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MG TD TF 1500 Fair weather drivers' poll BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG TD TF 1500 - Fair weather drivers' poll
| Gentlemen, I'm wondering where I fit into the realm of T owners when it comes to driving in anything but ideal weather. Myself, I don't take my antiques out of the garage, if the weather isn't perfect. I don't tour them on more than a day tour for the same reasons. I don't even wash them using water. A California Car Duster is used, followed by a bug and tar remover, and wipedown and buff with a sprayon Instant Detailer, and that's it. Oh, I might use soap and water on the tires, if they are really dirty. But that's me. Where do the rest of you stand? Gene |
| Gene Burgess |
| Gene I don't use my TF if rain is forecast or the roads are wet, specially when salting has been done (Nov-Mar). I try to use it as much as possible in the winter, usually with the hood up. I use a sponge and clean water to clean off the undersides of the mudguards and a damp chamois leather on the rest of the bodywork, having built up a good sheen with Autoglim Resin Polish. I admit I'm finickity, but the car has done such a low mileage, and with absolutely no rust and I intend to keep it that way. (s)Miles per year -around 2500. John |
| John James |
| My wife and I are on the other side of the coin, we drive the car year around (that's correct, WE - my wife drives the car as much or more than I do. We got the car 30 years ago because I wanted it, then my wife promptly confiscated it as her everyday car). We are fortunate enough to live in the Puget Sound area, where the weather is quite moderate, with very little snow (it all comes down as rain) and when it does snow, the worst that is used on the roads is sand, thus we have lots of small rock chips but no rust. While we don't intentionally take the car out in the snow, we also carry chains in case we get caught in it on the odd occasion. We often take the car on trips of several hundred miles in the Pacific Northwest and have twice taken it on 5000+ mile trips around the Western US since restoring it. I wash it with soap and water and leave it in the garage with the doors open whenever it has been taken out in the rain (the doors remain open most of the winter. We found out, long time ago that nothing drastic happens to the car from driving in inclement weather (it came to us pre-shrunk) as long as it is allowed to dry out over night. Cheers - Dave |
| David DuBois |
| Lazarus doesn't get very coddled. I tend to drive him year round. Criterea is: temp >=40F, sunshine, dry roads. Last July he spent 14 hours driving in the rain from Cleveland, Ohio to Plymouth, Mass. I generally hose him down once a week (except in winter) and dry him off with a chamois. He certainly knows what soap and water feels like. A good coating of Maguires paste wax keeps him quite shiny. Contemplating a 7,000 mile cross-country trip next summer. I'm of the opinion that the letters TD stand for To Drive. |
| Bud Krueger |
| The Motto that I use is as follows. USE---ENJOY--BUT PRESERVE. Do not change that order. I have used my MG's in all sorts of weather. From the cold of Northern Quebec in the winter to the heat of Florida in summer. Rain or snow or what ever comes along. Treat the car right and you will get much more enjoyment from it. coddle it and it becomes a hanger QUEEN. With todays waxes and paint materials the finish is much more durable. So . Please get it out and DRIVE IT TILL THE ROAD WEARS OUT. SANDY SANDERS |
| conrad sanders |
| We don't take our TD out if rain is threatening. We drive the car year round -- and especially enjoy the cold, sunny winter days. Whenever we start the car we plan to drive at least twenty miles to warm it up sufficiently. Night driving is limited because I have not yet installed turn signals. I wash the car with Meguiars Gold car wash, dry it with terry cloth towels (less likely to scratch than chamois) and polish it with Zymol (smells great). A Zymol spray detailer will really make the shine pop. We have attended a couple of out of town car shows and we trailered the car -- so we could take luggage and our ten year old black lab. Regards, Dennis |
| D F Sexton |
| On this one I must agree with David, Bud, and Conrad,,, If we were so afrade (sp) to drive the TD in rain or snow, we would never have had the experience to do the "Lap Of New England",,, or the "Skyline Sourie" (sp) or tour Canada with members of the Ottawa MG Club,,, and we would have to buy a trailer !!! The car must be used to enjoy it ... what is the sence to just keep it in the garage and only use it for a one day short drive ??? I believe that any one who thinks this way should only have to try one, week long trip ,,, and then you will be truley hooked !!! Life is much to short to spend it in a garage or on a trailer!! SPW |
| Steve Wincze |
| Mine stays in the shop for the winter, but that is primarily due to the salt on the roads. In the summer, I drive it as my daily driver, rain or shine. It was rebuilt as a driver. |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Would I be the only one to beleive that Gene was pulling our collective legs? |
| John Redman |
