The bonnet on the MGF and MG TF is the forward-opening panel that covers the front luggage compartment, on these mid-engine cars, the bonnet covers the radiator, expansion tank, EPAS motor, brake master cylinder, and the battery rather than the engine. Despite other significant panel differences between MGF and MG TF, the bonnet itself is shared between the two models, the same pressing serves both. This makes the bonnet one of the few exterior body panels that is not model-specific, aiding availability and reducing ordering complexity. The bonnet is hinged at the front of the car, opening upwards and rearwards, and secured at the rear by a latch near the windscreen base.
Hinges, Handed and Adjustable
The bonnet hinges are handed RH and LH, two different part numbers, and each is retained by four M6 screws (eight total across both hinges). Small adjustment shims are catalogued as a single part: six shims are fitted as standard between each hinge and the body, and adjusting the shim count changes bonnet fit relative to the surrounding bodywork. Adding shims raises the rear of the bonnet, removing shims drops it, a panel-alignment technique that avoids the need for slotted mounting holes.
Manual Stay Rod, Not a Gas Strut
The MGF and MG TF bonnet is held open by a manual stay rod (prop rod), not by gas struts. The rod lifts from a clip mounted to the front of the engine bay and locates into a dedicated slot on the underside of the bonnet. The stay rod, its clip (shared with the MG RV8), a rubber grommet that cushions the clip mounting, two M6 bolts that retain the rod's mounting bracket to the bonnet locking platform, and the flanged M6 nut that secures the bolts are all catalogued individually. The stay rod is a robust, long-lasting item, failure is rare and usually takes the form of clip breakage rather than rod failure.
Owners thinking of "bonnet won't stay open" should check that the rod is properly located in its bonnet slot before assuming a part failure.
Bonnet Latch and Safety Catch
Two related items secure the bonnet when closed. The latch pin and safety catch assembly is the bonnet-mounted hook-and-trigger unit, catalogued with its mounting screws. The latch assembly (on the body side) engages the pin when the bonnet is closed and is catalogued along with its upper plate and mounting screws. The safety catch feature, a second-stage retention once the main latch has been released, is a roadworthiness essential: the latch pin assembly includes the safety catch mechanism that prevents the bonnet from flying fully open while driving even if the main latch is unintentionally released.
Release Cable and Cabin Lever
A release cable runs from the cabin-mounted release lever to the bonnet latch on the body. The release cable (shared between MGF and MG TF) is catalogued as a single part, along with two cable-to-body clips that secure the cable's underfloor routing. The release lever (the cabin-side pull handle) is catalogued with its mounting bracket, pivot screw, and two bracket-to-body screws. A stretched, seized, or broken release cable is the most common cause of "bonnet won't open", the fault can often be diagnosed by pulling the release lever and listening for the latch click; no click means the cable isn't getting the pull to the latch.