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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Cleaning Underneath

This sounds like a really simple question, but what do you use for cleaning underneath?

I'm lying on my back, faced with a large expanse of boot floor (the tank is out), variously covered with paint, underseal, road dirt and oil, and I'd like to start by getting rid of the dirt and oil.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

I think I'd try a small blowtorch and scraper first, you might get the lot off (paint and all) in one go. If you don't like naked flame indoors then a good hot air gun.
davidsmith

If it's been dry stored for a while l would start by using an old fashioned type scrubbing brush - the sort your Mam used to use on the front step. It will get the loose road dirt and dried mud off and reduce the amount that drips as a hot molten gunge onto you when you start using the blowlamp.
GuyW

I used a heat gun and scraper to remove the underseal, but the car was on a rotisserie. I didn't fancy doing it lying on my back.
Dave O'Neill 2

If you can move it outside, a pressure washer to get rid of the crud and loose bits of whatever then suit up and attack with aforesaid implements.

Or alternatively get someone else to do it :)
Jeremy T2

Thanks for your advice. I'm not ready to take everything off yet; I'd rather get the oil and crud off, then see what I'm faced with, rather than go for bare metal.

Scrubbing brush sounds OK, maybe with Gunk for the second phase. I reckon I can lie one side while I do the other side, though there's always the problem of dirty water reaching past the elbow.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

No, I wouldn't recommend doing it in the nude, Nick. Well, certainly not at this time of the year.

This site has a degreaser/ cleaner product, plus instructions on how to clean and prepare metal. They argue one shouldn't use abrasives or power tools until any oil based materials have been removed otherwise the contaminants get forced into the pores of the metal, giving problems later on.

http://www.rust.co.uk/car-restoration-start-here/c32739/
GuyW

Power washer is my 1st choice

Secound a combo of hot hot water with lots of dawn dish soap and hqir shampoo in a garden pump up sprayer and grandmas old scrub brush

And for those extra greasy areas us spray can brake cleaner get about 4 cheap brand X cans that stuff will really knock the oily crude off

Prop
Prop and the

' though there's always the problem of dirty water reaching past the elbow.'
Rubber bands?
Jeremy T2

I used a pressure washer with a degreaser then I went with Simple Green and a very stiff scrub brush. I did it with the car on stands in the driveway laying on my back wearing rain gear and a face shield. After a good scrub I used the pressure washer again.
K Hawkins

<<wearing rain gear and a face shield>>
Sou'wester and a balaclava. Anything else, or was that all?
GuyW

this is taking S & M to the very limit....
davidsmith

I have such a vivid image of you doing that job, KH. And I keep replaying it. Do I have a problem, doctor?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick

Its an absolutely foul job lying on you back/side doing this unless the car is well up in the air. I would suggest you get hold of a heated pressure washer. Less risk of chemicals/gunge all over you and so much quicker. I speak from bitter experience!
Bob Beaumont

Yes, Bob - it's getting it well up in the air that's the problem, isn't it? I've done either side of the fuel tank, and the wheel arches, at a height where one upward click of the headrest brings my nose into contact with the diff. (I got a wonderful trolley from Laura on my last birthday; she supports my hobby to the point where, at emotional moments, she's been known to say, "why don't you go out and lie on your trolley")

I think I will try and get it a little higher. Apart from anything else, the present height puts the work area at the wrong distance from my eyes: a bit further away, I might be able to use my computer specs, and actually see what I'm doing.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Oh the joys of age and reduced eyesight......
Bob Beaumont

Safety is priority number one...always use safety glasses or google for this type of work when using a pressure washer

Obviously you wont have a phone on you... make sure you got someone to watch over you and help you with the hoses...

If you use a power washer it wont take long maybe 15 min... then your done... you can rent power washers at pro house paint stores just tell them yiur power washing your house

But at our age iwouldnt waste the saterday witha brush scrubbing away like a youngster...

Speaking of ...malcome what are you doing in the hathroom ... son you have been in there a long time. You okay


Prop
Prop and the

You know what?

I can just hear Laura saying that...

he he

rubberbanded elbows is a vital part of whatever plan you decide on

As, to be fair, is altitude of workpiece above ground

Surely one of your friendly neighbours can spare an hour with his tractor and a front fork lift

A pint down the pub to pay for his time will also recompense you for the trauma, when you have yours
Bill sdgpM

I think I would avoid any source of flame underneath other wise you might just heat up the inside of your car. Think fire service here!!! Not fun at all.

