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MG MGA - Soft Top has shrunk!

The vinyl soft top on my MGA is in quite good condition but unfortunately seems to have shrunk and is so tight as to be pretty much unusable. I tried leaving it out in the sun on a hot day the other day and got very little improvement. It's very difficult to attach it to the windscreen and I can't do all the fasteners up. I suspect I'll have to buy a new one but it seems a shame as it is otherwise in pretty good condition.
It occurred to me that it might be possible for someone to extend the soft top slightly by adding a strip of fabric around the bottom edge where it attaches to the body. So my question is has anybody tried this and did it work?
Also, can anyone recommend an upholsterer near Sheffield UK?
Alternatively, does anyone in the UK have a serviceable second hand hood they want to sell?
All long shots, but you never know!
Cheers
Pete
Pete W

Pete

you are pretty close to Bob West. Might be worth giving him a call. He used to have an upholsterer working for him (Les). I'm not sure if he is still there.

If you don't know Bob, he is in Pontefract. 01977 703828.

Steve
Steve Gyles

OK, thanks Steve, I'll give him a try.
Pete
Pete W

Pete
I find my vinyl softop is really difficult to put up in really cool weather and even more so if it has been stored folded up for a long period.

The vinyl, is very stiff when it is cold and seems to shrink, so it makes installing it very difficult, sometimes it is almost impossible to get the holes in the front rail to reach the pins on the top of the windscreen.

I usually try to fit it as best I can, then put a blower heater inside the car (on a low setting) for a few minutes to soften the vinyl and this usually does the trick.

Les at Bob Wests is a real character and an excellent upholsterer, so it is well worth a visit.

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Thanks Colyn,
It sounds like I need to visit Bob West and Les some time, regardless of the soft top.
I think my priority with the hood will be to get it so that I can put it up relatively easily (I don't think MGA hoods are ever actually easy!). I'm going to see a trimmer in Rotherham soon to see what he can do. I'll report back! The other option is a new hood, but I'm a bit reluctant to spend too much on an item that is folded away most of the time!
Pete
Pete W

Pete, I hardly ever drove with the hood up but after it had been stored for most of the year I would fit the side curtains, place a blower heater inside and leave it flat out for 2/3 hours. It would then stretch into place with two people pulling very hard! All this done in direct sunlight! What seemed impossible eventually happened!
Good luck, Barry.
Barry Gannon

Cheers Barry,
We have heaters here in the UK, the sunshine tends to be a bit more of an issue!
Pete
Pete W

This thread was discussed between 05/05/2025 and 19/05/2025

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