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MG TD TF 1500 - Dipstick finish

Is the chrome MG logo dipstick original for the TD?

If so, was the face plain or was the inside of the octagon painted engine red?


Bruce Cunha

Do you really think the factory would go to the trouble of painting the background? Every one I've seen is plain, although the knob is chromed (over zinc?).
Lew Palmer

Mine was always just chrome, from 1966 when I got it.
BUT
I think red outline is better.

I do like bling.

Jim B


JA Benjamin

No paint as was pointed out above, but it's a nice touch.
Christopher Couper

Kinda matches the hubcap medallions. I'm guilty of leaving mine painted. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Thanks. Mine was painted in, but when I cleaned the chrome, much of the paint came out. Think I will leave it plain.

Lew. I totally agree. A lot of the work I am doing on my restoration requires thinking like the factory would have and I can't see them taking the time to paint this.
Bruce Cunha

Sounds like "gilding the lily" to me, but everyone to his own. I don't like whitewall tyres on T types either.
Dave H
Dave Hill

"A lot of the work I am doing on my restoration requires thinking like the factory would have"

That may not be the best strategy always. :-)
Christopher Couper

Remember, the factory was never concerned with "originality".
Lew Palmer

Mine on the 55TF appears to never have had paint on it.
PJ Jennings

Lew. I agree, but I also see a lot of TD owners that seem to think are cars are Morgans. Each piece hand made.

These were production line cars. Some parts came finished to them from a manufacturer/manufacturers (I am sure there were different ones during the production). They were installed as a car came down the assembly line. There was little time for doing things fancy or different.

Yes, there were some specialty cars, but the majority were not. Identifying as much as we can on what the factory produced, I think is important.

For a car as popular as ours, it is truly surprizing on the lact of facts we have on how they were made, and what they were like from the factory.

Bruce Cunha

The highly original TF 9052 in Gallery on The Original MG TF midget website shows no paint.
This seems to be a similar sort of question as to whether TD/TF hubcap badges had red paint.
M Magilton

"For a car as popular as ours, it is truly surprizing on the lact of facts we have on how they were made, and what they were like from the factory."

Actually almost the opposite. First the factory threw almost everything away since it had no value to them and in fact the British government was famous for taxing anything that did not move, regardless if it generated revenue or not. Al Moss got all sorts of tools, dies and molds for free because of this. And also got tons of inventory too.

Second the popularity of these cars meant that everyone was into modifying them to "enhance" or make them unique for each owner or to "improve" the performance etc. A huge industry sprang up to support modifications and add ons in the 50's.

There were no such things as dealers so it was in the best interest of the local supplier to try to mod each car as much as possible. I dare say few of these MG's left the lot as they did from the factory.
Christopher Couper

Totally agree Chris. That is why it is hard to actually figure out what the factory did. But I still feel it is important to do so.

Your documentation is a big help.
Bruce Cunha

Compared to many other cars made in the same period, I do think our cars are very well documented. Dick Knudson's foresight to print the hundreds of factory photos is certainly the key to many details. The internet, Chris's great web site, and photo documentation of many original cars has helped as well. In the 70s, very few people knew or cared what was original, and if they did the information was near impossible to find. Of course there are many variations, deviations, and things not standard from car to car. Recently, Tom Lange found records of single carb TDs! Remember the quote from the MG factory guy years ago about going to the local store to buy nuts and bolts when they ran out. Great to document for the future caretakers of out cars. George
George Butz III

"MG factory guy years ago about going to the local store to buy nuts and bolts when they ran out"

Like I have said many times, The factory was never concerned with "Originality".
Lew Palmer

George. I am intersted in your comment about "Hunreds of factory photos documented" Other than what I have been able to get from the British Car Museum, are these available?
Bruce Cunha

This thread was discussed between 16/08/2019 and 21/08/2019

MG TD TF 1500 index

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