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 - Season start with problems

As so many times before, I need advice. I took the car out of the barn where it has hibernated since the middle of November. The good thing was, it started almost immediately!
I checked the oil. However, I was not able to lock the bonnet afterwards, only the front handle gripped inside. This has been a problem from when I bought the car. I asked a workshop to fix, they said they did, but this problem is still there.
I have vinyl roof. For some reason I cannot get it folded right, the whole thin is about 25-15 cm high, which means I can't fit the tonneau cover. And I could not get the roof up either, we were two persons trying to drag it to the front window. No success.
I am beginning to think this car is not for someone as clumsy as me, but I would hate to have to sell it for this reason.
Some comfort here?
Raymond Wardenaer

I have vinyl roof. For some reason I cannot get it folded right, the whole thin is about 25-15 cm high, which means I can't fit the tonneau cover. And I could not get the roof up either, we were two persons trying to drag it to the front window. No success.

From Paul,
Raymond, Did you try to lubricate the hinge areas on the tops frame work? The binding might be there and causing your problem with that. It shouldn't work that hard. Actually it should be very easy! PJ
Paul S Jennings

On latching the bonnet, sometimes you have to push in on the handle a little and it will catch the latch piece. As for the hood, I pull the loose part at the rear and then put the system down and fold the loose part over the top of the now pushed down frame and then the tonneau should fit. vynal tops tend to shrink if not in the up position during storage from what I have seen
Tom Maine

Thank you for very prompt comments, both of you!
Paul, it has been easy for three years, but suddenly it is impossible. It must have shrunk.And it was 12-15 cam I meant to say.
Tom, I am pushing VERY hard, but it does not catch the latch piece. As for the hood, I shall go down in my garage again tomorrow and try once more.
Raymond Wardenaer

Try latching the rear latch 1st.
Put the car out side in the sun for a few hours then try the top & toneua, after it has warmed up.
Len Fanelli

Leave the front latch unlocked. Then apply pressure to top rear of bonnet where it touches the rubber molding strip. Mine is a very tight fit at that point and I must push there till I feel the bonnet top pop into the rubber. Only then will the rear latch engage. Then latch the front.
Hope this might help,
Ed
efh Haskell

Raymond: If you are mechanically inclined you can try the adjustment of the bonnet here:

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_bonnet.htm

I also support leaving the car in the sun for a few hours to warm up the top. In fact maybe you can put some books on the front edge while it is the sun to pull it down into place by stretching it. This might take a number of hours or even days.

You can follow the instructions for folding the top here:

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_stow_hood.htm
Chris Couper

Len,
Put the car in the sun? Remember, this is Norway. They may not see sun for months yet. <grin>
Lew Palmer

Lew, you know about this being Norway! Well, the sun never leaves Oslo, that only happens north of the Polar Circle. (See image, taken just at midnight in summer, north of the Polar Circle). But you are right, it is still close to zero during the nights, but the sun tries to warm up during the days. Today, no sun, only cold rain.
And to the others, I have always fastened the back latch first. But today, that was impossible, and fastening the front latch was better than nothing.


Raymond Wardenaer

Raymond, don't give up yet!!

Do you have a TD or a TF?

Tom
'54 TF
T Norby

Raymond, I have the same problem with latching the right rear side bonnet of my TD. If I push DOWN AND IN at on the handle at the same time, the latch will lock. Perhaps you can try that?
Jim Merz

Raymond,
Are you folding the roof according to the WSM? If you just fold it back with the material between the bows it would be quite bulky.

As others have suggested you need to put some warmth into the vinyl so that it will stretch to the windscreen. Try putting it up and gently heating it from the inside with a hair dryer. This worked for me when the MGB roof had not been fitted for a couple of years.
Max Irvine

Tom, I have a TD 1953. And where are you from in Norway?
Raymond Wardenaer

Raymond
I thought you had a TF...
As far as my Norwegien ancestors, they came from Urskog to the US in the 1880's. Is that near you?
Thanks for asking.

Tom
T Norby

Hello Tom,

this is the homepage of the municipality of Urskog, og Aurskog-Høland which is the full name now:

http://www.aurskog-holand.kommune.no


50 miles away from where I live in Oslo, Aurskog is an area where people are living off the land, agriculture, forests and some fishing in the many lakes. A quick check of Yellowpages show quite a few with the family name Nordby with a D in Aurskog. That is the traditional way of spelling your name here in Norway.

Aurskog is also the home of an old narrow track railway line which is still running in the tourist season:

http://www.u-hb.no/index.php

The railway was established in 1896, and was in ordinary service until 1960.


regards,

Jan
Jan Emil Kristoffersen

Jan and Raymond,
Yes, I know about Norway. I lived in Copenhagen in the 1980s and was all set to move to Oslo but was transferred to the US instead. I had rented a house in the Sandvik area of Oslo, had my daughter enrolled in school, and was about to be the technical manager for NCR Norge before all fell through.

Cheers,
Lew
Lew Palmer

Interesting! I guess NCR crashed in the general collapse of the Norwegian economy about 1990. We had just bought and reconstructed our house, and paid 16,5% interest on the loan. I still dont understand how we got through that, with three school kids and lots of things to spend money on.

I will be driving through Sandvika this morning, albeit not in my TF..

regards,

Jan
Jan Emil Kristoffersen

This thread was discussed between 05/04/2014 and 08/04/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

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