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MG TD TF 1500 - MG2006 Vendors



Group - I have been following the posts for several months now without comment, but I think I want to throw my two cents in. I thought the show was great (too many tourists to suit me) but overall I would give it a '9'. What I was really disappointed about were the vendors! I guess I expected since this was a National Meet, there would be a hugh selection of 'quality' original parts, that was not the case, enough with the hats and t shirts already. I did however get the oportunity to meet Mick at Keystone set up inside the hotel and bought a NOS TD steering wheel, did anyone else get to talk with him ? He had parts scattered everywhere but what a collection of goodies. My question, finally? He had a cast aluminum valve cover (not for sale) that had MG-XPAG cast into the top and I just wondered if anyone happen to see it or knew anything about it? I have never seen this one before and wondered if anyone else has one or know it's history. I would be happy to hear any feedback from this group. John
John M

John, I spoke to Mick about that cover too. He had a tappet cover to match the valve cover, but never priced it to me. Carl Floyd seems to know Mick very well. Maybe I can get Carl to find out something.

Glad you made it to MG06. I didn't have much time to look at vendors but I did manage to get a nos Raydot spotlight for my TF from Tom Boscarino. He had a lot of nice find items.

Mark Whitt
Mwhitt

Mwhitt -- I also have a Raydot Light. I have been wondering which side to mount it on. Seems the TC guys mount it on the (for them) passenger side and use the hole in the cowl for the widscreen wiper motor wire to connect it. Now on LHD drive cars that means it would be mounted on the passenger side and the same WW wiper motor wire hole could be used to connect it.

Do you have any period pictures of these lights installed? I have hesitated to install it because I did not think the passenger side mounting "looked correct". What are you planning to do? Drill a hole for the wire?

Anybody else out there got any good ideas?
Sincerely,
Bob
R. K. (Bob) Jeffers

I don't know Mick very well. Recently purchased a TF intake manifold from him and discovered that we had had a mutual good friend in common. Mick's a stand up guy, but I think everyone here already know's that.

I saw that valve cover. Didn't know that it wasn't for sale. Didn't ask how much, either. Greg Purvis was sharing a bit of that space with Mick.
Carl Floyd

They had a lot of loot that they were hawking there for sure Carl. I asked Mick a couple of times, but he just never figured out what he wanted and being as busy as I was, I just never got back with him. Said that he wouldn't seperate them either.

Bob, my TF is a rhd model and I actually had two holes predrilled from a previous owner on the drivers side. I always thought that these were for a mirror, but the base of the light lined up perfectly! Guess it had one before. There was a hole drilled in the cowl too that I had filled, but now I know what that was for.

There was a TD at MG06 from Canada with one mounted with wiring thru the cowl with a grommet,of course. He had his wired thru his foglight switch. The bulbs are difficult to find, but are very bright. His was on the passenger side too. I like mine on the drivers side, however.....I did buy that one off the Canadian fellow too. Maybe mount two, what do you think? Too much?

I will send you a picture of mine on the car if you would like. It looks very neat!

Mark

Mwhitt

Saw that valve cover and matching side cover and thought that they were the same as mine...but mine just has MG cast in the top (and someone drilled a hole and mounted the enameled MG front badge in it. Where was the XPAG casting?
The black TD in the first couple of photos (no side bonnet covers) had a matching battery cover in cast aluminum...only one I've seen other then in the 'period' ads...really neat looking and not as close to the terminals as one would think.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

That TD that you spoke of belongs to Hank Rippert Gordon. I spoke to him about it and he told me that back when all of those aluminum pieces were available many people just tossed it out. You had to pull the whole bonnet to remove the cover so that the battery could be topped up with water periodically!

By the way Gordon, it was a pleasure to meet you at the ETMGDC tent. Wish I could have won that case of wine, but then my mind is not as sharp as the fellow that won it!

Mark
Mwhitt

From Mick:

Now about the valve cover. I have had it for over 30 years and have been trying to get it identified. It was my fathers and Lord only know where he came up with it, probably in the UK. I brought it to display and to see if anyone knew about it. I could have sold it years ago hundreds of times but it was my dad's and not really for sale. I tried to explain this to people politely, guess they just didn't understand.
Carl Floyd

Does it have 'xpag' cast in the top, or MG ?
gordon lawson - TD 27667

It has both cast there...something like this if I remember:

MG
X
P
A
G

And it had (missing now) a screw-in oil filler cap.

Gene Gillam

If it was the one on the floor with the matching side cover, it sure looked like my set although I couldn't find 'xpag' anywhere on mine. Just the cast MG in the middle of the top.
http://www.gblandco.com/gb/2006winter/td335.jpg
http://www.gblandco.com/gb/2006winter/td336.jpg
http://www3.sympatico.ca/gordonblawson/td/td106.jpg
gordon lawson - TD 27667

I remember it to be sitting on a box with no matching cover. Cast as Gene describes. I found it very interesting, I didn't ask about it as Mick was very busy & I figured I couldn't afford it anyway (didn't know it was display only).
Carl Floyd


Group- Wow, I did not know I started all these problems. I think there is some confusion over what I have and what is being said, so please let me try to clear it up. The cast aluminum valve cover MG-XPAG, I believe to be a one-off or a cover that never made it to the retail market. I have been told that it was used at the Detroit Auto Show in 1952 when the 1953 TD was introduced by the factory. This information came from Jack Lever Sr Mfg Eng for Champion Spark Plug Co. who was given the car after the show. Jack gave the cover to my father in the early 60's and it been stored since then till 2000 when I took it out and started to show it since no one had ever seen or heard about it. I have shown it Dick Knudson, John Twist, the Internet thru MG-TABC and no one has identified it. Just recently, there was a TC for sale on EBAY that had several boxes of parts with the car and low and behold that was another one sitting in a box of parts. I have tried to find who bought the car but no luck yet. The other covers I have are circa mid 60's and are for sale but in sets only. I will try to take some shots of the MG-XPAG cover in the next couple of days and post it here for all to see. Hopefully someone can ID it or know. Gene G is also correct in the way he explained it above, thanks Gene. mick Pittsburgh PA
Mick

This thread was discussed between 26/06/2006 and 27/06/2006

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