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 - Convertible top installation

I've read the archives regarding installing a new convertible top. Is this a project for an ordinary person like me? Is it difficult to fit the header rail? What tools are necessary?

Thanks a lot. I appreciate hearing from anyone who has tackled this project.

Bob Meyer

It's quite straightforward, even more so if you read the appropriate section in Lyndsay Porter's 'Guide to Purchase and DIY Restoration of the MGB', republished as 'The mgb restoration Manual'.
Paul Hunt

The biggest issue is getting a quality top. I bought an E-Z-On that is just way to small. For the most part you need to install on a nice sunny day & buy a new header seal.

The following is a brief summary of how I went about the task. As I said I still feel that the hood material on my 77 B is both too short and too narrow.

To install remove the header bar - 3 bolts each side & take into your shop. Remove the header seal and then the pop rivets (or perhaps screws) on the header bar. Clean and paint the bar. After drying replace the bar into the top folding unit still on the car.

Remove the flat bar from the back of the old hood pay attention to the direction it is installed as it should be slightly curved downwards. You may want to buff and paint it prior to installing in the new hood.

At this point you need to mark the center line of the new fabric and insert the rear bar then attach it to the retainers at the back of the car. Also, attach the snaps on each side.

I placed the new front seal into the retainer strip and closed the header bar with the seal assy just sitting in place (not attached) down onto the windshield.

At this point I began the stretch and mark prior to the actual glueing. I used 3M high tack spray adhesive on the underside of the new hood material to attach the new hood to the header bar.

After geting the fabric attached to the header bar, you need to reattach the front seal retainer strip and install the new seal and trim the ends leaving adequate length.

The final issue is the attaching of the 6 (3 per side) remaining snaps. You should invest in a proper tool for this. I found one at the Home Depot store for under $10.00.

R Hill

Thanks for the responses. I ordered the top and have my fingers crossed.
Bob Meyer

I was a complete Novice at it and it came out wonderfully with a helping hand.
Not nearly as hard as I thought. Rail and all.
I bought the AMCO top.


Elizabeth
Elizabeth

Pretty much as R Hill says except I concentrated on getting the sides of the hood in the right spot on the rail, figuring the middle would sort itself out (and it did)
Above the wind down windows is a piece of sewn on trim (as you know). The surround for the windows. The front of this trim should locate in an indentation just behind the front of the rail, both sides. Roughly about half an inch back. This is so that it doesn't cause too much wind turbulance I guess. On the hood in this area are two tabs of material that go under those two square plastic blocks on the header rail. These are the blocks that locate exactly on top of the windscreen side pillars when the Hood is up. For your initial fitting prior to glue, locate the "front of the side bits of trim" in the right location using these blocks and tabs ie clamp/screw the tabs under the blocks. This makes it very easy becasue then you can trial fit the hood to the car with the sides fixed in the right location, and as Mr. Hill says, firmly pull/stretch the middle part of the hood into position and mark where the material will fold over the front edge of the rail. I found it easiest to pull the material over the outside of the windscreen and just mark the front edge of the rail rather than trying to pull it through from the inside. Use chalk, pensil or something you can wipe off afterward, of course.
Then take it off the car and glue with contact adhesive.
When it's all glued down, and the front seal riveted back into place (use aluminium rivets), then cut off the excess material.
YOu might want to shake out the old rivits from the header rail before you do all of this. Theres a hole on one end for this.
Peter

This thread was discussed between 10/08/2004 and 14/08/2004

MG MGB Technical index

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