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MG TD TF 1500 - Installing a nue Hood

Dear "T" brothers
Allrighty then ..lets get this one started this way.
Yes, the 60's were very hard on the remaining brain cells! So totally comsumed for the past years by the "details" that the obvious has slipped through the cracks! Whilst installing the new hood purchased from LBC...(excellent quality looking piece I might add!)a few things have come up!

TOP mgtf, BLACK SUNFAST/MOHAIR GENUINE UK (243-750DM)
Couple of dumb questions....(could the directions be any more vague).....
1: What is the intended purpose for the extra "strip" of material supplied with the top....where does it go?
2: This could be very interesting....my car is a 55 TF 1500 ...by all acounts should be a 3 bow frame....
I never even noticed ...but my frame is actually a 2 bow! Am I going to encounter problems attempting
to install this top on the 2 bow frame I have?
3: Has anybody ever been this stupid before not to notice this? At dinner the wife and I did come to the conclusion that the hood has only been up 5 times in the last 3 years!

Ok the "purest" will insist that I scrap the 2 bow and purchase the "correct" 3 bow frame...from the "realest" point of view....is the biggest (aside from "headroom") differance that the rear window on the TF is somewhat larger than that of the earlier TD's?

At least I have some assurance that I am not the only one out there "a few fries short of a happy meal"....a while back I possed a question about "dying" the side curtains to beter match the new hood. Tonite figured out that the reason the side curtains are so fadded is that they are on the frames inside out! They faded so badly because the material intended to be on the inside of the car is on the outside...the inside looks great having been protected by being on the inside of the car all these years...this one will be an easy fix. Those out there that are "audio-intelegent" will understand that me curtains are out of phase!
Cheers,
David 55 TF 1500
David Sheward

David - It is my understanding that the hoods are not interchangable between the 2 bow and 3 bow frames. Just looking at the difference in the 2 & 3 bow hoods when they are erected, I would suspect that you will have excess material between the front header rail and the rear window and as a result, the rear window will be too low - not to mention the entire back (or front depending which end you work from) will not fit correctly. Have you checked with Jeff Zorn to see if you can affect a trade with him for a 2 bow hood? (Thank goodness this hasn't happened in my case - I am just now starting to install a hood that I purchased about three years ago). Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Jeff was super fast on a reply...by the time I put up this post to see if anybody here had come across this before he had answered my email letting me know he had sent a fax to the UK inquiring from his supplier as to my concern! He said he should have an answer tomorow for me. I have had this for nearly a year and I am very impressed by his quick service! I am wondering if my best bet won't be to get a new one sent out and let my installer fit both over the frame to see what will fit the best. My fear is that I might now encounter some type of hybrd frame work has been done in the past as there was a broken weld that I fixed before painting and there were clear signs that the frame had been fixed to the car in two seprate locations in the boot.
I had noticed this when working on the car and I had filled all the old holes thinking it would be best to re-drill and start fresh rather than tap into old lose
screw holes.
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

Oh bother.....
My "fear" of going to a 3 bow frame at this time is if the side curtains will then not fit! The old hood was a good fit (curtains as well) ...just not sure what my PO used to acheive the end result.
David
David Sheward

Dave, since you have no idea about what the former owner may have done to your car, I would be mighty careful before starting with your top installation. First, there are 2 bow top frames from a TC as well as a TD although the probability is that you have one from a TD. A TD 3 bow top is different than a TF 3 bow top as are the top frames. The side curtains and frames are different for the TC, TD 2bow and TD 3 bow and the TF 3 bow. It would be best to swap frames to be assured that you have a TF 3 bow frame so any mass produced tops will fit your car. I would also compare your side curtain frames with those of another TF to comfirm that you have the correct frames. It seeems to me that not taking these preliminary steps invites an unnecessary amount of headaches. For confirmation of the above, look at the different part numbers in a Moss catalog.
As for the extra strip of material, there is some required to cover the wood tacking strip on the front of the frame and as I remember, there were two more stips that ran from front to back. These were located between the top fabric and the bows presumably to minimize the motion wear of the bows against the inside of the top. On my TD two bow top, the top and these strips were fastened at the front, on only one of the two bows and at the rear tacking strip.
Jim Merz

Thanks to everybody who responded...lot's of pic's!
I just love this BBS!...well here's the "up-date":
I believe I have this one solved and won't waste anymore of your time!.....but in case you are curious...........
I did some experiments with the gentleman that is installing my hood this morning...(sure am glad I made the decision to let a pro do this!)
By "clipping" sand bags to the top and stretching it over the frame we have come to the conclusion that the new hood is going to work quite well.
The frame that is on my car is indeed a "custom hybrid" in that the front bow is a bit higher and more forward than that of the two bow TD my installer located
and had in his shop this morning! It actually had a little more head-room than the 3 bow TD that is stored at his shop! The side curtains fit great and will look
like new once they are "phase corrected".
So based on the following ...the nue hood is going on today!
1: I got the bill for my 8 month "minor paint touch-up" ....ouch...the budget is just not there for new frame at this time!
2: We all like the way new hood looks.
3: Summer before last this car was at a very well known shop where it was inspected by a leading "TF Concourse Judge" A 2 page document was given
to me listing all that was "wrong" or "incorrect"....only note on hood was that it was "faded and ill fitting due to poor installation".
4: The TR needs a waterpump and the Olds needs a head before winter gets here and they freeze!
5: The "fun" of continued controversy!!!! She's "one-of-a-kind" (only TF with a 2 bow hood , has large locking extra "trunk space", removable panels to allow access to door hinges for adjustment, "huge" incorrect tires on 60 spoke chrome wheels, work lights under the bonnet and courtesy light in the foot wells, an
electric heater, bound carpet edges, a cig lighter, extra fusing & switches..ect ect) All this just makes me love her more!
6: She's "built" for driving & having fun (MGjoyment) ...not to be hauled around in a trailer to collect trophy's. The vast majority of "mods" that have been done
could be easily "un-done" by someone interested in building a 100% correct concourse example...( I have even saved the old rusty nuts & bolts I replaced with stainless steel)...they can have at it after I die!
7: The hood has been up 5 times in 3 years...ya' can't get bugs in yer teeth with the hood up and side curtains on!

Forecast for Sunday is sunny & warm....we will be "cornering robustly"...finally!

For anybody who has not done busines with Jeff Zorn @ LBC...Jeff's efforts to help me with this have been amazing....I purchased the hood last december and he treated me like it was yesterday...making inquires to the UK on his phone bill and the fastest email relpy's I have seen in my life! If his prices were higher it would be worth it for the service...but they are not..most cases they are lower!

Cheers & Best Regards,
David
David Sheward

Again....thanks to all of you that responded!
(so many pictures!)
As a post-note: Bead-blasted the side curtains prior to fresh coat of paint. Some obvious customizing here as well, once down to bare metal! No doubt so they would fit the "hybrid" hood frame. The conclusion...er ahh..."asumption"....I belive I have an early TD 2 bow frame that was modified to accept a modern TF hood & side curtain "kit". (Nice job on the welds)
Lesson Learned: Take it down to bare metal if you really want to know! Replace the rusty hardware with stainless for the next guy.
Happy Motoring to all,
David 55 TF 1500
David Sheward

This thread was discussed between 24/10/2002 and 26/10/2002

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