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MG TD TF 1500 - Legacy of our cars?

With all that's going on in the world it makes me question what will happen to my TD after I'm gone. I know, this sounds depressing, so feel free to delete this post admin if you feel it inappropriate.

My question is how many here have a solid person to gift their car to "down the road"? Most kids are more interested in their damn cell phone life these days! As for me, my 32 year old son has expressed interest but with a wife and 3 kids to support who knows? With the Covid getting him to even help me change the oil isn't happening and it may never happen.

If anybody would care to share their thoughts it might help us all.

Ed
Turning 74 next month with TD 8686 which is 70 this year.

efh Haskell

Hey Ed, I'm in the same boat. I turned 80 in July, my health is excellent, as far as I know. I have a 53 TD recent frame off restoration in which I've owned since 1964. Also have a 67 Camaro convertible along with a C6 Corvette convertible. Unfortunately in my family the interests are 1. Corvette, 2. Camaro and last the MG. When I take them to shows, once again the TD draws the lease interest. My heart still places the MG #1. When I'm gone, not sure what will happen. While I'm still here, I won't be seeing the TD pulling out of the driveway with someone else behind the wheel. Soooo, I guess I'll let the chips fall where they fall. Not a great subject to contemplate though.
Bill TD24570
Bill Brown

One of the major topics of discussion during last night's Zoom meeting of the Foothills British Car Club (Greenville, Anderson, Easley, SC http://fbccsc.org/) was how to get younger people interested in our passion. I believe that that topic is very closely related to the subject of this thread. Most of the suggestions were "samo - samo": go to car shows, go to cars-n-coffee and other cruise-ins, distribute literature, etc. We've been doing all of these things for years with little in the way of results. Kids (i.e., anybody under 50) didn't grow up dreaming about owning these cars so they don't have those dreams now.

I have no kids and no nieces or nephews that give a hoot about my cars. I have a '77 Ford F-100 that I bought new and I have a TD, an MGA and an MGB all of which were dream cars of my youth. I'm 75 and hope to get at lest ten more years of enjoyment from my cars. After that who knows. I hate the thought of dumping the disposal of the estate on a surviving friend and I have no idea of what that unfortunate friend should do with the proceeds from that disposal.

I guess I'll just drive them until they disappear in my fading short term memory and then let them collect dust. What a dreary thought but one that must be faced.

Oh well, come Sunday I'll be taking the MGA for a 100+ mile drive through the Blue Ridge and not give any of this another thought.

Keep smiling and always Safety Fast!!

Jud


J K Chapin

Interesting. My 28 year old son is such a car guy he had his several day long bachelor party camping at the esses at Sebring! Our Cars and Coffee was for a long time the same old guys. Over the past couple years, youngsters now make up half the crowd. Lots of impressive tuner cars, home built turbo whatevers. Although sadly becoming less drivable due to modern traffic, our cars look cool, so there will always be a market. George
George Butz III

gave mine to my Nephew. he loves it as much as i did.
TRM Maine

No interest from any of our 5 children or 8 grand children for our 79 MGB.

3 of the grandkids have their own cars already.

Cheers

Gary
79 MGB
Gary Hansen

Here's my take on the subject. Some may disagree.

I don't think the average young person will ever be interested no matter what you do. It isn't because anything has changed, it's because young people (generally speaking) have never been interested in older cars. That's why the traditional hot rod emerged back in the 50's. No self-respecting teenager would be caught dead driving an "old man's car" so they took the fenders off and built up the engines to try to make them look cool. What they really wanted was a brand new Corvette but couldn't afford it, just like today's youths want a brand new Porsche but are stuck modifying 90's Acuras instead. As people get older, they start to appreciate older things and that's when they look to the classics.

I'm probably half the age of some here, but I haven't seen a "young crowd" interested in T-Series MGs in my lifetime and probably never will. The last generation of young guys who were really into these cars... well... they still own them. So where will the cars go? To the same place they have been going for the past 30 years - to the 50+ crowd. I'd bet there will always be a market so long as there is retirement money and gasoline.
Steve Simmons

Hit reply too soon...

Of course there will always be exceptions, and you see them at the local Cars & Coffee type events. But the average young person today just wants to get from A to B with the least amount of fuss. Self-driving cars can't come soon enough for them. A lot of them don't even get their driver's licenses until they're in their 20's. For me that's unfathomable, but the fact of the matter is that a car doesn't represent the same kind of freedom that it did to previous generations. Today's generation doesn't need cars to "hang out" with friends because their idea of hanging out is when everyone is on their phones together.
Steve Simmons

Ha ha ha--I tried and tried to discourage my 2 boys from getting into cars and told them they're only usefull for getting their girlfriends to their favourite parking spot. both got heavily into bike racing as teenagers youngest road/track ,eldest endurance mountainbiking
My youngest has zero interest in cars apart from transporting himself dry
Eldest is into big HP turbo Japanese cars and when I ask him why spend that much money on a car, he jokes back at me--to get to the parking spot faster dad
Neither appear to have any interest in the MG or my elan--however last time eldest was home he was in the shed in the middle of the night planning his next mod. to his mazda thing and i went to see what he was up to, and there he was sitting in the MG going through the motions of driving it
There could be hope yet---------

willy
William Revit

I think the market will shrink, new cars will be electric, eventually there will be limited availability of fuels for these old cars and a few will end up in museums..the rest will have little or no value and be scrapped.. life goes on. For better or worse other things fill in...it’s just the way of the world.

