Originality versus sensible upgrades?

[SteveW]

We are all aware that there are 'modern' upgrades available that make our cars run better, handle better or hold together better. However, this can lead us to a dilemma about whether to upgrade or keep to original design so I thought that I would start a thread to gather opinions. This was partially inspired by the modifications mentioned in MS's TC Forever More (TCFM), but also out of general interest. The modifications that I'm aware of (ignoring whole engine swaps etc) are:

Modern oil seals in rear axle and diff (I've adopted these)
Taper bearings in wheel hubs (I've kept mine standard, but used sealed units)
Bishops cam to VW steering (I'll probably keep as is, but not got to that part yet)
Reinforcement of rear wheel arch to back board wood with small metal brackets (adopted - see my other thread)
Angle iron sub-frame for side screen box as in TCFM (seems like a step too far for my taste)
Change in design of door hinge section as in TCFM (unsure about this one, opinions please)
Metal reinforcing plate at wood where windscreen mounts are as in TCFM (not sure yet, looks sensible)
Seatbelts (I plan to adopt - cannot imaging driving a car without seat belts)

I know that its mostly personal taste, but it would be interesting to know what people think.

[stephen stierman]

When I restored TC2911 some years ago my interest was returning it to a fairly original state with correct lighting, colors, and materials that were reasonably close to how it left the works. There were some changes I felt were necessary for safety and longevity. An extra D lamp at the rear so directional signals could be incorporated front and rear, a spin on oil filter to replace an aftermarket canister that required expensive elements, and a paper air filter mounted inside the original housing. Yes, seat belts, steel brake lines, and (horrors) a Wilwood MC to replace an incorrect leaky TD MC added by some owner many years ago. Tapered bearings at the front and lip seal rear axles nuts, and probably a few other minor modifications that escape me, other than Brooklands screens which I really like as a period item. You will notice that most of these things are not really apparent and could be reversed easily enough if someone wished. The car is typically not used for high speed driving; so no five speed or supercharger, and the BC box works well enough so no VW modification. There are some repro items on this car as certain items can no longer be found, but all in all it looks and drives as a '48 TC would have. I recognize that these cars are around 70 years old and have had many owners, each making their own "improvements" and that is ok if you wish. My desire was not to turn the car into a Miata a I have a couple of those already.

[Steve Simmons]

I'm a purist at heart, and I drive old cars because they are old cars. I want the vintage motoring experience. That said, I don't always stick to a purely original state. I appreciate period-correct modifications and have made at least a couple of them to most of my old cars. There is also the argument that to truly use a 70-year-old car on today's roads, some concessions should be made for safety and to adapt to modern traffic speeds and conditions. Even when new, these cars weren't really designed for the high-speed American roads which today are about 30 MPH faster than they were back then. So I'm constantly searching for that compromise between safety, usability and reliability that I need to continue motoring thousands of miles per year, without losing what the car is or the experience of driving something historic.

Here are a few things I've done to my car to achieve this goal. I never make permanent modifications (i.e. drilling holes, cutting, welding) and try to retain the look, feel and sound of the original design, or at least what it may have been were I modifying it in 1949.

Rear Axle:

• Tapered rear axle shafts: Virtually eliminates the chance of snapping an axle while on tour. Well worth it and no one would ever know they are there.
• Sealed rear hub nuts: An improvement in safety and maintenance with no visual or performance changes.
• Differential: 4.875 gearing from MG TA for reduced RPM on the highway. I plan to further increase this to 4.625.
• Tapered pinion bearings: The stock bearing is a known weak point, and when it comes apart it can do damage to other parts. The tapered bearing is far more durable. I also installed an upgraded pinion seal from Moss to reduce leaks.

Front end:

• New, oversized front spindles: A major safety improvement in my opinion. No change to performance, just a reduction in the chance of losing the front quarter of your car while at speed. Original spindles were known to occasionally break, and after 70 years of unknown abuse I wasn't ready to trust my life (or my wife's) to them. No visual difference unless you notice the larger hub nut beneath the knockoff.
• Panhard rod: I drive my car hard in the canyons and this has improved steering response. It may be a period correct component, I'm not really sure, but it's bolt-on and almost no one would notice it was there even if they looked underneath. At a glace it just looks like the steering rod.
• Datsun steering: This was on my car when I bought it. It's a mixed blessing that I don't like having but am not sure I'll get rid of. I would not run a VW box because the ratio is way too low for me. The Datsun box is also low ratio but not quite as bad. The conversion does change the character of the car greatly in my opinion, taking away a lot of the sportiness. But it also makes it a lot easier to handle, both physically and mentally. I wish someone would make a Datsun-type box with a higher ratio for the best of both worlds.
• Tie rod ends: Replaced the rod ends on the track rod for solid, since I don't have a BC box. I feel that this improves stability somewhat because you're getting rid of the spring setup of the original which offered shock absorption to protect the BC box.

