MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

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 Value

Gentlemen, I have a rare offer to purchase a 54TF from a friend who is retiring from car restorations. He owns several Lotus. He has asked me to make an offer on the TF which is completely taken apart and stored. I have known him for many many years and am confident it is in great condition and all there. However I am lost at assessing a value in this condition. My MGA is almost complete and my dream is to have this by it side so it doe'nt get lonely :)
Has anybody got an idea were the value lies with such a car?
thanks from WestChester PA USA
Bill Robinson

Bill, since you stated he is your friend I assume you want the offer to be reasonable and not try and steal it from him. If thats the case I think we need to see some photos to give you an honest evaluation. Otherwise it would be a crap shoot from our end from anywhere of $1000.00 to maybe $ 10000.00.

LaVerne
LaVerne

I agree with LaVerne, photos showing what he has would really help folks on the site to tell what the value might be. Box cars are hard to value since you dont know what condition the car is in nor what parts may be missing. You could easily put 20000.00 plus into a rebuild depending on condition of what you buy. Interiors are expensive as is chroming and engine rebuilding.
Tom

IMHO...From what I have read here ...first and formost....HOW IS THE WOOD IN THE TUB!
I have never done it ...but that would play a big part for me on worth if looking at another "T". Then like Tom said: " Interiors are expensive as is chroming and engine rebuilding".

FWIW: I started with a good running, low mileage "driver" and quit keeping track of what I put into it after it went over $22K!
Somebody else can dump out the shoe boxes of reciepts when I am dead and add it up...

Measured in "smiles per miles" it's been worth it though!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427



David Sheward

I acquired a good driver for $9K last year and am in the middle of a frame-off restoration. Without much on the engine or transmission I have an additional $20K in so far. I still have wiring, instruments, chrome, toneau, and top to buy/recondition. In addition, I did all my own body and paint which can easily run $10K. So, it is not worth much as a vehicle unless you know the condition of the main components. That said, if it is complete, you will have a great project car. Post some pictures. Good luck with the decision.

Dave
52TD
mgaviator

Hello Bill
I have purchased "basket case TD's" in the past. To give a true value to one you need to evaluate the wood, engine and parts/tools that are included. More importantly you need to see what is missing. If you have a friend that is into restoring MG T series, they would be a good source with which to make a check off list with. Another thing is it a 1500 or 1250 TF engine/ car, as the 1500 is considered the cream of the crop. The last basket case TD I purchased was about $5,000 with some new parts, tools and manuals, then another $10,000 to restore it ground up, including rebuilds of the engine and trans. A basket case has it pluses and minuses. If you have done one T series you know where most of the parts came from and go to. If you buy it and haven’t taken it apart you will post here many times in the future. Although you couldn’t post to a better place for this kind of information. John
John

Any car that is in pieces is of less value than a car that is complete. A complete car which is going to get a 'frame-off' restoration can be in almost any condition, the exception as stated above is the tub wood and metal. Everything else on a T-series is predictable... short of a rod through the block. In otherwords, an engine rebuild is an engine rebuild regardless of the condition. Also, a TF 1500 costs the same to restore as a TF, and is worth more.

Knowing how it drove, how it ran, and how it came apart is invaluable to an amature restorer. You have a leg up doing an MGA, but the T-series is a different car, except for the basic suspension layout.

In my circle, when someone says they overpaid for a T-Series they restored they usually mean they paid more than $8K. I paid that much in 1987, but enjoyed driving and letting my teenaged sons drive it over the years. I took mine apart because I knew I had bad wood, and the engine had bad compression... and I needed new tires. I started doing a 'decent car' restoration, but the project has evolved to the point that originality becomes more and more important... Just read my earliest posts here, boy has my attitude evolved! Almost everything is paid for... and I'm at about $20K with another $3k or so to go... on top of the original investment.

My thought? $6500 because it is apart, if it is all there with decent wood.

I hope this helps,
dave
Dave Braun

Mark, why no photo for Gordon?

LaVerne
LaVerne

I could see $2000-5000 depending on what you find out. No way could I see 10 grand for a TD or a TF in pieces.

