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MG TD TF 1500 - Another fake

Saw this parked in front of an antique place today. Stopped and asked, for curiosity's sake. Being sold on consignment for $15k. I almost started laughing but I just turned and walked out instead.


Kevin O Martin

Why are the wheels on those things always so damn ugly?
Gene Gillam

Wire wheel hubcaps trying to disguise VW wheels.
J E Carroll

" Why are the wheels on those things always so damn ugly?"

So they will match the rest of the car. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

That thing gives "replicas" a bad name!
Edward
Edward Wesson 52TD

Some years back my wife and I went to one of the larger auto shows in Wisconsin. They place the cars by type.

We pulled in and in comes another TD, yep a replica VW.

Folks get out of the car and the lady in the VW, says Oh, I see you have an MG also. My wife, normally very reserved, looks at her and says, Yea, but ours is a Real MG.

Consequently, we added personalized license plates that say "Real MG"
Bruce Cunha

Local "classic car" dealer has had one for sale @ $20k+ for over a year.
IMHO: The thing gives "replicas" a bad name is people that get vanity plates that state what they "are not" and regester them at car shows the same way.

I saw a "65 Cobra" that had a bunch of posterboards around his display giving the "history of the Cobra". I read them and they said nothing about the "fiberglass example" I was looking at! WTH

Don't get me wrong ...I would love to own one of the Cobra knock-offs. A great alternative to trying to figure out "where to park" a $6 million dollar car.

David Sheward

The ones who register the cars for a show are mainly at fault for not asking for proper registration numbers, such as chassis nos, engine nos, date of manufacture on registration forms. Kit cars should be put in an area by them selves, nothing wrong with kit cars, just don't say their the real item! We spend hundreds of hours restoring these cars at enormous costs and to park a fake along side is an insult. I will remove my cars from any show that does that! But that's just me! PJ
Paul sr

Several years ago I took mine to a local car show in a local park. I was the only one who had an old foreign car. All of the others were either muscle cars or pickups (this IS Texas, obviously). A kit car pulled in next to me and the owner was very nice and up front about his being a kit car. He admitted that he would love to own a genuine TD, but he just couldn't afford one. When people would stop to admire his vehicle, he even pointed them to mine to see the real thing.
Kevin O Martin

Some just want to believe that the kit cars look like the real McCoy...They never do but I guess we should feel flattered that so many copies were made of the TD. Out passed no I'm guessing By Cobra Replicas of varying quality.

This poor fellow tries to pass this off as a real Speedster at car shows and I overheard a number of his car club buddies giving him grief about it. I know it wasn't cheap and it was nicely done...by a company in California...I think he should be proud of what it is instead of trying to pull the wool over everybodys eyes.


L E D LaVerne

This one belongs to my brother inlaw and follows the body of the original better than just about any others out there. I handles better than the original and goes better. With a 427 aluminium side oiler and a 5 speed. Cost more for him to build than my TD and TF combined...but at the end of the day ...it aint the real thing.


L E D LaVerne

Guy around here with one of those 550 rep's also ...vanity plate says "REAL"...it isn't.
Friend of mine has one all done up just like JD's "Lil Bastard" but doesn't even claim it to be other than what it is. Like he say's $20k and he drives it, $4M it would sit in the garage!

Your BIL's Cobra is sweet ...alum block has got to make a differance in handling. MY dad had a 427 in the day and traded it in for the 289 version ...too heavey in the front end. Did better ASCCA times in the 289. Wish I still had either one of them!
David Sheward

David, know what you mean, my dad had an 66 GT350 and I let it get away after his passing thinking my 53TD and 62XKE would be much more valuable.

The E type rusted out so after my daughters came along, I traded that on a Ford Pinto. Great move on my part.

Bill
Bill Brown

I have a TF, an MGA and a B-GT. I'm often asked if the TF is a kit-car but never if the GT is one.


David Werblow

I have a friend who keeps sending me postings for fake TDs for sale. I always reply, "But I already have a REAL TD. Why would I want that?" Doesn't seem to stop him though.... ;-)
Rob Edwards

Late in 1965 my Uncle bought the "kit" to remove the split window from his 63 Corvette.
Later he traded it in for a Pacer.
My Aunt never forgave him for either of those moves!
David Sheward

David that was going down the road of regret.

Bil
Bill Brown

How about this one? Molds taken fro a metal TF and all the drive train components are MG.


