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MG TD TF 1500 - What engine do I have?

Maybe you MG guys can help - I'm more a Triumph guy than MG....I supposedly have a '53' TD according to the title. The commission plate is gone. The number on the frame is TD 19646. The engine has been replaced (crude looking job connecting to the transmission) with a motor that says BMC on the chrome valve cover. The block says 1500 and MOWOG an the side, the numbers on the plate are BP 15 GB 16022. The cyl head has a 15 on the back and Pat 565394 on the front. The cyl head has intake and exhaust out the left side, set up for a downdraft carb. The two manifolds are attached and both say mowog on them. Someone has fitted a Ford Falcon downdraft carb. THis contraption runs good, except it starves for fuel occasionaly.

More confusing, the read fenders have the rectangular tail lights, but no corresponding raised rectangular portion on the fenders. There are other curious this about the car (wrong headlights, gauges, steering wheel) that make me thin the car got stolen long ago. It has a plate replacing the comission plate that says 'Arizona Serial Number xxxxxxxx'

Don Foote

Hi Don
I dont know the exact model your engine came out of but it's a BMC "B" series engine that powered just about everything except the "A" series engines.
I am talking about Austin, Morris, Wolseley, Riley, heaps of commercial vehicles and MG Magnettes and early MGAs. The blocks were all pretty much similar. The only difference between the makes were camshaft timing and Carbies. It's certainly not rare and wonderful.
Hope this is some help.
Paul.
Paul van Gool

Don, since your car number (19646) is a late car, I suspect that this car should have round tailights not rectangular ones.
Joe Holtslag

The motor in your car is from an MGA 1500. It is completely different from the original TD motor.
Hugh Pite

If you have the correct chassis number it should have appeared on the front frame rails next to the suspension cross members. Which side I don't remember. I believe the front fenders have to be removed to make it visible. The VIN number would most likely be EXLNA plus the frame number. The engine should be a XPAG/TD2/***** or XPAG TD/3./****. The actual number probably would be in the same range as the chasis number. I don't remember when number the change took place when they went from an 7 1/2 inch clutch to and 8 inch clutch.
Blake Urban

A little off the thread but I did not start this:

My TD is 19629 and also has square taillights but in round fenders.
These are both late 52 td's and got the new fenders but were sold as
52's and had the old style taillights. I have seen at least one more
car like this that had a similar serial number. My car was
purchased new by my father so it was not changed.

Chris
Chris Couper

This thread was discussed between 23/01/2000 and 01/02/2000

MG TD TF 1500 index

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