Yes I hear what you are saying. A friend once told me that my TF will be
worth more to me than to anyone else so paint it any colour I would be happy
with. There is much truth in that statement but I am not a buyer or a seller
more an MG enthusiast wanting a nice car to enjoy driving.
As far as originality is concerned much has changed since the early 1950's
and a car of this era can be a danger ( to the occupants ) in modern
traffic conditions especially if you drive the car any distance. Non
original additions such as a remote servo brake system and uprated cam is
part of the invisible compromises one must make these days in order to keep
up with modern traffic conditions and one would have to dismantle the car to
find these changes. Yes should you be purchasing a car and find some
departurers from originality it would make one wonder what else had been
done but if you knew what you were looking for that is not difficult.
Much has been written lately about " The Worth of Restoration " and in the
end it is a very personal thing.
Kind regards
David Tinker
----- Original Message -----
From: <Roadrunner@Post.com>
To: <mg-t@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 1:42 AM
Subject: Re: A colour for a TF
> I recently considered buying a freshly "restored" TF 1500.
> Its owner had invested a small fortune in that "restoration."
>
> Several "personal preference" of that owner
> destroyed its market value to me as a buyer because I
> wondered what other, invisible concessions or compromises
> that owner might have made in his "restoration.
>
> I've been looking for an Ivory TF 1500 to buy, but I rejected
> that "Ivory" TF because of the heavy investment that owner had
> made in personal preferences contrary to "originality."
>
> The Identification Number of that "white" TF 1500 was that
> assigned by the factory to red cars.
>
> I want a white TF 1500 that was originally white
> when it left the factory."
>
> Several other visible "preferences" included a
> beautiful maroon valve rocker cover, a dashboard (fascia)
> painted white, tachometer and speedometer mounted in the
> wrong positions, and a personal preference for upholstery
> color that never appeared originally on either a white or
> a red TF.
>
> According to F.E. Old III, the Technical Editor of
> The "T" Series Handbook (1986) published by The New
> England MG T Register, the third letter in the TF
> Car Number represents the original paint color:
>
> A = Black
> B = Birch Grey (Ditzler Paint Code DDL 31918)
> C = M.G. Red (Ditzler Paint Code DDL 71993)
> E = Almond Green (Ditzler Paint Code DDL 44159)
> P = Ivory (Ditzler Paint Code DDL 81271)
>
> HDA13/0501 was originally black
> HDB46/0570 was originally grey
> HDC13/0503 was originally red
> HDE43/0513 was originally green
> HDP43/0502 was originally ivory
>
> I would consider buying a TF 1500 with a
> Car Number beginning with HDP4x (originally Ivory)
> in restorable condition, without regard to current color,
> unless previous owners had flushed so much time and money
> into non-original "restoration" that the expense of
> correcting those "improvements" had driven its value to
> the buyer quite far below the value presumed by its owner.
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: A colour for a TF
> Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 23:59:24 -0000
> From: "David Tinker" <david.tinker@virgin.net>
> To: <mg-t@autox.team.net>
>
> ... a friend .. has a TF painted in ... a non standard colour ...
>
> The issues are Originality (and ultimate value ) ....
>
> What do you think?
>
> Regards
> David Tinker. Wales UK
> 51MGTD
> 54MGTF
> 66 Jag E 2+2
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Painting Information
> Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 14:43:37 -0800
> From: Chuck Hull <chull@pacbell.net>
> To: mg-t@autox.team.net
>
> I am thinking of painting my wife's TF myself.
> .....
> .....
> My question, does anyone have a good book
> that they can recommend on painting an MG TF?
> ....
> ...
> Chuck
> 1955 MG TF 1500
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