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MG TD TF 1500 - How long have you had your TD/TF?

I wonder who has had their TD/TF the longest?

I got my TF 1250 (Reg No. SKR 547) in 1962 when my father bought it for me on my graduation from college. It had had two owners, the Kent County police and then a guy in Sidcup (a suburb of London).

A few years later, a tree jumped out and the car was badly damaged so I got a TD from a friend for £80. He had had an accident in France and my idea was to build one car from two All the TD needed was a new radiator shell and a new wing (fender). In those days you could get these items fairly easily either from a wrecker or as I found on the shelf in a country garage.
We still have both cars and they get used frequently in the UK and Europe.

Bob Marshall
R J Marshall

I know a guy who lives not far from me who has owned his TD since new. As a teenager he won it in an essay contest.

If we're counting all T-Types, I also have a friend in his late 90's who bought his TC brand new in '48.

Personally, I won't be able to compete. I've never owned a TD or TF and haven't owned my TC long enough to impress anyone here. Only about 15 years.
Steve Simmons

I bought my TF-1500 Friday 13, 2013 … does that tell you something? But I was smitten!

Drove it two days and then on jack stands 28 days each month until 2017. Been disassembled since mid 2017. Slowly restoring. I'm still smitten with its beauty and tradition.

Six owners including me. All in Florida:
#1 1955-1963 Unknown
#2 1963-1967 Lives about 2 miles from me
#3 1967-1968 Used car lot
#4 1968-1970 Student
#5 1970-2013 Long time owner. I keep her up-to-date on the car
#6 2013-present (me)

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

TD 25009. Purchased from San Diego in 2011 & shipped to SC, USA, but the records (those that I have) indicate that I am the third custodian.

Jud
J. K. Chapin

I bought my ‘53 TD in 1977(42 years!) while still in high school, a few years later I bought a Porsche Carrera, followed by a Lotus Turbo Esprit. I still have the TD, as I got far more girls with it than I did with the other two. All I ever got with them was tickets and outrageous repair bills.
A Peddicord



I bought my TF in 1965 .Rebuilt in 67-69, drove for about 3years, in storage for 25 years,back on the road in 1995 . used regularly since.

Ralph.
R E J Stewart



I bought my TF in 1965 .Rebuilt in 67-69, drove for about 3years, in storage for 23 years,back on the road in 1995 . used regularly since.

Ralph.
R E J Stewart

I am the original, and ONLY owner of TF 4592 ... still have the original bill of sale.

I probably have 350,000 miles on the car, but can't be sure because I've had the speedo rebuilt twice and forgot to notice the mileage when I sent it to Nisonger. At the time, I never expected to still own the car 60 years later.

Its been to all 4 corners of the continent, excluding Newfoundland and Alaska.

My car of choice in the summer. I live in the Adirondack Mountains and there are lots of places to enjoy it (with the windscreen DOWN, of course).

My (ex) wife used to ask me if I was ever planning to grow up. Its goin' to be a long wait baby!

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué
Gord Clark

Well, I have not had it all the years, but it has been in the family since the mid-60's. It was my mother's car in Michigan and she drove it to the school where she taught, even in the winter. It is a TF1500. Dad took it apart in 1978 and tossed the parts into various boxes and started some bodywork. I fetched it in boxes from Michigan to Colorado in 1998 in a Ryder truck and then fully restored it using information from this forum. It was a task as it had been stored in the barn (barn built in the 1860's) with the pigeons and bats. Got finished about 2012 or so, but I did not work on it for quite few years while I just bought parts on sale. I could do the second one a lot better if I had one. Ha, ha! Mike
MW Davis

Bought my TD in 1973 when I was 21. Took a year to rebuild it and get it on the road.

Now I am 66 and am rebuilding it again. This time doing it right.
Bruce Cunha

Bob Marshal,
was your car related to this one? Also Kent Police bought by a friend in the 60's and as you can see, looking good.

I have only had my TF for 55 years.
Ray Tf 2884


Ray Lee

Dad bought my car 11/23/1972. I "adopted" it then while in 9th grade and became legal owner some years later. George
George Butz III

My dad bought my TD new in September of 1952 and registered it in both of our names, so technically I guess I am the original owner. :-)


Here I am pictured in the driver's seat with a bit of help to reach the pedals.



Christopher Couper

I have had mine since about 1992 whan dad gave it to me, he purchased it from his friend who bought the car new. Dad bought it from him in 1977. I remember the car when it was new in 1953.
Len Fanelli

Len Fanelli. Can you email me at jquilter@peoplepc.com Thanks.
John Quilter (TD8986)

google "102 year old man drives same Rolls-Royce for 82 years"

Cheers

Gary

79 MGB
gary hansen

Curiosity killed the cat and I Googled it. .... nice graduation gift!
Frank Cronin

This guy Gary, not sure why, but I've had this same photo for many years. PJ



PJ Jennings

Bought My TD form a friend in 1972 totally dissembled. Painted it and put it all back together.
Whilst working in Germany in 1984 had some work done to fix the door skins which were rusting from the inside out along the bottom and had George Edney fit hardened valve seats before leaving for the USA.
Now in Florida and driving it every day have found this place perfect for a TD driver. No more winter hibernations like up in Maine.
It now has the 5-speed I got from Steve Niel and Dave's 4.3 rear axle. So highway driving is OK as well.



