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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Holes in Frogeye boot

My Frogeye has 4 holes along the leading edge of the rear shroud. I had assumed that these were to fasten the cockpit rail but these are on the upper edge, and therefore not for fixing the aluminium edging strip which goes onto the forward facing flange.

So what are they for? They are equally spaced just 1/2" back from the edge and somehow have an "original" look about them. But they wouldn't match where any standard the hood (or hardtop?) fit. I have checked through Horler and cannot find any photos that show anythng bolted through there.

Anyone else got these?
GuyW

Could they be for the tonneau mounts. My 59 tonneau attaches along the edge of the rear shroud and not at the hood mounting points like shown on page 23 of Terry's book. Those are the original mounting points on mine and when I bought the cover many years ago I had no problem getting a cover to fit. Although mine are a bit further back than 1/2" and there are 5 of them.
Martin

My 1960 has no holes in that area just the hood bar fixing holes further back and later holes for a boot rack. Guy if your rear shroud is like mine then any fasteners going through the holes and stiffener would need a spacer in between to prevent the panel being distorted when doing them up as there's a gap between the shroud and stiffener.
David Billington

Guy did you receive my e mail ?
richard b

Guy

Mine also has no holes in that location. Just the 4 holes for the hood/tonneau fixing bracket/slot.

I wonder if these were for the aftermarket panel that closed off the boot area?
Bob Beaumont

The only thing I can think is that they were for an aftermarket tonneau cover, though I thought they normally extended onto the rear deck, the same as the hood. The holes are very slightly smaller than the ones on the rear wing and the rear deck that are for the normal hood studs. Which sugests that if they were for a tonneau it was a non standard one.

The idea of a firewall panel fixture is certainly another possibility.
GuyW

There used to be a boot divider made by CEP - and I made a version for the Frog many years ago. It tidied up the hole and stopped some of the diff and road noise coming through, but wasn't very practical so it got slung eventually.

f pollock

Sounds to me very much like the fixing holes for a short tonneau.
G Lazarus

This rather expensive and not very well executed restoration has some tonneau pegs in that area. Looks to be about 5 of them.
John Payne

? Link or photo, John?
GuyW

I've decided to fill them.

I have a tonneau already and it is the longer version so I won't want studs there as well. They would probably damage a longer tonneau if I left them.
GuyW

Doh!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Healey-Frogeye-Sprite-Better-than-Original/183829182635?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D6bb7fa77ef5a46b0b6b7a10eef0d2da3%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D183829182635%26itm%3D183829182635&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Ad6a7f3e4-82ea-11e9-bf6b-74dbd180f1fb%7Cparentrq%3A093c4a8f16b0a9e46deb6f55ffcef881%7Ciid%3A1
John Payne

Phew! That's a fair old whack. You would struggle to get that with a concours matching numbers car!
Bob Beaumont

It says it's a 1098 engine, complete with 10CC engine number, but it has a 1275 head.

Thread drift!
Dave O'Neill 2

That over priced Frog has the tonneau pegs in the same place as mine. I'm wondering, since Terry Horler only shows a long tonneau and mentions it in his write-up, and this car was originally for the American market, could the short tonneau been an export variation? Although, of all of the Sprites that I've seen here with a tonneau, mine is the only one I've seen with that arrangement. The other cars around here with tonneau covers have been restored so they may have had the holes filled and gone with the long cover. Just a thought.
Martin

John,
a trick DaveO showed me, shorten the eBay link to just item (itm) and number, thus (hope it works) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183829182635
Nigel Atkins

Dave,

Are you sure it's a 1275 head, I couldn't see enough detail in the only engine photo to tell. I know it can be done as I've done it and the breathing is much improved greatly improving the top end power but the block has to be pocketed to clear one set of valves.
David Billington

Thanks Nigel, yes it was a massive link! They don’t all end up like that for me, seems a bit hit and miss.

That car needs some discussion!!
John Payne

"Are you sure it's a 1275 head"

David,

Yes. The angle of the thermostat housing and heater tap give it away.

I have also fitted a 12G940 head to a 948cc engine. It can be done - with care.



Dave O'Neill 2

Holes gone!

GuyW

Dave,

Thanks for that, I wasn't aware of the orientation differences, I thought it was mainly the difference in the head form next to the thermostat housing. I may have to go and have another look at one of my neighbours frogeye engine as when I looked at it it looked to me to be a 1275 head but when queried he said it wasn't and he built the engine and said it was 998cc and obviously running a Weber DCOE carb.
David Billington

Exciting stage Guy! Ready to 'shoot some colour' as they say on all those US car shows.

I'm also at an exciting stage - starting the engine hopefully in the next few days. Will be months before its on the road but I just want to get it started as its 6 months since building the engine.

Is that a guide coat you've sprayed on? I didn't bother, probably why it looks like the surface of the moon in places! I lost patience in the end. I'm happy with the finish but not the paint adhesion, seems to chip easily.

Hope all goes well.
John Payne

The grey is the first primer coat, over an etch primer. Next will be to dust it over with a guide coat - there is a little on there by the wheel arch, and then start blocking.

That rear shroud panel came off a different car and was a little battered. It has quite a few holes from having a boot rack and of course has new beading fitted as it was welded to the rear wings. The wings themselves are extensively repaired.

GuyW

And replacing this!

GuyW

- "Holes gone! " -

Looks great ! :)
CH Hamon

You're at the stage I'm longing to get to Guy, but I've quite a lot of bumps and imperfections to remove yet. Bodywork seems to be never ending!
Bill Bretherton

Hi Bill,
A tip, if you haven't already tried it offer up the cockpit rear trim alloy rail and check how it fits. My car looks and measures accurately where the shroud joins the wings at the top of the B post. But the short 'horns' on the trim piece don't match as well as they should. Too late now to alter the body tub and I will have to do something about the alloy trim instead. But it is going to be very hard to alter the fit.
GuyW

Guy

If it helps, the fit of the finisher rail is not wonderful. My car has its original deck and rear wings and has never been apart since manufacture. there is still a slight gap!
Bob Beaumont

Guy, thanks but I did use the rail as an alignment guide when welding the rear wings to the deck (new wings, original deck) so it's not too bad there. I think the ends sprang in a bit on removal so there'll still need to be some persuasion to re-fit (as with rest of body......).
Bill Bretherton

The problem with mine is that the rail ends point downwards relative to the curved corners where they come round to meet the top of the B post. It's easy enough
to get the rail to bend to match the curve, but getting it to adjust in the vertical plane is not so easy.
Not insurmountable though, it just needs a stern talking to.
GuyW

This thread was discussed between 29/05/2019 and 31/05/2019

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