Moss Motors, Ltd

Since no one has posted anything under "T" Series Performance (I know, we're talking mutually exclusive terms here), allow me to throw my $0.05 onto the table first!

I purchased a '51 TD in dire need of serious TLC, paint, and interior in 1999.  The engine had been rebuilt in the early 70's by an airline mechanic, other than that, it was bone stock and original.  Most important, it was all there (along with a lot of bolts, screws, nuts, and wiring "borrowed" from United Airlines).  My son and I did a tub-on-frame restoration in 2000, with the goal of a fun "driver" vice show car. 

Some thoughts for those of you thinking of, or in the process of, a TD restoration and are not interested in a 100-point concourse museum artifact:

Replace the stock rear axle ring and pinion setup (5.125) with the MGA 4.55 ratio.  The improvement in city traffic drivability is worth every penny.

Replace the points with an electronic ignitor kit (we used the Pertronix unit).  The engine runs much, much better, smoother, and even an extra hp or two.

Throw away those "authentic" bias ply tires, and use only new steel-belted radials (VW Bug tires match the original T specs) with SBR-rated inner tubes (the TD/TF-series pressed steel wheels are not air-tight).

Finally, purchase the New England MGT Register's "The "T" Series MG Handbook" - the bible of "T" Series knowledge, tune-ups, and performance specs for "stage-tuning" your XPAG.

Just my $0.05 worth!

Good suggestions.  I have another.  I have assembled over 725 technical articles on a CD that I worked on for over a year.  All articles appeared in Octagon Topics, the organ of the Vintage MG Club of Southern California.  They were written by some of the most knowledgable MGers around.  You can get one for $34.50, plus $1.11 postage to anywhere in the U.S.  Overseas is only slightly more.  jdaustinmg@dslextreme.com.

Regards to all,

 Jerry Austin

Here's a modest proposal... why don't you upgrade the engine like someone might have done in early-sixties retro style? Here's a pretty cool example: 

As remembered on Tam's Old Race Car Site:

In 1962 and 1963, Paul Cunningham campaigned the "Terrible Tempest", an MG-TC Special powered by a 215 cid B.O.P. aluminum V8. He qualified the car for the 1962 Riverside GP but DNF'd. At the Dodger Stadium event in 1963, Cunningham amazed the crowd by battling Bill Krause in the Harry Finer Birdcage Maserati on equal terms in this car.

If you do make any cool performance-modifications to your vintage British sports cars (especially V8 engine swaps!), please consider submitting "how-it-was-done" articles to The British V8 Newsletter (which can be found at http://www.britishv8.org/ ). We've been making purists cringe for fifteen years!      

 

Speaking of modified TDs here is a pic of a car we modified in the mid 80's when I was working at Octagon Motor Group in Vancouver B.C.

The car arrived in poor condition with a Volvo 4 cyl motor installed. We replaced the Volve with an MGB motor and trans, installed MGB front suspension and brakes and rebuilt the body with bobbed fenders and a new interior. The car went really well and got lots of looks (even without the beer-can airplane and silk scarf mounted on the rad cap in the picture!)

I believe that the car ended up in Germany.

Cheers,

Rich

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Life is too short to go slow-Safety Fast!

I would say most people arent into making T cars faster lol. But i cant stand how slow it is the way they are. As of now i have tossed the stock fan and use a E-fan form ebay. This help with mileage alot on cruisng trips and gained a decent amount of power. I also made a custom exhaust system using 2" piping from the header back to a magnaflow muffler and out the back. I did this because the stock setup was rusting apart. And i wanted to hear the motor a bit more. Its nothing loud as i used a 18" long 2" in and 2" out muffler so its has some tone but not like my 02 mustang.

 

My last set of performance parts for this car motor wise will be pulling the motor out (its all orginal inside never rebuilt) and getting it machined and then using 9:1 compression pistons with the crane cam part # 340-0010 performance cam which operates at 1500-5200rpms which is where the MG likes to be at anyhow. Hopefully i will finally be able to do 75 on the highway after this is all done lol. WHat can you say these cars are slow, but man are they fun. Plus a nice little idle never hurt any car :)

 

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1954 MG TF 1250cc
Fully restored
She's a driver not a show car.

I re-built my TD with intensions of vintage racing it but after the re-build the wife put her foot down and said NO

 It has a compression of at leas 10 to 1, the Crane 3/4 cam, TF1500 valves, bored .100 over, 1&1/2" carbs, derrington header, light weight flywheel, a few other mods here and there and the 4.3 rear end in it. Yes, it does go fast but remember the the saying "power cost money" and each level of tune you take it up to, you loose some of the practicality of everday driving. I have a four rows of tubes in my pressurized radiator (as opposed to the original two) and an electric cooliing fan to keep the old girl from over heating. If you want to proceed and are interrested in some more details and pictures contact me and I will send it to you 

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53'TD, family owned since new
80'B

hi folks, we must have some TD/TF members out there  that have period superchargers, Judson etc. fitted.  What was the performance like on a straight bog-standard XPAG engine  with nominal compression ratio which was then upgraded with a Judson SC.

I have mortal remains of a Judson, rescuable with a fair application of $$$$ and I managed to find a head that had not been planed and someday the YB will feel the benefit, I hope!!

Cheers     steve

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To a man equipped with only a hammer, most problems look like nails

Not sure anyone will see this four years on (2012) but:

I'm rebuilding a '53 TD engine, intending to use the Crane 340-0010 "3/4 race" cam.  Head was planed .125" many years ago, nominal compression 9.3:1.  Problem: with the head planed this much, exhaust valve interferes, not with the piston (at first) but with the block.  I can relieve the block if necessary, but would feel better knowing whether, and how, others have solved this problem.  Are high compression pistons, plus an un-planed head, required for use with this cam?  Or can I just relieve the block as required without courting disaster?