British-Cars.org

Welcome to the DMR Site for British 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 TD TF 1500 - Moss tops and side curtains

I installed a set of Moss side curtain covers and a top on my TF 2 years ago. Now that fall weather is here, I have the sides on and the top up. It reminds me how disappointed I am at the quality of the finish of the edges. I attached an example. This is a corner of a rear curtain corner. See all the loose threads? I cut them off and they continue to "unravel". Is this normal? Is it the way it is? Were the originals like this? It looks tattered and frayed, for relatively expensive parts. Moss states these fabric parts are as original.
What is the experience of others?

Tom
'54 TF

Tom Norby

It shouldn't be just a folded over seam....bit more complicated then that....would have to go out and look, but there seem to be two layers?
Will check this afternoon....

gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Very interesting Tom! I'll need a new set later, so I'm watching this post closely. For what these items cost, I think that's a poor sewing job on your fabric. PJ
P. Jennings

...just found another shot....

gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Tom,
I agree a folded over seam would look better, but as a solution to the fraying.
My wife has a produce she uses for sewing; Fray Check.
They say it does not discolor or stain most fabrics “always test on inconspicuous seam”
This would at least tidy up the fraying.
G D

GD, thanks for the tip on Fray Check. I'll get some.
Gordon, are your soft items from MOSS? If so, when did you buy them?
There must be other guys on the board who have purchased MOSS tops and sides in the past couple of years. Maybe I received a defective or unfinished set???
Can someone post a similar photo of their recently purchased side curtains from Moss.

thanks!
Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

My sidecurtains are original and I bought the 'last' canvas top that Moss sold....they now, unless by special order, produce only Stayfast fabric tops.....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

I have installed two Moss tops before. They both were poorly made and have since been replaced. I have been very happy with Robbin's tops, got them through Abingdon Spares. They are a little pricy, actually they are quite expensive but they seem to be the best. I don't know if there is a cheaper place to buy them or not.
The Robbins top on the TC still looks good, and it was installed in 1982. The top and tonneau on the TD date back to 1992 and have seen a lot of use. I decided to reuse them in the restoration, they are not perfect but they are way too good to replace them.
They are well made, the fit is great and they hold up well.
Just my $.02
-David
D. Sander

My Moss side curtain kit and top are about 5 years old. The top is absoultely beautiful and great quality. Looks great does not leak, etc. The major problem I had is the bow height dimention at the time for the two bow frame horizontal was wrong. Didn't figure this out until starting to fit the curtains, had to start over again, and have 4 extra holes in my rear panels (carefully hidden by JC Whitney vinyl repair kit). The issue I have with the curtain covering kit is that the cloth/plastic window outline is stitched where Moss thinks it should fit on the frame. This was markedly off of where it should be on the front curtains. I had to align as best possible ( to hide the stitches behind the metal frame) and then go to a local boat canvas/upholstery shop and have them trim and re-stitch the edges so the angles fit the top and windscreen. They are not exactly perfect due to this. If the middle had not been stitched, I could have fit the windscreen/top part, and even if alteration was needed, could have aligned perfectly, and then mounted on the frame and cut the widow out. Hope this makes sense. As far as the factory seam/unraveling, I last had them out 3 years ago. With our great weather here, I have driven the car exactly one time in the rain coming back from a GOF with them installed, so I have no clue. George
George Butz

Bought a Prestige Mohair top directly from Prestige in the UK for the B and it fits perfectly. I know they make them for the As, but don't know about the Ts.
The Mohair is a very heavy fabric, so much so, it actually quiets down outside noises. PJ
P. Jennings

Thanks Gents:
George B; I agree with you that I am relatively happy with the quality of the top. The edging looks good and I got a very nice fit.
Do your side curtain margins look like mine in the photo I posted? I did not have the problem you describe with the window stitching. Just those dang edges with the frayed rough cut fabric.

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

Any seamstress, and I'm sure any "trimmer", would laugh you off the earth for such. I've never seen an exposed edge finished like that.

FRM
FR Millmore

Tom - here are a couple of pix of my new side curtains purchased from Moss in the last year and not installed yet - I haven't even gotten to putting them on the frames. Your post prompted me to dig them out of the box and I was quite surprised at the apparent lack of quality - too many loose threads and the unfinished inside edge will most certainly fray. I am interested in the experience with the fray check.

picture #1

don scott

Here is picture #2

don scott

Don S.
Thanks for your photo. That is how mine looked before they had some "weather". Expect them to fray as time goes by.
Mr. Fillmore, that is what Moss supplies these days. If I had known better 2 or 3 years ago, I would have returned them and started over. At that time, I trusted Moss to supply decent quality T series materials. So, I suppose word of mouth about poor finish quailty is worth something. Fortunately, they look decent and nice from the outside.

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

With what I'm seeing, I won't buy the Moss set unless they improve the quality of workmanship. That means no top from them either due to the possible difference in fabric color. Any suggestions on a quality top and side curtians? PJ
P. Jennings

I brought this to the attention of two Moss people. I'll see what happens. PJ
P. Jennings

Robins. Abingdon Spares.
-David
D. Sander

Perhaps the unbound and cut edges duplicate the originals?
George Butz

George...see photos further down/up for the original seams.....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Gordon, presuming those are originals, the edge looks tucked under and well finished. I just dug my Moss ones out, and they also have the raw cut edge and some loose threads.
George Butz

I bought mine from Tops On-line for a 1952 MGTD. (http://www.topsonline.com/index.html) Completely satisfied with fit and finish. Here is a quote from there website.

"Made by Robbins Auto tops, Robbins uses only premium Haartz convertible topping and original British Everflex materials in the craftsmanship of these convertible tops. The plastic windows are DOT rated heavy 40 gage vinyl; safe, durable plastic that enhances the quality of this convertible top. This top includes a five year warranty against material defects & workmanship."

Frank Grimaldi
Frank Grimaldi

Thanks for looking George. I think we can all know now that this is the way Moss makes them. I really wish I had shopped around a bit more back when I bought. I would have gone with Robbins. You live and learn. Others out there who might be shopping for tops and sides can learn from this. I was showing this detail to my wife today, who does some sewing. She remarked that it would really have been easy to turn that edge over once before sewing it. Might have taken another $1 of fabric all around.
PJ, I hope the Moss people you know have some influence.

Tom
Tom Norby

Mine are original (at least to 1969) ... i will look at them closely, but they seem to be two layers of canvas instead of one....? The edges look to have been sewn together, then the fabric turned inside/righstide out...then sewn again....(the seam a half inch away from the edge, then the glass(?) installed..... very neat sewing job.
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

I think that is how they were originally done Gordon, but harder to achieve these days because the fabrics are thicker.

Matthew.
Matthew Magilton

This thread was discussed between 29/10/2011 and 31/10/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join this live forum now