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MG MGA - Valve (Rocker) Cover badges

Would someone with access to an original late (1600 Mk2) rocker cover be able to confirm that the correct badges for both the "MG" and "Weslake" patent number badges has the finer lettering of the top one of the two badges in each of the following photos please? Thank you.
(Actually, I'm confident the finer "MG" lettering is the correct one, it's the "Weslake" patent numbers badge I'm not sure of).
PS Hope the resolution is clear enough to tell.


T Aczel

Here's the "MG" badges.


T Aczel

It may be that none of the badges you have shown here are correct for any MGA. On the first patent plate, while I'm rather fond of the thinner lettering, the lines may not have been full justified originally. For the second one, I think the bottom combined line is wrong and should be two lines like the first picture. I have a (very poor) picture of the third style on a web page (below), left justified with two text lines at bottom. That may be the correct configuration, no proof yet, but I hope this is ultimately resolved.
For the MG logo plates, the thinner line type is likely correct, but I suspect that Early MGA had red logo, and the black logo was for late MGA (1600-MK-II) and early MGB.
I will be looking forward to more discussion, and hopefully some more pictures of original plates. Meanwhile see my new web page here:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/ch114.htm
I have been holding off posting this page for a long time due to all uncertainties, but now seems to be good a time as any to beat the bushes for as much information as possible.
Barney Gaylord

Right again Barney!

Here are a couple of originals. The MkII is on the left and 1500 on the right


N McGurk

Thanks Neil. As Barney predicted, neither of my patent number plates are correct. I'll have to use the one with the finer lettering as I presume one identical with the original's appearance is not available. I'm probably just "splitting hairs" here anyway.
It does amaze me though that reproduction parts (of all varieties) are regularly wrong. I just don't understand why. It can't be cheaper to make them incorrectly, so why?
Incidentally, also as Barney predicted, the holes on the "MG" plate with the thicker lettering don't line up with those in the rocker cover. The two plates with the finer lettering however line up perfectly.
T Aczel

I think the reason reproduction parts are frequently poor is that whoever commissions them does not go to the trouble of preparing a properly dimensioned and toleranced engineering drawing.
To be fair arriving at tolerances would require measurements on a number of parts and not just one. Without engineering tolerances specified you can't do any quality control and the supplier/manufacturer of the part can get away with anything.
I would guess that the usual (unacceptable) procedure is to provide the chosen manufacturer with a used original part with the instructions 'make one like this'. This is asking for trouble.

I have supplied drawings to manufacturers for wanted components and it is quite common for the manufacturer to come back and say 'is it possible to relax the tolerance on this or that dimension?' otherwise the yield is going to be low and the component price is going to be too high.

I can't imagine any reputable component manufacturer accepting a commission without a drawing, certainly not in this country.

.....................Mike
m.j. moore

Tom, at least they have spelt 'Weslake' right on both of your badges, it was spelt 'Westlake' on mine!
Liked your piece in 'Safety Fast', a very nice car. I thought my 25 years with a ZA Magnette was a long time, but 40 years is real fidelity!
Lindsay Sampford

"Liked your piece in 'Safety Fast'"
Thanks Lindsay. I was very happy to have the opportunity to share a bit of my story with my MGB with others. Funnily enough though I only joined the MG Car Club a month ago, several months after the club asked to run my (abbreviated) article about Australian MG hardtops (it ran in March) and now my MGB history.
I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of the magazine and seeing myself in print!
T Aczel

Mike, sorry, I neglected to reply to your interesting first hand insight into how parts are probably ordered for the reproduction market, viz, "here knock up a few of these...", rather than from detailed drawings as the originals probably would have been. The trouble is we're left to struggle and fume over parts that are, again and again just plain wrong. I think two of us struggled one day for about 10 hours to reassemble my MGA windscreen. The Moss-sourced corner brackets were wrongly dimensioned and angled. I discovered that night on 'MGA Guru', after we'd finished, that Barney's been telling Moss for over 20 years that their brackets are wrong, yet they've done nothing to correct the issue. I do find such disregard for one's customers surprising, to put it mildly.
T Aczel

Maybe we could persuade Serge to have ago at the rocker plates as well at the main ID plate. serge, Belgium, serge.vliegen@pandora.be
http://www.car-identification-plate.eu/

The only bit that wasn't quite right on the ID plate which he produces was the number stamping. The 3 on my original was angular with a flat top and rounded bottom half. Serge's is rounded top and bottom, otherwise the plates Serge make are really good. Tod Clarke has the correct number stamps.
http://mg-owners-gallery.eu/
http://mg-garage.eu/

John
John Francis

My 1961 MK2 Coupe has the finer writing as per your top photo.
Paul
P D Camp

This thread was discussed between 14/05/2011 and 19/05/2011

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