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MG TD TF 1500 - TD Instrument layout

I went to a British car show this weekend and looked over all the TDs present. I noted most had a Jaeger dual temperature/oil pressure gauge fitted. Mine, LHD US spec, TD8986 has the following gauges from left to right, tach, speedo, oil pressure, ampmeter, water temp, ignition/headlamp switch. The horn button/dipper switch is on the dash left of the tach. All the gauges are Jaeger metallic green faces and appear to be correct for a TD. This is the way it was laid out when I bought the car 34 years ago. Is this a factory variation from the ones with a dual gauge? Oddly, my owners manual that came with the car, shows no water temperature gauge at all. One owner I ran into was adamant that no TDs came with a dual gauge but I see so many that do, I am suspect of this opinion.
John Quilter (TD8986)

John

According to "Original MG T series" (Clausager), after TD/13914 the cars were supplied with a combined water temp/oil pressure gauge. Prior to this they were fitted with the oil pressure gauge, but the combined gauge was offered as an optional extra.

Prior to TD/10751 the ammeter was +/- 20 amp gauge, after which it was replaced by a +/- 30 amp gauge.
Ian Fry

To expand on Ian's answer, cars before TD/13914 had no water temp gauge from the factory. That your car does have a separate gauge would indicate that some previous owner installed the gauge after purchasing the car. The person who told you that no TD came with the dual gauge, is wrong. You might want to invest in the book, The T Series Handbook from the New England MG 'T' Register. It is available from Brit Books at: http://www.britbooks.com/index.htm This book covers the TC, TD and TF with all the information on points of originality. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

...check your ammeter closely....is it a Jaeger?
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

John
My TD is 8992, so fairly close in production to yours. Mine does not have a water temp gauge, only the oil pressure. It has a 20 amp Lucas ammeter and dished speedo and rev counter, which I beleive should be the flat type.
Regards, John
John Craggs

We bought a metallic green-faced Jaeger water temp gauge for our TD #10835 in the early 70s, and installed it on the left side of the dash (where your horn push is located). So a matching gauge was available aftermarket. Yes, the "no dual gauge" person was wrong as the guys say above. George
George Butz

My TD has a stand-alone temp gauge, that was installed by a PO in '78, and it replaced a gauge that was installed before that....
Here's a photo of my layout and gauges.
Edward


E.B. Wesson

John Craigs: interesting your car is only a few VINs beyond mine which was originally from the Long Island NY area before being rail shipped to California about 1969. I had suspected it was made sometime in July of 1951. It, like yours, has a + -20 amp meter with no name on the face. All the gauges have a convex glass lens and dished metallic faces on the speedo and tach. The car was missing its clock when I acquired it in 1977, so I substituted a common quartz movement watch in its place.


John Quilter (TD8986)

John,

According to the factory production records your car was produced on July 7 1951.

See www.tregister.org for production records. On this site you can also enter details + pic of your car in the T Register. Subscription is free.

Unfortunately a PO replaced the amp gauge (black). The VDO temp gauge was mounted in november 1950, together with turn signals.

Jasper


Jasper L Nederhoed

John
My TD was repatriated from America in about 1990, I have no history byond that for it, but I believe it came off the line on July 12th 1951. If the ammeter is a Lucas device itshould have the name just visible in very small print around the very top of the face. Again all the gauges on mine have convex glass lens, but unfortunatly my ckock no longer works....




John Craggs

General shot of my car


John Craggs

John Craggs,

July 12 '51 indeed is the production date (see the production records) of your (very nice) TD.

Jasper
Jasper L Nederhoed

My posting suggested Jaeger didn't make any of the amp gauges...when they changed over (sold) the amp gauges remained with Lucas...
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)


I think this was a option that was not factory, but something Jaeger may have sold as an add on.

I am wondering if what the person told you was that the TD did not come with both a separate oil pressure and water temperature gauge, that would be correct.

My TD 4139, also has the temp gauge on the left of the tach.


Bruce Cunha

John Craiggs: For your information there is a fellow Mike Eck who has the following website: http://www.jaguarclock.com/ and he can update your Smiths clock with modern electronics if you still have the clock available. A number of years ago he did the one for my 1965 Jaguar 3.8S and it has been working fine ever since. jquilter@peoplepc.com
John Quilter (TD8986)

John,
Here is a photo of my TD9855 dash. The car is original and never taken apart. I did replace the steering wheel with a 15" Brooklands wheeel from John Kimble in England. I think the car was sold new at Kingsfield Motors in Montclair NJ. They or (I understand the factory could have put it in as a special order) installed by the factory. They moved the horn button to the left of the steering wheel (which I hit all the time).

David......


David Honness

John,
In my previous comment (above) I was referring to the Temp gauge. They put the temp gauge where the horn button was.
David Honness

A picture of my TD8732, production date of July 3, 1951. My Amp gauge is indeed not a Jaeger. At least it doesn't say it on the front like the rest. This has been the dash config in my car since at least 1961. I suspect the original owner put in the additional gauge and moved my horn dipper switch.

www.mgtd.co.nr

Rich


RK Rich

This thread was discussed between 07/09/2011 and 12/09/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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