TAKING BETS ON THE FIRST CLUB MGTF It's only a matter of time before the club sports its first MGTF. Timed apparently to coincide with the 40th birthday of the MGB, the TF is the first major revamp of the MGF since 1995. Since its launch, the F has sold 40,000 units. The replacement TF was unveiled at the Brussels motor show this month. The new range will comprise four differing models: a 1.6 litre TF115, a 1.8 litre TF135, a 1.8 litre TF120 automatic and a 139mph 1.8 litre TF160. Changes include new suspension, re-designed headlamps and a greater choice of colours. Prices will start at around £15,000. The MGTF name has been used once before on a car launched in 1953.  

 

 

 

 

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'THE LIMELIGHT' - This will be the spotlight on our members, or their interests or projects. New members will occasionally be introduced to the club by this means. Talking of the new MGTF you can compare it to the lines of its TF predecessor with the picture below.

Useless information time – how did the expression ‘in the limelight’ originate? The answer is that in the late 19^th Century and early 20^th Century the spotlights used in theatres were created by burning lime, (calcium oxide, CaO) in an oil or gas flame. The incandescence of lime as it burns is a little green, and flooded the actors on stage in this hue. From then on, people who were getting a lot of attention were said to be ‘in the limelight’.

 

 

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Our first LIMELIGHT article features a peek at just how much is achievable by the well-informed layman. We will continue to feature the occasional garage projects of our members in this way. To provide inspiration to other budding do-it-yourself restorers, we introduce new club members Mike and Hylda Lloyd. Mike has much experience in classic car restoration, or kit car building for his own amusement. Some of his past projects, which he admits he should never have let go, have included a three wheel Lomax, powered by Citroen 2CV engine.  

The 3 wheeled Lomax

The new MGTF pictured above is not the first MG to bear that name. Mike decided to build a replica, and bought the shell from a company in Cyprus. For the sake of purists, so accurate was the pattern of the shell parts that, even the MG production fault on the original TF of the nearside headlamp assembly being closer to the radiator than its counterpart the company had actually deliberately copied the imperfection. The bonnet was hinged and it was raised, as was the real thing. Mike used original MGTF models as a reference point with an eye to recapture the original TF features. Some parts were not available, and had to be manufactured by Mike. His crash padding above the dashboard, for example, was made from plumber's pipe solid insulation, and tightly heat-shrunk covered aeroplane seat fabric. So close was his final product that he even fooled some MG admirers who thought that the car was an original TF. He was unable to trace any distinctive octagonal shaped instruments that would have been fitted to an original and therefore fitted circular ones, but no one seemed to notice this. The engine and running gear of the replica were based on a donor Triumph Herald, with modified suspension, from arc movement toward vertical action. 

           MG TF replica shell arrived from Cyprus                                      The completed replica MG TF

 

                           An original cockpit                                                                       The expertly finished cockpit

Mike purchased his MGBGT in.......as a restoration project. He ran it for a while to discover its idiosyncrasies. As a part of his business, Mike travels the length and breadth of the UK, Ireland and France, and looks up and calls into every recommended MG supplier he passes. He passes his expert eye over the stalls at auto-jumbles and picks up parts, accessories and a library of original MG literature such as workshop manuals. His garage workshop at home is well organized, and far from modest. He is equipped to carry out almost every task involved in the restoration of his project cars, and he has carefully stored parts, special tools and fasteners. The GT strip down and rebuild will be total, with Mike's usual meticulous attention to detail. For instance, his preparation and final spraying results in a perfect mirror like finish. Where possible, he will use stainless steel fasteners. The interior has been gutted. He has refashioned and joined panels into the lower front wings, rebuilt inner wings, the sills and castle sections.  

                       Mike happily restoring!                                            A full frontal. Note the 'banjo' type rear axle.

Stainless steel grill handcrafted by Mike

The suspension, front (with cross-member) and rear (with axle assembly), is currently removed for restoration. The engine is partially dismantled, but still in situ. He knows the engine to have been re-bored from 1800cc to 1950cc, with a non-standard head assembly. He also discovered that when the crankshaft is lined up with its pulley timing markers, with first and fourth pistons at top dead-centre, instead of number one cylinder firing, and the fourth cylinder 'rocking', there is a discrepancy of a full 180 degrees, with the fourth cylinder firing instead. The crankshaft is not from an MG, but from an Austin 1800. Despite this anomaly, the engine purrs with extra power on tap. The engine and gearbox will be the last stage of the restoration. Another odd aspect of the car is the 'banjo' type rear axle. These axles were only fitted to Bs from 1965 to 1967, after which time, the tube axles were fitted. The advantage of the 'banjo' axle is that it has a much larger oil reservoir. Mike has many tools that the average MG enthusiast does not have. He is very willing to assist other do-it-yourself owners to achieve tasks that may be otherwise daunting, for example he can cut and bend copper brake piping, (to his usual standard of perfection), and he has crafted the grill of the GT from stainless steel with his own hands.

Mike anticipates that his GT will be back on the road this summer, and is looking forward to then joining us on our events and runs. When this project is finished, he says that, this time, he will not let it go for somebody else to enjoy, he intends to keep it and enjoy it with Hylda. Hylda believes that whilst that may be the case, he will still need to be doing something creative with his hands, and suspects that similar projects are not too far in the future.

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