newbie in missouri

[marvin schollman]

Hi to all, I’ve had vw’s all my life and now my family members drive them too.. we have a total of 8 vw’s but last saturday my wife (she drives a 70 vert daily) saw this basket case kitcar on ebay and it was here in st louis.. well we went and looked at it, and she loved it.. so we bid and won it. had to use floor jacks to get it on the trailer, 1 rear brake locked up and no key for the locking steering wheel and now it’s in my garage.. it’s missing a lot of stuff, the biggest thing is the grill and grill shell. door handles, head lights, tail light lenses hood hinges and locks.. and it needs new pans and a motor AND my wife says she wants to drive it this summer….. heres a pic, and the tag inside the hood. thanks for a great web site. I’ve learned alot about these  cars the last 2 days  just reading back post

[Paul Mossberg]

Welcome aboard!

I’ve been around these cars since the early 80’s and don’t recall a manufacturer “American Custom Cars” Empress I.

Looking at your pictures, I believe you have a Classic Roadsters Duchess and American Custom Cars was an assembler who badged the cars as their own.

Classic Roadsters is the only kit that has the small bump in front of the rear fenders by the running boards. I also see the bench seat bottom and back, another sign of the Duchess. And I see the brackets/hinges on your engine cover, another Duchess item.

Once you get it done right, you’ll have many years of driving fun in front of you. I built my VW based Classic Roadsters Duchess in 1983, and it’s been running fine ever since.

I hope your garage is heated!

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)

[marvin schollman]

thanks for your imput pmossberg, you have given me more info in your post than I found all weekend on the net… I never much liked these cars when I was young now I’m in my 50’s and see the beauty in these cars now. I need to finish my squareback first then we can work on this (my wife’s into it 100%)  and yes I have a house furnace 90,000 btu’s in my garage.thanks

[Paul Mossberg]

Hi BigRaceDad

I have my complete Duchess VW assembly manual.

I really should get it PDFed so Frank can put it up on the “download Manuals” page.

Meanwhile, let me know if you want a photocopy. Send me a private message with your snail mail address. 

And just for the record…50s is still young. I hit the magic 50 in 2008. When I built my Duchess in 1982, I chose between a beautiful Fiat 124 Spyder and a “box pf parts” from Classis Roadsters. I think I made the right choice with the Duchess.

Paul

PMOSSBERG39833.5442939815

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)

[Frank]

I just  put two and two together and realized, bigracerdad is dARLA’S dad

 

 dARLA used to be the metrovwclub secretary and I’m now the club pres…..

  Haven’t seen dARLA in a long time, miss that barn door bus she was driving last time she came to a meeting…  Tell her she’s missed and should come to the spring show and say hi to everyone….

  BTW, that’s one heck of project you got there, but I know your up to the task….

 

 

[Paul Mossberg]

Hey BigRaceDad,

Back with some additional info, now that we know it’s a Duchess.

Classic Roadsters used reproduction MG-TD pieces for most of the missing  items you mentioned, including the grill shell and slats, head light buckets, headlight brackets and door handles, latches & strikers.

You can try Moss Motors for all of the above…but will pay top dollar.

You should also try MG Magic. Just search MG Magic in this forum and you’ll find their contact info.

The tail-lights should be VW Beetle parts. The year will depend on what the builder used.

Your best option for the hood hinges and latches would be a marine supply store, although MG Magic might have these also.

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)

[marvin schollman]

HI FrankieD
darla still has the bus and takes it camping every summer…. we would love to come the spring show… can we bring some cars? is the info up on the metro web site??

 

Hay PMOSSBERG
thanks for the info.. one of the more important parts is the drivers side door mechanism I will take a pic of the pass side and maybe you can tell me if it is a real mg part….hood hinges and latches I think I found, my neighbor is a firefighter and also works on the trucks and had a book full of hardware that they use. all the vw stuff looks easy enough. do you think a real mg td grill can be made to work?? the tail lights are lucas and I found these on ebay perfect match  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lucas-MGA-1500-1600-Tail-Ligh ts-Hot-Rat-Rod-Custom-VW_W0QQitemZ110339950990QQihZ001QQcate goryZ140741QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Once I get my square back up and running I’ll start on this

thanks guys.

 

 

[Paul Mossberg]

Hi. Hope you win the taillights. That would have been the builder’s choice to use Lucas instead of the VW’s. And a good choice!

Yes, the Duchess uses a real TD grill. There are some slight modifications you need to make. The template and instructions are all in the assembly manual.

I just looked at the door hings for an orignal TD on MossMotors.com. The Duchess hinges are not “original”. The door handles, latches and strikers provided with the original Duchess kits are “original” TD parts.

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)

[marvin schollman]

here’s a pic of the pass side latch… I’m missing the drivers side… I have the post that it latches to,, it’s still om the car,,

 

 

 

[Paul Mossberg]

Hey bigracedad

They do look like the repro TD latches. If not, they are close enough that a repro original set will fit. You should replace the latch and striker as a set.

