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Early hardtop hardware

Posted by vintageeuro

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Early hardtop hardware #1
vintageeuro David Bishop Chapel Hill, TN, USA	Posted: September 13, 2012 08:47PM Registered: 8 months ago Posts: 1

I'm looking for the mounting hardware for a MK1 Midget, (MK11 Sprite), that mounts at the B pillar, for a factory hardtop. I'm would buy a set if you have them, or borrow one and have a set fabricated, any assistance is welcome, thanks, Dave.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #2
kirks-auto robert kirk Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island, Illinois, Clearwater, USA	Posted: September 13, 2012 09:41PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 13,091

If I may suggest, post to the
Buy, Sell & Trade forum.

These are uncommon parts and, are not available new anylonger. The hardtops, even from the manufacturer, were dealer options and not part of the daily assembly at BMC nor Leyland. Not a lot of after market support for the parts.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #3
1843lamp robert g port costa,ca, USA 1952 Morris Minor MM Saloon (2-door) 1962 Lotus Elite 1962 Vespa GS 160 1963 MG Midget MkI	Posted: September 13, 2012 10:25PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 318

David ,do you know exactly what the parts look like?some clear close up photos of those parts and you can have them made from the photos ,the parts are not that difficult to make ,you could make them from stainless steel and buff them instead of chrome plating.those parts are highly sought after because a significant number of hards tops out there have missing hardware and a number of people are looking for just that ,...and there are at least two/. Three early factory style hard tops for the mark 1 midget mk2 sprite alone so you need to identify the particular version hard top you have.hope this helps.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #4
kirks-auto robert kirk Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island, Illinois, Clearwater, USA	Posted: September 13, 2012 10:48PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 13,091

David
When/if you do as Robert suggests, kindly let me know so I can buy an even dozen of what you have had made. I am most serious.

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Robert Kirk
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Re: Early hardtop hardware #5
dug Doug Worthington Oregon, USA	Posted: September 13, 2012 11:07PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 102

David, you have a PM

dug

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #6
pixelsmithusa Gerard C San Francisco, USA 1946 Austin 10 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Pickup 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (2-door) 1964 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (4-door) → more	Posted: September 14, 2012 01:57AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 750

I have a friend who works in aircraft related manufacturing industry. He looked into having these made a few years ago. The brackets are not that simple and it was not cost effective to make in small quantities (what is?). I can find out more details if there's any interest in more than a couple of these. He has the samples too.

Gerard

http://gerardsgarage.com/

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #7
kirks-auto robert kirk Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island, Illinois, Clearwater, USA	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:48AM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 13,091

Gerard,
I suspect your friends experience reflects more closely reality. I live in what once was the tractor manufacturing capitol of the world and have access to many job shops. The only "cheap" thing I can find is casting and that is not always cheap.

To further the debate, hardware for one manufacturer will not always work or work well for item made elsewhere. In the UK I suspect that is slanted in favor of the OEM offerings but in the US I know of at least 2 more in the day who offered hardtops. Now the endeavor is at least 3 fold and then you can factor in roll ups vs earlier side screen models. I think but do not know that too makes a difference in the style of top.

Regards,
Robert Kirk
kirkbrit@yahoo.com
563 323 1017
Moss distributor UK importer
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Re: Early hardtop hardware #8
1843lamp robert g port costa,ca, USA 1952 Morris Minor MM Saloon (2-door) 1962 Lotus Elite 1962 Vespa GS 160 1963 MG Midget MkI	Posted: September 14, 2012 04:55AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 318

When I mentioned simple I meant in comparison to other parts that you could not fabricate yourself at home without costly tools and significant knowledge and ability as well.IF you had them made like everything else today ,it is likely to cost a significant portion of what you would probably have to pay for the entire used hard top.The wing nuts are Austin healey and can be bought and do not have to be fabricated.I have made much more complicated and technically difficult parts than these before with very few tools with the exception of the tig machine I own,the trade off usually is in terms of time spent and not money ,it was in most cases for my own car and it was the challenge to see if I could do it .

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #9
AmishIndy Seth Jones Wheaton, IL, USA 1971 MG Midget MkIII "Guenevire" 2007 Mazda 3 "Porco Rosso"	Posted: September 14, 2012 05:30AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 3,083

We are talking about these right? Just two bends (maybe three) in it with 3 holes? I know its a pretty thick steel, but how is that not somthing that you could make at home with a hacksaw, bench grinder, acetelene torch, a good bench vise, a drill, and a bfh? Even if you didnt use the acetelene torch to heat the metal and make it easier to bend with a bfh, you could still cut it into segments and then hold the pieces in a jig and weld it with a mig welder. It can be done. I don't think the original poster was talking about mass production. If someone can just measure the thing, that would at least give OP a chance at making it out of something. I only have the MKIII hardtop. That one has a few more bends than this one.

All I can tell you is that to attach the brackets to the hardtop you need four 5/16" fine thread bolts (facory used chrome plated) that are 7/8" long.

also see this thread
http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/737959/Factory_MK1_Hardtop

Seth Jones

1971 MG Midget

www.SpridgetGuru.com

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2012 05:47AM by AmishIndy.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #10
dug Doug Worthington Oregon, USA	Posted: September 14, 2012 08:32AM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 102

For reference, material thickness is 5/32"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2012 08:35AM by dug.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #11
pixelsmithusa Gerard C San Francisco, USA 1946 Austin 10 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Pickup 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (2-door) 1964 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (4-door) → more	Posted: September 14, 2012 01:21PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 750

In reply to # 2169684 by 1843lamp When I mentioned simple I meant in comparison to other parts that you could not fabricate yourself at home without costly tools and significant knowledge and ability as well.IF you had them made like everything else today ,it is likely to cost a significant portion of what you would probably have to pay for the entire used hard top.The wing nuts are Austin healey and can be bought and do not have to be fabricated.I have made much more complicated and technically difficult parts than these before with very few tools with the exception of the tig machine I own,the trade off usually is in terms of time spent and not money ,it was in most cases for my own car and it was the challenge to see if I could do it .

