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MG TD TF 1500 - ebay again, V8 Powered TD from Arizona

It seems thet we in Belgium too must have our share of the TD butcher. I think this is not a comfotabel drive. Has you know this car?? http://cgi.befr.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18302&item=4551397348&rd=1
Luc de Witt

Let's be controversial - if ther'e one thing I hate it's the noise a V8 makes. I find the so called V8 burble grates with my ears - they always appear to be missing on a couple of cylinders, their gurgling suggests very poor engineering and the noise they make doesn't equate to the speed at which they are turning over. Give me a sweet straight four any day - preferably the one in my Mazda MX5 !

Cheers to all


Jan T
Jan Targosz

Quelle tristesse!

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark

Luc,
I have seen this car on the classic car show "Dreamcar International" at Mechelen (B).
Created quite a lot of interest but apparently no buyers. It seems that the car was already "butchered" in the states as all components used were of American origin and also according to the description on the car at the show (seen also on some E-bay photos).
The chassis was "heavily modified" not only to take the engine but also the gearbox. Parts of the body were also changed to be able to place the midget (or Sprite) seats a few inches backwards etc etc.
Would cost a fortune to bring back to original specification. I think it's another TD lost forever...
Nick, 52TD/63Midget.
D.G.J. Herwegh

Interesting info. With the amount of space taken away on the firewall, you would have to move the seats back, and even with sever butchery, I can't imagine you could get enough there, because you still have to provide clearance for the back axle. I can't imagine that car would be comfortable for a tall person to sit in, much less drive. I'm 6'2" and I can barely fit into my stock TF. I doubt I could fit into that one.
Mark B.

Indeed Mark, they removed about one quarter of the inner rear wheel arches, made up a new panel which only just didn't touch the rear wheels and I thought something was changed on the floor panel which runs over the rear axle too. Still there was no leg room !
The handbrake lever is also a bit "modified" and what to think about the steering wheel...8^)
Nick, 52TD/63Midget.
D.G.J. Herwegh

Oooof... I just noticed how they re-routed the steering. It just keeps on getting worse. It's kind of sad to see how badly things were done on this car. I mean, I'm sure it will rip the tires from a standing start, but it's completely lost its elegance and character. What a waste.
Mark B.

Notice the pedals are on the close side of the body roll bar... man... must have knees in the face, or he is 4 feet tall... Seats don't seem that much further back????
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Mom always said "if you can't say something nice then don't say anything at all" ....uh mom....uh, it would be easy to change the water pump....and, uh... mom...uh well ......it would be easy to change the water pump!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

Not that I would ever do such a thing, but some of these conversions do exhibit some pretty clever engineering.

A few years back, at the Bay State Antique Car Club show in Dedham, MA. (Huge show, everthing from muscle cars to brass era, 3-400 cars is fairly common), I heard the familiar V8 rumble of a muscle car making it's entrance to the show grounds. Show cars generally make a circuit of the grounds and come in through the back entrance. Because of all the activity in the area, you generally hear the cars long before you can actually see them.

Anyway, I hear this fairly loud V8, but can only see the top of the soft top moving through the crowd. Up the lawn drives an Old English White MG TD, full bonnet, hood up, looking absolutely bone stock, with the possible exception of tires and wheels slighly wider than normal.

Driver parks and lifts the bonnet, revealing an aluminum Buick V8 with late model T-Bird supercharger. Engine block is color matched to the body, all the ancilliaries chromed or polished, Allen head screws throughout. A beautiful install, all shade tree engineered, and no hacking involved, with the exception of the gearbox crossmember and a small section of the firewall. Interior looked stock, aside from the Triumph bucket seats, finished in green leather to match the rest of the trim. Very impressive.

What is was like to drive is anybody's guess, but straight line performance must have been astounding. I'm sure the footwells were a little warm, but given the weight differential between the aluminum V8 and the stock TD engine, not too bad, I would imagine.

I know the owner was from Western Mass, and drove the car to the show. I think I saw it on Ebay a year or two later.

Again, not my cup of tea, but he did a fine job.
BTW, I have a couple of Road and Tracks and Sports Car Illustrated mags from the '50's featuring TD/V8 swaps, so even the sporty car pioneers were guilty of these shenannigans back in the day.
Peter Whelan

This thread was discussed between 26/05/2005 and 29/05/2005

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