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MG MGA - moss deflector

Anybody fitted the Moss wind deflector that clips on to the screen piller. Apparently its purpose is to keep cold air out, but down under I need the opposite, ie., deflect air in. Does the unit swivel round enough to do this ? Thanks Sean
S Sherry

Hi Sean, I use the "wind wings" to keep the draughts from whipping round the windscreen. They work OK for that purpose but I don't think that the hinges will allow them to be pushed out to collect air and direct it into the cockpit - although no doubt they can be adpated to do that. I find that the wind tends to push them in anyway so the hinges would have to be locked into position to stop them moving.
Cam Cunningham

Sean, my wind wings swing out about 55 degrees maximum. They might get a few more degrees but certainly not enough to get past 90 deg and scoop any air. It is limited by the design of the hinge. Even if it could swing out far enough, there is not a very large gap between the wing and the Windshield upright for the air to get through. Here is a picture of the wind wing in its outmost position showing the gap.



C Schaefer

Have you thought about a competition windscreen? I think that would accomplish your goal of more air into the cockpit.
MGA Larry

How well do these work ?

Would you recommend them ?

Thanks,
Chuck Mosher
Chuck Mosher

I bought a pair of the wind wings from Moss in hope of reducing the wind buffeting from the sides. I don't see much difference with or without them installed. They don't pivot out enough to direct air into the cockpit area. On the down side, they must be removed in order to install the side curtains.
Ed Bell

I guess it's personal opinion time as I find it made a big difference as far as wind buffeting, especially on the highway. I don't mid having to take them off when the top goes up but that doesn't happen too often. I also have the rear wind deflector which is more for the wife's comfort. My problem with it is it seems to buffet a lot from the wind. I am in the process of securing it better.

Kris
Kris Sorensen

Do you have to drill & tap holes into the windshield posts to mount?



-John
J.P. Leonard

Hi John - No they grip on using a small grub screw with an allen (hex)key - and I notice the difference when they are fitted - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

I don't like the plastic wind wings that are sold. I had a friend make 4 sets up out of glass 20 years ago. We had the pieces tempered so they would be safe. I bought the hinge pieces off of E-Bay to finish my Mk11 last summer. Someone who works in the glass business might be able to do this for us. Glass makes a better looking piece and the dont scratch and yellow.
R J Brown

I often have a chuckle with these type of threads. This is an open type sports car. You are meant to get blasted by the wind. If you don't like it get a coupe.

Hats off to Sean who opened the thread, he wants more air in, not out!

Cheers

Steve
Steve Gyles

Hi Steve - chuckle away - it just stops that buffeting that causes me ear ache - and is not as wimpish as fitting the sidescreens - and so I dont have to wear a wooly hat. So open topped motoring, wind in the hair and intact ear drums!! - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

Thanks for your comment Steve, but another question on getting air into the cockpit. Has anyone fitted vent scoops to the side of the front guards ? A lot of the older British cars had them, they could be opened and closed. Even though I have insulated the fire wall, transmission tunnel, etc ., etc., I still get a lot of heat on a hot day. engine temp. is normal, but a flow of ambient air is a great relief. head out the window ? Sean
S Sherry

I had the wind wings fitted for a long (6 wk 13K mi) road trip in 1989. They do help keep the breeze out of your ear when thee is little wind or a direct head wind. If you get a strong wind approaching at 30 degrees or more away from direct forward the wind wings don't help much, as it still blows strongly in your ear. The hinge brackets can interfere slightly with the side curtains, which may matter some with rain or very cold weather. I had some problems keeping the hinge pin binding nuts snug enough to hold the wings out during strong wind. When one of the plastic panels broke I tossed the things out, figuring more bother than worth.

I also had the matching tinted plastic sun visors. Those were absolutely worthless as sun visors because the gray tint was so light as to have no effect at all on bright sun light. They can help some as wind deflectors for tall people, but I never had that problem. They may also help some as rain deflectors if you drive in the rain with the top down, reducing the pelting on your forehead. The visor brackets definitely interfere with closing the seal between the front hood bow and top of windscreen, which was good enough reason to toss them in the dist bin after the first heavy rain.

$.03
Barney Gaylord

Cam

On long trips I use earplugs, nothing special, just the squashable foam type you get on airlines. The only problem then of course is I can't hear anything, so I turn up the radio to almost maximum. It comes as quite a shock at the end of the journey when I remove the plugs and realise how loud the radio was! Surprised I am not stopped by the police for anti-social behaviour.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Sean
In the summer I disconnect my heater by looping a heater hose from the valve to the copper return pipe. This allows ambient air flow through the heater. It seems to help.
Kris
Kris Sorensen

Do you have normal engine oil in the gearbox or Gear oil?
dominic clancy

Kris a good idea, with my heater turned off the heat still finds it's way to the heater back up the return pipe from the water pump. I think it would be impossible to stop heat transfer even through the heater tap. Your solution fixes that. Thanks Sean
S Sherry

I wear one ear plug. This fends off earaches without reducing the ambience. I also have the heater core disconnected and insulation under the carpet. I few years back I got some 3M strip seam sealer- comes in a blue box and looks like tar strips- and sealed the bulkhead. If you do it from the inside it is invisible.

I live west of work and spend a lot of time driving into the sun. The best sun visor is a baseball cap. I keep one sitting on the transmission hump well under the dash. It's relatively invisible there yet easy to reach if you need it. It sticks to the carpet well enough to stay put during most maneuvering.

I keep the ear plugs along with proof of insurance in clear plastic screw-lid containers in the door pockets. There really isn't a good place to keep paper in an MGA and it's embarrasing to have to strip the door to find proof of title. I also keep a few elastic hair bands around the shift lever just in case someone with more hair than me (pretty much everyone) wants a ride.

Still cold and snowy- company just announced layoffs. I hate February.

Bill
Bill Eastman

Bill

There is a very good place to keep paperwork etc - under the seat squab. I also keep some of my spanners and screwdrivers there.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Thanks Steve and Bill = looks like I need a single ear plug (then I can get rid of the wind wings!). I also use the base ball cap for low sun conditions.
Cam Cunningham

Cam

The additional bonus with ear plugs is that you can't hear the wife!!!!!

Steve
Steve Gyles

- EH? - Oh sorry ear plug still in! Or hear the screams of the terrified passenger -LOL
Cam Cunningham

This thread was discussed between 25/02/2009 and 03/03/2009

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