Gave $2500 for this one (I have the rest of it, too):

http://www.britcars.net/FloydC4.jpg

Carl Floyd

Bill,
Do get the numbers off the car and punch them in here:
http://www.tregister.org/factoryrecords.aspx

As others have stated, on the TF, a 1500 is worth more ...but (IMHO) only if it is documented as such and only (again IMHO) if it is the correct XPEG engine. I know from looking at a few there are some "1500's" out there that were not from the factory that way! The above site will tell you in a hurry if the one you are looking at has the correct engine in it. Don't forget that for a few dollars the rear tub reflectors and "TF1500" can be purchased....and I know it has been done.
At least 2 of them I looked at, I don't think the owners selling them had any idea they were not made that way.
Your lucky...this info can now be found on the internet for free...when I was looking it cost $40/$50 bucks a pop to get it from BMHT as a printed document!
Cheers ..and Happy Hunting!
David 55 TF1500 #7427

David Sheward

For a car in boxes? no way I go over $3000. There are just too many questions and problems trying to put one back if you didn't take it apart.

just my opinion.
Evan Ford - TD 27621

When I found my TF it was a box car and the owner wanted 12K for it. He dissassembled it in 1971. It was complete, engine work done, good wood, good metal, all instruments and several NOS parts. I showed him some pictures of drivers for 10K and offered him 4K. He said he was going to ebay and I said call me if it doesn't work out. He called me in two weeks and I got the car. I do all my own work and have 18K in the completed restoration.

John
John Progess

Bill,
You may want to take a look on ebay right now! There are 3 TF's on there right now.
At least that will give you an idea what people "want" to get for one of these. I can't remember ever seeing 3 on there at the same time! The one for $36k appears to have only very minor "mistakes" to keep it from being a concourse level car...but for that kind of $$$ ...you would expect no less. It would at least be interesting to see where the reserve goes to on the other two.
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427

David Sheward

The prices of T series cars have been static for some time and I don't see them improving. I go to lots of MG and Classic car Shows and the average age of a T series owner must be 55+. We have seen a number of owners on these pages selling up because of advancing years and I just don't know where the new buyers will come from. I think the problem is much worse for the more modern MGs such as Bs and midgets. You can buy a Mazda MX5 (Miata in the States) for £2000 and then just run it with no restoration needed.

Have a good Christmas


Jan t
J Targosz

I paid $3500 in 2001 for my TF1500, but it was mostly together and mostly complete. It was missing the windshield brackets (found the windshield) and and air cleaners. It was very worn, with moderate body rust and terrible wood. I had to do a complete tub rebuild, and replace or repair most of the body panels where the fender welting captured moisture. The seats were limp leather bags of mold, horsehair, and rust flakes. There wasn't enough left of the seat frames to restore, so I bought replacements off eBay, and recovered them.

I spent about 20K on restoration, but it would have cost much more if I hadn't done a great deal of the work myself.

I think I paid about the right amount. I really wanted the car, and the seller accepted my offer. Was it worth it? Definitely. Would I ever do it again? I don't know, I just finished last year. Ask me again in a couple of years.
Mark B.

Jan,

I worry about that, too. This article does a good job explaining the market value phenomenon:

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/buying/bye103.htm
Carl Floyd

This summer I was asked to evaluate a TF 1500 that was for sale on ebay. They buyer was from NY and had not seen the car. This turned out to be a really nice ground up restoration and eng. rebuild. New interior, chrome and super paint. the down side it had leaky brake cylinder, elec grd. was backward, and a couple of the susp. bushings need replacement. Price was about $20 K and the PO paid to fix some of the issues. All in all the buyer got a really nice car that had much more the $20K in the restoration. A few fixes and he drove it away.
You want to buy a good runner, buy one alreday restored. You want a "car hobby", buy a basket case, but you better have the talent, expertise, time and fill up your bank account.
An MG-T is an easy car to restore as opposed to a big A-H which is a corrosion nightmare, been there done that.. Two years ago I could have bought a A-H Mk II in concourse cond. for $33,000. A good deal, you bet, but I did'nt buy it. Tied up too much cash. Opted for a great 69 MG-B GT for $4000 that was nice and road ready.
You pay your bucks and have your fun.
Colin Stafford

Interesting that the 1250 is being bid higher than the 1500 on ebay right now.
Must be the coloure! LOL
No takers for the "opening bid" on the one for $36k yet!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

This thread was discussed between 06/12/2006 and 10/12/2006

MG TD TF 1500 index

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