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MG TD TF 1500 - Side Curtain Chrome Trim

On other threads I have noticed the chrome trim on various side curtains has been cut too proud of the viewing area. The plastic windows were exposed just under the inside edge of the chrome strips (about 1/8"). The full viewing area from the inside of edge of the chrome should show and no canvas material should be inside of the chrome strips.

Christopher Couper

Here is another close up view. Note it is very difficult to find original closeup pictures of original sidescreens so anyone who might have some please post in this thread.

Christopher Couper

I've studied this detail on a number of restored cars here & almost all have the fraying cut edge of the canvas visible, which I think looks tatty. I plan to cut it so that I can fold it back under the chrome trim so that just a small portion, if any at all, of the folded edge of the canvas is visible. The only difficult bit is at the corners. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

The second photo of the sidescreen seems to depict the correct
Factory dome head(with washers)solid rivets which affix the lower part of the rear sidescreen canvas to the metal sidescreen frame.Re confirms what we know.Originally the rivets were made of aluminium as were the washers with the tail of the rivet peened on the inside part of the sidescreen frame.Nice to see on well rebuilt cars.

Unlike the modern(often steel) commonly used nickel plated bifucated rivets,the aluminium does'nt rust!

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").
R GRANTHAM

In this photo of my sidescreens, the ugly effect of frayed edges is visible.

The issue is that the new aftermarket covers I got had a seam around what I supposed had to be the window opening (visible in the photos), and I thought I had to cut the opening outside that seam.

Matching the position of that seam, the chrome strips and the window openings to be at level in front and rear sidescreens was not an easy task.

Should I have cut the window opening flush with the strips despite outside the seam?

Jesús

both


J Benajes

You can stop the fraying by running a very small amount of super glue along the cut edge of the material. I did this by dipping a short length of welding wire into the glue and then just touching the cut edge. This is also useful for the cut parts of the hood.

Jan T
J Targosz

I think the problem stems from poorly made side curtains, (fabric) and not fitting them to the frames while at the upholstery shop, not thrown in a box, in my case, with the new frames and expect the the restorer make do. Once the glass/plastic is laminated in, there really is nothing one can do to correct any mistakes. Ok, I bitching here, but being locally made and the price we pay, they should be more correct. On my new screens, the back glass is a different shape than the frame and there all new including the frames from the same place.
Now on the chrome strips, the top strip for the rear curtain should already be curved and done during manufacture, not beating on it with what ever at home to curve it. PJ
Paul161

Rob: Thanks for point out the flaw in my rivets. :-)

This is on my Winter task list using the info you gave me a few months ago.
Christopher Couper

There are some very good photographs of the side screens for TD/TF in the book "Original MG T Series" (pages 82-87) by Anders Detlev Clausager, who I understand is an archivist for British Motor Heritage Museum. The book is ISBN 978-1-906133-34-4. As with so many photographs, the holding nuts on the inside of the frames is not too clear but does appear to be thin standard nuts. The chrome strips also reach the edge of the material around the windows
Neil
TF1500

N D Wallace

Neil: Anders is a great author and his books are filled with wonderful and accurate information. Not the same with the pictures. Most of the color pictures are of restored cars with suspect work. In the case of the sidescreens and hood its not bad, but not accurate either.

So read the text and look elsewhere for accurate photos.

And yes to the thin nuts that you observed. They even went so far as the hand paint the nuts. See the picture of the thin nut on the hood frame installed after the hood was in place as an example.



Christopher Couper

Reactivated thread.

I'm interested in the questions that Jesus raises above. As I have Moss side curtains I do hope that they are a better fit to the side curtain frame. Yet to take them out of the plastic wrapping as the paint on my bespoke frames is still wet. (Just painted today). I'd like to be pleasantly surprised but I'm not holding my breath..

Pondering Jesus's question it seems that if he did cut the material on the frame side of the stitched seam, then the fabric and the clear material may well part company. It also seems to me that the exposed stitching holes in the window would then be really evident. This wouldn't look good. PJ's comments appear to be both accurate and worrying. The upholstery surely should be made to an accurate side curtain frame template? Shouldn't it? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

You would think so, but every car varies a little, so it’s a tough ask. I think that if you really want the fit and look of the side screens to be perfect, everything has to be bespoke. Or be prepared to modify and reshape anything that you buy to make it fit perfectly.
Dave H
Dave Hill

If the purchased side curtains are like Jesús's, I would return them with a nasty note and a picture of how they are supposed to be.

That is outrageous and beyond belief and could not be corrected in the field with all the issues that Peter pointed out.
Christopher Couper

Jesus has sent me some pics taken from inside his car. He is obviously really disappointed with the result, which is down to manufacture, rather than any fault of the installer.

Dave having just made 3 pairs of identical front TD 2 bow side curtain frames, I'm quite sure that the frames were originally made in a jig, just as I did. This negates any possibility of variation. My bespoke frames are precise copies of the originals and are identical to each other.

You said it Chris! I now dread opening the packaging.. Cheers
Peter TD 5801

P Hehir

Well I've laid one of the rear frames over the rear upholstery and I can hide the stitching under the frame. Just. So far so good. This means however that there is very little adjustment in the placement of the curtain in relation to the frame. Now thinking that I should cover the frames first prior to fitting. No point following my original idea of doing it last because the priority has to be to cover the stitching with the frame.

What is curious though is the way the stitching stops short of the corners. And the thread that connects each run of stitching. Also what should be a straight run of stitching in some places is really pretty rough. Looks like a Friday after lunch job. See following pics showing the corners. Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

Pic 1

P Hehir

Pic 2

P Hehir

I am uploading some photos for illustrating some details of the wrong window stitch line, as delivered.

The bad fitting is a consequence of how the plastic window and the covers are sewn together, with respect to the position of the metal frame and the holes for the screws. If I had cut the covers closer to the frame, following the edge of the trim, everything would have stayed in place because of the screws, but the stitch line would have fallen inside the window. This is a bad situation, since one would have to cut the stitches to separate the canvas material from the plastic and, even worse, the holes of the stitches would be visible and probably leak.

Another fault in the fabrication is that the rear vertical edge of the front curtain is longer than the front edge in the rear one (visible in the photos of the outside).

Jesus


J Benajes

Another one.

J Benajes

One more:

J Benajes

Who was your supplier Jesus? I think you should name and shame.

I made a template of the stitch line for both rear frames and after overlaying it I have decided to make a small alteration - 3/16" - to both frames. This may also mean a slight alteration to the fronts as well. I'll check them out tomorrow with templates as well. Doug Pelton had to alter his frames slightly too so I'm in good company.

My research indicated that some owners were very unhappy with the Moss kit criticising the fraying edges. The curtains that I have from Moss have a hemmed edge. So far I have no real complaints.. I've done a fair bit of Moss bashing in the past - but credit where it's due, I think they are going to end up looking pretty good. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I don't have any good close up images when they were new but this period photo shows that everything lined up pretty well when they were sold.

L E D LaVerne

Peter,

I purchased the frames and the sidecurtain cover kit from Moss(UK)in 2002.

Perhaps now they supply higher quality kits.

Jesús
J Benajes

A screen shot from the British Pathe website, the clip where Appleyard drives a new TD through France and into the Alps.

Matthew.

M Magilton

I think I'll have another look at 'Heights of Danger' as I have the CD. Don't recall seeing the TD with the hood up though. The car was the best performer in the movie. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 23/10/2015 and 22/03/2018

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