The original questioned posed and the subject line "Early hardtop hardware" led me to believe the bracket in question was the one pictured below, not the one in the most recent posting. The pic I posted is a of factory hardtop. The complexity of the compound bends and angles is quite a different story, wouldn't you say?

Pictures do help.

Gerard

http://gerardsgarage.com/

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2012 01:47PM by pixelsmithusa.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #12
kirks-auto robert kirk Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island, Illinois, Clearwater, USA	Posted: September 14, 2012 01:29PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 13,091

In reply to # 2170048 by pixelsmithusa

In reply to # 2169684 by 1843lamp The pic I posted is a from factory hardtop. The complexity of the compound bends and angles is quite a different story, wouldn't you say?

x2 I would say one was asking for what you are addressing, and I was trying, while others are addressing another subject altogether. thumbs up

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Robert Kirk
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Re: Early hardtop hardware #13
1843lamp robert g port costa,ca, USA 1952 Morris Minor MM Saloon (2-door) 1962 Lotus Elite 1962 Vespa GS 160 1963 MG Midget MkI	Posted: September 14, 2012 02:32PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 318

The original post stated hardware for the factory supplied top,midget mk1 or sprite mk2 ,the last photos shown of the hardware do not apply to these early hardtops.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #14
kirks-auto robert kirk Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island, Illinois, Clearwater, USA	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:08PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 13,091

Robert
It may be a reach, but I believe it is you who is mistaken. Gerard posted pics of hardware for a side curtain car. Others repeatedly make reference to a top and hardware for later roll up window cars. Like I said, I maybe reaching with this but pretty sure Gerard nailed it.

Small matter as I believe we are all trying to help one another but some of that help is simply not pertinent.

Regards,
Robert Kirk
kirkbrit@yahoo.com
563 323 1017
Moss distributor UK importer
Beat or match any retail/delivered quote

How to advertise on this website

Kirk's Auto Parts for your classic British and Italian car. 30 years in business.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #15
pixelsmithusa Gerard C San Francisco, USA 1946 Austin 10 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Pickup 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (2-door) 1964 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (4-door) → more	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:10PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 750

In reply to # 2170093 by 1843lamp The original post stated hardware for the factory supplied top,midget mk1 or sprite mk2 ,the last photos shown of the hardware do not apply to these early hardtops.

Yes but, never having ever had or seeing one of those, I could only assume the brackets were the same/similar as the MKI. (the tops are quite similar), so I assumed those were the brackets in question. Hence my photo comment.

Gerard

http://gerardsgarage.com/

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #16
1843lamp robert g port costa,ca, USA 1952 Morris Minor MM Saloon (2-door) 1962 Lotus Elite 1962 Vespa GS 160 1963 MG Midget MkI	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:19PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 318

You have to laugh,after all of these posts the original poster has possibly already solved his problem before we figured out what he was asking for in the first place...he has not yet responded.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #17
kirks-auto robert kirk Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island, Illinois, Clearwater, USA	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:24PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 13,091

Robert, I too took note of that fact....16 responses to try and help and not a peep from the newbe. confused smiley

Of course football is underway and the whole of Tennessee are Vol fans and pretty darn proud of that too! smoking smiley

Regards,
Robert Kirk
kirkbrit@yahoo.com
563 323 1017
Moss distributor UK importer
Beat or match any retail/delivered quote

How to advertise on this website

Kirk's Auto Parts for your classic British and Italian car. 30 years in business.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #18
pixelsmithusa Gerard C San Francisco, USA 1946 Austin 10 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Pickup 1960 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (2-door) 1964 Morris Minor 1000 Saloon (4-door) → more	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:24PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 750

In reply to # 2170138 by 1843lamp ...he has not yet responded.

Unfortunately, I find that's not all too uncommon.... on many forums I'm on... confused smiley

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #19
1843lamp robert g port costa,ca, USA 1952 Morris Minor MM Saloon (2-door) 1962 Lotus Elite 1962 Vespa GS 160 1963 MG Midget MkI	Posted: September 14, 2012 03:35PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 318

Looks possible that Dug may have solved his problem.

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Re: Early hardtop hardware #20
AmishIndy Seth Jones Wheaton, IL, USA 1971 MG Midget MkIII "Guenevire" 2007 Mazda 3 "Porco Rosso"	Posted: September 14, 2012 06:16PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 3,083

Anyway, the pics I shared were from a MK I Midget, which actually is a completely different hardtop from the MK I sprite hardtop. The donald healey motor co and others made all kinds of other hardtops, but none of those appear in the factory parts books. The pics I shared are for side curtain cars. Not roll up. Roll up window cars used a still different bracket. The first picture is of the bracket used on the MKII midgets (roll up windows and completly removable top), the second pictiure is of the kind used on MkIII midgets and newer (with roll up windows and the later folding top).

Seth Jones

1971 MG Midget

www.SpridgetGuru.com

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