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 - eBay TD posting

There is a TD on eBay located in Milwaukee, Wi. that my friend in Upper Michigan is interested in having someone look into for him. I live in Williamsburg, Va. and of course don't live close to the car. He knows of my '53 TD rebuild and asked me if I could comment on it. The item number is 300602049557. There doesn't appear to be too many major things wrong with it except I don't understand the "R" on the engine. Could this be one of the replacements that dealers installed? Seems as if the engine would then have a different number.

Aside from the wrong color interior, too much or too little chrome, wrong dash material, various items painted the wrong color,etc,. it appears to be a decent driver. Big question is the wood and being from Wisconsin myself, the condition of the steel from rust. Also there are no photos of the underside.

Does anyone in the Milwaukee area know of this car and its condition or is there anyone close by that could take a quick look at it to see if the seller's claims are true. My friend doesn't know much about TD"s but is a car guy. He's heard, as we all have, too many stories about getting burned on ebay cars.

Thanks in advance,

Mark
Mark Strang

Looks like a nice car to me. I dont recognize it from GOF but that aint bad. Lot less than the one last week that was not a real TD. Someone out there should recognize it.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Hi Mark

I have seen this TD at the Sussex car show. Not all that bad a TD. Buy it now seems to make it a pretty good deal. Black interior could be changed for under $2000. That still would be reasonable in what you had into the car.
(my interior is black. been that way since I bought it in 1974)

Best advice would be to contact The Milwaukee and Great Lakes Motor Group.

http://www.mg3club.org/

This is the MG club in that part of the state. The seller probably is a member, but you can most likely find someone that will be able to look it over for you.
Bruce Cunha

What's with all the BRG TDs on eBay lately? This looks like it may be a nice car, I like the price. The listing seams honest enough. There are some issues, but I'd expect that with this asking price. The door fit could be better, the dash does not look great, the instrument panel is not painted, the top is a bit aged and loose, and the gas tank end panels are painted, not chrome.
Not a show car, but a really nice driver.
I would check the body carefully, look for the gap that is supposed to be between the front and rear quarter panels, under the back edge of the door. Also look at the quarter panels where they nail to the sill plate. This area tells a lot about the condition of the tub.
From what I saw, nothing is screaming "run" to me.
-David
D. Sander

...the price is about what I have in mine and this one is 'done'....and 'painted'....
other then the black interior, seems lovely....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Check the wood for filler and rot. Engine compartement looks pretty crusty, of course drive and check brakes/tranny/rear end. Paint looks much newer than interior? George
George Butz

I agree that it looks OK,,,,, "on the outside",,, I guess I will never understand how a car can look that good untill you look under the bonnet and see such a poor looking, neglected engine bay!! It makes me think that the engine or other mechanical items might not have been properly maintained....

Just my thinking,,,,,

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

There are enough things wrong with this car - and by wrong I both mean factory-wrong, and frustrating-to-live-with wrong - that I think you would have to spend close to $5,000 to have a really nice car with which you would be satisfied. And I'm not sure it's a $20,000 car then.

The car shows a lack of care, which pretty much means to me that you would have to re-do everything. I would be sure the engine number matches, which is not at all clear from the ad. To me, that would change the appeal of the car a good deal.

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

By the looks of the engine bay, terrible for a so called restored car and probably never touched, it more than likely was a frame on paint job. I'd have a tendency to be very cautious about this cars general condition.
Why the last sale fell through might be interesting to know.
Maybe when the trophy was won, 6 years ago, the engine bay looked a little better,(Grin).

In sales, it isn't what people say that matters,
it's what they don't say! PJ
P Jennings

I would think that 'matching numbers' would imply that the engine is original. Rocker settings of .012 didn't start until Car No. 24116. Bud
Bud Krueger

IMHO: Looks like best I have seen for a while on fee-bay.
No wild "claims" ...decent price for what it "apears" to be.... A nice driver.
Worth a look, I would think.

On the engine bay: I can't help but wonder if the rebuild was maybe done by a mechanic that was not "into" cosmetics? I say this because that is what happened to our TR. Ran great ...looked horid. It was a fairly easy fix to make it look good.
David Sheward

This is a case for having either a qualified mechanic look at it, or a knowledgeable member from the local club.

I used the mg specialists part of this web site to locate several mechanics during my search. I paid several of them fees ranging from $ 100 - 200 to do an inspection for me and to be available by telephone to go over the checklist that I supplied to them.
On one occassion a mechanic was unavailable, so I found a club member and the result was almost better - dozens of photos e-mailed in addition to well over a half hour on the phone. It's money well spent.

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/garages/Wisconsin.html

As for the car in question, the few pics show it to appear to be alright and in line with the buy it now price for a driver.

A thorough inspection is in order, with special attention to the wood, frame for signs of damage, brakes, and electricals.

It might not be a bad buy for someone looking for a decent driver.

BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

This thread was discussed on 27/09/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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