MG TD Trike? Really!
This is one of the oddest cars I’ve ever seen! Thanks to Barn Finds reader Erik V.H. for this fantastic find! To quote the ad, which is here on eBay, “Vehicle is a started project never finished. Plan was to convert TD into a Morgan-like trike with forward engine and front-wheel-drive. Chassis started as MG TD a single wheel was installed in rear and a MG 1200 front axle installed with transmission supports for VW trans-axle. The Indian Chief Bonneville engine is in parts but complete. Photo shows assembled engine. Engine you will be buying will NOT be assembled. There may be some missing parts.” I’m pretty sure the steering wheel and column come from a Triumph, so there’s no telling what parts are in there. Wow. Someone had one heck of a dream! The lines, surprisingly, aren’t that bad, although I wonder what the original constructor had in mind for a nose? Although I hate that the TD was cut like this, I do think I’d like to finish this project. Unfortunately, it’s located far from me in Pacoima, California. I admit to loving “oddballs,” but right now the bidding is only $250, even though the reserve isn’t met yet. So I have two questions for you–assume for a moment you would not scrap the car– 1) what do you think this should go for, and 2) what would you do to finish the project?
- You can see where the fenders were
- Triumph wheel and column
- MG 1100 front?
- Homemade?
- Indian V-Twin has been disassembled since pic
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Comments
About 99% of the value of this project is the Indian engine. What do they go for in many pieces??
Hate to see a TD cut up like this, but the builder had a clever idea. He’s probably lucky the project was never completed, as that little Indian mill would have had much more weight to pull around than it was used to. It would never have equaled — or come close to — delivering the performance of a Morgan “trike.”
I get the impression the builder had a few snorts one evening, grabbed his welding torch and metal shears, and started hacking away. Clever, but sad.
The real “value” here would come from any unmolested TD parts that managed to survive. Otherwise, aside from the engine it’s scrap, and not particularly valuable scrap.
Sad waste of a T D.
Wrong. It,s a TF. On the firewall you can see the bolt braket for the fixed side panel . That was only on the TF. Cheers Bob.
Indian engines don’t have much value. I think this is pretty much scrap metal. Ray T is correct about the performance. File this in the “what were they thinking?” category.
Anybody know what happened to this vehicle? It says unsold on ebay. I tried contacting the owner, but got no responce…..
Is this project still floating around? For sale? Any updates please?