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MG TD TF 1500 - Hood Bow Position

My new hood has just arrived from Don Trimming. I can remember them advertising in Practical Motorists forty years ago and experience certainly counts, the hood and side screens are superb and cheaper than MG specific suppliers. I have read up fitting the hood in Horst's book but am not clear on the position of the rear. moveable bow. Do I set the webbing so the bow fits exactly under the seam, just above the window? Up till now I have only driven the car local to my garage in case it starts to rain!

Cheers

Jan T
J Targosz

Jan: Did your hood not come with explicit installation instructions?

Anyway you might want to go through all of the picture in the unrestored gallery and some of the other pictures like my car to get a feeling of exactly where the bows go.

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_gallery.htm
Christopher Couper

Probably wrong (look at Dave's restoration site) but I put mine just aft of the seam. Jud

J. K. Chapin

check Dave Braun's web pages, installing weather equipment
R W Hinton

Jan,
Not sure if you have a TD or a TF but on my 53 TD with a 3 bow hood - it is under the seam and there is a screw that holds the hood fabric to the frame there.
Hope this is of help.

Rod

R D Jones

Thanks to all and especially Rod for the pic which shows exactly what I was looking for. The hood didn't come with instructions but all the screws and fixings were included. The material is exactly the same as Rod's - it has the same pattern underneath and it looks so good I am getting a trimmer to fit the hood to the car. I am afraid of cutting the darts in the front corners. The trimmer will fit in my garage and I will be able to watch as it is fitted.

Jan T
J Targosz

Jan T. I fitted a Don hood on my TF a few months ago. It went very well and the hood is a good fit. The instructions provided are poor to non-existent and there are barely enough fittings, but the cover is excellent. There are disagreements about the rear bow and the two screws. Some say they should go under the flap, which seems to make sense, otherwise why is it there. Others say they should go on top as per the image from Rod Jones. I looked at archived photos to find they were visible and went for the latter option. I also attached the back of the hood with poppers (Lift the Dot) so that it could be removed to give access at the back.
Fitting the side screens is difficult to do well. The frames need bending and adjusting to fit, and the positioning of the covers is a compromise. I couldn't get them to fit perfectly, but they are better than many. Don don't provide any fixings other than the poppers for the strap. You need 6 x 1/8" aluminium flat or domed head rivets that are 3/8" long. I painted them frame beige and put nylon washers under the heads. They were easy to insert and batter down the end to fix in place.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Jan
I got my hood from an upholster in Essex. I cant remember his name but the material has been really good for 20 years with no issues. No leaks and has not shrunk. If yours is the same as mine you will be very pleased I am sure.
Re the screw and cupped washer through the hood
and the fabric covering the hoops. This was the same on both the TD's I have owned. One bought in 1964 in Northern Ireland and the current one purchased in London. 1974.
My only small gripe is the to of the side screen fabric was cut a tad short and does not fit very far up under the valance on the side of the hood. If I was to redo my side screens, I would have made that edge about a 1/4" higher. If you drive up around 70 MPH. It will help hold the side screen to the hood and prevent them pulling outwards.
The wind will go around the gap formed between the front side screen and the windscreen frame but the raindrops just come on strait through :)
On the Autobahn in Germany I was overtaken doing 70 by a large 18 wheeler and almost got a bath...... As far as I know, there is no way to stop the screen form pulling away from the windscreen at speed. Just another joy of driving a TD in the rain :)

Rod

R D Jones

Here is the original screw on the top. Note its also padded!

I am actually surprised this was not painted like the front hidem trim on the same car. Maybe the factory guy got lazy that day :-)



Christopher Couper

Hi Dave,

I have already had problems with the side screen frames especially the front ones. If the bottom angle iron is dead straight and the angled front vertical is in line with the windscreen rebate, it just misses the top dash padding. I suspect that with door slamming it would soon mark it. I have bent the angle iron slightly to give more clearance but I am not there yet.


Jan
J Targosz

Jan
Yes I found that too and have removed paint there in slamming the door as a consequence. You may find a tonneau fastener close by too that prevents the side screen from laying flat against the end of the scuttle. Rotating the pin socket at the back of door to raise and lower the back of the side frame helps positioning, as does correct orientation of the off set hole. Don't forget they have to tuck under the flap along the edge of the hood as well.
Dave H
Dave Hill

This thread was discussed between 22/09/2015 and 23/09/2015

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