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MG MGB Technical - brand new British heritage wing

The brand new British heritage wing on the right side does not fit perfect on my ‘72 roadster. Especially on the front the gap between the bonnet and wing is getting bigger the more forward I am. The gap with the spoiler is more than 1 inch! I cannot get the wing more inside. The grille is there. Is it a normal heritage wing problem? How can I solve it? Are replica wings better? Where to buy a better one?
Flip
Flip Brühl 948 frog 59

I had a similar experience with my '71 B. The seller(a very well known provider of parts) refunded my money afte r I showed them a video of me trying to fit the fender-also the right side-and a lot of discussion. I think that the original tooling has now degraded to the point of not making parts of original dimensions. I think that the best solution is to find a useable original fender and fit it to the car.
M.A. Barrera

Flip
I know this isn't probably a very helpfull reply but I fitted Heritage wings in the mid 90s and they fitted fine, are you sure there hasn't been previous bodywork distortion due to accident damage.
If I remember right I had to use a hammer and a block of softwood on the inside of the headlight opening to get the wing alignment correct, but this obviously requires great care.
The only Heritage panel I've used that was a bit out was the bonnet, the curve at the back didn't match the curve of the scuttle, but it's not that bad, I can live with it.
Ron
R. Algie

Thank you all, I will try the hammer if it is not succesfull we will try the video!

Flip
Flip Brühl 948 frog 59

There is an article in the latest MGOC mag on the Heritage operation. One comment is that the parts were *never* manufactured to the same tolerances as one expects from a modern car even when new, and were always 'fettled to fit' when attached to the body by the factory (never Abingdon, as it happens). When buying a wing you have to do this yourself, of course. When Heritage bodies were first remanufactured they came without wings, doors, bonnet and boot lid, but there were so many complaints about poor fit of these items when added later that the body shells now come complete.
Paul Hunt 2

You are right Paul, original wings never fitted well, even in the factory. I put new doors ( one a heritage, one a second hand original)on my '79 GT and they fouled the wings. A local garge managed to move the wings so that the doors fitted . Flip may have to move the doors. I have heard of people who have had to have a strip cut off the wing to get them to fit - good luck Flip - let us know how you get on Cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

I fitted factory wings and re-skinned doors to my '64 MGB in '82 and they fitted fine. I fitted Heritage doors to a '78 MGB GT with original wings in '89 and they fitted terribly. I can't imagine things have got any better in the intervening 17 years.

The answer is allow a good few days for wing & door fitting, be prepared to swear like a trooper, think out of the box and try every kind of adjustment possible, do up the important bolts but don't do up all the bolts until you are SURE it's OK, and keep thinking about the fun you'll have when you get the thing on the road and drive it.

Bear in mind when you paint the car after the panels are fitted the tolerances get even smaller!

John.
John Prewer

This thread was discussed between 27/05/2006 and 02/06/2006

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