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Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas

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Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#1
  This topic is about my 1960 MG MGA
DavidMGA1600 Avatar
DavidMGA1600 David Lake
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia   AUS
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1960 MG MGA "Dads Car"
1961 CycleKart Race Car "Team Ferrari"
Over the Christmas holidays I want to remove my old damaged bumper bar and create a really nice race/rally inspired valance. I don’t want to leave the valance with the bumper recess, but grill opening, brake ducts,....etc.

Looking for ideas to see what could/should be achieved.

At the same time I will be stripping the paint off the bonnet and re-painting it as the paint failed years ago.


David

1960 MGA 1600 Convertible,
Gold Coast, Australia.
The 5,791 Day Restoration

The CycleKart Club - Forums and more for builders & racers of home-built 200cc vintage-styled karts.


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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#2
mgainaussie Avatar
mgainaussie Gary Lock
Gold Coast, Australia   AUS
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1958 MG MGA 1500
1960 MG MGA 1600
1960 MG MGA 1600
1960 MG MGA 1600    & more
David, thinking about this for my next restoration. Maybe if we can get a mould done (fibreglass) ??

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#3
DavidMGA1600 Avatar
DavidMGA1600 David Lake
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia   AUS
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1960 MG MGA "Dads Car"
1961 CycleKart Race Car "Team Ferrari"
Gary,

The A currently has a fibreglass valance on it and I have a spare one as well, one of the two will be modified.
I would definitely build a mould of the finished produce if it looks good.


David

1960 MGA 1600 Convertible,
Gold Coast, Australia.
The 5,791 Day Restoration

The CycleKart Club - Forums and more for builders & racers of home-built 200cc vintage-styled karts.

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#4
copernicus Avatar
copernicus Nick Kopernik
Western, CT, USA   USA
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1962 MG MGA MkII
David, I've been gathering a few ideas as well for a Sebring look and have gathered a few photos. Additionally, Barney has a nice section on these as well:

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/body/bd301.htm


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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#5
Redhawk1689 Avatar
Redhawk1689 Gold Member Steven Stockham
Salina, KS, USA   USA
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1958 MG MGA 1500 "Belle"
The lower opening in the upper photo of Nick's post is a definite help in cooling! Add it to the over-riders in the second photo and I think that you would have an incredibly smart looking roadster!

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#6
bobs77vet Avatar
bobs77vet bob K.
northern Va, VA, USA   USA
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You can look at old vintage race cars to see how they did it. That may give you some ideas.

I modeled my look after one of those

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#7
wyatt Avatar
wyatt Wyatt W
penguin point, Michigan...drift ice, Antarctica   ATA
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1957 Porsche 356
1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
1960 MG MGA    & more
...the over riders look superflous, kinda like a buck teeth after thought....maybe try that chrome wire mesh shaped like the valance but with a set of round driving lights behind the mesh.with the underside blacked out somehow.

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#8
Redhawk1689 Avatar
Redhawk1689 Gold Member Steven Stockham
Salina, KS, USA   USA
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1958 MG MGA 1500 "Belle"
I would agree if they were like they are in the second photo but I believe they would look decent if they were bracketing an upper and lower grille. BTW, if you do decide to add a lower grille, I would use wire mesh and get a wire mesh insert for the regular "upper" grille.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-12-14 10:28 AM by Redhawk1689.

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#9
MGAdavid Avatar
MGAdavid David Werblow
Portland, CT, USA   USA
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1954 MG TF
1959 MG MGA
David,

I made a filler from Airex & fiberglass to go between the OEM valance and the nose panels. Don't know if you can get Airex in Oz, it's a close-celled boat building material. It is easily bent with a heat-lamp and will hold its shape while fiber-glassing. I have not had it on the car in many years--it's been in the attic for a long time; don't have a photo of it on the car.


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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#10
Grubeguy Avatar
Grubeguy Gold Member Grube Guy
Washington, DC, USA   USA
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1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "JP"
1958 MG MGA 1500
1968 Saab 96 3cyl 2stroke
1972 Fiat 850 Spider    & more
I am shamelessly stealing Nick's idea too. Amazon and eBay sell stainless or chrome wire mesh, which I intend to be using.

My valence is in pretty poor condition. I intend to pound it back into shape, weld fasteners to the thing's top lip, derustafy it and overlay the recessed portion with successive layers of fiberglass (the portion where the bumper would go). I'll leave open the holes for overrider installation, open holes for the extra air passage(s) and level it all out for appearance.

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#11
Zur Avatar
Zur Dave H.
Amarillo, TX, USA   USA
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This! With SS mesh in both openings. Sexy...
I'm 50/50 on over riders.



Dave

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#12
mster50 Mike S
Zanesville, OH, USA   USA
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In reply to # 3645249 by copernicus David, I've been gathering a few ideas as well for a Sebring look and have gathered a few photos. Additionally, Barney has a nice section on these as well:

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/body/bd301.htm

I like that no bumper look and the extra vent openings in the bottom valance. Some thing that might go with these MG cars, but maybe not this one, is the stretched out oval tube bumper. Made from small diameter tubing in an oval shaped like a paper clip with two vertical bars where flat stock would go back through the valance to mount on the body. They were chromed mostly. I think I saw them on Hot Rods and Indy race cars from the 50s and early 60s.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-12-16 09:52 AM by mster50.

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#13
copernicus Avatar
copernicus Nick Kopernik
Western, CT, USA   USA
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1962 MG MGA MkII
In reply to # 3645380 by Grubeguy I am shamelessly stealing Nick's idea too........................

That's OK, as I shamelessly borrowed the look from other MGExp members!

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#14
Aridgerunner Avatar
Aridgerunner Bill Bussler
Montoursville, PA, USA   USA
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1956 MG MGA 1500 "The A"
1959 Triumph TR3A "The Mistress"
1977 MG MGB "Sweet B"
How does the air get from the lower valance openings up into the radiator? From what I know the air is just going go under the car unless some kind of duct work will direct it up to the radiator.


Si Vis pacem, para bellum

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Re: Dumping the front bumper, need valance ideas
#15
Grubeguy Avatar
Grubeguy Gold Member Grube Guy
Washington, DC, USA   USA
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1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "JP"
1958 MG MGA 1500
1968 Saab 96 3cyl 2stroke
1972 Fiat 850 Spider    & more
There's another thread that details this. In short, a scoop is installed by cutting a sizeable hole in the intake floor, and a "scoop" installed to direct that air over the radiator. I'll see about finding a pic to show it better...

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