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1949 MG TC
(Built 4/22/1948)
"Wildflower"
TC5308

'The Red Car'
turns out
to be Yellow

TC Tech & Library Page

The Restoration of TC5308 in photos!
March 7, 2010 - What started as a simple job got a little messy (don't they always?).  The new pushrods and rocker assembly was first up - looks great and feels smooth and tight.  However, one of the 8mm bolts started to strip.  It did unscrew and the threads on it were weak.  I'll try all new bolts and using a tap to clean up the threads and see if that will hold.  If not, then I'll have to drill, tap, and helicoil the head.  I did get the new freeze plug in - someone had used JB Weld to 'glue' a slightly small plug in place without adding a bead outside.  I cleaned it all off with a Dremel, put a thin bead inside the correct plug, and pinged it in place.  Also got the three broken spokes replaced in the bad wheel.  Not much accomplished today.
February 20, 2010 - The new spare tire, liners, and tubes came in from Coker, and I picked up the first two wheels from my friend in Newport News.  It appears that Wildflower had a very mixed set of wheels - the first one went to base metal, the next to gold, the next to yellow, and the 4th to green.  We are wondering about the last wheel - he'll tank it next week.  Also got in the spokes to repair the damaged wheel - that's the one that went to bare metal.  Having gone back and forth for months on the refinishing, I'm now back to a good prime and paint rather than powder coating.  Enough folks in the MG club said bad things about powder coating for the spoked wheels that I decided it was smarter to clean them up and paint.  I can always paint over the one already powder coated.
February 16, 2010 - TOPLESS CENTERFOLD! - Wildflower got national exposure as the centerfold of this month's The Sacred Octagon, the magazine for the New England MG T Register.  I took the photo at right back the fall at our car club's Wings and Wheels show.  Extreme luck, as the 1940's Waco biplane was not only the right vintage and a complimentary color - it was parked on the grass there for only about 15 minutes.  Our local MG club sent the photo in to TSO, and they opted to use it as the feature photo.
February 15, 2010 - Most of the TC parts arrived over the past week, including the rebuilt rocker assembly and new pushrods.  They look great, and should cure the excessive tapping when the car is running.  If not, well, I gave it my best shot!  Also arriving, but probably never to be used, is a very nice original steering box and column. The wheels are being hot tanked and I'll be working to get them cleaned up and ready for powder coating as soon as I get them back.  Other goodies include new rear spring bushings, bolts, and washers, and some new chrome bits for the interior, engine, and body. Gonna have to get busy and start putting her back together now!
February 7, 2010 - I dismounted all of the tires today.  Nobody around here has a machine that can handle 19" wires, so I pulled out my handy-dandy period manual bead breaker and tire irons.  I used to run a tire store, and remembered a couple of tricks - including spraying the bead with tire gloss spray to help it slip over the outer rim.  I managed to get them all off without damaging any of the tubes, even the old Dunlop spare.  An inspection of the wheels turned up a rather startling find - one of the road wheels had 3 broken outer spokes!   The others were pretty good, with only one having noticeably loose spoke and none with broken spokes.  Considering my enthusiastic driving this summer, I'm happy the wheel stayed together.  I am taking all of them over to a friend's to be hot-tanked.  Once I get them back, I'll tighten up the loose spokes and replace the broken ones.  However, I have the extra wheel already done, so I don't need to buy any new ones to have a solid set on the road.  I'm going to order a new Excelsior tire for the spare to match the four on the ground, and a new tube. 
February 6, 2010 - Been a busy week, though not with any visible progress on the TC.  Her rocker assembly is done and on the way home from California, and the new pushrods should be on the way from Missouri soon.  I also bought a correct original TC steering box/column off eBay for $306.  While I may never use it, the VW steering conversion is the only non-authentic part on the car and it's nice to have the correct item on hand.  I loaded up the wheels in the back of the trick and took them over to a friend's to sandblast, only to get a call from another friend who owns a motor exchange shop.  He offered to tank the wheels and strip the paint for me.  A much nicer and easier solution to getting the old paint off!  Oh, I have a parts order from Doug Pelton's From the Frame Up - new rear bushing, shiny new bolts and washers,and some new chrome door latch covers, plus some other odds and ends including a new engine freeze plug. 
January 27, 2010 - I got an email from a kind fellow (Thanks, Richard!) in the MG T-ABC group who saw the previous post about putting Wildflower up on jack stands.  He let me know that a friend of his had experienced issues with door fit after leaving a TD on stands for a long period.  I confidently told him I was OK there, as I had the car jacked up on the frame rails.  However, I decided to check tonight and discovered that the door would not shut properly!  I did some shifting of stands so that they are now supporting the axles.  The doors shut easily with the double snick, just like new.  The car is also more secure with the jack stands spread further apart.  Look at that filthy undercarriage!  Good thing I have 4 months left to clean her up!  Yeah, I know that's silly - it's more detailing now, getting overspray and touchups done in case one of the judges actually gets underneath!
January 24, 2010 - Wildflower is finally perched on 4 new heavy-duty jack stands in her private garage, ready to be primped. The old mismatched pressed-steel stands I had did not inspire confidence. After all, if the car fell on me, it might get damaged! 
January 23, 2010 - Wildflower has another trophy on her shelf - the Ivie Lister Award, presented by my Antique Car Club to the British car that has earned the most points in shows that year.  So in effect, she got a trophy for her trophies!  I also got my spare wheel back on Friday.  After a lot of deliberation and input Pro and Con from other folks, I went ahead and tried powder coating.  I am very pleased with the result - it looks like a really good paint job and the color is a gray-silver that looks correct.  I'll clean and tighten the 5 wheels off the car and have the guy do them as well.  There's an original steering box on eBay for $400 - I'd love to get it, but that's a lot of money for a part I never plan to use!
January 19, 2010 - Sent the rocker assembly off this morning to Rocker Arm Specialist in Anderson, CA.  They promised a 7-10 day turnaround plus shipping and a cost of about $135.  Then I contact Smith Brothers Pushrods in MO and found out they will make a new set of pushrods for the TC for $56!  I sent off one of the old pushrods for them to go by this afternoon.  They were recommended by Joe Curto, who made the brake handle chrome cover I bought back in April.  I can go ahead and get the rest of the engine cleaned and things like the freeze plug taken care of.
January 18, 2010 - It took me a while to get back to the TC - some other projects came up, but I finally got the rocker assembly off the car and ready to send out to California tomorrow.  I also dropped off the extra wire wheel to get an estimate on powder coating.  Oh, I found the missing freeze plug under the car.  It looks like the plug was a little small, and contracted enough with the sub-freezing temps to fall out of the block after the Christmas Lights Run.  The block would have taken longer to cool down, being much heavier and thicker.
January 5, 2010 - I decided to stretch the TC season out to one more event - the January MG Club Meeting.  Temps had warmed up some, at least to the mid 30s, and it was a clear night.  However, the TC apparently took my original plans to take her off the road after the Xmas Lights run to heart.  While I was warming the car up, I checked the coolant and found it was low.  So I added some...  and added some...  and added some more.  Nothing was leaking from the radiator or hoses, but when I walked around the back of the car coolant was running down the floor.   Turns out that the rear freeze plug had come out!  The car ran fine for the Xmas Lights ride, never overheated  at all.    In any case, that marks the season end for driving the TC.  I'll add new freeze plugs to the list of things to do before May.
December 29, 2009 - It was 29 degrees, but clear tonight, so the TC took part in the Tidewater MG Classics Xmas Lights Tour at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  At least 15 other MGs showed up, as well as a Morgan and an Austin Healy, most with the tops down.  We had dinner at an excellent Italian restaurant first, then headed over to roll through the elaborate lights displays.  The TC started right up tonight and was flawless as usual.  Neighbor Kitty Ledsome was brave enough to go with me, and we had fun looking at all the other drivers who obviously figured we were crazy.  Well, could be, but we had fun anyway.
December 23, 2009 - Richard finished up the wire wheel this week, touching up the spokes and hub.  The inside of the rim will take some more serious attacks with a wire wheel.  I am flip-flopping again between paint and powder coating.  Now I am leaning towards having this wheel powder coated to see how it turns out.  There were mixed messages from TC owners about using powder coating, but some of the new wheels come powder coated, so it can't be all that much of an issue.  Also checked into getting the rocker assembly rebuilt - $135 plus shipping, which is an excellent price.  I am going to try taking the TC on one last outing - the MG Club Holiday Lights Tour this Tuesday (30th).  Then the rocker assembly gets pulled and shipped off, and I'll get serious on the wheel issue.
December 20, 2009 - I worked on the spare wheel I got at Hershey today - pulled off the petrified Dunlop tire and bead-blasted it.  The wheel turned out to be even nicer than I hoped.  There was no rust at all inside the rim, the spokes are all clean, tight, and straight, and the hub splines are excellent.  One curious note - the wheel had been pale yellow at one time, and that seems to have been the only color paint on it.  There was even yellow paint under the original-looking spoke strip.  I am planning to finish bead blasting it (the spokes take a lot of time) and then get it painted with silver polyurethane to see how it looks.
December 11, 2009 - Just got back from the Tidewater MG Classics Xmas Party - and what is likely to be Wildflower's last run for a while.  She did great, but with the actual temperature at 27 degrees on the drive home, the enjoyment factor suffers a bit.  There may be some warm days I can get her out for a short run, but I'll start making the parts list and setting up for her winter Grand National makeover.  The rocker assembly is getting overhauled, and the wheels need attention.  I'm debating all new wire wheels versus having the old ones cleaned and powder coated - cost is a big factor.  I'll pull the wheels and check them over for damage and wear.  If they look OK, I'll replace any bad spokes and get all six that I have done up at the same time.  Other than that, it's just going to be a matter of a new chrome bit here and a new bolt or bushing there.  And LOTS of cleaning and touchup.
December 6, 2009 - It's pretty close to the end of the TC season around here.  I had a nice drive today with brisk but enjoyable 46 degrees and sunny skies.  However, once the sun went down and the temperatures dropped ten degrees, driving an open 60 year-old British sports car quickly lost some of its charm.  I'm too tall to be able to drive the car safely with the top up, especially at night, so it won't be long before Wildflower gets put up on jack stands for her winter primping in preparation for the 2010 AACA Grand National in New Bern, NC.
