MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 Midget and Sprite Technical - Once piece front with auto open...

Ive been thinking about the front end of my midget and i know ill either go for a one peice fibreglass, or seperate fibre wings and bonnet.

What im thinking about is an auto open latch with gas struts...

The idea being the bonnet or entire fron end is latched with spring loaded mechs on a wire pull release, much like a normal boonet. The latch will be sprung a little stronger, but not much. Once you pull the lever, the gas struts take over and gently open the bonnet/front end...

found this site:
http://www.strutsdirect.co.uk/components/index.php

Anyone got any thoughts or done anything similar?
Rob McGeown ( LMG 5K - '72 RWA)

Rob unless you hinge it like the original frog eye or modify the rear of the wings it won't clear the cowl if you hinge it from the front. I would be a little cautious of an auto opening bonnet anyway, if the latch came loose when you were underway the whole front would rise up and both blind you as well as catch the wind and destroy itself and the car. Now powering the lift with something like the cylinders for a convertable top would be nice, then you would have control over the process, downside is that if you lost electrical power the bonnet wouldn't open to allow you access to the battery.
Bill Young

The once peice front includes the cowel, so would not catch on it. I could use several spring catches on a single cable release, one on each side of the one peice and one or two on the top, this would be very secure and only really come open when you pull the lever hard.

My daily renault laguna has two cable operated latches for the bonnet, but then a third saftey latch which is manually operated.

The gas struts would not open it with much force, i think if it were to unlatch at speed, there would not be enough force to open the hood.
Rob McGeown ( LMG 5K - '72 RWA)

actually, reading the posts, of course it doesnt include the cowel! I see your point, but there are manu front opening one perice bonnets, and hinge kits, so it must work...
Rob McGeown ( LMG 5K - '72 RWA)

Rob, with a manual opening bonnet, you actually have to bend out the rear edges of the wings as they go up past the cowl to prevent scratching. It usually takes two people to open one easily. I've seen some cars with the wings modified more like the wings on a TVR so that the lower section of the wing is permanently affixed to the cowl and only the upper section even with the top edge of the wheel opening lifts. That would work great with a gas strut or hydraulic lift. Jim Blackwood, here it the states, modified the front of his MGB in that manner, photos of the mods in the British V8 newsletter coverage of his car. http://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimBlackwood.htm
Bill Young

[That B looks a mess!]
Anthony

It has a radio! Why?
G Lazarus

........................................
Rich Amos (1330cc Blaze Red '72)

Jim's B is not to everyone's taste, but it does show the modifications necessary to the side of the wings to make the front tilt. The same would go for a Spridget.
Bill Young

Bill,

I have a front pivoted bonnet on my frogeye and the pivot point is below the back bottom corner of the bonnet therefore doesn't require any reshaping or pulling out of the back edge if the bonnet when opening. The geometry means the rear edge of the bonnet will move forward away from the scuttle (cowl?), also I have a fixed cowl on the radiator and the bonnet rad opening moves up and away front that also .
David Billington

It all depends on where the hinge pivot is located.
Dave O'Neill 2

Would probably use the Peter May front and hinge...
Rob McGeown ( LMG 5K - '72 RWA)

Rob,

Bosch do some jacking units see <http://www.boschmotorsandcontrols.co.uk/elektromotoren/gleichstrommotoren/mit-getriebe/index.htm>

Even if you don't use those the tech details give motor characteristics so you could use a wiper motor and gear to open the bonnet using allthread, maybe stainless.
David Billington

If a front-tilt Bugeye bonnet works, why would a one-piece squarebody bonnet cause a problem? The shape of the bodywork there remained the same. It can't be any worse than the E-Type tilt ;-)

If you use Mr Billington's link, trim the last couple characters (after the htm).

Jim must go around the corners at a fearsome rate if "Oldsmobile 442 wing produces down-force for cornering". Maybe he is just referring to gravity? I didn't think that a wing like that would provide much in the way of downforce until you were up around 80mph and would not be very well optimized for cornering even then. Besides, the next picture shows that it is spring-loaded to avoid doing any good even at high speed? I guess it makes as much sense as the wings on most ricers...

David "gonna wait till after the June LotO event to front-tilt the Bugeye" Lieb
David Lieb

Rob:

I once did a Midget with a front hinged one piece bonnet. I simply brazed the whole thing together and used some gate hinges on the frame horns and bolted to the front valence. Worked just fine. Did not bother with anything to latch it down since gravity seemed to be doing a great job!

I would not recomend skipping the latch if it is rear mounted...no good will come of that!

Most of the fibergalss one piece bonnets are a bit floppy and will take some re-inforcing so that the fenders do not splay out the sides.

Peter
Pete

This thread was discussed on 07/05/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.