Do you think you might be able to find a shop that will have a steam cleaner or pressure washer nearby that can put the car on a hoist so they can have at it?

Otherwise, just have to persevere as best you can.

Clare
C Ravenwood

Not a sou'wester green industrial rain wear plastic face shield. Was thoroughly soaked when done. I tend to do things the hard way and this was one of those times. In my defense here in Yellowknife its do it yourself or good luck. The only work I did not do myself was final prep and the paint.
K Hawkins

Thank you for your kind concern, everybody.

Despite the fact we're all doomed (cf Prop), I'm going for it today. Got her up another few inches, got lots of flattened cardboard boxes and newspaper to protect the Axminster, scrubbing brushes, gunk, waterproofs, goggles.

Yes, she's indoors. Let's see what happens. I'll run her out and lift the back end for jetting later.

Just looked up Yellowknife. Wow. It's difficult to see where you could plan a circular route for a nice day out, KH.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Yes - I had to look up Yellowknife too! Apparently it's called a city yet only two-thirds the size of the one-horse town I live in. Was wondering just how an MG found its way up there?
davidsmith

This did not go well.

After five minutes, the goggles were clear of splashes, but every other upper body part of me was covered in gunk.

How do you wash waterproofs?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

In another life I/we used to dress in them and then get a friend (this is not a task you want a rival or enemy to undertake) to power wash us off

With added soap if poss




but you do get wet too




And it's February tha knows
Bill sdgpM

I've gone out this morning and bought myself a hot air stripper, as I could see that a lot more of the underseal ought to come off.

By the way, what do people use to protect undersides? I'm a fan of underseal, which has always been used on this car. When I got it in 2003 I mended and patched here and there, and it's gone till now with very few failures. The floors behind the front wheels have many spots, of course, and the forward ends of the sills, but there's still a lot of cherry red paint under there.

So, I've started on it, and I'm impressed by its efficiency (thanks for the advice, David S). But lying on your back in a cramped space does tend to damage your co-ordination: while scraping enthusistically at a long strip of black stuff, it's too easy to let the blower nozzle wander a little, or maybe touch it against the back of your other hand.

So, what's a rotisserie?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

"So, what's a rotisserie? "

It's a frame that bolts to the front and rear of the body, allowing the car to be rotated for even cooking!


Dave O'Neill 2

Thanks, Dave. Did you make it? Where does it bolt onto? Existing holes, presumably.

How dare you make it so easy.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

I bought it ready made, but had to make some adaptors to attach to the bumper mounts.

I have since sold it, but not before noting down all of the dimensions...just in case I ever decide to do it all again!
Dave O'Neill 2

A pretty good, though probably more costly, short cut solution to making a rotisserie is to buy 2 of these engine stands and use them back to back.

http://tinyurl.com/hlm2tuu

You then only need to make the actual mounting attachments for either end.

On a Spridget, these would be a straight bar that bolts to the bumper mounts at the rear (as in Dave's photo). And at the front a "U" shaped bracket bolts to the front chassis extension pieces, where the bumper irons normally fit.
GuyW

Nick, the problem with conventional underseal is that it can delaminate from the body and water then gathers in the gap. You discover the rust after it's got a foothold or maybe let the daylight through.

A modern improvement is anti-stonechip such as UPOL Gravitex but you need a schutz gun to spray it with a high cfm compressor. So I used Gravigard, an aerosol based equivalent which is thinner but came out ok.

Some people use a chassis black followed by primer and a colour coat to keep it glossy hence "slippery". However I think an anti-stonechip will be tougher. With an existing painted underside like yours, I'd scrape it to sound material, abrade it and, if there's still mostly a painted surface left, apply something like Gravigard (easy as it's in rattle cans).

With my new shell, it came in etch primer so I overpainted that with black gloss combicolor (by Rustoleum) followed by Gravigard then finished with gloss combicolor in a shade close to BRG.

Bill
W Bretherton

Nice idea, Guy. From Dave's picture, it looks like these devices are principally designed for shells, while I've got both axle assemblies still in.