November 29, 2009 - It was sunny and in the low 60s today - I got Wildflower out for a long drive in the country.  Some steady Interstate cruising at 55-60 was followed by some nice twisty back roads with almost no traffic.  At one point, I was rolling along with a mid-50s Porsche Spyder - we waved at each other and I guess we both grinned at having two such different antique sports cars.  (Yes, I did pass him once, but I think he was just being nice).  Wildflower performed flawlessly, and got plenty of waves and 'thumbs-up' from other drivers.  As usual, I ended up at Richard's, where we got the new front shocks installed on his TC (TC5309).  It was handy having my TC parked just outside for some quick references.
November 4, 2009 - I got a pleasant surprise tonight at the MG Club meeting.  Chuck Hudson, a local TC owner who let me ride in his 1946 TC for an autocross back in 2000 (photos below) was there - the first time I have seen him in almost 9 years.  He had several boxes of MG Club magazines to give me, and also gave me a bottle of wine he got back in 1991 with an MG TC on the label!  He helped rekindle my TC love affair , and more importantly, showed me that the cars could and should be driven for fun, not locked away in a garage.   It's the enthusiasts like Chuck who make the car hobby such a great place - encouraging others to take part instead of plastering 'Don't Touch' signs all over the cars. Happily, I had TC5308 out at the meeting - first time I've run her in a few weeks, but she was flawless as always.  Driving in rush hour Interstate traffic at night wasn't as much fun as weekends on country roads, especially when it started raining on the way home.  But we both survived and it was great to be behind her wheel again.
November 2, 2009 - Bad weather and a new automotive family member (1976 Dodge Aspen) have conspired to keep me away from the TC for several weeks - the longest break since I got her. With the local MG Club meeting two days away, I wanted to get the distributor hold-down clamp taken care of.  As you can see, it was closed all the way and still not holding the distributor in place.  I took a photo of the distributor ahead of time to make sure I got positions right afterwards.  Everything came apart and went back together with no fuss, though I did have to adjust the timing afterwards.  She's running great again - should be ready to go Wednesday night!
October 10, 2009 - HERSHEY!  I don't usually go, even though it's the  biggest antique car flea market in the country.  By the time you factor in gas, meals, and hotels that start at $150 per night, and having to take time off from work, it's a pretty sizeable investment.  Still, I hadn't been in a few years and they needed judges for the AACA National car show. So buddy Chip and I rolled out at  6 am Thursday.
We had a smooth trip up and were on the field by noon.  It's an amazing site - thousands of vendors all hawking car parts.  Even so, I didn't have much hope of finding the spare wire wheel and distributor hold-down I wanted for the TC.  Hershey is mostly pre-war and American - I've been hard pressed to find MGB parts there in the past.  I got a great start Thursday when I found the New England T Register tent.  Dick Knudson, one of the 'movers and shakers' in the TC world, was there and had an NOS TC distributor hold-down assembly!  Better yet,  when I pulled out my wallet to produce the $65 asking price, he 'negotiated' the cost DOWN to $55 for me with the admonition that 'this is a flea market.'  Friday was even better - a complete tune-up kit still sealed in plastic was found for $10, and towards the end of the day, we found a TC wheel!  The seller had it marked at $175, which wasn't bad since the spokes and splines were all good.  However, I did a bit of haggling this time and got the wheel for $125.  And as I was pulling out my wallet, the seller offered a NOS Lucas voltage regulator in the original box for $100 (reproductions usually go for $275).  Even though I had a new spare, it's a non-Lucas part and this one even had the Lucas paper fuses (if you look close, you can see the factory smoke still sealed inside - :grin:).  So I got the wheel (complete with bald Dunlop) and regulator.  By another stroke of luck, the vendor was located across from where my car was parked  (You'd have to see Hershey to really appreciate how important that was).  With parts located, we started walking the car corral.  There were some really nice cars out there, most of them grossly overpriced.  One of the cars was a TC almost identical to Wildflower - it had an older restoration showing some wear, and chrome wire wheels with a bit of rust showing here and there.  I thought the $37,000 asking price was a bit steep, but it was sold Friday!
Just to show how really strange my automotive tastes are, out of hundreds of cars for sale, the only one I gave serious consideration to was a 1973 Chrysler Imperial Lebaron 4-door hardtop.  This ocean liner of a car had 44K miles and looked pretty clean. They are unusual and make wonderful road cars, and this one could be had for maybe $5,000.  A friend from my car club looked it over with me and offered to loan me the cash to buy it.  Aaaarg!  Paul, the owner, was a great guy who was very forthright about the car - it had a bad A/C module which is about $500.  More of an issue, the power steering pump was leaking badly.  That made the drive back to Virginia iffy.  Combining those problems with hard starting, what looked to be tired valve seals, and some rust bubbles in the front lower quarters, I decided to pass.  I came CLOSE, though.
On to Saturday's Car Show.  I ended up judging the Class 25 D/E cars, which had open and closed sports cars from 1970-85.  However, the car I really wanted to see out of the 1200+ there was Bob and Pam Bond's 1946 MG TC.  Not just because of the car - the Bonds are great folks that I met through mutual friend Richard Hall, and I was looking forward to seeing them again.  They showed up despite early morning rain - luckily the weather cleared up into a beautiful day.  The Bond's car is stunning - I took a lot of photos to aid in my winter clean-up of Wildflower.  They will also be at New Bern in May 2010, but fortunately for me they already have their Grand National award - I won't be competing against them.  Another TC was supposed to be there, but didn't show.    We headed back right after the show and got back home before ten - a great weekend overall!
October 3, 2009 - I made a last-minute decision to join the Historic Williamsburg MG Touring Society's Wilderness Tour this morning.  Williamsburg is about 45 miles from my house, so I left early to get there ahead of traffic.  The car did great most of the way, then started to sputter and die.  I got her off to the side and lifted the hood.  Happily, the culprit was the tachometer reduction gearbox, which had loosened and dropped down to short out the power wire to the distributor!  30 seconds later she was purring again, which she did for the rest of the 150+ miles I put on her today.   Passed the 1,000 miles mark driven since May. For pictures and a brief story on the HWMGTS Wilderness tour, CLICK HERE.
October 1, 2009 - It was a beautiful day here (sunny and 70) and there was nothing going on at work, so I called in sick.  Got some errands done, and then decided I needed to take Wildflower out for a good run.  I rode out to Richard's but he wasn't home.  The TC was so upset that her Tach quit working.  After about 100 miles of tooling around, I went back home and checked out the tach reduction box.  Sure enough, the generator driven shaft had come out of the gear.  I used the vise to distort the end and drove it back in - that fixed the drive, but as I was tightening the retainer clamp for the generator mount, the tiny screw snapped.  A new mount set is $27 plus postage, and I'd have to wait until Monday.  So I drilled out the old screw and got a new stainless steel screw and locknut.  With the locknut to the engine side, it is invisible, so there is no harm done.  And the tach works fine again.
September 26, 2009 - WINGS AND WHEELS!  - Today was my annual Regional AACA club's car show, a 'wings and wheels' event held at a local airport and aircraft museum also known as 'The Fighter Factory.'  The magnificent collection of World War II aircraft is especially amazing because they are all flyable! A couple of the aircraft took to the skies today, including a stunning red Waco biplane.  I took advantage of a great photo opportunity that turned out to be the best shot of the day.  Wildflower rolled the 40 miles to the show with no complaints, though I did not enjoy the morning arrival with the top up due to predicted showers as much as the top-down cruise home (no rain!).  Even better, I had a new trophy on the passenger seat - TC 5308 took the Best Foreign Car award for the show!
September 20, 2009 - Wildflower made her debut at the Brown's Island Import Car Show in Richmond VA today and won First Place in the Vintage MG class!  She was also selected as one of the cars featured in a parade of MGs that showcased the development from K-series to the rubber bumper MGBs.  There were some amazing old MGs there, including TWO blown six-cylinder racers from the thirties.  Some friends also took their 1936 Volvo, one of only three know to exist world-wide.  (And they own two of them).  They won Best European Car. 
September 12, 2009 - After just over a MONTH dealing with the leaky fuel sending unit, she's still tight and dry and the tank repair is pretty much invisible, especially with everything put back together.  I took Wildflower out for a nice long drive today - to Richard's, of course.  Interstate and curvy country roads on a beautiful sunny day.  The car ran flawlessly - 70c the whole way, running at 60-65 on the highway and snorting around curves.  I needed to check her out after sitting for more than a month, since I plan to drive her to the big Brown's Island show in Richmond (about 100 miles away) next weekend.  Richard waved me up in the yard to check something out, and then suggested a photo op with TC5908.  So I backed TC5308 in and got the photo on the right.  Richard's car is coming together - he's working on the rear suspension now.  I'm looking forward to being able to roll around with him and Sandy with dual TCs.  Oh, I had planned to install the NOL bottle and bracket this morning and discovered that Andy had done a perfect job of filling the holes.  I'll have to redrill them, something for later.
September 9, 2009 - I checked the TC tonight and was very happy to see the new paint on the tank dry and clean.  The seals are all holding, and have had plenty of time to set.  I am looking forward to driving the car this weekend.  I put her all back together last week, then took off for a trip to Boston.  However, I did make some eBay purchases while I was gone, including a pair of good used rear axle shafts for just $46 including shipping and a magazine with a good TC article.  A member of the T-ABC group responded to my questioning the price of a NOL oilcan and bracket set on eBay by offering a really nice set he had for $100 - a little over half the cost of the eBay item.  The set arrived today and looks wonderful - it has just enough patina to look authentic while not being a point-loss worry.  I'll get that installed this weekend.  The TC's garage has gotten a  thorough reorganization now that the Packard parts are gone, and is now quite nice.  Oh, and a very important note - the sale of the Packards netted enough to pay off the TC, which I did on Saturday.  She's all mine!
