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 - Another ebay hybrid

Check this out-looks like total MGB running gear right down to the road wheels! Not a word about it in the copy!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-MG-TF-RESTORED-A-FEW-YEARS-AGO_W0QQitemZ300314583405QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item45ec24e16d&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A317%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Steven Tobias

Hahahahahaha.... did you play the video??? It is a computer generated voice 'reading' the copy and right at the start 'she' calls it a 1954 MiliGram TF.... hahahahahaha
gblawson(gordon)

I got hosed...mine did not come with mag wheels or a factory am/fm cd player. Those wheels look butt-weird on this car.
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

Copy of question I posed on their eBay ad.

"As you describe the interior as "tan" when it is obviously maroon in colour, please advise as to what else you are untruthful about".

Wonder if I'll get a reply?
G.E. Love

Those wheels look like late MGB rims. Did not know the pattern was the same.
Bruce-C

When you guys figure this one out, come visit me in Belize. You can borrow the 57 T-Bird with "0" miles on it whilst you stay with us!
PT Barnum has living relatives?
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

It's too bad that the sellers aren't honest in their ad, as a TF with an 1800cc MGB engine is a nice idea if you're not concerned about originality. Goofy wheels could be replaced with a set of early MGB disc wheels with plain hubcaps or even a set of Minilites.

But you're right - if they're not truthful about the powerplant, the gauges, and the 'factory' stereo, what else are they hiding? I'll take a pass as well.

Ah well, back to the fuel pump.

Dave
Dave Jorgensen

Funny, my first impression was "copy"...perhaps an NTG version, but frankly the bodywork and trim looked too authentic and old! Even the chassis looked pretty convincing with the addition of a few extra bits. I wasn't able to play any sort of video and the text certainly states that it is a restored 1954 car. Now that I look closer, I see that the speedo is a Smiths right out of a B. Also, the VIN number was from out of left field.
Well, now I'm curious (but not interested), does anyone know anything about this car-its actually a pretty well done copy!
But give me a break..."ground-up restoration that has to be seen to be appreciated"?! I guess they left just enough rust on the chassis to give it that patina that we appreciate!
Steven Tobias

Just one additional thought: If you had a real TF, you could buy a wire wheel conversion set-up from Moss for around $3500 or so, but if you owned this car, you could buy a wirewheeled MGB donor car for around $800 and have a bus load of spare parts left over!
Steven Tobias

I thought that "vin#" had too many #'s..didn't bother putting it into register to see what came up.
Check out their other auctions.
57 T-bird "survivor with 0 miles" ($15k)
68 Camaro SS RS 396 ($15k) (starting bids)
The house in Belize has 60 bids...all from same bidder, and all for $700k.
Too scary for me!
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

Well, I did get a reply. Here it is:-

Yes we made a mistake the person should have put maroon we should have double checked. Just remember the car is 55 years old .You do not have to be wise.
G.E. Love

I think it's a TFB. (Too ___ing Bad).

Ira
Ira Spector (PA)

G.E. Did you write them back with a list of the issues we mentioned?
Bruce-C

Bruce, no I didn't. I get the impression that they aren't worth the time or trouble. Not quite sure exactly why they are selling this vehicle unless it is on behalf of a "client" of theirs. In which case, I wonder why the owner doesn't sell it himself.

If I get the time, I'll do as you suggest. I'll keep you in touch.

Geoff.
G.E. Love

Well I just had to ask:
"Sirs, Very confused with your listing. This car obviously does not have correct engine/drive train. Do you have any other information concerning this conversion? The vin# listed is not that of a MG TF...is that a typo? Do you have correct numbers? This hardly qualifies as a ground up restoration if it has original paint.
Do you have any documentation for this car?"

The answer I got back:
"please this not the car for you it has a bigger engine and it is 51 years old.
- we-sell-classic-cars"

Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

The real tragedy is that the person who buys this car will never have known of this web site. He’ll show up at a car show and be shocked when other MG owners start tearing his “wonderful” TF apart.
David werblow

Even they do not know old it is. First they say 55 yrs old and then 51. It has to be a current restoration as the guy with the rattle can paint is still at work.
Sandy
Sandy Sanders

Almost certainly, the "restoration" consisted of removng some, but not all body parts, as the frame is noticably rusted as is the exhaust; smaller diameter springs and the 4-bolt wheels, the entire suspension is most likely to be 100% MGB.

Rostyle wheels like these, were offered on the MGB, and frankly, I happen to like to look of them on a TF.

The use of the MGB cross-member is cleverly adapted, but the lack of photos fails to disclose what other mods have been made to the front.

Sadly there are no pictures of the clutch and brake pedals/arms or the clutch (Hydraulic or mechanical?) actuator.

