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MG TD TF 1500 - Moss top/hood forTD

Hello,

I have just bought a TD 3-bow hood/top kit from Moss Europe, and have received in the kit a sort of fabric strip, that apparently should be wrapped around the header beam. However, the said strip has none of the three notches required to clear the wiper spindles. Instead, there is a seam making three “curves” where the cut-outs should be. In addition, these “curves” are not the same size. See the attached photo for details.

May this be a mistake from Moss, or this is what I have to deal with?

Thank you for your comments.

Jesús



J Benajes

Jesus - I would send that picture to Moss and ask that a finished header piece be supplied. It looks like someone picked one up that had not been finished. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Hi Jesus. I take it your car is no longer on display and back is in your possession. I'm glad to see you finishing it!

I think the top bow cover wasn't finished properly. before the stitching shown, the basic shape of the cut out should be made and the material folded back into itself on the sides and at the top, and then the top stitch made to hold it in place. The end result is that the major fold running the length of the strip should be a single outer fold, and the minor folds for each windscreen cutout should be doubled into themselves on the sides and the top to hide the frayed edge.

I would return the whole top as dye lots change and you want a top that matches your weather strip and your hidem strip.

I just installed my two bow top. You may enjoy my pictures on my website, http://www.dbraun99.com/mgtd15470/ under mg td15470 Restoration » Weather Equipment » Hood installation

warmly,
dave

Dave Braun

Thank you for your responses.

You reassure me in what I suspected, when comparing the strip I got with what I had seen in many pictures, including Horst Schach’s manual. In addition, the Moss kit I received did not contain the webbing strips for the frame bows. I am already clearing this question with Moss sales staff. I will let you know of the outcome.

Dave, your photos are very illustrative. My TD is still in the exhibition, until next Sunday. I just wanted to have the hood stuff ready for installing it when the car would be back at home.

Jesus
J Benajes

Hello.

After discussing the issue with Moss in UK, it seems that the situation is like that:

- The hood/top kit from Moss UK does not contain the two webbing straps for the frame bows.

- The front fabric strip for wrapping the front bow is not finished. In words of Moss: “this is a universal part for all the TD range, you cut out the material to suit your wiper layout”

- The hood itself has no semicircular reinforcement at the front extremities, where it meets the front beam ends.

I have still to attempt he installation, and hope that I will manage to and will manage to succeed (after of course doing some sewing).

I must concede that the staff at Moss has been very accessible by email and responded quickly to all my queries. They even sent some photos of the installation process.

Jesus
J Benajes

I am very surprised... my kit contained the straps and the pre-sewn front strip (mine was one of their last canvas kits).... At this point I would not call it a 'kit' any longer. Do they provide the straps as a separate order, or are they just 'not available'?

gblawson(gordon)

Jesus,

If it were me, I would return the Moss Europe hood and order one from the US.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Gordon, I do not know if the straps are available separately, nor have any interest in ordering them. I am not sure what kind of straps I would receive. I will try to get them elsewhere.

Yes, Dave, returning the “kit” would be the due procedure. However, I am bothered by the effort and cost (at least I should pay the shipping Spain -UK), and the higher shipping cost from USA. So, I will try to adapt the material I got. Hopefully, there is not any other flaw.

By the way, the kit material is “duck”, i.e. canvas.

Jesus
J Benajes

Jesus, my top from Moss US included the strip already sewn with the cutouts for the wipers. I attached a photo for reference. Gordon already shows a photo of the corner assembly.
Incidentally my top is also the duck canvas, and it tends to shrink. I had purchased mine ahead of need when it was on sale, and it already appeared to have been on the shelf awhile. It stayed in the box for awhile longer in my storage. When I installed it I had a difficult time stretching it enough, especially to the windshield .
You may want to do a preliminary check on yours.

Dallas

D C Congleton

Mine was the duck as well and had to have 3" taken out of a seam...?
gblawson(gordon)

Jesus,
I bought my top from a different source but got the same pre-stiched piece for the front bow. You cut out the material according to your wiper lay-out withour cutting into the stiches. The result is acceptable.
The webbing is available from suppliers like Woolies, Moto-Build or Angloparts. Upholstery and camping shops are another source. It shouldn't be expensive.

The TD top was the first I did and I wanted to do it right. The pictures of the mgaguru site helped a lot. They show the installation of a MG A top, but the principle is the same.
One mistake I made was that I strechted the material at the frontbow too much to the outside creating creases left and right. I stapled the top with stainless staples to the frontbow avoiding rust-runs in the future.

With what you achieved with your TD so far, the top wil be easy for you.

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/top/top1.htm
A picture of my car: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28582396@N05/2798567147/
regards
Frank
Frank van Geldern

I like those Holleys Frank ;^)

Dallas
D C Congleton

This thread was discussed between 10/09/2008 and 25/09/2008

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