| Well let's see....TF= to Fondle, Too Fast, or? I'll have to think more on that one. My car stays in the mountains of central Arizona at 5,000 ft. msl. Unfortunately It's our Winter home and we're only here half the year. Boy I sure get to missing it in the Summer. Previous owner had it professionally restored and then kept it five years with very little driving. So I bought it a little over a year ago and drive it almost every day. I don't take it out in the rain or snow because I don't have to, but that's very seldom here. The top stays down and the mornings can be very cold. I bought it to drive. Funny, every day I drive the TF I'm in a great mood. Any day I don't I'm not as happy. A very direct correlation. |
| D Clark |
| I drive my cars (and motorcycle) all year. In the winter I don't drive them if the streets are wet as there is likely to be ice in the shaddy spots. Here in Utah we don't get much rain up so I rearly put the top up on the roadster, only once last year. I try to keep them ready for those nice days and we can go for a drive. I built my cars for driving. I have vintage tags on them and by law they are not supposed to be daily drivers but who's watching. John 62 MGA Roadster 60 MGA Coupe 54 mgtf |
| John Progess |
| I agree with Sandy Sanders! I drive my TF 1500 whenever possible. Fit your side curtains and top right and you don't get too wet in a deluge. Wash it down afterwards to get rid of the road dirt, I don't drive it in our annual snow because Atlanta drivers go crazy when it snows (rarely). |
| Don Harmer |
| Two years since completing a seven year frame-up restoration. I cannot yet force myself to drive my TF1500 in anything less than perfect weather. |
| Mike Moryl |
| A good friend of mine passed away this past week. He was a fellow MG enthusiast and also raced a rare Lola Mk1. He was only 63. After he restored his last TD, he drove it from Ontario to California and back (without support vehicles). I am sure he has no regrets about driving his Lola hard on the track, rain or shine. Yes It did get "bent" now and again but it was always rebuilt correctly. Evidently, I am in a reflective mood this morning. If you are lucky enough to own a MG then get out and enjoy it. I would not advocate driving a classic once the salt goes down. Hovewer, to be put off because it might rain? Come on people. Life is far too short. Tony |
| Tony Cove |
| Mr. Redman, John, I'm not pulling your leg! After I retired, I spent 3 years working in an automotive restoration shop that specializes in Auburns and 55 - 57 TBirds. That's where I had a hand in the restoration of my TF and my 55 TBird. When you spend the hours and the money stripping the paint with razorblades down to bare metal, replacing rotted wood, patching steel panels, block sanding and polishing the paint, as well as everything else, you get very protective of your toys. From about the middle of April right up to the first salting of our roads here in late Nov. or Dec., I make up reasons to take all 3 of my toys ( a 1990 Nissan 300zx is #3) for drives whenever I can. I tallied up about 2500 miles this season on each one of them, and none of them was washed with soap and water. I reserve that for my daily drivers. While I admire all of those who can drive their antiques in all kinds of weather, I simply can not bring myself to do it. Yes, I'm eccentric in this, but that's the beauty of our hobby...there's room for everybody. Gene |
| Gene Burgess |
| I'm with Gene. I spent 4 years restoring my TD. We have very heavy salt here in PA. I try to drive the TD year-round, but having ground out the rust in 2 MGs, it's hard to restart that cycle once the salting starts. I don't mind getting caught in the rain. But salt here is very corrosive. Even one season can take its toll. Instead, I have an MGA coupe that is my winter driver. It is unrestored, except for mechanicals. And it is undercoated, unlike the TD or my MGB. Ira |
| Ira Spector |
| Having had the pleasure of a TD as my first car and for a number of years my only daily driver, there is no time I would not get in and take it where I need/want to go. I have wintered them, (heaters are great and with a can of spray de-icer and a good down comforter bring it on), and summered them, (RHDs do get hot over the exhaust in July). I have raced them, run them around England (Circuit of Britain), and hauled kids, groceries, firewood and ..... They are cars. Cars are meant to be driven. Yes after 50 years they may require refurbishment, however, if done, they have another 50+ years to go. If not, they can be maintained so as to allow them to be USED. Don't abuse them and if you run in inclement weather, just be sure to clean them well. Safety FAST Paul |
| Paul |
| Gene I have recently invested in a dehumidifier to combat the high relative humiidity of out maritime climate. Set at around 70%. it has transformed the atmosphere in the garage and stopped any signs of bloom that forms on the bodywork when the TF hasn't been used for a few days. The windscreen doesn't mist up either. John |
| John James |
| James Can you enlighten us with the specs, cost, supplier etc of your dehumidifier? I keep wondering about getting a carcoon, but my partner cannot believe that anyone would/could buy such a thing. Regards David |
| David Wardell |
