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MG TD TF 1500 - New member-buying 1955 TF. Is it worth it?

Hello all. I am looking forward to reading through this site. Seems like a great resource. I'm going to be buying a 1955 TF from a family friend soon. The price will be probably around $15,000. Is this a decent price? The car had a full restoration back in the 70's and is holding up ok. It is actually a special car to me and my wife as it is the very car that we drove away from the church in on our wedding using wedding cars tunbridge wells day 14 years ago. Now we can own it! Very exciting.

Don't know much about these cars, but am looking forward to learning.
N Else

Is this a decent price? In my opinion, YES! Not uncommon to have $30,000 or more invested in a TF when completely restored.
P Jennings

Check that the motor is indeed that of an original TF1500 !? Being a 1955 car,it should have the 1500 motor.

These motors are rare and highly sought after.
One on eBay a year or so ago went for approx
$9,000.

You probably would not be able to buy a TF1500
in Australia for the price you have indicated.

That said,there are so many variables to your
question.Condition of the wood,interior quality,chrome condition,originality of fittngs etc etc.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").
Rob Grantham

Welcome to the board!
You have definetly found the best source for info on the TF. Make sure you are signed in as a member and you will be able to search the archives for nearly everything you will need to know about the TF.
$15k seems a fair price (from the brief description)and even more so because of your "history" with the car. I'm embaresed to even say what I would have paid if I could have found my fathers old TF1500. Not sure where N. Else is but there is a gentleman in Ada,MI that is one of the leading authorities on MG's. John Twist. Here is a link to his site:
http://www.universitymotorsltd.com/
If your close, I would recomend taking the car to John and have him check it out. I did this with my TF 10+ years ago and it was money well spent. I wanted to do most of the work myself but this gave me a real good idea of just what I was getting into. I had John do some work that I felt more comfortable having addressed by an expert. John is a wonderfull person besides being (IMHO) the leading authority on these cars. I'm in Ohio ..so the trip should be much closer for you.

Since you said your "new" to the TF, here is another great source for info on the car...great reading!
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgtf/

I'm sure you will find the folks here friendly and very helpfull (I know I have in the 10+ years I have been on this site.) If you have any questions this is the place. Post a picture of you and your car...here is what we look like!

http://gblandco.com/gb/forum/forum.html

Cheers, and welcome aboard!
David & "Izzy"

David Sheward

I think it is a decent price providing it has the correct motor. Also, memories are priceless. Welcome to the forum and the great adventures that lie ahead. Should you get a chance, tell us a little more about the car and include a photo.

Bill
Bill Brown

How about some pictures? Rob's comments spot on. That said, if it is in pretty decent condition and mostly correct that would likely be a good price. George
George Butz

One more link:
http://www.tregister.org/recall_page.php?req_page=records_home

This will tell you if the motor is "correct" for the car!
OBTW: If that's a 1500 w/ correct motor, well I'd jump on it with both feet! Uh well ...nevermind ..I'd still jump on it!

Cheers,
David

Tell the wife I'm sorry ...your going to be sitting in front of the computer for a couple days.
David Sheward

Good price in any event. I would call John at University Motors, he most likely knows the car and could tell you about the car . Also check out the Michigan chapter of the T Register. They are hosting GOF this year in Kalamazoo.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

N. ELSE,
WELCOME TO THIS FINE FORUM!!!!!
By all means, post some pictures of this DEAL !!!!

Suggested directions for posting pictures,,
.
.
Just below the box that you add your comment in, find and click on the word Upload (underlined)
That will open another small window with a button called “Browse…”
Click on that Browse button, and find the folder with the picture that you want to upload. Click on the picture, (JPG’s Only) then click on “Open” and the location will appear in the box next to “Browse”
Click “Submit” and it should appear with your comments.
You will get a message that says
“Thank you, your file (ready to go2.jpg) was successfully uploaded.”
Close the window
Then click “submit” to submit your mressage

SPW
Steve Wincze

To check if the car has the correct motor in it, look at the motor number tag on the right front crankcase just below the front carburetor (this is a bit difficult to see and might require the use of an inspection mirror). What you are looking for is the circular tag in the center of the larger, octagonal tag (See picture in next post). See if the circular tag has the letters XPEG embossed on it - if so, it is the correct 1500cc engine.

