Bugeye bonnet mounted on later sprite or midget?

[MGB79]

Has anyone mounted a bugeye bonnet on a latter model sprite or MG midget? I have seen pictures of this done and would like to know how it is done.

Thanks, Bob

 

[jlaird]

Ahhh, you take off the late model front end off and set the Bugeye bonnet on.

I think I fail to understand the question.

 

[spritenut]

Bolt the Bugeyes to the hinges on a square body, reroute the wires to the headlights and turn signals up the bonnet.

 

[58Custom]

Seriously, guys, it's that easy?

 

[BugEyeBear]

Too bad the back end isn't as easy....

-Bear-

 

[bthompson]

Just <span style="font-style: italic">exactly</span> that easy. Wunnerful, isn't it? One of the great things about Spridgets is the interchangability.

 

[GrahamP]

Don't the inner wings have to be modified? IIRC the Mk1 has no lip on the outside of the inner wings, whereas the Mk2 onward has a lip turned outword, I believe it was an attempt at a splash shield.
Graham.

 

[bill_young]

There are some differences in the panels that fit around the radiator and the radiator itself on the later cars that might give some interference with the BE hood and the hinges on the cowl are different and won't bolt up to the BE hood. Most of the guys that have mounted BE fronts make them front hinged. Later bumpers and brackets won't clear, so either do without or source the BE parts. That's it as far as I know.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Inner wings so need to be modified, 1/2" lip removed. I used a cut off wheel in my $13.95 Harbor Freight Angle Grinder. Fixed that issue in about 10 minutes per side. Change to a grinder wheel and made flush, painted and no issue.

Now converting to front tilting bonnet as I did with Bugsy my '68 is more challenging as lots of parts and pieces need to be closely aligned. You can make the front hinge set yourself. Takes about $40-50 of misc parts, drill press, angle grinder, flat files, some 1/4" aluminum stock onr as I did several thinner pieces sandwiched and JB Welded together.

Oil cooler will need to be relocated if you have one. I can send pics on how I did with mine. Wiring a simple trailer harness as a Quick disconnect.

Rear Bonnet seal, McGregor's in Canada. Supports back of bonnet if front hinged

It helps to have a straight, properly curved bonnet rather than the pool table straight bonnet I purchased. They are actually arched to match the cowl. That has been the biggest fitment issue I'm still working through, that and my repair work on bottom rear of bonnet I need to redo properly.

Happy to send pics from thistle_3619@yahoo.com. Drop me a note. No time to shrink pics down today.

 

[jlaird]

So, Jim, how are you going to hook the rear down?

 

[bill_young]

I found this while thumbing through the McMasterCarr catalog, looks like a good way to latch the two sides of the BE front down to the body. https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/114/gfx/large/3985ap1l.gif

 

[Pythias]

That looks pretty good.

The best I've personally seen were fitted from a Spitfire bonnet. All you could see were a couple of short chrome strips on the side. I like that a lot better than either the leather straps or the bungee rubber ball and hook set ups.

 

[jlaird]

That looks very nice what page or what is it called in the catalog? I can't seem to find it.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I simply used some latches from one of the racing product catalogs you'll find in the back of Classic Car Mag. 6 screws simply latch at back rear of the bonnet. If I find anything better and I like that latch system you mentioned and have pics of it being used before for this very application. With all of the tricky alignment and fitment issues with using a front hinged bonnet, use the KISS Method.

 

[bill_young]

Catalog page 2912. Search for latch, then look at list for cable latch and it will come up at the top of the page. The only system I've seen so far that would unlatch both sides at once. It's spring loaded so with a little engineering you could have a bonnet that would "slam" shut and pop open with a single handle to pull.

 

[Dug]

At the AH meet in Snowmass CO, 1982, there was a MKI sprite from FL that had a forward tilting bonnet. This guy had made up a couple of triangular brackets from 3/32” steel, sort of a three sided box so to speak.
On top of both brackets were the hood receivers from a MKII and up spridget. He then mounted the two brackets in the spots where the hood hinges were normally affixed to the bulkhead. On the bonnet side, the hood bolt(s) and spring(s)were fitted.
Under the dash was a simple pull that “popped” the bonnet up like later cars. It was so slick and looked right. He even had the front bumper in place. I do have a picture or two, I’ll find a way to scan them a post it if I can.
"dug"

 

[bill_young]

The real trick is finding a pivot point so that the rear corners of the hood don't drag on the body or over the cowl when it pivots. Without that the rest is moot, as you have to have two people to spread the corners out and lift past the cowl. The hinges designed by Bruce Uchida fit the bill, move the bonnet forward as it begins to pivot. https://www.britishv8.org/Other/BruceUchida.htm

 

[BugEyeBear]

...hinges designed by Bruce Uchida fit the bill, move the bonnet forward as it begins to pivot. https://www.britishv8.org/Other/BruceUchida.htm

<span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">WOW! NICE BugEye!!</span></span> :thumbsup:

 

[bugimike]

Very Nice, but a Bugeye in appearance only by now (not that that is a bad thing!!!)

 

[Trevor Jessie]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]The real trick is finding a pivot point so that the rear corners of the hood don't drag on the body or over the cowl when it pivots[/QUOTE]

Mine clears fine with the old school front hinge design.