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MG MGA - Hardtop 1600 MK2 Roadster

I have the possibility of acquiring a hardtop - unsure yet whether it is aluminium or fibreglass. A very basis couple of questions.
1. Was the Mk 2 fitted with a hardtop?
1. Can the hardtop be fitted without removing the hood (ragtop) and frame?

Thanks guys

John
John Follett

No John, the MK II had a soft top like all the other models.

You definitely can fit a hardtop onto the car and leave the soft top folded away.

Although you could buy factory hardtops from MG, Im not sure if they were still available by the time the MK II came into production.

I'm sure a hardtop expert will know this.

I almost bought a factory hardtop a few years ago because I like how they look on the car.
However, I don't really enjoy driving the MGA anywhere near as much when the soft top is up and so I decided against it.

If I had bought a soft top it would probably have spent it's time suspended from the garage roof, never to have seen the light of day.
Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

John the hardtop fits over the soft top and is attached to the two posts at top of windscreen (same as soft top), and in the centre of the windscreen top frame with a small over-centre clip, and with two larger over-centre clips to the rear bodywork just behind the seats and door pillar.

Colyn, If it is only light rain I tend to drive a little faster to lessen the wet! I haven't used the soft top for 30 years but the hard top comes into use if the weather is foul!

I got caught in a torrent with hail and no roof, drove into a strangers vacant carport and sat fingers crossed. Noticed the curtains move in a front room so knocked on the door to explain myself! An elderly lady heard my explanation and declared I could park there any time as long as I told all her neighbours she had a boy-friend!

The charm of a classic car. Barry
Barry Gannon

To fit the hardtop on the car when you still have a hood fitted is easy. You cut the head off a very long 1/4" thread or equivalent metric bolt and form it into a J with the thread on the straight part. The loop of the J tucks under the main fixed pivot of the folding top frame each side, the thread goes through the mounting bracket and use a thumb screw to tighten the top down. An acorn nut covers the end of the thread.
Dominic Clancy

I have just re-read my post above and realised I made a typo on the last paragraph. I meant to say that-

"If I had bought a "HARD" top it would probably have spent it's time suspended from the garage roof, never to have seen the light of day."

Makes a bit more sense now.


I think my problem with the soft top is the lack of visibility from the inside, I sit fairly high in the car and I struggle to see out of the side windows unless I dip my head down all the time.

Jokingly,I have often thought that I should have a new soft top made entirely in clear vinyl, it would solve the visibility issue but I bet it would get a bit hot in there. A few stick-on flowers and it would look one of those childrens see-through umbrellas! :-)

I used to drive a FHC and the extra window height of the side windows and the large wrap-around rear window gave a lot better visibility than the soft top.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Thanks guys. On the basis it wasn't available for the Mk 2, I'll give it a miss.

John
John Follett

This thread was discussed between 18/04/2018 and 19/04/2018

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