Mulling it over while walking the dog this afternoon, I thought I might put one side on ramps, then lift the working side to a decent height. Do you think the ramp-side suspension would complain?

Bill, thanks for that. Have you seen, say, a five-year review of Gravigard, or is it new?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, Gravigard has been around maybe 5 years. It (and other UPol products) seems to be highly regarded on various car repair forums I've read through including mig-welding.co.uk. A lot of people seem to consider stone-chip is better than conventional underseal as it's based on what car manufacturers now use apparently and bonds to the surface better than rubberised undeseal. When you consider modern cars hardly rust underneath there must be something in it (although that's also because they're electrophoretically dipped but we don't have that luxury!)
Bill
W Bretherton

Nick,
If the engine and gearbox are out, battery removed and oil drained from the back axle (not absolutely essential) then it is fairly easy to tip the car up onto one side to give you access to the underside for stripping, repairs and retreating.

To prevent damage to the side panels of the car it is best to tip the car up on an old mattress, or onto a couple of old car tyres. Beware not to set the mattress on fire if using a blow lamp to soften and remove old underseal!
GuyW

I've got my car back on its wheels now, but I still need to do plumbing and wiring underneath...so, I put the back wheels on ramps, but thought it a bit unstable with the front on axle stands, even with ratchet straps around the rear wheels and ramps.

I had a look on 'Shpock, the boot-sale app' and found another pair of ramps for £10.

It's now sitting with all four wheels on ramps, giving quite a bit of clearance.
Dave O'Neill 2

3M bodyshutz (and no doubt other commercial brands) are designed to have colour paint sprayed on top after a suitable drying period (a few days usually).
If it were me,
- primer of choice
- bodyshutz
- colour
davidsmith

If you look at this blog and browse through, it shows how James has used 2 engine stands as suggested by Guy

http://1965mgmidgetrestoration.blogspot.co.uk/
Kevin Fuller

What splendid responses. Thank you all. I discussed this with Laura over breakfast, and she seems to think I ought to just get on with it. I hadn't thought of that.

The lowest point of the sill is 17 7/8" above the floor. Not too bad.

I will leave the choice of finish until I see how well I do with the stripping. But the back end is all done - taken back, treated, painted, undersealed. So I might end up with a hybrid.

Having said that, the sills and outer floors do seem to be the most vulnerable bits - just out of range of the oil that gets flung about - so I ought to give them special attention; front wheel arches too, which I haven't got to yet.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, are the underside and sills completely original and sound? If so, that is remarkable especially around the rear spring hangers.

Bill
W Bretherton

Just finished the O/S sill, Bill.

The car was undersealed in 1960 and every so often in the diary it says he checked it over, scraped any loose spots, derusted, painted and undersealed.

When I got it I repaired the underseal here and there. What I'm looking at now, 13 years later, is thick thick underseal from all the build-up it's received, which has heated up nice and gloopy with the hot air gun and come off in great thick strips.

Here is the remarkable result.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

. . . middle section . . .


Nick and Cherry Scoop

I must stress, this is through no virtue of mine. It's all down to the PO, who had it from new. And he had covered all surfaces up to the vertical sill face.

And she hasn't sat in the garage. Le Mans twice, tours of Northumberland, Yorkshire and North Wales, and rallied and autotested by my wife and daughters.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Remarkable condition Nick. The underseal has worked in your case so, providing it is checked and repaired regularly, perhaps it's all you need.
W Bretherton

Last picture post of the day.

Only just started really, and I've heard somewhere that smugness cometh before the scraper breaking through the metal.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Not sure, Bill. I think you're right to go for something which both bonds to the metal and protects it in rough conditions.

I'll see what level of rust I've got, and take a view when all is known. I do wish I knew what underseal the first owner used, though.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Looks really sound. Can't be many Frog's that can still sport the original paint on the underside and sills! (Of course you can't see inside the box sections....We are all doomed Capt Mainwaring)
Bob Beaumont

The only super original frogeye I've seen came over for a Austin Healey weekend some years back and came from sunny dry southern Italy, the only non original thing about it was the SUs had been replaced by single choke sidedraught Webers.
David Billington

Did I mention that this car was off the road from 1982 until 2003? Given the first owner's attention to detail, I imagine he would have done everything he could think of to protect it, before he put it away.

