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MG TD TF 1500 - Original TF Door Card Details

The following information was gleaned from an original TF door card. See the pic below. This has been in the possession of the original owner until quite recently. The car was meticulously restored in the 70’s. It was purchased by the proprietor of an auto museum in late 2015 because of its originality & it has been on display there ever since.

This plywood door card is totally original & is in exceptional condition except for delamination & rotting of the ply around the lock & at the bottom rear corner.

The door pocket was made up of 4 layers forming a sandwich of Rexine, cotton padding, a stiffer layer of thicker Rexine & a final Rexine sheet. This was confirmed with a pocket from a TD sent from the States. The entire rear was covered with a final sheet of Rexine stitched through the hidem, which prevented items falling through the pocket into the door cavity.
The top of the pocket was made of a colour matched leather as was the roll at the top of the card which finished under the top of the lock. The pocket was restrained by a circular elasticised band about 3/16” in diameter tied together behind the pocket at the rear of the card.

Ply Card Thickness: 4.2 mm or 0.170”
Door Card Thread: Colour matched to the colour of the Rexine
Pocket Stitch Length: 4.5 mm approx. (Averaged over 50 mm)
Pocket Card Stitch Length: 6 mm approx. (Averaged over 50 mm. N.B. This is a thicker thread than the pocket thread)
Pocket Leather Band Width: 12 mm
Pocket Stitch to Rear of Pocket: 72 mm
Pocket Stitch to Bottom of Pocket: 47 mm
Pocket Stitch to Front of Pocket: 57 mm
Pocket Stitch to Top of Pocket Band: 67 mm at rear to 72 mm at front
Pocket Rear to Card Edge: 87 mm
Pocket Bottom to Card Edge: 87 mm
Pocket Front to Card Edge: 87 mm
Hidem to Card Stitch Length: 10 mm approx. (Averaged over 50 mm)
Hidem Width: 10.5 mm
Hidem to Card Edge: 6 mm

Feel free to use this information in your restoration however please note it may not be published elsewhere without my written consent. Peter Hehir © August 2016






P Hehir

Good work Peter.
Here is a detail from my card.

Matthew.

M Magilton

Good work, it should be very helpful for future TF restorers!

Not that it makes any difference, but maybe the description should be changed to Vynide, rather than Rexine. In a recent thread I reported the Vynide stenciled labels found when I dissected my original interior panels.
Best,
JB
JK Barter

Thanks Matthew. Yours is also a great reference. Agree JB on the Rexine/Vynide. I noted the difference between the TD & TF door cards when I was making mine for the TD, which is mainly due to the door size difference. I'll post some pics on a new thread of my TD door card. As I don't have the originals the dimensions there were driven by the overall size of the door & then marrying them up with the TF card. There are some notable differences. What was most useful from the TF was the size & the shape of the top of the pocket & the relationship to the edge. I was surprised at the width of the hidem & its proximity to the edge. I had both of these wrong. The TD & TF hidem is almost 2 mm narrower than I'd previously thought, 10.5 mm not 12 mm (1/2") & it was much closer to the edge, 1/4" not the 1/2" I'd believed. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

It is worth noting that the Moss hidem at 15 mm is significantly wider than the original 10.5 mm. This makes a really noticeable difference to the finished trim. A very important detail if you're wanting to be original. As stated in an earlier thread I had mine made up in England at 1/2" (12 mm) from my vinyl as I couldn't find anyone here in Oz who could make it. If doing this again I'd definitely have it made in the old dart again, but at 10.5 mm not 12 mm. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter Your slipping, you did not include the sowing thread specifications. The concourse judge will crucify you.

Graeme
G Evans

If I knew how to I.D. it Graeme I would have :-) Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 10/08/2016 and 11/08/2016

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