| David I bought a WDH-928HGD from Dry-it-Out. http://www.dry-it-out.com/ Priced at £185, it costs 2 to 3p an hour to run. Set at 70% RH it doesn't run much as I have managed to seal the garage well. It is a compressor type with a hot gas defrost so it works in lower temps. I also find it heats the garage 2 or 3 degrees C. There is another type called the Ruby Dry which works on the principal of a fan blowing the air across a silica gel element which is in turn heated to stop it getting saturated. This works in even lower temps and costs £254. (It uses a bit more more power) However B&Q have the same machine called the Amber Dry for £199.98. http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/search/search_product_page.jsp?siLandingParams=type%3Dsearch%26query%3DDehumidifiers%26hits%3D7%26topCat%3D74826&selectType=category&parentDepartment=Home%20%26%20Storage&categoryName=Cooling&limitProducts=no I can recommend one. John |
| John James |
| For my part, when I do get it running (soon) I will plan on driving it as my primary car for long distance travel. I'm getting the trailer hitch to carry the 2-bike carrier and we will put about 9,000 miles/summer on it and another 5,000 in the rest of the year including trips to Durham, N.H. in January and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in February. John |
| John Redman |
| As some of you know, we have a very original TF that spent most of its life in warm storage and only had 27,000 miles on it when purchased. Our motto, "if you don't drive, don't own it". If the weather is nice and no salt on the roads we take it out, top up, heater on all winter. In the year 2000, a mild winter in MI, I drove the car at least two or three days every month of the year, with the top down. Even went out for spin on New Years Day 2000. This car has the original paint on it, and although it looks "patina'd" close up, it looks good from 20 feet. You cannot polish it or wax it as the finish comes off. Rain just clens it up a bit. We drove this car to a GOF in Indiana and it was a two day monsoon trip. We have a good top and windows and did not get as wet, like some of our MGB friends. Drive it, you'll like it. You only go once around in life. |
| colin stafford |
| Perfer not to drive in the rain, but if I'm on the way to a meet or rally & it's raining...oh well! Just completed 3400 miles NJ-ID, lots of rain & 1 day snow in the high mountains. Now TD is in the garage, the roads are dry so he gets a ride about 2X a week, the B 2X a week, the remainder is the Jeep for trips to go skiing & fishing....bought 'em & maintain 'em to drive 'em! |
| Robert Dougherty |
| We too rather not take the TF in the rain, for the main reason its downright miserable driving in a tent. (Melbourne Oz can have 4 seasons in 1hr, so occasionally we do get caught out.) Then there's also the dangerous issue of idiot drivers out there who don't reassess their braking distances in the wet. 20yo Michelin radials also don't give much grip in damp... I think I got all 4 wheels locked up the last time I purposely tested the brakes. Not bad for all-round drums! Other than that, TF9808 doesn't even sniff in wet weather. Its the softy occupants half its age that complain. :P |
| Will |
| I'm with Will on the other idiots' bad driving in the rain. If I do get caught out, not a big deal. I worry more about lighting (more lightning strikes per area here than anywhere in the US) than the water. With my vinyl interior and cracked paint, I don't care if it gets wet. I guess if my car was just restored and pristine I would be more careful. We have sand everywhere, and the love bugs in the spring, so we wet and wash all our cars like crazy in Fla. This discussion does remind me of an article/caption in TSO a few years back regarding a pristine TC that was trailered everywhere- it said"MG Lives". Personally I thought it should have said died! George |
| George Butz |
| thermometer went up to 40F today, the sun was out and the roads were dry. Santa caps are great for keeping one's ears warm while rolling along with the top stowed. Lots of folks waved and smiled. Must admit that I did have the heater on. |
| Bud Krueger |
| Had the TD out Monday evening to cruise some of the local subdivisions and look at Christmas lights and decorations. With the top down she is ideal for sight seeing. It was about 40 degrees (F)here in north west Florida and has been in the high 20's the last two nights. Except for "down for maintenance" periods we drive the TD year around and usually get caught in a few showers each year. Most mileage is accumulated traveling to shows within a days drive of home. The rest of the time we find Sunday mornings a great time to put wear and tear on the local roadways. Holiday greetins to all Jimbo6 1953 MGTD |
| J. M. Haskins |
| Gane Why don't you sell the car to someone who would use it as they are meant to be used and invest the money in a painting that you can put on the wall and admire. Harry |
| H.E.W. Walker |
| Harry, I'm sure that everyone on this forum took note that you consider your opinion on this subject to be the only one that is correct. Gene |
| Gene Burgess |
