Keys and Turn-signals
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:43 am
About a year ago there was discussion here about our ignition keys and how
there seemed to be only a few basic cuts so one had a pretty good chance of
their key fitting another TC.
MRN blanks seem to be the most prevalent in TCs with FA blanks showing up
later in the TC run. The MRN-50 cut was said to be on about a third of the
TCs.
To add to this, I happened to be reading an article recently from the
Sep/Oct 2004 issue of Vintage Motor Sport. In it was a story about John
Edgar (no relation to myself that I know of) and his glorious No. 88 TC
racer. His son, William, wrote his father ordered a new TC back in 1947 in
California. He stated that: "The first TCs came by ship in basic color lots
of 20, ignition keys cut according to a car paint. Ours was red, and we
could start any other that was red."
Seems strange that ignition keys were tied to car color. Perhaps lots of
red cars came down the assembly line and lots of identical ignition switches
were also on the shelves.
And on another note William also wrote: "When the freighter docked at San
Pedro, eager new owners were bussed to the harbor to drive their MGs at
least back to the seller's shop. You see, the TCs track was too narrow to
fit ordinary car haulers. And because they were right-hand drive and in
order to be street legal in California, electric turn signals the kind given
to trucks had to be dealer installed before you could take your TC home."
Now maybe the law has been changed over the years but only cars manufactured
and first registered after Jan 1, 1958 now require turn signals in
California.
David Edgar, TC 5108
El Cajon, California
there seemed to be only a few basic cuts so one had a pretty good chance of
their key fitting another TC.
MRN blanks seem to be the most prevalent in TCs with FA blanks showing up
later in the TC run. The MRN-50 cut was said to be on about a third of the
TCs.
To add to this, I happened to be reading an article recently from the
Sep/Oct 2004 issue of Vintage Motor Sport. In it was a story about John
Edgar (no relation to myself that I know of) and his glorious No. 88 TC
racer. His son, William, wrote his father ordered a new TC back in 1947 in
California. He stated that: "The first TCs came by ship in basic color lots
of 20, ignition keys cut according to a car paint. Ours was red, and we
could start any other that was red."
Seems strange that ignition keys were tied to car color. Perhaps lots of
red cars came down the assembly line and lots of identical ignition switches
were also on the shelves.
And on another note William also wrote: "When the freighter docked at San
Pedro, eager new owners were bussed to the harbor to drive their MGs at
least back to the seller's shop. You see, the TCs track was too narrow to
fit ordinary car haulers. And because they were right-hand drive and in
order to be street legal in California, electric turn signals the kind given
to trucks had to be dealer installed before you could take your TC home."
Now maybe the law has been changed over the years but only cars manufactured
and first registered after Jan 1, 1958 now require turn signals in
California.
David Edgar, TC 5108
El Cajon, California