August 30, 2009 - Success!  No leaks this morning, and I tested it with another three gallons the rest of the day.  Tonight the tank was still dry, so I sanded and primed the damaged area and used an old aerosol sprayer and the touch-up paint I had.  The finish doesn't have the high gloss of the rest of the tank, but you have to look very close to see the difference. Given the old stains from previous leaks, it looks better now than it did before!  And that part of the tank is behind the spare tire anyway.  I'm very pleased with the results.  I'll reinstall the carrier and spare tomorrow, and the TC should be ready for the road again.  I also have NOL oilcan and bracket coming for the firewall - it should be in this week sometime.
August 29, 2009 - Drip - drip - drip.  The tank unit was leaking again when I checked it the next morning, but now it appeared to be seeping from the top of the base gasket.  I took it off again, grumbling loudly, and then figured I'd go back to the plain gasket and Hylomar around the base.  As I was cleaning off the old sealant from the unit, I started to remove what looked to be a small bit of sealant next to the contact screwpost.  Except it was the remains of the rubber O-ring that keeps fuel from seeping past the screwpost.  Which is at the top of the sending unit casting - which in turn, might dump gas over the cover plate and also create the illusion of seepage at the top of base gasket.  The old unit has a solid plug around the contact lug with no O-ring.  I matched up a new one at the local hardware store (1/4 x 1/8 x 1/16 DANCO #35774B) and added some Hylomar to be safe.  After letting it set overnight, I reinstalled the improved base gasket with more Hylomar.  I added gas just over the top of the sending unit and let it set - I'll check it tomorrow morning to see if it is still dry.
August 24, 2009 - I installed a new cork gasket with Hylomar on both sides and let the car sit for a few days to make sure the seal cured completely.  Tonight I went ahead and added gas to bring her up to about 6 gallons - well over the sending until top, and watched.  And watched.  An hour later, there is still no sign of a leak, but I made that mistake before.  There's a pan under the tank and I am letting it sit until tomorrow.  If she remains dry, I'll take her over and fill up the tank, and let it sit for another day.   If she's still dry after that, I'll go ahead and clean and touch up the tank and frame as a stop gap until this winter, when I pull it apart and get the end panel bolt replaced and the tank repainted properly.  Oh, it looks like the Packards might be sold!  If that goes through, I will be able to pay off the credit union and Wildflower really will be mine! 
August 19, 2009 - Hylomar sealant was recommended by several T-ABC club members as the cure for my sending unit, so I ordered some on Saturday.  The TC has gotten her longest rest since I got back from Gettysburg, but I am hoping to have her all back together by Sunday.  Depends on when the Hylomar gets here.  Since she is laid up, I got the Studebaker and Model A running and back up to snuff to drive to events.  They have both been largely ignored since the TC arrived.  Still, I'm anxious to get the TC back on the road.  Been some pretty sunny days with her sitting forlornly in her garage.
August 9, 2009 - Even if it IS broke - The sending unit looked tight and dry after I put it in and even after she had a full tank of fuel.   However, I went out driving yesterday. Richard, my TC buddy, noticed a gas smell while I was visiting him, and I saw the unit was dripping. I got her home and found that the unit was leaking from the inspection plate, not the mounting gasket! Tightening the screws did not help. I drained the gas, but the paint had already been eaten away on the tank and frame under the unit.  So my attempt to 'fix' things didn't quite work out.  If I'd left it all alone all I'd have had to put up with the Fuel light staying on. Now I can't drive the car at all until I figure out how to get the inspection plate to seal up. :sigh: So even if it IS broke, if it doesn't keep you from driving, DON'T fix it!
August 7, 2009 - I've been driving Wildflower to get the fuel level down low enough to replace the bad sending unit and decided to stick the tank today to see how much further I had to go.  She had less than a gallon in her!  The old unit was pretty nasty, and as expected, the float was full of gas.  There was so much old gasket cement on the old setup I was afraid the paint might be damaged, but it came off clean.  The new sending unit from Doug Pelton came with a gasket (bottom), but I had also opted for his improved (vastly) version (top) with double flanges and nice tight screw holes.  I used a light coating of Form a Gasket 1 on both sides just to be safe - the installed unit shows no signs of leaks even with a full tank, and the light went out after I added a couple of  gallons, so all is working well.  Not so good on the next project - I had also gotten some new chromed acorn bolts for the lower tank panel - the ones that take 30 minutes just to position?  Well, the first one I tried went in finally, but then snapped off while I was tightening it!  Happily, it isn't even visible and isn't important.  Gonna  wait until winter and pull the tank so I can drill out the broken stud.
August 4, 2009 - Another nice evening drive for Wildflower - on the way into the meeting I fell in behind a really pretty MGA and a B also heading for the club gathering.  The car ran great as always, though she did sound better after last night's valve adjustment.  Wildflower got special mention at the meeting for 'her' club newsletter article on the Two Stoplight Tour June 21st.  (Written from the perspective of a Family Gathering by the Great Grandmother.)  Heading towards 700 miles on the clock from my driving!
August 3, 2009 - The TC has had a short rest the past week or so while I took care of the Model A's brakes, work, and other stuff.  However, tomorrow night is the local MG club meeting, and she HAS to make it to that.  The engine has been a little rattly, so I decided to adjust the valves.  That made a big improvement.  I also pulled the seat back off so I can measure the bottom tracks and take photos for Richard Hall, who is close to getting his TC interior back together.   After doing my yard, adjusting the Model A's points, and adjusting the TC's valves, it was time to call it a night.  I'll get the measurements and photos tomorrow before I head off for the MG Club meeting.
July 21, 2009 - As promised, Andy and Shelley Culley, the couple that restored Wildflower, sent me scans of photos taken when they got the car and during the restoration.  Yep - that sad-looking Earl Scheib green TC is TC5308 circa 2002.  See the start to finish images on the TC Restoration photo page by clicking here. 

You can see the web site I put together for Andy and Shelly by clicking the link for ARC Vehicle Restoration Services.
July 19, 2009 - Today started and ended fine, with some gut-clenching excitement in the middle.  I started by installing the new parking lights.  As you can see in the photo, the body of the reproduction light from Doug Pelton (lower lamp) is pretty much an exact and really nice piece.  I couldn't use any of the rest of the lamps, but  the old guts were fine.  I got everything installed and got a nice shot of the TC by one of my Crepe Myrtles, which has a really nice dark pink flower.   Then I hit the road with a number of stops to fix computers, cut down some Model A brake rods, and get the borrowed parking light s back to Richard.  All went well until I got about 5 miles from my first stop.  Coming to a light, I realized the exhaust was louder that normal.  Sure enough, the tailpipe slipped out again.  The stainless system requires a lot of torque to clamp down.  I got it back together and secured in just a couple of minutes.  However, just a few miles further, I was rolling at 45 on a straight stretch when I suddenly noticed that the 'MG emblem on the steering wheel was upside down.  My first reaction was wondering how I could have possibly installed the wheel upside down?  Then I moved the wheel to adjust for slight drift and nothing happened.  Happily, there were no cars around and I had clear lanes to both sides.  Swinging the wheel in both directions did nothing, and I figured that the steering knuckle had broken.  But the steering wheel didn't feel completely disconnected, and when I swung it a lot, the wheels turned.  I was able to get her safely off the road and started looking for answers.  With the bonnet up, I could see that the entire steering box was turning when I moved the wheel.  Some more investigating revealed that the steering box itself, a VW conversion, had popped off the frame mount.  It is held on by a clamp that had loosened up.  Whew!  Though I didn't have the correct 11/16th socket or wrench, a Whitworth socket got the clamp tight enough to get me to my destination, where I used a borrowed socket to get everything cinched down tight.  That fixed everything, and I completed my errands without a hitch. 
July 18, 2009 - I got an unexpected phone call today - from Andy Culley, the gentleman who restored my TC!  He was very nice, and quite interested in how the car had held up.  The restoration is six years old, and he had done everything except for the engine.  He also has photos of the car before and during the restoration, which he is going to scan and send me.  It sounds like the car was a basket case when he started.  Some tidbits of information included the PPG Global paint he used on the car - it's a commercial heavy-duty product that was quite expensive.  Given the durability and finish after six years, I'd have to say it was worth it.  Andy restored the car for the man I bought it from, and from the odometer, the car only had 500 miles on her before being laid up, most likely due to the broken rocker shaft.  Andy has a shop to restore cars at his home now.  Wildflower is a testament to his quality - she won a national Senior against cars fresh out of restoration shops six years after he did the work. I am anxious to see the photos!
July 16, 2009 - The owner of my company is also a car nut who has followed Wildflower's progress on this wed site.  He came into town today, so I decided to drive the TC out to the office and give him a first-hand look.  However, I chose to move her every two hours to a different street parking location visible from my office window rather than leave her in the parking garage.  He enjoyed the car and a ride around the office park, but declined an offer to drive her.  As expected, the car handling the long commute (40 miles of Interstate and a bridge-tunnel) with no problems.

The new parking lights from Doug Pelton came in - they look great, but have hard-wired sockets with pigtail leads that would require cutting the TC's wiring harness.  So I am going to use the original guts with the new shells.  Too bad the Moss internals and Pelton's shells can't be married up - you'd have a perfect reproduction!
July 11, 2009 - Another weekend, another run for the TC.  She actually got out for a drive Wednesday night, too, but today was her debut with the Tidewater Region of the AACA, my primary car club.  It was a fun event, just a local jaunt to eat and socialize and admire two phenomenal garages.  She charmed even the Chevy owners, and got a lot of compliments from folks who know old cars.  As usual, she performed with nary a hiccup.  Oh, I got the refund from Moss for the parking light set, and promptly turned around and ordered a new set from Doug Pelton.  I have confidence that he'll provide some nice units.  Then I can return the pair borrowed from TC5908 to Richard, who generously loaned them to me while his car is being built back up.  Still working on the TC history list - may never be more than a waste of my time, but I am enjoying seeing where all the other TCs ended up.
