1997 MG "HFH" F - Get your shiny head tanned this summer

[Taff]

I should, it's a giggle to drive when it starts. I just fear turning it back off until it's in the garage.

 

I reckon once the starter is sorted and the new rear window is in, it needs a road trip and then perhaps it's time to move it on

 

I fixed my rear window with cable ties. zips are for losers. Get motoring, son

[purplebargeken]

You might not want to move it on after a road trip. Shame to sort it out then get rid. 

 

Mind you, I guess I am biased. If they only did back transplants. I'd still have my MGF. 

[Pillock]

OK, so my new starter motor arrived in this MASSIVE box.

 

 

I wondered if they'd accidentally sent me an entire MG F motor, but no inside the box was about fifteen shredded copies of a local paper, another box, and inside there a cling-wrapped starter. Good start.

 

 

It's in there somewhere.

 

I'm used to this drill now. Engine cover off, charcoal canister moved, air filter pipe off, and concentrate on making my hands as small as possible because I'm going in down here.

 

 

I reckon I could have got it entirely sorted through the little hatch in the boot, but the extra light provided by taking off the engine lid is useful.

 

Two 15mm with 18mm nuts on the end. One 13mm to do the terminals. Spade connector. Refit is the reversal of removal, surprisingly. Didn't have to take the nearside wheel off this time because I didn't torque the bolts up to superhero levels - Tiff, if you've ever had that starter off remind me to never arm-wrestle you.

 

Hook battery up, turn key, starts on the mutherflippin' button!

 

 

Went for roof down drive. Grinned.

 

Remaining jobs - tidy a few rust spots, although it's nowhere near as bad as I thought. Get rear window refurbished - there's a guy up the road does them from an upholstery business on an industrial estate. Clean leather again. Clean rest of car. Investigate rattles.

 

The only reason I feel I should move this on soon is that it's the HFH one, and every time it changes hands on here the charity gets a bit of cash. It's been a nice introduction to open toppery but it feels a bit rude to keep it too long. It does make me grin like a loon every time I drive it though, I don't think it'll be the last one I own.

[Taff]

I could do with a new back placcy screen mate, but I also need both side of the zip, can your local hero do that? If so, how much?

I grin like a loon everytime I take mine out, it's made driving fun again. No way you can bung a few quid into the H4H pot and at least get a summer out of it?

 

 

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[Pillock]

I think local man was quoting £70 postal service, naturally I was going to rock up to his unit and wave a bit less to see how friendly he is if he doesn't have to post stuff out. Not sure about the zip, I can ask!

[Pillock]

So armed with a vague mention on a thread on Pistonheads from 2011, I went in hunt of a new placca screen in Loughborough. I even took the MG since, you know, it starts and drives and makes me happy. No idea if the place even exists, never heard of the industrial estate before. But it's there, and so is the upholstery place. Good start.

 

Open door, there's a nice fella with an old boy bumbling around in the background in his overalls, piles of car seats and rolls of materials plus some wingback chairs and a thick layer of dust. First rule, never trust anyone with a clean industrial unit - if they're not too busy to dust, they're charging too much. We chat about what he can do, it's £75 if I drop the screen off or he'll charge £150 for me to leave the car with him, and get it back all finished. How long? He reckons about an hour so I just think "bugger it", go and get the screen out the boot, and hand it over. Home for school run, went back an hour later and it's sorted. Green tint, well finished, can't fault it.

 

Certainly beats paying £80 and having to post it to some unknown entity, to get it back a week later.

 

 

I'll try to get it fitted at the weekend, Barry was a lovely man and sent me some of the long rivets so just need some of that foam sealant strip, and I'll probably paint the metal strip too as it's a bit flaky.

 

I could do with a new back placcy screen mate, but I also need both side of the zip, can your local hero do that? If so, how much?

 

Might be best to give him a ring. He has the zips in stock, but if the zip is missing entirely from the hood side you need to take the hood off the frame to fit the zip flap to the frame, and refit the hood over it. Depends what you actually have, whether the flap of material is still there that you could attach the zip to?

