Re: Update from Jim

[John Scriven]

Welcome Victoria, The plate on the battery box is on all TC's and they were all built in England. The EXU versions were built in the later half of 1949 and were for export. Can't tell you about the seat, they could be from a TD or special custom work your dad had done. I would recommend two items, first a copy of TC Forever by Michael Sherrell. It's a wealth of information about history of the TC, what to look for in restoration, and so on. You can get it from Moss Motors, I believe it's currently on sale. Second, look up Lawrie Alexander at British SportsCar Center (www.britcars.com), 2997 Alhambra Drive Cameron Park, 530-676-7226. He is a great MG mechanic and just around the corner from Sacramento. He can help you a lot with any questions you may have. Also the Sacramento Valley MG Club is excellent (http://www.svmgcc.org/) and great group of people. Rick Storms TC 6776

----- Original Message ----- From: FDShade@aol.com To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 2:52 PM Subject: [mg-tabc] Update from Jim
Welcome to our 554th member:

McKenna, Victoria----------vmckenna@inreach.com-----Sacramento, CA, USA
1948 TC 5838 XPAG 6615

who wrote:

I have just inherited my Father's 1948 TC5838 currently gray with green interior. His name was J.A.G. Smith, but went by "Gordon." He was a rather dashing former R.A.F. pilot turned California real estate developer.He emigrated to the States and became a citizen after the war. (Something of which he was extremely proud.) He was however just a little bit wistful recalling his old Aston Martin that had to be sold in order to come to America. Eventually, I believe he bought the car from someone in Palo Alto sometime prior to or in 1967. They, I think had converted the car to left hand drive. Dad restored it to right hand drive. There were many years of road trips and fly fishing weekends with Dad and his beloved car.
Sometime around 1973 Gordon underwent a spinal surgery that left his right arm somewhat disabled. At that point he garaged the car (with brand new tires), hoping to recover and drive it again. That time never came. The TC has remained there covered with boxes and debris until he passed away.
We dug it out just before Christmas and laughed to find the new sales stickers still on the tires. Opening a long forgotten drawer we found Gordon had left us a "road map to restoration." The drawer was filled with replacement parts he had been collecting over the years, outlining for us what he felt needed to be done. Even though he had not driven the car in over 25 years he was collecting parts as recently as 1996. It seems the only thing we are missing is the air cleaner.....Thanks Dad!
It was quite a fight getting the little car away from my sister's, who also had claims to the car. But after much hair pulling and giving up my claim to a rather lovely pair of Stafforshire dogs, (and a tidy sum of CASH.) I managed to carry it home.

I am very interested in any information regarding the little car's history. It has a "Made in England" plate on the battery box, but does not have the "EX-U" stamp anywhere. Does this mean the car was originally sold in England and then later shipped to the U.S? Rather than being sold directly into the U.S. market?
The original color seems to have been cr me with green interior. It currently has two fog lamps mounted on the badge bar with a horn installed under the bonnet on the left hand side of the frame.
I am also wondering if what I have are the seats from a TD as they seem to be much fuller than photos I have inspected.
Any help with such questions will be much appreciated. Photo's to follow.
Victoria Smith McKenna

(note from Jim - Check Gallery for photo(s)

===and a reminder;

Please don't send attachments to the List address

Several members have complained that their service-providers download attachments automatically, using costly on-line time. You can post Photos on our Yahoo site. Just go to our Yahoo site, click on "photos" then click on "add photo".

Then send a message to the List, alerting them to the fact that you have posted a photo. I have posted a posted a photo of our newest member there.

===and here is an advertisement for an auto repair shop

Auto Repair Service.
Free pick-up and delivery.
Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again.

===That's it for now from


Jim Shade West Covina CA

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[Charles Hill]

Victoria,

Not all TCs exported to the US were EXUs. The EXUs were first produced
in Dec 48 with TC EXU 7380. Most TCs have the Made in England plate,
however there are a few home (non-export) cars that didn't have that
plate. I concur with the previous comments about the TCs Forever book.
Probably the best source of TC information outside of this list.

Regards,
Charles Hill

[Chip Old]

On Wed, 23 Jan 2002, TC Rick wrote:

> The plate on the battery box is on all TC's and they were all built in
> England.

Not exactly. The "Made In England" plate was on all TC exported to the
United States (and possibly elsewhere). It was not used on "Home
Model" TCs meant for sale in the UK.

> The EXU versions were built in the later half of 1949 and were for
> export.

The TC/EXU first appeared in late 1948, and was specially equipped for
export to the US. However keep in mind that TCs were exported to the US
almost from the very start of TC production in 1945. The pre-EXU US
export cars had a few concessions to US requirements (dipping headlamps on
both sides, for example), but nothing very obvious to distinguish it from
the Home Model. The TC/EXU was very different.

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

[tonygoodall]

Plus, according to 'the Bible' about 14 were sent abroad as kits to be
assembled by others.

Tony TC 9825

> From: Chip Old
> Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 11:41:51 -0500 (EST)
> To: MG-TABC
> Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] Update from Jim
>
> On Wed, 23 Jan 2002, TC Rick wrote:
>
>> The plate on the battery box is on all TC's and they were all built in
>> England.
>
> Not exactly. The "Made In England" plate was on all TC exported to the
> United States (and possibly elsewhere). It was not used on "Home
> Model" TCs meant for sale in the UK.
>
>> The EXU versions were built in the later half of 1949 and were for
>> export.
>
> The TC/EXU first appeared in late 1948, and was specially equipped for
> export to the US. However keep in mind that TCs were exported to the US
> almost from the very start of TC production in 1945. The pre-EXU US
> export cars had a few concessions to US requirements (dipping headlamps on
> both sides, for example), but nothing very obvious to distinguish it from
> the Home Model. The TC/EXU was very different.
>
> --
> 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/
>
>

[FDShade@aol.com]

Welcome to our 454th member

O'Brien, Rourke-------rourkeo@irikarting.com -----Belleview, WA, USA
1948 TC 7035 XPAG 7805

===and our 455th member

Schacherleitner, Adolf -------schacherleitner@sema.at---Traunkirchen, Austria
1946 TC 1269 XPAG 6028

===and remember - If at first you don't succeed

skydiving is not for you!