July 7, 2009 - Funny how things can work out - I have been trying to dig up some history on Wildflower since I got her, but the seller has not responded to emails and has no phone, so I pretty much had written off any hopes of digging further into her past.  Yesterday, I got the bug to try building a list of all known TCs and their histories by combining old and new rosters, magazine and book listings, etc.  A long-term project to be sure.  As I was building the table today, I came across another TC owner in Spring Hill, Florida, where TC5308 came from.  That sparked an idea, and I searched the MG T-ABC roster for other TC owners in the same area.  Then I sent emails to the four that came up.  I actually got responses from three of them - and one of them actually provided the name, address and phone number of the man who restored her - Andrew Culley!  I called today and spoke with Shelley, Andrew's wife, who not only remembered the car, but said they had just been talking about it and wondering where it had ended up!  Andrew is out of the country right now, but they will be back in touch as soon as he returns.  Talk about luck!  Oh, I took Wildflower out for a nice long drive Saturday, bringing her up to a total of more than 500 miles driving in the past couple of months.  It isn't a huge amount, but she is definitely no trailer queen!  And we have the TRAACA Garage Tour this weekend - she'll make her region activity debut!
July 1, 2009 - Another Tidewater MG Club meeting and another outing for Wildflower.  She and a TD were the only older cars there - all of the others were MGBs and MGB-GTs, with one Midget for variety.  There was a chance of showers, but I figured the car would not melt if it got wet.  Happily, even though lighting was flashing and clouds were rolling in by the time we broke up, I got her inside before the storm hit.  The downpour overcame pumps at our local bridge-tunnel (the one I use to get to work every day) and flooded one of the tubes!  I don't think the TC's top and side curtains would have been a lot of help - and I don't want to even think about the windshield wipers!
June 27, 2009 - Richard and Sandy Hall and I were invited to a cocktail party in Williamsburg to meet Bob and Lynne Douglas, an intrepid couple who have just completed a 40,000 mile tour of South and North America in their MG TC, The Wanderer!    That's right - 40K miles and close to two years not only driving, but camping much of the time!  Although it was another hot day and Williamsburg was a good hour haul on the Interstate, I figured it was a must to take Wildflower.  The car did fine, rolling 55-60 right up to the five-mile parking lot we encountered about halfway there.  However, even creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffic, there were no issues at all.  And when we rolled up to the house where the party was, there were four other TCs and three TDs in the driveway, and even another TC in the basement!  The hosts and most of the guests were members of the Williamsburg MG T Club, an informal group that made Richard and I members just for showing up.  Really great folks with some beautiful cars.  Bob and Lynne Douglas were terrific - they took time to explain and demonstrate the different modifications to their TC that made the trip possible.  There are storage bins and cubbies everywhere, plus a custom-built box hanging off the back.  The car rolls on 15-inch wires that maintain the exact same height as 19 inch standard wheels thanks to the much taller radial tires.  It also has a 5-speed Ford transmission and a Datsun steering box.  We left Williamsburg and decided to go back roads and a local ferry service home to avoid the even worse snarl on the Interstate heading home.  It was a much nicer roll through country roads, and the Jamestown ferry was a nice break.  Then dinner at a little restaurant in Surry, VA, after which we went our separate ways home.  Richard laughed at dinner, saying he and Sandy were having trouble keeping up with the TC (they were in Sandy's V-8 Mustang convertible), and that he was concerned that I must be out of oil - the car never smoked once and didn't drip when we parked.  So far, even with the carbs still needing rebuild and adjustment, Wildflower is doing great!
June 25, 2009 - I got the new parking light assemblies in from Moss Motors just in time to get them installed for a TC gathering in Williamsburg this weekend.  EXCEPT they both had damaged chrome and the light bases were coarse thread while all of the mounting bolts (including the ones that came with the lights) are fine thread.  After a lot of other issues with Moss items, I think it's time to make them the parts source of last resort rather than first choice.  They are quick and convenient, but that doesn't mean much when the parts are not usable.
June 21, 2009 - Tidewater MG Club Two Stoplight Tour - More than 160 miles in 95+ degree heat, and Wildflower didn't miss a beat all day!  I started off early with a run on the Interstate out to a friend's business to work on his computers, then had a short trip to pick up Tyler, a 15 year-old car club buddy who rode with me on the MG run.  We got to the starting point early and had a chance to kick tires with about 20 other MG owners.  The run was really nice - country roads through several cities, lots of corn fields and trees, and even some gravel roads!  At the first stop, Tyler asked if the windshield folded down, and since I'd been itching to try bugs-in-the-teeth motoring anyway, we finished the run with it flat.  The car was flawless all day, except for the very minor glitch of the tailpipe coming loose from the muffler when I went over to pick up Tyler.  A few turns of a 9/16th wrench and we were set.  I did some cleanup on the car today - she did not use a drop of oil or coolant, got about 20 mpg (with a lot of Interstate rolling at 55), ran cool with strong oil pressure, and was a blast to drive!
June 19, 2009 - Things have been busy with work, and also with Wildflower.  I'd planned to drive her to our car club picnic last weekend, but it was raining pretty hard and I chose to take modern iron instead.  Then I discovered that the front carb had a steady leak - not good when the gas is dripping inches for the exhaust manifold.  New seals for the leaking jet were on my doorstep Wednesday thanks to Moss Motors now being in the same state, but they turned out to be worse than the old ones!  There was no point in ordering more from Moss - all of their gaskets would be the same.  So I searched through my boxes of parts and found a complete lower carrier assembly in a spare carb and tried it.  No leaks!  A good thing, since I have a sports car rally with the local MG Car Club on Saturday!
June 7, 2009 - I was planning to take Wildflower out for a run today, but the starter suddenly quit working.  I pulled the handle a couple of times and determined that the cable was getting warm but the starter wasn't moving.  Electrical short, no doubt.  I had planned to order a new starter tonight from Moss, but held off long enough to ask Richard if he wanted to order parts.  He suggested that the starter might have locked up.  When I got home tonight I checked, and sure enough the engine was not turning.  I unbolted the starter and used large screwdrivers to get it to pop free.  Then I reinstalled it and everything is fine for now.  (Thanks, Richard!)  Gotta toss what I 'know' out the window and start learning about MG TCs!  I may go ahead and get a new starter eventually as a backup, but it is an ugly job that requires unbolting the exhaust system.  I'll hope the original holds up for a while.
June 6, 2009 - Wildflower has had an annoying whine since I got her running that sounded like rotating parts not getting enough lubrication.  When I asked for suggestions on the MGT-ABC email list, one of the members said there was a slight chance it could be bad intake gaskets.  It sounded a bit far-fetched, but I decided I needed to check out ANY possibility.  So tonight, with the engine running and whining, I grabbed the intake and pulled up.  The whine changed pitch.  I got out my Whitworths and tightened the carb to manifold bolts.  The noise vanished and the engine idle, which has been sitting at 1800 rpm, dropped right down to a steady 1000 RPM.    Two problems solved in as many minutes.  It really pays to connect with other owners - that kind reply saved me a lot of time, as I might never have thought of checking the manifold for that kind of noise on my own.  I also reinstalled the Brooklands steering wheel - the restored original is tucked away in bubble wrap for the next show.  I like the look and feel of the Brooklands wheel better, and I don't have to impress any judges.  Also, driving the car has improved it - the front engine oil seal had been leaking and throwing oil - it has sealed up now, and the inside bonnet is staying clean!
June 2, 2009 - Out of the garage and on the road for the second real drive I have had in the TC.  Our local MG Owner's Club had the monthly meeting tonight and I decided Wildflower was ready to start getting some road time.  The car did great, and seems to appreciate being driven.  She used to sling oil from the front seal, but that appears to have cleared up.  I expect the seal was dry from sitting, and semi-regular running is putting it back to sorts.  The tach is still working, as is all the instrumentation.  I took her on the interstate at 55-60 with no issues, though she did let me know where the uneven joints were.  As expected she was by far the oldest car at the meeting, though one MGA did also grace the lawn.  The rest were all great-grandchildren MGBs and a Midget (malnourished as a child, perhaps).  There are various activities coming up all the month of June, and TC5308 should be at all of them.
June 1, 2009 - The tachometer quit working a few weeks ago - it was annoying, but not something that mattered for the show.  I checked it out tonight and found that the tach reduction gearbox was the culprit.  New replacements were not too awful ($82), so I tried taking it apart to see what was wrong with it.  The first thing I saw was that the cable end opening was bunged up enough to grab the cable end when the retainer was tightened all the way, locking the cable in place.  Then I found that the driven shaft on the generator end would pull out of the unit - the gear end had lost the friction fit.  So I peened the gear end of the driven shaft to get it to grab the gear and tapped it back into place, and used a large drill bit to open the inside of the cable end opening.  I put it back together and have a working tach again.  May not last long, but it was interesting to play with.  I put the top down, and have her license plate, period frame, and TRAACA tag topper back in place.

May 31, 2009 - SAFETY SENIOR FAST! - Gettysburg proved to be a terrific show and one with some stiff competition for Wildflower.  There were 15 cars in Class 25A (Sports cars to 1960) including five going for Senior awards.  One of the five was a very sharp looking 1951 Jaguar Mark V drophead coupe, as well as a 1960 Mercedes roadster and three MGs: my `1948, a 1946 TC, and a 1953 TF.  I had pretty much resigned myself to losing out, but when awards were announced the three MGs were the winners!  Hard to believe that it has been less than three and a half months since I received the car from Florida. 

There was a huge amount of luck, hard work, and help from friends that made it possible for me to go from nothing to Senior award in such a short period, but I have to give most credit to Richard Hall.  Besides providing advice, parts and help, he single-handedly saved the Senior award by trailering the car up for me.  We ran through heavy rain on the way and after we had parked the trailer.  I'd never have been able to clean the car up in time. 

There were actually three TCs at the show, more than I have ever seen at an AACA show before.  The other car going for Senior was a red 1946 that was nice but somewhat incorrect.  Happily, the rather stunning black 1946 TC (and a car I had seen at the Hilton Head Concourse) was going for a Preservation award.  After determining they were not competition, I found out that the owners were wonderful people who also happened to be friends with Richard.  They have been following the development of Wildflower on this site (Hi, Bonds!) since I got the car.