Engine:

• Spin-on oil filter adapter: An improvement in ease of maintenance and arguably, quality of filtering. Although this is a visual change, it saves a lot of money at every oil change and makes the job much faster and easier. No modification to the car is necessary, it just bolts on in place of the original filter. I paint the spin-on filter engine color to make it look more period. If you painted both parts, it would look a lot like the original part. I also run braided oil filter hoses in place of the original hard lines, which have been known to crack.
• On engine performance, there is nothing you would see from the outside. Increased compression to 9.1:1, installed roller cam and currently having a head fully reworked with porting and larger inlet valves to hopefully let the roller cam do something other than cost a lot of money. Recurved distributor. Pancake air filters (period appropriate). Lightened flywheel for improved throttle response.
• Diaphragm clutch to deal with higher engine output. Pedal travel is greatly reduced so on the plus side you gain a few inches of left leg room. On the downside the clutch is very sensitive compared to original, and heavier. An adapter could return the original travel and feel but I'm enjoying the leg room too much to do this.
• Larger exhaust size to help breathing. Period correct other than materials used.
• Exhaust gasket: Converted to MGA donut. More reliable and cheaper. Not a permanent mod.
• Aluminum valve and side covers: Period correct. Looks nice.
• Brass water jacket plate at rear of cylinder head: No more rust and the thick material is less likely to leak. Painted engine color so it's invisible.
• Copper freeze plugs: No more rust. Left natural color with clear coat. I still used a steel plug on the rear cam hole for strength. In fact I double-plugged it.
• Runbaken Oil Coil: A cool, original period performance coil made from pre-war through the 1950's.

Brakes:

• Alfin brake drums: A period-correct part, although the ones today don't really look correct. But they are close enough and offer slightly improved braking. This is a safety item as well as looking great.
• Cupro brake lines with custom stainless steel flare nuts and protective coil: They don't rust. And the nuts have taller flats so they don't round out so easily.

Lighting:

• LED tail light inserts: This is purely a safety item. The original lights are just to dim for today's roads. Headlights are so bright now that they drown out the TC brake lights. The LED lamps are much brighter, and as an added bonus they draw less current. I run two rear lamps, again for safety.
• Halogen headlamp bulbs: Brighter lights, that's all. I also run PF770 tripod dishes and lenses because I love the look. They're modern reproductions of period-correct items. Original TC buckets.

Interior:

• Seat belts: 2-point. Mounted outside to frame, inside to trans tunnel metal. This was my idea to combat the danger of body shift in a major crash.
• Brooklands wheel: A recent period-correct addition. I love the original (and rare) home market wheel, but mine is in poor condition. The Brooklands wheel turned out to be a great swap. It's far stiffer so steering confidence is improved. I'm not as happy with the spoke / hand positions but I'm getting used to it. It will need a leather wrap though.
• Water temperature gauge: Period-correct accessory that I would not drive any old car without. I use an original Jaeger unit that matches the TC gauges.

Suspension / Wheels:

• Polyurethane bushings for increased stability and steering response, as well as greatly increased bushing durability. No change in ride quality was noted.
• Heavy duty spokes: Double-butted spokes for added strength. No one would ever know they were there unless you were savvy enough to spot the longer spoke nipples. They are stronger than stock, but Mike Sherrell still managed to break two spokes on the front left. We have some very twisty canyons here and he took full advantage of them.

That's all I can remember, although I still plan to use tapered front hub bearings next time around and will probably mount a period-correct supercharger in the near future just to play with.

[XPAGnut]

Steve W, good to keep in mind that the changes Sherrell writes on have a lot to do with necessity and uber high mileage.

[dirk w dondorp]

Great!
Reading all that I hardly dare to take our old - 1946- not upgraded girl out on the very dangerous heavy and fast traffic roads in Germany and through the Alps:-((
Dirk - not a purist BTW!

[Steve Simmons]

Stock is good, but it does come with a couple downsides. A few safety items (mainly seat belts, rear lights and front spindles) and increased maintenance.

