Folding the Midget/Sprite Soft Top

How to correctly fold the soft top (hood) on the MG Midget or Austin Healey Sprite without creasing or tearing the vinyl windows.

Written by Ryan Miller – 2013-05-01
How-To Library > Tops and Windows Section

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It kills me to see someone with a nice top and no idea how to fold it. When I bought my first Midget I was fortunate to find the original owners manual only half-consumed by rodents. Even the mice seemed interested in top care, because they'd left those pages completely alone!

1. Undo all six of the interior snaps, then release the two large latches.

2. Unsnap the six (or eight) Tenax fasteners around the outer back corners:

Folding Instructions for MG Midget/Healey Sprite Soft Top

3. Gently pull the front lip of the top back, while spreading the top material flat onto the trunk lid:

4. Fold in the corner windows:

5. Now roll the entire top forward and wrap it around the frame:

6. If you've got one, lay the top cover over your neatly folded top and secure the Tenax fasteners and rear snaps.

7. The four hanging strips of vinyl on the front of the top cover wrap around the folded top and snap onto the rear panel inside of the car:

Folded as such, you hopefully won't crease and tear your vinyl windows.

This was only partly an excuse to show off my really nice top!

— Folding the Midget/Sprite Soft Top —

Written by Ryan Miller – Created 2013-05-01 Published 2013-05-01
Contents © Copyrighted and published under the following terms:
Copyright © The AutoShrine Network. All rights reserved.

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Member Comments on Folding the Midget/Sprite Soft Top ↵

Rated 9.4 out of 10 based on 5 ratings

2013-05-02 21:47:48 # 10238

Comment by Jocelyn W

Very helpful.

When you say roll the entire top forward and rap around the frame, can you elaborate there a little.

2013-05-10 04:25:44 # 10310

Comment by Ron Naff

This helps but I still have creases. May be due to the age of the top... Humm....

2013-05-13 10:54:17 # 10331

Comment by Paco Moreno de Barreda

Nice, I will have to writte one for pre 66 cars with the removable top. paco

2013-06-25 07:27:12 # 10810

Comment by John Feole

Wonderful. Just started a 1970 midget restoration. After owning 6 wranglers I was still
confused about this soft top. And for mice mine made a nice nest in the engine bay and
stuffed the hood full of bird seed! Thanks for the great article.

2013-07-11 10:52:04 # 10989

Comment by Marie P

Well done, If you still get creases, lay a medium thickness folded bath towel(long enough to reach from left to right) across the metal bar containing the windshield clamps. This will help cover and pad the metal edges that the vinyl windows must lay over(especially the side triangle windows). When folding in the side windows, make sure you fold so that all of the triangular window is laying on the flattened roof- pay special attention, the folds should only be in the black vinyl area between side and rear window.If done right when you curl over the whole roof/window flap the triangular windows will lay over the bath towel nice and smoothly, and of course the back window will lay smoothly over the folded triangles. If it is too bulky to get the partial tonneau cover snapped in place, the bath towel is too thick. Minor creasing of the black vinyl may occur, but the hot sun will iron it out quickly. I find The metal/clamps are less forgiving if they crease/ dimple the vinyl windows.

2015-03-29 04:00:18 # 24983

Comment by Steven Smith

Rating: 8/10

Thank you, Good to know. In the process of fitting a new roof so will be able to look after this one.

2015-10-16 23:33:34 # 29819

Comment by Roger Dean

Rating: 10/10

This is awesome....thanks for the info...and nice top!

2016-07-06 06:00:35 # 35591

Comment by Dave Bierman

Rating: 10/10

good artical Ryan as i have seen many tops torn below the back window due to just squishing the material between the frame like the big american convertibles sort of do. it is interesting to note that even my dad's 1930 Ford roadster has a proper procedure for putting down the top which includes unsnapping the rear window and then snapping it to the roof bow snaps and on our 1964 ford convertable the rear window gets unzipped and stowed before folding tghe top to prevent damaging the rear window weather it is plastic or glass.i was lucky enough to get the original owners manual with my first 1967 MG Midget back in 1974 and so in the 35 years i owned that car and 150,000 miles i always folded the top correctly and never had any damage to the top or window ( that is until some one cut my top to steal my aftermarket under dash AM radio!) which i replaced with a top that had a stitched back window which leaked badly. i'd never buy a top with a stitched back window ever again. i bought my current top for the 1969

2016-10-05 07:49:56 # 37643

Comment by Kristi Briggs

Rating: 10/10

Thanks! This was very helpful! Now I want a cover top!

2021-06-08 19:19:05 # 74339

Comment by John T.

Not how my 1979 Midget top folds. Wish it was that tidy and easy....

2021-06-17 17:21:31 # 74564

Comment by Emma Jacobs

Rating: 9/10

@John T how does yours fold?

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