T-TYPE BULLBAR

[Joe Gates]

I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA have two strange, chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that protrude upwards at a 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface from either side of the front apron. What is their purpose? The thought did cross my mind that they may be there as a neat fit for pushing the supermarket tolley home after shopping!

Joe Gates

TC 8675

[David and Joyce Edgar]

Those are aftermarket "nerf" type bars used as bumpers (fenders). I've seen similar items on '50's hot rods too. Usually is a set of four on a TC with two mounted on the back also. I've seen them for sale on ebay and swap meets. Original? No. Effective? Debatable. Nice looking? Up to owner. David Edgar, TC 5108 El Cajon, California

>I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA have two strange, >chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that protrude upwards at >a 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface from either side of >the front apron. What is their purpose? The thought did cross my >mind that they may be there as a neat fit for pushing the >supermarket tolley home after shopping! > >Joe Gates >TC 8675

[Chip Old]

On Mon, 26 Nov 2001, Joe Gates wrote:

> I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA have two strange, > chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that protrude upwards at a > 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface from either side of the > front apron. What is their purpose? The thought did cross my mind > that they may be there as a neat fit for pushing the supermarket > tolley home after shopping!

Here in the US we call them "nerf bars". They were sold as aftermarket bumpers for bumpereless non-EXU TCs. They're pretty much useless. -- Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E fold@bcpl.net

[Terry & Lynda-May O'Brien]

The MG dealer in British Columbia, Plimley Motors, fitted the TCs sold by them with antennae bumpers. I don't know offhand if it was an MOT requirement but it may have been as they were also fitted with rather neat turn signals. The bumpers are "skookum" (that's a BC native word roughly translated as first rate), they are an inch and a half or three quarters in diameter and are fastened to the frame between the front shock and the frame replacing the plate and on the rear using the existing three? holes. In the late 40s and early 50s all the North American cars were much higher, had no close rear vision, and didn't care much if they backed or bumped into you. I know because my YT was then my everyday car and the fenders, fog light, D lamps and bumpers were always being repaired. The "nerf bars" sold by Moss and perhaps others in the US are flimsy looking and and I agree with Chip that they are probably useless. The ones I have seen are also badly attached. But the type fitted by Plimley worked and I think they also look good. Terry Chip Old wrote:

> On Mon, 26 Nov 2001, Joe Gates wrote: > > > I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA have two strange, > > chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that protrude upwards at a > > 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface from either side of the > > front apron. What is their purpose? The thought did cross my mind > > that they may be there as a neat fit for pushing the supermarket > > tolley home after shopping! > > Here in the US we call them "nerf bars". They were sold as aftermarket > bumpers for bumpereless non-EXU TCs. They're pretty much useless. > > -- > Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 > Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E > fold@bcpl.net > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[PIETER G LUND]

They were common in and appropriate for the period. I like mine 'cause I just got them rechromed! P. Lund MGTC 5288

----- Original Message ----- From: David and Joyce Edgar djedgar@pacbell.net> To: T-ABC list mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 12:55 PM Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] T-TYPE BULLBAR > Those are aftermarket "nerf" type bars used as bumpers (fenders). > I've seen similar items on '50's hot rods too. Usually is a set of > four on a TC with two mounted on the back also. I've seen them for > sale on ebay and swap meets. Original? No. Effective? > Debatable. Nice looking? Up to owner. > > David Edgar, TC 5108 > El Cajon, California > > >I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA have two strange, > >chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that protrude upwards at > >a 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface from either side of > >the front apron. What is their purpose? The thought did cross my > >mind that they may be there as a neat fit for pushing the > >supermarket tolley home after shopping! > > > >Joe Gates > >TC 8675 > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > >

[Ron Simon]

In the dim recesses of my mind I seem to remember hearing that the antenna or golf bag bars were put on by an MG dealer in Hollywood named Bob Roberts to comply with a then obscure California law regarding bumpers. At the same time variations of Chevrolet Guide truck turn signal lites were installed at the rear. Some TC's were fitted with a flat bumper which came from Harley Davidson three wheeler Servicycles.Another interesting item is that almost every TC that I have seen in California was registered with the XPAG engine number instead of the Chassis number. Remember that TC's came from the factory originally with no bumpers, no rear view mirror,no turn signals, and only one dim tail/stoplight mounted on the left. Very early TC's had no hi-beam bulbs.Instead only one headlight had the reflector mounted in a gimbel which swiveled up for a one sided hi-beam. Life was much slower then. Ron Simon --- PIETER G LUND Pgl@prodigy.net> wrote:

> They were common in and appropriate for the period. > I like mine 'cause I > just got them rechromed! > > P. Lund MGTC 5288 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: David and Joyce Edgar djedgar@pacbell.net> > To: T-ABC list mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 12:55 PM > Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] T-TYPE BULLBAR > > > > Those are aftermarket "nerf" type bars used as > bumpers (fenders). > > I've seen similar items on '50's hot rods too. > Usually is a set of > > four on a TC with two mounted on the back also. > I've seen them for > > sale on ebay and swap meets. Original? No. > Effective? > > Debatable. Nice looking? Up to owner. > > > > David Edgar, TC 5108 > > El Cajon, California > > > > >I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA > have two strange, > > >chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that > protrude upwards at > > >a 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface > from either side of > > >the front apron. What is their purpose? The > thought did cross my > > >mind that they may be there as a neat fit for > pushing the > > >supermarket tolley home after shopping! > > > > > >Joe Gates > > >TC 8675 > > > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

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[Chip Old]

On Tue, 27 Nov 2001, Ron Simon wrote:

> Some TC's were fitted with a flat bumper which came from Harley > Davidson three wheeler Servicycles.

