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MG MGA - What's a hardtop worth?

Just wondering what a reconditioned factory aluminum hardtop would be worth, in your opinion.
Andy Bounsall

Not sure how relevant this is, but a friend just auctioned a Healy 3000 hardtop on e-bay for $3000. He said it was a polyester top with aluminum siffeners and that the top was warped. He was told he could have got more.

GTF
G T Foster

£2000 £3000 £4000 depends how good it is I think
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

£1,270.01

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1960-MGA-Original-Hardtop-in-Aluminium-and-Lined_W0QQitemZ290355678245QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item439a8c0c25&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1182
Neil McGurk

Some “nut case” that thinks that an MGA is worth $53,000 may be willing to spend $8,000 or $10,000 for it; you never know!
David werblow

For less than that, I'd bet someone here (me?) would be willing to get a mold made, or make one, and cast/lay up new ones out of fiberglass. I'd need one to use as a pattern, of course...

Doesn't anyone reproduce these?

JIM
AJ Mail

I have mulled the idea of producing a top that would replicate the original Vandenplas aluminum (aluminium) top.
I am now in sales, but most of my life's work was as an engineer in the marine business. My two areas of expertise were FRP structures and Marine Power Systems.
I have gone as far as estimating the cost of building a replica top. When I say replica, I propose that the top would look and be dimensionally exact to the original top. I have the expertise and facility to do this.
I estimate that for the above to be feasable, the top would have to sell for $2000 plus shipping. I was watching the Ebay auction that is referenced in this thread. In order to put that top in new condition would cost another $2000.
So, it would seem to me that a replica for $2000 would be a reasonable price. But I question, how many potential buyers would there be?
James Johanski

I am going to reluctantly weigh in on this topic...
I wanted an aluminum hardtop ever since I knew that they existed when I bought my copy of Original MGA in 1995. I talked to several people that I purchased parts from to help me locate one. In 2005, one of them called me to say he had located one. It was in rough shape, broken window, bad headliner, missing J hooks, broken mounts, essentially a shell.
It was $2500 and located about a nine hour drive from my home.
I happily purchased it, because from 1995 to 2005 I wanted one. In that time I finished college, went to dental school, got married and had my first child. I did not want to wait another decade to look for one at the "right price". I distinctly remember someone offering one on this forum about the same time, similar condition, and similar price. I also remember the scorn that was heaped upon him at that time...
I spent the next three years acquiring parts, and having it restored to pristine condition. Total cost to me including the purchase price was about $7000.
I am not ashamed to say this and I take great offense at being considered a "nut case". I wanted one and was willing to pay whatever it took to get one and to make it perfect.
It is currently sitting on my car and it looks beautiful. In short I wanted one and now I have one. I couldn't be happier...
If I had waited for one at whatever the right price is, I'd still be waiting...
James Hurm

HMMM this is all very interesting, especially since I was looking at my hardtop last week, regretting how little I use it on the car! It's sitting on a shelf in my garage covered with a blanket. Anyone who wants to make me a decent offer...I documented the restoration here
http://www.jimpaul.tv/mga/mods2.htm


Jim P

OK, Jim...so what would you consider to be a decent price?

James, that's a great story and no, I wouldn't call you a "nut case" at all. You had a dream and were fortune enough to be able to fulfill it.
Andy Bounsall

I found a VandenPlas fiberglass top in poor condition, and figure I could easily spend upwards of $2K to get it in shape. I would be willing to invest that much or more in a repro aluminum version.

Jim's site and notes are great, reminding us of all the other pieces and work required to make a usable hardtop.

James J: Put me on your list as someone who would buy in to your project if you get it off the ground.

-Chuck
Chuck Mosher

I have two Factory FG hardtops. One is certainly a viable candidate for restoration. the other could be brought back with much more effort. I prefer the open roadster so would like these to find their way to someone in need rather than my basement
Doug
D Sjostrom

Andy, I would want to recover what I put into it plus a little more I guess so I can at least replace my convertible top. I'll think about it and either post it in the classifieds here or if anyone wants to contact me at jimpaul@yahoo.com if they know of an interested party. Thanks :)
Jim P

I’m also with James on this one. I too desired a Vandenplas aluminium hardtop for my 1600 after seeing footage of Nancy Mitchell campaigning Mabel in the 1956 Alpine Rally. My desire was not for practical reasons but for its rallying links and rarity (I wanted my A to be a little different without departing from originality).

I searched long and hard for one. The first top I found was in Belgium and I can recall staying up a number of times to the early hours of the morning and trying to speak basic French to someone on the other side of the world from a text book. My flatmates at the time thought I was nuts but that didn’t concern me. In my mind having a passion and following a dream was infinitely better than spending countless nights perched on the couch watching TV! Unfortunately this deal didn’t eventuate (my French is very poor!).

The second top I found was in New Jersey and I again made a number of late night phone calls arranging for the purchase. At least this time I could speak English, although the owner did have some difficulties in understanding my Aussie accent! Unfortunately this deal also fell through when the agent I commissioned to pick up and ship the top failed to show up and the owner decided to sell it to someone else whom he could talk to face-to-face.

