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MG MGA - Windscreen Fixings.

Having now got my latest MGA [1600 Mk.1 Roadster] back from the body & paint shop, I've tried to fit the windscreen, but found that the holes through the inner wing through which you fit the mounting bolts have mysteriously vanished!

The slots in the top of the front wings are there OK, as are the sloping guides below these slots, but alas no holes through the inner wings.

I'm hoping that one of the members of this forum has the carpets missing from this inner area and can either measure the positions and dimensions of the necessary fixing holes, or make a template for me. I appreciate that this is asking a lot, but if anyone would like to ring me to get my address, my mobile number is 07763 131708.

Many thanks,

Maurice Standish.
M. Standish

Obvious question Maurice - was the screen there before the paint job?
Art Pearse

Maurice,

The windscreen staunchions each slide into a bracket which is welded to the top of the body flitch just in front of the top of the A-pillar.
These brackets each have two captive nuts welded to them and there are two holes in the side flitch corresponding to these nuts. The staunchions are fixed in place with a couple of 3/8" hex screws.

For my restoration I got replacement flitches from Mike Beakhouse but they came without the staunchion brackets fixed. Not only this but, if I remember correctly, the screw holes were not cut out of the flitches. Maybe this is what has happened to you if you got someone to replace these panels and they forgot to cut the holes!

Have I understood your problem correctly? If so let me have your ema and I can send you some information that might help you...............................Cheers Mike
Mike Moore

Maurice
I'm assuming you have the wings on so you can't see the captive nuts on the sloping brackets. The photo shows the brackets and captive nuts. https://www.cckhistoric.com/tag/mga-restoration/page/2/
I seem to recall that the holes in the inner wings are very large to allow the bolt heads to go through and clamp to the inside of the brackets/stantions. John
John Francis

Morning All,

I bought this car many years ago, without a windscreen or front wings and in a very rough state. I buy all my panels from Mike Beakhouse, and obviously the holes weren't cut out as Mike says. I can see the brackets into which the screen fits through the slot in the top of the wings, but I'll have to have a closer look to check if the captive nuts are there.

It's finding the positions to drill the holes internally that I'm currently looking for, and any help would be appreciated. The car is now painted and all the wings are fitted, so I'm hoping I won't have to remove the front wings if the captive nuts aren't there.

My email address is m.standish521>btinternet.com

Many thanks for the responses.

Maurice.
M. Standish

The captive nits are 3/8-24-UNF thread.
Bolt head is 9/16" across flats.
The clearance holes through the inner wing should be 1-inch diameter to allow use of a socket wrench.

I regularly buy 1" plastic snap plugs to close these holes before installing kick panels. If you do not close these holes you will get a very nasty draft over top of the kick panel during cold weather.

https://www.mcmaster.com/snap-in-plugs
Style 3, Polyethylene Plastic, for 1" ID,
for panel thickness 0.03"-0.08"
9750K26 $5.80/100 (6 cents ea)

The trick here is finding the center point to drill a centering hole before sawing out the 1" clearance hole. SOP would be to slip a centering punch through the captive nut to punch/dimple the inner wing panel for location marking. There is some space inside the wing, after you remove the splash panel, but tight quarters and a long reach to get there without removing the outer wing.
barneymg

Hi Barney,

Thanks for the details. I've spent some time this afternoon taking a closer look and it turns out that that the brackets which hold the captive nuts aren't there either, so it looks as though I'll have to remove the front wings and get the brackets welded in to place. Once these are in position, I can do as you suggest and pop a mark through the bolt holes to mark the drilling position. Bit of a nuisance at this stage!

Maurice.
M. Standish

This thread was discussed between 21/11/2019 and 23/11/2019

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