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 Midget and Sprite Technical - Small project ideas for winter evenings

I thought this might be a good thread for exchanging ideas on mini-projects for dark winter evenings.

So here's a simple idea that I think I have posted before.
The photo says it all really, - its a little device made out of a bit of scrap alluminium. The final version was then smoothed and polished a bit, with a hole added so I can put it on a key ring. The angle at one end is for fliping open the over-centre catches that fasten the header rail to the top of the screen frame. On cold winter days when the roof is taught and your fingers cold these can be quite hard to open.

The other forked end slips under the tennax fasteners for releasing the hood - again these can be difficult to release with cold fngers in the winter.


GuyW

Great stuff Guy. I hate tenacity fasteners in the cold.
Dave Squire

And I hate predictive spelling as well!
Dave Squire

I need to make one!
Daniel

...you could always keep your roof down...

I'll get me coat [I'll need it!]
David Cox

Your gadget is so useful and popular that nobody dares to post another project, Guy.

Several of my winter evenings will be spent fettling my sidescreens. Pressing the damp felt evenly into the groove while keeping the bit you've done from coming out is, I remember, a task requiring time and enormous patience - possibly more than I possess.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Some of my Tenax fasteners are Tenacity ones. I'm copying Guy's tool immediately.

My winter project is an entire P6. But little ones to amuse me in the living room include a shift light for the K-midget.
Rob Armstrong

Yes, well maybe even with global warming the winter might outlast the making of a small bit of bent metal!

I thought there might have been a flood of ideas, but maybe its not wintery enough yet. Anyway here's another offering.
A driver's side parcel tray. It matches the height of the standard one (UK cars) but because of the steering column is only half the width. Its still usefull as an odments tray - phone, screen demister pad, sunglasses for that low winter sunshine, wallet - that sort of thing. Photos to follow should explain all. :-)



GuyW

And secured in place

GuyW

And a padded roll edge made from vinyl wrapped around some pipe lagging to finish it off - and to match my version of the full width passenger side one.

GuyW

Guy

Parcel tray is a splendid idea. I'm nicking it forthwith...

Oggers

A nice idea.

I have a metal passenger side shelf and once fitted it was very solid and as I fitted the factory padded edge to the shelf it occurred to me that the shelf was too solid in case of an accident and could cause damage to legs or knees so I drilled a whole load of holes with the idea that it would crease up lessening potential damage.

Whilst it may seem that legs and knees might be below the shelves in an accident this may not be the case, possibly one of the reasons the original shelf is a cardboardy type construction.
Nigel Atkins

My right knee entirely fills that bit all the way up to the dash. No neat shelf for me!
Rob Armstrong

That's one of my need to do projects make a sheet metal try and attach the original door to it and just pop rivet it intonthe cavity... lucky for me no one is stupid enough to ride shotgun so hurting someone in a crash is not an option

My project this year is to run the accept cable backwards and see if I can get more life out of a cable beyond 3/4 months.... timeband weather are the issue that hinders my approach


Prop
1 Paper

This thread was discussed between 20/11/2017 and 23/11/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS now