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 MGA - 1600 front cowl hardware for tonneau

Hi - I am reassembling at the front cowl presently. The rearview mirror, windscreen grab-handles, wiper arm bases, and air vents are obvious, however I am a little confused with the tonneau front stud configuration. Moss catalog is showing a lift-a-dot stud with 2-screw base at the front tonneau snap down location(s) on the cowl 226-630 - my old setup appears to have single machine screw studs in front 3 on each side of the center zipper. I'd like to be correct in my reassembly so could 1600 owners tell me what they have? Perhaps there is no correct tonneau stud config. I see snap downs on the side door locations from the picture in the catalog, though that might be a 1500 trait. I do not have any side snap downs. I would be interested what other late 1600 cars have - my email address is glennj0953@earthlink.net in case you would like to send a pic - Thank you kindly for your help - much appreciated
glenn johnson

Glenn,
The LTD studs on my 1600 (1960) were not installed very accurately, probably an aftermarket addition, and the front studs were single screw type like yours, three on each side. But because the LHS positions were a bit different to the RHS I've welded up the holes and will be installing the double screw studs in positions as detailed in Todd Clarke's Technical Guide. Most cars you see have the double screw studs at the front. At the rear on mine there were five studs positioned poorly so I've welded these up and have redrilled for six single screw studs, again according to Todd Clarke. If you look at Mike Elman Brown's car in Clausager you will see that there are two LTD studs at the front that also serve to screw down the rear view mirror giving a neat appearance...............mike
m.j. moore

Glenn,
There probably is not a "correct" configuration for the tonneau cover LTD's. If you look at Clausager's Original MGA you will notice cars with 8 and 6 studs across the front. Most have the double screw type but some use the single stud LTD. I would not worry about it. You should have two LTD's by the grab handle and one close to the zipper location. My car has 6 double screw LTD and no snaps on my doors. Hope this helps and have a good day!

John
John Progess

My car was entirely unmolested in that area when I bought it, but it had also been totally neglected for about 15 years too. The cowls had only a single row of holes for the machine screw LTD studs, both in front (3 each side) and at back. They are to me much cleaner in line than the two-screw fixing, so that is what I used when refitting (and I used the same holes too).
dominic clancy

Glenn
I enclose a photo of my car before starting the rebuild. Possibly an aftermarket addition when I bought it in 1975 because the LTDs at the front were not in a straight line! It has 6 single screw LTDs at the front and 6 double screw LTD on the rear cockpit rail. John

John Francis

Glenn, The picture shows my car which is the LTD original position from the factory -- at least for an Australian car. I have owned this 1600 for 38 years!

As you can see it is the "long tonneau" (it uses the hood LTD anchor points) - some cars are fitted with the "short" tonneau which is fitted around the panel close to the seats (as in John Francis car above).

My tonneau also got a stud in the top of the door!!!! Did I pay out on that!

Barry

BM Gannon

Thank you all kindly for that great info and the excellent pics - looks like we're all over the map on this one! My car has new paint and I am reassembling so easiest thing to do would be to keep the 6 single studs in front. I like that long tonneau that Barry posted - mine came with a short tonneau and the studs wood screwed into the rear rail.
glenn johnson

I have owned 5 roadsters. Each one of them had the 5 single studs across the rear. They were mounted in the metal, not the wood of the rear rail. The MK11 pictured shows this arrangement. For strength of mounting I would prefer this set up for the "short" type. The front is a different story. There have been: 6 double screw mount studs. 8 double mount studs. 8 single studs and one car with the 4 middle ones double screw type and the outermost 2 being single studs. Judging by my observations and the postings here that there was no standard arrangement. There is no right or wrong way to do it. I think it was left up to who did it and what parts were plentiful the day it was done. I have seen studs in the middle of the doors but would choose to leave them off so my arm over the door would not catch on them. All the covers I have seen do use the turnbuckle in the rear corners.
In the end it is your car do it how you choose.

R J Brown

There appeared to be three versions of the tonneau:
1. Short version with studs in timber rail
2. Long version, with studs in metal, just behind rail
3. XL version that fixed to hood "eggs".
As Barry says, most if not all of the Australian versions had the XL type. Most of the top/tonneau manufacturers around the world only offer the S & L versions...the XL are only available to special order.
Gary Lock

I think the XL were and still are common here. I got one from Moss a couple of years ago for my 1600.

I also got a used original L type that matched the original studs on my MkII exactly. That led me to believe that there was a standard factory position. It seems that this thread suggests otherwise!
Neil McGurk

This thread was discussed between 01/03/2010 and 07/03/2010

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGA BBS now