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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 - TD Body tub build

I was just playing arrround on Utube, and I found this video in England of a TD body tube being made from scratch. It is interesting seeing how they manufacture it. I found a few mistakes, it looks like they use SAE hardware, they use Phillips wood screws, they did not paint the back side of the metal (they left it in primer) and they did not cool the welds when they welded near wood members, so the wood got scorched.
If tthey painted the metal pieces instead of leaving them in primer, the tubs would be much more corrosion resistant. It also looks like they did not treat the bare wood with anything.
It was fun to see them cut out the wood, and the metal pieces, the order of assembly, and how they manifactured the metal pieces, with wooden bucks and all. There are some interesting tools and techniques in the video. Instead of using felt or rubber, they use body calk in the tub assembly. They make hanging and adjusting the doors look easy.
Here is a link to the video. It is long, but worth watching. I would say it is a must see for anybody undergoing a tub rebuild.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEqpqZj8FPw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Enjoy!
David
D. Sander

Wow!
George Butz

David
Thanks for posting this linc, the door detail was great, and that fixture for bending over the door flange- really good stuff. Background music could use some work though (lol). Did anybody notice the big bottles of wood glue scattered about the work area?
Regards
Hiram
Hiram Kelley

I really enjoyed watching the door fit. It explains a lot (especially the unique door twist tool).
Mike
Mike TD/TA

Fascinating. Especially to one who has just (about) finished doing one from on-the-shelf components and donor parts. I loved their use of a TD frame for an assembly jig. The thing that I found of greatest envy was their use of precision made parts. They could pretty well just slap them on, screw 'em in and know that they were going to line up. I'm greener than the Irish were yesterday. Bud
Bud Krueger

Unbelievable video....
Made me kind of sick, thinking about what the cost to the end buyer must be....
The skill that the door-skin guy had, bending the flange around....No big deal! Then he welds it right on top of the wood frame...So what's a small fire, anyway? (No OSHA there!)
Do we know what the retail price of such a tub is?
I'm guessing $15,000 to $20,000....
I have seen the video of the Morgan assembly , and I would imagine this car would be close in finished price.
Wonder how much they would get for the whole car?
Yikes!
Edward
E.B. Wesson

Just to add another comment...
Found a fellow in Switzerland that wants to sell his un opened Hutson "T" in a crate, for 7000 CHP (whatever that translates to...) He paid 10,500 CHP...?
Edward
E.B. Wesson

That video is a thing of beauty. From the computer controlled plasma cutters to the hand panel beating. No ripples, no body filler, no shims.
Moss used to sell tubs, made in England. I think the price was about seven grand. The TC tub was the cheapest, TD a little more, and TF more still.
D. Sander

The Hutson Motor Co. LTD. has an ad in this month's MGCC's Safety Fast magazine. They offer 'Fully assembled complete panelled bodies for TA to TF.' Free price lists available email:hutsonmc@talk21.com. Bud
Bud Krueger

I see the problem most of us have rebuilding a TD tub. We are supposed to be using a TF frame for a jig. :-) .

Terrific video. Be a shame when the day comes and the jigs and presses go to the scrap bin.
LaVerne

That was fascinating. The contrast in the technolgies between the computer giuded cutter, the manual parts presses and hand assembly, and the high tech door twisting technique for final fitting ... what a mix of technology and artisanry.

Edward - the fellow in Switzerland, was it CHP or CHF? CHF is Swiss francs.

BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

....what an amazing video...wish there was more of it....

(even though the efficiency expert side of my brain cringed a few times.....)
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

LaVerne, I noticed the frame was a TF too. The giveaway for me was the fuel pump bracket welded on the frame rail.
-David
D. Sander

I think the primer we were seeing is a zinc chromate with a darkening agent to make it more UV resistant. In the US the primer was used extensively in WWII, but not picked up in Europe until 1945. It's considered a 'liquid galvanizing'. On the interior pieces you could leave it completely primered for years and not worry. Alternatively, it is paint ready, you could paint the entire assembly, wood and all, inside and out... or not.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Amazing and very interesting.

Thank you for sharing!