You don't see many single-choke Webers, David.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick,

I had never seen them before and I haven't seen any since but the owner mentioned they were a common period modification in Italy. They were a direct bolt on replacement for the standard 1 1/8" SUs. He said they were no longer made but spares were available, I would presume because Weber would likely have used parts common to many other carbs.
David Billington

Sorry to revive this thread, but I wanted to ask about an access I've found. Hidden under layers of underseal and, as you see, just in front of the throttle pedal fixings. So it gives access to the void between the toeboard and the inner wheel arch.

Question 1 - is it just so I can spray some waxoyl in there?

Question 2 - if so, why such a serious rubber-bunged hole, when other voids - e.g. box sections - have tiny open 'drains'?

Question 3 - does the whole range have this feature? My MkII didn't, but then somebody had welded in a new floor.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

I haven't seen one before, so I don't think they were on later cars.

Is there one on the passenger side, too?
Dave O'Neill 2

Certainly my frog had them before the floor was replaced. I wonder if again it was something to do with transport to located the shell when it was being moved?
Bob Beaumont

Mklll has them, closed by rubber bung 4G6957.
Bill
W Dunsmore

Yes, both sides.

Good thought, Bill. Easy enough to poke something T-shaped through, and turn it to hold. It's in a strong place, and reinforced quite substantially.

I've just looked for the rubber bung in the AH Spares parts list, and it's noted as 'grommet - sling hole in floor'.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

My '71 sprite had them.

'Sling' implies to me the method used for loading onto ships, before RORO became the norm.
GuyW

Thinking about it, I may have seen them...just not so well defined!

If the box section was liberally waxoyled, would it be better to leave the bung out?
Dave O'Neill 2

it'll be for a lashing sling with a hook on the end, for those special lorries from Swindon to Abingdon.
davidsmith

My 1976, build date end of January has those. I have the plugs in place. May as well try and keep out whatever I can.

Wondered what they were for.

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

I never noticed them until I looked this afternoon
Greybeard

They could also be used on the production line to dip in the acid bath/ primer tank. On the track upside down to allow box sections to be painted inside. Then turned right side up to drain.

Rob
MG Moneypit

Production line is a good call, maybe in Abingdon for assembly. Or did they run on little trolleys?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, My new shell has them so I asked Frogeye Spares what they were for and they weren't sure!

Bill
W Bretherton

The replacement floor panels I fitted to my Frog have them too. Just in case I need to strap the thing down somewhere!

You can see them in use in this photo:


GuyW

LOL Guy
W Bretherton

The slots were designed for overseas delivery.
You can see the sequence in this photo:


GuyW

I recognise the Corsair. What's the other? Avenger?

What I can't make out is, what's it doing?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Catapult. The cables fasten to the key slots on the underside of the vehicle and to an explosive charged jockey that is fired along a track, delivering the chosen vehicle off the side of the ship at high speed - hence suitable for over seas delivery.
GuyW

I'm now finding that the cleaning of the underside has become addictive. I did not intend to strip back to paint or bare metal everywhere, but that's what seems to be happening.

Is this normal?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

I finally found a hole in my floor! I knew you'd be relieved.

More later.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

A little hole right next to the spring baseplate, outboard of it. Duffed up with pudding, painted and undersealed. No rust, though.

When I got my first Frog in 1971 it was only 10 years old, but both floors were rotten just outboard of the spring baseplate. It's one of the places to poke before you buy, I later learned.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, are your spring baseplates welded to the floor, or just held in place by the bolts?
GuyW

Nick, that is an American Hellcat being launched.

It's funny, I can't figure out from whereabouts on the ship that it is being launched from (based on the photo).

The USS Hornet as captioned on the photo, had a huge flight deck being a fleet type carrier (later used in the recovery of the early US space flight vehicles I believe). I can see launching it by catapult from the flight deck but that is a photo that gives it an odd angle looking like a side launch similar to what some Royal Navy battleships had. I think HMS Prince of Wales had a catapult but the aircraft was a Walrus/Sea Otter type biplane not a fighter.

Oh well, on to other more important things.

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

Guy, I think they were tacked at the corners.

In this picture you can see the shadow lines going back and across, where the floor disappears over the plate, then a lump at the front corner.

