1954 MG T-Series

TF Convertible

1250cc 4 Cylinder

Manual 4 Speed

XPAGTF35247

Clear

Gasoline

1954 MG TF Exceptional Low Mile Survivor (Interior is questionable to originality) Original Drivetrain, Paint & Chrome 34486 Original Miles Numbers Matching (Less than 3000 miles since 1991 - Records Verify) Southern California Car Incredible Original Patina Over $10K in Recent Mechanical & Appearance Work ZERO RUST EXAMPLE (Never Hit Body - Original Body Panels - Chassis) VIN # XPAGTF35247 Chassis # HDA26/5166 (see picture of Manufacturer’s Plate on firewall) DECODE HD = MG Open 2-Seater A = Black 2 = Right Hand Drive for Export Market 6 = (Paint) Cellulose Body w/Synthetic Wings (fenders) 5166 = Chassis Number of 9599 TF’s Built Engine # XPAG/TF 35247 XPAG = 1250 models (1953 &54) (see picture of # on Engine Block Octagonal Medallion & Manufacturer’s Plate) Rare Right Hand Drive (English) Swiss Export Car - JH Keller AG of Zurich Swiss Made Spare Tire Cover (Rare) Original Laystall Lucas Aluminum Head (Rare) Numbers on Head: 221 8 4 54 BLACK/BLACK (Interior Changed to Black Vinyl prior to 1968) Original 1250cc 4-cylinder Engine 4-Speed Manual on the Floor Brand New Radial Black Wall Tires Wire Wheels Sandblasted and Powder Coated Undercarriage/Chassis Detailed to Like New Engine Bay Detailed Radiator Complete New Recore & Overflow Tank Brand New Fuel Sending Unit and Speedo Cable Link to 74 Pictures on Photobucket: (same pics as in eBay, but if for some reason they do not load here) http://s669.photobucket.com/user/fmattingly/library/MG%20TF%201954%20Black MG Personali-T-F The MG’s from the early 50’s are one of my favorite cars on the plant earth and this one comes out of a local collection with a simply incredible story. Now there are cars that are completely restored and just beautiful and then there are rare little original survivors like this one that just cannot be duplicated. This little gem has obviously seen little action as the odometer just recently turned over 34K miles... 23 YEARS AGO!!!! . It has traveled less than 300 miles since then and we have records to prove it (dating back to 1991). The car is tight and nimble and feels just like a low mileage original car is supposed to. The second (current owner) bought this car in Riverside in 1968 from an Air Force Officer that brought the car over from his European Tour of Duty in 1954-56, having spent that time in Switzerland, where he was stationed. Note the JH Keller AG Zurich badging on the hood, so the car was obviously an export car to Switzerland originally. Keller was the Swiss MG importer. At that time of purchase from the first owner the car had almost 34k miles on it. DISCLAIMER #1 I am reporting this mileage based on what has been told to me by the second owner (current owner). Personally, I believe this may indeed be the actual mileage, but I have no way to guarantee that it is. If you are local and can visit this car and inspect it for yourself, then bid accordingly. In 1968 when the current owner bought the car from the Air Force Officer in Riverside, CA and drove it from Riverside to Palm Springs where the car resided in a garage covered until around 1989. He started the car regularly but was only driven a hand full of times. In 1991 he decided he was going to give the car to his nephew who needed a car, so they removed the cover and began to recommission the car for serious road use again in 1991. The records show the car had 34133 in 1991 when work began. In 1991 the car had a completely new wiring harness installed, complete brakes and the carburetors rebuilt. The fuel system was drained and a comprehensive tune-up was done to get the car running at peak performance. The idea of the car going to the nephew was scrapped for a newer car. He then drove the car less than 100 miles for the next three years, which required the carbs to be rebuilt again and replaced the tires. The records from the current owner show just how little he drove the car in the last 23 years. 1991 - 34133 1994 - 34202 4-1994 - 34205 2007 - 34397 5-2014 - 34433 The work that was recently done included a complete Tune-Up and Ignition Coil. The carbs were rebuilt including new floats. The brakes were attended to and replaced or rebuilt as needed, all brake shoes were replaced. The Master Cylinder was replaced. Lower Control Arm Bushings were completely replaced, due to age & cracking. The Cooling System was attended to by replacing the thermostat, radiator cap and radiator support mount in addition to a complete set of hoses. The fuel tank was removed, cleaned out and a new fuel pump was commissioned. The wheels were removed, sand blasted and powder coated. New radial tires were installed. The Body was “carefully” cleaned and polished by one of the foremost experts in Original Paint Restoration in Southern California. From time to time we see an exceptional survivor vehicle of this type, but they are getting more rare by the minute. This car recently came out of long term storage by the second owner in Southern CA since 1968. The car has gone through a gentle cleaning process to restore the original paint while being careful not to remove any of its glorious original texture and patina. The interior was gently cleaned and left in the state it was found in 1968. The seats are firm and comfortable and are not in need of rebuilding. According to the current owner the top was also in place in 1968 and is in exceptionally nice condition. The inner and outer top material look very period to me, but I am not an expert on MG’s by any means and I have been told by some very credible