MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Frogeye bonnet buffers

Whilst adjusting the locking bars on my Frogeye bonnet I thought I would check the bonnet's fit onto the rubber buffers mounted on top of the inner wings, to check they are not holding the bonnet too high. Granddaughters' playdough works well for this (as it does for measuring combustion chamber volumes!) See photo.
Anyway I am surprised to find that there is from 5 to 8 mm clearance between rubber buffers and the underside of the closed bonnet, with the curve of the bonnet creating the range. I don't think it matters, although the gap could be adjusted with extra packing, or by moving the buffer forwards on top of the wing.



GuyW

Guy, I would suggest that you make whatever adjustments as necessary to get the bonnet to sit on those buffers. Going over bumps in the road tends to cause the frogeye bonnet to leap about a bit, so the more support the better. In my experience, it is the back of the bonnet that has the greater tendency to move as the hinge support is at best a bit flimsy. My bonnet compresses those buffers a little. I have also shimmed the sill buffers so that they make contact with the wings. This all helps a bit, but I still get a fair bit of clattering over big bumps.
Simon Wood

I've yet to fit my buffers and have wondered how exact their location is/should be.
Bill Bretherton

My sill buffers support the lower wings quite well. And the rear of the bonnet, when shut, is more supported by the V notch in the rubber strip along the front of the scuttle, than by the hinges. So these buffers should provide an additional mid-point support if I adjust them a bit.
GuyW

The repro buffers are slightly smaller than the original ones. I had to shorten the metal spacer in the bush. I found a new old stock one and it was about 1/8 to 3/16 inches taller. It means the bush needs to be further along the wing to do its job properly.
Bob Beaumont

I rebuilt the inner wings with new top plates and I now remember drilling the holes for the buffer fixing bolts. I cogitated for a while about where to position them and after consulting my Horler's decided to put them at the mid point of the top panel as that looked right. It now looks like I may need to move them forward by an inch or so.
I presume that when fitted, the bonnet should just make fairly light contact, rather than compressing them.
GuyW

I have a similar though magnified problem on the clam shell GRP bonnet of the midget. Obtaining a nice fit and tight shut lines at the scuttle end and sides is very difficult despite having Spitfire (heresy I know!) locking pins/latches at the side. I have tried all sorts at the front end to make it fit better but to no avail. The bonnet is simply too flimsy to hold its shape at the scuttle end when driving.

What I am about to try is fitting adjustable over centre toggle latches to pull the bonnet closer to the scuttle, to obtain better shut lines at the sides of the A pillar, and to keep the bonnet from bouncing around. However the price to pay is a slight unsightliness and drilling the bonnet/scuttle for the fastenings. This may not look too out of place on my car but I apppreciate for others it will be. I have seen many pop latches (I think they are called - the things secured by a clip) and also similar flush fit versions with no clip, which aslo involve drilling through the bonnet. The flush things certainly look better for keeping the bonnet tightly closed and to stop it bouncing about when driving. There may be some way to avoid the bonnet drilling for the pin, but haven't given it much thought.
Oggers

Here's where mine are. In the original position I believe. Screw hole is approximately 45mm ahead of the rear fold of the mudguard.

You can see where the buffer has deformed after decades of being squashed by the bonnet.


Simon Wood

Well, this is interesting! Guy, it does sound like yours would need to move forward of centre to contact the falling line of the bonnet but Simon's buffers are rear of centre. Perhaps it's a custom fit in each case. Although, if the front wings are high at the front of the sills, which seems typical, it could be that some Frogeye bonnets are held higher at the front locating pegs, meaning the wing top buffers need to be further forward perhaps.
Bill Bretherton

I noticed in the 'New project' thread that the frogeye that Dominic Clancy has been asked to get on the road again doesn't have the buffers, were they a production change added at some point like the 2nd front triangle panel and the reinforcing box section over the axle hump. IIRC the ones on mine are midway along the top of the inner wings.
David Billington

If the buffers were a production change, it would make sense as the project car is number 2004, so quite an early car.
Dominic Clancy

David, buffers added October'58 according to Horler, which is after your car Dominic.
Bill Bretherton

My mistake about the buffer position. I thought they were centre of the top panel. But when I went back into the garage I see they are pretty well as in Simon's photo.

The other thing is that although the bonnet looks perfectly level and gaps along the sill joints are much the same, there is slightly more clearance to the buffer on the offside than the nearside one. I've put packing in and I think they are about right now.

The only better way of checking this would be to remove the headlights from their pods, though I do have a cheap computer endoscope that I might do some experimentation with.
GuyW

This thread was discussed on 30/12/2020

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.