I've dug into the lump, and it's definitely metal. I'd guess factory, because the first owner, though very fastidious, does not seem to have been a welder.

Can't get at the back corners yet, until I move the axle stand.

Good picture of the little hole, too.

Thanks, Clare. Nice to get the aircraft identified.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Thanks Nick. I have fitted the plates on mine, welded at the rear edge to the bottom of the turret that goes over the spring and up inside the box section. But at the front they are currently just located by the 4 bolts through the floor and into the L shaped bracket piece on the top. I wasn't sure whether to add a bead of weld across the front edge. I am still not!

Clare, I had just pinched the Hellcat image to illustrate the concept of firing a Frogeye off the side of a ship, utilising Nick's tie-down slots and an aircraft catapult.
From the image, and others adjacent to it on the web site I rather gather that the catapult in this case was launching aircraft through openings in the side of the ship from a lower deck. I don't know what the carrier was though.

I once got a trip with a friend in his Cessna. We diverted because of poor weather and ended up at an unexpected small airstrip on Anglesey. As we were just taxiing off the runway much to our surprise a Hellcat went close past us and took off on the same runway. And wow ! what an incredible noise of shear brute force power! I have no idea what it was doing there.
GuyW

Ha! I thought it might be a trolley.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

That is still an interesting picture though, Guy. I can imagine the force of the prop wash in such an enclosed space and I've never heard of a sideways launch from a carrier before.

If you look at the top right of the picture though you can see USS Hornet and her designation CV12. After a refit later on she was designated as an attack carrier and became a CVA.

Eventually an angled flight deck was fitted to upgrade her and as she became outdated Hornet was eventually decommissioned and became a museum ship and placed on the national historic register of historic sites.

Here endeth the lesson. :-)

Clare


Clare Ravenwood

Clare,
<<the force of the prop wash>> My Father in Law got his instant promotion to Leading Air Mechanic, when his team-leader predecessor in the rank was blown off the flight deck and lost overboard by the backwash from a Spitfire. North Atlantic convoy to Murmansk in 1943. After that they introduced safety lines but he said they never clipped in because they got in the way.

Nick,
That photo is surely staged for the camera. I cannot think they would have one man "checking the front brakes" whilst another was working single handed (the other in his pocket?) to install the engine. Did all the chrome finishings go on before the engine went in? And surely the steering rack should go in before the engine?
GuyW

Guy, I dont think he has his hand in his pocket, more like pressing the button on the hoist.

Trev
T Mason

Definitely all the chrome, lights etc. before the engine. But it looks very posed. I assume the gearbox is going in with the engine.

This book (Making MGs) is not very accurate, as you will see.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Yes,l see the deliberate
mistakes! Interesting photos though. The top one may be 1963 but the other main one is 1964 or later. (Cars have external door handles.)
GuyW

That is an interesting series of pictures. I had not even noticed the lack of door handles on the other shells. Sharp eyes!!

Some things never change, Guy. People still do not utilise safety equipment even today for the same reasons....gets in the way or it's uncomfortable or it won't take a second to do the job so no point in using the equipment.

As for the side launch, it was tried and then quickly dropped. The catapult mechanism took up valuable space, the effect on a pilot's eyes when going from dark to sudden light, the possibility of if the ship was rolling could launch the aircraft toward the sky or toward the sea and the light change factor could be hazardous. The effect on the aircraft's control when faced with a sudden side wind as it was launched. An interesting idea but deemed not too practical to pursue like a lot of other ideas in the past.

Clare

Clare Ravenwood

Guy - for what it's worth, here is the other end of the base plate, just excavated. I assume that's a floor sandwich - nothing welded so far as I can see, except where the wheel arch meets the spring carrier.

Going in with a screwdriver over the U-bolt was like digging for spuds; as ever, a relatively simple job grows larger, and that spring will have to come out (I'm already worrying about your earlier post about how far the mud can travel forward).

And although Haynes gets the spring out for you in 10 short lines of print, wouldn't you just want to dismantle the radius-arm assembly as well?


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Rear axle is nicely drooping, but the check straps are twanging tight. Should I release them before messing with the springs? Or do they perform a useful role in keeping everything together?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, when I changed my springs, I kept the straps in place. Made it easier I think and kept things from moving around.

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

Thanks, Clare. I reckon to let go carefully at the front end, and see if/how much it moves, before releasing at the axle end.

