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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Attaching bonnet hinge

I'm loving my recent purchase of Poj, a 1977 midget in reasonable condition and certainly great fun. I've noticed that only one of the bonnet hinges is not actually attached to the rest of the car! Having had a poke about with both the unattached and attached hinges I'm struggling to see what it is that needs to be done to secure both sides. Any instructions, diagrams or pictures greatfully received. Thanks Clover
C Heather

There is a long bolt which passes through the rear of the hinge, from side to side.

You need to look up under the dash to see it.
Dave O'Neill2

Seriously.... what is up with that euro hinge. That is one convoluted apperatous

Here is the usa, we have a sissor hinge (thank god))... its simple, reliable, and works fine

Was it because lucas thought the us market was just a bunch of hicks and needed a simple hinge for simple minds..LOL

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop, The scissor hinge was introduced especially for the USA cars because some over-safety concious cotton wool wrapping zealot thought that the simple hinge and single bolt arrangement of the UK cars would allow the bonnet to shear off and injure the driver and passenger in a front end collision. The scissor hinge is supposed to prevent this.

In reality if you have a front end crash sufficient to push the bonnet back through the windscreen and as far as the seats, then you are not going to be looking at your best anyway. Probably better to snip your head off with the edge of a bonnet at that stage. Much cleaner and neater and nothing more to worry about.
Guy W

Guy, while I agree with you, I do have to say that I appreciate the extra space behind my instrument panel that the scissor hinge does provide!

Prop, while I also agree with you, you do have to admit the scissor hinge is not simpler, it is a great deal more complicated, and more expensive to manufacture (and has more wear points that are, as it turns out, not serviceable). It is, however, far easier to put on and to take off though!


":o)

Norm


Norm Kerr

I can agree with that....I was just feinging discontent. But from what ive heard the uk version is not childs play, I recall several years back some kid on here had a shop attach his uk hinge and the price tag was obscene ...like several hundred dollars


One thing to remember ... with the steering column essentially being little more then a steel spike... that will enter the chest hopefully killing you instantly while pinning you securaly to the seat to provide a good level angle of attack for the bonnet to cleanly slice off the head at the top of the throat. So id think the uk hinge would be perfectly fine here

Creappy crackers batman...lol

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 29/06/2013 and 30/06/2013

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