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Parts

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 - TF Glove Box Door

Abingdon Spares offers Glove Box Door w/Lock & Key for the MG TF. Was this an option from factory or just an after market item? Do any of you TFers (I like that) have these doors and how much modifying is required? Any thoughts?
Jay
1955 MG TF 1500
{8^{
Jay Dyck

This is strictly an aftermarket item, not factory.
No modification is required.
Don Harmer

I don't have the doors for my TF, but I've seen them at car shows and had the owners demonstrate them for me. They're pretty slick, but it looks like it will eventually damage the paint around the glove box opening unless you use felt to cushion the edges.

The ones I've seen do not need any modification to be installed, and they can be very easily removed completely, if you want that 'totally original' look.

I'm not sure if I will get some for my TF-1500. It would be nice to have something to keep the contents of the glovebox from blowing about, but I plan on keeping important papers in a zipper bag. The doors provide a slight deterrence to someone walking off with the contents of the glovebox, but not much. It would be very easy to rip the doors off, thereby causing damage to the dash.

But if your TF is parked in a supervised area, the glovebox doors are probably better than nothing. If the car is left alone*, the glove box doors are probably worse than nothing, since they provide no security and may cause damage to your car when they are ripped out. The best reason to have them is to keep items from blowing around the car while driving.

*Dont do this!

MB
Mark B.

Curious - are the doors for *both* holes, or just the passenger side?

Wouldn't it interfere with the steering wheel?
Will

Do these doors have hinges or are the just hole plugs. Does anyone know if they are prefinished or do you have to finish them?
Jay
1955 MG TF 1500
{8^{
Jay Dyck

Not sure what the deal is on the glove box doors from Abingdon.....
I found a set a few years back ...they orginaly sold for $150.00 by CORBIN (IN '55 mag I have)...at that price they
were not very popular! (You could up-grade to wire wheels for $100 back then!) I have been told they are quite
rare & hard to find. (hope that's true ...cause I paid too much for them!) They do have that "old car smell"!!!!
They are mounted with two round brass fixtures at the top that fit under the "lip" of the glove box and the key lock
works a "bar" that then fits under the bottom lip. When you unlock them the whole door comes off.
Cheers,
David 55 TF 1500
David Sheward

Me again....
Forgot to mention....what Mark said "but it looks like it will eventually damage the paint around the glove box opening unless you use felt to cushion the edges."
...In as much as I have just re-painted my dash..(not a pleasant task!) ...I "dipped" my mounts and lock-bar in "rubber tool handle" coating to keep from chipping the paint. Seems to be working well.
More Cheers,
David
David Sheward

I have had these doors for the past three years and love them !There are two different doors as there are two different sides and available for both sides,they dont bother the steering as they are almost flush with the dash,they are not prefinished,they come with two locks (same key )and they are hole plugs.There has been a bit of paint scuffing which is invisible when the doors are in place.Hope this answers some of the questions ! Also very handy to hide a radio !
Guy Reynolds

I have just bought a TF1500 at an Estate sale and it has these doors but no keys...if anyone has these, could I please borrow a key to have one made? I'm assuming that the keys were all the same.
Terry in Oakland, CA
Terry Sanders

Terry,
The Corbin ones I have take 2 seprate keys. (not keyed the same).
If I can find a locksmith that has correct size blanks I could get a couple cut and send them to you to try on yours. If they work we're good ...if not you could send them back and I'll have a set of spares. Contact me off board : hootersvilledavid "at" yahoo "dot" com.
I'll be out in the garage today and will get a picture close-up of the locks to see if they are same as yours. Not sure but thinking there might even be a "number" on the lock ...I'll check and let you know.
Do yours look like these?
(I do know these are different than the ones sold by Abingdon Spares.)
We tried a key from a set of those once and did not fit.
A starting point at least! Bet you really want to know "what" is in there!


David Sheward

This thread was discussed between 29/11/2002 and 29/10/2010

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