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MG TD TF 1500 - eBay Accuracy?

Am I alone in being discouraged by deceptive key-words used to describe a car?

I noticed this eBay TD (http://www.ebay.com/itm/271424612183?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_adv%3D1%26_sofindtype%3D13%26_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D271424612183%26_rdc%3D1) as having "64K Original Miles," and since originality is of great interest to me and many others, I looked through it.

The dealer's photographs show the car has pretty clearly been re-painted, the engine has been rebuilt, the dash and complete interior have been replaced with new seat covers, door panels, carpet, etc., there are numerous non-original repairs (tank end panels not painted, wrong dash screws, extra switches, steering wheel and shift knob, missing piping, etc.), and, ultimately, that there is very little "original" left!

Sure, I realize a dealer by definition uses hyperbole, that the description is not done by someone who is terribly familiar with these cars, and that the buyer must presumably beware.

Am I being overly-critical?

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

The dealer does describe it as an older restoration. The 64k original miles may well be true. He's not describing it as an original, non-restored car or a "survivor".

It's probably accurate as far as he knows. Statements implying that the electric system being upgraded to 12 volts would seem to say that he doesn't know it was always 12 volts.

You are a knowledgeable specialist who lives and breaths these cars, he's just a dealer trying to make a buck.
JE Carroll

My TD has undergone many changes over the years. It was originally red, but is now green; had an MGA wheel installed, aftermarket vinyl top and sides, the carburetors had been weirdly tinkered with, and I have no idea what else was done by POs in the past. Yet I would describe it as "original" in that it has never had a frame up restoration. I have installed all new brake lines, hoses and (soon) cylinders, electronic fuel pump, LED lights, and an oil filter system that never existed. Additionally, the turn signals may have been a later addition (although done with all factory parts, I believe). Some rechroming has also been done.
So is mine 'original'?
Well, it isn't a kit car :)... and all the work that has ever been done has been purely to keep the car running (except the repaint, which probably happened in the 60's as the red paint didn't hold up well in the sun) so I would still like to think of it as "original" to some large degree.
Geoffrey M Baker

Maybe the first 64K miles were original but the last 910 were after all the changes you note, Tom.
Gene Gillam

I am not sure why people claim xxx original miles. What other type of miles are there? I see this all the time. It means nothing about the condition of the car. In fact I would be suspect of any car that has 64K miles that is not a survivor.

Most TD's were driven hard and put away wet. My own car has clocked over twice. I know its had at least 240k miles on it. So what. Its been fully restored once and partially restored again and has been painted at least 5 times.

Nothing about the miles it has had makes it any more or less original.
Chris Couper

I like where he has the engine crank. sitting behind the battery box. Wonder if they put it there because they used it alot.
Bruce Cunha

I guess he's describing the mileage as low, implying that the ODO hasn't been around. Perhaps he has some documentation,receipts and the like that collaborate the claim.

I just bought a 33 year old motorcycle that has 890 miles on it and I believe it. It has the original tires and exhibits no wear anywhere. Sadly it's been repainted but it's not a money bike, just something for my kid to learn on. Despite the nubs still being on the tires it's getting new ones.
JE Carroll

This thread was discussed between 19/03/2014 and 20/03/2014

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