I finally got a chance to work on my "new" '55 MG TF 1500 RHD a little
this weekend (this is a car that has been sitting in dry storage for 25
years that I bought last month). I got it running yesterday and drove
it around our property a little -- it was a great mid December Missouri
day, upper 40s, sunny and no wind -- great MG weather! The engine runs
great in the car. Even though I'm still using the original plugs,
points and wires the engine starts right up, idles well and seems very
responsive -- when I goosed the throttle a little it seemed to break the
tires loose (in the grass) with no problem. Since I haven't touched the
brakes yet, I didn't get out of second gear. The engine didn't seem to
be smoking or leaking, had good oil pressure and ran smooth. One carb
float bowel is overflowing a little and the gas tank drain plug won't
seal quite tight (looks like it just needs a new plug), so there are
still a few minor things to take care of for the engine. The generator
even worked as did all the lights and turn signals -- pretty good for an
old British Sports Car, especially one that has been sitting since
1974. However, I did find out why the car came with a spare
transmission. When you let out the clutch, even in neutral, you here a
loud knocking that you can feel in the gear shift lever. Reverse also
doesn't work too well since it seems to lock in both reverse and a
forward gear when you start to back up. Also, after reading about how
to pull the transmission, I now see why the carpets were out of the car
and the seat bolts were only in finger tight! It doesn't look like too
bad a job to change out the transmission. I assume that the spare one
that came with the car is good since it is still packed in it's shipping
crate -- it looks complete anyway.
Kevin Brown '55 MG TF 1500 RHD, '64 MGB, 71 MGB, '74 TR6
Odessa, MO
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