eBay VW TDr closing in 4 hrs

[Royal]

This looks like a really clean TDr. …I’d call it a steal at the current bid of $3,100. But who knows what it will sell for?

[edward ericson]

Wow! I might totally agree if I had any idea what you were talking about! Care to supply a link?

[Royal]

Whoops

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251840057006?forcerRptr=true&item=251840057006&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:B:WNA:US:1120
PMOSSBERG2015-02-22 13:21:04

[edward ericson]

Looks like a Dutchess. Needs some work but well-bought, I think, at $3650.

[Edward Davidson]

did it get past the reserve?

[Paul Mossberg]

Yes. Listing says it sold.

It’s definitely a Duchess.

Sad to see my car is worth less than $4k.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Royal]

Hey Paul, what are the distinguishing features of a Duchess? I am pretty good at ID’ing all TDrs except I have trouble between CMC/FF/Duchess.

[Bill Gould]

That dealer has some nice rides for sale, and — especially considering that it’s California — his prices aren’t outrageous: http://philneweysportscars.com/

1981 Lafer TI
1600 cc Type 1 engine

[Royal]

Hey Paul, what are the distinguishing features of a Duchess? I am pretty good at ID’ing all TDrs except I have trouble between CMC/FF/Duchess.

[Paul Mossberg]

Roy,

I could tell by:

• the z-bars holding the engine cover (hinged at the rear valance, not at the top),
• the dash layout (in particular the turn signal and generator warning light triplet about the speed and tach),
• the bench seat bottom
• the full size reproduction radiator
• the way the front body panels come together (they end about a foot apart and have a filler panel between them
• reproduction headlight supports (in lieu of the flat bar)
• the fit of the rear fenders (all the Duchesses have too much clearance towards the rear of the rear tires.

Time to bump this thread up: https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/manufacturer-comparison/

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Royal]

Paul,
the z-bars holding the engine cover (hinged at the rear valance, not at the top),
Is this one unique?

the dash layout (in particular the turn signal and generator warning light triplet about the speed and tach),
This too may be Duchess only

the bench seat bottom
Also on Daytona and early FF & LR (?)

the full size reproduction radiator
This eliminates Daytona & LR

the way the front body panels come together (they end about a foot apart and have a filler panel between them
Also on Daytona

reproduction headlight supports (in lieu of the flat bar)
Also on BCW & Allison (I think)

the fit of the rear fenders (all the Duchesses have too much clearance towards the rear of the rear tires.
Also Daytona.

Thanks Paul

[Paul Mossberg]

Good stuff Roy.

I believe the z-bar engine cover hinges are unique to the Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess.

And I was not saying that only the Duchess had the features I listed. I meant that taken together, I believe the car in this auction is a Duchess.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[KentT]

KentT2015-02-22 16:46:02

Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...

[KentT]

Roy, if the unassembled kit I posted about is truly a Duchess, as Paul suggests, the front splashpan and fender area is quite different from my early Fiberfab with the exposed steering shaft. It appears that with that kit the chrome grille shell will simply bolt in, between the fenders. Then, a small flat panel is used between the fenders to complete the splashpan. On my early FF, there’s a fiberglass radiator piece with that flat splashpan as part of it, and it is raised on each end to bolt on top of the humps of each fender. You must trim the OEM chrome grill shell to fit around those raised ends and at the back of the flat splashpan area. Late Fiberfabs had half of that’s flat splashpan area molded onto each fender, essentially splitting the splashpan down the center. You still had to trim an OEM grille shell to fit, AFAIK.

If you zoom in and look closely at the main pic from the listing, above, you can see what I mean.

Don’t know how this compares to a Daytona.KentT2015-02-22 16:47:28

Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...

[Royal]

Guys, when I was in my teens, there often would be a “mess” of guys sitting on our very large, covered front porch which sat only about 50 feet off US Rt 17. The contest was to see who correctly named the most cars/models and who first called them as cars came by.

I was looking for a Duchess “tell”….but I guess it’s too subtle. For my TDr culling, at 25mph or so:

On Daytona/LRs it’s pretty easy. Both have headlights mounted on a shortened grill. LR’s fuel fill is visible on the back of the driver’s side panel just forward of the body tub.
All others are full sized grills.
BCW (and maybe Allison) have real MG windshield and hardware.
Everything else falls into FF/CMC/Duchess categories. The FF seem to have larger engine covers.

I’m familiar with many more differences but can only use them on photos or cars standing still.

[Author]

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