Would anyone buy this??

[lyve55]

Hi guys,

I just stumbled across this great website and thought maybe you guys could help me out.

I'm considering selling my '52 MG-TD ratrod, but I'm not sure if there would be any interest out there.  Every time I take the car out I get a lot of "oohs" and "aahs", but I also know this is an "niche" car.  So I'm hoping you guys can weigh in with some feedback.

Just some quick details -

This is a '52 MG-TD Mark II (verified VIN).  The drive train is from a '65 Mustang - 289, C4 trans, narrowed Ford 9", holley 600, custom made lakester pipes, aluminum firewall, upgraded brakes, 5-core radiator, etc, etc, etc.

There are tons of custom details on this car, including bomber art done by Pin-Up artist, Susanah Mosher.

So, is this the kind of car where people go "hmm, that's interesting......but what the heck would I do with it"?  Or are there people out there who want these kind of things?  And if so, how much do you think I should ask?

If anyone has any questions about the car or wants to see more pics, I have a ton more.  Feel free to email me at mrmcgee55@gmail.com

Here are some pics?

[Moderator]

Welcome to BritishV8!

I think we ALL want to see more pics of your car. It looks very cool in that photo! PLEASE consider preparing a "How It Was Done" write-up so we can properly index and document it to our Photo Gallery. (We have several other TD-V8 articles coming out very soon!)  Tips about how to submit photos and How It Was Done specs can be found <a href="http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-How-To-Contribute.htm">here</a>.

[deltadave]

I guess you only want the car for resale. I don't think there's a real market for the vehicle. It sure is different, there's not to much left of the TD. The radiator overflow is pretty crude and the angle of the rack tierods sure look like you will have a ton of bump-steer. If you like it and it's cheap, go for it.

[mowog1]

I love the look......

......but it is unfortunate that a MkII TD was used for this project.

Less than 500 were produced, and the value of a surviving MkII TD is rising.

There is a market for anything for sale.

The purists in the MG crowd will steer clear of this example.

The spurious will be on the opposite end of the spectrum.

It will be difficult to place a value on the car...

E-Bay it or Craigslist it..just have your flame suit on...you WILL catch flak on this one. You may want to NOT mention the fact that this is a MkII TD in the description.

[rficalora]

I think it's cool & I even like the canteen overflow bottle.  Value is very hard to say but I tend to agree with Rick, ebay or craigs list is a good way to find out.  To get a good price you're going to need to get it visible to the most people.  You might send info to "Bring a Trailer" (http://bringatrailer.com/submissions/) -- it's different enough they might post it & if they do it'll get tremendous visibility.  Good luck.

[mowog1]

I would like to see a better photo of the artwork on the side!

[trevorwj]

Do you know the history of the car?  Was it already a hotrod when you bought it?

[427ZA]

If you're serious about selling it you may be safer to take it to a hot rod or custom car show where there's generally a for-sale section. You'll also probably get more for it as well.

That way you'll take less flack from the purists and the style of modifications will be more appropriate for that particular scene.

I would consider doing something about the steering tie rod angles first though as that will be noticed and will be used against you to bargain the price down.

[lyve55]

Hey thanks to everyone for weighing in!!  If I decide to hang on to it, I will definitely prepare a "how it was done" form - Although I've forgotten many of the details, since I winged most of it as I went.  Nevertheless, it's a strong build (even with the bump steer

I've never heard of "bring a trailer" but I'm going to check it out right now.

As for the MkII aspect, when I got the car I knew nothing about MG's.  I only found out about it's rare status when I sold the hood on Ebay (yeah, sorry guys, I parted out some of the body work).  Some guy emailed and told me about the MkII.  I didn't know what he was talking about, so I looked up the VIN.  Sure enough.....  If a purest wants a true MkII they COULD change this back to original, but that would be one hell of a job!!

The radiator overflow is a WWII canteen on purpose.  I made the car with a WWII theme - it says "Allied Forces" on the side - because of the meeting of British (body) and American (drivetrain).

The TD makes for a GREAT roadster.  It's light, with a strong boxed frame, cool body lines, and suicide doors.  I love the car, but my daughter is just about driving age and I need to buy a car for her.

As for the history - I bought it from a guy in Atascadero, CA. in 2005 who was very into vintage road racing (still is, actually).  It was VERY rough when I got it - no interior, no floor boards, no dash, no brake system, no steering, no transmission.  Just about everything had been salvaged off of it, EXCEPT the V8 and rear end.  My brother and I put a ton of work into it and I came up with the WWII theme.  I posted an ad on Craigslist for a pin-up artist and the now-well-known, Susannah Mosher, answered my ad.  She was trying to build up her portfolio and get some more experience at the time - so I got her cheap!  When it was all finished, we brought it to Bonneville to use as our pit car (we race a 200mph Honda Civic).  The car got a lot of attention and was a blast to drive.  Since then, I've just used it to tool around town - going to get parts for my other project - a '55 Chevy.

I've attached a couple more photos, but if people would like to see more I have a ton on my home computer.  Just let me know.  The first is the day I brought it home - ROUGH!  The second shows the artwork a little better (I have more if you guys want).  The last one is on the salt at Bonneville.

Thanks again for the comments, I'm looking forward to more.

Mark

[rficalora]

the pics are great.  I especially like the salt one.  Would love to see more...

[Moderator]

Great pics! (but of course it's close-ups on construction details that I really want to see)


Mark, whether you keep or sell your car, I still think you should send in How It Was Done info.

For one thing, it helps build recognition for our whole class of cars. Our community is big enough that we should have our own "allied forces" section at hot-rod shows AND at MG/British car shows. Not that I give a damn about winning trophies or anything, but it's not that much fun parking outside a show with the SUVs, minivans, and pick-up trucks. Your How-It-Was-Done will help us recruit more T-series cars/owners into our gallery. They're out there somewhere... and I'd like to welcome more of them here.