1952 Replica/Kit MGTD London Roadster

Description for MG T-Series 1983

You are bidding on a 1983 Duchess convertible kit car, which is strikingly similar to what it supposed to look like... a 1950's MG TD Roadster. To be clear, this car is a replica, and is both titled and sold as it was new in 1983 as a 1983 Duchess vehicle. This car sits on a early 1970's VW chassis with a stock VW air cooled motor. Personally I find the tooty sound of the old VW's a hoot and think it is perfect for the looks of the roadster.
Vin number isDS811061 It is a state issued vin.
This beauty is a lot of fun to drive and show off in to be sure. It turns heads where ever you drive it! You can't stop at a gas station or any other parking lot w/out everyone coming up to ask you about it and wanting to look it over - it is seriously that unique. They did a good job on this thing putting little details such as the wood dash, chromed fixtures, contoured seat, etc. that bolster the character of it as a OEM (MG) vehicle. It has a couple of features that are 'add on's to the duchess, a stereo/cd player which sits behind the seat, and an air horn which is the perfect sound for it. I actually disconnected the stereo because I found it would drain the battery if I didn't keep it on a battery tender, and I have no use for listening to the radio if I am on a Sunday drive... but I left it in the car in case the next curator feels differently ;o)
I purchased this beauty from an estate sale of a world class collector. I seriously did not need this thing at all, but it was just too cool for me to pass up. My kids will hate me, and I am going to miss it too, but I have had my fun with it, and I really need to get it out of my garage so I have room to work on my 1950 Jeepster so I can get it back on the road.
While I have owned this, I have replaced the 'boot' floor (was particle board & now is 3/4" coated plywood), the battery, rear brake shoes & one of the brake cylinders, and the starter. In full transparency I probably should have replaced the right rear drum which has some grooves in it from being driven for lord knows how long w/out pad on the shoes, but the local parts store didn't have any in stock and I was dying to get it back together to take to the car show at my work.
One of the great things about this being VW powered is that mechanical parts are: pretty reliable, readily available, and cheap... unlike the real MG TD!! If you want to make this more of a hot rod than a putterer, there are tons of options. Right now, she maintains 55 on the highway with no problem - probably could push it faster, but I have had no reason to.
All the gauges work including thespeedometerandtachometer but the odometer stopped working before I got it - actual miles unknown.Looks, Runs, and drives great.
Please understand I am comparing this to other cars built in 1970 and 1983 - it does not ride or drive like a new Lexus. If you have a vw bug, you will be hard pressed to tell the difference in the ride, but will feel like king driving this! It is a little quirky to go into first gear when sitting still. I was told that this can be easily adjusted by loosening up the shift plate, but I haven't bothered as I am already used to sliding it in slightly from the right. It does drip some oil - no idea where from, but it is a very small amount (like nowhere near enough to have to put oil in it between changes).
It could use a good polishing, but it still shines well as it sits as you can see in the pictures. There are some small paint chips and scratches here and there, but nothing awful (see pictures as they tell all including the little dink in the windshield). The top (synthetic canvas) is in excellent condition and I would guess is a replacement to the original. It only takes a couple of minutes to put up, but I have only ever put it up one time under threat of rain (other than these pictures) because I am so tall.
I expect 500.00 deposit by Paypal within 48 hours of auction close. The balance must be by CASH, or Certified Funds only and within 7 days of auction close, recognizing that some people may need some time to come after this if they are from out of state. If you need longer than that to pick it up, I can set you up w/a local storage unit in town, but my primary goal here is to get this out of my garage, so I don't want to have it any longer than that.
This is a NO RESERVE auction, at a very reasonable price, so if you bid, please be prepared to follow through! If you want to ask questions or come look it over, please get hold of me before bidding. I do not have time to list and relist cars on here because of people who don't really have money, have buyers remorse, etc.
Because it seems to come up every time I have ever listed a car or motorcycle on ebay over the years I will preemptively answer this question: "Could I drive this home to where I live in XXXX with no issues?" Here is my view:
The reason this is a 'as-is' sale is because I have no idea what is going to happen to it the next time it goes down the road whether I am driving it or anyone else. Mechanically, I don't expect you would have any problems, but more importantly, it is not built for interstate speeds and even at 50 it is quite windy and noisy to drive down the highway. (The tires are in excellent condition) I would personally not feel comfortable driving it for more than maybe 4 hours away, but wouldn't hesitate to drive it an hour or two.
Keep in mind I am probably a little more adventurous than most folks. If it was me, and 'home' is in that ballpark distance, I would bring along a tool box, multimeter, etc... and a cell phone in case I would need really need rescued.
If, on the other hand, you are wanting to drive this thing to California, then your risk tolerance is so much higher than mine that my opinion should be completely irrelevant... but I want to see the pictures of your journey!!
Happy bidding!