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MG TD TF 1500 - How Little Do I Know?

I am always amazed at how little I seem to know about these cars. This eBay ad has all sorts of new information for me. What a wonderful source is the Interweb...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MG-T-Series-leather-red-1947-mgtc-twin-spare-rare-garage-find-/331360936423?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4d26a6a1e7&item=331360936423&pt=US_Cars_Trucks


For instance, I never knew this:

" has replacement tag as was common in shipped cars to the states-changing the 3 bearing with a 4 bearing motor for us highways,"

I've got to find one of those 4-bearing XPAG motors...

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Tom,
Knew you were under the weather or I know you would have caught this sooner.
Bob
R Brown

Pretty rough shape interior for a car restored in the 70's and then stored away since the mid 80's. I wonder it that car cover was to blame. Not breathable?

But you have to understand the seller Tom: His memory is not very good. He stated this was a'garage find' but one that he got in the 60's, restored in the 70's and put away in the 80's. He basically forgot about it and 'found it' in his moms garage recently. I guess that is where the garage find comes in.
Christopher Couper

"tc-leather like new mold cleans up easily-red"

So... If the mold cleans up so easily, why is it still there??.

"top like new,side curtains like new-paint cracking in spots but very presentable on cleanup-all bad wood if any replaced in restoration" WHAT???????

"-engine has replacement tag as was common in shipped cars to the states-changing the 3 bearing with a 4 bearing motor for us highways"
Huh?

"Looks new,car needs little true restoration to run- looks new"

Needs restoration to run???

I am starting to understand the "divorce" and "career change".
David
D. Sander

Does somebody have the Moss number to convert from a three to a four bearing? Would make the engine quite a bit smoother at highway speeds,I would think.
Cheers...Barry
C B Ryley

It does look like it was nicely restored, and most of the original stuff is there. Too bad it was allowed to deteriorate. Unfortunately would likely need to be totally restored again. What do you guys think it is worth as is? George
George Butz

Am I understanding this thread correctly? There's no way you could put a 4th bearing in an engine if the block wasn't cast for one and also a specially designed 4 journal crank. Or, are we talking about something way out of my realm of knowledge? Nothing unusual, but I'm a little confused. PJ
Paul S Jennings

George: I would offer him no more than $10k but I am a cheapskate.

It does look somewhat original but I am worried what that engine really is after the strange bearing statement.

A really nice restored TC could go for $60k but that's a lot of work and money to get there. What you have here is potentially a complete car that MIGHT be in reasonable shape.
Christopher Couper

Sadly due to the dampness most of the chrome looks to be corroded and some of it is probably pitted. I would get it running, polish it up and drive it as is.
Rich (TD 3983) Taylor

If I understand correctly ...."I've got to find one of those 4-bearing XPAG motors"...all you need is the "tag" and you are done!
The 2 photos of the cover were most helpful.
Kidding aside...not a bad looking car...wouldn't mind having it in my garage. But only if it has a title ...I don't do well with Ivory TC's around here! (wink wink nudge nudge)

David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

Seller is full of sumthin' that smells bad,Paul. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and this seller is a way short on correct info. Sad that he writes with authority when he has so little grasp of his subject. And that is a kind explanation of a misleading ad.
Dan Craig

This car was on several other websites advertised also Long time a go .

Gerard
Gerard Hengeveld

Gentleman, the 4th main bearing was part of the factory export "bearing package". Came with additional muffler bearings, 3rd wheel bearings, independent head bearings, Carb bearings and the 3 Stooges bearing gifts. For an additional charge you could get the loan bearing account.
MG LaVerne

RHD ??
G Mills

George

All TCs were RHD

Ian
TF4056
Ian Fry

I just recently sold a friend's TC on the TABC website that was in at least as good shape as this one for $18,500. I'm sure he could have gotten more since the buyer had it shipped to CA and flipped it out there.

Gene Gillam

Thanks Ian I was not aware of that having been told the opposite only just recently, I was told they were LHD in the USA and right hand everywhere else in the world, I'm learning.

Regards

George
G Mills

Perhaps the fellow is only repeating what was told to him about why the engine has a replacement tag.

A little time and elbow grease would clean it up for sale. Perhaps he wants to present it as a barn find to increase the appeal?

JE Carroll

JE,
I agree that the owner is most likely repeating what he was told about the engine. I think he is being honest in presenting the car as it has come out of storage. He could have attempted to clean the mould off and not mention it had ever been there but I think it is a good thing to know that it is mouldy.
Max Irvine

Seems to me that if you have owned a car for more than 50 years, and had it restored, you would know what had been done to it. I agree that he seems to be riding on the "Barn Find" wagon to make it more appealing and special. This feels like an $18,000 car to me, with what I assume is a non-matching XPAG engine.

I agree that it would clean up nicely with a weekend's elbow-grease, and that the car has potential. But there was a decent older TC which recently sold on eBay for $14,900, that feels like a better deal all around.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

I'm just glad that LaVerne explained it so well! Now I understand! Never realized we need that many bearings. Thanks LaVerne. PJ
Paul S Jennings

There was an even rare option PJ. It was listed as the Full Wet Weather package. Came with a rudder bearings, full mast bearings, sonar bearings, compass bearings and the seat flotation device bearings. I think there were only two known examples produced and I believe both were lost in the Bering Sea....:-)
MG LaVerne

What's the big deal? I added two more bearing last time I did an oil change. You simply pitch them in there after you remove the 710 cap!

On newer cars you don't even have to remove the cap:
http://youtu.be/DM6x1iK-XY8
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

Deep...Very deep.
Dan Craig

I'd love to see if they put that extra 4th bearing between 1 and 2, or between 3 and 4, or somewhere else entirely.
Jack Long

The video reminds me of my own engine - I could to the oil change just like that with little difference.
Also very much liked the 2 last pics with the cover - very informative...
The light seat piping looks good though, (unless itīs just mould). And the leather looks amazingly good for the treatment (and it seems to be real leather).
And yes, a little cleaning and shining could make a difference of several 1000 $s on the selling price (although itīs already coming close to the buy it now)

Where would one put a 4th bearing - 5 makes sense to me, but 4 ???

Rgds, Mike
Mike Fritsch

Gene - where on the TABC website can one find cars for sale? I don't see a link.
Thanks!
BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

This thread was discussed between 10/11/2014 and 14/11/2014

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