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MG TD TF 1500 - MG TD Dash

I am working on the dash and the instrument panel and have just received a set of new carriage bolts for the instrument panel. In some books the head of the bolts appear to be painted black while others show them as being painted the same color as the instrument panel. Which is correct for a 1950 MGTD?

Thanks for your responses.

Brian
Brian

Black
Jim Merz

Brian,
I beleive you are refering to the panel with the gauges and etc. I ordered new fasteners for my TD and they were chrome. My interior is biscuit so I painted my instrument panel biscuit. The chrome fasteners look nice.

Don
Don

Don

I am refering to the metal instrument panel that is painted with chrome edges. It has the two small guages, light switch, ignition switch etc. The "Original MGT" has a TD with the 6 carriage bolts painted the same color as the dash and it is a very early TD. In Horst's restoration book is a factory picture with carriage bolts that appear to be black holding this panel in place. Jim has stated "black" so I guess this is the color I will go.

Thanks
Brian
Brian

Clausager's book is not without mistakes. Not only is the photo Brian referred to on page 88 incorrect but also there is a misrouting of the fuel line shown on pages 68 and 69. No factory configuration ever looked like that!
Jim Merz

Brian; The metal plate is bronze and the border is chrome. The screws are black. I believe Chris Couper bears this out
Ellis
Ellis Carlton

Brian,
I have a very early TD (0533) and black is the correct color for the screws. My dash had never been redone, prior to my rehab, and black was the original color on my car.
Rob
Rob Silverman

Carriage bolts were indeed black. The controversial item is the color of the panel. Some like a light tan metallic (ie Moss paint) and others a bronze color mettalic. I favor the latter.

Chris
Chris Couper

Isn't it marvelous how info crops up on this site just in time. I was just about to silver solder the bolts to my panel so that I wouldn't chip the paint if bolts turned slightly when I was tightening the nuts (my square holes are now partially round). I've always assumed the TD panel would be in a Nuffield corporate colour. My father owned both a low headlight Morris Minor and an Oxford MO and the dash boards were certainly bronze metallic. I have a Smiths heater which is the same as the one in the Minor (it was an aftermarket kit), fitted to the TD and this is also bronze metallic.

Of more practical help, however, has anyone got tips on how to mask off the chrome edge on the panel so that a really sharp edge can be produced. I had considered not bothering with masking tape but rather cutting around the painted lip with a razor blade and then carefully scraping the paint off the edge.


Cheers


Jan T
Jan Targosz

Jan,

When I repainted my instrument panel (with the Moss light tan metallic) I masked off the chrome part with tape. I made sure the tape extended into the field to be painted, then used a sharp Exacto knife (razor blade) and cut the tape along the edge, and removed the tape within the field. This left a nice clean edge, and protected the chrome part from having to scrape off any excess paint later.

Larry Thompson
'51TD
Larry Thompson

I was under the impression that the panel was the color of the interior with the outer raised edge chrome. If I was to paint the heads of the attaching hardware black, I would think that it would look out of place. I am looking for constructed inputs as I may have to change my panel.

Cheers,

Don, 52TD #17700

Don
Don

Thanks to all who have answered. Once again the responses show the combined knowledge and willingness to help that the MG marque is known for. I would probably have gone with the dash color if left to my self and the research material available to me. I may end up personalizing my TD somewhere down the line but for now I would like to get it back to stock.

The red upholstery is ready to go in, the body tub is painted in the original color of black and I am really hoping that it will be ready for the Spring here in Campbell River.

Thanks again
Brian
Brian

Don:

On my original unrestored TD, the gauge plate was bronze metalic and the little bolts holding it to the wooded dash were black.

In regards to repainting it, I used masking tape. However I very carefully removed the tape while the paint was still tacky. This allowed the paint to soften the edge. If you wait until the paint has dried you will have a sharp ridge where the tape was at and possibly strands of adhesive or paper. Removing the tape while the paint is still soft allows the paint to flow slightly and the edge will no longer have that "masked" appearance.

G'day
Blake

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2003 and 05/02/2003

MG TD TF 1500 index

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