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MG TD TF 1500 - Strange Location for TD Car Plate

I was emailed this picture of the car plate on a 1953 TD (TD26958). The owner says there is no evidence of any holes in the toolbox where the normal location would be.

I have never seen this before. He also states he is missing the patent plate and no holes anywhere for that either.



Christopher Couper

CKD car?
D. Sander

The second box is blank. Its a home market car bought and first registered in the UK
Christopher Couper

The firewall has clearly been repainted. Who knows what holes got filled in?

Matthew.
M Magilton

The owner says he took the felt out of the toolbox and carefully inspected the area for any signs of holes or filling.

BTW what's really scary, and I don't have the direct picture, is that someone put heater hoses through the toolbox in the location the car plate should be.!
Christopher Couper

This is the owner ofTD2695 and not only have I inspected the area I have now removed the panel from the frame and completely stripped it back to bare metal in preparation for paint and there are not and never have been any holes for the Chassis plate and the Patent plate. I have repaired the holes for the heater pipes in the Toolbox where the Chassis plate would be and the base of Toolbox where there was another nasty ragged hole for the heater pipes to pass through, the heater "installation" was carried out by the previous owner with complete disregard of any quality or authenticity issues but I'm used to that after restoring a number of YT's over the past 8 years.
I would be quite happy to install the plate where it was and not fit a patents plate if that were the correct solution, but to date it remains a mystery if the factory at the end of the production life did in fact do it differently for the last few cars. All information gratefully received. I don't have a direct photo of the offending pipes passing through the Toolbox but I do have a shot with the toolbox just out of shot, but you can see the trajectory of the pipes!


M R Brown

Air cleaner is not right for a 53'
Maybe for a 49 or so
Is this a right hand drive?
that would explain why they went in with heater hoses there. I went just behind the head under the tool box


M Grogan TD23816

Regarding the original question - it looks to me as if the original bulkhead has been changed for one from a Y type.
R A WILSON

Mike Brown again, I know the air cleaners not right, goodness knows were its from, not important the correct one will be fitted, yes its RHD, no its not a Y Type Bulkhead I have restored two YT's so I know the difference they are nothing like the same. The Bulkhead is original it had never been off the car until I removed it last week. Mike
M R Brown

I think I should have gone and looked at my own TD, but I cannot explain the different position of the plate. Why not buy the missing plate(s), engrave if required, and fit as per other TDs.

R WILSON

I will do exactly that I have already purchased the Body Number Plate which again is not in the normal position its under the Tool Box Lid the same as the TF there is a lot of evidence to say that this did occur in the last days of TD production and the holes are in the lid so I'm happy with that, I may do the same with the Patent plate but I have not found a decent repro yet! I really started this whole exercise off with Chris just to see if there was a difference will decide on final solution at a later date if nothing else turns up.
M R Brown

Personally I would leave the car as is if the evidence points to a different location, even if it's just this car. Something to talk about. :-)

BTW the bonnet latches are backwards. Could be a real issue to get the bonnet closed properly. Looks like the bonnet bumpers are flipped too.
Christopher Couper

I have TD 28423 built June 11, 1953 and the plates are in position on the toolbox as in R Wilson's picture. Perhaps the plate was put on after an OSH lunch break. I agree with Chris, leave it as a conversation starter.

Jim
James Neel

I would agree with leaving it. If you did not find any weld marks or other signs that the tool box did not have holes for the tag, there must have been a reason it was put where it is.

One of the interesting things about our cars is the lack of documentation on why things are. It makes it fun to try and figure out why.

Bruce Cunha

Mike Brown. Leave the car as it is presented. Your anamoly just proves that no information on originality is set in stone. Don’t make your car another “cookie cutter” conformity piece.

Bill Chasser
TD-4834
W A Chasser

I have contacted the previous owner and he says he put the holes in for the heater 40 years ago and had he moved the plate to make way for the holes he would not have filled the plate fixing hole in again" ( I can believe that based on the other areas of work carried out) I have uploeaded an image of the fully cleaned up Bulkhead/ Toolbox and there are no holes or filling present for any plates, the rectangular plate in the centre is the repair for the heater holes awaiting welding and painting, it wont show when I have finished
So my final intention is to replace the plate where I found it, not fit a patent plate and fit a reproduction Body Number plate inside the Toolbox lid that really does appear to be how it left the factory, for what ever reason. Thanks for all the thought and advise if anything turns up to support this conclusion I would really appreciate it but if not thats the way it will be done.Mike


M R Brown

This thread was discussed between 13/03/2018 and 18/03/2018

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