Vehicle Description
Capital District restoration specialist Bob Ensign calls his "black
beauty" a Contemporary Special because it is a modern design that
utilizes the technology, parts, and thought patterns that the
factory was developing in 1953.
The car, which has been featured in local, national, and
international publications due to its quality, construction and
performance, was designed by Ensign, who then built the body
utilizing coach-built construction (sheet metal over wood). Since
its completion, it has been driven regularly and has participated
in many tours, concours, and auto shows, where it always draws a
crowd of enthusiasts who try to figure out just what they're
looking at.
"The design came to me almost 20 years ago," recalls Ensign. "A
client had sustained substantial damage to the rear-end of his
MG-TF in a crash. With the gas tank crushed and gashed open, I
thought he was very lucky to survive, let alone walk away
unharmed.
"I love those T-series cars but the sight of that gas tank and the
potential for a fiery disaster really scared me. I had seen a
prototype built in 1953 and somewhat liked the profile, so it came
to me that I could build a modern version that was both beautiful
and much safer."
After more thought and bending some brake tubing to finalize the
shapes and contours he envisioned, it was time to begin.
"I started out with a 1953 MG-TD steel frame that was given to me
by a collector from Nyack, NY," recalls Ensign. "Charlie had a
back-yard full of MG T-series frames that he'd acquired here and
there, so I started with this one and added chassis parts that I'd
saved or acquired over an eight-year span. The oldest parts I used
were from a 1934 MG while the newest ones came off a '64."
Power for the hybrid MG comes from an 1800 cc engine salvaged from
a 1964 MG - B that Ensign rebuilt to what he calls "proprietary
specifications." The upgraded engine easily runs in the 8000 rpm
range and is a major upgrade from the 1950's version the car might
be expected to house.
"The gear box is from a '58 MG-A, as is the front suspension and
the steering rack," adds Ensign. "We modified the front suspension
when we installed it to allow for additional camber, which improves
the handling significantly, but the addition that made the biggest
difference is the new rear-axle. It has a 4:10 gear ratio, which,
along with the modified engine, lets the car reach an absurd top
speed."
Ensign describes the finished TD chassis as "slightly" modified
because of the suspension changes and new mounts for the
hand-crafted bodywork. But from there on, the process got more
complicated.
"Using Ash wood that was locally sourced and selected for its grain
pattern, I shaped and fit each piece to create a skeleton for the
bodywork that I had visualized. This body wood and the floor panels
are supported by a few iron and sheet metal gussets and held
together by a whole bunch of wood screws.
"Once the structural wood was complete, I hand-formed each body
panel. I used an English Wheel, stretchers, shrinkers, hammers,
dollies and Mig and Tig welding equipment to create the entire
metal skin of the car. The hood is raw aluminum which my wife told
me not to paint. I put the hammer marks and file scratches in it
just to make it look like it had been around for a while.
"People ask if it was hard to build it and I always tell them 'No,
it was fun!' When one is lucky enough to exercise their creative
talents doing something they love, hard work becomes fun."
The end result was both beautiful and unique and, as with all such
endeavors, the subject of value is always raised by those who
observe it.
ESTIMATE: $50,000 - $65,000
