Jonathan,
My former TD, a late 1950, was also originally painted a metalic silver
green colour at the factory AND it also came with dark green wings, dark
tan interior/grille slats (not available on other colours 'till the TF) and
a white hood/toneau cover. Mike Goodman, who owns an MG restoration shop
here in the LA area actually restored one just like it (a '52 I believe).
It sold to a buyer in Germany so I can't even take any pix of it for you.
Mike said that as far as he knew, all of the metalic green cars had dark
green wings. This colour combination was far more common on MG YA and YT
saloons/tourers. I also understand that the interior colour might have
changed to green leather in later years.
The odd thing is that mine was purchased from the original owner(a friend
of my aunts) who said that she had bought it in 1950 from British Motorcar
Dist. LTD. in San Francisco in all British Racing Green! Years later I
asked Mr. Qvale, the owner of BMCD about this and he said that these cars
and the metalic silver bronze painted were very unpopular so many were
repainted before they were put on the showroom floor.
There doesn't seem to be alot of structure to what was done so there might
be more variations than we think. The silver green car looks really cool
with the BRG wings but I would try to have a dark green canvas hood and
dark green leather interior done to cut down on the amount of colours -
Just my thoughts.
Cheers,
Rick Feibusch
Venice, CA
*************************************************************
>
>I have a late 53 TD I am rejuvenating. In most unrepainted places (up under
>and behind the dashboard and interior panels, underside of all removable
>body panels, upper surface of toolbox lid carefully cleaned off with lacquer
>thinner) the paint appears to be an unusual but nifty light metallic
>greenish gray. I have assumed this was what the factory called Silver
>Streak Gray. I have even had a paint shop match it in preparation for
>taking all the panels off the car and repainting them the same color on all
>sides. The only place I did not find the greenish grey metallic is on a
>front fender I do not think was ever hit or repaired. The 1" wide strip of
>light metallic silverish gray showed up between the holes for the three
>chromed screws and washers that hold the splash pan across the bottom of the
>radiator grill to the fender. Clive Sheriff of Oxford UK today indicates
>subsequent paint jobs leaching through turns gray to a light metallic green
>all over. Possible, but I have found pretty much the same light metallic
>greenish gray color not covered with later paint layers as I have found
>overcoated with later layers. Maybe the grey ages to a green color under
>some set of conditions I have not figured out a common denominator for. I
>would have had no qualms about the original color of my car having been a
>light metallic greenish gray if I had not found the strip of silverish
>metallic gray with no trace of green in it.
>
>Who out there remembers whether the Silver Streak Gray that replaced Clipper
>Blue in 1953 had a hint of green metallic in it or not? What color is the
>TF pictured in the Classified section of the most recent MOSS Motoring? It
>looks greenish to me.
>
>Jon Hermance, SLC, UT, 54 TF, 53 TD, 70MGB-GT, 74 XJ6L
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: BobMGT@aol.com [mailto:BobMGT@aol.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 2:01 PM
>To: elan@efortress.com
>Cc: mg-t@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: MGTD Paint
>
>
>Steve:
>
> My understanding is that the TD does not have a paint code on the ID
>plate. You may never know the original color. But, on the other hand, you
>have the freedom to choose a color and no one can claim it's not original.
>Also no one knows how many colors MG actually used. A friend in the local
>club here is the original owner of a light green metallic TD and he can
>prove
>it came from the factory that way!
>
>
>In a message dated 5/31/00 7:26:35 PM !!!First Boot!!!, elan@efortress.com
>writes:
>
>> I am trying to find the origional paint colors for a 1953 MGTD. Does the
>> ID plate have the interior/exterior codes on it?
>> Steve
>
>
>Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s)
>EMAIL - BOBMGT@AOL.COM
>52 MGTD - under DIY restoration NEMGTR #11470
>71 MGB - AMGBA #96-12029, NAMGBR #7-3336
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