Luggage Rack

[Jer]

Just trying to get a definitive answer...
I have a 1967 Midget & recently got a luggage rack from Moss Motors (original style), does anyone know the exact mounting position for this rack ?
I know that it would be spaced evenly from side to side, but where does it sit front to back on the lid ? From pics I see on the net it looks like the rear bar is spaced evenly between the MG octagon & midget emblem (so niether emblem is obstructed from viewing above) But I want to make sure... I's killing me enough to drill 4 holes in my baby - I want to get it right !
I'm hoping someone out there has the same one installed in the correct "factory" position, of course I have discovered it's hard to know what style was really the true factory option style... Anyone deal with this Moss Repo Luggage Rack ? Attached is a pic of it "sitting" on my lid & a pic I found on the net of the same style.

Thanks

Jeremy

 

[Bugeye58]

Jeremy, that looks about right. I don't know if there's a definitive answer on correct placement, as many were dealer installed items, and were placed somewhat randomly, from what I've seen.
Jeff

 

[JPSmit]

So Jeremy, where is St Joseph's Island? (I'm in Waterloo)

 

[Jer]

ahhhh your from the K-W area, I was in Elora this past weekend visiting family, I lived in Kitchener about 4 years ago, nice area - lots of back roads & towns for driving little sports cars , to bad I didn't have my Midget back then, I just might be brave enough to make the family reunion in Chatsworth next summer in my Midget as long as I take the ferry across from the Manitoulin & down Hwy.6... gotta stay away from the 400 series hwy's ha ha - St.Joes Island is about 1 hour east of Sault Ste. Marie.

 

[Bugeye58]

- St.Joes Island is about 1 hour east of Sault Ste. Marie.

No wonder there's snow in the picture of the luggage rack. When did you take <u>that</u>, in August? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff

 

[tony barnhill]

My '63 has one - the front mount holes are 2-1/4" from the front edge of the lid (but its coming off in January! Car's too pretty without it, IMHO!)

 

[Jer]

- St.Joes Island is about 1 hour east of Sault Ste. Marie.

No wonder there's snow in the picture of the luggage rack. When did you take <u>that</u>, in August? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff

Ha ha - ya up here in the great white north - actually that is the pic I found on the net of a rack installed like mine - Here is the pic of my car with the rack "sitting" where I'm thinkin it has to be...

 

[Jer]

Thanks for the info. Tony - Perfect that will help & I agree it does look nice without a luggage rack as well, but I have found myself more than once wanting a bit more packing space so out comes the drill bit /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif

 

[JPSmit]

ahhhh your from the K-W area, I was in Elora this past weekend visiting family, I lived in Kitchener about 4 years ago, nice area - lots of back roads & towns for driving little sports cars , to bad I didn't have my Midget back then, I just might be brave enough to make the family reunion in Chatsworth next summer in my Midget as long as I take the ferry across from the Manitoulin & down Hwy.6... gotta stay away from the 400 series hwy's ha ha - St.Joes Island is about 1 hour east of Sault Ste. Marie.

Who are you related to in Chatsworth? - we lived there 1986-1990

 

[Jer]

[/quote]Who are you related to in Chatsworth? - we lived there 1986-1990 [/quote]

What a small world ! I'm related to The Callahan's.

 

[JPSmit]

The name is familier - I was the minister of the Presbyterian Church

 

[Jer]

My '63 has one - the front mount holes are 2-1/4" from the front edge of the lid (but its coming off in January! Car's too pretty without it, IMHO!)

I must be misunderstanding - on my car if I measure back 2-1/4" from the front edge I would just catch the edge of the support brace (on underside)for the lid - would you happen to have a picture you could share ?
I have a simple mind, I always liked books with lots of pictures ;-)

Thanks Jeremy

 

[regularman]

I am just getting ready to put mine back on at last. I don't think it really helps the looks of the car but the rack is essential if the wife and I travel out of town as there is almost no extra room in the boot with any spares and tools and all.

 

[tony barnhill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]on my car if I measure back 2-1/4" from the front edge I would just catch the edge of the support brace (on underside)for the lid [/QUOTE]
My luggage rack must be wider than yours...the holes hit just to the outside of both braces.

 

[kcbugeye1275]

Before drilling, you might carefully look on the deck(and under also) and see if there was a rack installed before and the holes have been bondoed over.

 

[Jer]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will take the advice of the Moss Techinical support response that I recieved yesterday, the same advice that some have already suggested as my final drill starting advice :

"The position and mounting details for any luggage rack are pretty much up to you, the owner.Put it where you think it looks good, and where it seems to be the most practical. Luggage racks were generally fitted by the dealer, and the style and the placement varied from car to car."

Just wanted to flog this issue to death, don't want to drill 4 holes & have somebody say " hey that is mounted a 1/4" to low", now I can say - Nobody has a clue where it is officially supposed to be, whatever I feel like is the right spot!

And now I'm thirsting for a fender mounted mirror... is that going to be another can of worms ?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[bugimike]

Mirror mounts are pretty straightforward and positioning is much like the luggage rack!! More like another round of Swiss cheese (more holes!!) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

 

[Bugeye58]

Jeremy, I measured three of my cars with fender mount mirrors a couple of years ago, for someone here, and all the measurements were within a smidge of each other.
That post may still be in the archives somewhere. I'll see if I can find it, or I could re-measure for you.
Jeff

 

[Jer]

Thanks Jeff - I found your post with the measurements, now one other question for ya - The original mirror is referred to as a "Bommerang Mount" - I know Moss & VB has a few different styles - any idea what a 1967 Midget had originally ?

 

[mccalebr]

Jeremy,
Mirrors were dealer installed so you will find some variation. However, most photos in original documentation have cars with mirrors installed and that gives you a very good idea of what mirror style and mounting location is appropriate for your car. The problem is that not everyone has the documentation in front of them.

So, you might want to check out one of the pages on my web site:

https://www.raysmg.com/rays_mg_midget_documentation.htm

There you will find a scan of every original dealer brochure I have ever seen offered for sale; it took me almost two years to assemble all of them...some a VERY hard to come by. (If anyone has a brochure that is not featured on my site, please PM me) And there's a LOT of other information available in the brochures besides what you are looking for now, such as paint and interior options, so you may want to bookmark the site.

I have a '73 that I show...but the driver's side mirror needed replacing, the silvering on the glass was flaking. It was an unusual one, not the more common Tex variety, but one with a mirror that is rectangular but with one side a little longer than the other. I looked everywhere but couldn't locate one, finally thinking that it must be some obscure one that the original owner or dealer found somewhere. I was sitting in my office one day and looking at a framed brochure for the '73 model when my eye settled on the mirror...yes, sure as the world, there it is pictured on the brochure. Seems it was only used on the '73 and perhaps some very early '74s. Back to the search; and then, after almost a year, one appeared on Ebay...NOS...think I set a new record for mirror price!

Hope this helps,

Ray