These are pictures from an partially restored late 1951 MGTD owned by John Nikolas. In these images
previous owners have done some maintenance and minor restoration to stabilize this cars history.
Note some items where replaced that either were not safe or were worn out beyound useful life,
but in a way to preserve as much of the cars originality as possible.
Note: See the history of TD10941 as prepared by Jim Purdin (one previous owner) after the gallery.
Comments from Bring a Trailer Listing
This 1951 MG TD is finished in ivory over green leather and powered by a 1250cc inline-four paired with a 4-speed
manual transmission. Period accessories include polished faux knock-off wheel covers, a cast gearshift knob, chrome
engine accessories, and more. The clutch, shocks, braking system, and wheel bearings were reportedly refurbished ten
years ago, while more recent work included seat reupholstery and new carpeting. The seller has owned the car for six
years and has provided a letter from a previous owner outlining history back to 1959. This TD is offered with a soft top,
side curtains, and tonneau cover as well as an operation manual and a clean Ohio title in the seller’s name.
Ivory paint is shown up close in the gallery below and harbors visible wear in several areas, including on the fuel
tank adjacent to the spare tire. The passenger-side front fender is said to have been refinished over 50 years ago.
Exterior accessories include simulated knock-off wheel covers, Lucas driving and fog lamps, and a badge bar. A soft top
is included along with a set of side curtains and a tonneau cover, which can be seen in the gallery below.
The brake master and wheel cylinders were reportedly sleeved in brass by a previous owner, who also installed new
hoses around 2009. Further work is said to have included refurbishment of the front suspension with new wheel bearings,
bushings, and rebuilt shocks. The car is shown in varying lighting conditions in the gallery.
The leather seats were reupholstered in a color similar to the original, and new carpets were installed under the
seller’s ownership. Accessories include a cast MG gearshift knob, chrome passenger-side grab bar, and sideview mirror
mounted to the windscreen post. The 5-digit odometer shows 16k miles, just 200 of which have been added by the seller
over the past six years.
The 1250cc XPAG inline-four was rated at 55 horsepower when new and is paired with a 4-speed non-synchronized manual
transmission. Induction is from twin SU carburetors and a Falcon stainless steel exhaust system was fitted by a prior owner.
A polished aluminum intake and valve cover are joined by various chrome dress-up parts. The clutch disc, pressure plate, and
release bearing were reportedly replaced in 2009.
Exterior Pictures
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Interior Pictures
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Engine Compartment Pictures
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Chassis and Underside Pictures
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Miscellaneous Pictures
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History of TD10941
As told by Jim Purdin
May 24, 2016
I owned TD/10941 from February, 2002 through April 2010. I had been searching for a "survivor" MGTF for more than a
year when I found an ad for this car on the internet. Although it was not exactly what I wanted, I decided it was
worth checking out as there are very few true survivor T series cars left and you rarely see one for sale. So, I
made the trip from my home in Oregon, Wisconsin to West Bloomfield, Michigan to see the car and meet its owner, Bob XXXX.
While it was not a TF, it was an incredible car. Thinking I might never find a similar TF, I decided to buy it. Bob XXXX
related the following story at that time regarding the car's history:
Bob said his father's (Bob Sr.) daily driver in the 50s was another TD. He had that car serviced at an independent repair
shop owned by a man whose last name was Durbin. TD/10941 was owned at that time by Mr. Durbin's son, who kept the car at the
shop. It was in like-new condition. Bob Sr. told Mr. Durbin that, should his son ever decide to sell it, he would like to
buy the car. He got that opportunity and made the purchase around 1959 or 1960. The mileage was not recorded at the time of
the sale and it is not known whether or not Mr. Durbin's son was the first owner.
All of the unique period accessories that are on the car today were there when Bob Sr. purchased the car including:
Simulated knock-off spinners on the hubcaps
Cast MG gearshift knob
"Trafficator" turn signals
Polished aluminum valve cover
Chrome tappet cover
Chrome cover on the starter motor
Chrome radiator support rods
Chrome grab bar on the right-hand side of the dashboard
Unique side mirror mounted to the driver's side windscreen post
The car was also equipped at that time with a moto meter as well as a Lucas SLR700S driving light, center mounted on the
badge bar (I removed the driving light and still have it). The small "L" brackets screwed to the dashboard in front of
the driver allowed a "Brooklands-style" racing windscreen to be mounted when the windscreen was folded down.