members of the TD/TF MG Club that this top is not original. The side curtains come with the car, however there are no pictures, they match the overall interior/exterior condition. According to MG records, the interior material should have been leather and Green to match the dash that is in the car. The second owner swears that this is the interior that came with the car and he never replaced it and says the original owner did not as well. However, this just does not line up with what MG did during that period and seems unlikely. The dash, door panels, carpets and seats are all in solid shape and match the other elements of this complete and solid interior. (Note: It was very bright out when I took the pictures and there was a lot of glare on the gauge faces, they are not cloudy, just glare from the sun and direct light) The gauges are in wonderful original condition. I was told, again my the MG Club members that the steering wheel and shifter knob are not original, so do your homework and be advised. Also, you will see in the pictures that the interior dash is Green with the Cooper/Tan colored gauge surround area. This indicates that the interior came from the factory with the light green leather. Note: looking at this interior just as a collector and restorer of many old cars this interior “looks” like it is original. It looks like the vinyl from that era and it has a worn in look. I was told by the 2nd owner that this WAS the interior that was in the car when he bought it in 1968. He thinks the original owner bought the car that way from the factory, but there is simply no way to substantiate this claim as to true or false, so the interpretation is open to debate. Also, I have studied the top extensively and while it does look from that era and has a wonderful vintage look to it, it is definitely a replacement top in my estimation. Again, it is in wonderful shape. I did not secure it in the pictures but it will button up nicely and is incorporates a snug fit. To me, the interior was likely replaced before the second owner purchased the car, as all the imperical evidence seems to point. None the less, the interior “looks” and matches the patina of the rest of the car. It takes away from the car being 100% Survivor, but still makes for a fine example. The body on this machine is near perfection with no visible signs of ever having been touched. This body example screams virgin to me, but then again I have only pulled apart over 100 cars and have been a survivor “freak” my entire life, having judged survivor class events and a steward of over 10 survivor cars of my own. Again, I am not an authority on MG paint from this era but feel this is the factory paint as there is no evidence of overspray on anything or tape lines anywhere. My opinion would be that greater than 90% of the paint is original. All panels are flat and free of dings or dents. Look at the close up pictures of shut lines on the doors & hood and I think you would agree. In person it is much more obvious, especially if you grew up looking at cars from this era. Original cars like this are simply automotive artwork in this type of condition and becoming increasingly difficult if not downright impossible to find these days. NOTE: On the body pictures you will notice in some of the pictures that the hood seems to be raised up in the front right at the chrome grille on both sides about 1/2 and inch. I did not have the hood closed all the way, if you look at some of the later pictures of the body you will notice the hood fits completely flat to the chrome front grille panel. I didn’t have time to go back and reshoot all the pictures. The seventh picture down, close up of the front end clearly shows how well the hood closes, picture six shows it not closed properly. Also to note, the spinner hubs and turn signal lights on the top of the fenders were replaced with reproductions because the originals were pitted and dull. However, the spinner hubs will come with the car should someone want to rechrome and refit them. I’m afraid the signals lights were removed and possibly thrown away by mistake. The paint is very original and in exceptional shape. It is flat and vibrant in the sun or shade. Normally these original paint cars have some degree of decay, just from years of not being covered or left out in the sun. This is not the case here, this car simply sat in a garage in the Desert with a cover over it for over 46 years that we know of. I cannot accurately describe just how nice and original the body and paint are on this genuine factory example. I don't care how good you are or how much money you spend to duplicate it, there is no replicating the look and feel of this paint & chrome from this era. There is literally no reproduction to that process, only time and the proper environment can create it. These original old paint cars have a look and feel of depth that no two-stage paint can have. This is a benchmark type of example, at least from an exterior presentation. I might note that most of the MG TF’s were for export to the U.S., about 90%, so the right hand drive examples are extremely rare. The secret to buying really great cars is to find never hit, virgin, no rust cars with low miles. This little MG retains everything that came with it from the factory, save the interior in my estimation. The undercarriage is extremely neat and tidy, it was lightly cleaned and left completely factory original. Some light painting was applied to the undercarriage to keep it sealed from the elements. This is an original factory example of how a floor should look from a