1953 MGTD

[wayno]

Well I drug the MGTD out today, originally I wanted to get this ready for the swap meet, but I don't think I am going to have the time to swap the engine/transmission out and get it running in time to take it there and put a ridiculous price on it, not sure what I am going to do with my space this year.
I looked in the tank and found it empty, not sure why that would be, but I am hoping it is a loose fitting rather than ethanol gas eating a hole in the tank, and I hit the brake pedal and found nothing in the way of brakes, but to do the engine swap I have to remove the whole interior anyway, so the master will be easy to get to.
So here it is fresh out of the shed where the cats were making it home.


Wish I had more time, I can likely work on it a couple hours each day, but I will not be holding my breath.

[510freak]

That is a cool little MG-TD Wayne!
Always liked them

I have a Model kit of of(part assembled) its a 1948 TC

[K_trip]

My Dad sold his '53 TD a few years ago. Great cars - lots of character!

As you well know, working on an old Datsun (pre-Prince Motors merger) is similar to working on these

[DRIVEN]

Another barn find at Waynos house. It's like an episode of Chasing Classic Cars.

[wayno]

I took off the stock carb today, it didn't work good 2 years ago, so I was certain it wasn't going to work now, so I attempted to put a Weber on it, but the adapter I pulled off the 210 several years ago would not work, I tried real hard but gave up and just put a set of dual SUs on it, it will only take a couple days to get it running this way and have it movable, then when I figure everything out, I will likely install the MG engine.



I know it seems like a waste of time putting the dual SUs on it, but it will be movable instead of me having to push it or use a come along to move it around, I like my vehicles to move under their own power if possible, and then if I have something else come up, the thing will move when I need to move it.

[wayno]

Another thing I remembered today was that the front engine mount for the MGTD engine, and the Datsun J13 block that was in it when I got it was a single mount just in back of the front crank pulley, while this engine has the more traditional mounts on the front sides.
I am thinking about making a plate that bolts on the existing mounts of the engine and have it mount like it originally did in the front center, and then make a bracket on one side that holds the engine upright with rubber isolaters, this is how the J13 block was mounted, and it was how they did it from the factory also.

[wayno]

Well it is running with the A block in it with dual SUs, it was a fight, but I won.
I would squirt a little gas in each carb and hit the starter and it would run for a second or two, but it would not pull fuel up out of the gas can, so I put an electric fuel pump on it, after I fixed all the leaking hoses I started trying to start it again with no luck, turned out the fuel line harness on the carbs was plugged, so after that was cleared, I tried again and was rewarded, it finally continued to run, now I had another issue, the carbs had been sitting so long they were sticky, so I fought that for a while until I think I have it, but I have to let the engine cool down, it has no cooling fan.
I adjusted the carbs for idle, I have not messed with the fuel mixture yet as I was just trying to get everything I did last night and today to work properly, I had to install the manifold/carbs, I had to pipe everything, I had to set up a throttle setup.
Here are the carbs without filters, if I want to have filters, I am going to have to remove that side panel, as the carb face is only an inch away from it.

I backed out the car using the e-brake as a brake.




The interior that the cats had made home.

After I eat lunch I will see if I can get the brakes to work again.
Yeah, it started, ran, and moved under its own power.

[510freak]

You won Wayne, Never a doubt

Sure looks solid !

[wayno]

I put an electric fan in this afternoon, it has a thermostat so it turns on at about 180 degrees and off at 160 something.

The brakes basically bled themselves, I filled the reservoir and watched bubbles come up for a while, then everytime I pushed on the pedal a little a few more bubbles came up, after a while no more bubbles and the brakes were solid, never had it work out like that before, but the pedal is solid, and the brakes do work, so I am not going to complain about how easy it was.
Here is where the brake master is, in the floor down by the brake pedal.

I now need to figure out the fuel tank, I cannot drive around with a gas can on the running board, so maybe I will sort that out tomorrow.
I did remove the electric fuel pump today, once I cleared the lines, the stock pump seemed to work fine.

[izzo]

man that car is pretty damn cool haha. just when I thought you had no more, another pops out of nowhere.

[wayno]

man that car is pretty damn cool haha. just when I thought you had no more, another pops out of nowhere.

I have had this one for close to 8 years now, it is very dirty at the moment, I have been worrying about getting it running, not what it looks like.

[wayno]

Well I blew air thru the fuel line going to the tank, then connected everything up and put 5 gallons of fuel in it, started it up and drove it around the neighborhood for 20 to 30 minutes, never got it above 35mph though.
The gas pedal is kinda hard to get to, so if I don't put the MG engine in it, I will need to bend the brake pedal over a couple inches to make room for my foot.
Oh, I also washed it a little.








So now I need to decide what I am going to do here with is car.

[devilsbullet]

Can you adopt me? Please?

[draker]

Very cool car Wanyo! I'd love to see this in person some day. The lines are so beautiful!

[wayno]

Very cool car Wanyo! I'd love to see this in person some day. The lines are so beautiful!

Thankyou, it's not as nice as it looks in the photos, it looks like it has been in a barn for years, which it has.
It's not really my thing, this type of car, I did have a plan, now I don't know what I am going to do, but it now runs and drives, so I can think about it for a while.

[izzo]

I dig the stockness of it, but dem wheels don't fit it in my opinion.

[wayno]

I dig the stockness of it, but dem wheels don't fit it in my opinion.

Them are stock wheels from the factory Tim, I bet you think it should have wire wheels, correct?

[draker]

That's the feel I got from it after Tim mentioned it.

[izzo]

I dig the stockness of it, but dem wheels don't fit it in my opinion.

Them are stock wheels from the factory Tim, I bet you think it should have wire wheels, correct?

Honestly, my thought is the wheels on it are stock. They just don't fit the vehicle. Like it would look better with something else, anything really. Something aftermarket. I've seen more with wire wheels or hubcaps or whatever VS these steely looking ones.

To a purist it's probably awesome and you will probably fetch more bank from it. Personally if I were to buy and have it/drive it I'd find some other wheels to rock on it. That's all i meant

[wayno]

I actually have a set of rusty wire wheels from a MGB for it, that would get me front disc brakes and a better gear ratio for the rear, but right now I am just happy it runs and drives.