Amen on all of Bob's comments. The only thing I can add is to make sure the
wooden frame of the body tub is sound. Make sure there is no rot (dry or
otherwise). No matter what you do to spruce up the appearance, it won't last
if the underlying wood is not sound.
Regards,
Lew Palmer
lew.palmer@uci.com
32 J2
50 TD
59 MGA
----------
From: mgs-owner
To: mgs
Cc: british-cars
Subject: Re: What am I in for? (longish reply)
Date: Thursday, September 14, 1995 8:46PM
>On Wed, 13 Sep 1995 dallasrl@houston.cray.com wrote:
>
>> I have desired a MG-TD or F since I was a kid. Well, My wife saw an add
in
>> the local club newsletter and surprised me with the purchase of a 1951
TD.
>> This car has been in storage since 1971 and was running at that time. I
>> have seen a 10 minute video of the car and it appears to be in fairly
good
>> shape--certainly restoreable and maybe even good enough to be "cleaned
up"
>> and driven. I certainly admire cars that have been restored but I prefer
to
>> enjoy my own cars by driving them.
>> I will not receive the car for several weeks( it is in another town)
which
>> will give me some time to think things through--and that is where I need
>> your assistance. When I get my hands on this car, what to I inspect to
help
>> me quickly assess the amount of effort required to get this car on the
>> road? Are there specials areas on the TD that show real
>> problems(structural/mechanical)? Where is the best source of parts? What
>> are the best books on the TD. Any other suggestions. Thanks
>> Bob Dallas '69 B-GT
>
Bob, I have a TD in almost the identical situation. So far the two biggest
problems have been the gas tank and the brakes. The gas turned into
varnish and tar. I was able to clean out the fuel line by poking through
about six inches of tar at the tank end with a wire. After that, a spray
can of Gumout sprayed though the line did a great job. I'm still working on
the gas tank. The carburetors will probably need to be cleaned and rebuilt.
All the old brake fluid had dried up and glued the pistons to the cylinders.
It took a lot of soaking, tapping, coaching and swearing to get the brake
cylinders apart so they could be rebuilt. It was worth it though, because
new cylinders are so expensive. If your old brake fluid is still liquid,
you're in good shape. By the way, be sure to use the correct brake fluid,
see some of the other postings about this. I decided to try the new
silicone fluid myself.
The most expensive problem was the shocks. These are lever units that aren't
normally replaced, just topped up with hydraulic fluid. I topped mine up and
they leaked like sieves. I bought new ones, but I hear they can be rebuilt
by several different shops.
Rubber parts in general need replacement. Boy are there ever a lot of rubber
parts on a car! I was happy to discover that rubber parts are, for the most
part, reasonably priced. The old tires seem to hold air, but I wouldn't
trust them.
Oh yes, the first time I started the engine a seal in the water pump blew
out.
The engine and radiator seem ok so far. The radiator hoses were crumbling
and the crumbs needed to be flushed out of the engine and radiator. Make
sure your thermostat isn't missing.
My car is incredibly rust free. I wonder if I'm just lucky, or if MG used
some grade of steel that resists rust. I've heard just the opposite about
MGBs. Any opinions out there? How about we start a rust thread?
Bob Donahue " 50s FOREVER "
rdonahue@holli.com
1953 MG-TD
|