Vehicle Description
Nice older restoration with freshly rebuilt engine. New stainless
spoke wire wheels and radial tires. Fantastic color combination. A
reliable, fun, entertaining driver that delivers the authentic MG
experience. This appealing MG is instantly recognizable, and even
people who don't know much about cars seem to know that this is an
MG and that an MG is special. The brilliant Signal Red paint
certainly helps, because, after all, if you're going to have a
sports car, you may as well go with something flashy. The
high-quality workmanship is visible throughout, with a deep gloss
to the paint, laser-straight sheetmetal, and excellent fit and
finish that shows in the way the doors open and close and how easy
the hood is to latch. It's difficult to resist running your
fingertips down the long hood and while the TD was a notable update
over the TC, it still has that old-fashioned MG look with separate
headlights, an upright grille, and flowing fenders. This particular
car is nicely dressed with chrome bumpers, accessory mirrors, and a
Boyce moto-meter atop the radiator which is a wonderfully
old-fashioned touch. The chrome was all restored with the rest of
the car and remains in very good condition. It was not restored to
be a trailer queen, so there are a few signs of use including a
touch-up on the left front fender, but the quality is visible
throughout and it works quite well. The interior is trimmed in
black vinyl that's durable and comfortable, with a traditional look
that suggests old world craftsmanship. Interestingly, MG used
individual lower seat cushions but one single backrest, which is
adjustable for angle, so it's easy to get comfortable, even for
taller drivers. There's also a steering column that's adjustable
for reach, which is a nice feature on an early car like this. The
seating surfaces are supple and smooth with only moderate signs of
use on the driver's cushion, and the door panels are beautifully
fitted with built-in map pockets. The lovely wood-rimmed steering
wheel was replaced during the restoration and all those lovely
green-faced gauges were rebuilt and remain fully functional. The
other switches are familiar, from the pull-out starter knob to the
rotating headlight switch. For weather protection, this car has a
nicely fitted black canvas convertible top that folds and stows
behind the seat, as well as a full set of side curtains and a full
tonneau for the passenger compartment. There is no trunk, but the
area behind the seat is neatly finished and includes a narrow
compartment for storage. Mechanically, the TD wasn't all that
different from the TC, including the recently rebuilt 1250cc
inline-four cylinder engine. It makes a rather sprightly 53
horsepower, but in such a lightweight package it's plenty energetic
and makes wonderful sports car sounds. Fed by a pair of side-draft
carburetors breathing through cool competition-style air cleaners,
it's correctly finished and nicely detailed, from the MG Maroon
paint on the block itself to the polished aluminum valve cover on
top. A cowl-mounted SU fuel pump keeps the carbs fed and a few
flashes of color like the yellow cooling fan and ignition wires
look racy. During the restoration, it was fully rebuilt to factory
specs and it runs superbly, starting easily and running down the
road with a gutsy sound that is a big part of the MG experience. It
shows a few minor signs of use but again, the quality of the
restoration work is evident throughout. This one was built to
drive, so it's not perfect, but you'll never hesitate to open the
hood at shows and show it off a little bit. The updated 5-speed
manual gearbox comes from a Ford and offers an overdrive gear that
makes it much more useable in the modern world. With light throws,
just the right gear ratios, and a wonderfully precise feel, you'll
find yourself shifting just for the sheer joy of it. The engine is
torquey enough to pull 3 gear from very low speeds, but the fun is
in running it through the gears with enthusiasm, letting the engine
sing its surprisingly deep baritone song through the single
tailpipe out back. It's not fast, not by today's standards, but the
fun is in driving it at 8/10ths and still running at a moderate
pace without endangering everyone else on the road. You feel like
you're exercising the car and having a ball doing it. The
suspension was upgraded on the TD and the rack-and-pinion steering
is a wonderful addition, giving improved precision with less
effort. There's a recent exhaust system, the wood floors are
obviously new, and the structural pieces are in excellent condition
throughout. Upgraded shocks were included with the TD and the
standard drum brakes are plenty powerful with the car's modest curb
weight. 165R15 blackwall radials on shiny wire wheels are grippy
enough to be entertaining and look right in the fenders. This is
just a wonderful little car that looks great and drives even
better. Fully sorted, it's an excellent car for the novice or
experienced hobbyist and the cheerful look will win it fans
everywhere you go. These cars are demonically expensive to restore
properly, so it always makes sense to buy a good one, and we can't
find many things to fault here. Call today! Harwood Motors always
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
