If you have the desire to get your hands on an iconic British sports car project, then this 1954 MG TF might be a car that is worth considering. It appears to be largely complete, and some of the restoration work has already been completed for you. Barn Finder Andria A spotted the little MG for us, so thank you for that Andria. The MG is located in Tigard, Oregon, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set the price for the MG at $6,895.
What we can see of this little MG looks quite promising. The owner does seem a bit confused, as he says that the car is complete except for the passenger side front fender. I think that he actually means that the car is missing the fender off the driver’s side. The body looks quite good, and it looks like it may have been the recent recipient of some fresh paint. The news is even better, because the car comes with all new chrome and a new soft-top, and these are still all in their boxes.
The owner says that this isn’t the original engine, but it is a larger unit. I believe that this is the 1,466cc XPEG engine, which produces 63hp. This is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission which sends the drive to the rear wheels. We don’t get any indication about the health of the engine, but the clean appearance is quite promising. We also don’t get any clear shots of the interior, but the upholstery on the seats looks to be in good condition, although the color looks a bit odd from half-way up the seat backrests. One item that the next owner won’t have to worry about is the carpet, as this is all new.
The MG TF is no rocket-ship, but these are a nice little top-down cruiser. There were 9,600 produced for worldwide sale during an 18-month production run, and the majority of these came to the USA. This one has the potential to be a nice one, and if it is solid and can be brought back to life relatively easily, then it would be a great little car to have for those leisurely Summer outings.
u-g-l-y
I can’t believe this is still available. The color combination is downright elegant and if all the pieces are there it’s a bargain, even disassembled.
Still not willing to give up my C6, but sorely tempted.
I disagree, it may not be in your wheelhouse but it is far from ugly. It’s not possible for me to own one at the present time but I would not hesitate to buy a TC, TD or TF if the right situation presented itself. I guess opinions are like elbow’s after all. We all have a couple of em.
These are reasonably quick and handle nicely. My dad bought one quite late on in life – the car he’d always fancied – and then I drove it far faster than he dared. It’s an interesting combination of vintage looks and more modern handling, although there’s a lot of scuttle shake. It’s a bit like dancin’. D.
There were 3500 TF 1500s made. But as this is not the original engine, perhaps a mute point. That said, I thought I was stealing one of these today but the owner told me the original engine is gone and replaced by a Volvo motor of all things. And it’s been sitting for 6 years. I’m passing. But if a 3k TF with a Volvo motor interests you, check this out: http://www.mgocsf.org/Forum-Swap-Meet/ArtMID/595/ArticleID/61/CategoryID/2/CategoryName/For-Sale/1955-MGTF-1500-For-Sale-3500-Or-Best-Offer
Many moons ago, while in high school in Burbank California, a classmate had a thoroughly disreputable looking MGTD, I mean we used bungie cords to hold the doors closed!
But
Under the hood lay a fire breathing hot rodded Volvo 1800 engine!
We were the terror of Mulholland Drive, Griffith Park and Forest Lawn Drive in that car. We would hunt down unsuspecting Porsche 356’s with the rolling junk pile!
Why I bet even Beatnik Bedoin must have seen, heard or smelled it a time or two “back in the day” on Riverside Drive or Alameda . . .
I was a foreign car mechanic in the late 1960’s and I saw several MGTD’s with Volvo engines, TD’s didn’t have much value, and the cheapest way to keep them on the road was used. TC’s and TF’s were rarer and often more original.
For some reason, when TD’s were repainted, the were often two toned, and in very non-original colors.
I think this one looks great!
If I had room in the garage for one – I would scoop this one up.
Parts are very available.
Great buy.
Thanks for the info Ben. Did these stay on the road for long? Were there common issues? When I was dreaming of this TF this week I was thinking electronic ignition and fuel pump might be a good upgrade here.
Of the T series cars, the TF is my all time favorite. I sure wouldn’t kick one off my driveway. I would actually be interested in a project like this one but the timing couldn’t be more off. However, for someone, the end product is worth the effort…
Nice beater George, bucket list car for me!
Lots of early T series cars had the volvo upgrade if not the engine certainly the transmission as they ate the original trannys. I would not be too concerned with the conversion as the car is a beauty and a lot of fun on the road