 

Basically, he started throwing numbers about like £150 and I think that was for removing the hood, sorting the zip, and refitting hood. It became more complicated when he realised you weren't local, so call him up. He seems to know his way around the F's floppytop alright.

[chaseracer]

Thanks for the photie with the contact details, Pill - I need the Dyane seats reupholstered...

[Pillock]

I took that picture because I got a card when I went in, and between leaving and getting to my car (you can see how far that is) I'd lost the card. And was too embarrassed to go back for another.

[Taff]

That's a nice sharp shade of blue, isn't it?

[Pillock]

It is., that's Tahiti Blue. I treated it to a "basic" wash (I went and got a bucket, rinsed out most of the spiders, lobbed some poundland car shampoo in and sloshed a sponge over it) and it came up alright. It was a bit salty after the winter so it's good to get rid of that and remind myself what a nice shade it is.

[Taff]

It does look very good, I'll admit to returning to the picture and looking at a lot!

 

Nice RAL, mate

 

 

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[Pillock]

Today's job was the new rear screen. First of all I went and purchased the required tools, naturally I went for the highest quality.

 

 

I then removed the new screen from under the sofa where it's been hiding, and set to it.

 

 

And 15 minutes later it was done. How anticlimactic. Still, picked a good day because I went out in lovely sunshine with the roof down, and came back a couple of hours later in this....

 

 

The trimmer made a nice job though, the screen is really tight. I worried he'd mucked it up, but then opening the hood slightly allows it to be zipped and you can feel the stretch when you close the hood, so it's nice and taut. And see it through, so mega bonus!

 

[Jim Bell]

well played. I watched the tutorial on switching the rear screen and chickened out when the dude started attacking it with a hammer and chisel.  Is the new one still plastic?  Looks clear and rigid as glass.

[Pillock]

It's green tinted plastic, but it's way more flexible than the original (which wasn't the original, the trimmer reckoned, so this is now it's third screen or more). The glass ones are smaller, there's more fabric below and it doesn't extend below the sides of the hood like the placca ones do. I wonder if they're just a nearest-sized screen that's dropped into some hood material rather than being specifically made for the F, which would cost loads.

 

But a chisel? Really? I almost got the old one off by hand, the metal strip that goes on the outside was loose at one end and as I pulled it most of the rivets popped out - a few needed convincing to let go but only by sliding a screwdriver underneath. However, I think the new ones have the same level of attachedness, I've deliberately been careful because I reckon they'll pull out. Now it's on, and it's in the right place, I might take one out at a time and perhaps clamp it first before riveting again. It feels like I'm riveting through too much, even though I've got the special long ones that Tiff sent me.

 

Also, it was quite upsetting to put the old metal strip on that's a bit rusty in places. Perhaps if I'm not so "OMG I NEED TO USE THE CAR" I'll paint it next time.

[Barry Cade]

The original hood I got on the car was pretty tired, and had been patched where the bars rub just above and to the rear of the side windows. I got another hood from a breakers,which was in better condition,but no rear window, so this was swapped- I also got the windbreak off the same car. I got a breakdown call out to an MGTF, and got chatting to the owner after sorting out his mess of a badly fitted aftermarket starter button,and he gave me his old hood,as he had got a glass windowed version. I fitted this as it was even better than the one I had got from the breakers. A few days later I came out in the morning to find a big split in the rear window, so the first window I had was fitted to this,but was very very cloudy, so I got another window from a breaker which was better.

 

So yes, it wasn't the original! I'm lost and I wrote that!

[Pillock]

Yeah, I've got no idea after reading that!

But it's looking fly now, for less than £100 including the tool. I don't think it was cloudy when I bought it, so it's happened over a winter including the two big splits it developed. It's a shame that you're meant to unzip before folding the hood, because that is fiddle and just folding the hood can be done at traffic lights, but hey ho. 

 

Shitpeas, this is a glass screen

 

 

It's a lot smaller, I don't really like the looks but i'm WELL JELL of the heatedness of the glass. Maybe that's just the largest size that can be dropped flat between the headrests and the back of the parcel shelf.

