1956 140 OTS question on putting up top/hood
 

I'm taking my '56 140 OTS to a car show on Sunday morning. It will be about 33 degrees F for my 1/2 hour drive here in upstate NY. I've never had the hood up and have never even seen the car with the hood up. Can anyone offer any hints or precautions that should be observed? Same question relative to operating the heater. Thanks, Vern

I see you have had no replies on this.
I have never had to erect an OTS hood, but have watched members of our MG Midget and AH Sprite Club erecting theirs. The early types have the hood totally dismantled and stored in the trunk, later ones have the hood folded back sitting at the rear of the passenger compartment.
Where a hood is packed away, as I have observed, the hood is first unwrapped, and frame parts are then fitted to the hood, then the rear is secured around the back of the passenger comparment. Only when the hood is fixed at the rear, and the frame all secure, is the hood brought forward to be secured to the top of the windshield. This final action tightens up the hood fabric and stops it flapping.
As I said, I've only observed. I've never done the assembly bit. My MG Midget had a permanently secured hood that just opened-out forward and was secured to the top of the windshield. Once secured, a few straps needed securing each side to stop it all flapping.
The 140 drop-head is totally different, having a permanently attached hood that is easily erected and stowed.

Thanks for the response. I just went ahead and drove to the show with the top down. It was 30 degrees and I had a 1/2 hour drive. Very invigorating. As soon as I arrived I had to fill in a registration form with my frozen hands. One funny outcome of this. My car won first place in the import car division and they announced the winner as Jen ( my name is Vern). My hand writing was worse than I thought even though I printed. Vern

When it's a nice day (warm and sunny), have a go at erecting the hood. Best if you know in advance what to do if you're out on a run and it comes on to bucket down !

That is VERY correct. I have a 1957 Thunderbird. The top on those is known to be tricky to erect and usually takes two people. I was caught in a sudden downpour once and by the time I figured out how and got the top up there was an inch of water in the wheel wells. It was only the second time I had put the top up in 6 years of owning the car. Took a day to get her dried out. Vern
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Footwells not wheel wells.