Jasper

JL Nederhoed

Hi,
The Hutson Motor Co make the tubs and panels for Moss Europe
TF full body tub with doors is £6500 (US$ 9800)+ taxes from Moss.I don't know what the price is direct from Hutson.
They Made the Naylor TF Before taking over from them.Naylors were a company that Moss took over to form Moss-Europe,Naylors then carried on with their T Type rebuild business.
Ray TF 2884
r lee

Bobby
I probably mis-remembered it...Logically it would have been Swiss Francs....
Ray
$9800 sounds like a bargain, based on what I'm seeing....
Shipping has to add about $1000, from England to the USA.
When you think about all the time and expense , to restore an old tub, including all the wood, and metal panels...Then the hundreds of hours to do the work...
I would bet there are a few members that , looking back, would have opted for the virtually perfect new tub.
I was fortunate enough to have a really solid tub, to start with...but many are not that lucky.
Edward


E.B. Wesson

I've done a TC, TD, and a TF tub. The TD was by far the worst. I was able to restore the angle iron metal frame, the cowl and the firewall. I had to replace the inner wheel wells, the cross brace, the side curtain compartment, the front and rear quarter panels and all the wood. The whole process looked a lot like this video.
I wish I had this video as a reference when I did the TD tub.
-David
D. Sander

Finally got to watch it end to end. Just amazing to see how things fall (or rather get hammered) into place.

The door adjustment really explains a lot and now I understand why it took me a day to get the door back to work after replacing a broken hinge. Probably should have hammered the front side panel instead to make it fit;-)

And now I´m even more convinced that the car should not be driven too much in rainy conditions, with all the wood and metal close together with lots of small cavities where mixture can creep in and stay forever.

This cute little factory really deserves the title "coach builder"

Mike
Mike Fritsch

Purchased one of Hutson's tubs a couple of years ago. Excellent quality and fit. Had the wood treated before sheet metal was installed and inside of metal panels sealed over the zinc primer-couple hundred bucks well spent,I think. Interior surfaces were all painted body color at the paint shop. Threaded inserts for rear fenders were SAE as Dave noticed-I modified the bolt heads for uniformity. Other minor differences are no-show details. Given the sad condition of my car's sheet metal and wood, this was a good investment. Twelve weeks to build and one week shipping on British Airways to St Louis. Cost was with shipping was significantly lower than numbers tossed around in this thread. Seemed to be one hellava bargain for all new sheet metal and wood assembled and ready for paint. Would do it again. They also do high quality sheet metal for the E- Type Jag and sell individual body and wood components for T cars. Talk to Andy. Dan


Dan Craig

Dan,

Your car color is fantastic, would you please tell me what it is. Also how did you mount the spotlite. A picture of the mounting would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Jim
James Neel

Thanks for kind words, Jim. Got to get her off the rack to shoot some pics of the mount-should get to that next week. Nearly identical to a TC mirror mount. Will post paint color later. Dan
Dan Craig

Dan,

Absolutely beautiful. I too am looking forward to learning what paint and color code you used. Your car looks exactly like my mental picture of mine will be someday in the future.

Best regards,

Jim Haskins

1953 TD
J. M. Haskins

I give up posting here. I posted the same video information a few posts earlier and got one response. David Sander post this and he gets many responses. I guess no one looks at my posts

Cheers, David.....
David Honness

Hold on David. D Sander made his post about a week before you did, on March 18th.
It will all work out. Keep posting. Your input is valuable.

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

Actually, SOMEBODY didn't look at MY post. I'm just say'n...
;-)
-David
D. Sander

David H,

if it´s any consolation, your (the 2nd) post finally triggered me to watch it completely, after I had to interrupt watching the first time. But I decided to comment to the already ongoing conversation to keep things together...
The winner takes it all ;-)

Mike
Mike Fritsch

For the Jims - paint is Dupont 658818 Chromabase with a black undercoat. Clearcoat over it all. Jim Neel - if you will send me an email address, I will send ya pics of the spotlight mount when I shoot them. Dan
Dan Craig

Thanks from me too Dan C. I plan to paint the autumn green TF in the next year. Did this paint have a name for the color, or was it custom mixed?

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

Hey Tom - guess what Dupont calls it? British Racing Green. Just one of many BRGs in the world. Used the obsolete codes from Chris Couper's site to mix to a modern formula and shot a test panel. Liked the color and had Orielly's paint department scan it with their color gun - turned out to be a near perfect match for their BRG. So we used the Chromacoat products. One thing not evident in the pic is the fact that the color picks up more yellow in direct light. Kinda suprised me how much it changes. Shoot a panel and try it different light before you decide. Dan
Dan Craig

This thread was discussed between 18/03/2012 and 30/03/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

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