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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Removing door top trims - please help!

Hi,

Just a quick question. Can anyone tell me how to get the trims off the top of a Mk3 midget. I've got the door in bits (I was changing the quarterlights), and although I can see them screwing through the inner door panel, I can't see how to get them off - is it a very small nut or something?

Cheers,

Nigel
N K Baker

Yes, there's a small nut on the inside...nyloc, just to add insult to the injuries you will no doubt incur when trying to remove them!

5/16" AF, IIRC. A small 1/4" drive ratchet with a socket, or combination spanner should do the trick.
Dave O'Neill 2

Not sure about the MK3, but on the later cars it is possible to just slacken those small nuts and then slide the door trims sideways off the bolt heads which fit into a channel on the back of the trim. Just marginally easier!

Guy
Guy Weller

Nigel: refitting these is another one of those jobs that no doubt took the chaps on the production line minutes! Need I say more?! Don't get so involved and engrossed trying to get the nuts on and tightened that you forget to align the trim strips with the door gaps [yes...another mistake I made..]
dave c

Guy, I tried for at least and hour to try and slide those trims on - I can't remeber exactly why I didn't work, but I do remember coming to the conclusion that it was never going to!

I remeber the nuts on mine were almost exactly 8mm as I used an 8mm ratchet spanner on them - so that would be 5/16AF in old money or possible a BA size.

good luck!
Nick

Nick,
I said it was only marginally easier! Bit it did work for me on my '71. I seem to recall that the bolt "heads" are flat squares that slide into the channel, and they had a habit of twisting and jamming as the trim was slid along. It is the sort of thing that on a modern car would be held with some sort of plastic once-only-use snap fastener, but where's the fun in that!
Guy Weller

Some sort of once only clip fastener would make very good sense when rebuilding a Spridget door top trim, that's a fact

Anyone got a Woolies catalogue?

I have a very thinly ground down short spanner in my junky tool box that my dad ground thin enough for a similarly difficult job on his old Imp or 1100, which fits the nut nicely with just enough space to keep my hands mostly out of the battleground

Of course he ground the size markings off but I suspect it was about 5/16 or 3/8 AF

(Not locally available to measure this afternoon, sorry)
Bill

Sorry for the late reply, I've been taking the trims and crash rail off (they needed re-painting)

Hmm, that took a while. I didn't have the right tool (inevitably), so I went out and bought a miniature set of spanners which were a godsend. 8mm is the right size out of those.

I hope the guy that designed this part of the car isn't going to be at Gaydon...

Now I just have to put them back...

Cheers,

Nigel
N K Baker

Ah yes, I remember working with those fasteners. I used a small open-end wrench, slipping it up behind and doing it largely by feel. And yes, getting it all back together is entertaining, too. I think I slid the nuts into the slots first, and then fiddled them back and forth until they found the holes.

BTW, my car only has two of those screw/nut combos per door cap. Were there originally more? I noticed there were more holes than I had fasteners.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Gryf, if you used two each side and they have not fallen off, two must be enough

:-)
Bill

Aldi are currently selling some sets of (metric) ratchet spanners - I think they were £9.95. They included an 8mm one that would do that job rather nicely. They also have an air impact set and an air ratchet set, both with sockets (metric, again) at rock bottom £14.95. The impact sockets alone would be worth that for occasional use.

Guy
Guy Weller

I bought one (impact socket doofer)

Very good for non-everyday use

This week I almst bought its cousin the reversible air ratchet


and the air hose reel for the wall

next will be the water separator but I may go to Machine Mart for the same

at this rate I'll have to start a small business to pay for new toys
Bill

I went through this when I replaced my interior about 18 months ago. I first used a small pair of needle nose pliers - nothing else fit in my hand and the inside of the door. I then went to Sears and bought a set of 'Midget Wrenches'. The name was a good omen. I removed the last three and replaced all four in less time than it took to remove the first one.

The image shows the trim piece with newly added vinyl. The back side shows the channel where the blind screw goes. It's fed into the channel at the small notch on the left.

Cheers,

Glen


G. D. Phillips


My door trims may or may not go back on this weekend depending on what other jobs get done.

I've decided to strip the vinyl off them and polish them up. They look rather better as polished up alloy than vinyl in my opinion. what they'll be like to touch on a sunny day and how easy they are to keep shiny will be different matters!!
MarkH1

Mark -

>>> They look rather better as polished up alloy than vinyl in my opinion. what they'll be like to touch on a sunny day and how easy they are to keep shiny will be different matters!! <<<

They'll probably look a lot like the ally cockpit surrounds used on Frogs and early Midgets. Good question though, the later door trims are flatter on top, and only time will tell how compatible they'll be with elbows on a hot day, or if they'll discolor with perspiration.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

This thread was discussed between 04/04/2008 and 11/04/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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