MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Battery hold down J hooks

Talk about minutia - I just won first TF at Gof after my 8 year too long restoration. I have the two J hooks that hold the battery hold bar and go thru the sides of the metal compartment that holds it. I have the hooks on the compartment (sheet metal) facing out away from the battery. Someone said that is backwards and the J hooks should go thru the outside and point in toward the battery. Anyone have an opinion on this?
Keith
K E MURPHY

I don't have any idea what is right or wrong but I would assume that it is better to have a long smooth surface closest to the battery rather than the pointed end of the J hook pointed toward the battery case just in case it slides to one side or the other.
Jim Merz

Talk about nitty gritty. Congrats on your restore by the way...

I never seen this question come up. I think the only way to definitely know is to look at period factory photos / magazine adds that depict a picture of under the bonnet.

Frank Cronin

That is so cool that someone really knows the detail to that degree! I guess if it's illustrated in some factory manual or photo it could be verified. But for someone to know that is very cool!
On the other hand... that's why I just build them close to what I think is factory standards but I just don't make myself crazy over stuff. Although, if in fact the hooks should face towards the battery then that's the way mine will be also. I gotta put the hooks on to hold the battery in place so why not do it the way the factory did it. Fun times!
Congrats on your First place! Have any photos you can post?
L Staller

Congratulations on your win!

In Figure N.21, page N.15 of the WSM the hooks appear to point away from the battery.

Joe
Joe Olson

Why should one expect that questioner to have been 'an expert'? I would expect the hooks to go toward the outside. But then again, maybe TFs are different from TDs. Bud
Bud Krueger

I think I would show "someone" this!

Although I would not be surprised when "someone" tells you the WSM is wrong! LOL

David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

It's absolutely amazing how many experts (has been drip under pressure) are out there. I just tell them thank you and do it the way I either know or the way I want things to be. Our TD is a driver (my wife is presently getting groceries with it), so it is not important to me that every little nitty gritty is the way the experts (see above) think it should be (it Chris says it should be one way or the other, I'll listen to him). Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

We're wasting our time on this ???

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Doesn't common sense say the smooth side not the sharp end of the hook should go on the battery side! Right or wrong, that's how mine are going. I value the battery more than the appearance of where the hooks should be. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Thanks guys, I too think it doesn't matter and I always have had the hooks pointing out, just seems natural!
K E MURPHY

Different factory workers could well have done it differently.

Remember, the factory was never concerned with "originality".
Lew Palmer

There is a very easy way to tell what is correct. Mount them both ways and see which one has the hooks most perpendicular to the hold down bracket.
Christopher Couper

Concourse correct: facing East.
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

Given that proper Brits eat with the fork upside down, I would not be surprised if the factory had the hooks inwards ;-). However, the WSM picture suggests that engineering thinking prevails here.
Rgds
Mike
Mike Fritsch

I took both "T"s to a car show last year. Watched one of the judges walk around the TD and make some marks on his clip board and I asked him if that was good or bad. He said bad. He told me for example that the TD should have wire wheels...like the chrome ones on the TF that was sitting next to it. Hmmmmm...I told he was mistaken but that I would be happy to point out all of the "non factory" modifications. Needless to say I didn't place.
There were some good moments anyway.

MG LaVerne

That's funny LaVerne. On the other side of the coin, during the 17 month restoration of our 72 MGB, I made sure everything was correct, down to the paint code. Took it to Gatlinburg MG 2006. Setting in a row of about 60 MGBs, we were approached by a very distinguished gentleman and his wife who told me he worked at Abingdon and was one of the designers of our model car. Here's the kicker, he told me our car was the most perfect 72 there and was beautiful! Know what, it didn't even place! First place went to a car that sat next to us with chrome everywhere under the hood, wrong wheels, wrong interior and the trunk was full of clutter with a bolted in hand made wooden parts rack! A lot of people were upset at the awards dinner that our car didn't even get a mention. We brushed it off just knowing an original designer and his wife praised the car for it's perfection. Yes it was a popular vote show and the winners large club went around pooling votes for the club presidents winning car. Go figure. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I was at a very prestigious concours the other day. The judges took the time to tell me that they had never seen a TD so well restored and in such condition which was nice.

Best in my class was a 300 SL Roadster that also took best in show. Second was a Scion? Some weird one off euro car from the 60's that was immaculate. Third was a blinged out TF that was no where as nice as the other 12 cars in the class and had all sorts of 'wrongs'. The first two cars beating me was understandable. The TF hurt. But that is the show world.
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 08/08/2014 and 09/08/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now