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MG MGA - rear body of a roadster on a coupe?

I have a '57 coupe that has a good deal of rust on the trunk floor and some of the rear structural members. The metal lip running around the trunk opening also is about gone. I have seen for sale rear "clips" from MGA roadsters. By that, I mean the whole rear part of the body, including the trunk opening, floor and fender wells.
I am thinking of a graft on my coupe, cutting off the old part between the hard top and the trunk opening and adding the replacement rear part from there back. Does anybody know if the roadster and coupe rear body dimensions are the same? Are coupe and roadster trunk lids and rear fenders interchangeable?
Also, please advise if this seems like an insane project!

Thanks in advance for your input.

Mike Whalen
M.E. Whalen

Hi Mike. I believe the rear trunk lid and fenders are interchangeable between the roadsters and coupes. Im not certain, but I would think that the rear clip from a roadster could be sucessfully grafted onto your coupe,as long as it didnt extend back to the doors or metal roof. The coupe doors and top area are considerably different than the roadster parts. Perhaps someone on this forum can give a more definitive answer. Cheers, Glenn
Glenn Hedrich

From aft of the hardtop back they should be the same, but that's the end of the good news.

The inner body and rear fenders are slightly different shape where they meet the hardtop, so the fenders are not directly interchangeable. I have no first hand experience with this, so I don't know how much work it might be to modify roadster rear wings to fit the coupe.
Barney Gaylord

Barney

I make no claim to knowledge on this either. But just browsing the Moss catalogue they do not differentiate between the wing (fender), just different shut face panels and the inner wing assemblies that you mentioned.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Mike,
I have a Coupe and a Roadster dissassembled at my shop now. I will take a look tonight and see if I can see any major differences besides those mentioned. Have a good day!

John
John Progess

A significant difference is the bulkhead between the trunk and passenger compartment. The roadster version has a hole for the spare tire pass through to allow for more trunk space. The coupe bulkhead is solid for more space for parcel stowage over the battery box cover. The position of the tire hold down is, of course, also different.

Steve
Steve Brandt

Coupe and roadster fenders are different, but interchangable with minor modification--the leading edge under the shut face panel has different notches. Cutting and welding can convert the fenders from coupe to roadster or vice versa. We've done it many times.

As Steve says the rear bulkhead is different, along with the B-pillars and of course the rear cowl. Converting a whole rear tub back and forth is of course possible, but a lot of work.

--Carl
Carl Heideman

1500 coupes have the tire opening.
John DeWolf

John said "1500 coupes have the tire opening".

As do the MKII Coupes. Only the 1600 (MKI) coupe had the tire completly contined within the boot. The 1600 (MKI) also had a shortened parcel shelf to take advantage of the area freed up in the passenger compartment.
Chuck Schaefer

This thread was discussed between 18/11/2009 and 20/11/2009

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