So the legend goes, and maybe that was sometimes done, but flat bumpers were manufactured for and sold by one of the well-known MG dealers of the time. Don't remember which one off the top of my head, but I'm sure someone else here will fill in the blank.

> Very early TC's had no hi-beam bulbs.Instead only one headlight had > the reflector mounted in a gimbel which swiveled up for a one sided > hi-beam.

That's how it was done on the TA and TB. The reflector was tilted by a solenoid. Home Model TCs used a different "dip & switch" setup where the right-hand headlamp had a single filament bulb (high beam) and the left-hand had a dual filament bulb (high/low). When you switched to low the left side switched to the low beam filament and the right side went out completely. TC 6710 still had that arrangement when I imported it from the UK in 1969. If I'm not mistaken, dip & switch headlamps became illegal in the UK long before that, so I guess some MOT inspectors looked the other way. According to the factory parts manual TCs for export to almost all markets (including pre-EXU TCs for the US market) had dual filament bulbs on both sides.

> Life was much slower then.

Yeah, the good old days. -- Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E fold@bcpl.net

[Want1937hd@aol.com]

This is the second time I've heard about the Harley bumper. I'll put that out on a few Harley sites and see what they have to say. My TC has them, and I plan to keep them. If they are Harley parts that makes me like them even more. 1937 Harley & 1948 MG-TC, life is good! Bob TC4956 Some TC's were fitted with a flat bumper which came from Harley

> Davidson three wheeler Servicycles. >>

[R. Zwart]

Miine snapped off first time someone backed into me. Fortunately that's all th further back they got. I think they were made of air hardened steel instead of spring steel... BOB Terry & Lynda-May O'Brien wrote:

> The MG dealer in British Columbia, Plimley Motors, fitted the TCs sold by > them with antennae bumpers. I don't know offhand if it was an MOT requirement > but it may have been as they were also fitted with rather neat turn signals. > The bumpers are "skookum" (that's a BC native word roughly translated as > first rate), they are an inch and a half or three quarters in diameter and > are fastened to the frame between the front shock and the frame replacing the > plate and on the rear using the existing three? holes. In the late 40s and > early 50s all the North American cars were much higher, had no close rear > vision, and didn't care much if they backed or bumped into you. I know > because my YT was then my everyday car and the fenders, fog light, D lamps > and bumpers were always being repaired. > The "nerf bars" sold by Moss and perhaps others in the US are flimsy looking > and and I agree with Chip that they are probably useless. The ones I have > seen are also badly attached. But the type fitted by Plimley worked and I > think they also look good. Terry > > Chip Old wrote: > > > On Mon, 26 Nov 2001, Joe Gates wrote: > > > > > I see that several pictures of T-Types ex USA have two strange, > > > chromed plated rod-like, bullbar appendages that protrude upwards at a > > > 90 degree angle to the horizontal road surface from either side of the > > > front apron. What is their purpose? The thought did cross my mind > > > that they may be there as a neat fit for pushing the supermarket > > > tolley home after shopping! > > > > Here in the US we call them "nerf bars". They were sold as aftermarket > > bumpers for bumpereless non-EXU TCs. They're pretty much useless. > > > > -- > > Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 > > Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E > > fold@bcpl.net > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Robert Kampas]

To Chip & All, I am currently restoring TC 2544 which is a 1947 "Home Model". Prior to disassembly on of the things that still worked when I bought the car was the "dip & switch" headlight arrangement such as Chip describes in the email attached below. Tis a charming arrangement indeed! Don't suppose it would be legal in the USA to put it back the same way during the restoration - does anyone in the USA know the laws regarding this? Are new single filament bulbs still available? Not quite slowed to the pace of the good old days (but attempting), Bob Kampas -----Original Message----- From: Chip Old [mailto:fold@bcpl.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 8:10 AM To: T-ABC list Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] T-TYPE BULLBAR

On Tue, 27 Nov 2001, Ron Simon wrote: > Some TC's were fitted with a flat bumper which came from Harley > Davidson three wheeler Servicycles. So the legend goes, and maybe that was sometimes done, but flat bumpers were manufactured for and sold by one of the well-known MG dealers of the time. Don't remember which one off the top of my head, but I'm sure someone else here will fill in the blank. > Very early TC's had no hi-beam bulbs.Instead only one headlight had > the reflector mounted in a gimbel which swiveled up for a one sided > hi-beam. That's how it was done on the TA and TB. The reflector was tilted by a solenoid. Home Model TCs used a different "dip & switch" setup where the right-hand headlamp had a single filament bulb (high beam) and the left-hand had a dual filament bulb (high/low). When you switched to low the left side switched to the low beam filament and the right side went out completely. TC 6710 still had that arrangement when I imported it from the UK in 1969. If I'm not mistaken, dip & switch headlamps became illegal in the UK long before that, so I guess some MOT inspectors looked the other way. According to the factory parts manual TCs for export to almost all markets (including pre-EXU TCs for the US market) had dual filament bulbs on both sides. > Life was much slower then. Yeah, the good old days. -- Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E fold@bcpl.net Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/