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MG MGA - Upgrading wiper arms

Hi guys,
So I cleaned the car for the first time today and noticed the wiper arms are very loose.
They are secure on the pinions but the springs to hold them onto the glass are very weak.
I reckon they will be next to useless if we get caught in rain unless the forward motion increases the pressure enough?
Is there a way to uprate the springs or increase tension without searching for new arms?

I was also wondering how hard you guys push your cars on the road? I can't get out of my head that this particular car is the same age (registered 20 days after my I was born) as me and if it is a fragile then....... ;)

I don't intend to thrash it of course but I read that these high compression motors can be highly strung, so do I need to treat her with kid gloves and drive like a sunday driver on Bromide or can I relax and push her somewhat on these lovely Swiss mountain roads I have so near?
The engine was a complete 'bottom upwards' rebuild 2 years ago (with conversion to unleaded fuel) but I have no record as to the competence of the builder.

Cheers!

Allan (nervous but straining at the bit :) )
A M Wakefield

Weak springs in wiper arms is bad news. Higher road speed causes wind lift that can pick the wiper completely off the glass. Good news is, wiper arms I bought from Moss Motors USA two years ago have good strong springs and stay seated firmly on the glass. They do slow the wipers a bit, but at least they work at road speed.
Barney Gaylord

Use RainX on your windshield and you almost don't need the wipers.

Dive it however you wan't to, It really isn't that delicate. The weakest part is the cooling system, if it's running under 212 (100C) it's close to bullit proof. Watch for brake fade if you are running in the mountians a lot.
John H

Hi Allan. If your MGA is in good overall condition, you dont have to baby it, but you do need to respect it. My 1500 roadster is a daily driver, and gets driven hard all year, except when it is put away for winter storage. Back in 1980, I drove my MGA on a several thousand mile journey from Ontario Canada to Nova Scotia Canada, and back! People along the way thought I was crazy driving such a long distance! THe car ran great! High revs are no problem as long as fluid levels remain adeqate. Barney Gaylord drove his MGA to Alaska and back! So dont worry too much about babying your MGA. These little cars are tough, and generally pretty reliable once the bugs are worked out. Hope this helps! Glenn
Glenn

This thread was discussed between 13/05/2007 and 16/05/2007

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