One constant theme you detect when reading about the many cars profiled on the pages of Barn Finds is that bargains are available if you are the least bit handy in your garage.  Most of the vehicles featured are desirable and historic automobiles that, unfortunately, need work and are priced accordingly.  Yet the number of people who feel confident enough to take on a big project is dwindling by the day.  If you are up for a full restoration of a classic sportscar, this 1950 MGTD for sale on Craigslist in sunny Inland Empire, California has a lot going for it.  This dandy little MG ran when parked and the engine still turns over.  While it will require work to return this dessicated survivor to the road, it is being offered at a very realistic $5,000.  Can you take this forlorn Southern California survivor and turn it into a great weekend cruiser for the cost of a used Hyundai?

While there were American-made sportscars before World War II, this type of automobile didn’t catch on until after the hostilities ended.  American soldiers, sailors, and airmen were exposed to these while serving overseas, primarily in Great Britain, and a few were brought home.  Importers seized on the new desire by Americans to have fun behind the wheel of a properly handling automobile.  Brands such as MG and Triumph slowly became a presence on our shores.

By the early 1950s, the sports car market was a small, but well-entrenched and growing part of the automobile market.  Races sprung up in little towns such as Watkins Glen, New York.  Later, when safety issues threatened to kill the movement in its infancy, the SCCA brokered an agreement to race on United States Air Force bases thanks to the efforts of Strategic Air Command General Curtis LeMay.  LeMay was a sports car enthusiast of the first order and his intervention came at just the right time.  This military involvement also fertilized the interest of members of our military in the hobby.  By the end of the 1950s, Americans had plenty of choices when it came time to buy a new sportscar.

In these heady days of “motoring fast,” MG was one of the most popular makes.  The MG TC enjoyed sales success in the United States despite being nothing like the average American car.  These diminutive sports cars sported full fenders, wire wheels, a four-cylinder engine, and many other design features long abandoned by stylists and designers.  Yet they looked great and handled better than 99% of the other cars on the road.  MG slightly modernized the car, moved the steering wheel to the proper side, and sold it as the MG TD from 1950 through 1953.  Sales took off, and the TD is widely considered to be the vehicle that proved sports cars weren’t just a passing fad.

75 years after it was produced, the 1950 MG TD you see here is looking for a home.  While at first glance, the car looks to be in poor condition, its long-term storage in the dry climate of Inland Empire, California has gone a long way towards preserving it for an eventual rebirth.  There is some surface rust and the seller hints that a bit of carpentry will be required to get the body framework back to useable condition.  The good news is that it did run when it was placed into storage and that the engine still turns over.

The owner doesn’t provide any details as to why it was parked.  Perhaps it was slated for restoration, as the ad tells us that the car is mostly complete and will come with re-chromed bumpers, a new convertible top, and replacements for the previously mentioned wood pieces.  Perhaps the oddest statement in the ad is that the whitewall tires you see in the pictures will be kept and blackwalls will go with the car to its new home.

The best part of this sale is the price.  This car is being offered for a miserly $5,000.  While it does need a full restoration, MG TDs are about as simple as a car can get.  Your riding lawnmower would probably be more difficult to repair and rejuvenate.  Parts are still readily available through a plethora of online retailers as well.  If you wanted a distinctive car for your first restoration project, this MG TD would be a great candidate.

Have you ever driven or owned an MG TD?  What would be your advice to potential buyers of this car?  Please share your thoughts and advice in the comments.