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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 - TD Dash Progress Report

The following few pics show the current progress on the restoration of my dash. The glovebox has been made & flocked in the original colour & am waiting on delivery of the SHCS 2# screws to secure it. The instrument panel has been repaired, rechromed, primed & painted with Sandpiper Beige Metallic & the securing bolts are blackened rather than painted. The light above the twin sockets has been fitted to fill an existing hole provided for the indicator light if/when fitted.

The correctly rated 3 mm black & green automotive wiring loom in the right foreground is for the wiper motor & is rated at 10 amps. Covered with grey heat shrink it is very close to the original & is fitted with male & female bullet connectors, so it is able to be disconnected just below the scuttle & removed with the windscreen. It's important to ensure the connectors used will fit through the wiring hole in the scuttle & that the grommet is fitted on the loom first. The red & black looms are both for the dash lighting & are both fitted with male & female spade connectors for ease of installation. An additional light has been fitted between the speedo & the tacho.

The 3 slothead domed machined screws in the foreground are very similiar to the original slot heads fitted to the early TD's to secure the dash. I've used wing nuts to make removal of the dash simpler. The ammeter is about to have its dial decal replaced. Using soapy water enables the decal to be slid into the perfect position without affecting the adhesive. The pointer has to be very gently bent up 45 degrees to allow removal of the dial. With care, two pairs of tweezers makes this fairly straightforward. A scalpel ensures a clean cut out at the pointer opening & was also used on both the tacho & speedo decals & to remove the excess at the perimeter. The green translucent material used on early TD instruments came from John Chadwick in England.

Both the dash & the sub-dash are new ply which will be painted with an acrylic waterproofing membrane prior to covering with the interior vinyl. I plan to route a very shallow border on the back of the dash to sit the vinyl in so it doesn't cause the dash to sit proud of the sub-dash. I have also fitted a 20 pin plug into the loom behind the dash to again make installation & subsequent removal of either the dash or just the centre instrument panel simpler. The wiring harness behind the centre panel is kept neat with cable ties. More later. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Pic 2


P Hehir

Pic 3


P Hehir

Pic 4


P Hehir

Pic 5


P Hehir

Ammeter & oil gauge are now ready to be fitted. About to start pulling apart the PLC 6 ignition switch. Not looking forward to this one. Will post another pic when the instrument panel is completed. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter

Dad and I took apart all our switches. Cleaned, lubricated and put them back together. It was a bit of a bugger but they eventually went back together. I don't envy you in the least in that department. But would like to say your dash is coming along nicely and will be a stunning piece when done..


Cheers Mate!

TD4834
Bill Chasser Jr
W. A. Chasser Jr

The Dash is finally completed with the most difficult item left till last, the troublesome ignition switch (See thread on PLC6 Alternate Assembly Method). The pics show a FA switch (FA 525) which I'll use until I am able to replace it with the more appropriate MRN. The vinyl is a long grain beige sourced from Dalys Upholstery Supplies here in Sydney. As rexine is no longer available & vinyl is an acceptable substitute, I chose the long grain because it resembles leather. I bought a 6m x 1.5m length, cut a strip 100mm wide along one edge then sent it to England to have 12m of 1/2" hidem binding made, which is more than enough to do the whole car. I used PVA exterior grade to glue the vinyl to the dash. The sub dash has been treated with Emerproof which is a water based waterproofing membrane used in the construction of bathrooms. The bespoke glovebox was fixed using brass 3# SHWS as the 2# mentioned above seemed too small. They blend nicely with the original looking brown flocking so I'll leave them with the brass finish. These are the same size as those used to fit the hinges. The knob from AS was fitted using the correct screw which came from The Whitworth Shop. It was necessary to drill out the hole in the knob slightly to ensure a comparatively easy yet secure fit. The choke & starter cable dash fittings have been rechromed with the knobs polished up on a buff & they will be refitted just prior to the dash going in. The dash lighting has been tested in the darkened loungeroom & the green glow allows a reasonable view of the instruments. I'll take another pic once it's installed. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Beautiful Pete, well done
G Mills

Thanks George. I have 3 more detailed pics but for some reason I'm unable to upload them. I'll try again later. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Pic 2 showing the passenger side of the dash in more detail


P Hehir

Pic 3 shows the centre instrument cluster


P Hehir

Pic 4 shows the driver's side


P Hehir

Very nice Peter!
Frank Cronin

Peter. The dash looks real sharp. What is the warning light above the sockets for? Mine doesn't have that?

