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MG Midget and Sprite General - 1500 front valance...

Hi there,

I'm a relatively new Midget owner and I have a couple of questions about the front of the car.

Firstly is it correct that the front valance is not removable on the 1500?

And secondly; where do the front wings attach? I read in the owners manual that they are attached to the top of the front valance (which mine does) and also at the bottom. However there is no sign of any bolts here. Does this mean the wings may have been welded?

I'm stripping the entire car down for a good home restoration.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Andrew
A Dobie

Hi Andrew,

Front wing bolts to the front end, which includes the valance. Two bolts on top, three at the bottom, accessible from under the car. there are two more bolts on the wing; one near the hinge and one on the inside, accessible through the arch. And the sneaky one; in the footwell just above the sill-line.

To remove the front end one of the wings must be removed. Front end bolts down to cross member with four bolts and a bracket together with the splash panels.

(And yes Nigel, there are books with this in it ;P )
Alex G Matla

I think Alex perhaps when Andrew refers to >>the owners Manual<< means some thing like the Practical Classic book rather than the reprint paper copy of the excellent factory Drivers Handbook

Andrew links for you -

(Ref: 0058) - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Handbooks_5.html

and may well also be well served with the paper copy reprint of the facory Workshop Manual
(Ref: 0002) - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Workshop_Manuals.html

for breakdown and reassembly the reprint of the paper copy of the factory Parts Catalogue
(Ref: 0016) - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Parts_Lists_3.html

a DVD has electronic copies of all of these and more - http://www.motoringclassics.co.uk/heritage-range/c380
Nigel At

See, now how do you do that? Shortly after someone new comes up or someones mentions "book" or "manual" in a post, you suddenly appear!

Do you work at Echelon or something? :)
Alex G Matla

Thanks guys, i'll check out some of the literature!

Most of the screws I need to remove are rusted through or the head is knackered. IS the best method to drill the thread?

Andrew
A Dobie

Put some liquid-wrench or similar on it. (Not WD40, it isn't THAT good) And get a proper pair of self gripping pliers.

Oh, and a pair of mechanic's gloves to prevent jaggered cuts on your hands and arms!

Alex G Matla

I have been doing my nut recently trying to do some maintence on my Rover 25. The sockets I had were a reasonably cheapo draper set and rounded even good nuts. Pissed off, I bought top notch 6 point flank drive sockets in the sizes I need and wow! I didn't think they could make that much of a difference but they can break even the roundest and tightest bolts.

If you don't have good sockets already they are well worth the extra!

Cheers,
Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

You're absolutely right Malcolm! First class tools are expensive but will last longer and get the job better done with less hassle.

But the pliers in the picture is unmissable I think!
Alex G Matla

Thanks for the advice, I bought the best I could afford - the halfords advanced professional stuff. I know there is better, but I couldn't afford it (enforced long term sick).

Sadly the previous 'restorer' did a terrible job and got filler and paint all over the place, including bolts and screws etc etc. So I am having to remedy all of this before I can even begin!
A Dobie

Andrew,
as Alex says some penetrating/releasing fluid such as Plus Gas and patience can work a treat – put some Plus Gas on and leave to soak in as long as possible, overnight if you can, then very slightly tighten the fitting to break muck/rust seal before undoing

if this doesn’t undone the fitting repeat the process and put some more Plus Gas on and leave to soak in as long as possible, overnight if you can, it’s amazing how often this will work

if it doesn’t work despite above you could try drilling out the whole fitting - or an extractor drill if you can get one small enough - or if it helps you can drill the screw heads off by starting with very small drill bits and increasing in size so that the screw head is counter sunk and eventually breaks off

As both Alex and Malcolm say good quality tools of the correct type and size for each job you are doing will be a rea help and a real asset

Halfords Advanced Professional tool sets are very good value especially if you get their Trade Card or are on special offer, I got this 120 piece set and am very pleased with them( and a set of AF combination ratchet spanners half price but I think they’ve run out of those)

socket set - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_177693_langId_-1_categoryId_165572

as you’ve already found using the wrong size screwdriver just does damage, these are good quality at a good price - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_180958_langId_-1_categoryId_165572

Alex,
I had to look Echelon up (I hope they don’t mind) - I did have a Dawes Echelon push bike but that’s the nearest I get
Nigel At

Andrew the bottom bolts holding the wing to the valance go throught the flange on the inside, you wont get an angle grinder or a drill in there - but a Dremel with a 30mm cutting disc will do the job. BTDT.
David Smith

The rumor has it that Echelon is a server / system which monitors all e-mail (and maybe internet) traffic, screening it for key words associated with terrorism.

Like this post....
Alex G Matla

Half expecting Prop to come bombing in here looking for the President or some Senator to bother about Echelon or the Taliban I thought I'd just kill some time writing in a few of those key words that we know the thing is on the lookout for.

Now I'm on the lookout for guys in black suits and dark sunglasses.
Rick Bastedo

And on topic - when we put the Bugeye front on my 1500 Midget we used an oxy-acetylene torch to remove the front valance.
Worked great, and quick.
Sort of a "don't look back" thing though.
Rick Bastedo

O/T
is this Echelon computer powerful enough to filter out Prop's posts tho'
Nigel At

There's nothing that powerful...

J/K
Rick Bastedo

Comes out easy with a metal saw :). Terrorists and props too ...!!!!
rachmacb

RE: Rick, yes it will lay in place!!! But why would you want to mix such cars?!

I have a bugeye front end I sat on a 1500 without a valance just to see what it looked like... interesting i might say... especially with a rear rubber bumper!
Ron Koenig

Ah yes - well I went bumperless a long time ago.
Rick Bastedo

Andrew, did you get the front end and wings detached?
Alex G Matla

I've just looked on the Moss Europe online catalogue and they define the front valance as the part below the grille, whereas the part that people seem to be talking about on here is the front end which incorporates the bonnet slam panel. radiator surround and lower valance. To answer the original question, the valance is not removable seperately as it is part of the front end, but to loosen the seized bolt on the lower wing to front end, nothing beats heat, from oxy/acetylene, or you can buy Mapp gas torches from B&Q and other shops. Mapp gas burns hotter than Butane or Propane and I've found it ideal for freeing off rusted parts. Try to get the part cherry red before you attempt to move it.
I, like nigel, think that Plus Gas is by far the best penetrating oil and no, WD40 is not all it's made out to be.

Bernie.
b higginson

When I rebuilt my car I didn't like the way the lower front valance was welded to the nosecone and so when I fitted a new valance I adapted it so that it was bolted on and not welded. Some ask what the point was of me doing this but for me I am now thinking of fitting a 1500 valance so that I can fit an oil cooler behind and the holes in the 1500 valance will allow air to pass through to the oil cooler. This will be an easy conversion. Undo a couple of bolts and the ones attached to the wings and job done. I can then reuse the old valance on another project.
Sorry, but the photo isn't great but it will give you an idea. I welded two plates to the valance. I then drilled a hole through each plate and bolted it to the nosecone.

Neil K

Bernie,
I prefered Rapideeze but it doesn't seem to be about any more

my mate likes Kroil (it creeps?) something to do with guns but he worried where he'll find it after his everlasting can runs out
Nigel At

An amusing read on penetrants:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/business/media/21adco.html
Alex G Matla

This thread was discussed between 20/08/2011 and 28/08/2011

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