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MG TD TF 1500 - Front interior panel bending

I'm installing the interior on my 51 TD. I'm looking for suggestions on the best way to bend the front interior panel around the roll bar. I saw one reference to soaking the panel but that seem a little extreme. But I'm open to any and all suggestions. I'm using the Moss interior kit.

Thanks

Tim
TD12524
Tim Burchfield

Tim, see http://www.ttalk.info/TDKickPanels.htm Bud
Bud Krueger


I first marked mine where the bends were to go, laid them on their face and moistened them by laying wet towels on them over night. They were easy to form the next day. Worked for me. PJ
PJ Jennings

tim
i have recently done the same job on mine.
i marked roughly where the hoop would run then placed the panel face down between two blocks of wood aprox 12 inches long and 5 inches apart,covered with wet towels and placed a round shaped weight on top and left overnight...worked a treat!
p.s. i used an old dynamo as the weight.
david heery

Thanks guys. I'm soaking as I type (well, the panel is).

Regards

Tim
TD12524
Tim Burchfield

Hi Tim

Could you take a photo of one of these panels before you bend it, with a ruler in view. I am trying to make my own, but have no template to work with. Thanks, Matt
Matt Davis

My recommendation would be to check out the gallery on Chris Couper's site. My understanding is that the front quarter panel piece was a gentle curve rather than a severe wrap around as seen on some cars. (The following pic came from the web, so I can't credit the owner) & it shows the gentle curve around the hoop. I have the original panels from my car & they are very much like the detail below. I also plan to moisten them prior to forming & then dry them in the sun, much as I did when making the glove boxes. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Matt, hope this helps. It is the left side front panel (measurements in inches)

Tim
TD12524

Tim Burchfield

My memory from a long time ago, when replacing the very tired panel was that it showed the marks of having been formed in a press, with break marks at the edge of the bulge. I suspect it was damped and then pressed to shape, which must be the way to go to avoid cracking the board.
Ian Bowers

Here are the results from soaking the panel for about an hour. I didn't scribe any lines on the back. I'm happy with it. thanks again everyone for the advice.

Tim
TD12524

Tim Burchfield

One trick on panel bending. After a wet rag sits on it, use a steam iron or one of those steam cleaners and get the area really warm. It will bent easier. I also have put the iron on the wet rag on the board. That softens it really well.

I did all the underdash trays on a 79 spitfire out of waterpoof black panel board (I believe this is what they use on the TD panels) and that required a number of 90 degree bends.
Bruce Cunha

This thread was discussed between 21/07/2017 and 23/07/2017

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