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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Soft top pops off

Now that the motor is stronger and the Government permits 130 km the front rail of the soft top pops off at 134 km. It is a new soft top. What can I do? (driving more slowly…)

Flip
Flip Brühl

Flip

Which model is your car?
Dave O'Neill2

Dave,

A frogeye sprite 1959 the model without clips on the front of the soft top

Flip
Flip Brühl

Either drive at 130 km/h or take the roof off ;o)

From memory, you have the 'lift the dot' fasteners to secure the top. What condition are the pegs in?
Dave O'Neill2

all new
Flip Brühl

Hmmm, I'm wondering if the new pegs have the correct profile. ISTR that others have reported problems in the past.
Dave O'Neill2

Flip,

That shouldn't be. I've driven mine at over 180km/h with the side screens in and without and the roof stays where it should.
Even with the two pegs on the side undone, I would imagine that it would stay in position. A daft question but the front of the soft top does have the metal rail which located under the lip of the windsreen doesn't it?
frogeye Gary

Gary,

Yes I have the metal rail But what should be the dimensions of the rail?

Flip
Flip Brühl

I have just measured my rail and it is 12mm wide and just 1.5mm thick
mrm goslin

What sometimes happens is the rail becomes slack in it's groove and air pressure pops it off - pegs will offer little resistance once this has happened. On mine I slid the rail out of its sleeve and reversed it - so that the profile was effectively upside down. The extra tension pulls the rail harder into the screen rebate and keeps it trapped.
F Pollock

I replaced the front rail in mine with a thicker piece of stainless steel, but I also added the corner fasteners which might have helped.

Growler

Thank you all,
Gary, I hope that my soft top is as sticky as ours when I ll try to reverse the bar and if it does not help I am going to look for thicker stainless steel. (I use an aluminium alloy now)

Flip
Flip Brühl

Gary, 180km/hour in a frog?
I know you have a 5speed but what engine, 1275?
And a 3.7 diff?
Is that GPS or gauge reading?
Anyway very impressive!
Arie de Best

This thread was discussed between 30/12/2012 and 04/01/2013

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