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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Roll over bar + soft top question

Hi All,
Does anyone have a rollhoop fitted and STILL keep their soft top on?
If you do, which rollover bar ( if you know) do you have?
Cheers colin
colin frowen

I'd have thought most would be like that. I've had a 1500 with a factory pattern type and currently got one on my CB that says Britax on it but not sure where it was from as it was on it when I bought it.

At the moment I'm thinking of taking mine off for a number of reasons.

1/ Unless you can prove it is a factory fitted option it will be classed as a modification and in my case attracted a £20 hike in insurance premium.
2/ You won't be able to use your tonneau cover unless you drasticaly modify it.
3/ If you fit alternative seats, I fitted MGF, they get in the way of seat belts (the straps get caught between seat back and roll bar) and seat back (can't get it back far enough).

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit


Hi Colin

I have a Roll Centre bar fitted and the soft top and hard top both fit with no problem.

Roll Centre to two bars. Mine is the older style with slimmer tubes (38mm I think). This does not comply with MSA regulations for new bars but, as it was certified before a certain date, it is still acceptable for track use in speed events. Roll Centre provided a copy of the certificate in case proof was required, so far it has not been. You would need to check the MSA 'Blue Book' if you are thinking of racing.

Roll Centre also do a more substantial bar that meets current regs but with that in place you cannot use one of the roofs, and I think it's the soft top that won't fit.

I originally bought a Safety Devices bar but found that it mounts on the seat belt mountings which I did not want as I want to be able to use the original belts.

My Roll Centre bar has a harness bar that takes the rear straps of a four point harness. The legality of using four point harnesses on the road is questionable. Although my Safety Devices harness has a normal, single hand operation catch, with the belt on you can't lean forward to see what's coming at junctions. This is one reason why I've also retained the original static belts which I'm hoping to replace with inertia belts in due course. Having a harness bar means that the rear straps are at the correct angle when in use. Rear straps bolted to the floor above the axle might be at too steep an angle to be safe.

My driver's seat was from a later Spridget and had a head restraint. I found that the shoulder straps would tend to slide off (probably due to my round shoulders that my Mum was always telling me off about!). I now have a Sparco Sprint seat in place and, with the belts passing through holes in the back, the belts stay in place perfectly.

I have declared all my modifications to my insurers, Peter James, and, though it's a bit more than other forum members have quoted, it is still very reasonable.

I don't have a tonneau cover but I agree with Rob - it would need a lot of modifications.

Picture of the bar on my car below. A couple more pics of other bars to follow.


Colin Mee

The newer Roll Centre bar. I think you can't use the soft top with this one

Colin Mee

Here's the Safety Devices bar. They also do one with a harness bar across the back.

You might find that none of the suppliers carry Spridget bars in stock and you might have to wait a while until they have enough orders to make up a batch. I'm not sure where Roll Centre bars are made but I know the Safety Devices ones are imported. Having said that, Roll Centre staff were very obliging and I didn't have to wait for long.

Others will be able to confirm this but I think the older Roll Centre is the same as the original highly rated Alley Bar.

I hope some of this is useful!

Cheers

Colin

Colin Mee

PS

Having the harness bar really limits what you can stow behind the seats!

C
Colin Mee

I took mine off and will not refit it unless I am about to do a track day.

I just do not like the thing but it did not stop the soft top from fitting.

I hadn't thought about it counting as modified, but as my insurer is happy with the list of mods I already have on it I don't think that would be an obstacle.
bill l

I bought an Aero bar without the vinyl covering off ebay, but the mounting points (mk3 Sprite) fouled the seat belt mountings and my MGF seats also made it difficult to fit. So It was sold.
I know they are an extra safety measure, but I think they spoil the look of the car.

Bernie.
Bernie Higginson

I had one that allowed to have the roof operating normally but it really spoiled the car.
With the roof down it ruined the lines of the car, the seats could not be adjusted to the position I needed, the seat belts were awkward to use and it looked more like a boy-racer car than a classic, not to mention the insurance issues.
I was glad to get rid of it and enjoy my car again.
JB Anderson

This thread was discussed between 10/10/2014 and 12/10/2014

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