When I bought the car, it had the 1962 Michigan license plate "TD 1952" on it. Bob told me that his dad would drive to
Lincoln Park, south of Detroit, to buy license plates for the car because in that county, plates with the prefix "MG"
were sold. He would wait in line until the number 1952 was sold. Very cool story!
Bob Sr. used the car only occasionally and sold it to his son around 1983. Sometime around 1966, a box fell from
the rafters in the garage damaging the right front fender. When the damage was repaired, the fender had to be repainted -
this was the only non-factory paint on the car when I bought it, although the underside of the fenders appeared to me to
have been repainted at some point. When I bought the car, it had a little less than 14,000 miles on the odometer. When I
sold it, the odometer reading was 15,217.
During my stewardship, TD/10941 was only taken for short drives on sunny days. Whenever the engine was started, I would
take the car on one of my "MG routes" which always ensured that it would be driven for at least 20 minutes after attaining
full operating temperature. I also removed the spark plugs and spun the engine using the starter to get full oil pressure
before starting the engine after winter storage.
The clutch "chattered" a bit when I bought the car and the brakes were just ok, so over the winter of 2008-2009 I
decided to address those issues. The master cylinder and wheel cylinders were sent to White Post Restorations to be
sleeved in brass and fully restored. All brake hoses were replaced. To access the clutch, I removed the gearbox from
the rear by removing the seat and floorboards per the Factory Workshop Manual, so the engine has never been out of the
car to my knowledge. Clutch disc, pressure plate and release bearing were all replaced.
I also decided to replace all the rubber bushings and seals in the front suspension. In the process, I removed everything
from both sides, including the shock absorbers and cleaned and repainted all the parts prior to reassembly. The shocks were
rebuilt by Apple Hydraulics. At the same time, I replaced the wheel bearings and seals all around and repainted the brake drums.
While at it, I also detailed the engine, replacing most rubber parts and touching up the paint in the process. I also
rebuilt the carburetors, painted the exhaust manifold with high temp paint and installed a UK manufactured (Falcon) stainless
steel exhaust system.
The moto meter was not working so I replaced it with a Moss reproduction.
The original top ("hood" in Britspeak) had been folded down for many years prior to my ownership. It seemed to have
shrunk over time was simply too stiff to put up. The side curtains were in excellent shape, though the "windows" were
yellowed with age.
As it turned out, I found my survivor TF just a couple of months after I bought TD/10941. It is a wire wheeled TF 1500
which I still own, also Ivory but with a red interior. The two cars sat side by side in my garage for 8 years. When I decided
to thin the herd a bit, I felt that it was time to find a new custodian for the TD. I listed it on eBay and was contacted by
Bill XXXX of Springfield, Ohio, who bought the car on May 2, 2010.
Bill transported the car to his home on an open trailer and contacted me when he got home, upset that he had picked up a
stone chip in the windscreen on the trip home. I told him that chip had been there for a long time as it was there when I
bought the car. Even though TD/10941, like all survivors, has its share of "beauty marks", he felt much better to know that
this blemish did not happen on his watch!
I stayed in touch with Bill for a while and learned that, with a lot of ingenuity and some water, he was able to get the
top into the "up" position - quite a remarkable feat! He also replaced the moto meter with a standard radiator cap and added
the Lucas driving and fog lamps (SFT576 and SLR576) along with a couple of badges to the badge bar.
I feel very fortunate to have had TD/10941 in my small fleet of survivor MGS for a few years. It always put a smile on my
face to take it for a drive. It also garnered countless "thumbs ups" while out on the road and always stood out at any
gathering of MGs or other collector cars. It is truly a unique piece of MG history.
Author's note: I was contacted by Beth XXXX of Holland, Ohio with a letter dated May 8, 2016. Beth, the then current
owner of TD/10941, got my name and address from the Wisconsin DOT as part of her effort to document the history of the car.
Her letter provided the impetus for me to reconnect with Bob XXXX to verify/clarify the information I learned from him in
2002 and to then author this document.
Owner History
Mr. Durbin Unknown - 1959 Michigan
Robert XXXX, Sr. 1959-1983 Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Robert XXXX, Jr. 1983-2002 West Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Jim Purdin 2002-2010 Oregon, Wisconsin
William XXXX, M.D. 2010-2012 Springfield, Ohio
Stockton Sales, Inc. 2012 Springfield, Ohio (consigned for sale by Dr. XXXX)
