MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Finish on threshold plate

The original door threshold plate was smooth aluminum. Anyone know if it was polished aluminum, brushed or ?
Bruce Cunha

Well not really polished but natural. Just smooth.
Christopher Couper

Natural.
W A Chasser

Bruce,

It possibly is worth mentioning as well that the repro.Threshold Plates are thicker in gauge compared to the originals. No printing on them of course.

I had mine Laser cut to size and shape after supplying a TF aluminium original I had saved many years ago.

Care is needed in drilling(and counter sinking) the seven(7) holes in each plate to take the slot head woodscrews. These screws are quite small!

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis",TF9177("Athos").





Rob Grantham

FTFU supplies the correct screws. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Am I right in remembering that the screws are oval-head?

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

A lot of TF's seem to have flat-head. This is my car with original plates.


M Magilton

I believe they are described as countersunk pan headed slots, but I purchased mine a while back so don't quote me. The guy who would know is Rob Grantham, certainly as far as TFs go. I can take a pic next time I'm at the garage though. One of the many pics TTORC has made an arrangement with the BMIHT to publish in the M.G. TTORC digital magazine, is a great close up shot of the open doorway of a TD taken on the production line. It shows both the threshold and the position and the screws perfectly. Three of these rare original upholstery pics appear in the about to be released August issue and in October I'll ensure that the pic I mentioned above is one of the next three that is also published in our mag. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

The plates are too thin to countersink properly. I made a tool to form a countersink in the thin plate.

I first drilled through with a small drill, smaller then needed to form the threads in the wood.
Then I countersinked the wood, and pilot drilled the wood.

I then formed the countersink in the plate wit the tool.

This process opened up the hole in the plate so the screw fitted.

I did use slotted SS oval head wood screws

Jim B.



JA Benjamin

The galleries have a few close up pictures to look at here. All screws slotted.

TD's and many TF's seem to have oval headed wood screws. Note you might find the front two screws to be flatheaded but I think this is probably from door wear. Check the bottom of the door for evidence of contact.

There are pictures that show TFs with flat headed screws.

Christopher Couper

The majority of TFs I have seen that have been relatively untouched,(not many!) had flat head ,slot,
contersunk woodscrews.

I find the term 'oval' head interesting. I am wondering here if some are actually meaning a 'raised head' which has a very slightly curved upper surface.
Until you extract the screw, it is quite difficult to detect the raised part of the screw.I have actually seen a few TFs with this type of head also.

The use of flat head screws is recommended as one needs every bit of clearance between the bottom of the door and Threshold Plate!

Jim B. has given an excellent explanation of the care and process required to successfully affix the Threshold Plates.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").
Rob Grantham

Thanks all. I have a set of originals that have wear marks. I have sanded them out and they look OK, but the sanding gave them a polished appearance. So it sounds like raw aluminum is probably where they should be.

I appreciate the information on the remanufactured ones. Anyone know if there are more than one company making these?

I have the ability to have these remade on a laser CNC, anyone have originals that they can get a decent thickness measurement from? I would use mine, but as I mentioned, they have been sanded.
Bruce Cunha

Bruce,

I have just measured an original, untouched TF Threshold Plate I have taken from one of my TFs many,many years ago and it measures just over 1mm.in thickness. Around 1.2mm I'd say.

On TFs at least, many have a slightly rounded corner
only on the outside front area of the Threshold Plate. Perhaps this 'nicety' depended on the particular Factory worker of the day!

Cheers
Rob Grantham
Rob Grantham

Bruce, you can simply use the repops and flip them over to hide the prewar monikers. But if you decide to go the CNC route Let me know I might be interested in a pair or two.

Not to change subjects but does anyone know a source for the engine turned Stainless threshold plates. I would like a new set to go with my dashboard on dad’s car
W A Chasser

The engine turned SS plates were in a very early Moss catalog I have. Circa 1968.
I got mine on eBay.
I run a search on eBay, every day, for MG stuff. I have only seen 1 set of threshold plates and only two dash covers. The picture is my, dash matching, plate.

If Bruce is going to do some on a CNC laser , perhaps you cold supply him some engine turned SS material.

Jim B.




JA Benjamin

Rob G:

"I find the term 'oval' head interesting. I am wondering here if some are actually meaning a 'raised head' which has a very slightly curved upper surface."

Yes, the same. We in the USA like to reinvent things all the time by giving them new names. :-)

Now I understand there is a big debate going on in the world on how you pronounce the bird Emu. While the AU means is obviously correct since it's your bird, you will find the USA pronunciation to be different.
Christopher Couper

Well, if you are purchasing them from McMaster-Carr they are clearly "Oval Head"

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

I contacted Paul at MGbits (NTG) in the UK. They only have the plates with the MG logo. Only issue I see with turning these over is the recessed screw holes.

Paul did say that their plates are 1.2mm so that fits into what Rob posted.

I will follow up with US providers to get their thicknesses.
Bruce Cunha

Are their plates countersunk?

Even if they were turning them over then I would think the screws would just easily compress the material and give you a virtual countersync from the back side.
Christopher Couper

Bill,
It is easy to obtain the turned finish on aluminium. I used to do it on the cowls on my model WW1 aircraft. Just use a rubber eraser in a bench drill and jog it as you move across the surface.

Rergards
Declan

Declan Burns

The plates aren’t even drilled. I have a new set here at the house from Moss. That’s why I suggested flipping them over.

Jim, I have three sets of the engine turned threshold plates but they all have damage. Driver quality but nice enough for a fresh “day one” restoration. I have the dash panels I picked up from Bob Grunau a couple of years ago. I used to see the starter and dynamo covers at eBay on a regular basis last year but none recently. I’ve never seen side panel inserts as shown in the Moss catalog

Sorry I steered this off topic.
W A Chasser

This thread was discussed between 25/08/2020 and 28/08/2020

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now