Regardless of which engine the car has in it, if the car is running, it is probably well worth the $15,000 that is being asked. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Here is a picture of the engine number tag. Cheers - Dave


David DuBois

The one thing I forgot to mention is it have the correct 1500 engine! That's why I bought mine, even though I paid more for it than I wanted, but it had the correct engine, rebuilt with new cam, lifters, valves and bearings plus all the numbers matched. PJ
P Jennings

Say guys --- who said the car is a 1500? Couldn't it well have been a 1250 that was first registered as a 1955? IMHO, a decent TF1250 for $15k isn't a bad deal at all. How about easing up on the 1500 paranoia? Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

The only sure way to determine if it is a XPEG 1500 block is too check the casting number. It is located just below where the generator is mounted and should be AEF117. The cylinde head should have a casting number AEF118.
Cheers, Hugh Pite
H.D. Pite

N Else - For club info, or for anyone interested in more GOF details, please check out michiganmgt(dotcom). You'll find we're a friendly, helpful bunch. Lou VanK.
Lou Van Koningsveld

During my 40 years of involvement with Indian motocycles I became well aquainted with the proverb : "There is no substitute for cubic inches"

Owners of Indian Chiefs regularly hopped up their 1200 cc engines to 1300-1400 or even 1500 ccm. The price they paid was of course broken con rods, pistons disintegrating, gearboxes splitting, but lots more torque as long as the fun lasted. That said, a modest increase of stroke to achieve 80 c.i. ( 1310 ccm) seemed to work well over high mileages.

Same thing can be said about Triumph twins, starting out as docile, smooth and robust 500 cc machines in 1937 and ending up as fiercely vibrating highly tuned 750 cc hot rod bikes in the nineteen-seventies, based on the same basic design as Edvard Turners 1937 masterpiece parallell twin.

The XPEG engine is as I understand it a way of stretching the original design closer to its limits.

But is there real life experience that an XPEG blows up more frequently than an XPAG, or was the final version of these engines as long lasting as the 1250cc?

-and 15k for a reasonably good TF 1500 seems a nice price, I paid twice that for mine....and I love it!

(Buy the best and cry only once)

regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

I agree it is a good price as it is. Never mind whether it is or was a 1500. If it is reasonably good looking and is drivable, buy it NOW.

Just my 2 cents worth.
Cheers,
Bob
Bob Jeffers

IMHO:
$15k for a decent TF (1250 or 1500) is a heck of a deal.
Having one with a "known" history makes it all the better!
Thanks to the due dillagence of a few members on this board I have recently learned more about my car.
I was "told" I was 3rd owner of my TF (as advertized). Turns out that is not the case. I have been corasponding with an old PO and am now (10+ years later) learning more about her past!
We are still not sure how the "red RH dash" came about...but it has been fun learing about the cars past. (my TF was yellow / black interior / red dash and gauges were set-up for RHD)
I was "assured" the car was "always that color"...but know now she was red.
When you get this one talk to the PO and make some good notes on the history. Someday, someone will thank you for doing so!
Cheers,
David
ps: we are dying to see a picture!
David Sheward

Good deal? Why it's a steal! Paid $6,000 for one in boxes and over $16,000 in parts and machine work to finish the car.
David Werblow

Wow. Great response from all of you. I can see that this site is going to be a great resource as I learn more about these unique cars.

I am planning on going to pick up the car next weekend. It is in Traverse City. Mix in a little skiing with the family as well...great weekend getaway. I will be sure to post some pics as soon as I get my hands on her.

Glad to hear $15000 is a reasonable price. I really don't know anything about the car and hope that is as nice as I remember it being 14 years ago.

As long as it is in one piece and driveable, I will be thrilled.

I will try to take some of the tips posted here to find out if it is 1500 cc or not. What a huge bonus if it is.
N Else

Just a quick "OBTW" ...you do know none of these cars left the factory with a heater...right?
(aftermarket yes...factory no!)
I've been to Traverse City in the winter!
Hope your using a trailer to pick it up.
If not ..might I suguest an electric snow-mobile suit...oh, and take some wire & a cig-lighter socket cause TF don't have a cig lighter and they are "possitive ground" from the factory!
LOL
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

If you need to chat with someone in MI about the TF, call me, Bloomfield Hills. email me for my phone number. $15,000 is a good deal provided you dont find any major problems. One sold here in Birmingham,MI a couple of years ago for $15M, avery nice car.
We own TF1954 6688
Colin Stafford TF6688

Off topic, but I once got out of a Beechcraft Bonanza in November in Traverse City and kissed the frozen tarmac... Ice, approach to minimums and low fuel. It goes without saying that the weather was much worse than forecast! Then I threw the horse blanket over the cowl, plugged in the Tannis heater and went to my motel, a very grateful pilot.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

This thread was discussed between 11/01/2011 and 13/01/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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