At 07:50 PM 6/16/04 -0700, Tom Gunderson wrote: >"I am looking for The correct set of side curtains for my 57 MGA,1500 roadster."

Are you a glutton for punishment, or just a concours enthusiast? See here:
http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29269

"Correct" 1500 side curtains are the flip-up style (photo compliments of Walter Tange) with thin Isenglas panels top and bottom. They were really effective at taking your driving glove off your hand, made it tough to get your arm out to feed a toll box, and precluded any free air ventilation. These were hated so much (back in the day) that when the 1600 came to market (in May 1959) with sliding type windows many of the original 1500 type side curtains were relegated to the trash bin. Today the original 1500 type side curtains are being retreived from the dust bins to be restored for originality (at great expense).

The original 1600 type side curtains were also fabric covered, but eliminated the bottom lift up panel. These have a fixed thin Isenglas panel in the front half (often turned yellow), and a sliding Plexiglas panel in the back half. For the 1600 model cars the side curtails had a wide margin fabric edge at top and back, similar to the strip at bottom in this picture. In August 1960 there was a change in design of the rag top, at which time the top and rear seal margin on the side curtains was made narrower. The picture here is the later 1600 style side curtain. This one supercedes the earlier type for replacement parts. The fabric covered 1600 type were a bit expensive, but there were alternatives (follow next two paragraphs).

The first factory bolt-on hardtop was produced starting in June 1956. Better aerodynamics with the hardtop made the MGA about 3 MPH faster at top end, so this was immediately a hit with the racer types. The first Coupe was produced a few months later in September 1956 with a similar roof profile. For the bolt-on hardtop they supplied side curtains with rubber seal along the bottom and on the front edge, but not on top or back because the hardtop had a rubber seal there. There were ridgid plastic (Plexiglas) panels front and back with the rear panel sliding and the front one (intended to be) fixed.

		Left: early painted style frame. Above, later aluminum frame also for aluminum top. Below, aluminum frame for fiberglass top.
Very early side curtains for the aluminum hardtop had black painted steel frames. This was shortly changed to bare anodized aluminum frames. The fiberglass hardtop had slightly different style aluminum frame (picture above), being straight along the bottom edge with wide rubber strip rather than having a tapered metal panel. The bare metal side curtains were considerably cheaper than the cloth covered units, so they were popular replacements for the 1500 type units (which were generally hated and often replaced after people saw the sliding panel units). They were also available for nearly three years before the 1600 type side curtains were produced. As a result there are a LOT of 1500 roadsters carrying this type of side curtain (even without a hardtop).

Per Confidential Service Memrandum MG/338 dated 22 Nov, 1960, all of the aluminum frame side curtains were ultimately superceded by the fabric covered units. As a result, any fiberglass top sold after that date would have been delivered with fabric covered side curtains, later 1600 rag top style.

Back in 1968-69 I bought a '56 1500, then a '58 1500, and then a '57 1500 all within one year, and they all had the aluminum replacement side curtains. I don't think I ever saw a set of original 1500 type side curtains until after my current MGA was finished restoration in the late 1980s. At our first British Car Festival in Chicago (actually Wheaton IL) in 1987, there were about a dozen "restored" MGA (at least repainted), but not an original set of 1500 side curtains in the bunch. In 1988 I was at NAMGAR GT-12 in Marietta, Ohio, with a (then) record 107 MGA in one place. There may have been one or two 1500's in that bunch with original type side curtains, but you couldn't buy them new at that time.

If this is strictly for concours show, the 1500 type side curtains may be kind of neat for show and tell. But for form, fit and function in every day use they really suck, primarily because you can't open a vent, but also being hard to make hand signals or toss coins in a toll box without opening a door.

By the late 50's there was a decent market for replacement side curtains for the 1500 cars, so there were a number of aftermarket companies like AMCO and MG Mitten getting into the act. Most of the aftermarket units had aluminum frames with rubber strip all the way around. There were some variations in exact form of the mounting brackets, but most were nearly identical in appearance on the outside. The current Moss Motors replacement type units are about the best rendition of this style. They have rubber seals all around, and two sliding Plexiglas panels. Hard to see here in the glare of the flash, there is a narrow angle brace aluminum strip just inside the front corner of the front window, extending from the bottom frame to the front frame. The main front mounting bracket is a welded part of this bracket, giving the assembly increased ridgidity when installed.

Here is an example of an aftermarket side curtain made by AMCO. Notice the somewhat unique slightly rounded top front corner of the frame. Also notable, the main front mounting bracket is articulated to swing on a single mounting screw. While this is significantly less ridgid than a fixed bracket, it does allow the bracket to fold flush when the side curtains are placed in the traditional stowage bag behind the seats. This is more important with the later production cars where there were modifications to the battery cover and folding top frame to have the stowed side curtains sitting atop the battery cover, and the folded top stowed slightly farther back.

Pictured below is another example of an aftermarket side curtain similar to the one above, but maker unknown. This also has bare aluminum frame, rubber seal all aound, two sliding plexiglas panels, and articulated mounting bracket. Absence of the front angle brace allows the bottom frame rail to twist under load. To prevent flopping in the wind there is a hook or latch bracket at top front to catch the edge of the windscreeen frame.


>"Should I get the vinyl split set and were can I get a good set."

Clarke Spares and Restorations is maybe the best specialist for restoration of MGA side curtains. He has been doing it for at least 20 years, and makes many of the parts. www.clarkespares.com

If you want to be "correct" for everyday use, any of the aftermarket type side curtains are legitimate period accessories for the MGA 1500. If you want original type flip-up units for show, then either get out your firmly padded checkbook to buy a new set, or be prepared for a long search or restoration job on an original set. If you want a set of flip-up type to restore, keep an eye on eBay. They do pop up there occasionally, but don't expect them to be cheap.

>"I have a set of aluminum framed curtains. These curtains do not have the rubber trim across the top of the curtain or down the front. This curtain never had that rubber trim."

Those may actually be worth something to someone who has a factory bolt-on hard top.