[dirk w dondorp]

Upgrade:
not all of us have that easy and affordable acces to all those goodies mentionned earlier where I live, but we managed Alfins and LED brake and rear lights nevertheless!
For the rest, carefull and easy driving and at 74, a lifelong experience for staying alive in todays traffic with an old but super, honest car:-))

[Robert Brennan]

I installed a c.1960 (NOS) Ampco top end oiler that the late Dave Raymond (#96 NE MG T Register) gave me. He swore by "Mystery Oil" and had oilers on all his TC's. I also used up the silicone "Roadster Gaskets" that I had ordered five years ago and never got around to installing. Both products are still readily available.
7794's previous owner converted to Datsun steering for which I am grateful.
Bob Brennan
S. Freeport, ME

Sorry, unable to post pic.

[Tom P]

Is it a consensus that seat belts are a good option for these cars? Honestly, I look at my TC and figure I would like to take my chances on being thrown from it rather than skewered on all the hard, wood, splintered, twisty bits that would face me in a crash. I suppose this comes down to a coin toss on the type of accident you get into... My conclusion is that you are all forbidden from getting into an accident. There. Problem solved! :o)

[stephen stierman]

I have belts in my old cars, Morgan, TC, etc. but have no false hopes about survivability in a major crash with these cars considering their construction and design. I do on occasion take my grandkids on short, slow, careful rides from time to time and feel better about them not flying about should something unforetold occur.

[dirk w dondorp]

In my humble opnion TC seatbelts are dangerous, when used in seats without an adequate neck/head support. The backlash from the belt will break your neck for sure! So what options do we have None??? J........ust take it easy and pray that those "big stuff " collissions will not occur.

[XPAGnut]

A great number of ways seat belts can lessen injuries in a crash in a TC. Maybe one or two ways no seat belts might possibly do the same. Surprised to hear such talk here. True, with low back seats a seat belt will not prevent your neck being snapped when hit from behind, but to claim a seat belt will increase neck damage is fantasy. All these claims of seatbelt dangers (even in cars like this) were totally disproven long ago.

[Steve Simmons]

I don't think lap belts will make one bit of difference to neck injury. In a rear end accident, the seat holds you in place and your head goes back. If you hit someone else, your entire torso goes forward, not just your neck, although a shoulder belt could make it a little worse than none I guess. What seat belts will do is prevent you from flying forward and shattering both kneecaps, possibly even leg bones, on the under-dash structure. They will also lessen the force of impact on the steering shaft (into your chest) and possibly your head onto the windscreen. At the least, they won't make it any worse.

I think the only danger posed by seat belts is body shift. If the impact breaks the body from the frame and the body moves, and assuming you have bolted the belts into the steel frame, then the seat will travel separately from the belt. If the seat moves forward, you may suffer serious internal injury. You can prevent this by attaching the belts to the body instead, but this isn't as secure so you run the risk of the belts tearing free from the wood in a serious accident.

In a rollover, a lap belt is arguably safer than a shoulder belt because you can duck, even if forced to by hitting the road. Obviously shoulder belts would greatly reduce the chances of injury in a frontal crash, although there is no good place to mount them. Plus, mounting below the shoulders (which you have to do in a TC without a roll bar) can result in broken shoulder bones quite easily, so no easy win there.

My idea was to mount one side of a lap belt to the frame of the car and the other to metal which will move with the body (prop tunnel), which hopefully then offers some "give" to the belt to move with the body but only half as much. I figure that if it tightens 4 inches, it will hurt. But if it tightens 8" it would be a real problem.

Pretty much every study I've read has proven that being thrown from a car in a crash gives a high chance of serious injury or death. Only in a few freak accidents has it saved anyone. But in the end, we're driving relatively unsafe cars and we all take the chances we feel best with.

[XPAGnut]

No matter what steering box used, many like a smaller steering wheel for their TC. Everyone knows the original wheels fell apart pretty soon.

[Steve Simmons]

I think the smaller steering wheel thing is a more recent development in the hobby, due to age versus belly size.

[XPAGnut]

I like Robert's Amco Marvel mystery oiler. These allow MMO to be fed in with air/fuel to help lube valve's mainly, are they not? What with ethanol fuel, could be helpful if fancy exhaust valves and guides are not in place. Maybe help clean out coke in old engines, also? Maybe also increase compression in tired out old engines? I seem to recall people adding a portion of kerosene to the fuel for similar purposes, though I never tried it.

[Tom Lange, MGT Repair]

And then there is always water injection! A TF that used to be in a local car museum had water injection, and the museum's owner swore by it.

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine