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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 - Need TD parts resources other than Moss

The TD I'm working on needs an ignition red warning lens, Bezel and lamp (bulb) and a Logo steering wheel insert (the clear plastic on the one I have has numerous hairline cracks and isn't up to par with the rest of the car). Moss is out of stock on the bezel and wants $70 USD for the insert. I've called a few places off of this URL http://tinyurl.com/po44x but most of them just resell Moss so I'm going in circles. Any other source ideas would be much appreciated (I'll consider anywhere in the world as I have free calling to portions of Europe). As always thanks in advance the members of this board are the greatest.
Marinjim

Abingdon Spares 1-800-225-0251
George Butz

The center hub piece shows up on ebay as a unit and goes somewhere in the $40/50 range
gordon lawson - TD 27667


Most everything being sold 'new' today is 99.9% reproduction and questionable quality at best. Many things you geton ebay are a roll-of-the-dice and sometimes you get a good parts but most times you get what you pay for or you get took !! If you are looking for original parts or NOS thy this fellow mick mmmgtcars@yahoo.com . He has almost every thing you will ever need. Be a little patient with your requests as I know he travels a lot. I saw him in Tenn at MG2006 and he has been very sick lately. Anybody else deal with him? Frank w&w
Frank


FWIW, We have been dealing with Mick over the last 9 months or so on our TC/TD & TF projects and have been very pleased with what we have purchased. The first time we reguested some parts (NLA) we got a big box full of NOS to look at and pick from without sending him any money, 'pay for what you want and return what you don't need' is what his note said. We kept it all. We don't know of anyone that does business like that, do you? I also know he has had some health issues and personal family deaths in the last six months (from others). I will tell you this, I have never talked to anyone that got a bad or wrong part from him. He even sent us some parts six weeks after our request that he did not have at that time, they just showed up one day. We went the easy route first with the usual suppliers and were not happy with what was sent. For our money, original reconditioned parts are the only way we will go. sara D.

PS- I don't think he does ebay and this is not a business for him either, just a hobby I think, again FWIW. sd
sara D

I also second the above about Mick. Abingdon and Moss are indespensible for many things and can overnight ship. But if you want to do a correct restoration, Mick's stuff is the way to go. Various things I got from him included original speedo and tach cables, carb parts, chrome screws, choke/starter cables, etc. Either new or beautifully resotred. Some similar in price to repros, some more, but you get what you pay for! George
George Butz

Mari'n Jim,

There are others. One of my favourites is Brown & Gammons (www.ukmgparts.com) in the UK. Most of their stuff is made in the UK, and they see Moss (Europe) as a serious compeitior so there is very little sharinmg of common (read ... low-ball) suppliers. B&G are easy to deal with and don't sell junk.

Ther are several smaller specialist companies in the UK, too like Peter Edney (www.peteredney.co.uk) and Barry Walker (www.barrywalker.com), who can be quite pricey; but he's the only supplier I know, who can supply a new T-Series grill shell. And there's another in OZ, but I can't recall the name.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark


TD/TF group - Well I guess now the cat IS out of the bag. I have been buying original & NOS parts for my project cars for over twenty years now, almost everything from my friend Mick. He has been MY little secret and a Godsend for me. About 10 years ago on a trip to Canada in the TC with my wife, the contacts on the fuel pump points came apart on the interstate on a Sunday morning (yeh, where the blazes to you find them in Erie, PA on a Sunday morning). Sheepishly I called Mick to see if he had any (yes, I knew he would <grin>). He got in his car and drove three hours and in 15 minutes we were up & runnning (with 2 spare sets of points for the pump & 2 spare sets for the distributor) Would I buy from ANYONE else NO, only if he did not & could not get it. One final note, I know he has spent his entire life learning and teaching others about our little cars. I also know he becomes impatient with people that buy poor quality parts THEN come to him for help and advice. He has told ME before 'if you can't afford to buy good quality parts, sell the car to someone who cares, why spend your money twice' JJ
John Jacobs

John,

You have to give some of us the benefit of the doubt.

10 years ago, a source like Mick was unknown except perhaps for Paul Montgomery in St. Catherines, Ont. who carried on the business of the Little brothers, that sounds almost identical to that of Mick.

Many of us unwittingly bought from The "big boys" trusting in their integrity. It soon became obvious that they were low-balling with off-shore sourcing. I'm sure that many of us have experienced some real junk.

We have now come full-circle to realise that the Brits and the Yanks still produce the best quality, and you have to pay for it, if you want the best.

I'll hoist a few 'Hens' for Mick.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark


Gordon - Thanks for your note. I read most of everything that is/has been posted on BBS for some time, and to be honest, evrything you post. I do not add that much because I am a novice, not a nerd. This thread struck a nerve with me because I know him personally and I really did finally have something to offer. Other people could have and probably would have, in that situation taken advantage of me, but he didn't, he was only there to help ( FWIW, he never even sent me a bill for the parts he brought up) You should also know that I bought my first MG from him and two others since and still have them all. I think the best thing I could say is that there is NEVER any pressure to buy from him. Does he have the best prices, I don't know for sure and I don't ask because what he sends me is always right, and I am tired of second guessing what I think I am going to get, ie EBAY.