Bruce Clifford

That is the Victor TF 1800 or Naylor brothers MG TF. In my opinion, these were very well done kit cars. They used an MGB drive line, and all the body per portions are correct. I.M.H.O. the two major downfalls were the one piece hood that opened hinged in the back, and the dashboard that made no attempt to replicate that of the TF.
I toured the factory in western New York in the late 1980's. I had a hard time accepting the fiber glass body panels, but I do have to say that they were very well made.
-David
D. Sander

The TF Victor in the picture is mine. That picture was take around the first of the year. It has since been takent down to the frame, the body sent to the painter and now I am putting it back together. It has a center hinged hood with proper TF latches, and I am putting in a center gauge package, with MGB gauges.
I have been very impressed with the quality of the fiberglass, and the frame is VERY robust.
This picture is from May 19.
Bruce


Bruce Clifford

Another picture. Note the dash. It also has a 69MGB steering wheel now, not an aftermarket wood one.


Bruce Clifford

Hi,
the Naylor TF was all steel and all panels were the same as a real TF.The give away was that the doors were not suicide and the screen did not fold (the Nanny State struck). They were built by Naylor Brothers in Shipley (UK) by a firm that still restores MG's. In the 70's they were the best suppliers in the UK of T Type spares my car would not be on the road now but for them. They then were made by Hutsons who still make T Type panels. See MG TD bodybuild on youtube
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Some years ago a fairly well-known enthusiast entered our "All British Day" (very successful, several hundred entrants, some obscure makes/models not seen elsewhere) with a late-model "Aston-Martin" with ALL Mk 7 Jaguar running gear. It had a fibre-glass body and NONE of it was Aston, yet he was trying to make out that it was genuine! Quite well executed and at least it was British!
Barry Bahnisch

Bruce,
You have tastefully done what I would have done with a Victor TF had I had one. Nice work, you fixed the cars two flaws, beautifully.
-David
D. Sander

I have to be honest, at one time I was considering selling the MG's and building one of these.

http://www.twrreplicas.com/xkss.html

If I was a younger man I think I might do so. But I wouldn't try to pass it off for the real deal.
L E D LaVerne

Bruce,
Just courious ...does the bonnet badge say "TF1500" or "TF1800"?
David Sheward

1500
-David
D. Sander

So was it Naylor that made the "TF1800" or am I just dreaming? (Could swear I saw one if them that sported "TF1800" badge.)
David Sheward

Some Victors do have the TF 1800 Badge.

and a very few have the TF dash with the MGB Tach and Speedo and the TF Cluster gauge ( Oil, Water, & Amp)
Don Harmer

Thought they did. Years ago I bid on a TF that had a Volvo 1800 engine and it had a "TF1800" badge. Was pretty sure it had come from a Victor or Naylor.

Google search came up with this...good grief!


David Sheward

That is what they call FUGLY!!
Pilkie

Pilkie,
I think you are being too kind!
David Sheward

A couple of years ago, I bought the red MG TF Victor discussed above. Now another one has come to keep company with my red one. This one is one of the Factory built cars. I got it from the second owner.
It has suffered some neglect.
The goal is to have it roadworthy by next summer.
One of the original co-owners of the factory estimates that there were either 7 or 8 factory built cars and around 25 kits.
Bruce


Bruce Clifford

Bruce, see http://www.ttalk.info/Tech/victor_tf.htm for a bit of info. Bud
Bud Krueger

We have a nice gentleman who brings his Victor "TF-1800" to our show every year. The car is stunning, but a number of "real" T series owners, me included, felt it was just not fair to allow it to compete against original T series cars for a number of reasons, including the fact that it is at least 30 years newer.

So this year we moved him to our "other MG" class in recognition of its 100% MG drivetrain and very accurate reproduction body panels. He was somewhat annoyed at first, but he won his class whereas he had never done better than second place in the T series class, so we hope he left happy.

To his credit he does not try to pass it off as anything other than what it really is, and he makes a good point that it is far more rare than a real TF.
Jack Long

Jack,
Valient attempt,,,, but it still is not an MG,,,, Your thinking would also allow an older TVR (which used MG drive trains)to be in "Other MG" ???

SPW
Steve Wincze

Steve, I see your point, and we could move him to our "Other British" class, like we would for the TVR, but then someone could argue that the chassis and body were made in the USA, and he'd be booted entirely even though his car is an MG powered special, in effect.

I dont think its good for the hobby to be that rigid.
Jack Long

Jack,
At our British By The Sea Gathering we have two Classes that take care of that problem,,
OPEN SPORT,,, and OPEN SEDAN,, The OPEN is not a reference to a convertable, but kind of a catch all for vehicles like the Victor and others that we don't have a separate class for.

>>>I dont think its good for the hobby to be that rigid<<<
I totally agree !!!!!!It's supposed to be FUN..


Steve
Steve Wincze

>>>I dont think its good for the hobby to be that rigid<<<

I'm cool with that. I like the Victor, no doubt about it, but it should be in a class by it's self when showing and should be judged as a Victor. Their quite a car and hold their own!
The VW TD fakes, well I don't know what to do with them, made by every plastic factory that came down the road, they should be put in the kit car category with the dune buggies and left there! Sorry. PJ
Paul S Jennings

This thread was discussed between 14/05/2013 and 17/10/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

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