If one must butcher a TF, the adaptation of the MGB drive train to a TF is not a bad one. But there are many pitfalls and unsfotunately, this eBay entry fails to disclose many of them.

As Dave Werblow has indicated, some unsuspecting buyer is going to be disappointed when he/she goes to a British Car display and learns the real truth!

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark

Four day's left and no bids yet.
My questions never "hit" the ad and I never got a reply when I asked "why this car is not for me".
The T-Bird does not seem to be getting a lot of action either.
David
David Sheward

Someone actually bid-lucky for him, it didn't reach the reserve! I wonder what the reserve is!
Steven Tobias

Steve,
Can you say "too much"?....I knew you could! Off subject but...does anybody besides me see a problem with how ebay has changed the "view" on bidders? Seems to me this "hidden identity" thing they use now is a big invitation to fraudulent bidding and/or "padding" by not so honest sellers.
Unless you are the seller, there is virtually no info on bidders. You used to have some idea whom you were bidding against and I know there were times those on this BBS would actually "back off" on bidding against others based on "need" rather than just "collecting" a spare part! (I know because I had done so in the past) No accusations here,(legal disclaimer!) but take a look at the 60 bids on the house in Belize you can get to from links on this auction. All from same bidder?
Does not take a rocket scientist to go to library and open an ebay account!
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

Your exactly right Dave. The only thing thats exposed now is the percentage of bids with the seller. With that info alone it's usually easy enough to spot the "bid fixers" that are just running the price up the pole. Any time I see that happening I walk away even if it might have been something I was interested in. It's just not cricket.
LED DOWNEY

One must exercise a good deal of caution when using ebay these days. Ebay does little to police things. I have had several instances where someone hacked into my account and placed auctions that I knew nothing about. People would email me and ask when I was going to ship their stuff!
I have a friend that bought a bicycle from a seller in England-one with impeccable feed-back. Beside the fact that the price was too good to be true, The seller wanted payment via Western Union (a dead give-away). It turned out that this seller had stolen someone else's account. My friend was never able to actually talk to a human at Ebay, even though he was out to the tune of around $700!
It seems that this was a utility that started with good intentions, but grew much faster that its ability to monitor itself.
Ebay now keeps its bidders' ID's private, but will at least show the feedback ratings. This auction is a private one where nothing shows. I agree with Laverne and Dave; this is an invitation for a dishonest seller to start a bogus account to bid up his own auction!
Steven Tobias

I had to look again ...good grief...Who you gonna call? (follow the "link")
The "computer lady" cracks me up!
David
David Sheward

PS: Give me a break ...GB Caddy was a 1959!
David Sheward

I've been learning a little about Ebay for T's over the pase several months. I've been working on a marketing program for my TD (I'm getting to old for it) and had two listings and and have followed all
T listing carefully.

First, I'd NEVER buy a vehicle via Ebay. I would use it to locate available cars but would only proceed if I could develop a discussion with the owner off site. Otherwise, I'll pass. The discussions in this thread explain why far better than I could.

Second, I would never expect to close a sale via Ebay. I would, and have, used it to identify potentional prospects who I would then contact off site. It that wearn't possible, I'd cross them off the list.

Thus it can be a effective marketing tool but only that. One can not believe anything on a listing....including my listing.

Dave, Id' value knowing where in Ohio you are.

With warm regards,
Dick Thomas
Wooster, OOhio


Dick Thomas

IMHO:
Things have changed drastically as far as ebay sales. I currently own 5 cars that were purchased from there, but each one I have been more cautious about the deal than thee last one! (TF~Mits GT300~2/Opel GTs~Dakota pick-up) I have also had several "deals" I have walked away from when seller turned out to be...shall we say "less than truthful". I am not sure I could take some of the chances I did in the past when dealing with ebay/craigslist sellers,or for that matter "buyers". There are soo many scammers online these days you have to really watch out for them. (The "good thing??", is it appears we will not run out of politicians soon, seems to plenty "in training"!) LOL
Smart people will continue to "check it out" before a purchase ...but there are some pretty dumb people out there and as long as there are...there will be those that will take advantage of that. example: a Mitsubishi 3000 GT we bid on for my son's graduation present a few years ago...a real nightmare with all the "red flags", we backed away from the deal...another person sent the seller $6000.00 CASH to a PO BOX. He contacted me wanting to know if I knew the guys name or where he lived. Not the sharpest "crayon in the box".
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

Bidding ended with it not having reached the reserve. It did, however, get bid up to a few bucks shy 0f 10,000.
Steven Tobias

This thread was discussed between 12/05/2009 and 26/05/2009

MG TD TF 1500 index

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