Nitty Details

The following items are the hardest to achieve for a person who is trying to create an absolutely original car. In a Concours d'Elegance these would be the items that could differentiate two winning cars. Some of these items will most likely be impossible to achieve but they are interesting goals to pursue if you want the ultimate in originality.

It may well be that there never was an original TD once it left the dealer showroom/lot, especially in the United States. It appears that modifying the car was one of the major features of the model. This is attested by all the accessories that were available at the time from dealers and parts suppliers such as Arnolt and others.

Note: To see a picture of the detail item in a separate window click on the icon.

Item		Source
Engine number that matches body plate		N/A
Size of front splash apron piping (smaller diameter than rest of exterior piping)		Make it yourself by taking the cord out of a piece of the piping that you used on the rest of the body and replace it with a 1/4" inch diameter cord. This will result in a 9/32" outside dimension. The regular piping uses a 3/8 " inch core.
Exhaust pipe diameter
Original engine oil pan bolts
Original soft metal tappet cover bolts
Original flat gray windscreen wiper wire
Rubber rear license plate lamp wire cover		latex-tubing.com; 3/8" ID, 1/2 OD Black Latex Tubing; An alternative arrangement can be the wire on the other side of the bracket. See image here .
Correct battery (series, Lucas, vented caps)		Jim's Battery in Youngstown, Ohio. Phone: 800-426-7580.
Cap style battery cable connectors at battery		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares, Rhode Island Wiring Services
Black braided negative battery and starter cables		Rhode Island Wiring Services
Rubber starter switch (not nylon) and rubber boots
Starter switch wire to battery cable clip
Plastic cover on power cable under fuel pump
Original spark plug wires (lacquer coated black cloth braided wire)		Check at classic car parts shops. Vintage Ford
Original spark plug caps (black bakelite)
Spark plug wire retainer at distributor (red fiberboard)
Black painted bolts on valve cover		The MG Y had an air cleaner attached to these bolts.
Original black coil		Moss Motors
Correct dates (within a few months prior to car date) on starter, generator, and coil		British Auto Electric
Braided and cloth covered wires and loom, black sheath with colored tracer		Rhode Island Wiring Services, Abingdon Spares, Moss Motors, Bygone Spares and Restoration
Correct (small diameter) braided fuel lines		From the Frame Up
Wooden battery box liner		Moss Motors, 407-710
Rubber pads between battery and battery clamp		NTG Battery Pads. If you can 3D print: 3D Print Battery Pads
Rubber Battery Buffer Pads		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares; Use the brake adjustment hole plugs
Correct profile dashboard attachment washers		M6 Countersunk Finishing Washers; you will have to plate them chrome.
Double slotted conduit straps (3) for temperature capillary tube on radiator stabilizer tube.		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares 65 051
Double slotted conduit strap on front of the firewall stabilizer tube for the right front light harness to keep it from fowling the steering column.		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares 65 051
Radiator drain pipe
Appropriate front rebound rubbers (short - late or tall - early)		It is generally accepted to use the short ones with blocks on all cars because the factory stopped making the tall ones during the MGTD production. Rumor has it that the tall ones broke easily and that is why it was redesigned.
ID plates finished in nickel silver		Moss Motors 408-730, 408-740
Oil cap finished in nickel silver
Correct oil cap and chain		A rubber cover is most likely not original. Most people from the period have no memory of it.
Etched 'Auster' windscreen emblem		No known source
Correct nuts (fat) on windscreen frame
Brass finished flat 'D' washer and lock nut on windscreen sideframe (under Acorn nut)		Just remove plating or brass plate if steel.
Dunlop tires 5.50x15		No known source. The only ones are racing tires.
Andrex shock absorbers on TD Mk II
Glass tail and side lamp lenses		Moss Motors 157-908
Lucas "Torche" quartz iodine headlamps		Note: RHD had round emblems and LHD had square ones
Flat topped bumpers		No known source except originals.
No rubber packing on bumper overriders		Many do like to add this to their cars but they did not have this originally.
Front license plate with correct 'Z' brackets to bumper
Original ignition switch with correct labeling (not the 'window' variety)		Abingdon Spares, is selling rebuilt original switches. It is part number 39-002-Rebuilt. You can also retain the original facia and knob and marry it to a replacement body and switch.
Original tachometer and speedometer cables
Original starter and choke cables
Rubber grommet on tach cable brace at firewall		From the Frame Up pn RU022
Under dash cover in black Rexine		Abingdon Spares, Moss Motors
Original interior materials (Rexine)
Leather on map pocket tops and door piping, seat tops		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares, Heritage Upholstery & Trim
