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MG TD TF 1500 - Re-wiring (which led to much else) is almost done

I wanted to post my appreciation to members the BBS for the invaluable help I've had over the past 12 months, since I embarked on my re-wiring of the 1953 TD. I've found almost all I've needed in the board's archives after the dizzy on the car packed-up nearly a year ago and gave me the impetus to do "a few other things" that needed doing on the car.

Unfortunately, one thing just led to another (I realise I'm not alone in this) and, after reducing the engine bay to just the block, I've now built it all back up. Along the way, I installed a heater (her indoors will be delighted with that), sourced some original parts - air filter and manifold, original Lucas 1130 sidelights, S700 headlights and better (working!) spotlights - to get rid of the non-standard replacements that the DPO(s) had installed.

I've corrected some problems I didn't realise I had: The starter was on crooked because it was a later replacement and was being fouled by the housing and a tiny crack on the very edge of windscreen suddenly shot across the whole screen as I laid it flat in its mounting, together with a few other things along the way, including repainting the block and engine bay.

The re-wiring now seems incidental to it all.

I've taken much longer than I'd expected (again, I'm not alone there, I realise) but I've had to sneak time to do it and had long periods when I couldn't even do that. And I do work slowly, I'm afraid. Still, I relearnt soldering because I wanted to solder the connections where I could, and tomorrow I will screw up my courage and reconnect the battery. It might be premature to celebrate, and the loom may well turn into one giant heater, but I'll let you know. I'm heartened that, with everything switched off, I don't have an open circuit between live and ground - leastways according to the meter this afternoon, I haven't - so I hope I'm still on the right lines.

After I've got the car running, I have to sort out the slight but persistent weep of petrol around the low level sender unit plate, replace the split gaitor to the steering and then I should really have a good look at the brakes. After that, well the carpets are very tatty and the hood is black, rather than tan ............

I've often wondered why the Big Man put me on this earth but now I know. On 19th January 1953, the MG Car Company Ltd built TD 24232; my sole purpose in life, when I arrived four months later, was to look after it.

Keep well, thanks again for all your help, and please keep it coming. I just know that I'm nowhere near finished yet.

- Tom.





Tom Bennett - 53TD 24232

Good luck Tom when you reconnect the battery. Let us know how it goes. I appreciate your write-up on the progress you've made in the restoration of your TD. One project begetting another seems to be standard practice with our 'T' cars, I often wonder what others are experiencing in their restorations as I work through the trials and tribulations of the restoration of my TF.

Thanks for sharing -- John
John Brickell

That will be a very exciting day when you put the current on. In recent posts it was suggested to put temporarely an extra 10 amp fuse in the cirquit fot this event, just in case....Good luck, Huib
Huib Bruijstens

This thread was discussed between 09/04/2011 and 10/04/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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