Smash and Grab

There are few things worse than the discovery that your car has been broken into by thieves. However, the distress is magnified when the car in question is now a classic and there is the added concern that the damaged parts may no longer be available.

The thieves did not open the doors but dragged contents from the rear deck out of the window	A clean up is vital before work can begin	Press back the door seal to expose the trim retaining screws

When some opportunist thieves smashed the rear quarter-light of my BGT a couple of years ago they not only stole my tools, some of which have proved to be irreplaceable but they also did considerable damage to my MG. At that time replacement rear quarter-light glass was not available new but happily this is a situation that has now been remedied by MGOC Spares and now new clear and also tinted rear quarter-light glass can be obtained.

It may well be necessary to drill out these screws	It was possible to undo the four screws that hold the hinge to the B post	Inside the car remove the rear window retaining clamp

Before attempting to change a rear quarter-light after a break in it is at good plan to vacuum away all broken glass first to prevent any unnecessary injury while working on the car. Then pull away the rubber door seal at the side of the B pillar to expose the retaining screws that hold on the light satin alloy trim that covers the B pillar. Sometimes these will come undone cleanly but in my case they had to be drilled out. Use a small drill bit and take great care not to damage the delicate satin chrome surface of the trim cover. Once the trim cover has been removed the four screws that attach the hinge of the quarter-light frame to the other side of the B post can be clearly seen. As these had been covered I found that with care it was possible to unscrew them, note that it is important to use the right sized Philips screwdriver and also remember to apply some DWF or similar before attempting to undo the screws.

Undoing the rear quarter-light frame retaining screw	Drilling out the seized rear quarter-light frame screw	Lubricating the hinge before re-fitting the frame

Now move inside the car and undo the two chrome screws that hold the frame opening and closing clamp in position. Once all screws are undone the quarter-light frame can be removed from the car and placed in a vice, remember to protect the chrome finish when clamping it up, small blocks of soft wood are ideal. With the frame firmly located you can then begin to dismantle it by undoing the six screws that attach to internal brackets and pull the three corners of the frame together. In my case some of the screws came undone easily but it is most likely that at least some of them will be corroded into their brackets. In which case it may be necessary to resort to drilling out the heads of these screws in order to remove them and dismantle the frame. Then the remaining broken glass must now be cleaned away and the rubber sealing strip examined as it may be possible to re-use it, if not obtain new. The new glass can now be fitted in place and the frame re-assembled around it. Take the opportunity to employ a light application of a suitable mastic windscreen sealer at this stage which will prevent annoying drips seeping through between the glass and quarter-light frame in heavy rain.

New quarter-light in place with its trim cover re-positioned	Re-attaching the hinge of the quarter-light frame using new retaining screws

Should you leave your MG or even your daily runabout car parked anywhere in public view, always remove any items that can be clearly seen in the interior. Despite the fact that I had left an old coat over the top of my toolbox the thieves still decided it was worth their while to break in to investigate what was underneath, so take the time to remove all briefcases and sports bags, even shopping bags from view.

 
MGOC Spares carries the complete range of glass for MG models including plain and green tinted glass. MGF windscreens with green graduated tint are also newly available from stock this month. Green tinted glass is available for MGB roadster and GT models and provides that finishing touch to any high quality rebuild. Front screens, side drop windows, quarter lights and rear GT quarter lights are all stocked.

Examples:

GT rear quarter light glass from £52.50
Front quarter light glass from £17.25
Side drop glass from £62.75
Windscreens glass from £62.75

We stock All MG parts – You can have them delivered tomorrow!

All MG parts at members’ prices call MGOC Spares on 01954 230928 or 231318.