Cheers

Bill Chasser Jr
TD 4834
W. A. Chasser Jr

Lovely job Peter!
Geoffrey M Baker

Really nice..If I may solicit opinions, I will be redoing my dash this spring. It's 1951 TD and I'll be installing an extra water temperature gauge. As I'm in the US, I will end up putting something to the left of the main instruments and here's my question. I have seen the water temp gauge put there but have also seen the water temp gauge placed in the center section and the horn switch moved to the outside position. Does anyone know which, if any would be considered more "original?" Opinions either way would be appreciated. If this is considered an inappropriate hijack of another thread, let me know and I'll start a new one. Thanks Jonathan
J Cosin

Peter, you are to be congratulated on this beautiful dash. I especially like the view in picture #5 of the wiring and disconnect plug. Job well done!

Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

Nice work, Peter. Very impressive.
Joe
Joe Olson

very smart, great result for a lot of time Peter. Be good to see it grubby and used soon I hope?

Jonathon,why not buy a dual water & oil guage, fit it where the oil one is, and save the old oil one for origional, saves messing up the dash?
mog

ditto mog,
Jonathan, I decided against a water gauge on my 51TD, but if I was going to do it what I would do would be to replace the oil gauge with a combination water/oil gauge (standard on later TD's). Not correct, of course, but requires no additional (incorrect) holes etc.
Geoffrey M Baker

Thank you all for your kind remarks. Does make all the effort seem worthwhile. Some responses. Bill check out the late TD Driver's Handbook. There is a plug shown in the factory cutout to allow for the subsequent installation of a traffic indicator. When I find a green lens I'll replace the red one. I won't be fitting indicators but I thought the light would look better than the plug. Johnathon I found the Driver's Handbook invaluable as a restoration aid. The sketches answered a great many questions on what goes where & I'm not at all precious about having my thread bent. That plug Bill came from a Meteor jet & was a 1969 souvenir from my RAAF days (just don't tell anyone!). The beauty of it is working on the wiring is just so easy as it can all be installed on the loungeroom table & installation is a doddle. The cable ties keep everything neat & tidy. Mog I have to ask is Mog short for Morgan? (which is my second son's name). Getting it grubby? Ambivalent about that.. Beige does look beautiful but a bastard to keep clean. But it will be great to drive it again as it's been 44 years now. Beige on ivory is pretty rare but Matthew tells me there were about 10 T Types imported into Sydney in that combination, however I expect to do battle with the originality police on that one. Bring it on says I.. More later. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

no, its short for moggy, I did animal rescue many years ago. This was after I left the RAF where I also worked with Plessey plugs
mog

Peter,
I wired my dash during the restoration of my TD four years ago and follow Evan Ford's ideas of using a fuse box. Things work well but the underside of the dash looks like a badly built birds nest so I shall redo the wiring paying attention the neatness you have achieved. You have done a beautiful job on this.

Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

Bill, I have more pics of the dash wiring & have included a few below which show some changes I've made.
The early TD's had just one instrument bulb situated between the tacho & speedo. As mentioned in the initial post I've added a second in an attempt to improve the illumination. I took care to ensure that the timber surrounding the instruments in the area of the green translucent material was routed out thus allowing as much light in as possible. The instrument lighting mini harness can also be disconnected via a couple of plugs from the dash loom. I've installed a couple of bullet connectors in the wiper wires so that the windscreen can also be removed with its motor & wiring intact. The rubber scuttle grommet is removed with the windscreen cable & the connectors are offset to allow each to be withdrawn through the hole in the scuttle individually. The grey heat shrink covered green & black pair are for the wiper motor & are ready to be installed into the windscreen, which I'm about to reassemble. The grey finish on the sub dash is the Emmerproof waterproofing membrane. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

pic 2


P Hehir

Again unable to upload the 2 remaining pics. Will try again later. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, you used decals for all the instruments? How pleased are you with the results? Can you give us some closeup shots of the speedo and tach (before and after pixs also would be awesome). If you want you can just email me at geoffreybaker@cox.net
Also, to improve dash illumination did you try LEDs? They help greatly - mine are at least twice as bright as the old incandescents.
Great job! I particularly like your multipin connector, it looks 'period' :)
Geoffrey M Baker

Geoff, I'm really pleased with the decals. The switch in the pic has the one from Ton. I've just got three decals from FTFU & these are perfect reproductions of the original PLC6. Hugh posted a switch on the other thread showing an original silk screened dial & it was impossible to tell the difference. Comparison of Ton's & FTFU's shows subtle differences to the shape & width of the letters. When the MRN locks arrive from Peter Groh I'll assemble the best of my other switches & apply one of the FTFU decals. Essential to use a soapy solution (someone suggested Windex which I haven't tried) when applying the decals so that it's then possible to move them about & position them perfectly. Ensure that all traces of dirt, grease etc are removed & the chrome face scuffed up slightly to enable good adhesion. Work from the centre out.

