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MG MGA - Windscreen and Sidescreen Questions

Two questions please:
i) Is there any vertical adjustment possible of the windscreen positioning, either at the main posts to body bolts, or between the posts and windscreen, or both? My windscreen appears to have roughly a half inch difference in height when compared each side and this reflects on the weather fit on one side of the sidescreen to either softhood or hardtop .
ii) does anyone have actual dimensions of the two types of Weathershield sidescreens (referred to in Barney's website) so I can decide if there is any real difference in fit between them with a Universal Laminations hardtop. Apparently one style was specifically for the UL hardtop, having a parallel bottom alloy edge, whereas my Weathershields are the other style with a bottom alloy edge which tapers from rear to front. I can't make out if there is any significant difference in overall size between the two styles and hence whether there is any real benefit of one over the other.
Grateful any advice out there.
B Mayo

The windscreen can be adjusted by loosening the 3 bolts at the top of the grab handle and the 2 bolts holding the main post.
Can you send me some pictures of the hardtop. I also have a UL hardtop needing restoration. One thing I need to know is how it attatches at the rear.
Thanks
Kris
Kris Sorensen

There is a small amount of adjustment, but it sounds as if you have other problems. If the windscreen is pushed down flat on both sides but the soft top, hard top and side screens all say it's lower on one side than another, then you may have a damaged frame or misaligned fender.

I've never run into this problem but surely someone else will have an opinion or first-hand advise.
Steve Simmons

You need to disconnect the grab handle at the scuttle, this can be shimmed if necessary when you refit it. Make sure you have the sidescreens in place to set the angle of the windscreen when you tighten it in position.

Neil
Neil McGurk

Thanks so far guys - all useful stuff.
Kris, will get back to you soon re some photos. Imminently off skiing! But will do on return.
Bruce Mayo

My second "A" had been damaged and imperfectly repaired, resulting in a crooked windshield and poorly fitting side curtains. I was able to improve things somewhat by filing the two large bolt holes in the brass windshield post into oval slots.

Ken
k v morton

Bruce, are your ali. screens with the tapered bottom edge you want to use on your UL hardtop possibly new?

There is a difference when one tries to interchange them as the fit is not good. You can see it as well when one lies one type of screen ontop of the other. Cheers, Peter
Peter Steyn

Ken - nice idea. Will try it.
Peter - my Weathershields are not new but in excellent condition. that's why I don't want to abandon them until I'm sure there is some material difference between the two styles. Your comment re lying one type on top of the other to see the difference is exactly what I have trying to get to via my original question. I would love to see the two compared just like that to see what the real differences in shape and/or size are. Can you/anyone else oblige?
Bruce Mayo

Bruce, I have both styles and both original Weathershields. I will do the overlay exercise this weekend and post a pic or two. My UL top sidescreens are NOS, my Ali. top sidescreens are used but still ok and haven't been messed with at all, but, I am looking for a new set to swap as mentioned in a previous thread.

I have too a new never used Moss set of aluminium sidescreens that are supposedly 'one size fits all' - how I don't know? I will overlay them too to see where the differences are and post the pics as well so a comparison can be seen of all 3 types.

1.UL top sidescreens comparison to Ali top sidescreens
2.UL top sidescreens comparison to Moss sidescreens
3.Moss sidescreens comparison to Ali top sidescreens

Cheers, Peter
Peter Steyn

Peter
Very grateful. Look forward to the pics.
Bruce Mayo

Bruce,

We have a problem, I got out all three types this morning and tried to do the overlaying exercise but what I hadn't factored in was the rubbers conceal everything so impossible to photograph the differences of the aluminium frames. All I can say is that all 3 are different. I'm going to look tomorrow again and try figure out how to explain the differences. If time allows in the distant future I will do Autocad drawings of each then they can be overlaid in CAD format but that's two days work so please don't hold your breath.......cheers and apologies it didn't work out as expected, Peter.
Peter Steyn

Managed to get some pics done - removed the rubber off the ali. hardtop frames.

Pic 1 of 5: Shows frames overlaid with windscreen edge of both frames lining up as a datum/reference point for all the remaining pics.

Peter Steyn

Pic 2 of 5: Shows ALI ontop of UL frame front bottom corner view.

Peter Steyn

Pic 3 of 5: Shows UL ontop of ALI frame back bottom corner.

Peter Steyn

Pic 4 of 5: Shows ALI ontop of UL frame top back corner.

Peter Steyn

Pic 5 of 5: Shows an overlay diagram with some critical dimensions showing the differences between the two frames (sidescreens).

The UL frame is drawn in a chain line.
The ALI frame is drawn in a solid line.

I have not done the exercise comparing these two frames to the MOSS Ali frame.

Hope this helps and answers some of your questions, cheers Peter.

Peter Steyn

Peter
Just walked in from a week skiing so have only just seen your kind efforts in photographing the sidescreens. Thanks for doing that and I will give them a good viewing and see if it all adds to my knowledge or creates more questions! However, thanks once again.
Bruce Mayo

Kris - hope you are out there somewhere! Apologies for the delay but at long last herewith some pics of my UL fibreglass hardtop as you requested. Hopefully they will upload - with luck I will send five in separate bursts. You asked how the hardtop attaches at the back - it just rests on a rubber strip on to/almost off the rear edges of the two "teardrops" which normally attach the softtop rear panel to the body. The holding down is done by a hooked threaded bolt at each side which hook under the softtop swivelling points inside the back sides of the cockpit.
Here goes with the pics!
Bruce Mayo

Kris
Not sure if this is happening!

Bruce Mayo

And again!

Bruce Mayo

Pic no. 3

Bruce Mayo

Pic no.4

Bruce Mayo

Pic no. 5 - last one.

Bruce Mayo

Bruce
Thanks those are great pictures. Now all I have to do is completly rebuild mine. Did yours come that way or did you refinish it.
Kris
Kris Sorensen

Bruce, are those the MOSS ali. sidescreens you have fitted there? Cheers, Peter
Peter Steyn

Hi Guys
For Kris - the history is. I have just purchased the UL hardtop (at much expense!) from Bob West here in UK. It has the original serial number plate, etc., and has been totally refurbished in a sympathetic manner and looks good, to me anyway. But I'm no expert! It was done by Bob's trimmer, Les, who originally re-trimmed my Twin Cam some years ago.
For Peter - the ali sidescreens are original Weathershields, with the manufacturers name on, of the variety intended for a Vanden Plas Ali hardtop, I believe from the various descriptions I have read - ie. tapered bottom metal panel, etc. I believe the Moss ones would have rubber seals around all edges - these just have them front and bottom.

Bruce Mayo

This thread was discussed between 09/03/2008 and 23/03/2008

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