MG SA Tickford hood
I have installed the 'hood' on SA2333 Tickford, and it is likely similar to doing a VA tickford hood. I would suggest keeping all the bows together along with the material for reference and spacing of same. Take lots of pics and notes.
You will be actually installing two hoods, the interior one first, either lightweight wool or a 'more-easy-to-work-with' 1/8th thick foam that looks identical in every way, but has a little more give or stretch which makes installing easier. Not sure if the VA tickford has the internal elbow rests found on the SA.
Removal is straight forward. Disconnect the pram irons, the rear door vertical window support brackets, and carefully remove the nails holding the lead-filled pin molding at the sides and rear. A Tickford hood is padded, and the only reason I even tried it myself is that I sell the padding used to all the major car makers, for noise and vibration control . It's called various names, Whisper web, 3M thinsulate, etc. and comes in various thicknesses with various densities.... Rather than minute detail, attached are some pics for initial reference.....I would suggest 1/3 round 3/8th solid brass rather than lead-filled for the pin beading trim, much easier to chrome and handle.
Lee Jacobsen
You will be actually installing two hoods, the interior one first, either lightweight wool or a 'more-easy-to-work-with' 1/8th thick foam that looks identical in every way, but has a little more give or stretch which makes installing easier. Not sure if the VA tickford has the internal elbow rests found on the SA.
Removal is straight forward. Disconnect the pram irons, the rear door vertical window support brackets, and carefully remove the nails holding the lead-filled pin molding at the sides and rear. A Tickford hood is padded, and the only reason I even tried it myself is that I sell the padding used to all the major car makers, for noise and vibration control . It's called various names, Whisper web, 3M thinsulate, etc. and comes in various thicknesses with various densities.... Rather than minute detail, attached are some pics for initial reference.....I would suggest 1/3 round 3/8th solid brass rather than lead-filled for the pin beading trim, much easier to chrome and handle.
Lee Jacobsen
Yes, the Tickfords, SVW series and the Tickford TA and TBs, had padded hoods, and 3/8" wide, one half round, chromed brass pin beading , filled with lead and inserted with nails to secure.
The original molding was very thin brass that was lead filled, and one had to very careful to bend the molding to the proper shape, allowing for at least 1/16" of folded material from the top, via using 1/16" shim cardboard. Hole locations needed to be marked, and nails heated red hot and melted into the lead, backwards, into the molding, were inserted. Imagine doing all this in one large piece, which is what I have as a sample. To save time, and make it doable, I put joints under the lower pram iron rubbers. Another issue is that it needs to be chrome plated, after it is bent. Then installation is tricky as one can't use a hammer, as the ends of the nails will show in the chromed surface. I ended up using a double flexible wire set into the lead, and pulling the two ends through the 1/8th holes and tying them off, no hammer, and looks good. However, one wrong move, and the brass is bent, and ruined. Very tedious, as also a special rig / fixture had to be made for the molding to be dipped into the chrome shop vat, very expensive. Got it done for TA 2969 Tickford but never again!
For the SA, instead used solid brass. The nails could be counter drilled into the brass, and it was much more robust to handle as pieces. Much easier to polish for the chrome shop as well. Bending brass is an art, as it hardens as it bends, so must be annealed a few times during the bending process to soften the work hardened brass or it will suddenly 'break'!. Some pics of the process are attached…
Also pics of the lead-filled brass with nails.
Brass rod is available from Restoration Services in CA. A link. https://restorationstuff.com/shop/#fb0=31
Many shops just use a sewn 'Hidem' (hides the nails)strip instead of the original chrome trim,....all depends on how original you want the hood to be.
Lee Jacobsen
The original molding was very thin brass that was lead filled, and one had to very careful to bend the molding to the proper shape, allowing for at least 1/16" of folded material from the top, via using 1/16" shim cardboard. Hole locations needed to be marked, and nails heated red hot and melted into the lead, backwards, into the molding, were inserted. Imagine doing all this in one large piece, which is what I have as a sample. To save time, and make it doable, I put joints under the lower pram iron rubbers. Another issue is that it needs to be chrome plated, after it is bent. Then installation is tricky as one can't use a hammer, as the ends of the nails will show in the chromed surface. I ended up using a double flexible wire set into the lead, and pulling the two ends through the 1/8th holes and tying them off, no hammer, and looks good. However, one wrong move, and the brass is bent, and ruined. Very tedious, as also a special rig / fixture had to be made for the molding to be dipped into the chrome shop vat, very expensive. Got it done for TA 2969 Tickford but never again!
For the SA, instead used solid brass. The nails could be counter drilled into the brass, and it was much more robust to handle as pieces. Much easier to polish for the chrome shop as well. Bending brass is an art, as it hardens as it bends, so must be annealed a few times during the bending process to soften the work hardened brass or it will suddenly 'break'!. Some pics of the process are attached…
Also pics of the lead-filled brass with nails.
Brass rod is available from Restoration Services in CA. A link. https://restorationstuff.com/shop/#fb0=31
Many shops just use a sewn 'Hidem' (hides the nails)strip instead of the original chrome trim,....all depends on how original you want the hood to be.
Lee Jacobsen