• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Tool Rolls......anyone interested?

Share this page

I understand your point. I was thinking of a form fitting bag, but my thinking has changed. Many restorers would demand a nice original or perfect reproduction. Since this side curtain bag will never be original, I think we will put together a generic bag which will work for most cars. What other cars used sidecurtains and what were the dimensions of the larger ones?

Thanks
Steve
 
TR3; MG TC, TD, MGA; Austin Healey 100, 100/6, early 3000 all used side curtains, but they're all widely different in size and shape.

I'd certainly rather have a bag that was closer in size to the actual side curtains. I've seen pictures of the original bag for the Sprite, but not in good enough detail to really see what one looked like (I'm pretty sure they were rectangular, and opened from the side). Would be nice to get hold of one, but I don't know anyone who has one
 
I'm with drew on this one...better to plan on a bag for particular models.

For example, I also have a TR3...with the cut down doors...and side curtains for it are totally different in SIZE and SHAPE from the ones for the Spridget.

I think the dimensions given above would be very close to what's needed to easily fit the Spridget curtains w/o a lot of extra material taking up space in the boot.

Ray
 
as someone who has those new fangled wind up doohickies, can I toss in my 2 cents. Not sure where the bag opening will be but if you put it on the long edge, you can make it more like a satchel with a flap and ties - might be easier to put the curtains in too. FWIW
 
So here is the prototype. The pictures quality is questionable because black canvas does not show up too well. Made of 100% cotton 10oz duck canvas. Top picture shows bag open with seperate pockets for each window with the openings towards the center of the bag. A little velcro holds the top of the bag closed to prevent shifting and chafing of the windows. Second picture show the bag folded up with the ties securing it in a garment bag fashion. The handle is double reinforced for durability. We are thinking about $40 shipping included. Any sggestions, comments or buyers??

Have a nice day
Steve
 

Attachments

  • 9948.jpg
    9948.jpg
    44.6 KB · Views: 131
  • 9949.jpg
    9949.jpg
    48.2 KB · Views: 134
That looks like a pretty good solution to me, and at a reasonable cost. Is the canvas soft enough to prevent scratching the window material?

I'm in for one once the design is finalized.
 
It is 100% cotton so it should be scratch resistant but I'm not certain. I was just looking around for some plexiglas to rub it on. You could be the first!? Someone needs to see if they work. The measurements are right so it should work. If the bag doesn't fit, we'll make adjustments and try again or money back, your choice.

E mail me if interested. smcmanus@mis.net

Thanks
Steve
 
I've got the older style sidescreens, with the soft material like used for a soft top. That clear material is supposed to scratch easily. My side curtains are old and yellowed, so they're not much use for scratch testing, though I'd be happy to do some size testing.

Could you sew in some flannel or felt?

Steve -- email sent, and I copied Ray on it as well.
 
Just a thought - why not use that vinyl "false leather" material you find at fabric shops (WMart). The inside is fuzzy, like felt, so no lining is needed. I've got some upstairs - seems like it would work very well.

Tom
 
We rubbed the canvas on plexiglass and it does not seem to scratch it. I suspect that some of the synthetics, while soft to the touch, will scratch it. We can also line them with cotton flannel which would not add too much to the cost.

E mail me if you want one.

Have a nice day
Steve
 
But it doesn't open/close like the original in the picture...should be at the end, not the top.
 
Tony

This is not a reproduction. This is a new bag, designed at the request of BCF members, to hold the sidecurtains. Therefore, the opening is exactly where it should be.

We could duplicate the original if we could find one for a pattern and the original grain material.

Have a nice day
Steve
 
I'm in for one, Steve (email sent already). Not too many of the original bags seem to have survived -- I've seen 1 picture in all my lookings. I like the new design in concept, and for the price it's certainly worth a go.

I'm also starting to think about how to design a case for the soft top as well...
 
What ever you do guys, Do not use the orginal bag. It scratches the windows.

My first Bug had all that stuff.
 
This new bag design should work nicely -- mine will have the cotton flannel lining, which should protect the windows (I've got the early style fabric curtains) nicely. Certainly much better than just throwing them in the boot, or wrapping them up in a towel! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Of course, my side curtains are so yellowed and clouded that it doesn't matter much now. Once they're rebuilt, however, should be a very nice solution.
 
Got my bag in today, and it looks and works great! I'll try to get some pictures up later on. My screens (the older fabric style) fit well, and the lining should keep them well protected. I'm very pleased!
 
I am glad to hear this. I'd like to see a picture of it. If anyone else is interested, please drop me a line. For those of you asking for naugahyde, I have yet to find suitable quality material.

Thanks and Have a nice day
Steve
 
Pictures:

sbag1.jpg


sbag2.jpg


sbag3.jpg


I like this solution. I'm not concerned at all with originality here, just wanted something to protect the screens. I like the lining, should protect the clear material (not that my old yellow ones need it now, but eventually they'll be fixed).

A couple thoughts for future versions:

For my fabric screens, the fit is a bit snug. They fit no problem, but the width is pretty much exactly what is needed. The brackets do stick up a bit off the screens, and that has some effect. Mine fit fine, really, but it's a thought.

My other thought is that it might be worth reinforcing the center of the bag -- the brackets to stick out from the screens a bit, and I'd wonder if they'd eventually poke through the material. I've got mine so that the brackets face the outside of the bag when closed, with the brackets towards the handle. Double material maybe 7" down on each side of the handle might help here. I don't think this is big issue and I'm perfectly content with mine. Just an idea.

Over all, I'm completely satisfied with the bag. Now I need to figure out a matching bag for the top itself.

Thanks Steve!
 
Back
Top