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MGTD replica car in Canada. I’m a woman so I want a car in pristine condition with low mileage so it doesn’t need tinkering with.
Hi…unfortunately, even the most pristine of these cars need “tinkering”. For the most part, they are home built kits and you are at the mercy of whomever built the car, how accomplished they were as a builder and how much $$ they spent on new or almost new parts.
These are not like buying a factory built car like a Miata, Honda S-2000, etc. they are actually crude by today’s factory car standards. Without going into detail here why, you’ll have to trust us on that one. They surely are NOT daily drivers, especially where there are winters like Canada.
Sounds to me like you’d be happier in a Miata, Honda S-2000 or another 2 seater, not a home built fiberglass car that uses 1960-1970’s technology and design.
Don’t listen to them, Gulzar. I bought mine a year and a half ago and hardly touched it since, except to drive.
Well, I also changed the oil a couple times.
And I did the brake shoes. And new brake cylinders. And I adjusted the brake plunger.
And I redid the front axle beam and installed new tie rod ends. Then there was the exhaust adventure, complete with a broken stud I had to drill out. And I did rewire the dashboard a little.
And I had to re-work the air filter. And put in new shocks. And new tires.
But all the rest of the stuff I did was purely cosmetic.
I’m told that British cars require one hour of maintenance for every hour on the road.
Oh, wait. We’re talking about VW based TD’s. They are German. Make that 2 hours of maintenance.
But once they are done all you do is drive and keep them clean.
Oh, I forgot, the’re never quite done, always something else we want to do, change or improve.
A friend of mine once sold an MGB because it was a lemon.
She had replaced the tires, hoses, belts, battery, shock absorbers and muffler. She got rid of it before anything else broke.
True story.
Everything she replaced was a wear item. They need to be replaced periodically. That happens on any car. Don’t be afraid of a TD replica because it needs tinkering. Parts are available and not expensive, particularly when compared to modern cars. It’s a fun ride.
You only need to join a local VW club to find a mechanic who can tinker with your TD. Besides, you might find yourself doing some of the tinkering. It’s a simple car.
Enjoy the ride.
I recently bought a MG TD Relpica from a boy in the Navy, he said the car was in good condition. I bought it from him, it needed the paint buffed out professionallly like he said, and new tires. I drove the car back from Florida, about 1200 miles with no problems. I advise that you get a mechanic to look at it before purchasing, if the seller objects, don’t even look at it. If you have anybody you know that is mechanically inclined, maybe they can help. These cars are kits. Some are built right, others have corners that have been cut. ajust shop carefully and you should be OK. Mine ios a daily driver. It is VW based, more dependable than the MG originals. I have the Ford, or GM based cars extremely reliable, if built right. Most of us on this forum are looking for deals, and enjoy the tinkering.
Just back on this forum and catching up. Did you ever find a car? If not we should talk.
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