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MG MGA - Hand Controls

Does anyone know of a business or individual who can provide hand controls for an MGA?? After a bad motorcycle accident @3 years ago I am paraplegic and in a wheelchair.
My clutch leg is good, my right leg isn't coming back-I need hand controls for the throttle and brake. My Pontiac Grand Prix has a control which is made in Finland and works beautifully-a stalk pivoting on the floor-push to brake-pull to accelerate. But I don't know if this product will work in the MGA
If I can't solve this problem I may have to sell my MGA 1600 which I have owned since 1968.
So-- if anyone can help please contact me at my email address. I am located in the USA, specifically in SE Wisconsin. My address:
mgajohn@wi.rr.com

Thank You in advance.

John Hays
JH Hays

John, Sorry to hear of your predicament. A chap in our MG Car Club has a ZA (or ZB?) Magnette with hand controls and is now in the throes of doing this with another MG. I don't see him very often but will get his contact details when I do. In the meantime do not dispose of your MGA, I'm sure that it will still be great on the road notwithstanding the "mods"!
Barry Bahnisch

Barry I am the one with the hand controls in the Magnette and a MGA. I am a left above the knee amputee and my controls are on the clutch only.

John it is far easier to do the brake and accelerator than the clutch as these are done everyday on automatics and any driving aid firm would be able to do the job for you. Look up on the net and look under Hand Controls.

The clutch on my Magnette is an electronic servo type while I have a mechanical/hand operated one on the MGA and whilst it operates well the pressure on the clutch tells on my arm, I wish I could lessen the pressure.
G Hamilton

John
I saw a setup the other day It had the usual lever out from the side of the steering column that you push for brakes but instead of pulling the other way for throttle it had a twist grip motorcycle throttle on it
It worked fantastic - good for hill starts you could hold the brake on and give it a bit of throttle at the same time which is something you can't do with the push/pull setup
The guy that had it said it was a lot better on longer trip as he wasn't pulling back on the lever all the time and making his arm sore Hope this might help make life a tiddle brighter for you Cheers Willy
William Revit

John, That was lucky, the chap I had in mind actually replied to your thread! All the best with your MGA, I would persevere if I were you!
Barry Bahnisch

Internet search.

Driving Aids Development Corp.
9417 Delancey Drive
Vienna, Virginia 22182
United States
Telephone: 800-767-6435.
Fax: 270-574-9952.
Web: http://www.drivingaids.com.
Email: dadc500@drivingaids.com.

$545.00 US

twist grip throttle and lever for brake.



AJ Mail

There used to be a place in the UK that modified MG's for disabled drivers. Called Nottingham MG Centre and run by Peter Wheeler I have not been past for a while but you can try to contact on NOTTMMG@AOL.COM or phone +44 115 961 5283.
Good luck.

Neil
Neil Purves

Everybody:

My thanks to everybody who responded to my query/thread of several weeks ago re hand controls. For some reason none of the responses showed up in my mailbox and I was unaware that anyone had responded until I could get back on the BBS.
You don't know how grateful I am for all the help and information. I have owned this car since 1968, put over 200,000 miles on it (really) driven from Nova Scotia to Key West/New Jersey to Wisconsin and loved every mile(well, almost every mile).
I'll let everyone know how I get on with this new adventure and will try not to be too boring about it.
Again, many thanks.
Cheers

John Hays
JH Hays

This thread was discussed between 07/03/2011 and 19/03/2011

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.