibreglass hardtops

Does anyone have any additional photos or literature on Austral Fibreglass hardtops than that featured on mgaguru site?
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/top/top123af.htm
Mike Ellsmore

Mike
Unreal that MGaguru site has 884 Glenhuntly Rd as Austral's address
Lived at 847 for a while back in the 70s
Austral must have been just accross the road, Must have been near the bottle shop there somewhere--unbelievable, my B was about the only MG I saw around there then
That green roof does indeed look different around the ends of the window
Took this pic up in Sheffield here a couple of weeks ago of a Qld. car -it looks different to Austral as well but more like that green top but not quite the same as either
Cheers
willy



William Revit

Yes the Qld car is definitely different. I know the guy who owns that car so will contact him to see if he knows who made it. Small world Willie!
Mike Ellsmore

Willy
My son lives in Carnegie - we visit each year and regularly walk up Glenhuntly Road to friends in Caulfield. Will look out for no. 884
Graham V

I have been advised that the owner of Austral Fibreglass is still around, a friend will make contact with him and hopefully will have a bit more info to add.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Hi Willy,
I have been in contact with the guy who owns the Qld MGA in you photo (we worked together at Moura coal mine in the early 70s). It is a Honeybourne hardtop out of the UK
http://honeybournemouldings.co.uk/
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Mike
Nice work Sherlock- good looking roof as well
Graham
It'd be interesting to see what's there now
My Aunts' house when I lived there, I believe has gone now and replaced by an expanded shop/factory that was next door
Willy
William Revit

Willy just punch 884 Glenhuntly Rd into google search and it will show you photos of the property in street view


Dominic Clancy

I bought a Honeybourne about 8 yrs ago and imported it. When I presented it to the car it did not fit in many places. When I contacted the company they were dismissive and claimed it was upto me to cut and fit it. I was angry and stored it for a few years..then had another go....
Mods...
..Had to reshape the whole rear contact with car..partic just behind doors. A large amount of material removed.

..I fitted a new much deeper squishable rubber seal aound all rear contact to bridge all gaps.

..the section over the windscreen and the hold down bolts did not line up..New thicker seals and I replaced the hold down bolts with somethng not so cheap and nasty.

The top fits well now but !!!!!....and the company was useless. Do not recommend.
Neil Ferguson

This is another photo of Jim Armstrong's MGA showing the hardtop. More pics of this impressive car can be found on the MGA Fan Club page on Facebook (big bore engine, cross flow head, dual DCOE Webers and air conditioning!)

Neil,
Jim also made the comment that Honeybourne hardtop was pretty rough out of the box and needed a fair bit of work to make fit like as seen in this photo.

Mike


Mike Ellsmore

.....and here is mine after mods to make ir fit .
Remarkably close non standard car colour ..but I kept my lid as ex factory black .


Neil Ferguson

Here is another few pics of an Austral Fibreglass hardtop - a mate just pulled it out from under his house after seeing this post and stuck it on his Mk11 to photograph (it isn't a special model with an inbuilt tonneau cover!)
Mike


Mike Ellsmore

And here is another, apparently made locally in Melbourne, that I have used in winter for many years.
I had it vinyl covered with the tucked seam, lined the underside with black carpet and it fits perfectly.
The drip edge channel is made from aluminium.
It is also sitting on the tonneau for illustration purposes.

Barry.


Barry Gannon

AFAIK Honeybourne is owned by the same guy that runs Realm Engineering, they share the same address in the UK

If anyone is interested in a VDP hardtop I have decided to sell mine, which was restored and has new seals all round. It is finished in OEW. sensible offers will be considered


Dominic Clancy

Graham V,
When you are next in Melbourne please get in contact with us and come along to our Club meeting, second Wednesday of the month. All the details on what is happening, contact and location are on the websites.
http://www.mgcc.com.au/mgcc/default.shtml
https://www.mga.mgcc.info/
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

This thread was discussed between 01/11/2018 and 08/11/2018

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