Assembly Required: 1954 MG TF with MGB Engine
I’m not a fan of engine transplants unless absolutely necessary, but this 1954 MG TF has a devil-may-care vibe that fired my imagination. The blend of straight sheet metal and worn paint is attractive. The generous display of car club badges is the sign of an enthusiast, and in the cabin, the dash shows off Lime Rock and SCCA emblems. Though it has an MGB engine, at least the powerplant comes from the same family. But I am left wondering about the market for this vintage British hot rod. Let’s figure out if this car has an obvious buyer. Thanks to Chuck Foster for finding this neat rendition of an MG TF.
For some unexplained reason, the seller’s father began to partially disassemble the car. We don’t know if the intent was to put the car back to stock or if re-engineering the components was necessary. Midway through this process, the owner passed away. The engine, transmission, rear end, and front suspension are said to be from a 1970 MGB. A Weber carburetor substitutes for the typical twin SUs; you can’t see it here, but the radiator has been left open. The motor turns but parts necessary to make the car run and drive, such as the wiring harness, are missing or not installed. The TF was MG’s curtain call for its “square rigged” cars; this model would have had a 1466 cc XPEG four-cylinder from the factory and a radiator behind a faux grille (complete with exterior faux cap), but otherwise, its mechanicals were shared with the earlier TC. The TF was never considered a final solution to market demand; it was a bridge to the MGA.
Despite the monotonous approach to its mechanicals, the TF’s cabin saw some welcome updates. True individual seats replaced the latter’s bench-backed seating; from the factory, the gauge set was placed in the center of the instrument panel and the gauges were octagonal. This dash is from an early MGB, cut to fit the dual cowl; most likely that’s the source of the instruments as well. No fuel gauge is present – the TF never had one and it might be tricky to make the MGB version work on this car. But that’s what sticks are for! The console looks like the one in my ’72 MGB – though this one is missing the padded “armrest” over the console cubby.
Parts are stacked around the car hither and yon. The seller has twelve boxes of MGB and TF parts that accompany the car. The top and its bows are available; and while I don’t see a windshield, one stanchion is installed on the car. The whole lot is advertised here on facebook Marketplace for $7500. Bring a trailer to Haverstraw, New York to pick her up. That’s a steep price to view this as a parts car, and while I can see a buyer taking this car to reassemble it as the “hot rod” it once was, I’m not convinced the price is right for either buyer. What do you think?
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Comments
Beings as the one we saw a week ago with the same conversion sold for almost $10000 more it certainly isn’t a bad thing though that was in a little bit better condition. The right buyer could bring this back to life and have an everyday driver that’d be a good time behind the wheel.
This one may have some racing pedigree too-it’d be interesting if there were any photos anywhere of this guy ripping up the track.
I have a picture of my mum sitting behind the wheel of her brothers TF, when she was a teenager in Denshaw. Mum would have have used the the same description of the collection of parts that accompany the sale, “hither and yon”. I enjoyed the right up Michelle.
I don’t mind the engine transplant but that dashboard transplant is terrible. What were they thinking?
There a lot of turn key TDs for $15 K and under. I think the TD is prettier anyway, Getting lazy in my old age.
Yes, they’re MGB clocks; shame it’s lost its octagonal ones. Different gearing, maybe.
I think that the Weber is an attempt to get around having the angled pancake filters that were on the original SUs; I doubt that there’s enought room for a filter on top tho’…
Without a sight of the Guarantee plate and chassis number, it is impossible to tell whether this was a 1954 with the 1250 engine, or a 1955 TF with the XPEG 1500 engine. I know, cars were made in 1954 with the 1500 engine, but were almost always registered as ’55 cars. I don’t see the holes for the “1500” badges, so I bet it originally had a 1250.
couple of corrections. The TF’s had individual seats (like the ones you see in the car now) not bench seats like in the MG TD as mentioned in the write up. At least all my 3 TF’s have individual seats including the 1500. Also the 1500 XPEG was introduced in 1955 and there are no 54 1500 MG TF’s as far as i know. The dash and the console is a mixture early MGB and later 70 ‘s MGB but what concerns me is the MGB front suspension and rear end that has been added to this car now since the steering also looks like its from a MGB not the original TF set up..
As for the seats and instruments, the word “latter” is the problem; it should be “TD”.
And there were many TF1500’s produced before the end of 1954 – based on the factory records, the first TF1500 was produced on 22 July, 1954, and during July, August and September, 1954 alone, there were 590 TF1500’s produced, and more through the end of the year. Most 1500’s may not have arrived on these shores and been titled until 1955, but there were many produced in 1954.
The steering and suspension shown are both TF, not MGB.
Finally, I would be most worried about how the firewall had to be hacked out and replaced, to fit the later. As presented, IMHO this is a $2,500 parts car for the fenders.
Michelle Rand in her comment state that the suspension is from a MGB. however you seem to think that the steering and suspension are all from the Tf . not sure how you came to this conclusion just by looking at the steering wheel, when ms Rand who did the write up on this car says the suspension was from a MGB and I am assuming the steering is also may be from the same car.
What is in the box of old TF parts? I am restoring one and would be interested. Thanks.
Mostly MGB parts and/or parts that do not fit a TF…
According to Ms Rand there are 12 boxes of MG TF and MGB parts with the car. I am sure there are more than a few useful MG TF parts in those boxes if someone takes the time to go through those boxes of parts.