Don't have before pics of the other faces. They had decals applied but no green translucent material so dirt had accumulated during the 42 years in storage. The windows for the odometer & trip meter had the decals folded back & the 4 small flaps stuck to the rear had come unstuck so I used a scalpel & cut out the windows flush once it had completely dried. Same applies to the circumference which is only trimmed when dry. Centering & orientation is very important so devise a method of ensuring perfect N.S.E.W. Great care needs to be taken with the speedo, particularly with the clock! I'd suggest doing it last as there is little or no room for error here when cutting the decal as it is applied to two separate faces. Ideally the decal manufacturer should have included a separate decal for the clock face IMHO. There are two different coloured decals, a slightly green set & a grey set. Both have the combined oil/temp option. I went with the greener version. The jet that the plug came from is exactly the right period & it probably spent some time over Korea! I'm not fussed about non original improvements as long as they can't be seen. Who's to know?

Where did you get the LED's? I'm able to test the dash lighting in the house at night so I'd like to try them. (Please don't say Moss as I've resolved to avoid dealing with them again). Still can't get the last two pics to load. Cheers
Peter TD 5801

P Hehir

Peter, I probably bought them from superbrightleds.com. They have a wide range including Edison based bulbs. Check and make sure they are not polarity sensitive if you are maintaining original positive ground.
Geoffrey M Baker

Pic 3. (Take 10!) Thanks for the info on the LED's Geoff.


P Hehir

Pic 4.


P Hehir

Have found an original TD choke knob & cable which I'm swapping for my original TF one tomorrow. Have now assembled the dash, sub dash & glove box. See following 3 pics. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Pic 2. I'm using the belt to secure the glovebox to the subdash mounting frame as this will allow weighty items to be placed in the glovebox & provide additional support. The belt will be hidden by the underdash panel.


P Hehir

The bespoke glovebox, method of fixing & the flocking is clearly visible in the above 3 pics. Waiting for the MRN lock to arrive from the States before I swap it over.


P Hehir

Peter, looks like you've got the image reversed :-)
Seriously, that's got to be the prettiest dash I've ever seen. Kudos! Maybe this summer my project will start and I hope the results will behalf as good.

Jud
J K Chapin

Peter,
This stainless steel glovebox stay fits very nice and does not look out of place and takes the strain off the hinges. Makes the glovebox door usable for placing nice cold drinks on!

Regards
Declan


D Burns

Close-up


D Burns

It's certainly practical Declan but the originality police would hammer me for it. I'd like to present the car looking as it did when it left the line. I'm even avoiding correct period after market accessories for that reason. Not fussed about changes that enhance longevity, as long as they can't be seen. The idea of having a rolling early TD "dictionary" appeals to me. A place for everything & everything in it's place. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

My glovebox has a chain which keeps it from dropping past the horizontal. I always assumed it was either original or a repro of the original (perhaps I assumed this because it's a poor solution to the problem - Burns shows a much better one - and thus it would be the MG solution!)
Was there nothing to keep the lid from tearing the hinges off?
Geoffrey M Baker

Delcan,
I like your instalation,, Is it adjustable, or did you have to hope that they were attached in the proper location to make the door horizontal when open?
From the picture, it almost looks as if the knob on the inside of the box can be tightened to adjust the amount that the door opens.
Steve
Steve Wincze

Where did you get the glovebox stay Declan?
Geoffrey M Baker

I've seen them at the BIG box stores,(HD and Lowes) hardware stores and even stainless at marine supply stores,,

Steve
Steve Wincze

Geoffrey,
It's from a Triumph Stag. Costs £11.50.
Here's the link.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/301419336062

Steve,
No, I'm afraid it is not adjustable. I needed a 2mm spacer inside the glovebox. You also need a very slight bend on the top to prevent it fouling on the inside of the glovebox at the top. The knob is riveted.
Just set it up with a spirit level and then drill the pilot holes. I am vey pleased with it.