We got back this afternoon, and discovered that my neighbor Kitty had decorated the front porch with balloons and banners.  The Senior tab has now been installed, and TC5308 is officially ending her reign as 'Trailer Queen'.  From this point on the TC is going to be wearing out roads!  (The glamour shot above was taken by the Gettysburg show field - gonna have to make that one an enlargement!)
May 29, 2009 - All dressed up and somewhere to go - It's been a frantic week, with an unexpected business trip to Seattle taking up a lot of time I had hoped to spend in final cleanup.  Got back late Wednesday night, and went over yesterday to get the trailer.  Friend and fellow TC-er Richard Hall went with me to get the trailer and gave the TC a look over when we got back to my house.  Then he announced that she was NOT riding to Gettysburg on the open trailer.  He was taking her there in his enclosed trailer, pulled by him driving his Suburban.  (I think my little Mazda pickup's sigh of relief was audible).  It was a tremendously generous offer, and with the threat of rain all the way up today, I was not about to turn it down.  So I took the trailer back, came home and polished the car, and have her all cleaned up and waiting in the driveway.  If she doesn't get her Senior, it won't be for the lack of trying or support from some great friends. 
May 23, 2009 - Time is running out quick, but I've made good progress.  Today started off with Richard Hall coming over to look the TC over and point out anything he saw.  Being both a TC owner and an AACA Senior Grand National award winner (Model T Ford), he knew what to check.  A lot of what he noted was expected - I hadn't had time to detail the chassis or clean the car.  Still, he came up with a long list of things that I need to touch up.  The parking lights are rougher than I thought, so he is going to loan me his good ones for the show.  Other than that, the body and interior are good to go.  The vast majority of his notes were on the chassis, and I spent all day today with the car up on jack stands with artist's brushes and different paints and cleaning materials.  Her underside is now pretty well sorted out in case one of the judges lifts her skirt for a peek.  (Cheeky devils!).  Tomorrow will be spent hitting some details in the engine compartment I missed, and then going over for a trial fit of the trailer with my truck.  Then off to Seattle Monday through Wednesday.  Thursday is gonna be pretty frantic, as we are leaving Friday morning for Gettysburg!
May 21, 2009 - Although Richard Hall's generously loaned gas cap was just about perfect, I was happy to get Wildflower's cap back from Royal Silver, the local plating company.  Not cheap, but they do really nice work.  I reassembled the cap tonight and swapped it back out.  You can also see the new end panels and the great paint job Mike did on them.  Really helped to have the leftover paint from the original paint job.  I also got in a Union Jack flag to hang in the garage.  Have to devise a portable flagpole to fly it at car shows!
May 20, 2009 - Side curtains are assembled and just need a final polish of the Plexiglas - took a bit of figuring on the blind rivets that hold the bottoms of the rear side screens in place.  Not to mention a couple of squished rivets - but I had enough to do the job.  They were last of the big jobs to get the car ready.  All I have to do now is touch up the frame and springs and do a good clean and polish.  I cleaned and polished the interior stuff, cleaned the windshield, and got the top up last night.  Richard Hall is coming over Saturday morning for a once-over to make sure I am not missing anything obvious.  The next two nights are busy, but I still have Saturday and Sunday for detailing.
May 18, 2009 - The engine compartment is pretty much done now - I repainted the generator, rerouted and shortened the coil wire, installed the correct gas line clamp on the firewall, and installed a set of period British Lodge spark plugs (at left).  The pink porcelain and black bases are unique to the Lodge plugs - these are NOS off of eBay.  Just have the two rear side curtains to finish up, and then a last go round of touchup, cleaning and polishing.  Just found out I will be in Seattle for THREE days next week - aaarrg!  I usually never travel for the company - figures they would pick the week I have the big show to send me to the other side of the country!  Oh, well.  The car should be ready to go.
May 17, 2009 - Things are coming together now.  As you can see, the end panel chrome (top) was pretty bad - the new pieces (bottom) got painted yesterday by Mike and came out really nice.  Getting the old ones off was a snap, but installing the new ones was a test of patience.  There is just about enough room for two of my fingers between the fender and gas tank to work the bottom bolts back on.  Took about a half hour each, but the panels are on, and the back end is touched up and back together.  I started overhauling the side curtains, stripping them to the bare frames and repainting them the correct dark tan.  The fronts are done now with all new stainless trim and hardware.  Just the back ones left.  I also pulled and repainted the generator, which had thick, rough paint that had to be stripped with a wire brush.  I have weeknights this week to finish the back side curtains and get the chassis touched up.  Naturally, my company is sending me on a short-notice trip to Seattle Memorial Day weekend, so i will be losing some of the prep time I was counting on.  Oh, well - gonna make it anyway!
May 13, 2009 - All done with the interior - the rubber transmission cover was hard to get back in place, but that turned out to be a good thing.  While I was struggling to get the firewall bolts in, I heard a spring pop loose - the retainer ring for the anti-rattle cover had not been installed properly and required pulling the cover and the chrome shield.  (You just can't get good help these days).  Anyway, after getting the retainer properly seated this time, I was able to finish up with the tunnel and carpet and then cleaned and vacuumed to finish things up.  Pulled the spare and touched up the rim and spokes in a few places where I saw nicks..  I also pulled the side curtains out of the storage bin and will start on those tomorrow night. I got my order from Doug Pelton with some small detail stuff like the correct screws for the tonneau bar and rivets for the side curtain frames.  The gas tank panels should be ready by this weekend.  Hopefully they won't be hard to install.  Sorta scary to think that Gettysburg is just two weeks away now.  At least I have a three-day weekend just before.
May 9, 2009 - The transmission is back together now, but before I bolted the top plate back on tonight I took some photos of the gearbox insides - I can't get my fat head in there to look directly.  Looks like all good news.  The gear teeth are clean and sharp with appreciable signs of wear, the shafts have no wear, and everything looks pretty much new.  Once I had the tranny cover on, I ran through the gears - very tight and stiff, as it was before, so I didn't mess anything up.  The new shift lever looks very nice, and I also got a nice new locknut for the gearshift knob which is solidly positioned with the shift pattern in the correct orientation.  I am going to clean up the transmission cover (black rubber) and put the rest of the interior back together and cleaned up.  The only big project left is a major cleanup of the side curtains, but I have most everything already on hand for that job.  The new gas tank end panels are at the paint shop, and my gas cap is at the chrome plater.  The rest is touchup and cleaning!
May 7, 2009 - I finally got the new shift lever installed in the remote tonight. Had to pull the remote/shifter assembly off the transmission and then ground down a couple of small screwdrivers to work as levers. It took a good while, but better to be slow than break the lever remote housing. There are two extra parts in my shifter setup (highlighted in the picture) - a flared spring and a spacer that goes between the extra spring and the base of the shifter handle. These parts do not appear in any of the supplier's books. My best guess is that the extra spring is an oil channeling setup - the coil is flattened and is just under the oil hole in the top chrome cover. When oil is squirted in the hole, it will run around the spring and deposit at the center of the shifter base. In any case, I put it back the way it was. I'll reinstall the cover this weekend and finish getting the interior back together. Three weeks to Gettysburg!
April 28, 2009 - More unsuccessful wrestling with the gear shift lever tonight - gonna have to look at that carefully.  I do NOT want to break the aluminum remote housing.  However, I picked up some silver high-heat manifold paint and found that it was a perfect match for what was already on the car.  I used a camel-hair artist's brush and the result is smooth and even - you'd never know there was a bad spot on the manifold.  I was able to cut in by gaskets and bolts with nary a drip or smear.  It looks like I pulled the manifold and did the whole thing off the car.  The order from Moss arrived today - I am really happy they moved to Virginia! I get one-day service from standard ground shipping.  The new radiator cap really shows up the original.  It didn't look that bad until I put them side-by-side.  The gas tank side plates and side curtain trim were sent from California, so I'll get them in a week. 
April 27, 2009 - The tonneau bar got installed tonight, and the seat back is in place.  Still have not gotten the gear shift done - I'll need to play with that tomorrow.  You have to press out some steel pins that are not being very cooperative.  I ordered new gas tank side plates, side curtain trim, and a radiator cap today.  Ouch.  On the flip side, I sold some MGB parts and covered part of the costs.  That should be the last of the major expenses.  I looked at the manifold, and I think all I really need to do is touch up the existing paint rather than try redoing the whole thing.  Depends on how good a match I can get to the current silver.  If I can't get a good match, I'll pull it and redo the whole thing.
April 26, 2009 - It was sunny and very warm today - perfect weather to take Wildflower out for a run.  I grabbed my camera and made a trek out to the local botanical gardens for some photos that didn't have my garage or driveway in the background.   Besides, the proper place for a Wildflower is a garden.  Anyway, she ran great and got lots of attention everywhere I went.  It was funny to see people admire the car and give a thumbs up, then do a double take when they realized I was sitting on the wrong side.  Which was the right side, no matter how you look at it.  I installed the clips behind the back seat for the hand crank, and pulled the seatback to install the tonneau bar.  I also started to replace the gear shift lever, but didn't find out until tonight some needed disassembly details.  Maybe tomorrow.  Looks like another big order from Moss coming up - Ouch.  I did get a great price on a spare Catseye lens from the man who sold me the original pair.  I really do like the 'new' setup better than the P700s now that I am used to them.
April 25, 2009 - I finally finished up with the headlights today - had to grind down the locating lugs on the headlight main shell so the rims would fit over.  With everything replated, the various pieces are thicker and had to be adjusted.  They are aimed and working well - I think I'll end up leaving them on and holding onto the P700s as emergency backups.  The larger CatsEye headlights look quite different - even a little strange after having the car all this time with the smaller tripods.  Richard Hall loaned me his nice gas cap to use, and I am looking at replacing the gas tank end panels now.  I think Moss is getting another big order coming up.  Oh, well.  regardless of if I get the Senior award, the car is going to be very, very nice when I am done.  Tomorrow should be spent mostly doing chassis paint and detail, though I'd like to find a good spot for a nice photo of the car.  Something out of the garage and with no houses or other cars in the background.  Hmmm - methinks I'll have to drive her somewhere!  Oh, the sacrifices we make...
