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Question
Does anyone see there being a technical problem shimming 3mn approximately between the front subframe mounts and body to effectively lift the front relative to the subframe?

Reason being on my minor detour to stoneleigh I got waylaid round the roads of coleshill, actually that's not true they were more a series of overlapping potholes and each one gave the car some abuse through the front suspension hearing alarming banging noises, after checking over everything I've narrowed it down to the clearance or lack of between the hydragas sphere tops and the fiberglass inner wing top, I can detect clearance with a piece of paper but not more and there is evidence of historical damage to the gelcoat there,
Shimming the subframe would not only give clearance here but also lower the engine 3mm (timing cover huts the underbonnet under hard acceleration) and an extra 3mn tyre to arch clearance so I'm quite keen.
I've checked the bushes for play and I can't feel any, even jacking under the body allowing the engine to hang gives no more clearance so I don't suspect bushes.
Only issue I can think of is steering UJ but should just re-clamp.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Cant see why not, It's only like thickening the fibreglass. Only thing that might get effected in any way is steering feel as the rack is 3mm lower from the column

Yes, I know this works okay as I have done it before on a couple of cars and a 3mm packer seems to be a good thickness.
The Cortez and Excelsior seem to have been given minimal clearances between the tops of the front Hydragas units and the underside of the front arch section. The subframe mounting bushes start to sag with age and then you start to notice teh knocking. The bushes may not show signs of wear, but if you take them off you will see that the inner section is no longer central in the housing. You can swap them over so that the offset is now lifting the car higher, but I suspect that they will quickly sag back the other way. Then you probably will start to see signs of wear and unwanted movement.
Replacing the mounting bushes helps. The front ones can be found on ebay for reasonable money - they are the same across the Austin/MG Metro, Rover Metro/100 and MGF/TF. The rear ones are more expensive though and are the Rover Metro/100 and MGF/TF ones. I would avoid the solid ones that they sell for the MGF racers, unless you have a good dental plan.

The only issue with adding extra shims, as you have identified, is with the clearance around the steering coupling passing through the floor. However, this can be filed away easily enough if needed.

Spot on mate thanks, that's everything I needed to know.
I think I'll opt for new mounts first and see his that goes with the possibility of shimming later if required.


Thanks again

just a quick one, i have possession of a set of upgraded (green?) MGF bushes now, looks like a good time to swap the 4 main bolts, ive got the sizes as M14 x 150, but what tensile strength?
ive heard everything from 8.8 to 12.9

hoping to go shopping today

cheers

I don't know what grade of bolt is used as I've only ever bought the original part. Rimmers still sell them - http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID018900 - and I think that their prices aren't much more than the equivalent HT BZP bolt from someone like Namrick.