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MG TD TF 1500 - Wire wheels-chrome or painted?

Being new to the TF field, I have to ask you guys some questions about my 55 TF. My car has wires, but they are painted. Did they come from the factory in chrome or were they all painted? I have seen several with chrome and think they look better.
Another question that concerns me is the color. The car was restored in the 60s and has a black interior with a dark green exterior. I would like to go with a tan interior and paint the exterior red. Was that a combination from the factory?
I'm like a kid in a candy shop!!!
Cleve

Cleve
Painted wire wheels were more popular in the UK where chrome was considered a bit too flashy. (a lot of people still do!) Chrome was the preferred option of US buyers. A factory fresh Red TF came with Red or Biscuit trim.
Happy painting
John
John James

Buy the following: the book from the NEMGTR- "T-series handbook" edited by Dick Knudson, Clausager's "Original T-series" book, Horst Schach's "The Complete MG TD Restoration Manual". Not sure the titles are exactly right for the first two. Then start reading! Also, find "The orig. TD midget" web site, and click on the TF section. There will be more than you ever wanted to know. I don't think any came with chrome wheels from the factory.
George Butz

Cleve,
IMHO....go to Chris Coopers TF site:
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgtf/index.html
Do a little dective work from there. From your vin #
you will be able to tell what was "orginial" to your car. For my money...see what was "correct" and if it is a color you like go for it. (a car re-done in orginal color "should" be worth more to a true collector!) Look at the production #'s for the coloure you car "should" be...some are rare! You might really want to re-consider painting a TF RED if that was not it's factory coloure as almost 2/3rds of these car were Red! I should talk...production records show my car was built as red but I did not re-do it that coloure this go around and stayed with what my PO swears it always was! Not try to offend anybody...but I think there are allready too many red tf's out there!

Painted 48 spoke wires (silver/gray) were the factory "correct"...mine are stored and I run a set of 60 spoke Chrome Dayton's for driving. This is a wider wheel so you have more options for tyres. Don't "chrome" your orginials! It will cost you more than buying a set of new ones and you will destroy the orginials! My 48's have correct bias-ply tyres...my 60's I run over-sized radials. This is the cheapest way out and from experance, there is a world of differance in the way the car handels between the two! This IS one of those rare occasions where you CAN have your cake & eat it too!

Check the archives on this post...we have beat this one to death in the 5/6 years I have been on it...you will find some very interesting reading on there!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427

David Sheward

Gday Cleve,
If you still have your original I.D. plate next to the battery, the stamped on it will be something like:
HDE 46/9097
The third letter is the code for the body colour and from memory goes like this:
A=Black
B=Birch Grey
C=Red
E=Almond Green
P=Ivory
And perhaps under all that wonderfull black 60's vinyl you will find a piece of the original upholstery. Failing that, you might be able to find out the interiour colour from some of the original dash paint. Maybe behind the dash or behind and under the padded rail you can see traces of either bright red, biscuit or an aqua green.

Good luck, Matthew.

PS, Dave is right, too many red cars.
Matthew Magilton

Has anyone painted Chrome wheels? i was wondering if powder coating is feasible at some future date.
John James

John,

Powder coating will adhere to chrome - I had my tank sides plated and then coated in the middle. In any case you would have to get the wheels bead blasted and this would provide an even better key. BUT - I believe that you should only powder coat a dismantled wheel. If you coat a built up wheel, when in use the spokes will flex and crack the coating around the nipples. I was told this recently by a very good powder coater who did my disc wheels. He advised me to even seal the riveted seams on my wheels with polyurethane sealant to stop rust staining.


Cheers

Jan T
Jan Targosz

Thanks Jan
My TF was fitted with almost new 60 spoke chrome wheels when I bought it. I would have preferred painted wheels. I will have to wait until they are well and truly knackered before I can justify a change.
John
John James

Thanks all!!!
John, funny you mentioned that. I bought a very nice 68 B roadster a few years ago from a local Ford dealer. The car had everything, OD, factory hardtop, wire wheels... When I got home, I was cleaning the car up to my likings and noticed some bright chrome on one of the wheels. I got some paint thinner and was able to clean some of the spray paint off the wheel, only to find very nice chrome wheels! I went back to the dealer a few days later and asked the clean up department if and why, they had put fresh spay paint on the wheels. The guy told me the front wheels looked real black, so he just painted them all silver. Boy was I a happy guy! With a little elbow grease and some thinner, I was able to clean the wheels back to the chrome. Lucky for me, the paint was cheap and didn't stick well at all to the chrome. From then on, the wheels were the center of attention for the car.
Cleve

This thread was discussed between 28/01/2004 and 29/01/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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