Rod Jones

PJ. You got the right guy. M.Allan Swift received this car new as a gift from his dad. I checked out Snopes and it concurs with the story - a few discrepancies:

He drove it for 78 years and had it restored prior to his death, 25 October 2005. The car had 170,000+ miles on it.

Go to "Find A Grave" and look up M.Allen Swift, 8 Feb.1903 - 25 Oct.2005

Cheers

Gary
79 MGB

I went to college at then, Central State Univ. in Edmond. Where are you located?
gary hansen

Here's my story. I bought my '53 TD in 1957 while still a college student. I "borrowed" most of the money, about $1200, from my parents. I don't remember ever paying it all back. I would have been a much better student if I had given my studies the same attention I gave the car. However, the car sat forlornly in my garage from 1983 when the master cylinder failed because water condensed in it and pitted it until 2008 when I started to recondition the car. It now runs and stops better than it ever did when I was a callow smart-alec kid. It still has mostly original paint, chrome, and leather and looks pretty good, considering its age. My bride of 55 years and I love to take it out for an enjoyable drive.
Joe
Joe Olson

I bought my first TF in 1959. We drove it as a year round driver for four years, but knew it would not meet the requirements for s family car. I had previously bought an original 1934 Ford Pickup, and kept it.
We bought our current TF in 1994. and have driven it an average of 3000 miles per year. I still have the truck and I restored it over a 10 year period. Stil drive them both. See photo, my son in the picture.
Cheers, Byron.


JB Warwick

I have had my 54 TF project and have been working on it for 11 years.... this should be the year it’s done!
I responded not for me but for another contributor and friend of mine, George Raham, he has owned his 1950 TD continuously since he drove it off the lot in 1951. “Black Beauty” is a wonderful example of the marque and in pristine condition with him restoring it once in the sixty’s. He drives it regularly each year and puts it on blocks each winter.
Best regards
Rod Murray
Rodney G Murray

I took possession of TD 5801 in the summer of 69. She's been stored since 1970 and is soon to be back on the road, looking just like new after a major restoration. She came off the line on the 1st Feb 1951, so by my reckoning I have a TD that's just 18 years young! Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Back in 1966 We sold our house in Beverly MA, and moved into a duplex in Newton Corners MA. We (I) had decided that to save money we would only have one car.
The apartment was near both the bus and streetcar line.
I (We) sold my Bugeye but we retained the 62 Town-car.
That lasted about two weeks.
My wife, found the TD at a dealers, Cochran Motors, in Wellesley MA. I had always wanted an MG since I first saw one when I was about 14, so $600 later we owned it. That was about October of 1966. It had no side curtains or heater. I drove it that way, until the spring with the aid of a sheepskin coat and hat.

In the spring we moved to South Florida. I drive it there until late 1968 or 1969 when it badly needed body work.
I took it apart.

In 1970 we moved back the MA, Boxford. The car remained apart, mostly in moving boxes.
In 1976 we moved to PA. No work. Still in boxes.

In 1982 we moved to Brookfield WI. In the 1983 to 1985 time frame, the chassis was rebuilt and the engine was rebuilt. The rust on rear quarter panels was repaired and new front quarter panels were purchased, but not installed. New inner rear fender wells were also purchased. Not installed.
The wooden main rails were replaced along with a few front wood styles.
In 1988 we moved to NJ.
The rear-inner fender wells were welded in. I Should not have done that.
Finally about 2011 work started in earnest.

Jim B.



JA Benjamin

Bought it as a rolling basket case in August of 1977 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Did a street and cosmetic restoration over the next 10 months and have enjoyed it ever since, it never going unused for more than a few months.
Car was previously owned by a young merchant seaman, Robert Wood in Massapequa, NY from about 1958 to 1964 when it was rail shipped to California and ultimately came into my ownership in Brisbane, California.


John Quilter (TD8986)

Thanks for the mention above Rod, and in answer to the question, I took possession of the new MG TD4224 Eng #4133 in June of 1951. It "rolled out the door" on Nov 7th 1950. I would like to know where it was for those 8 months. If my math is correct, in June of this year, I will have enjoyed "Black Beauty" for 68 years. It has the original engine in it [rebuilt 1963] and is running beautifully. I still love it.

George Raham
George Raham

George when you bought the car new in 1951, in the missing 8 months, she would have spent time at the Abingdon yard prior to being shipped to the docks, then awaited loading onto the ship to Canada, spent some time at sea, then delivered by road to the Canadian distributor and finally delivered to the dealership prior to your purchase. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Thanks for your comments Peter. It is hard to think that it took so long to get from the point of manufacture to the point of sale.
I am looking forward to your reports of your first road runs in the MG. Your journey has been long, but once you feel the car running through the seat of your pants, you will realise it has been worth the effort.

George
George Raham

Thank you George. Can you email me at pjbm at bigpond dot com? I have a couple of questions on originality that only a 'one owner' can answer. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 07/03/2019 and 07/04/2019

MG TD TF 1500 index

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