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I went to a indoor car show near Buffalo N.Y. this week. What a great show (No MG’s )This show is the best of the best.Cars were brought in on trailers from all around the area Its a invite only show. Lots of chrome and custom work .Something i noted was the cars all seemed to have rubber nubs on the tires so i guess they all had new tires or they were never driven.It would be my guess they were never driven.I wonder if they would run.All i can think of is what a shame.You put all that money,blood sweat and tears into this machine and never drive them .What a shame!Some had no license plates.The best car there was a T bucket with everything chromed, undercarrage, Drive shaft, springs ,tie rods,etc.He put mirrors on the floor with lighting. What a glare. As much as I like car shows and showing my LR I am very glad I don’t have tire nubs. However i could use a little more chrome or at least better chrome.
I agree, I really don’t understand these guys with “trailer queens” as we call them around here. Most of the fun for me is a drive in the country or around town, the looks and talking to people when you stop. Although I am still looking for a trailer for a trip to Carisle, with my long legs a trip over about 100 miles is really tiresome.
On a LR , you have to be careful, as some of what think is chrome is really brushed nickel. If you use chrome polish it will scratch. That’s what I was told by the person that I bought mine from. I believe this applies to the grill. Not sure what else.
Greg,
I agree completely. In fact, I doubt mine (once I have it in hand) will ever compare to many that I see in the galleries here. While it won’t be a “daily driver” per se, it will ALWAYS be closer to that than a show car… I fully intend to use it to run errands, weather permitting, instead of my 4×4 pickup (my other vehicle).
That’s one of the reasons I chose to go for a VW-based kit. Much like the original kit ads, it is intended to be driven (not like original restorations), and parts are readily available. This is not a criticism of the Ford and Chevy based cars at all, but simply a statement about VW parts availability, fewer custom parts (such as front suspension or frame) and potential costs/mile. The Chevy & Ford front-engine kits are likely much more realistic driving experiences than the rear-engine VW…Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...Kent, By “realistic driving experience”, I assume you mean more TD-like?? My VW based replica is better in almost every way than the original TD. Faster, quicker, more power, more trouble free, dependable, easier to work on, no rust, and no Lucas. (I owned and regularly drove a MGTF-1500 for 16 years.) The only thing “better” about the original TD is resale value. But, the % return on your investment is probably as good or better for a well maintained replica.
When I finish my TD she will be a driver. At least three days a week. Like all of us, I’ve have spent to many hours of laboring to put her together to let her sit and not be enjoyed. Not drive her……HUMBUG!!
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackI drove my TD back and forth to work from Easter to Thanksgiving for 15 years, trip was about 15 miles each way. At the time I was commuting to a western suburb and had a relative safe place to park at work. Also made a couple of round trips New Jersey and back. Had to give up using as a commuter car when changed jobs an had to go to downtown Chicago. Didn’t feel same leaving at “L” station parking lot. Had about 100,000 miles on her when I rebuilt the engine in 2012, have only driven about 1000 miles since.
Front engine gets a bit more respect from the peanut gallery, maybe from a few MG owners. But you couldn’t measure that without a micrometer.
Front engine weigh bias is more TDish I’m sure, but the driving experience is not. Closest to the real TD, if my butt’s memory is any indication, is the VW with the cut/weld front beam and all the torsion leaves. That gives you something close to the authentic TD “buckboard” suspension that keeps the originals so close to home.
The rear engine configuration also gives you something of a front trunk for storage–a very non-TD feature that could be said to ruin the whole experience.
edsnova2013-03-04 11:09:46
edsnova wrote:Front engine gets a bit more respect from the peanut gallery, maybe from a few MG owners. But you couldn’t measure that without a micrometer.
I found that quite humorous. It seems that the VW guys don’t really respect these kits, though they will attract a lot of attention at VW shows, and the MG guys look down their nose as bad as when a redneck shows up at an opera recital… 
I’ve actually toyed with the idea of not trying to hide the fact that it is a kit car, but instead, more “flaunting it” for what it is. For example, using these MGA 1600 emblems on the engine cover:
Along with this Midget nameplate:
I saw one eBay seller selling the individual Midget letters, so you could even spell out MIGI II if you wanted to…Similarly, I’m undecided on using the Wolfsburg crest on the hubcaps…IMO, it is a “hybrid” and it will always be a “hybrid” so simply try to make it look as close as possible to a “finished car” instead of a kit and make it look the way YOU want it too… just do it tastefully, to your own individual taste…Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...
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