[Jim Bell]

 

But a chisel? Really?

 

Also, it was quite upsetting to put the old metal strip on that's a bit rusty in places. Perhaps if I'm not so "OMG I NEED TO USE THE CAR" I'll paint it next time.

 

 

Using the car is better than painting bits that you cant see.

 

It was this silver fox. Hes putting glass in mind.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXhV6C6unMQ

[Pillock]

I've just watched the geezer put the rivets in and.... I think..... I did all mine wrong.

I pulled the gun once. He's pulled it loads of times and it snaps itself off, I was having to twang it back and forth. Riiiight. That'll be me doing it again then!

[Jim Bell]

Also, for some reason, tits:

 

 

 

 

*insert topless joke*

[Jim Bell]

I've just watched the geezer put the rivets in and.... I think..... I did all mine wrong.

I pulled the gun once. He's pulled it loads of times and it snaps itself off, I was having to twang it back and forth. Riiiight. That'll be me doing it again then!

 

 

Ah. Afraid so. Might hold, but you really want it synched it and nipped off tight.

[Pillock]

I'm just watching the video above, then I'll nip it off tight. And then sort the rivets. Fnar.

[purplebargeken]

Nice job, lovely screen. 

[MikeKnight]

That's how a rivet gun works. You keep pulling until it snaps (teehee), which means it's balled up at the other end and can't come out.

 

It's kind of like cold spot welding. Only not.

[Pillock]

Yeah, it turns out a hand riveter is too technical for me.

 

I think it might have had instructions on the packet, too.

[MikeKnight]

Also, for some reason, tits:

 

*insert topless joke*

 

Ah MGF Mania, I remember them well from my long MGTF ownership. They make most of the best glass screens and supply you with a fitting CD-ROM which has instructions and videos on it.

 

They all include his well endowed wife.

[Pillock]

Play to the target audience I guess. Middle aged blokes on internet forums, HEY LOOK BOOBIES

[Pillock]

So......



Anyone want to buy this fine vehicle?

Good points: no mechanical faults, I'd trust it to go anywhere, head gasket has been properly sorted. Good hood, new screen, tan leather without major wear, good tyres. Lots of fun. It's got a windbreak fitted and a front splitter thing, comes with a decent amount of history. Oh, and it has a Lowlarm thing which will alert you via a BZZZZZ noise if the header tank level is low, way before the temp gauge rises. It's keen enough to sound briefly if you corner too hard or nail it through the gears (sloshing the water around?)

Bad? It's nowhere near pristine, it's had touchups before which are showing through. A mop may help which I'll try to do before sale, at the very least it'll get a proper clean. A belt squeaks when you start it up. It has been used, essentially. Loved, but used. Usual story on these - front of the front wings, a few blebs on the air intakes, pretty much every panel has a little rust spot if you look - so my advice is don't look, sit inside it instead and drive.

I've put the screen in and it's had a new starter. Before me, it had an alternator and rear brakes less than a year ago.

MOT August, tax till you get home. Insured on classic for £97 a year or something trivial.

It's near J22 of the M1 which is Loughborough-ish. I'm asking £300, but £50 of that will go to Help for Heroes to match the £50 I put in when I bought it. The buyer, it's suggested by tradition, will do the same - this is the OMGHFHMGF after all.

[Taff]

MGF makes you 88% more attractive to blonde MILFs, PHACT

 

If I didn't already have one and wasn't desperately trying to convince myself I really need an X1/9, I would be on this like a tramp on dropped chips.

[Bear]

Everyone needs an X1/9.

 

Mine's got a glass screen. The rest of the car is still an infuriating POS. Insert *heated window to push it home* comment here.

 

Also, £350 effectively? Fucking bargain. I should buy yours just to make mine EVEN MORE DEPRESSING for being £1100 when I got it. In the dark. In the rain. From a friend.

[dugong]

My car has a hard top, but a poor cleavage. Too rigid.