Hello from a Brit in France

[frenchblatter]

Just joined the community because I bought a TC last Monday.

The car broke a half shaft so the owner put it in a lockup (garage near his house) and put it on bricks.

That was in 1967. Someone said it must have a wonderful patina, but it looks like rust to me.

The car is in Sheffield England and we live in France. I've arranged transport but it won't get here until the end of the month.

It's a 1949 model in black with red interior. I've started a page on our web site: www,lotus7news.co.uk/MG-TC-HOME.htm

[frenchblatter]

Just updated the web site with all I have. look athttp://www.frenchblat.com

[Steve Simmons]

A real barn find, congratulations! Looks like a real time capsule with some interesting personalizations. I've never seen TD door handles on a TC before. Also an interesting tail lamp treatment with the TD lamps and a D-Lamp turned on end. Looks like an EXU-style steering wheel also.

[frenchblatter]

Steve, I did work on TC's in the early 60s but haven't the knowledge you have. You'll have to help me get it back to original

I have the Moss catalogue so that may help. The previous owner said he put the passenger door handle on as it was a locking one. I'll get originals from Moss and sort the rear lamps out.

Many thanks

[stephen stierman]

Actually it looks to be fairly sound, perhaps the lower rear quarters may be perforated but the rest looks to be mostly surface rust from damp storage. Nice to see that whoever stuck the additional lamps on the rear wings did not hammer the stiffening ridge flat. Interesting to see what an original interior actually looks like too. Does the engine turn?

[frenchblatter]

Yes, engine still turns. The interior is good, just dirty. Some, well a lot, of leather feed will get it back to original, if a bit worn.

The joints betwen running boards and rear wings are rusted, the rest looks like surface rust.

Should be fun, and expensive!

[frenchblatter]

I''ve been thinking about those rear lamps. This car was built 12 days before production ceased (although there normally more cars built after the official date from spares).

Is it possible that the factory started fitting TD rear lamps on the last cars made. Maybe they had run out of stock of the correct lamps.

The same may be why it has TD handles. The previous owner tells me he put the n/s one on as it was locking. He says he has the original.

[stephen stierman]

No, not likely. This was quite a common modification to stick TD tail lamps in various places over the rear wings as well as truck, trailer, accessory lamps bought at the local hardware store. Often a section of the stiffening ridge was hammered flat so the lamp could be placed in the center, a bugger to repair and make look right.

[frenchblatter]

OK, I'll fill the holes and refit D shaped lamps. I really want to get it a close as possible to the way it left the factory.

Thanks

[stephen stierman]

Had to do just that to the pair of wings on my early car.

[frenchblatter]

Oh well it's nice to know I'm not the only one.

I've also got to remove those awful mirrors on the front wings. That's how us Brits used to have them. I remember doing a Pre Delivery Inspection on a MG 1300 (when I was an apprentice at University Motors) and fitted those mirrors on the front wing above the wheel centres. The owner was an Australian in the UK for a year then planned to take the car home. He just fell about laughing when he saw where the mirrors were and said he's get laughed out of Oz if he turned up in a car with the mirrors there. The car had to be de-registered (lots of paperwork) and another car supplied with the mirrors next to the windscreen, er sorry, windshield. I'll put some on the lower windscreen bracket if it's possible as I will want to fold the screen flat. Not sure if you've seen my Caterham which has no windshield, just an aeroscreen. Good fun at 150 mph!

[dirk w dondorp]

I have, as most other TC's (also Brits) the mirrors mounted on the windscreen brackets, where they should be and also both Aero screens mounted, so both options available and also fun at 60 MPH!
Dirk
Hamburg

No gites for rent, not even for members!!!

[frenchblatter]

Dirk, I've researched and Moss don't seem to have the correct mirrors but Holdens do. They are described as "For MG TC". They have a bracket which tits on the lower part of the stanchion and the mirror which fits on the end of the bracket. The screen will fold flat with these on. I may have been concerned over nothing as I didn't realise how low the stanchion goes.

We don't have gites to rent either, we "give them away" to members.

We don't want to run them as a business anymore (for five years we let them at £395 pw and got 60% occupancy). So we have a resource and it may as well be used, we enjoy the company of like minded folk and at £120 pw it pays the rates, electricity, water, a bit for the refurb fund and a bit to the capital spent on them. We don't mind Hamburgers coming, you're not that far

[dirk w dondorp]

Angloparts also have the correct screw- on arm which fits in a existing threaded hole, replacing one of the studs of the slot of the windscreen- part # 141.623 -, ( also called easy fit mirror arm) which would be suitable for your car as it does not have the two holes in the windscreen stanchions.

[frenchblatter]

OK, just responded to your email then read this. I'll do more research when I get time, at the moment trying to get the Caterham to start. Mystery-there is spark from the coil to the distributor cap but not to the plug! Nothing visibly wrong with cap or rotor. I'll sleep on it.

[Steve Simmons]

Change the rotor anyway. It may have an internal short.

[frenchblatter]

Steve, new rotor arm and distributor cap. New coil and electronic amplifier. I've tested all the leads on an ohmmeter, all within correct resistance range. Today was so frustrating (see the web site ( www.lotus7news.co.uk/211.html at the foot) It was running and I got the ignition timing about right by revs. Switched off and had lunch then went to set the timing correctly (25 degrees at 4500 rpm) but it wont start. Seems to have no spark at the plugs. I have fitted an Li-ion battery and suspect it hasn't got the power to turn the starter and supply a good spark. The battery reads 13.6 volts but the coil is only 10.5 when cranking.

I'll sleep on it (not literally - I use a bed like most people ) and attack again tomorrow. I may take a lead acid battery off another car and see if that helps.

Thanks

[Steve Simmons]

Distributor points installed with the insulating washers in the wrong place, creating a short?

[frenchblatter]

Steve, electronic ignition. Weird thing is it started (I had to keep moving the timing to get it to fire) and now won't. Appears to be no spark at plugs but there is a spark from coil. I suspect that 10 volts at the coil is the problem.

[Gene Gillam]

Update?