| Gene The roads around here never seem to dry out once they have been salted, but I try to use my TF at least twice a week. I was underneath it with the grease gun yesterday and relieved to see the chassis and the undersides of the mudguards are still uncontaminated by the black salty residue that collects in the wheel arches of my daily driver. I normally keep the speed below 50mph on damp roads and hang well back when following heavy vehicles. John |
| John James |
| Prior to our small villages "water improvements" (we were flat rate of $16.00 a month w/ no meter...now after being forced to buy a meter $75.00 have it installed & inspected by a "liscensed plumber" another $150.00 and am currently billed for "sewage" on every drop that passes through this hated devise to the tune of aprx $75.00 a month)...sorry had to vent a bit! Anyway, before that we washed the cars in the driveway with soap & water. Since the "improvements" our water "spots" horriably ...so my prefered method now is to soap the TF up on a rainny day and head for the biggest, blackest rain cloud I can find to rinse her off....back into the garage dripping wet and dry her off in there. When I started doing this at the begining of the summer eveyone in town thought I had finally completly "lost it" ...now I notice many of them doing the same...but most of them do it with their "hood" up! Christmas Cheers to All, David 55 TF1500 #7427 |
| David Sheward |
| Now a resident of Texas where the weather is suitable for driving year round with no use of salt, I'm getting alot more use than my Ohio years. When in Ohio, I took my TD off the road in November (generally), and back in the spring after the last snow - as an attempt to avoid salt. During the "driving season" I would avoid those days when heavy rain was predicted, as much to avoid potential weather-related accidents as much as the rain. I have spent many hours driving in rain, and have been continually amazed at the effectiveness of the side curtains, despite the amount of daylight visible. I do wash it regularly with soap and water. Gene, I certainly understand your attitude. That much time (and dollars) spent can certainly give one reason to keep the car in the best condition possible for the longest time. Harry, I, personally, don't like your attitude in response to Gene's question. Perhaps it was meant in a different tone than it read, but, this BBS is meant as a place for help, encouragement and assistance, not criticism of others. I have seen contributions frequently from you before, and have always found them to be helpful. My 2 cents. Go ahead, let me have it. Larry Thompson |
| Larry Thompson |
| David Welcome to the water suckers club! We get charged wastewater at a rate of 110% of water usage. Each housholder also has to pay a charge for main road drainage, It's not much at £5 pa but the principal is wrong. For years a levy of £18 pa was charged for roof drainage, even if the drainpipes ran into soakaways. Now they want more to replace the crumbling infrastructure. Our water bill dropped from about $1500 to $900 per annum after fitting a meter, but it's on the rise again as more and more households pay less after fitting meters. (Got to pay the fat cat salarys in head office!) Happy Christmas everyone and a prosperous New Year John |
| John James |
| Count your blessings whilst you still *have* water to wash with... Melbourne Oz is under Stage II water restrictions - no washing of cars with hoses, only buckets. Which means... our wheels have never gotten washed ever since. :) |
| Will |
| Canada (at least the Niagara Region of Ontario) has adopted the British system it seems... you pay for "water in - water out".... even in the summer when you water the yard, you pay the sewage rates.... They get you coming and going "so to speak" |
| gordon.b.lawson '53TD |
| Gentlemen, Now I really feel bad! I live 5 miles outside the city and am on my own private well, next to a river. I have all the water I need, regardless of the season, just for the cost of the electricity to pump it out of the ground. No sewer rates either. And I don't wash my antiques with water! Maybe one of you guys and I should swap homes? Gene |
| Gene Burgess |
| My favourite photo..... http://vaxxine.com/gblawson/storm.jpg |
| gordon lawson |
| John, What are your plans when you go through Ct this winter on your trips to Durham, N.H. in January and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in February???? SPW |
| Steve Wincze |
| Gordon, I presume you had both hands on the wheel when you snapped that photo!! Wet weather, close traffic, on a bridge. And they talk about cell phones!!:-) I thought I was pretty tough those days when the weather was crappy and I was out driving (hood up, wipers running at a full 5 wipes/minute - sometimes even removing the rain) until I saw a period promo film from the early 50's ('51 or '52) on the Legends of Motorsport on Speed. The film was produced by MG and showed a British ski champion (I believe), touring the TD production line and picking up a new TD. He proceeded to drive it from Abindgdon to the coast, put it on a ship and take to the Continent. From there he drove to the Alps, in the winter. All the time with the hood down and the windscreen folded flat, even traversing snow-covered Alpine passes. Must have been chilly. Larry Thompson '51TD |
| Larry Thompson |
This thread was discussed between 12/12/2004 and 20/12/2004
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