Not deterred I eventually found a very nice top in the UK. The owner had someone else locally who wanted to buy the top but in a bizarre sense of luck it turned out that his aunt lived literally across the road from me and could vouch for my bona fide!

I paid about 1500 pounds for it (about 8 years ago) and then waited more than 6 months for it to be crated and brought out to Australia by ship. I can still remember driving down to the docks carefully prising open the wooden crate to reveal the contents like it was yesterday. You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for weeks.

Like Jim I couldn’t be happier. The hardtop looks fantastic and now has a personal story that comes with it. Now that I have a son on the way (due Feb 10) I realise that my days of selfishly trolling the world for expensive MG accessories are limited so I’m even happier. Hopefully one day my little guy will inherit the A complete with hardtop and story that comes with it.



S HILL

Does anyone have experience with the Smoothline hardtop?
http://www.smoothline.com/mg.php
Mark Hoffman

I too wanted the original alloy hard top but could not afford the high prices that such fine articles demand. I was therefore extremely fortunate to find an alloy hard top with servere damage, that was for sale at a very reasonable £450. I then spent months trying to beat it back into shape and restoring it, when finished I was very happy with the result and it was all worthwhile.

I do not understand why anyone would want to buy a reproduction hardtop when there are many factory F/G hardtops about or also plenty of after arket hardtops.

I would be doubtful that the alloy hardtop mentioned above actually sold for that price on Ebay, if that was a gneuine sale then IMO someone got a great bargain.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Mark,
The Smoothline hard top for the MGA was originally designed and manufactured by Parrish Plastics. I have one, but rarely have used it. To be honest, the only advantage of having it is the knowledge that I have a period accessory that most people don’t have. As D. Sjostrom has said the MGA is an open roadster, and that is surely the best way to enjoy it.
David werblow

Greetings all,

I just bought a coupe......smile! However, I am curious as to why these tops bring such a high price? I have a factory steel hardtop for a Triumph TR3 that was in near perfect shape, less rear window, and I paid just $350.00 for it, which included all the attachment hardware. What gives? Cheers!
Robert Maupin

Bob,
People don't normally make up sales on ebay. It costs the seller money and does nobody any good.
Congratulations to the lucky individual that got such a deal.
BTW, Repro hardtops would sell very well, just as reproduction anything else sells.
Seeing people buy master cylinder caps for the exhorbitant prices that they seem to command proves this.
Mike Parker

We used to send customer's cars to Parrish for prototyping when new body styles came out. Seems to me that the dealer wouldn't cooperate, wanting to sell factory tops instead. The customer gave up his new car for a bit, but got a top really cheap, or maybe free, I can't recall. I never liked the MGA one, wrong shape I thought. Had an alloy A top once; like many other things that passed by, I sure wish it were still here!

FRM
FR Millmore

Mike must just be me and the people I know then cos we do it all the time. I thought it was common practice as although you have a commission to pay it is cheaper than setting a reserve and such. If the item does not make the price you want then bid it yourself. :-) Don't forget to give yourself great feedback!!

Mike Repro products do sell pretty well but how much would you pay for a repro part compared to a real one?
Also a repro is just such, suggested above was to make a repro alloy top in Fibre glass, that is not a repro is it, when genuine fibre glass tops are readily available.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Bob,
I don't know about bidding sales up, I have placed one bid to get the ball rolling per se.
I know that some people want a good top that they don't have to fix, and it is worth it to them to have a reproduction top. The free market will dictate whether it is worth it for somebody to do it and the price that they should go for.
Mike Parker

I,ve had a Parrish Products (Smoothline) hardtop for years and I really like it. When attached, it gives the MGA a whole different personality, sounds much more solid than the ragtop, gives it the gorgeous shape of the coupe, and it does keep the heat in.If used, it's mainly during the late fall, winter season when the temps get low and the roads are still clear. Marvin
Marvin Stuart

Here's a Parrish hardtop on my MGA. Ready for Sunday's run and anything else that comes up from now until the salt & sand hits the roads.


Marvin Stuart

Another shot of the Parrish. Marvin


Marvin Stuart

A Melbourne Club member has one for sale in our October magazine "Wheelspin" ----

"MGA fibreglass hardtop, in good original condition. Needs painting. AU$1450 or near offer."

If interested, Email me as above and I will put you in touch. Shipping across the lake could be expensive.

Barry

BM Gannon

New fibreglass tops are available in the UK from Honeybourne Mouldings at £325:

http://www.honeybournemouldings.co.uk/about.htm
Neil McGurk

Having an original fibreglass top, all I can say is that from the photos, the Honeybourne top is a good repro of the factory hardtop. The Smoothline one looks terrible in comparison as the rear window proportion is absolutely wrong IMHO - to me it is just plain ugly.

To restore a fibreglass top costs about the same as buying the Honeybourne one new. No idea what the inside of the Honeybourne one is like, but my factory one is headlined and packed with insulation between the headlining and the shell.

dominic clancy

I have wondered about getting a hardtop for my car for winter driving and i have just followed the link suggested by neil. The Honeybourne hardtop looks spot on especially at the price, has anyone tried one and, if so, what do you think of it?
cheers
colyn
colyn firth

I am like Dominic in thinking that the Parrish hardtop is truely abyssmal. The rear window looks like something out of the Waltons!!
Wouldn't do for us all to like the same things would it.

