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 - things to look for before buying a TD

I am looking at a 1952 TD. On the surface the car looks and runs nicely. The radiator core and hoses are all relatively new purchases and the body looks good on the outside. Can you kindly suggest key areas to be inspected before purchasing the car. The seller is looking for 15K and I think I could buy it at 13.5K. Does this price appear reasonable on its face. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mitch Schwefel
ma schwefel

The 'wood' is the big determining factor...bad wood...big money/time/hard work
The only place you can see the wood is along the front of the cowl and down the sides(the hood/bonnet rests on it at the rear and that rubber strip is tacked to it...)
By getting down on the ground and sticking your head under the running boards, you can also see a piece (the running boards are bolted through this piece) and that might give you an idea of what it might need...(if either of these pieces are bad, the odds are pretty good you will have to replace more). Take a small ice pick type tool and just press it into the wood under the car...its 'ash' so it shouldn't go in too far?
Peel back carpet and look at the plywood floors...out near the edge where your left foot would rest if you could rest your left foot... mine was missing a few layers on the driver's side...Not a difficult replacement to do...
I would say for 15,000 everything should be 'good'... bad wood would knock it back to about 10,000 or below.
Check for blue smoke .... let it idle for 5 minutes then rev it up a few times... Drive it and see if it brakes evenly....(while checking the wood on the driver's side, look up at the master cylinder and see if there are any leaks).
Thats a start...am sure there will be more posts!!!
gblawson - TD#27667

The wood, the wood, the wood. If the wood is bad chances that the metal is no all that great either where it attaches to the wood. The moisture in wood will transfer to the metal in the form of rust.
I heard a good comparison some time ago that said "on a T series car if all the wood is in one piece it only means that the termites are holding hands". New wood can be purchased from a number of sources but the cost and the work involved in doing a complete body with new wood is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, and if you do it yourself is TIME CONSUMING. I did a right hand drive TD where I replaced all the wood in the body tub with pieces I made in my own home woodworking shop. Ash is not the easiest wood to work with and is very expensive and also very HARD.
I would say that any T series that has not been restored and lived most of its life in an area that has snowy winters you will find some if not a lot of wood damage.
Just something to consider.

George Herschell
George R Herschell

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2007 and 22/08/2007

MG TD TF 1500 index

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