clean, dry climate. It screams originality. Mechanically the car starts right up and does not smoke. The engine performs well at all speeds and has plenty of power. It was recently tuned and the brakes were addressed and stop the car with authority. I have sat in traffic and it does not heat up. I would get in this car and drive it to San Francisco tomorrow without hesitation. This would be a great car to vintage rally... as it is comfortable, strong and a capable performer. The car is fitted with an “original” Laystall Lucas Aluminum Head. The build date appears to be 8-4-1954, according to the stampings (see pictures). These period performance heads are quite rare, according to the MG folks. We have no idea when this was done, except to say it was on the car when purchased by the second owner (current owner) in 1968. It would be safe to say that the engine block was probably painted black in that period as the black paint looks old to me and there are hints of the original red paint underneath. Having just spent $10K on all things mechanical, everything works on this car just like it should, it drives down the road straight as an arrow and has many years of fun driving before it should require any attention. These cars are extremely simple to work on and parts are readily available. The fact that the wiring harness was replaced takes away most of the issues that these cars face from the factory. Also, it has also always been in dry storage since that harness was replaced. It has been pointed out to me that the hose clamps and various small parts under the hood are not factory original and obviously were replaced at some point. While this car may indeed not be 100% Survivor, it does match nicely from one area of the car to the other. The paint looks exceptional because it was just polished and cleaned to a very high level. One might say too much, but it does look terrific in person. At the same time it looks like old paint, that has simply survived by spending so much of its like in a dry garage with a cover over it. Examples like this are rapidly increasing in value. It represents a fractional investment to those of its contemporaries; Aston Martins and Jaguar C, D’s & XK’s. Instant acceptance to any gathering of important English made cars. If you are a survivor collector this is about as good as it gets; likely you may never see another quite like this one again. Drive it, enjoy it, it will only get better with time in the hands of a particular type of owner. Like fine classic buildings and timeless works of art, time and tide seem to only enrich these fine Automotive Masterpieces. Get one now before they go off the investment chart. For additional information, call Frank between the hours of 8AM and 11PM seven days a week, at 949-310-6262. The current (2nd) owner’s phone number is available to persons of serious interest. TERMS & CONDITIONS: The car is for sale locally and we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time before the end of the auction. We do not have a Buy It Now Price listed. The car will be made available for inspection by serious bidders throughout the auction. Please e-mail us if you would like to see the car. If you prefer, we can arrange to have a qualified, independent, professional mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection for you (at your expense). PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL AS A FORM OF PAYMENT. THIS IS TRUE FOR BOTH THE INITIAL DEPOSIT AS WELL AS THE FINAL PAYMENT. Winning bidder must contact us within 24 hours of auction end, and make arrangements for payment at that time. A $500.00 deposit is due within 48 hours of end of auction. The deposit can be made by cash (please do not mail cash!), bank check, cashier's check, or bank transfer (preferred). The remainder is due within 10 days of Auction end. The remaining balance must be made in the form of a bank transfer (preferred) Cashier's check, or bank check (all forms of payment subject to verification). PayPal will not be accepted as a form of payment for either the deposit or the final payment. If no contact is made within 24 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle, sell it to the next high bidder, or sell it otherwise. Please arrange financing prior to bidding. Once the final balance has been paid, title transfer paperwork will be initiated. Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, we will gladly cooperate, you can locate shippers by doing a search for “auto shippers”. We have relationships with both domestic and international shippers should you need some assistance. This vehicle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Please Check My Feedback- I value my 100% positive rating, and will do my best to keep it. The winning bidder should have the car insured from the time the final payment is made to us. Once final payment is made, we will exercise a generally accepted standard of care, but the buyer assumes all liability and risk once the final payment is made. Before delivery of the vehicle, the winning bidder must provide a photocopy of a valid driver’s license. Delivery is defined as the time at which physical possession of the car is transferred from us, the seller, to the buyer or the buyers’ agent or chosen transport company. If you are not sure about something, Please ASK. Do not assume anything not listed is included. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale. Please do not bid on this auction unless you are serious about owning this vehicle. PLEASE ONLY BID WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY.