Hi All,
I own and love an Austin Healey Sprite Mk1. During its lifetime the
beading between the bonnet and wings has gone missing and the channel been
filled with filler. The filler is now beginning to crack due to vibrations
of the pannels. Has anyone ever replace the beading on their Sprite? If
so was it a tough job, how did you do it? Alternatively did you just
replace the filler?
The correct beading on a Mk I Frogeye is a T-shaped (more or less) piece
of metal that is soldered into place along the seams. You might try
to find this beading from an MG supply house as well, as it's the same
stuff used to put the rear wings on Bs and Midgets as well as on Mk II
and later Sprites. For that matter, it's the same as the strip that goes
from the back of the door openings to the taillights. If you're small
enough, you might want to crawl into the boot with a torch and take a
look at how the beading is assembled from the inside.
Assuming the beading is replaced is it painted over once set in place
or it is stainless steel?
The beading is supposed to be painted over -- it's a permanent beading,
not like the brightwork between the wings and the front bodywork on a
TR4 or like the vinyl welting between the wings and the scuttle on an
MGA. It should be painted to match the rest of the body.
If it is not sealed in with paint afterwards I
would suspect filler is a better solution to avoid rust, yes?
That only presumes that you've got all the moisture out of the seam
when you apply the filler. One of the benefits of soldering is that
the heat ensures a dry connection by evaporating any water that might
be trapped in the joint.
To remove the original beading, I seem to remember that you need only
grind the top edge away (remove the crossbar on the T, basically), and
the rest of the panel will separate with relative ease.
For a discussion of how to do this, see Lindsay Porter's "Guide to
Purchase & DIY Restoration" for Sprites and Midgets, published
by Haynes and Foulis. Porter's book shows lots of clear illustrations
of the process of removing and replacing this beading.
|