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Hello, I’m new here. I just picked up a red 1952 London roadster replica. I have my first car show in two weeks. I have some rust on the wire wheel, which I removed with a small wire brush. But where can I buy new spinners.
Welcome to the club, Bill.
I’m guessing you’ve got wire hubcaps, right? If so, not sure where to get just the spinners for those. There are a lot of wire hubcaps out there, all different.You might look at Cip1 and the other VW retailers for a possible solution. You’d have to engineer a way to make these work, but they look the part.If you have knock-on wire wheels it’s a different story. Not easier, but different. Moss Motors, Abingdon Spares and some others sell these MWS Wires, which are basically the old Dunlops, now manufactured in India. Those are the real deal.There are some knock-off wires made to fit the VW bolt pattern but very rare. No one knows where to get spares for those.Welcome to the group. I see that Ed responded about 10 seconds before I did, so sorry for any duplication. Ed has forgotten more than I know.The answer to your question kind of depends on what you actually have. “Real” wire wheels seem to be pretty rare among TDr’s and we’d love to see a picture of your car because that would be pretty darned cool. However, more information is needed. If your car has adapted “real” English wire wheels to fit, you might try Moss Motors because I know they carry wire wheels for “real” English cars, together with parts and accessories for them. If you have “real” wire wheels from some other manufacturer (Dayton, Truespoke, etc.), I doubt if the pieces would be standard. That means that you’d have to figure out which manufacturer it was and contact them. OTOH, a lot of TDr owners either have (or had) nice-looking wire wheel “covers” that some people would simply call “wire wheels.” If you have wire wheel covers like most of us, and there are parts missing, you could check with MG Magic because I believe they carry the centers for them (but I wouldn’t call them “spinners,” either).Since my wire wheel covers weren’t all that impressive after 30 years, I had my wheels sandblasted and powdercoated, then built MG hubcaps by adding the MG logo from Moss to VW hubcaps with no logo on them. I got the idea right here and it worked fantastic! I put those on the freshly-painted wheels (matching the body) with cool trim rings from CIP1 and wide whitewalls. The combo makes a fantastic appearance and is a good mimic for a “real” TD. Of course the look isn’t even close to the cool looks of real wire wheels, but then the cost was a fraction, too.johnsimion2015-10-07 23:24:47
Another place you can check for possibles is mgmagicclassicmotorparts.com, then search ‘wheels’.
Even if you don’t find what you’re looking for right now, you’ll see lots of cool gear.:cool:
They have TONS of stuff!
They ship SUPER fast, too!
Amor Conquista Todo
greymind, welcome aboard!
But please get this conversation into a different thread.The subject here is “MGTD Kit car suspension“Start a new thread to say “hello” and introduce us to your car.Start a new thread about your wheels etc.Thank you,your friendly local admin….PMOSSBERG2015-10-08 09:56:48
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf 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)
Thinking about changing front beam in my Duchess to a 2 inch narrowed beam.Can this be done without having to remove fenders and/or other body parts?
Pretty sure, yes. Probably best to take the bumpers off–I think the brackets bolt where the beam bolts.
I am told the a 2-inch narrowed beam can usually be used without modification to the steering linkage. Usually. But you might need a few new threads cut in the tie rod.There are narrower sway bars for sale–but they are all thicker than stock, I believe. Better to go without a bar than increase understeer that much with a thicker bar on a narrowed beam.Please post your step-by-step on the install. I’ve often regretted not going with my gut on the 2-inch narrowed beam a few years back. Bought a new stock-width adjustable beam and it’s fine, but the tires are right at the edge of the fenders–they’d be oh-so-much better tucked in an inch on each side.You might want to make sure that if your new narrowed beam does not come with trailing arms attached, that it does come with torsion leaves since the torsion leaves would have to be shortened 2″ (1″ on either side) to fit. …and if I were going to do this, I would want an adjustable beam.
CIP1 website recommends that narrower torsion bars and ball joints be installed with narrower beam. Have not read anything in the thread mentioning requirement. Could anyone one has installed the narrow beam comment on the CIP1 recommendation? If required the cost for parts almost doubles
David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
Sabine“Narrow ball joints” sounds odd. Don’t understand why the existing trailing arms, ball joints etc. would not work with the narrowed beam.
But narrowed torsion bars are required. The tubes are shorter, the bars inside must also be shorter.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf 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)
I understood the torsion bars had to be shorter to match the beam but thought that I could cut an inch off each side with a cut off saw or grinder. What I was hoping was that someone could help me understand the need for “narrow tie rods”. Had to go back and check the site when Paul questioned the “narrow ball joints”. Should have checked before I posted.
Back to torsion bars, as I want to dampen the ride by removing some of the leaves can not see paying for complete set of new leaves for top and bottom and then discard half of them The detente they show in the pic of torsion bar about an inch from the end I suspect can be duplicated with a drill albeit do not know how hard the leaves are and what problems may be encountered This this an issue?David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
SabineThe torsion bar leaves are spring steel… Pretty tough stuff. Would likely require a good drill press and appropropriate bit.
Shorter tie rods are required because the spindles that they connect to are closer together than stock…
Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...I agree with Kent, the steel used in the torsion bars is exceptionally hard. You would probably have the most luck on the detention using a Dremel and a grinding wheel. The leaves could be easiest cut with an angle grinder.
Yes. Spring steel. Cuts hard and hot. Use tough tools to do it. Measure twice, etc.
As for the tie rods:I talked out this project with a guy who knows how to do it. This was a few years back, and I’ve not followed-through, but I remember this: A 2-inch narrowed beam will probably not need new tie rods, I was told, but it might–not will, might–need a few threads cut in the existing one(s) to make the adjustment work. Maybe a cut too. But again, my guy, who supposedly did hundreds of narrowed beams, said a little baby 2-inch narrow did not usually require all that much in the way of new parts or extra fiddling to make it work.OK,I’m thinking about going with the adjustable axle on my Duchess which currently has the original hacked (cut and turned torsion bar with heavy weights in the front )set up.First question:can the axle be swapped out without having to remove any fenders or other body parts?
second question:does it make sense to go with the 2inch narrowed axle or should I stay with stock width(has stock front drum brakes).the reason I ask is because with current setup one front tire sticks out a tad from the fender while the drivers tire sits slightly inside the fender???
I’m open to any and all helpful comments regarding eliminating what is a very stiff front suspension.
If I had it to do again I’d go with a 2-inch narrowed beam.
In your case it sounds like maybe the body or fenders aren’t centered just right, which is probably not all that unusual. You might be able to find some adjustment but it’s a whole other project.
Yes, the new beam can be swapped in without removing the fenders—at least it could on my car.
Anyone have a different experience or opinion?
Hi capeclassics
You will have to remove the front bumper and the front bumper support assembly. The front bumper support uses the torsion tube assembly bolts.
You cans see what I am writing about on page 26 of Classic Roadsters Duchess assembly manual, 4th page of this pdf:
https://tdreplica.com/wp-content/uploads/Classic-Roadsters-VW-Duchess-Part-2-Body-Assembly.pdf
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf 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)
It’s what we live for!
Well not really. But always glad to help!!!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf 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)
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