Working on Soft Top Again
Discussion
Alan Whitaker........... said:
I have a MX 5 old frame, was going to cut the header off, it looked about right on length but curved 30 mm high in the middle, straight line across the top and the TVR kicks in at the ends and drops about 30mm where it meets the door, that's where the MX 5 header won't fit or will it?....
I did wonder if the MX header could have been made to fit. It would have needed a lot of cutting about and I don't have the welding skills. It might be worth a try though. Cut out the metal which doesn't fit and then make good with glass fibre moulding to fit the 'S' windscreen top where necessary.Hi Joe
Done a bit of work with the MX 5 header rail, flattened it out by cutting slots in the underside, it now fits the S top window line, cut back the ends to follow the S curves (as you say not the same on each side). Just need to extend the ends to fit flush with the door top. No gas so will do it next week. May just even out the Fiberglas on the top rail, it also sits onto the existing S seal.
See what you think,
Alan
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/QsC7mojI[/url]
Will still be able to use the pull
Done a bit of work with the MX 5 header rail, flattened it out by cutting slots in the underside, it now fits the S top window line, cut back the ends to follow the S curves (as you say not the same on each side). Just need to extend the ends to fit flush with the door top. No gas so will do it next week. May just even out the Fiberglas on the top rail, it also sits onto the existing S seal.
See what you think,
Alan
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/QsC7mojI[/url]
Will still be able to use the pull
Hi Alan - yes that's looking very good. So much easier than the way I did it. Why is it always so much easier with 20-20 hindsight (and you can welding skills) This will make the whole front assembly a lot easier and better looking. Also, you'll be pleased you went with the MX frame because it's much better engineered than the old MGB one and will give you a much smoother profile to the roof line. It will also fold flatter into the parcel shelf area. I think you have more room here than I have so you may be able to make it disappear completely
Just a thought, and maybe teaching grandmother to suck eggs, but if you are going to use the MX frame I'd suggest you get the pivot points and brackets all sorted out first because the "angle of attack" of the hearer rail to the windscreen frame will change when it folds forwards and it will affect how you make your mouldings. I found this out the hard way!
Hi All
Spent 2 hours welding up the header rail, stop start as the metal is very thin and I only have 1.2 mm wire and a rather large Mig, on it's lowest setting and it's a bit to high.
Sanded down today and give it a coat of primer to stop it rusting, a couple of stress dints due to bending but I think they will pull out.
After welding
After Sanding
Now it's back to some body filling and sanding.
Alan
Spent 2 hours welding up the header rail, stop start as the metal is very thin and I only have 1.2 mm wire and a rather large Mig, on it's lowest setting and it's a bit to high.
Sanded down today and give it a coat of primer to stop it rusting, a couple of stress dints due to bending but I think they will pull out.
After welding
After Sanding
Now it's back to some body filling and sanding.
Alan
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff