Re: Storage of the soft top hood

joss400 · Post by **joss400** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:27 pm

I have a hardtop roof, I brought it at the end of last winter / begining of spring, I have a storage rack for the hard top and this the first winter of putting it on, how would other MG F / TF owners suggest that I store the softtop, do you connect it to your hard top rack and put it in a storage bag or What ?

cath's mg · Post by **cath's mg** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:33 pm

Hi, you leave the soft-top on the car folded down, the hard top fits over it.
If you have a plastic rear screen in the soft top, unzip it and lay it flat on the rear parcel shelf.
The connector for the heated rear screen on the hard top(if its fitted), can usually be found under the carpet of the parcel shelf (near-side) or tucked away somewhere amongst the soft top frame

Gary

pqd44 · Post by **pqd44** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:30 pm

As has been said you do not need to remove the soft top and the hardtop was designed to fit with the soft top folded on the car. However, if you're planning on having the hardtop on for many months it can be removed and stored .
I did do this when I had a hardtop and then not only does the interior look so much better you also have a useable rear parcel shelf but sitting inside the car it feels huge.

I did remove the hardtop a couple of times on dry winter days/nights and went for a completely topless drive. The car does look so good with no roof at all.

I don't know how long you've had your car but with me I sold the hardtop after the first winter because I began to despise the hardtop for stopping me going for a topless drive when ever I felt like it. Hardtops are good but roof down motoring is priceless.

joss400 · Post by **joss400** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:20 am

Thank you for all the good advise, will look forward to having a warm winter

Geoff.F · Post by **Geoff.F** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 7:13 pm

We first ran our "F" in Switzerland and Southern Europe, (France, Italy and Spain) and found that even with Air Con, we toasted with the black Softop down or roasted with it up.
We returned to live in UK and took the car on an extended trip to Spain and Portugal with the Silver HardTop to reflect the Heat which with the AC made pleasant quieter and cooler driving albeit we carried the Softop and removed the HardTop at the rented Villa and our friends house.
On our return we concluded that the Softop took up too much space for the time it was used therefore we GTised the car with just the HardTop however the MG Heritage HardTop sits on the Softop rear rail so the rear rail from a scrap frame is required.
As a hobby car,most mileage is done on longer European Tours mostly to Switzerland so now it is normally just the HardTop. It may have something to do with the fact that in 1970 I bought a new MGB GT when living in Belgrade and it enjoyed Dubrovnik and Athens.
With two garages with pulleys in the roof, it is easy to change Tops or lift the Hardtop and run with the Full Tonneau.
You choose according to what you use your car for.
Geoff F.