MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - King of the Road - buckets w/o medallions

Our 1952 MG TD has been in our family since 1972. My father (turns 80 spring 2006) has passed his TD to me, & someday - I'll pass the MG along to my sons in the future.

A question to the experts. Our MG's chromed bucket assemblies (head lamps) don't have the original holes, allowing to insert the "King of the Road" medallions . Does somebody have dwgs w/ dimensions, photos w/ measurements, URL - link address indicating the correct measurements for drilling the necessary holes for proper medallion installation. Would I need to re-chrome the headlight buckets again, after drilling out the holes?

Trying hard to get her back on the road again (Spring 2006?) after far to many years parked in a garage.

Thank-you for your support & mentoring.
Joe
Joe Johnston

Mine are also chrome buckets without the medalions... were these commonly changed? What would they be from?
gordon lawson

Before you go drilling holes, the proper method DOES include drilling a hole but it is a small one. What needs to happen is a flat-bottomed indentation gets pressed in. It can be done by better body shops. Take your buckets and medalion to one and ask till you find the 'good one'. The center of the medalion is 1 15/16" from the center of the locking screw.

John
John Redman

Joe,

My car also had chrome buckets without the medallion. Given the need to create an indentation in the bucket for the medallion, it would be more trouble than it is worth to add them (IMHO). The headlights are an area where you can pretty much do what you want, paint or chrome, medallion or not, and you be OK. The factory seemed to randomly switch based on what their suppliers shipped them.

Congratulations and Good Luck with the TD!

Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

In May I purchased a 1952 TD. I have followed this board but this is my first time " on board". It has chrome buckets w/o medallions and the headlight brackets are also chrome. The chrome on the right bucket is bad and could be replaced or rechromed. I suspect that the buckets are not original but I'm not sure. I see TD's with both painted or chrome buckets and brackets. I saw the post suggesting that either may be OK. It seems that most 1953's are painted while earlier car were chrome. Is that correct? Which is right for 1952's? Should the brackets be chrome? Thanks for your help.
GGK





GG Krafft

Will probably get many different responses, but my '53 (again, rebuilt in '67 with various pieces i guess) has chrome brackets and chrome buckets without a medallion... (and had chrome grille slats, but many engine pieces were chromed as well so not sure where that puts mine).
gordon lawson - TD 27667

GGK,

The brackets were probably chromed by a PO. The buckets might be from an earlier car, or else they were chromed. Most 1952 TDs didn't have the chrome buckets. That said, my 1952 TD has chrome buckets and brackets, and I'm probably keeping them that way... after I weld up my broken bracket ear.

Welcome to posting!

dave
Dave Braun

GGK,

Welcome to the board!

I believe the brackets were painted on all cars. As far as the buckets go, there isn't a set date on whether they are chromed or painted. My 53 (built just a couple of days before Gordon's) had chrome buckets. When I resored the car, I installed painted buckets. My originals needed to be rechromed and have a couple of dents removed where the bonnet had hit them. By using painted buckets, I can repair them at home if they ever get bumped.

Good Luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

joe, have you been to www.mgcars.org.uk/mgtd sincerely, tom
tm peterson

My many thanks to each of you for your feedback, support & URL recommendation. As I work through & repair the many issues to our family's TD. I'll be posting new issues to seek advice, expert recommedations & the sometimes seeking a little positive encouragement from others. What an outstanding URL, I read & study the historical site postings each evening. Again, thank-you!

Joe
Joe Johnston

Joe,
I hope you've joined the local club up your way in Portland. Lot's of corporate knowledge in that club!
http://home.earthlink.net/~clubtmg/
Robert Dougherty

Joe and Others. The painted and medallioned headlamps are very gray. Most late 52's had painted lamps and no medallions. Early 51's had chrome and medallions. In late 51 and early 52 you found cars with a mixture of all 4 types. The chrome seemed to have dissapeared earlier as I have seen a number of painted buckets with medallions but it is not black and white.

Basically if your car does not have the medallions it probably never did and if you can find some chrome on the bucket or like the look, go for it.

Chris
Chris Couper


My TD chas.no. 4490 had chrom buckets
with medalions. Becouse of dents I have now painted the buckets and kept the medalions
t g sorensen

My original headlamps were chromed and had medallions. Unfortunately they were suffering from "season cracking" (This is caused by corrosion between the crystaline structure of brass and its impossible to repair) I managed to buy a pair of really superb shells at the MG Silverstone Event but they didn't have the medallion indentations. I made a small tool to produce these by making a large washer with an inside diameter the same as the medallion plus twice the thickness of the brass and a further washer with an outside diameter the same as the medallion. After drilling a hole through the shell I simply used the washers as press tools by clamping them with a fine threaded bolt through the centre. I was able to turn mine on my centre lathe but it would be quite possible to file them up.


Jan T
Jan Targosz

This thread was discussed between 17/11/2005 and 29/11/2005

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.