If you want to be sure about hte fit, take a photo with a tape measure next to the latch or post the exact measurements. I can compare against my TD.

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)

[marvin schollman]

will do but it’s snowing here today and is about 20* so I might wait till it stops……………….I’m ready for spring!

[marvin schollman]

witch one of these 2 grills look right for me?…. the older looking one is a real mg grill.. I see that the bottoms are alot differant… the other one is a fiberfab part # 2015-L 

[marvin schollman]

how about this one……….

[Paul Mossberg]

Hi,

There are actually three grills pictured, right?

The top one does not look like a TD grill. It seems bowed a bit more. Maybe it’s a TF grill?

The grill with the Migi badge looks liek a TD, modified for the Migi
body. The semi-circular cuts on the bottom of each side are similar to
what one has to do for the Duchess body. But they look to be cut more
than I recall for the Duchess.

The grill on the bottom looks like an unmodified TD grill.  If you can
make the Migi grill work, the original TD grill is worth big bucks
should you decide to sell it.

You see the side of the TD grill, where the mounting hole are? For a
Duchess, you have to bend those parts of the grill to a right angle,
and they attach to the front of the fiberglass side panels on the
Duchess body.

Also, I cannot see the sides of the Migi grill. Are they similar to the “TD” grill?

Hope this helps.PMOSSBERG39838.8205671296

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)

[marvin schollman]

none of these are mine,, they are all on ebay right now….. the 2nd one is going for over 700.00 (I won’t be buying that one)hehe,, check out number 4, I just wanted to make shure what I was looking for

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nice-Original-MG-TD-Chrome-Gr ille-Shell-1952_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1171Q7c66Q3 a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c293Q3a4Q7c294 Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem200303044452QQitem Z200303044452QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[Paul Mossberg]

You can definitely work with the one in the ebay link you posted. Be aware as you decide whether or not to buy it, you still need the grill slats. They are a separate piece and are available either chromed or paintable zinc plated from Moss Motors. Unfortunately, the shell is not available.

Most of us have the grill cjhromed. But that is actually not accurate. Only very late MGTD Mark II’s had chrome grill slats. Generally, the grill slats were painted the interior color. But, for red and green cars with tan interiors, the grill slats would have been painted to match the body.

I did a quick google for mg td grill. I found one, from a place in California, witha slightly damaged TD shell for sale for $500. Link is

http://www.oconnorclassics.com/parts_mgt1.php/#body

These guys claim have the grill slats also in paintable zinc plated shells for $95 and chrome for $104.

http://www.englishparts.com/products/gb/MG/MGTD/GRILLE–RADI ATOR-SHELL–PAINTABLE–ZINC-PLATED–/10830/454-170.html

I’ve not dealt with either of the above. I have dealt with Moss Motors.

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)

[Paul Mossberg]

Hi again.

I just took a look at the migi shell in auction 120368518103 (your picture 2) and compared the cuts to those on my Duchess. The Migi modification definitely cut away more of the metal then was necessary for the Duchess. This would show as a gap between the lower part of the grill shell and the front of the Duchess fenders.

That said, if you can win the Migi grill auction at the right price, you are gettign a shell AND slats in great shape. In the long run, it might be cheaper to buy this, have some weld in small patch panels to match up with what your Duchess needs and have it rechromed. The biggest variable is the chroming cost. I’m not sure what that will run.
PMOSSBERG39838.9915625

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)

[Rich Bellefeuille]

Hi BigRaceDad,

You know, I follow the ads in EBay for Replicas and I had been looking at this one. Don’t know what it went for, but in terms of fun per dollar the price that I saw with a few days to go looked very good.

Once you get passed the grill, other parts should be more readily available. Being a VW guy, I’m sure engines are no mystery even if you have to build or rebuild. Body looks to be all there and in reasonably good shape. And you’re knee deep in “Duchess” gurus in this club. Whoever said “free information is worth every penny” didn’t know about us.

And…the fact that your WIFE is is enthusiastic means you can put in the hours and she won’t complain. What a deal!

Please keep the photos coming as you make progress!

Good Luck!

Rich

[marvin schollman]

 I got a total of 8 vw’s 5 running 1 for sale and 2 race cars,, I have 2 engines ready to go in the  Duchess so thats no problem… the one thing nice in my family is everybody works on cars,, my 24 year old daughter drives and turns the wrenches on the 1 turbo race car and my wife is going to rework the seats and door panels and buff the Duchess… it’s nice to have all this help my oldest son and I are working on a squareback right now.. It’s almost a full time job with that many old cars…….. hay pmossberg,, I;ve been reading some back post and at one time you had a set of seat sliders for your car,,, did you sell them??? 

[Paul Mossberg]

Hi,

I still have the seat sliders. I sent you a private message with my direct email.

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)

[marvin schollman]

hay guys take a look at this grill…. it’s more in my price range

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MG-TD-1952-FIBERFAB-GRILL_W0Q QitemZ290291871506QQihZ019QQcategoryZ42606QQssPageNameZWDVWQ QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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