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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 - The prodigal returns...

Dad retired the TA as his everyday driver in 1972. Mom insisted he get something with a back seat, so there was only one real choice: a BGT. That lasted until 1976, when it got replaced by a rubber-bumper B--my sister was still small enough to ride on the parcel shelf. That was replaced by a 1980 LE B. So when I turned sixteen in 1984, there wasn't much of a question about what I would get. He and I shopped around for several months until we found the perfect MGB--a BRG 1979 with overdrive and only 15,000 miles on the clock. We paid $2,750 for it.

I drove that car all through high school and college, and for the first few years I was working, and put over 200,000 miles on it. I drove it everywhere--even across country twice, and it never left me stranded (for long). It never saw a mechanic, but I knew every square inch of its innards. Dad and I replaced three clutches, rebuilt the overdrive (twice), and installed an aftermarket AC. But there came a point where it needed a lot of cosmetic work and the engine wanted another rebuild and I could afford a new car. So I sold it in 1992 to buy a Miata. I got $2,000 for it. Not bad depreciation.

We went to the beach down at Tybee last week, and two doors down from our place was a rubber bumper BRG B with a for sale sign on it. So obviously I had to check it out. It was pretty rough. Big-ass crack of doom, rotten rockers, lots of wires hanging out from under the dash...everything you want to avoid in a B. I couldn't even put a price tag on what it would take to get it back. And then I saw the serial number and, son of a bitch, it was my car.

Well, what would you do? Thank god I have an understanding wife. I paid $2,000 for it, eighteen years after I sold it for the exact same price. It made it all the way back to Easley without any problems (although the aftermarket AC was yanked out at some point and boy did I miss it). I don't have the time to do anything with it now, but I couldn't not buy it. Right?

Andy
TF0537
B498792
Andy White (TF0537)

I would do the exact same thing if I ever found my beloved '67 B that I was stupid enough to sell in my early 20's! You did the right thing dude!
efh Haskell

You didn't see my 63 Sprite did you? I want it back as well.
LED DOWNEY

I'm looking for my first '75 Spitfire (yep, I've owned two- both '75s)
Dave Braun

There is a beloved mustard yellow 71 midget out there somewhere and if I find it I will do the same. No hesitation.

Jeff
J A Mathis

Hey Andy, I am going to Savannah soon and plan to spend a day at Tybee and of course eat at The Crab Shack. They are having "Beer Feast" Labor Day weekend; 130 vendors giving out samples. YUM Ya think they will have OSH... Come to think of it alcohol heavily influenced my purchase of Little T. I better rethink this trip. LOL
Richard Taylor

Andy
With a wife like that, I would buy her unseen or are you interested in a trade?

Tim

tw hager

Great story, Andy. No way to walk away on that deal. My 78 was gone for 6 years-home for good now. Fortunate to have one of those understanding ladies at my house also. We're probably better at taking care of the cars now than we were then-keep em going. Dan Craig
Dan Craig

I spent a little time with her tonight, trying to get a handle on just how bad it is. Lot of body work in my future. I helped a buddy fix a crack of doom once, so at least I know how to do that. Engine looks more or less ok--it did 250 miles without overheating or throwing oil everywhere, so that's a plus. It had 225K on it when I sold it, and the odomoter reads 89K...I hope it hasn't turned again, but for sure the engine's coming out and apart.

The funny thing is I've already found four or five DPO bodges on it, but the DPO who did them all was...me.

Andy
TF0537
Andy White (TF0537)

Oh how I wish I could find that '72 GT-6 that I drove off the show room floor those many years ago!
Bob McLeod TD 5618

I would give anything for my 1966 Triumph 650cc Bonneville. As English as my TD, leaked oil and required a weird set of tools.

Dave
52 TD
DR Dave

Andy,
That has got to feel great ...can think of a few I sure would like to have back!
"Fred" my 68 Firebird convertable (COFA/428cid)
59 Bugeye's (BRG "pair" /948 & a 289 Cobra-jet)
"Clyde" 50 Fleetwood short convertable
Dad's 65 SC Cobra
Dad's 250 GT
and about 20 more.
(Dad had a lot of cars)

The comment about the "DPO" had me rolling!
Cheers,
David

David Sheward

"The funny thing is I've already found four or five DPO bodges on it, but the DPO who did them all was...me."

Great story... the above was grand as well! Good luck with your new old machine. Keep us posted.

Alex
"grandpa's" 55 TF-1500
ABW Waugh

Great to hear another one may be saved. I think you also made that seller happy.
Bruce Cunha

Hi All:
I bought my '63 Sprite brand new when I was 19 and drove it hard for 4 years. I rolled it, crashed it, and raced it before it was sold to finance a new MGB. Twenty years later I found it in a pile of junk– bought it and put it back on the autocross track. It now has a Capri 2.6 V6, top-loader trany, narrowed Ford rear-end. It runs a Holly 400 cfm carb, offenhouser intake, crane cam and is ported, polished, and balanced. It also has a Lotus style front suspension, disk brakes and many other mods. The body has been changed to Bug-eye by swapping a nose for front fenders & bonnet and a rear bustle for the trunk etc. The last time it ran in anger it was 2/10ths of a second behind a formula Atlantic and 1/10 of a second ahead of a Corvette.
It is very much like George Washington’s hatchet – you remember the very one that chopped down the cherry tree; it has just had 3 new heads and 5 new handles. The Sprite has changed over the 47 years since it rolled out of the show room but it is my original car and I still love it just as much as I did on the first day. My son now owns the Sprite and is restoring it to run on the street.
Godspeed in Safety Fast
Jc
John Crawley

This thread was discussed between 10/08/2010 and 14/08/2010

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