April 23, 2009 - I gave the TC a pat on the hood and started replacing the driving light assembly last night, but needed to get some supplies.  I finished dup the driving light tonight, and also adapted wiring for the original CatsEye headlights.  I have the driver's side on and working, but have to grind down some mounting ridges a bit to get the rim all the way on.  It looks really nice, though, and really changes the look of the car.  I should finish up this weekend with the headlights.  I also got an overview of things that cost me points during the National judging in Charlotte.  The driving light which I had guessed and replaced already, the radiator cap (enough pitting to stand out against the perfect shell and headlights), engine paint (already touched up) and the exhaust manifold (need to paint it aluminum silver), and touch up of nicks and rust on the chassis and springs.  No deductions in the interior, though the battered side curtain trim cost some points as well.  They didn't even notice the pitted brake lever or shift lever, but since I am fixing them anyway it doesn't matter.  I think I have a real shot at a Senior!  But lots of work between now and May 30th.
April 21, 2009 - Wildflower turns 61 years old tomorrow.  According to production records, she was one of 10 cars (TC5305-TC5314) built on Thursday, April 22, 1948.  I plan to fit her new correct headlamps in place of the reproduction P700 lamps she has been wearing.  The clips came in and I have the lens/reflector/rim assemblies done up with new bulbs.  All that is left is making some wiring adapters from spade connectors used on the P700 lamps to original-type bayonet fittings.  I installed the new handbrake chrome kit this weekend, and it came out great.   Next is the gearshift lever, which will require some disassembly. 
April 18, 2009 - Most everything has come in for the car except for the headlight retainer springs.  I spent some time today cleaning the main garage and getting the Model A back in the corner so the TC could be moved back from the little garage.  The main garage gives me a lot more room for working, plus direct access to tools, lights, and supplies.  Steve LaPaugh, the friend who kick-started my TC search with his email at the end of January, came out today with his wife to see Wildflower, and of course, get a ride.  She started right up and ran great, and has his wife anxious to get their MGB going.  The mounting plaque for the AACA national Award badge came in, and I drilled it for a badge bar mount and put it on the car.  I also started on my efforts to fix potential deductions for the Senior Award.  First up?  Removing the modern license plate frame, incorrect hex-head bolts, and the club tag topper.  I found a period stainless steel frame in the garage that cleaned up great, and bought a nice slotted-head screw/bolt set to remount it all.  Sounds pretty minor, but just those fixes could save 3 points.  I plan to take photos and record all of the changes I make just to show the kind of detail you have to watch for in national judging.
April 15, 2009 - About all I've done with the TC is spend money on her this week.  The spring clips for the headlights were incorrect, so I had to have Moss send a different set.  The new handbrake set is on the way, and I already have the new shifter lever and driving light body in hand.  I sold some MGB parts this week - the last of what used to be a collection of everything from engines and interiors to complete front ends.  I gain space and some funds to put towards Wildflower, both good.  I registered the car for the National AACA Meet in Gettysburg May 30th, and have my hotel reservation and a trailer arranged.  The weather is warming up, and we have a good weekend forecast.  I may see if I can do some painting and touchup on the chassis - I'll be working on parts of the chassis the judges won't be able to see, but -I'll- know they are pretty.
April 10, 2009 - AACA wasted no time getting the engraved car badge to me - I ordered the brass mounting plate so I can display it on the badge bar.  Now for Gettysburg on May 30th.  I got in a bunch of parts today from Moss Motors, and have other items coming  from all over to take care of the areas where I saw potential point deductions.  Most of the problems were chrome issues on the handbrake, gearshift lever, driving light, and gas cap.  I think the P700 headlights were optional, but I'll have the correct Lucas Catseye 8" headlights in place when she goes for her Senior.  And I'll get even more serious about touch up and cleaning on the chassis. 

The car moved to the little garage last night, former home of the BCW Replica TD.  The TC is noticeably smaller, which allows room to work.  She gets to rest a bit, as the TRAACA Square Car Tour is tomorrow, and I am taking the Model A Truck out for that.  As parts arrive over the next couple of weeks, I'll get back to the TC. 

April 5, 2009 - The First Real Drive - It seems pretty odd to think about, but the past seven weeks have been so frantic getting things fixed up for the Charlotte show that I haven't had the car out for anything further than a couple of spins around the neighborhood!  She ran out of gas idling while I was getting the driveway opened up to put her in the garage last night, so I took her around to the corner gas station to fill up. I decided to try her for a short jog on the interstate. Then a good run. With everything still looking good, I kept on to friend Richard Hall's about 30 miles away, with some nice country roads in between. We took her out along some more back country roads, and I rolled back home at 55-60 with no effort at all. She drives wonderfully, very smooth, no shakes or rattles. The total for the first real drive was about 75 miles - and I had a blast. Just wanted you guys (and gals) to know she isn't going to be a trailer queen!
April 4, 2009 - NATIONAL AACA FIRST JUNIOR! - Wildflower earned highest possible honors for her first time out in National Level AACA judging, receiving a First Junior Award at the Southeastern Winter Meet in Charlotte, NC.  I had actually braced myself for a possible third after seeing what looked like a perfect XK120 roadster and a really nice TD also in my class. along with a couple of TFs.  I had thrown my back out Tuesday and lost the two evenings I panned to spend finishing up some detail work.  Worse, it rained most of the 6-hour drive  to Charlotte with the TC exposed to it all on an open trailer.  However, Friday was sunny and warm, and my back had healed up enough to get to work.
Cleaning was high on the list, but two other fixes needed doing first:  the driver's kick panel had come loose and the front shocks had not been painted and were showing some light surface rust.  Sounds petty, but remember that in AACA, the wrong hose clamps or valve stem covers will cost you a lot of points!  (I picked up the correct metal valve caps on Wednesday).  I had brought everything I needed, and started my 'show field restoration' about noon.  Four hours later, the shocks were black, the panel was secure, and the car was clean and shiny all over.  Even so, I was still very surprised when I got the call from a friend who had stayed for the awards banquet.  Next stop is the National AACA meet in Gettysburg PA May 28th.  I am already  fixing the issues I spotted as I worked on the car at Charlotte - every point saved brings me closer to the Senior Award!
March 29, 2009 - I finished up the engine compartment, fitting the air cleaner assembly and getting all the cables routed and connected.  I also installed the restored steering wheel - looks great.  Then I got her outside and did a basic careful wash of the engine, underside of the fenders, and topside in preparation for touch up, polish, and wax over the next three evenings.  The top looks even better in the sunlight, and fits really nice.  However, the new top made the side curtains look even worse.  Although a good cleaning proved them to be surprisingly usable, the white vinyl was stained and had green paint on it, and looked pretty awful.  Figuring I couldn't make them look worse, I polished up the outer trim with steel wool, touched up the frames with some black, and then used tan fabric/vinyl paint to recolor the covers.  I was amazed at the results.  The tan is a bit lighter, but still blends nicely between the top and the cream body.  $4.95 and some masking tape sure beats $1100 for a new side curtain kit, especially as little as I plan to use them.
March 28, 2009 - Yesterday proved to be a bonanza - I came home to find a pile of packages on the front porch that included everything I was waiting for, including items not due until Tuesday!   The most important of these was the Hidem strip to finish off the top, though I was also glad to see the restored original steering wheel and correct NOS headlight lenses and rims. While putting on the snaps earlier this week, a friend who is a professional upholsterer had mentioned the top needed to be tightened up.  Richard returned for  second fitting today.  We were able to pull another inch or more across the entire top and improved the fit a great deal.  The result is a huge improvement over the original and badly worn white vinyl top that had been reinstalled using about a thousand staples through the rear cover strip.  The top windows are not quite right, being higher and more rectangular than the actual TC dual windows were, but they are far more useful for a 6'1" driver like me.  In any case, the top is going to be down 99% of the time.  The headlights will have to wait, as I didn't get some expected retainer clips with the lenses and rims - no biggie - the Lucas P700s were available for the TCs. Pretty much down to detailing and chassis touch-up now.  Cutting things close, as we leave Thursday.  Hard to believe the car wasn't even mine two months ago!
March 26, 2009 - I took advantage of warmer temperatures to get the air cleaner can and brackets painted, and also repainted the steering column and starter where leaking fuel had curdled the paint.  Looks much better now. 
March 24, 2009 - A friend came over tonight and installed the snaps for the top corners - that's all I need before I finish fitting the front.  The Hidem hasn't come in yet, but the paint arrived from California.  Took 6 weeks to get it reunited with the TC.  The original valve cover came in from eBay - in better shape than expected, but it will take some time to remove an additional hole someone also brass brazed a fitting on.  Just over a week to finish up!
March 22, 2009 - The new top is mostly done - Richard came over this morning and we started with the header bar /weatherstrip seal.  Took some experimenting, but we finally got a good fit and attached it with 3M adhesive and tacks.  Then the webbing straps went on, followed by the main top.  Some stretching and tugging resulted in a very presentable fit, and it looks really nice.  Of course, it will look even better when I get the front corners done and add the Hidem strip, which should arrive Tuesday.  The sides measurements to the door tops are exactly the same, so we did a good job of maintaining center.  The remaining work is pretty much all detailing now - some touchup on the engine and frame, painting the air cleaner can, and doing a very thorough clean and polish over the next week and a half.  Then it's off to Charlotte!
March 21, 2009 - Plans to install the top today got sidetracked by the need to clean up and paint the old frame (obviously the original factory electrical tape on what is left of the header, and then do some fitting of the new header.  Plus the discovery that the local hardware store sells lousy screws.  I ended up going with all stainless after two standard screws broke off in the header, even though I predrilled the holes to avoid stressing the wood.  I also got the rubber side curtain bumpers installed, and ground down the screws so the tips didn't stick through to cut skin, or worse, the new top!  The finished frame looks really nice and folds smoothly.  TC buddy Richard Hall is coming over tomorrow morning to help install the top.  I have snaps, lift-the-dots, tacks, and 3M adhesive, plus installation tools for the snaps and lift-a-dot fasteners.  I am planning to use snaps instead of screws for the top attachment to the tack strip - allows for cleaner folding of the top and less bulk under the tonneau.  Last thing i did was spread the new top over the frame so any wrinkles can settle out overnight.  Gonna be an interesting day tomorrow!
