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And the final picture is one showing the new white wall radials installed including the spare. I have had her at 83+mph and it still drives like a dream with these radials. I got the tires from Coker Tires in TN…kinda expensive, but the car now turns heads everywhere it goes (I was told the tires were one of the reasons the Ad Agency wanted the car for the TV commercials)…too funny.
(Notice the L.E.D. stop/turn lights I installed. It still looks quite original even with these added for safety purposes).
When the engine is cold, the 4 cylinder chevy engine makes a very distinctive rumbling backfire noise when downshifting to a lower gear, which reminds me of the original TD’s. (I had a real ’52 TD and couldn’t go around the block with out my tool kit with me…always something needed tinkering with to get home…what a pain.)
Thus the reason why I love this BCW…you can drive her anywhere with full confidence…even when I let her sit for months at a time in the garage under her cover…she just starts right up and goes!
Gordon
suntansailor39379.6077546296
Here’s a picture of the dash with the glove box door opened to show the stereo & heater controls hidden behind it. I built in a magnetic catch into the dash so the door closes flush, but it is easy to open to adjust the radio while keeping one hand on the wheel driving.
Making room for dash mounted speakers was a real treat, as you have very limited room to mount anything behind that dash. I had to install custom baffles behind the speakers so the sound would project out in to the car. These baffles produced great low tones as well.
(I found out the hard way that solid Zebrawood is a major pain to work with it being so grainey(sp?). Next time I would do a Zebrawood laminate over a hardwood core and cut the production time by 66%! I literally spent hours sanding this darn dash to achieve the look and luster I wanted. Definitely a labor of love…or hate depending on how you look at it! (LOL.)
Gordon
suntansailor39379.6051157407
This is the “work” in progress! What a nightmare to figure out the re-wiring without a valid diagram…lots of trial by error by blowing fuses and bulbs…LOL I decided to install courtesy lights in the footwells so they go on whenever either door is opened…nice touch for night use.
Even getting the new steering wheel was a challenge as I had to find the right look along with securing the adaptors needed to mount the wheel on the Chevy steering column (I also wanted to have an MG horn button that looked good and also functional, so had to install two horns in front of the radiator under the hood as well).
suntansailor39379.6027430556
I finished the rebuild finally and here is the end result. I used solid Zebrawood to fabricate the dash; new steering wheel with MG emblem; new chrome turn signals as these were coroded; installed a heater core shut off valve to kill the heat that seems to creep up on you while driving in the summer; new wide whitewall radials that really handle nicely; and I put in a kick ass CD sound system (I hid it behind the glovebox door for security and asthetics). I installed two custom speakers into the dash, and two more in the rear storage lid. The stereo sounds great even while driving at highway speeds (I think I am 18 again! LOL).
Notice the “MG screw covers” on the yellow center gauge console. I found those at Moss Motors. Kinda cool touch…
Lastly I installed two L.E.D. brake/turn lights (high up on the false fuel tank) as people do not see the original dim lights in bright sunlight…just like the real TD’s. The L.E.D. lights make a huge difference for safety when toolin’ around on a hot sunny day, and you know people will see your stop lights on!
The latest is I have been approached by a local advertising agency this summer that does TV commercials nationwide…my car will be featured in 2 different TV commercials in late fall 2007/early 2008. Look for them; one is a gum commercial and the other is a shampoo commercial!
Gordon
suntansailor39379.6003472222
Home is Atlanta Georgia. Hopefully when all through with the renovation I will enter her into some of the fairs/meets here in the south for fun.
Gordon
I have been looking for one that is in this kind of mint condition for 6 years, and just lucked out on ebay (it was actually listed under real MGTD’s and the purists never bidded on her…their loss, my gain!
Notice the way the hood opens up…no outside Jeep type hinges like other kits have which are dead giveaways to kit formats. This is very similar to the original TD way to gain access to the engine. In looking for a car I knew I wanted this type of hood access and also the gas fill on the rear of the car just like the original. Also I was hell bent on finding a kit with the fold down windshield feature as it replicates the original TD fun factor!
suntansailor39349.6142476852
Here’s a side view with the top up! It’s a 1985 FACTORY built BCW using new chevy chevette components when built.
Thanks. I am redoing the dash presently, replacing the pitted chrome parts as well. Do you know where I can get a new top for it? I contacted Tumacs who made them, but they no longer have the templates for the BCW.
Gordon
