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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - TD Hood Trim Piece

Presently reshaping the 3 rear timber trim pieces that I purchased from Moss some years ago so that they actually fit the rear tub. (That was when the Aussie bought $1:07 US!). Doug from FTFU has an instructional video on how to fit these to a TC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdSNTQhd2ro. He's confirmed he has no info on how the TD was done. There are obvious similarities though.

On the TC Doug suggests lining up the inside edge of the 3 pieces with the metal skin/timber frame rather than lining up the piece with the outside metal skin, i.e. the painted exterior. This is explained at the start of the video.

The attached pic from Chris Couper's gallery of barn finds seems to suggest that the two small timber pieces are fixed so that the inside edge overhangs the tub, in order that it align vertically with the trimmed rear quarter panel once it is installed. This approach seems as though it would provide a neater finish. Can someone with the original trim still fitted provide an opinion or better yet a pic of this area? Perhaps with a straight edge showing the relationship? Though this may be difficult because of the hidem.

The pic below also shows a considerable 45 degree fold visible on the top of the forward end of the piece visible under the Rexine.

Also the 2 hex head bolts and washers that secure the spare wheel carrier appear to have pulled into the Rexine in that area suggesting that it was either padded or that the heads and washers have sunk into the timber back. Can anyone clarify?

The final observation relates to the metal frame outline visible through the Rexine at the back corner. This metal plate isn't let into the timber so it sits flush and is secured proud of the timber, hence the step. I'm thinking of skinning the ply along the back to eliminate the step. Obviously this would need to be done before the long rear timber trim piece is fitted. Any comment? Cheers
Peter TD 5801




P Hehir

Peter: The gallery pics of 1172 are still the best for all of this, including pictures of the Rexine unfolded near the bottom of the pictures.

Yes to the overlap of the corner piece so the vertical surfaces are flush. See pics 59 and 65 for the alignment to the outside of the body bucket.

I thought we decided a while ago that there was a thin piece of black felt/horse hair like material under that back trim piece where the bolts are. Same stuff that is on the wheel well covers.
Christopher Couper

Thanks Chris. The answer to the flush with the outside makes sense. Don't recall any discussion on the padding under the back piece pf trim. I was thinking of using some thin non-compressible packing there the same thickness as the metal plates at the corners. Not sure what though. I'll have another look at 1172. I have been studying the unfolded trim pics and tried to "refold" using scrap material but without success so far. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

" I have been studying the unfolded trim pics and tried to "refold" using scrap material but without success so far."

You should go across the straight and see Rod. I bet he still has the pieces tucked away. It would be the trip of a lifetime for sure. :-)
Christopher Couper

Hi Peter,
Even though my car is a TF rather than a TD I would like to raise a couple of points. Firstly nothing looks worse than over stuffed upholstery. Just look at the way dash board instruments are sunk into the covering on some Cobra replicas. Your idea of a stiff backing at crucial points is spot on. I carefully rounded off all edges of the plywood backs and stuck the vinyl directly to this and it looks great.

Secondly you can stick the Hidem Banding to vinyl covers using superglue and then screw the panels on with very thin screws. I made a simple "V" shaped shield from the plastic from a milk container and was able to slide this down the centre of the banding to open it out and protect it whilst I fitted the screws.

Jan
J Targosz

Thanks Jan. I do have some of the original wheel arch covers that came from a TF that was saved for reference when it was reupholstered about 30 years ago. This is very thin black felt. The ONLY place that I'm padding is these rear wheel arches. I'm going with a piece of 2 mm ply along the back section where the visible painted bolt heads are and then just cover the two corner plates to ensure they are flush.

I've had one door card made with the hidem stitched on and have used tiny screws to secure it. Already had the need to take it off once. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hi Peter,

I also cast backing boards for the top of the wheel arches from fibre glass and bonded these to plywood vertical sides and likewise for the corners in the tub. For the benefit of other TF viewers I have since removed the hinges from the sidescreen door. Now just lift it out and remove the screens - easy. Prob is the screw holes spoil the interior and I have no leather cloth left to do a repair.

Jan

J Targosz

For those planning to install these strips please note that the TC info in the link from FTFU does NOT apply to the TD. The TD strips are fitted so they are flush with the exterior of the tub. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, I'm surprised. You've been so adamant about originality that I find it hard to believe that you'll leave out the thin felt that goes beneath that Rexine. It's not like you. Bud
Bud Krueger

I was in two minds about it Bud but I just don't like the sunken look. Maybe I'll try and glue a large fender washer under the vinyl, with a circular cut-out in the felt, behind the visible bolt and washer and see what that looks like. Like Jan I hate the padded look. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Questions about the size of the visible bolts and the diameter of the washer. Length?, 1/4" or 5/16"?, BSF obviously and was there any identifying brand on the head of the bolts originally? I know they were painted to match the interior trim colour. I think the nuts that secured the rear wheel carrier were hex head, chromed domed? Any washer under the nut?

