MGTD – the overlooked T-type?

Despite maintaining the square-rigged looks and XPAG engine of the MGTC, the arrival of the MGTD was met with the traditional objections about new developments that have been a staple at the introduction of every new MG since the company built its second car. The TD was a wider, lower car than the TC. It had smaller, wider wheels and lower front guards to cover them. Most serious of all, it lacked the wire wheels that had been an MG sports car signature since the 1930s. Nonetheless, the stronger car with its independent front suspension and left hand drive soon became a success in the United States, especially.

For modern drivers, the TD’s rugged construction, wider body and much better front end makes it a much less courageous choice than a lighter TC. Despite the similar appearance, it is an easier car to drive frequently. For example, sharing its tyre size with a VW Beetle makes tyres readily available.

While it is true that the MGTD looked a lot like the MGTC and indeed, every MG sports car since the 1930s, there were some important differences under the subtly different body. Starting at the front, with the front suspension, the shorter top arm was pivoted directly from a hydraulic lever-arm damper in a very elegant and simple design. Rack and pinion steering was mounted right at the front of the chassis and linked to the hubs using forward-facing steering arms. This simple, effective system remained pretty much unchanged right up to the end of the production of the MGB, decades later.

Moving further back along the vehicle, the MGTD’s engine was very similar to its predecessor, with the same one and quarter litre capacity. Nonetheless, there are little differences, such as a new oil-bath air cleaner and a replaceable element oil filter. (Interesting to see they have come back into vogue in modern cars and the spin-off filter seems to be out of fashion).

The TD was heavier than the TC and most of this weight went into that stronger chassis. The side members were deep boxed channels held together by tubular cross members and a large pressed bridge between the two sets of wishbones at the front of the car. This rigidity helps ensure that the independent front suspension feels tight.

At the rear, the chassis curves up and over the rear axle, instead of sticking with the TC’s underslung chassis. Seven-leaf semi-elliptic rear springs are tamed (more or less) by Luvax-Girling lever-type dampers on some cars and Armstrong dampers on others. A hypoid rear axle is used. The added weight and the softer suspension means that a TD does roll more than a TC. However, it grips better and rides very well. My own car can develop a bit of an unsettling corkscrew action on gentle undulations at speed. A contemporary road test from Road and Track reported the same issue.

The diameter of the Lockheed brakes remained at nine inches, as in the TC, but the two leading shoes at each front wheel give added bite. Mind you, by modern standards, the braking does not really suggest “bite”. The phrase “smoothly wiping off speed” better describes what happens when the brakes are given a firm push. The master cylinder remains under the driver’s footwell. It can be a bit tricky to fill, but the inevitable leaks do not strip the paint from the car’s body as happens in MGAs and other cars where the master cylinder sits on a shelf in the engine bay above the driver’s knees. An enterprising contributor to Totally T-type 2 (www.ttt2.com) has developed a neat way to add an external filler bottle in the engine bay that allows easy refilling and, through the use of an aftermarket reservoir, easy checking of the fluid level.

The TD stuck with the fly-off handbrake of its predecessors. In my car this completely flummoxed the roadworthy tester who assumed that the rachet mechanism was broken. However, the added width of the body in the TD allowed the handbrake lever to sit between the seats, rather than down on the floor near the gear lever as in the TC and the later MGA.

There was also a strong tubular hoop inside the cowl, rising out of the front floor. This thick tube then loops over the occupants’ knees, hidden up under the dashboard. It provides support to both the dash and the steering column. In the days before seatbelts, it was under here that a fasting-thinking racing driver would shelter in the case of a big accident and, especially, a roll-over.

Over its three years of model life, there were some refinements made to the TD. In 1953, the MGTD2 was released and the tail lights became round, rather than square. At the same time, magnetically driven instruments with redesigned faces and rheostat-controlled lighting replaced the chronometric units, and a water temperature gauge was added. In both styles, the original clock (set into the tacho) is a rare and very valuable find.

Headlight dimming was also done by a foot dipping switch, instead of by hand as in early examples (and in modern cars). This gave the driver the choice of headlights that were either dim or dimmer. At the same time, the aged XPAG engine was given a new head with revised ports and new, longer spark plugs (NA-8 instead of L-lOS). Also, new rockers, specially hardened tappets, and a new smoother cam were included. Oil circulation was further improved and clutch size was up to 20 cm from 18. Overall, these were minor revisions and there is no significant difference in value between the MGTD and the MGTD2.

However, the factory also produced a very desirable version called the MGTD Mark II. Fitted with twin fuel pumps, bigger carbs, stiffer valve springs and bigger valves along with a higher compression ratio, the MGTD was fitted with a higher ratio diff and additional adjustable Andrex friction dampers to assist the hydraulic dampers. The TD Mark II is a much more serious machine than a TD2 and it is important to make sure that you are buying the right thing as more than one owner of a TD2 has thought that they own the more powerful car, rather than merely the mild update with a slightly bigger clutch.

MY CAR

Realising that the six month renovation of my MGA could take two years, I picked up a 1953 MGTD which had been advertised on eBay. Bought only with the aid of a lot of photographs, this car has proved great fun. It was shipped at some expense from Adelaide to my door and, inevitably, turned out to be not quite as good as it seemed in the photos. Still, it was cheap and now I had a proper square-rigged British sportscar. It is in bright red (originally it was ivory) and has been re-trimmed in the past. A matching numbers car, it has a blown head gasket that I am replacing this week. It took some work to get the car roadworthy and it could do with a re-spray one day, but it is now a perfectly useable car (or it will be when I get the head back on). It is registered for everyday use, but only goes out on nice days every couple of weeks.

The MGTD attracts huge attention and has drawn some great stories from older people who had one when they were young. The 1250 cc motor produced only 54 bhp when new, but the little car is very light at 876 kgs. It will take off from rest in second gear, but starts to run out of puff, like my old Series 2A Land Rover, at around 85 km/h. It will do a 100 km/h if you want. The car’s speedo rarely works and lies like a politician when it does, but the free speedo apps on my iPhone provide accurate speed readings.

Many people think the MGTD is a Morgan. However, I think it looks better than a Morgan. Certainly it looks better than a Morgan four seater. Also, unlike a Morgan, MG parts are readily available and dirt cheap. Finally, although I am keen to own a Morgan (especially a Plus 8), my MGTD cost me a fraction of the money needed to get one of Malvern’s finest. Mind you, my MGTD certainly does not perform like a Morgan Plus 8.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the MGTD is the quality of its ride. At low speed on my rough (and very steep) drive, it is not as comfortable as my air-suspended L322 Range Rover. However, it is much more comfortable than my hydrolastic-suspended MGF. The latter is considered to ride well by modern sports car standards, but is not as smooth in the rough as the TD. Mind you, as mentioned above, the TD can develop an unsettling corkscrew motion travelling at speed on undulating sealed roads.

The MGTD is the overlooked model of the MG T-series. It lacks some of the pre-war, large-wheeled style of the earlier MGTC on one hand and also missed out on the lower, racier look of the MGTF, on the other. However, in my view it is the most sensible MG T-series with its winning combination of traditional appearance and more modern chassis. Mine is certainly not for sale.