Jim Shade West Covina CA

[FDShade@aol.com]

Welcome to our 453th member:

Bradford, Moss ---------bradford@moss-europe.co.uk -----Yorkshire, England

who writes:

I own a MGTF but have restored too many early "Ts" to remember

===and # 454

Olson, Gene------------olson_g@msn.com---------------Simi Valley, CA, USA
1947 TC 3353 XPAG 3982

who writes:

On the body plate it lists engine XPAG 3982. This also appears to be the number on the engine tag on the flywheel housing, but it is difficult to read because someone painted the engine and tag, and I have not had a chance to remove the paint. It appears to be a pretty solid car, but it has not been run since 1984. The license is a blue California plate- MG GOF. I look forward to getting it back on the road as a driver.

===but goodbye to the following whose email addresses are no longer valid:


Medhurst, Russell --RMedhurs@pacificaccess.com.au --Melbourne, Australia
1948 TC 4889 XPAG 5524

Hall, Lawrence---------------boink.hall@mindspring.com----------Atlanta, GA, USA
1948 TC 5481 XPAG 5659

===and, take my advice;

I don't use it anyway

Jim Shade West Covina CA

[FDShade@aol.com]

Welcome to our 455th member:

Knight, Graham ------G.Knight@cs.ucl.ac.uk-------Cheshunt, Herts, UK
1937 TA1660 XPAW 5821

===and # 456

White, John-------------dijow@shaw.ca ----------------Kelowna, BC, Canada
1948 TC 5536 XPAG 6324

who writes:

I OWN A TC.... SERIAL #5536 ....ENGINE XPAG # 6324 DARK BROOKLANDS GREEN WITH BISCUIT INTERIOR............I'M 2ND OWNER AND HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 17 YEARS.I ALSO OWN A 56 TR3 SMALL MOUTH...... IN TOURING SPEED TRIM WITH FACTORYRACING SCREENS AND SPATS [skirts]AND A 1959 BUG-EYE SPRITE WHICH MY WIFE HAS OWNED FOR ABOUT 22 YEARSBUT MY REAL LOVE IS MY TC

CHEERS

===and if you think your garage space is limited

take a look at Eric Worpe with his TC restoration project in the
Photo of the Month http://mg-tabc.org/t-list-gall-photo.htm

===and a reminder

Please don't send attachments to the List address as several members have Internet service-providers that download attachments automatically, using costly on-line time. You can post Photos on our Yahoo site. Just go to our Yahoo site, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mg-tabc, click on "photos" then click on "add photo". Then send a message to the List, alerting them to the fact that you have posted a photo.

===and - I married Miss Right.

I just didn't know her first name was Always.




Jim Shade West Covina CA

[FDShade@aol.com]

Welcome to our 458th member;

Johnson, Martin----------MJohnson@cfworks.com---Long Beach, CA, USA
1947 TC 3586

===and # 459

Nielsen, Stig---------stig_nielsen@wanadoo.dk---Vaerloese, Denmark
1946 TC 0621

===and #460

Holmes, David---------dg_holmes@hotmail.com----Bradford, England
1937 TA 1489 MPJG 1739

who writes:

I have had my TA for about three years and have spent a lot of time making it back into a good road car. I have had the engine rebuilt with new bearings and crank reground, Top end reseated to use green fuel. Carbs rebuilt, new water pump, all brakes refurbished with new cylinders and pipework, new tyres, new springs and lots of polish and paint! I just love riding around the Yorkshire dales and Lake District.

===and did you know that:

At 8.02pm on February 20, the time will be -> 2002, 2002, 2002

to be more precise - 20:02, 20/02, 2002 or 8:02pm, 20th of Feb, 2002


Jim Shade West Covina CA

[FDShade@aol.com]

Welcome to our 461st member:

Pearce, Roger--------emgee@mweb.co.za------Pinetowrie, South Africa

who writes:

Negotiating to purchase.
Is it possible to join up?

===and # 462

Smith, George ---Gsmith@smithwatson.com-----South Egremont, MA, USA
1948 TC 4506 XPAG 4506

who wrote:

I am looking for a reasonable left front fender after meeting the tire wall at Lime Rock last fall.

===and - why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor

when you can't drink and drive?


Jim Shade West Covina CA

[FDShade@aol.com]

Welcome to our 463rd member:

Emery, Nick----------a.n.emery@bham.ac.uk-------Birmingham, UK
1947 TC 3084 XPAG 3693

===and # 464

Koch, Reinhard----rechko@t-online.de---Sarstedt, Germany
1947 TC 2294 XPAG 2734

===and - I thought I'd pass this along.

From: vintagebritishcars@attbi.com (rick rodriguez)

1948 mgtc car for restoration complete. 16 inch competition wire wheels.
body in good shape. motor turns free has top bows and side curtains.all
original guages. matching # engine. $8000 also 1954 mgtf car for
restoration wire wheels car is complete .

=== and - the TC motoring Guild

now has a website at http://www.tcmotoringguild.org/

===and - I wonder

How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings?

===and that's it from

Jim Shade West Covina CA