March 17, 2009 - As promised, the new top arrived today - it looks wonderful.  Tan Haartz Stayfast with black underside, and the dual windows are double-stitched with tan piping on the outside and black reinforcements inside.  With the new top here, it was time to take a deep breath and rip off the old one.  The top fame was obviously removed and redone in correct color - they reinstalled the old top.  Good thing I got the new header bar - the one on the car was held together with electrical tape under the top fabric.  Both ends crumbled apart.  I am going to remove the frame and clean/repaint the header bar mounting area.  It has some surface rust, but is otherwise in good shape.  I'll also see if I can find some new top thumbscrews - the ones on the car are rusty.  Fitting the new top looks like it will mostly getting the header bar set up correctly.  I have some good instructions, so I'll start reading up for the weekend.
March 16, 2009 - The new tach cable came in today, and that's all it took to get the gauge going.  I went ahead and shot some graphite lubricant in both ends to ease things along.  Got some good news on the top - I called the vendor to make sure they would be able to deliver within the 2-week window promised in the ad, and found out it had already been shipped and was due to arrive tomorrow!  That is very good news, as it gives me two full weekends to get the top installed before I leave for Charlotte!  Ordering some odds and ends for the car as I spot the need - some small gaskets, a new parking light lens to replace one that is cracked, and lens gaskets.  I got in the side curtain bumpers that go on the top frame today, along with the mounting screws.  Also, the replacement floor pedal spring set for Bob McClaren.  The weather is supposed to be a lot warmer later this week, and Sunday looks great.   I can get some touch up painting done, and also paint the air cleaner can which I have been cleaning and straightening.
March 15, 2009 - Not much going on today - I did some maintenance on my bead-blast cabinet, replacing the tip and hoses, and more importantly, the dust that used to be blasting media at least five years ago.  Amazing how much difference that made in the performance.  I took the TC's air cleaner canister apart and blasted it, then touched up some small dings with spot putty.  It's too cold to paint - I need to start going over the chassis and engine compartment to do touchup, but will wait until we get a warmer day.
March 14, 2009 - Running Again! - As you can see by the before picture, the cooling system was pretty ugly with corrosion and bad paint.  Plus the fan was the wrong color.  I pulled it all apart and checked the various restoration guides for correct colors (black fan, engine color tubing).  TC buddy Richard bead-blasted the fan blades to bare metal for me, and I installed the redone water pump, new thermostat (thanks, John!), hoses, and clamps today.  It took some fiddling with the hose clamps to get the leaks stopped - the wire type are correct, but they sure don't work as well as the modern aircraft bands.  Everything finally got tightened up, and I ran the car a while to check it out.  No more 'tinging' and potential loss of the fan blade - that's a good thing!  Got in some beautiful top wood pieces from Craig Seabrook, and also picked up some more Whitworth tools from eBay.  I have started restoring the original air cleaner, and will probably spend tomorrow cleaning an detailing.
March 12, 2009 - A member of the MG T-ABC group got in touch with me and offered a new thermostat assembly (the kind with the replaceable thermostat!) for a great price, which I took him up on.  However, given these things range from $120 to $170 and the thermostat was still working, I was curious to see if I could fix the old one.  The thermostat housing was badly corroded where the upper hose attaches, with sections missing and the wall so thin it had holes through it. After bead-blasting the unit, I cut a soda can to make an outer form, spray-painted the contact surface so it wouldn't stick, and wrapped it tightly around the outside of the thermostat neck using masking tape to secure it. Then I spread JB Weld epoxy around the entire inside of the neck, being careful not to get it on the thermostat itself. I peeled the aluminum off the next morning so it could harden completely. That left a smooth outer wall, but it was too thin. So I spread more JB Weld inside last night and used the same piece of aluminum (repainted) as an inner form. This kept the epoxy in position to form an even wall. I pulled the aluminum out this morning and am very pleased with the result. After some grinding and smoothing, the old unit is pretty much good as new. Always nice to have a spare.
March 9, 2009 - And back OFF the Road! - The water pump pulley and shaft have a taper fit with a woodruff key - the pulley is worn enough that it slid down too far and locked against the body when I tightened it.  I remembered a trick an old aircraft mechanic showed me for worn taper bores when I was a kid - cut aluminum foil to fit, making sure you keep it smooth, and use it as a shim.  The pulley tightened up fine with no play and it turns freely.  Thanks, Mr. Wilson!  Of course, that wasn't the whole story.  The car has a thermostat/housing assembly that was badly corroded inside, and has some damage to the area where the upper hose clamps down.  Looks like about $170 for a new one.  Ouch.  There are ways to rescue this one, but it's such a critical part I think I will go ahead and get something new.  I ordered the new top (Tan Stayfast with the dual rear windows) today for $375 from a vendor on eBay - it's $300 cheaper than the same top from Moss Motors, and I checked with someone who had gotten a TD top from the same vendor who said it was as good as any he had used in the past.  I'll keep fingers crossed and hope it works out OK.  I went ahead and registered the car for the National AACA Southeastern Winter Meet in Charlotte just three weeks away.  Gonna be busy!
March 8, 2009 - On the Road! - Richard and Jack, fellow MGers from my car club, came over today just as I making the attempt at moving the TC under her own power.  My main concern was the brakes.  However, after a couple of test stops, I realized the brakes were not only good, they were terrific!  I took her around the neighborhood (probably a little faster than appropriate) and had a blast.  The steering is quick and light, and the gearbox snicks into each gear with no noise from it or the rear axle.  I ended up rolling around the neighborhood several time, giving Richard his first ride in a TC (and he OWNS one).  Then my parents showed up for a look, and I took my dad around the block (mom took the photos).  Only a couple of minor issue now.  The water pump pulley bolt is loose and the fan blade is 'tinging' against the upper water outlet. I was planning to replace all the hoses anyway, so I'll pull the water pump and get the bolt retightened at the same time.  Bob McLaren. a local friend in the MG group, had a new set of brake linkage springs that cured the brake lights.  I still want to get the turn signals fixed, but they aren't critical as long as I can do hand signals.
March 6, 2009 - A trip to fellow TC-er Richard's house netted the loan of a TC crank handle, which made adjusting the valves quite a bit easier.  As expected, opening adjustments cleared up the miss.  Probably some carb fine-tuning is needed, but she is running smooth and cool.  The brake lights turned out to be badly jury-rigged connection between the switch and pedal - I can probably duplicate the correct setup with parts from the hardware store.  I may go ahead and get a new top - the white vinyl really doesn't belong, and the tops look pretty simple to install.  Oh, I'm gathering the parts needed to get the headlights converted back to the Lucas Cat's Eye 8" setup.
March 5, 2009 - Got the new bolt in from Moss yesterday, and installed it last night.  However, an MG Car Club meeting kept me from working on the car until tonight.  I cleaned out the fuel lines and also cleaned and checked the points.  Then I took a deep breath and pulled the starter knob.  She sputtered a little, and it took a few tries, but she finally caught on her own and smoothed out with no smoke, no leaks, and 50 pounds of oil pressure at warm idle.  She has a miss that is probably due to misadjusted valves, which I will take care of. tonight.  You can see and hear her run by CLICKING HERE.  I haven't taken her out of the garage yet, but the clutch felt smooth and the transmission snicked nicely into all gears - the brakes held when I let the clutch out.  All I need now are brakes lights!  WOO-HOO!!! 
March 1, 2009 - The valve train is assembled and in place, but one of the 8mm bolts stripped as I was torqueing it down - I'll look for one at the local hardware stores, and if I can't find it, order one tomorrow.  The rest of the bolts, including the head bolts, are all torqued down and ready.  I did discover that the new bolts from Moss are just a tad longer - enough to bottom out just before they tighten.  I solved the issue by installing hardened flat washers under the lock tabs - that made the difference.  The valve adjustment looks good, and I installed some new spark plugs.  A big can of high test is ready to dump in, and the tank is closed up.  Once I get the bolt in place, I'll finish up with the fuel system and see if she will start.
February 27, 2009 - Car bud Chip came over tonight to help remove the hood, and I decided to make a stab at getting the broken bolt out.  I've been unable to find an extractor tool small enough for the 8mm bolt, so I made one of my own using a jury-rigged setup that combined an old piece of tubing, a small spring, and some left-hand bits. The tubing was scrounged from one of my junk drawers, and just fit inside the top of the bolt hole to protect the threads. I used a small drill bit and put the spring around the drill bit to center it in the tubing. The left-hand drill bit set was just $7 at Harbor Freight, by the way! I drilled a pilot hole, but it was too small for even the smallest of my extractors. So I switched to the next larger size bit - as soon as it got a good bite the remains of the bolt unscrewed out pretty as you please!  I also drained a full tank of bad gas (it's always full when its bad) and have the tank airing out. Over the weekend I'll give her a tuneup, flush the lines with fresh gas, and of course, get the valve train reassembled and adjusted. The carbs look good and I got the drips and leaks all taken care of. Getting close!  Oh, the seller sent $750 instead of $700, which will cover pretty much all of the repairs and parts I need.  That was a nice surprise.
February 24, 2009 - The friend's reverse drill set has apparently walked away since the last time he used it, so I am going to look into buying my own set.  However, I did accomplish something important today - the new Brooklands steering wheel arrived today and I wasted no time getting it installed.  The original and very rare steering wheel in the car was also in poor shape - I have it set aside for later restoration.  The Brooklands wheel is quite a bit prettier, and takes care of the only visual flaw in the TC's appearance.  OK, I am shallow and silly putting a $400 steering wheel in a car I haven't even gotten running yet.  I am still happy enough just looking at it in the garage.  (No, I am not sitting behind the wheel going 'vroom-vroom.' - yet.)  I did get the loan of a good extractor set, so even if I don't locate the reverse drill set I should be able to get the remains of the bolt out.  The rest of the valve train parts should be here this week.  If the bolt is stubborn, I'll have to pull the head and take it to the machine shop.  My goal is to get the car running and checked out in time to register her for the AACA Southeastern Spring Meet in Charlotte coming up in April.