I think if someone is not prepared to restore an original F?Glass hardtop or can not find an aluminium hardtop then the Honeybourne is a good alternative, and one I had considered before finding an aluminium top.

Colyn can not answer your question directly but would be nice to know if the Honeybourne has the headlining installed. At that low price I would not believe so but on the other hand if it does then it is a very good alternative.

Bob North Lincs, near Bill Sharpe. :-)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I agree with you about the shape of the Parrish/Smoothline top. It just doesn't look quite right to my eye.

I enquired about the Honeybourne hardtop earlier this year. Here's some of the information they supplied.

"Our hardtop is manufactured in glassfibre and is available in black or white gloss exterior finish. The interior is finished in dark grey brush nylon fibre. The hardtop is supplied fully assembled with weather sealing and a full fitting kit and instruction sheet. The rear window is made from poly carbonate. The top attaches...to windshield posts and J hooks."

For £325 it sounds like quite a good deal. Unfortunately they do not ship to Canada though.
Andy Bounsall

I struggle to understand why people want hardtops on an open top sports car. Surely, the thrill is the wind through your hair, the sweet smell of the countryside and the blast of the exhaust. With the hard top on all you get is the smell of oily fumes, sound of tappets and general road noise resonance in the shell.

I vote for the cold open air, wind blast, bit of getting wet, but hell of a lot of fun. Can't fit the hood nor a hard top anyway with the sports windscreen, so I have no choice!

Steve
Steve Gyles

Hi,

if someone is interested in an original fibreglass top
I have one for sale
On the picture or 2 shown, one is sold, one to go
http://mg-owners-gallery.eu/




serge

to Steve, if your aim is to take the A out for a quick spin, or a few hours for an afternoon drive, then I agree. No hardtop required.

But if you, like me, want to motor up the coast for over 1000 miles with sustained 50-degree weather (with or without rain), then the hardtop is a logical choice. If you haven't tried it, don't knock it. :)

Before such a trip I bolt the top firmly on and press on all corners checking for flex. Then I attach the sidecurtains (both of mine are tempered safety glass) and stuff little wads of black felt between the J-bolts and top rail to prevent squeaking. I also have those little clips on the screens to prevent them from separating from the front windshield under speed.

The MGA has now become an MGA-GT. It is three things the open car is not: quiet, warm, comfortable. Now on the long drives I can turn on the stereo and enjoy music...not really possible at highway speeds without the roof. And it is fun to slide the side window back for a little fresh air or throw change into a toll basket....or to open the door from outside! Keep the heater off or on it's lowest setting...the car is plenty warm. Keep the driver's window closed and slide the passenger side just a crack if you need ventilation without breeze. These are things you learn.

The hardtop makes the MGA a refined sports car "tourer" and is a pleasure to drive in cold weather. It is, however, a completely different experience from the open top. Don't the British have a phrase for it..."different horses for different courses."


Jim P

We do have a phrase for it Jim

Steve is what is commonly refered to as "hard" He is a looney who drives his car topless 7 days a week winter or summer. Having been completely drowned on at least 3 occassions in my car when caught out in a torrent. I personally use the car topless, with softop or with hardtop depending on the conditions at the time.
I am thus a wuss and not as hard as Steve... :-)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Jim

All in humour, but yes done it come rain come shine. I have done a 1600 mile round trip in 5 days, mid winter from the foot of England to the top of Scotland and back (Lands End to John of Groats) in my old 1948 TC, topless and no heater. Slid down the hills in Wales on black ice at midnight. Had 2 nights rest in the 5 days, but the hood never saw the light of day. I've also done Preston to Le Mans and back in June with upper 30s in France. Fried in the cockpit, but that was the name of the game. As a normal commute I have seen all types of weather. I have regularly put an umbrella up at traffic lights and soaked up the wet on a towel across my lap.

I stand by what I say, if you want to wear a hood buy a Coupe. These cars look stunning topless, why overdress them?

Steve
Steve Gyles

Hey Steve your description of Scotland and Wales sound pretty cool! Not sure I can top that...hmmm

I do have a cherished memory of my old girlfriend and my MGB (August 1987) in the pouring rain on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, no place to pull over to put the top up, but the warm wet sweet rain washing over us as we slowed down for the exit ramp, soaking us thoroughly. Yes a twenty-something looks good in a soaking wet top. :) I remember giving her a big kiss at the first stop, and then we both got out to deal with the lift-a-dots. Insert your own jokes here :)

But I gotta say that nowadays, hardtop pleasures notwithstanding, most of the year I drive the MGA without the top. My favorite drives are now at night, through the canyons near the ocean during the full moon. The landscape is ghostly lit up and the air is usually warm, and you get the sky and stars overhead. Maybe I will sell the hardtop after all.
Jim P

This thread was discussed between 12/10/2009 and 24/10/2009

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