If anyone talks to him soon, tell him I'll hoist him a 'hen' as well. JJ

John Jacobs


All this has been very interesting reading, don't you think NOW just might be a good time to start an 'approved & non-approved vendors list?! I can think of two non-approved that are the same ebayer at the drop of a hat. I also met Mick at John Twist's Summer Party about ten years ago. Mf TF broke down on a tour and Mick had a custom tow bar that he loaned me to get it back to the meet. Then he rebuilt the starter that night with NOS parts in his hotel room and we put it back in that night by the parking lot light. It has been there ever since without as much as a burp. If you read this Mick, thanks again! Dave
Dave R

I had a wonderful conversation with Mick about 2 weeks ago; convinced me to try an hold on to my disassembled work-in-progress TD without pressure.

And yes, I'm discovering that E-Bay is a true (other than the rare case) of getting what you pay for. I've noiced that the buyer and seller of a supposedly uncracked, never re-ground crankshaft (Item number: 140001454136) haven't finsihed business yet. THis was the seller who looked remarkably like Lacclaire spares.

Outside chance I may see him in Pittsburgh at the Vintage Grand Prix; I'll pass on the votes of confidence.

Richard
Richard


Now this is really unbelieveable and spooky, but I swear it is the truth. Yesterday we were at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix with the MGA, very nice event. We were looking at a 54 TF, all original, one owner car and talking with the owner was none other that Mick Conde, it gets better. I waited until they were finished and I introduced myself to him. I needed an original black turn signal handle (vise grips work fine temporarily) for the A. He reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out an original NOS MGA handle and handed it to me. He had just that morning tradeded a fellow for a white TD handle and was going to add it to his collection of parts. I asked him what I owed him and he said 'It is not about money, whatever you want to pay me, donate it to the PVGP to help the children and that works for me'. Now that boys and girls is true and just hard for ME to believe, but it really did happen that way. I believe that MGT & MGA people are some of the bets folks I have ever met, but nobody gives away NOS parts. My hat goes off to him and what I feel this hobby/sport is all about. Mick you have my business and I did support the PVGP the way you asked, cheers to you mate. Bob N (hot and humid southern ohio)
Bob N

I believe this is Mick's contact address:

Keystone Classic cars
MG T-series (TA-TF) NOS/used/rebuilt/original road tested, no part is too small.
also pre-war parts available

Keystone Classic cars LTD.
PO Box 134
1037 Campbell Rd-MG Lane
Harrison City
PA 15636, USA
MMMGTCARS@yahoo.com
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Actually, for those who haven't been on the T-ABC site, here is a link to their LBC suppliers:

http://www.mg-tabc.org/t-list-gall-02.htm

Includes many we have discussed in the past, plus many more.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Mick and I met yesterday for about 30 minutes. A real gentleman and low pressure. I have some parts of his to make a decision about.

Sorry I missed you Bob N.; I was there from 3:30 to 5:00. Just looked at the British stuff. After seeing the Spitfires they had on display, mine would stand up just fine, prettier than others. I may do the show next year.

Spoke to another MG owner too for awhile. He was regaling me about his winterized 6 car garage with a hoist, a pit and some other doo-dads. Me, I have a 2 car garage that's hot in the summer and cold in the winter, Oh and I have 6 jack stands, a floor jack and 4x4 lumber.

Richard
RM Kaplan


Hi Bob & Richard, I was with Mick yesterday and met you both. The other funny part of this story is I gave him the handle earlier that morning because I owed it to him. He also gave me one several months earlier in the spring. I hope everyone does not get the wrong impression here of him, he doesn't just give money or parts away. Yesterday was a worthy cause and what went around did finally come back around as they say. Yes, I also know that in many cases he will send parts out to people who don't know him, but his character & business ethics are without question. craig
Craig


Thanks for the input lads, I have tried to contact him direct over the weekend about some parts but no reply as yet ? !! Have I also missed something/somewhere about the recommended 'who to buy from list' ? Was this actually started yet because I have three people who NOT to from that I would really like to share with the group and stop them, one from NJ. Seth M 51 TD MK II project car
Seth m

On most forums a 'who to buy/not buy from' is tricky...some people have had a bad experience (or two) with a supplier, and others have had nothing but good experiences. One has to be pretty careful...Its easy when you have "Mick" at one end, and "Britspares/Laclairres(?)" at the other, but the middle ground is usually 'some good/some bad'
I think presenting a list like the T-ABC one and just asking if anyone has had a 'really' bad/good experience with the supplier you choose is about as far as one wants to go!
gordon lawson - TD 27667


Gordon - OK, I understand what you said and read between the lines. I don't follow T-abc so I'll go on record here then and someone can add to their link. The is a chap out of Jersey, Gary Cer------, forget how to spell the name but can find it in my files. I and several others have had issues with him in the past. He buys basket case cars and sells the parts off as good/excellent condition and you must use a bank money order BEFORE you get any parts. You will get the part(s), they have been sprayed over rust, bad threads, reproduction passed off as originals. I don't think he does ebay but don't know for sure, gave up on that site as well. I don't like to bad mouth people but I will say you don't get what you pay for at his offering. There used to be an ebayer early last year, Rare Brit Bits if I recall, are they still active ? I did get some very nice parts from them and I have not tried Mick as yet but I need a few items so just might try him based on this thread. Thanks for the info from all, keep dem MG's runnin'. Seth
Seth m

This thread was discussed between 12/07/2006 and 18/07/2006

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