Regards
Declan



D Burns

Peter, I know you said the multipin connector was from your RAF days, but do you know of any place which would have similar connectors?
Geoffrey M Baker

Geoff, that type of connector is generally called an AN connector (Army/Navy). Most any decent electronic supply source carries them. Bud
Bud Krueger

All I could suggest Geoff is that you try an aircraft graveyard. There should be one not too far from you as I believe they all go to the desert to sit & slumber in the sun. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, the world's largest aircraft graveyard is quite close (the Davis-Monthan airbase 'boneyard'). However, you will get shot if you try to get in there :)

Thanks, Bud.
Geoffrey M Baker

Geoff, Aliexpress has a 20 pin connector on their website for about $12.50 US. It's an Aviation Connector Plug Model WS28-20 AC400V 5A. Should do the job as you know it's not seen. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Geoff, see http://www.newark.com/amphenol for a start. Look for MS connectors. Bud
Bud Krueger

Peter. Any chance you will take orders to do other TD'dash's. That is really a beautiful job.

My question has to do with Pic 3 of the backside of the speedo. My holding plate does not look like this and I am thinking it is not original. Is this what others with the flat gauges have?
Bruce Cunha

Thanks Bruce. I estimate I put about 220 hours into making the sub dash, dash, glovebox & flocking, trial fitting, loom, instrument refurb etc. Both brackets for the speedo & tacho came with the car in 69 however I replaced the securing bolts on the speedo & also used wing nuts to aid installation & subsequent removal, as my attitude to things that are not visible is that practicality rules. As to originality of the bracket I really can't say, but it seems to work. Just changing the lock over to a MRN after refurbishing the ignition switch, now that I have the correct & original Wilmot Breedon Union key, which arrived in the mail today. Last job on the dash now is to replace the choke cable on the original knob that I was lucky enough to find. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,
Gorgeous work. You have brought order to what is normally chaos.

Do you know if your Sandpiper Beige Metallic paint is the same color as the TF dashboard I will be doing? If so, could you supply the source and mix if you have it?

Thanks,
Charlie
Charlie Adams

Peter, how many pins did your RAF connector have? Or perhaps I should ask, how many pins does one need for a multipin connector handling all the faceplate wiring?
thanks!
Geoffrey M Baker

Charlie I've no idea about TF's except for the bits they have in common with TD's. I went to my local automotive paint specialist armed with just the name, Sandpiper Beige Metallic (which came from another TD owner in the M.G. Restorers Association here) & had them put it in a rattle can for me. Rod, Rob, Chris or Matthew would be the people who could possibly answer your query (if you can get them to agree of course) :)... Geoff a couple of pics of my plug are attached. I wired this 17 pin plug up over 40 years ago & from memory I didn't use all the pins. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Pic 2. A 20 pin plug will provide more pins than you need.


P Hehir

This wiring diagram for an early TD should help answer your question re the number of pins required. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Late TD wiring diagram


P Hehir

Gee, Peter, those sure look a lot like Dave Runnings' diagrams. Bud
Bud Krueger

That's because they are probably are Bud. Most people who regularly use this site would almost certainly know of them. I saved them as they were identified when posted & not under the author's name. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter

I hope you realize that dash of yours with all the "RAAF contraband" is going to stand up and salute every time the National Anthem is played.

My TF has the same tendency with accumulation of items that government employment has donated to the cause.

All is looking good, mate.
G Evans

Salute? I think you Aussies should be afraid that the government will come and repossess all the stuff you've made off with over the years :)

Thanks for the info, Peter, I've added it to my dash project list.

About 3 years ago I redid a lot of my dash, but it was a "fix the broken stuff" rebuild, rather than a "ultimate" rebuild! I totally rebuilt the subdash, cleaned the instruments, fixed the broken wiring, cleaned up some of it, installed LEDs... but now you've convinced me to go back under and redo it again!

(In another 3 years, I imagine!)
Geoffrey M Baker

Update on the decals from FTFU. As I was assembling the ignition switch I had it apart a few times trying different assembly methods. That & the fact that the bezel was a little tight, requiring more pressure to rotate it, caused the lettering to rub off in places. I've contacted FTFU & they are sending a replacement decal. I plan to spray it with clear lacquer before using it so hopefully that will increase its durability. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hi Peter,
I am considering doing the wiring similar to your approach. The only concern I have is will the plug take the higher amperage for thing such as the horn and headlights? Perhaps one of the electrical experts can comment.

thanks,
Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

Hi Bill. The plug I used was a redundant training aid that I rescued from the bin. At the time I asked the same question & was assured by one of my trainers that it would handle it easily as most aircraft equipment is overdesigned. However I'm sure one of the resident EE's here will no doubt express an opinion. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Thank you Peter. That is good information.

Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

This thread was discussed between 08/10/2014 and 07/02/2015

MG TD TF 1500 index

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