February 21, 2009 - I removed the valve train and got a better look at the broken bolt.  It's a bit inside the head, so there is nothing to grip.  A friend is coming over tomorrow with some reverse drill bits t see if we can back it out.  That would sure beat pulling the head.  The seller responded to my eBay complaint by stating he had never said the car was running in the listing.  True, but he DID tell me he'd had it running a few days before pickup, and also told the dispatch driver the same thing.  Also, the work listed as being new in the ad was done in 1992.  Oh, well. The seller says he is sending a check for $700 to cover repair expenses.  If it comes, I'll be a lot happier.  And I've gotten a lot of support from the T-ABC group to get things sorted out.  At least nothing major has turned up so far -even the head shouldn't be all that awful to get fixed.  We'll see what else shows up.
February 20, 2009 - The TC engine reared an ugly head tonight - literally.  I cranked the engine for the first time tonight, having sorted out the carbs, only to hear a loud clack from the valve cover.  When I removed the valve cover, I discovered that the rocker arm shaft was broken and cocked up in front.  It appears the lock washer on the left tower bolt broke, allowing the bolt to back out.  This put pressure on the right bolt, which broke off in the head. The pressure from the pushrods snapped the rocker arm shaft.  This means the head is going to have to be pulled and taken to a machine shop to have the broken bolt removed, and the threads repaired. Plus a new rocker arm shaft, head set, etc.  A very disappointing turn of events, though I still love the car.  On the plus side, everything looks new, and I can pull and replace the head myself.  And there is a great machine shop specializing in British cars that I can get to do the head work (Abacus Racing).  Guess it will be a while longer before I hear her run.
February 18, 2009 - The carburetors were curiously mismatched - the front carb did not have a piston damper and used a different linkage setup than the rear, which DID have a piston damper ( for the non-Brit savvy, piston dampers are...  uh.. some doohickies that screw into the big metal thing-a-ma-bobs.).   The proper carb and linkage turned up in the parts that came with the car.  Best guess is the float of the correct carb  developed a leak due to ethanol eating away the solder seal, and the seller swapped out what he thought was the same carb.  Ironically, the wrong carb had a new float, so I swapped them out and reinstalled the carb setup. Everything is together loosely - just need to find a small nut for the choke cable retainer. She is very close to being ready for starting, though.  The tailpipe had fallen off during transit, so I got that bolted back up - all stainless steel system, by the way!  And I made a big order from Moss this afternoon - a new Brooklands wheel, a tach cable, oil filters, and some other odds and ends.  I already noticed some small stuff that needs to be ordered tonight.  Oh, well.  Still thrilled with the car - even underneath looks beautiful!
February 17, 2009 - TC5308 arrived here this morning at 7 AM and it is beautiful!  There are a couple of tiny nicks and she needs a good cleaning, but overall the car is as good as I could have possibly expected.  The seller threw in a bunch of books and manuals, and a box of parts that includes a spare set of carburetors and manifold along with many other bagged parts and a box of new Whitworth hardware.  The battery is stone dead and shows signs of age and corrosion, so the first order of business is getting a new one at Advance this morning.  She has a full tank of fresh gas, so it should just be a matter of sorting out fuel flow or ignition problems to get her started.  I called in sick this morning - they probably expected it.  LATER IN THE DAY - The trouble is the carburetors - they were removed and not completely reinstalled.  I have plenty of parts to get them straight - some photos of Richard's car should provide direction on what goes where.  With the new battery, most all the electrics came on - no turn signals, but that is probably a bad flasher.  And the fog light doesn't turn on.  However, the horn, head, tail, dash and parking lights all come on and the windshield wiper works.  And the fuel pump.  She cranked well when I pulled the starter.  Most of the day was spent sorting out books and parts that came with the car, and doing some cleaning.  She is polishing right up, and promises to be quite a snazzy ride.  I think I'll be carrying her down to Charlotte NC for the AACA Southeastern National Meet in April!
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February 16, 2009 - More delays kept the TC from reaching here over the weekend.  Unfortunately, the driver did lose an index finger - and the TC ended up being shuffled to a smaller trailer for a solo ride up from Florida.  The new driver is on the way and expects to be arriving in Norfolk about 2 am, and said he'll deliver the car between 7 and 8 am. tomorrow. (12 hours and six minutes to go...  12 hours and five minutes...) The touch-up paint stored in the original trailer's belly was left behind, but I was able to contact the company.  They will ship it back to me next week.  Oh, the first of what will likely be many eBay purchases for TC stuff arrived this weekend - a dealer showroom reprint of a MOTOR MG TC review.  I don't know what actually is coming with the car, but the brochure looks to be a rare piece and I got it cheap!.
February 10, 2009 - It appears the transport company is having a run of bad luck - I got an email from the driver last night that said they were waiting on another shipper who was running late.  Today I got a phone call saying they were delayed because the driver had lost a finger in an accident yesterday.  I suppose it is possible, but I am hoping it is a ploy to get my sympathy.  The driver sounded like a nice guy.  The car is now slated for delivery this weekend, which doesn't matter since I won't be back from Philly until Sunday anyway.  However, I just hope a plague of locusts doesn't eat the tires off the truck. 
February 8, 2009 - With a proper British lady arriving soon, it was time to do some major cleaning in the garage.  I  took another load to the dump and moving the shelves and parts from along the right wall to the front to the little garage.  It was amazing - I also organized the little garage, and even with the extra shelves and parts, I have more room for the TD!  Anyway, the main garage is now pretty clean and tidy, and I even put in some new light fixtures. 

It looks like the shipping agent at Total Car Shipping LLC lied about the delivery date - I had been very specific about needing the car delivered by Wednesday at the latest, and the shipping agent assured me it would be here Monday or Tuesday.  However, the actual delivery date is going to be Thursday, when I will be gone to Philadelphia.  I'll have to scramble to get some friends to accept the car and get it in the garage.  Oh, well.  Gonna be a very long trip home from Philadelphia on Sunday!
February 4, 2009 - The car is paid for, the title is already in hand, and the car is being picked up tomorrow for enclosed transport.  I got quotes from a dozen transport companies when I sent a quote request out using a web site, but only 2 came back with prices for enclosed transport.  Seeing as the TC is a 60 year-old English roadster and it is winter even in Florida, protection from the elements was a must.  I could have saved some money going with the cheaper estimate, but the company I chose, Total Car Shipping, had the best reviews.  So far, I am very happy with them - the driver has been in touch with me and pickup was narrowed to a 1-hour window.  I started re-reading The Red Car last night - Don Stanford did an amazing job of capturing the spirit of sports car driving and presenting it in a way that not only captured my interest all those decades ago, but also makes for great reading today. 
February 1, 2009 - WAY back in the days I was going to Fairlawn Elementary School, one of my favorite book was 'THE RED CAR' by Don Standford.  It's a bout a kid who fixes up a wrecked MG TC and races it in a local road race with the help of a former Bugatti mechanic named 'Frenchie'.  That book made a lasting impression on me, one that has stuck with me through more than 120 other cars.  The BCW TD replica came pretty close, but there is no substitute for those tall wire wheels and sleek lines.  A large BAP-GEON poster featuring a head-on shot of a TC hangs in my bedroom, but I had figured that was as close as i would get.  Then, last week, a friend sent me a link to an MG web site in England.  The classified page had a 'US Cars for Sale' section, where I found an interesting-looking 49 TC for $24,000 in Massachusetts. I checked into it mostly out of curiosity and the owner for 20 years told me he was selling it because the car had gotten to hard for him to get in and out of.  That made me take a hard look at myself - if I wait much longer, I may find myself getting a TC at a point where I won't have that much time to enjoy it!  So things got serious. 

I bought a ticket to Boston, made arrangements with the Credit Union, and made serious plans to buy the car in Massachusetts.  It was a clean well-maintained original car with 35,000 miles.  It needed tires, some of the chrome wasn't great, and the interior was a mix of green and black.  However, with junkers selling on eBay for $14K, a clean presentable driver for $24K looked like a good deal.  Then I saw the ad on eBay for this fully-restored 49 TC in Florida at $17,100 with no reserve and just a few days left.  I got some more information on the car, looked hard at the pictures, and ended up making a last second (4 seconds to go, actually) bid tonight for $25,166.  That extra $66 made the difference - someone else had bid $25,100!  So the car I've wanted longer than any other car is finally mine! Now comes the fun of making arrangements for payment and transport.  The payment part is scary, but what the heck?  I can drive to the poor house in my dream car!
eBay Description - Vehicle has been totally disassembled down to the bare frame. blasted, painted , dampers [shock absorbers], rebuilt by apple, chrome buckets [lights] radiator surround d-lights, parking lights have all been rechromed. hard to find fog light included, all new interior from moss, new master cylinder and 4 wheel cylinders all new. brake lines are S.S. new wire harness is new from Moss. new Alfin brake drums, new pads. dash is new instruments rebuilt by Moma in New Mexico engine rebuilt note correct valve cover, new fuel pump note dist. has the correct adjusting knob. radiator boiled and rebuilt. new clutch and pressure plate, gear box works fine. new Moss rear end seal.   Tires new from Coker tire as are tubes. spare is not new tire but new tube. additional rear lights are added for safety and are attached with quick connect wire disconnect and magnets for shows. seats are new and not just reupholstered. dash lights are NOS Lucas. tonneau cover included as is car cover. Top is not new but fits tight and has no rips side windows are complete and included. windshield chrome all rechromed ,new glass, wiper motor rebuilt, wipers new.  finish is correct sequoia cream , excuse the spelling,  ppg global , I have small container of paint left over. all body work done by British body man who manufactured all strips under wings. I called them drip edges. car is very good condition. and is being sold to fund new project. as with any 60 year old car there is no warranty.

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