Topic

Lowering the height if the MG Rover OEM Windstop

Do you have the original MG Rover Windstop for the MGF/TF? Tired of it rubbing on the rear window area and scratching it? Have to push your rear window outwards before you can raise or lower the thing? Well no more!

read on....

Remove the windstop from its mounting points (These stay exactly as they are)

You will see what looks like an allen bolt at each end joining the U-shaped piece to the cross bar. Don't be fooled - this is no bolt - its just a screw with an allen head, so there's no internal bolt to worry about losing

a. Peel back the rubber strip that holds the mesh in place on the U-shaped bar and you will see the screw thread (I loosened the bolt a bit before doing this as you can see!).



Now you need to peel back the whole of the rubber strip to free the mesh from the U-shaped bar.







Now you need to unscrew the allen screws with an appropriate tool. They are not very tight so no worries about rounding anything off. I only had a star bolt to hand and that worked fine!



Note the shape of each end of the U-shaped bar - you will need to recreate this in a moment!







Mark the end of each side approximately 3/4" from its tip. This will be your cut mark.



Grip the U-shaped bar in a vice (making sure you use some material to stop it scratching) and cut the end of the tip off.







Mark the cut end with the same curve at the tip you just removed.



Then you need to use a hacksaw to make a VERTICAL cut from the end to the bottom of the curve you just marked.



Now cut at angles either side of the vertical cut to make a V shape.





The curve now needs to be created. I chose to start this off with a metal drill bit in an electric drill, and then finish with a curved file. You can use the drill if you always remember to hold it AGAINST the rotation - that way it doesn't keep slipping up off the tip!



a. Keep checking the shape using the cut off bit.





b. Finish off with the file.

Next you need to screw the cross bar back on. Makes sure you get it the right way round so that the rubber strips groove is on the right side!



a. Locate the hole.



b. Pop in the allen screw.



c. Tighten it up.



Now, working from the centre of the U-shaped bar, you need to TRIM the mesh so that it is just a touch BIGGER than the dimensions of the frame UP TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE GROOVE.



Then hold the mesh tight and push the rubber strip into the groove. You should find that this tightens the mesh as it pushes in!



When you have the mesh all held tight you will need to place a cloth over the rubber strip and HAMMER it fully home. It's quite hard and needs to be flat to the bar.



Now simple fix the Windstop back to it's brackets and VOILA - no more rubbing on the rear screen!!

Nice one, Adam.
A very useful how-to.
I did have this problem with the OEM windstop catching the rear window and marking it.

I took the slightly more expensive option of replacing the windstop with Mike Satur hoops and integral glass windstop.

I have this problem with my TF Cool Blue, because I have the glass rear window it is impossible to fold the wind stop down with the hood up. I don't have the tools to be able to modify the wind stop as in this excellent tutorial so I modded mine to be able to quickly fit or remove it by simply slotting the holes in the brackets.
I did tidy up the cuts after I took the after cutting picture. Also due to my head height when driving lowering the height of the top bar of the wind stop would obstruct my rear view a little.