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 - Installing Side Curtains

The side curtain frames are back from the powder coaters. I'm not thrilled with the color - more of an olive drab than tan - but they look good and once installed and stowed in the box in the boot they'll rarely be seen. I also forgot to remove the patent plate so it's powder coated along with the rest of the frame. I have a plate from another set (for a three bow top if anybody is interested in them) and I may someday transfer that plate to these frames.

The question now is locating the support studs. The PO installed the front studs I guess just where they looked right because they are 1-1/2 to 2 inches too low. Fortunately, the rear studs are not installed at all.

It seems to me that the front of the front fram should be parallel to the windscreen as shown in the picture attached but it also seems that the rear vertical on the front frame should be parallel to the front vertical on the rear frame - not like in the attached picture but more like in the nexxt picture.

J K Chapin

The problem is that if I raise the front of the rear frame enough to make the verticals parallel the front of the rear frame is about 3/4 to 1 inch higher than the back corner of the front frame - see picture.

Which is right? I can probably go either way and hide everything with the side curtain panels. I'm inclined to make the verticals parallel and make up the difference in height through the location of the side curtain panels.

Thanks.

Jud

J K Chapin

Jud, do you think it is possible that you may have a mixture of side curtain frames from two bow and three bow tops?
(Front from two bow and rear from three bow?)
Jim Merz

I'm going to suggest Jim is on to something. Moss somewhere has a pdf that gives measurements and specs for each curtain frame and style so you can figure out which ones you have/need.

Alex
Alex Waugh

In the attached photo you can see how I arranged the frames, trying to distribute gaps at the windscreen, the top and between frames (mine is a three-bow frame).

Once sure that frames are correct for your top (as Jim suggests), you can slightly bend them to improve the fitting.

In addition, I recommend testing as early as possible how the covers will lay with respect to the door and hood: check that they effectively close the door openings and that the clear plastic windows will be inside the frame, when you cut the canvas.

Jesús

J Benajes

As this second photo shows, even after adjusting the frames, the covers did not fit, and in spite of having been supplied in one set by the same vendor, the rear are shorter at the front edge.

J Benajes

Here's part of the Moss pdf showing the comparison of the TC, TD 2-Bow, TD 3-Bow and TF side curtain frames. Assuming the Moss information is correct, I have the correct 2-Bow frames for my 2-Bow top.

Jud

J K Chapin

See http://www.ttalk.info/Curtains/index.html for the Moss side curtain files. Bud
Bud Krueger

Hi Jud, looking at the first picture it appears that the front vertical frame member on the rear frame is parallel with the rear edge of the door whereas the front one has the rear vertical at an angle. I therefore assume the rear sidescreen is in the correct position and the front of the front screen needs to be moved down. This, of course, makes the front sidescreen not meet the windscreen correctly. Is it possible that the windscreen is not at the right angle and is tilted slightly too far back? I assumed the body to windscreen brackets are for a TD and not a TF??
Cheers, Hugh
H.D. Pite

I agree that the rear vertical of the front frame and the front vertical of the rear frame should be in a line with the door hinge line so I'm planning on going with the second image. I've got a trip for next week so I won't be able to do much on the side curtains but I'll put the hood up, hold the panels up to the frames and see if I'm going to be able to go with the arrangement in image 2. I'm pretty sure the windscreen brackets are TD. Moss shows different part numbers for TD and TF but not enough detail to tell what's different.

Jud
J K Chapin

That front frame looks more like the TC image. Some measurements of the overall width would help.
Chris Couper

Jud, the TF stantions set the windscreen at a different angle from the TD ones which are more upright.
The casting number for the TD stantions are: X1516 and X1517. For the TF: X1749 and X1750. These numbers are on the inside of where the stantion attaches to the body. You cannot see them unless it is removed.
Cheers, Hugh
H.D. Pite

Thanks Hugh. I know that the side supports are X1513 and X1514 and that they fit the stantions but I don't know if that proves that the stantions are correct for a TD. I'll pull one off and take a look and maybe use that as an excuse to try to route the wiper wire where it should be.

Jud

J K Chapin

Hi Jud, I believe the side supports for the TD and the TD are the same. The ones for a TC are not the same.
Cheers, Hugh
H.D. Pite

This thread was discussed between 15/04/2014 and 18/04/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join this live forum now