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Weather’s been better so here are a few things I’ve done. Starting with a grill repaint (to match the interior) and painting the silver headlight buckets the body color as they were both supposed to be in 1952.
Tom Vilardi
BCW Model 52
South Orange NJLooks great!
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)
Very good????
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"I agree, nice job all the way around.
What did you do with the radio? Mine was kaput, so I took it out, made a small wooden box mounted it to the back of the dash, made a door and chromed around the edge, like you did, but I think yours came out nicer than mine. Where did you get the chrome trim for the edge? I used some from my local DIY auto store.Also, what did you use for the inside latch? I rigged a cabinet catch to work, but again I’d like to fine something better. Did you fill in the antennae holes? So far I still have the antennae on, as I don’t know about filling the holes(mostly matching the paint).
Also, what did you do to paint the grill and headlight buckets? I’ve heard you can’t really paint chrome, even with primer. It doesn’t really get a good, long term adhesion.
Keep up the good work!Amor Conquista Todo
Steve,
The radio and GM heater control panel are still there.Got a Pioneer Sterio from Best Buy ($60) it is a one-knob deal. I routed out the hole where the old radio went, put in the metal sleeve that came with the pioneer, then pushed the radio far enough back into the hole where it doesn’t interfere with the door. Heater panel got rescrewed inside with some rubber pieces (rather than washers) to recess it too. Snapped off the plastic knobs, bent the metal up to make new knobs and coated the ends with white-out (LOL), which let you see the controls better and semi-seals any sharp metal edges which were under the knobs.Glove box door is simply a piece of thin plywood (the kind you use for a sub-floor – 1/4 inch) attached two small brass hinges (couldn’t find chrome). I guess-timated on the size of an original glovebox door and got pretty close. The BCW heater controls appeared to be exactly where the bottom of original glove-boxes and the radio hole at the top – so I went from there. Came out okay but is surface mounted (not recessed like originals). Dahs looks MUCH better now than before I put on the door. I actually saw either an original TD or a TDr with a similiar surface mounted set-up, but they used a thicker slab of wood. The real trick to making it blend is the chrome edging.Chrome Edging – press and stick variety from an auto house. Cowels Custom Chrome – 1/8 inch wide. Totally stole that idea from EdsNova. I edged the top of the dash with it too as well as the instrument center panel (rather than spend $150 on a beat up one from Ebay…. but eventually I may swap it out…). I also edged the Speedo and Tach with the Cowels – made them look a bit larger like the originals. I want to remove the GM plastic steering wheel housing, so have not chrome edged the bottom of the dash yet. That’s going to mean relocating the ignition switch and coming up with something for the directionals (which also include the high beam and windshield switches), so I have some research to do re. separating these things out on the wiring harness and adding alternative controls that look MG.Dash knob is an MG one. I used a small magnetic catch I got off of Amazon which requires a hole drilled into the dash. A few tweaks here and there and you see the results.Other things I did were add a horn button bottom center dash. Add a vintage VW basket to the transmission hump to hold my coffee cups.Grill paint. Originally I painted it black and did not use a primer – used gloss black Rustoleum spray-paint – took a few coats but came out nice and smooth. I then got on a “match the upholstery with the grill” kick, so used a small can of “Almond” rustoleum I had laying around. My car in general has a “patina” to it, so my crappy sponge paint job in almond fits… for now. I may actually go back to the Black, will have to see.My antenna is still on the car and the radio hooked up to it. The only holes I had to fill were for those useless fender mirrors (I mounted a 1979 Sachs Moped mirror to the windshield fold-down area). To fill the fender holes I got two small carriage bolts, painted them black and stuck them in. You could probably do the same with your antenna holes if you can get inside the panel to put in a nut.Painted headlight buckets. Again – used the Rustoleum. My car is black – there are not alot of variations of that color (if you get into greys you can go one forever with variations) – Black is Black. This was a quick and dirty job because I was not sure if I would like the way it came out. Took the paint well – no allorgatoring, but a couple of pin-sized areas which would not take the spray-paint. So then I used a little bottle of black Duplicolor, which coverd just fine. I may go back to the silver or if I can find an original set of buckets might swap them out… we’ll see.Well there you have it!TomTom Vilardi
BCW Model 52
South Orange NJThat’s looking good! I’d like to do my seat back like that. Mine is just flat. Of course just starting mine.
She’s looking great though! !Seat back does have a sort of curve to it I guess – not sure if it was originally that way or caused by years of use.
Looking at the photo again it appears to have more of a bulge than I’ve ever noticed. At other angles it looks flatter.Tom Vilardi
BCW Model 52
South Orange NJThe originals had that bulge in the seat back. A lot don’t have it anymore. I always thought that was the coolest thing tho.
Sorry for the delay in responding Rabien. Re. painting the grill I used a Rustoleum Almond Color and painted it on with a disposable sponge brush. I had previously spray painted the grill a semi-gloss black, so the Almond went right over that with decent coverage. Has been about a year since I did it and it is holding up just fine.
Tom Vilardi
BCW Model 52
South Orange NJ
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