Or I might just take the straps off and let the axle down on the jack - see how far it wants to go.

Haven't got there yet - still scraping underneath. HA! Back on topic.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

With the straps off, won't the axle then hang on the springs? Just when you want tension on the springs released?
GuyW

Leave the top link attached, support the axle so as to relieve the tension in the check-strap, disconnect the check strap, lower the axle to release the tension in the spring. All sounds easy provided you have no rusty bolts. When I removed my quarter-eliptics I found that the 2 bolts that pass through the under body stiffner and forward part of the spring were seized solid inside the spring - I had to cut the bolt-heads off. This then presented a problem as the bolts passed through the top of the threaded keep on top of the spring which then fouled the spring mounting box when trying to withdraw the spring!!!

If you leave the check straps attached I'm not sure whether when you undo the U-bolt, the spring won't uncompress to the extent that it will curve upwards resulting in the forward end fouling the spring box - never tried that myself.

Simon
Simon Wood

Blimey, Simon. What pitfalls await me. It's difficult to see how the bolts could NOT have seized in the spring, unless the 15 leaves move a tiny amount against each other.

Thanks for the advice. I did once see how much a new spring curved when released, and I think I will take the straps off.

I guess I will find out when I get there, but how do you locate the keep on top of the spring, and hold it there while you feed the spring back into its lair? And if you can do that, why did it foul coming out? Was it higher, because of getting the cut bolts to clear the base plate?

Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, bear in mind that when I did all this some 27 years ago I had no idea whether what I was dismantling was what had been installed by the factory or by a later "repairer".

In my case, the bolts protruded through the keeper (I can't remember how far) enough to make the height of the (spring + keeper + protrusion + bit of bolt left in the stiffner) > (height of the spring box) so it wouldn't come out! As I was replacing all the box, heel boards etc, it didn't really matter to me that I used brute force.

To get the new bolts back in to the new keeper I ground tapers on the ends of the bolts to help with the alignment. The top of the spring has a locating peg which sits in the keeper to help line it up. A pair of long-nose pliers helped too if I recall.
Simon
Simon Wood

I have only done a dry run assembly with mine but l think what l did was to put the front keeper into its bolt holes inside the spring housing, but leave the nuts off. Then push it upwards and feed the end of the spring into the cavity until the locating peg will slot down into the spring. Then pull it right down and fit the nuts.

I will take another look and check when l get home tonight. I do remember it had something of the Chinese puzzle about how it went together.
GuyW

I confess that Simon scared me so much, I went out and tried all four bolts. They all turned - phew. So far, so good.

Thanks both. I might have to do this next, just for curiosity (and because scraping underneath has charms that do not endure).
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, Glad you managed to get the bolts turning, that vastly improves your chances of being able to re-use the original springs. I made the mistake of scrapping mine and fitting a pair of "heavy duty" replacements which in my opinion are a poor substitute. I keep looking here in the hope that the price will drop, but I'm not holding my breath....

http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/product/austin-healey-sprte-mk1-and-mk2-leaf-spring-rear-pair/

Simon
Simon Wood

Golly - that is eye-watering! More than the pre-tax price of my Sprite in 1960, I daresay.

I'd like to think they've really done it properly; but this is certainly a tester for all the people here (I'm one of them) who say they would gladly pay more for better quality spares.

£44.50 + VAT per spring at AH Spares, I see, which I assume is a 9-leaf type. Is that what you went for, Simon?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Ouch Simon, that's steep and just what exotic material are those springs made from?

Like you I too made the mistake of binning some of the original parts, dampers, spring (pun unintended) to mind, mistakenly thinking the new repro parts were similar quality.
My father used to say 'The man who never made a mistake, never made anything'. By that reckoning I've made loads of things.
Jeremy T2

The springs that I bought have either 9 or 10 leaves (I can't remember) They came from Ron Hopkinson's MG Centre some 30 odd years ago. To their credit they have covered some 60k miles plus but they are very harsh in my opinion.
Simon Wood

Yes, I rarely bin anything (I used to, too). Nuts and bolts even, which seem to me so superior to what I can buy now.

Let's kill this thread now. I'm sick of seeing its title on the list. I'll start the next one with a snappier subject.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2017 and 09/03/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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