K&T Vintage Sports Cars

1950 M.G. TD

This classic M.G. TD was just a sporty second-hand car in 1961 when a 17-year-old boy bought it off a used car lot in Allentown, Pa., with $400 earned on his paper route. The owner put many miles on the car over the next 46 years — until he decided in 2007 to bring it in to K&T Vintage for the total restoration it deserved.

HONORS & DISTINCTIONS
Best English Sports Car 1946-1952 – 2009 Greenwich (Conn.) Concours International
First Senior Award 2009 Antique Automobile Club of America Eastern Division Regional Fall Meet, Hershey, Pa.
Premier Class Winner 2010 New England MG 'T‘ Register Gathering of the Faithful, 2010.
Best of Britain Exhibition 2010 Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia
British Invasion Exhibition 2010 America on Wheels Museums, Allentown, Pa.
The Sacred Octagon Cover Story | New England MG 'T' Register | April 2011 Vol. 49, No. 2

Not all vintage cars that arrive at K&T Vintage for total restorations are hulks of rust and horror. This TD was the owner's first car, and was lovingly cared for – and driven – by him for 46 years. This is how the car looked when it came in for restoration, sporting the $35 "Nimbus Gray" paint job and racing stripes it was given when purchased in 1961.

A few steps into the restoration already: After you remove everything, you start be refurbishing the frame, which is straightened, sandblasted, primed and painted.

The new wheel wells were hand crafted. Here you see the inside of the wheel well, with all new metal work. The wheel well is welded and shaped around a wooden frame.

With the frame restored, the body panels are cleaned down to the metal, and – in the case of a TD – new wood pieces installed.

The exterior of the wheel well shows all new metal has been welded on. The form is an exact replics of the original TD design.

The trial fit to the frame. First the "cab" has to be flush with the line of the frame. Once this is assured, the rest of the body panels can be trial fitted.

The firewall has been totally restored, cleaned and sealed, and holes filled. This is ready for the next step.

Keeping the restoration true and accurate means making sure the rest of the body fits the frame without distortion or any racking. Fitting everything perfectly will make the TD a joy to see as well as drive.

Here the suspension, wheel spindles and front shock absorbers have been reattached. (Halo was applied to the photo for better visibility.)

After the panels are test fit, they get a coat of primer, after making sure the metal is free of all grease, oil and rust. The "tub" is primed and ready for the paint booth.

The rebuild continues after the body parts return from the paint shop. Here the engine – rebuilt and repainted – has been put in place, along with the radiator and some of the other engine bay components.

Right side of the engine area, with absolutely every part either cleaned and repainted or replaced before going back onto the car.

The dashboard and trim get special attention, after all the original gauges are restored to better-than-new condition.

Rear of the car, showing repainted gas tank, spare tire carrier and license plate holder, all restored to original or better condition.

As the restoration progresses, the rest of the suspension is calibrated and new tires mounted. The rag top and glass are installed and checked for fit and finish.

Rear view shows the tire mount and rear lights and lenses installed. The doors have been hung and adjusted for perfect operation.

A good shot of the new leather interior, showing the workmanship and careful attention to detail. The carpet is also down, but the steering wheel is not yet in, in order to make the trim work a little easier.

The finely restored 1950 MG TD gets inspected at the 2009 Greenwich (Conn.) Concours International, and takes home the award for Best English Sports Car 1946-1952.

Ken Beck, right, and Eduardo Cuevas inspect the TD's installation at the 2010 "Best of Britain" exhibition at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.

The MG TD took its place amongst many other fine examples of British automotive craftmanship at the 2010 Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum show.

K&T Vintage Sports Car owner Ken Beck, left, and owner Mike Jones with the TD at the "British Invasion" exhibition at the America on Wheels Museum in Allentown, Pa., at the end of 2010.