Shaping the corner radius with a hand plane and adding a thin strip of cedar to the inside edge of the long piece produced a great fit. It now finishes flush with the two metal corner plates. Still need a bit of filler to the exterior of the small corner pieces though. Coming together nicely. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Anyone answer the question above? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Chris's site lists these as 1/4" BSF x 2" with a flat washer under the chromed domed nut. No mention of any markings on the painted head or of the diameter of the flat washer under the bolt head though. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter. I’ll have to dig through my photo archives on my cars to see if I noted them. I believe the bolts had no markings. I’ll see if I can confirm this though before I can say for certain.

Cheers Mate

Bill Chasser
TD-4834
W A Chasser

They were and are again 5/16 BSF on TD3042.
Lew Palmer

OK. I've had a couple of replies offline. The washers are 1" OD, just under 1/8" thick with a 5/16" hole in the centre. The BSF bolts are 2" long BUT are apparently 5/16" in diameter. This suggests that 5/16" not the 1/4" is correct? The heads were unbranded and definitely painted to match the interior trim.

The TF used Phillips heads although some TF's were apparently also fitted with hex head bolts. So now just seeking confirmation of the diameter of these spare wheel carrier BSF bolts. Obviously the chromed domed carrier nuts are a specialty item and that thread determines the correct bolt diameter. So, are they 5/16" or 1/4"? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Thanks Lew. That confirms it for me. Now to source the nuts. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I fixed the TD nuts and bolts page and added the bolt diameter size. Before it was by exception and a bit confusing (ie a 1/4W head by default is on a 5/16 BSF diameter bolt).
Christopher Couper

Thanks Chris. You just made a great resource even better. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Interesting that Anglo Parts shows the same hex head bolts for both the TD and the TF. However Rob Grantham advises that the TF had Phillips head fixings originally, but that there has been the occasional TF pop up with the hex head bolts. Again a case of using whatever was available.

Also I've located the original long timber rear piece that came with the car. I'll compare it with the new one when next at the garage. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Early 1250 TF's were fitted with Hex bolts then transitioned to phillips. What car number when this began is unknown.


Frank
TF1414
Frank Cronin

"Thanks Chris. You just made a great resource even better. Cheers"

When Bruce Cunha comes up for air he has been cataloging more of the bolts that I did not crawl under the car for. I will add them over time.
Christopher Couper

Getting close. I have a few more pictures to do. Hope to have a picture of the bolt/nut and where it goes.
Bruce Cunha

Just saw some more of these bolts on late TD's in Chris's gallery. Both are branded, though the detail is not clear. These can be seen at pic 37 TD 29539 and pic 48 on TD 27489. Both cars seem to have bolts from the same supplier. None of the earlier cars in his gallery show branded bolts though, so I'm comfortable using the plain version. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Using the TC info from Doug found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdSNTQhd2ro and some scrap paper, I've been able to work out one of the necessary cuts and folds. The visible end folds for the two short pieces are demonstrated at the 17 minute point. This is a pretty complicated series of folds. What isn't shown is exactly how the piece is cut prior to folding. I had to watch that section of the video about 20 times before I could see how the piece had been cut, shaped and folded. Still playing about with the folds at the other (pointed) end of the short piece as this is markedly different on the TD and so isn't explained on Doug's TC video. I figure if I can get a piece of paper to look good then the more flexible vinyl should be a doddle. Cheers
Peter TD 5901

P Hehir

Early TF's had hex bolts "BEES" brand.
J K Barter

BEES pic.

J K Barter

JK Barter, what number TF do you have?

Frank Cronin

Frank,
It is 1714- Your car also has the same bolts, doesn't it?
James
J K Barter

Hi James,

Yes it does. I was wondering the car number how much later in production the hex bolts were used. The latest car I've seen with hex bolts is TF #2217. I'm sure there are others but that's all I've seen personally.

Frank


Frank Cronin

Frank,
I will pay attention to car numbers if I see others.
James
J K Barter

I ended up using a piece of 2.7 mm ply 1200 x 800 from Bunnings to thicken the rear top tub rail. Way more than I needed but this is the smallest piece that I could find. This butted up beautifully to the corner steel plate on one side and with a bit of planing at the back, covered the one on the other. This gave me a smooth vertical alignment with the long hood rail all the way across the back. Once the glue had gone off I removed the temporary brads and have now glued the felt to this ply, leaving enough unglued at the top to also cover the inverted front splay of the top timber rail.

This time I fitted the felt dry to this glued rear section as this gives a better feel. I'd recommend this approach rather than applying wet as I did with the wheel arches. When the rear timber securing rail is upholstered with the vinyl, the horizontal and vertical joins will be invisible. They are impossible to read now through the felt with the top tacking rail temporarily fitted. Really glad I fitted the small side pieces flush with the outside and with the overhang on the inside, as the rear quarter panels will finish flush with these pieces in the vertical plane. She's coming along nicely. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 09/03/2019 and 29/03/2019

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