Hood Questions:

Having recently purchased a second-hand hood, complete with frame and a glass rear screen, I have a few questions:

1. Were any O.E.M. hoods produced with seams running front-to-back.?

2. Has anyone else had problems with wear in the fabric adjacent to the hinge illustrated below:


3. I seem to have a visible gap between the rearmost part of the hood frame, and the bodywork. Is there any way to reduce this?


In case the meaning of my "front-to-back" in question 1 is unclear, my "new" hood is illustrated below:


My original hood was this one:


Any information would be welcome. I have repaired the wear holes (which the seller of the hood had warned me about) with Black Stormsure. I am hoping that the patching material on the inside will reduce rubbing & wear on the inside of the hood. The liquid material applied to the outer surface took several applications and a damp mixing stick before the holes were properly sealed. The fully-set rubbery sealing material looks durable and quite ugly, but hopefully will prove durable and waterproof, which is all I need. Anyone out there with long-term experience about durability of Stormsure products?

The original hood as supplied from the mid 90’s had front to back seams, I don’t think they had a long reign before the Mk2 hood came along. The main piece, covering both passenger & driver was one piece, with the rear window in a second. Having a Mk1 canvas on a Mk2 frame could answer your other question, the odd problem though is the glass rear screen.
To the best of my knowledge the glass screen came later in the Mk2’s life, let’s refer to it as a Mk3 & to have one in a Mk1 is decidedly odd.
When I refer to Mk’s I’m referring to hood Mk’s not car marks.
Others might have a different understanding, my comments are based on empirical observations.
M

Our 2004 Sunstorm has a three piece hood with a glass rear screen. Although the car came with a very full history there was no mention or invoice for a new hood. Our is different in that it is two coloured, the two outer pieces are raspberry while the wider central section is pale pink.

That’s very interesting & it’s the first time I’ve seen a hood like yours. Colours other than black certainly but this very interesting & a real complement to the car.
At least the lateral seamed hoods had glass windows fitted & so I’m devoid of any other ideas, Sorry.
M

Thanks for your replies and the thoughts therein, Airportable & MGB281. Having read a bit more about hood types, I SUSPECT , that MGB281's hood is an Xpart hood. I understand that they offered coloured hoods, with front-to-back seams and glass windows, just before MG offered glass screens. I get the impression from Roger Parkers books that Xpart ONLY offered coloured hoods, so that would not explain my glass screened, black hood with front-to back seams. Having said that, one of his books mentions that Xpart bought those coloured hoods from BAS Hoods, so perhaps BAS supplied a hood direct to the PO who had the donor car my "new" hood came off?

The problem with our cars is that they probably had five or more (maybe ten or more) and discovering which one did what and when is next to impossible. I suspect with ours the hood was changed when the rear lights were done. It might make sense if one is personalising their car. It’s easy to make a two tone hood with this design but I don’t remember ever seeing it on any other car of any make so it could be a one off

I have the same wear on my hood, interestingly, I bought a second hood because I wanted the glass rear window, on the hinge that you mentioned it had an additional plastic part that I assume MGR added because they were aware of this problem. When I did some searching I found that Mike Satur was selling a similar aluminium part.

As someone has just mentioned hoods with a glass rear window. I changed my hood for one of these recently.
It was only after letting the hood down and putting the hardtop on for winter that i realised the side frames of the new hood, when collapsed, now sit higher than those of the old hood. The outer part of the frame are now touching the hard top's rear window rubbers at both sides. I dont remember having any clearance issue with the old plastic screen type hood.

Is this normal for glass windowed hoods, dont they sit quite as neat and flat as the standard hoods when they are down ?

I didn’t have a hardtop when I changed to the glass window, what I do recall was that the once contour hugging outline of the tonneau had humps new to it. It is those unwanted lumps which now need folding tidily away as the hardtop is lowered into place.
In our cases retaining the cake along with the ha’penny isn’t an option, maybe others jibs are better cut.
M

Notanumber wrote:

As someone has just mentioned hoods with a glass rear window. I changed my hood for one of these recently.
It was only after letting the hood down and putting the hardtop on for winter that i realised the side frames of the new hood, when collapsed, now sit higher than those of the old hood. The outer part of the frame are now touching the hard top's rear window rubbers at both sides. I dont remember having any clearance issue with the old plastic screen type hood.

Is this normal for glass windowed hoods, dont they sit quite as neat and flat as the standard hoods when they are down ?

Yes, I have noticed that my "new" (glass widowed) hood sits higher, when lowered, than the original plastic windowed job. As someone else said "Ya don't get owt for nowt"

I fitted the Mike Satur hood part that stops the frame pinching the hood

That's sounds useful to fit. What is it described as on Mike's site?