Correct number of pleats on seat cushions (6) with wider borders		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares, Heritage Upholstery & Trim
Correct holes on firewall (there were some empties, see manuals)
Original top/tonneau materials
Original half tonneau cover		Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares
Correct radiator hoses (large hose pebble finish)
Correct (1/16" thick) rubber radiator webbing strip		1/16" thick x 1/2" wide x 10 feet roll. Rubber Sheet Roll. You will have to cut the 1" size in half.
Correct routing and copper carburetor overflow lines with clip on front engine plate		Note the clip should be on the front of the engine bearer plate and attached just below the timing chain cover right side bulge. The pipes go over the bearer plate.
Original hose clamps (radiator hoses, air cleaner, steering column)		Moss Motors 326-388
'Mickey Mouse' air cleaner wing nut
Original tan marbled steering wheel		I have not been happy with the reproduction units as I feel the color is too dark. If you have an old wheel you might want to check with Kimble Engineering, in the UK. They reportedly have the original mold tooling for the steering wheel and has them made in the original materials (even in the original city). Also note that I believe the centerpiece to be darker than what is generally accepted today. See finish details for more information and the attached image.
Original steering wheel center piece		Moss Motors 262-340. Will need to be repainted.
Plain door threshold plates		Abingdon Spares 65 013a Threshold Plate, Plain
Original width running board strips and rubber		Sportsparts SM0046/SM0047 Running Board Tread Rubber - Long/Short. As of February 2015 Moss Motors was reported to have these too but you had to ask.
Countersunk aluminum rivets to secure running board strips to running boars		3/16 X 5/16 100' C'SUNK HEAD 1100F ALUMINUM RIVETS from www.rivetsinstock.com
Original Karvel unbound carpeting		Heritage Upholstery & Trim, Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares
Original transmission dipstick cover wing nut
Mahogany rotary cut marine plywood floorboards 1/2" thick		Boulter Marine Plywood
Tan leather steering wheel excluder at scuttle with correct clamp		Moss Motors 454-040
Sewn in rubber footwell with MG logo on later LHD cars		There is no exact source for this. You may be able to carefully carve out a channel for the stitching in the edge with one of the reproductions.
Painted interior color fuel tank strap bolt heads and washers		N/A
Paint extends onto the rim of the gas tank sides		Don't mask the gas tank sides and paint from the center to the outside. You may need to clean the paint off of the chrome edge a bit after it drys
Painted instrument faces rather than decals		Vintage Restorations
Original flocked lined glove box		Moss Motors 454-155. You will have to flock it yourself with brown flock.
Original tools and tool case		The In-Point for reproductions
Original hand crank with nickle over brass handle, clips on rear of seat back		Moss Motors 386-150
Original operation manual, workshop manual, parts catalog
Original dealer brochures
Original Factory Accessories
Direction of and correct type of bolts and nuts (see manuals for guidance on positions)		Various suppliers
Correct washers		Clarke Spares and Restorations
Correct frame clips for brake lines, wiring and fuel line		Moss Motors 326-326
CAD Temperature Capillary Tube		There is some evident that this may have also been black oxide.
Rear end stenciled with TD		Either in yellow or white. Not all cars had this stencil but many did.
Triplex windshield etching		Lew Palmer See the instructions for the correct date coding for your car.
¼" Thick windshield glass		From the Frame Up CR304 Windshield glass, TD
Solid round sidecurtain rivets and washers		The head dia is 5mm, the round head height is 2.8mm, the dia is 3mm. The washer is 3/8" x 18swg or 1.2mm. Try this source for Imperial round rivets Saphire Products
Painted nuts and rivets on inside of sidecurtain frames		You can do this yourself with a touch up brush
Rubber seal on early tie rod ends		McMasters Part #4737T7, 5/8 ID, 1-1/4 OD, 1/4" height.
Exterior machine screw and washer on hood at top bow		Fastenal Finish Washer The washers and machine screw head were painted a flat tan to match the hood fabric.
Hidem cap painted flat tan		Cap was nailed in place and then the nail was hand painted. Lang's Old Car Parts
Wiring loom serial number tag		On the fuel pump ground wire. A unique numerical brass collar.
Small ground wire on distributor clamp to block		For those with clamping distributors (early), there is an extra ground wire from the clamp to the engine block. This is a sheathed wire that goes from under the clamping nut to the top generator bracket at the block.
Fold in front wing piping		The piping along the front wing and running board was folded toward the engine. It was cut squarely at the rear fender. Photos courtesy of LaVerne Downey

Note that depending on the Concours d'Elegance that you are attending, accessories that were available during the production run of the MGTD may or may not be acceptable. This varies from event to event, judge to judge.

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