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MG TD TF 1500 - Original steering wheel?

I got another '53TD this past summer and have been getting it ready to be a driver. Lots of work to do on a car that really is in "good shape". It seems as if everything needs a little tweak.
I've been examining the steering wheel and am courious as to whether it might be original. The car sat in a steel building for the last 21 years in a good climate. The PO had the car for 44 years and more or less knows the history which can be traced back to about 1964. I seem to recall from old postings that the original steering wheels were of a mottled look. I'd like to get this wheel repaired if it is original and put it on my AACA Grand National car. It is not in too bad a shape (has the usual shrinkage cracks) and I'm sure that there must be restoration folks out there that can make it look as if it was new. I'm confident that somebody on this forum has the correct answer.

Mark


Mark Strang

Mark,

That wheel is in surprisingly nice shape. I think its from Austin A90 or a Cambridge A110, but certainly not a TD/TF wheel, as I'm sure you're aware.

Irrespective of the storage atmosphere, the plasticisers lose their binding as the alcohols evaporate over the years, resulting in the cracking of the wheel rim that I expect, most of us have by now, experienced.

I don’t really like the after-market wheels as the colour is nowhere near the original, and that’s why I have a Blumel (Kimball) wheel which many consider period wear.

Sorry I can't advise you of someone who works with repairing the plastic wheels.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Mark,

Saw this in a recent post to fix your wheel. www.pearlcraft.com.au/

Gordon,

How is this not a repro of the origional wheel? I have my origional wheel and a repro and they look like that. Am I missing a small detail?

Rob
Rob Welborne

That appears to be one of the early Moss reproduction steering wheels. The color was wrong but that's what they made at the time :-(
Chris Couper

I am judging on the dark marbling effect which is very similar to the A90/A110, but IMHO, is quite different to the pearl effect of the TD/TF wheel.

The only repros I've seen come from a maker that Moss has commissioned, and the pearl effect of the repro TD/TF wheel is not the same as the marble effect of this example, and for that matter, is far from the same as the original TD/TF.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

I believe: http://www.kipmotor.com/index.htm restores the plastic rims as well.....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Gord,

I thought you meant the actual design of the wheel. My repro is more of a solid color as is at least 30 years old. The original wheel is covered in leather so I have no idea what it looks like underneath.

Rob
Rob Welborne

This thread was discussed between 09/10/2012 and 13/10/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

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