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 MGB Technical - Chrome Grille Plinth securing

G'day to all,

Trying to fit the correct (for MKII 1969), grille to my mgb roadster, and have no idea how the base of the badge plinth is secured to the grille!
The attached picture is found in the catalogues of most suppliers and makes no mention of any securing screws or bolts.
Any advise please, before I begin "damaging" the plinth!

Kev Simonsen
TF6288


K Simonsen

Kev
Long time since I've done one of these but if the old memory is working there's a screw that screws straight up from underneath the grille
You have to have the grille out to get at it
I think there's two different plynths as well depending on which badge you have--With one the badge has a stud that goes through the plynth and the grille and has a washer and nut on the back
Can't remember exactly about the other one but I think the plynth gets srewed to the grille with a self tapper then the badge hides the head of the screw

willy
William Revit

Here you go -----

https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mgb-and-gt-forum.1/how-to-affix-badge-plinth-to-grille.3789645/
William Revit

Item number 14 is listed by Moss Europe as "Screw, self tapping, No.6 X 1/2", countersunk, plated" and the plinth (item 13) has two countersunk holes just above horizontal centre (with four corner bevelled holes) so I guess, don't know, that the plinth is screw fixed before the badge (12) covers all the holes and two affixed screws.

There is also what looks like a countersunk hole at the base of the plinth upright but I don't know if that's a fixing point or not

In the drawing the screws appear to fix from behind which may be wrong as the countersunking to the two holes is at the front facing of the plinth.

Never trust drawings, even factory ones, databases or information (including from me) without checking other reliable sources.

I hope that all makes sense and helps.



Nigel Atkins

Well, Willy posted twice whilst I was looking for a decent photo of the plinth, and I didn't even see his posts, Sod's Law, you look away for a couple of minutes . . . 😃
Nigel Atkins

Bit strange that NigelA
The time on your post is around 20mins earlier than when I didit---you would have posted before I set eyes on it-----I wouldn't have bothered if I'd known you were onto it----nice pic,tells the story
willy
William Revit

Willy, Nigel,

Many thanks for that information guys. This plinth thingy has taken forever to arrive in my hands, here in the land of Ozz. It would seem they akin to rocking horse teeth!
The base of the plinth has a mere pin hole and I thought it wise to find out more before I start drilling it. I now have all the grille bits ready to assemble and fit to my '69 B. My preference is the slated, chrome grille over the black, recessed affair currently fitted to MG.944.

Kev S
TF6288


K Simonsen

Poo, more like. They usually have teeth with the bit between them.
paulh4

Kev,
personally I prefer the black honeycomb grille but with a black and red badge instead of red, I'd have to tie in with the centre shaping on the front of the bonnet - but I wouldn't be that bothered that I'd spend money on such stuff unless I was selling the car.

I don't mind the slatted grille on the earlier cars but IMO it looks overheavy and buck-toothed on the MG midgets.
Nigel Atkins

Willy,
either your viewing device is playing up or you misread the times or the time you saw originally was when I perhaps first posted before all the editing I have to do to get my posts half readable.

I can sometimes start a post and then get interrupted and it could be 20 minutes, or more, later I press 'Submit', then I have the 15-minute window to edit to get it readable or close to what I think I mean and sometimes I need longer and miss the edit guillotine or someone else posts and my edits are only half complete.

I can't remember what happened yesterday but I know I took a while finding a decent photo and submitted my post without seeing yours especially the one with the link as I wouldn't have posted and 10 hours later is too late to delete the post.

I've only just noticed the price of that plinth £65-£72, that wouldn't go on until sales time for sure!

Nigel Atkins

Willy / Nigel,
Have you factored in the end of BST last weekend??!!
Regards
Charles
Charles9

I have to agree with you Nigel, the honeycomb grille is the better looking of the two, and would look so good on a black car! But the old slated one has been hanging off the ceiling for too long, just screaming to be "cleaned up" and fitted.

I spent far too much money getting the old TF up and running and unfortunately for the B, it has to take "second best". So while the TF is a beauty in my eyes, the B is so much more a pleasure to drive.

Paul, poo is found in fields. In Ozz they are called paddocks and other names apply!

Thanks for the help and advise all. Stay safe.

Kev S
TF6288



K Simonsen

Charles,
too early for BST but you never know with computers.
Nigel Atkins

Kev,
that grille looks lovely and shiny pity to get it dirty on the car, leave it on your garage wall. 😀
Nigel Atkins

Nice grille Kev and the correct one for the car, i like it
And Nigel, I may have misread the times ,but I'll never admit it ,

Keep smiling
willy
William Revit

Willy,
we'll say nuffink and no one need know, I 'aven't seen you, right, mum's the word.
Nigel Atkins

Kev - that's the point, you never find any coming from a rocking-horse! "Rare as hen's teeth" is another one perhaps more suited to maiden aunts. Well, the sort of maiden aunts that were around when I had any. These days they probably say what you find in paddocks.

But back to grilles. The recessed or 'fishmouth' grille wasn't liked as the replacement for the slatted so was soon replaced by the honeycomb, and I know a number of owners retro-fitted the slatted, in pal's case keeping the bright strip across the front of the bonnet as the rest was just a bolt-on mod. But these days they are 'all the rage' to use another adage and people are putting them back. Changing from the fishmouth can lead to another problem where the bonnet seems flatter than the top of the grille, leaving gaps at each end.
paulh4

This thread was discussed between 06/11/2021 and 09/11/2021

MG MGB Technical index

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