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MG MGF Technical - hard top

hi folks,
ive just won a hard top for my car,
my questions is .
is there more than one make??or are all the tops gen mg parts??
also as my car is in b.r.g.the top ive won is in b.r.g aswell.
is there anyway to tell weather it is gen colour/ mg part ,or just a black one sprayed up.

thanks in advance

pat.
pat

Hi Pat, it's a good move getting a hard top for winter. It transforms the car and makes more suitable for winter motoring. Yes there are more than one make. Not sure how you could tell if its a black one sprayed up. Perhaps gently peeling back a little of the edging material would show if it was black. Even if it was black as long as the spray has been done well then I wouldn't think it matters too much. Does the hard top have a heated rear window? It it does do you have the wiring in place to connect it? If not kits are easily available to install the necessary switch and relay. Hope this helps. Robert
Robert Matthews 1

another quick question regarding the hard tops.
are they easy to fit???
does the soft top come off??? or just sit folded??
sorry for some many "newbie" questions.
i will get the hang of this mgf ownership soon. lol lol


cheers
pat.
pat

Just fits over the top of the folded down hood. BUT best to have another person to help you put it on as they are a bit awkward to handle.
Ted Newman

Its also essential to unzip the rear window before folding the hood down. Putting on the hard top is a two person job. It may seem obvious but...after folding down the hood approach with the hard top from the rear... one person either side.... and gently lift into place. Gently settle the hard top into position being careful not to damage the paint work. When it looks about right begin the fastening process starting with the rear two clips behind the seats. If you have the heated rear window connection I find it best to clip that together first. When you have fitted the two rear clips then fasten the two windscreen clips. These should not be too tight a fit. If you have to use a lot of force then the hard top might not be sitting quite right. If that is the case slacken off the rear clips and reposition slightly till you get the front clips to fasten without undue force. Then test your windows to make sure they go up and down correctly and give a good seal around the hard top. Go for a test drive. If you get lots of wind noise then again a reposition might be necessary. I have found that just unclipping one of the front clips whilst driving the car slowly sometimes helps to settle the hard top. When you have done all that just enjoy a comfortable winter drive. By the way, the outer back rim of the hard top does not fit flush with the rear scuttle but rather has a gap of about 1/2 inch all the way round. Hope this helps.
Robert Matthews 1

Just to nit-pick:-

It is recommended to unzip rear window BUT not essential - but if the hardtop is staying on for any time then it is a good idea to have the window laid flat, in fact I always protect it with an old towel and have even been known to fit the original black hood cover, the Mk1 version,before placing the hardtop as this then gives a sort of 'parcel shelf'

One person can put it on - I usually do it on my own BUT if I do then I put an old blanket over the boot, after removing the aerial, this then allows me to position the hardtop a bit at a time without fear of paint damage.
Ted Newman

OEM MGR HardTops sit on the SoftTop Rear rail. One aftermarket, I believe B&G, sits on the body rear of the SoftTop.
We removed the hood,took a scrap frame and stripped the cross bars to fit only the rear rail to mount the HardTop.
A pulley system in the garage roof makes removal o simple one man job.
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

once again, thanks to all for your answers!!!


cheers

pat
pat

It is entirely possible to fit singled handedly. Just grab the trailing edge of the roof with one hand and the edge that sits atop the door window with the other hand. You can then gently lower it onto the car. I would also suggest attaching the front clips first. These are far more carefully engineered than the rear clips. It you have the front clips closed you can be pretty certain that the hard top is correctly aligned.
Patrick

Geoff

Our OEM supplied with car Mk1 1996 hardtop sits on two rubber (or plastic) blocks just backward of the soft top but I grant you it also makes contact with the soft top.

Having said all that the hardtop has sat on the garage wall for the last five years:-)
Ted Newman

Best place for one of those!
C.R.B. Simeon

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2007 and 19/10/2007

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