Description of my recently completed rebuild of TC 6710

[Norman Golm]

Thought you guys may be interested in the following:

1948 MG TC 6710

• I purchased the car from a friend of Chip Old, Francis Elbert Old III, and Past Technical Editor for the Sacred Octagon, he had owned car for 43 years, he took it apart 39 years ago and left it dis-assembled. The car was purchased in that condition. I bought it after reviewing 164 pictures of each individual part on the internet. I purchased the car in Sept of 2012
• The car was built in October of 1948 and registered in Cambridgeshire, England on November 12th of 1948. The original registration number was JLV 525. Is was registered as “green in colour”
• The car was imported from England in October of 1970.
• Only 2500 MG TC’s still exist out of 10,000 originally built
• Numbers match on frame and VIN plate, Engine had previously been rebuilt by BMC (British Motor Car) I assume in the sixties. Upon purchase the engine was totally disassembled inspected and found to be in basically good shape. The crank rods and main bearing surfaces were turned to .030 under. The block was bored to .040 over. The head and block were surfaced. The head had new valve guides and seals installed. A new set of oil pump gears were installed and a new water pump. New rod and main bearing bolts were installed. A new set of timing gears with chain was installed. The engine block and head were boiled to remove rust and scale, painted and reassembled with new piston rings, new cam, rod and main bearings and seals. Moss Motors elastomer seals were used at the front and rear of crankshaft. oil pressure 45 to 50 PSI on the road 20 PSI at idle
• Chromed original valve cover
• Mostly the original nuts bolts and clips were used from the original car. Mr. Old saved all of the original nuts and bolts. He cleaned each bolt and nut and placed them in plastic bags with hand written notes describing the contents. The hand written notes have been preserved.
• Welded in diagonal braces with adjustable turnbuckles were added to the doors
• The carburetors were rebuilt and the air cleaner system is all original. The carburetors dashpots have gold anodized aluminum covers.
• Frame sandblasted and powder painted
• Front shock absorbers rebuilt and rear telescoping shock absorbers were added to the rear suspension
• Front and rear axle sandblasted and powder coated
• Rear axle has new sealed ball bearings
• New leaf spring bushings
• Leaf springs disassembled wire brushed painted and reassembled.
• Custom molded urethane shock bushings Vs rubber
• Steering gear rebuilt with Tomkinson re-build kit and new silicone seal
• 8” original headlamps
• Equipped with re-chromed wire mesh headlamp covers
• Front axle re-bushed
• Original remote brake line greasers in place
• Center Instrument panel had been restored prior to my purchase. The panel was re-chromed, painted and re-lettered
• New tie rod ends
• Radiator mounted Motometer temperature gauge.
• The transmission had been rebuilt by Mr. Old and the rebuild described in one issue of the Sacred Octagon and it operates perfectly
• A new rubber interior transmission cover was purchased and installed
• Brake and clutch pedals re-bushed with a new pivot shaft
• New radiator hoses with original style clamps
• Radiator fan upgraded from original metal 2 bladed to a 4 bladed chrome fan
• Phenolic spacers were installed between the intake manifold and the carburetors to preclude boiling of the fuel, a known problem with TC engines
• New fan belt
• New water pump
• Electronic SU fuel pump
• Electronic voltage regulator built into the original enclosure.
• New knock off hubs.
• Rebuilt generator and starter motor, new bearings, armatures turned and new brushes
• Distributor rebuilt.
• New ignition wires
• Windshield mounted right hand rearview mirror
• A new old stock cloth wiring harness installed
• Hidden master electrical shut off switch
• New hydraulic actuated stop light switch Vs. original unreliable mechanical switch
• New clutch disc, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, pilot bearing and linkage
• New walnut instrument panel.
• All instruments function as originally intended.
• The body was rebuilt by a famous MG T-Series body re-builder, Fenton Bagley. The body number six, TC-6 was rebuilt in 1974 with all new wood and galvanized steel. I contacted Mr. Bagley in July of 2013; he is 85 and was just finishing body TC-32.
• The car is finished in Jaguar British Racing Green by Jeff Panek, a custom car painter located South of Suttons Bay, MI on S. Leelanau Dr. The color was used on 1978-1990 Jaguars color code 701. This is a PPG color code 46169.
• Moss Motors biscuit color, leather seats and interior panels
• New master cylinder, wheel cylinders and brake shoes
• Gas tank cleaned and coated internally by Coils in Traverse City, MI
• New gas lines
• New wire wound OE brake lines
• New Moss Motors wind wings.
• The windshield wiper motor was rebuilt and painted with crinkle paint.
• New windshield wiper linkage, pivot and blades
• New laminated Windshield glass
• New battery
• Amco black vinyl top
• New tan Stayfast Moss Motors tonneau cover
• OE black side curtains with Lexan plastic inserts instead of the normal material
• New Firestone tires and tubes
• Wheels were rebuilt, sandblasted and powder painted silver
• Turn signals upgraded to electronic relays
• New old stock Brooklands steering wheel
• New door latches, covers, strikers and re-bushed hinges
• New black plush carpet
• All new wheel bearings front (roller bearings) and rear (sealed ball bearings)
• All chrome, re-chromed by A&W custom plating in Eastpoint, MI. The parts re-chromed were: the radiator shell, the small upper emblem support on the radiator shell, the headlamps, the wire mesh headlamp protectors, the windshield frame and mounts, the front turn signals, the tank end covers.
• New bonnet latch handles.
• New horn