Regards, Tom
tm peterson

How many 1950's vintage cars are still on the road? By that standard MG's are doing really well. There are plenty of old roads that need old cars to drive on them, and there will always be kids looking for fun.
J Barry

I go with J.Barry. Modern car travel consists of getting on the motorway in the UK or freeway in the US. You don't have to "drive" the car just put into cruise control and sit there driving as fast as possible to get to your planned destination. It will get worse with driverless cars. Our cars need to be driven. You have to actually change gears and think about your driving. I'm lucky living in the beautiful South West of England with narrow roads and lots of bends with that long bonnet (hood) 50 miles an hour seems like 80 in my modern conveyance. Only when the younger generation get the opportunity to experience that drive will they like my family show an interest. There will always be idiots like us. Well I hope so.
JK Mazgaj

I would add that I get more "squeals" out of my wife at 50,miles an hour that is,in the lanes than I do on the motorway. That in it's self is worth the ownership.
JK Mazgaj

Value for money, looks, sex appeal and sheer driving magic included; nothing beats the M.G. models (note the dots), from the M Type; (note the capital T) - (I'm attempting to solicit supporters for the dot and T revolution); to the really pretty TF and TF 1500. The pinnacle of British design, engineering, manufacturing and craftsmanship, unmatched anywhere else in the world for my money, except maybe in Germany during the same period, (and except maybe for value for money). But then, like most of the rest of us, I'm biased.

Viva la 'T' and the rest of the M.G. models from the 30's!! Cheers
Peter TD 5801.
P Hehir

This will probably go to my son if the wife doesn't want it, he already has a restored 68 Pontiac Firebird and a Cobra waiting to put together. Or, she can sell it, for whatever. As of now, she won't need the money and she has no interest in the car other than I love it, I think it would be safe to say the my son will get it.

PJ Jennings

How do we correct errors in a post? We used to have a few minutes to do this, is this feature gone? PJ
PJ Jennings

Thanks for the comments! Maybe all is not lost for me anyway. Son and grandson changed the oil today whilst I sat and watched. Then they took it around the block. Her is a link to a vid (I hope):

http://www.facebook.com/edcindy.haskell/videos/3652374181441761/?t=2
efh Haskell

Try You Tube for videos. A lot of people don't have Facebook accounts. (including me)

Peter, I think the days of a T-Series giving a guy sex appeal are LONG gone. Unless you're trying to attract old ladies of course. :)

On another note, we have an inordinate number of young classic car enthusiasts in my area. So there is hope that the hobby will remain strong at least until I'm too old to drive.
Steve Simmons

Here is the Youtube version of above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIDpBZ-Ebms
efh Haskell

Here's another take: I'm now 87 and have 3 MGs - a TF that I bought new, a PA that is in restoration, and a running PA.

I have 3 daughters. One living in China. One does not drive, and the youngest has 3 MGs and a Bug Eye. I have only two grand-sone and no great grandchildren,

Here's my dilemma - The oldest grandson is 6 foot 4 and the other is a Geological Engineer and is never home, spending virtually all of his time in remote places, most without roads! The big boy would love to have one of the cars and is capable of finishing the restoration of PA0921 but isn't interested in putting time into a car he can't drive. He's restoring a '54 Corvette, but like so may busy young people, his time is very limited so progress is slow.

So when I re-did my will recently, I didn't assign any cars, and will let the executor decide! Sad, but I don't see it any other way.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

Steve I meant it was the cars that have sex appeal, not me. I'm way past that. I'm not out to impress anybody, male or female. But the cars, well that's another thing. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

We have just had a female tattoo artist join our club after buying a TC as a 47th birthday present. Car number plate and her business name are after her cat - JEZABEL
Her comment on why a TC is
"I’m a history buff who loves the cars, designs & architecture of the early 1900’s, so the MGT was the perfect choice... the vintage style of the 30’s with a few improvements of the 40’s, & the elusive MG badge that’s been spoken of in my family all my youth."
Stuart Duncan

One thing I will never get rid of is my Myford Super 7 centre lathe. I have a large range of accessories including a milling attachment and dividing head. Whilst restoring my TF I used it virtually every day to fabricate all manner of parts, usually in brass or stainless. A few years ago small centre lathes such as Myfords or Boxfords were in real demand but now they are worth next to nothing. The market is flooded with them almost all ex schools or technical colleges. In the "Technical" lessons at our grandsons' school they design things on a computer rather than a drawing board and then produce them with 3D Printing rather than using their hands. I think the attraction of an old car to many owners is being able to work on them Properly. I suspect many will be able to remember doing botched repairs, often in the street, on old bangers, in the 1960s and I found it a joy to rebuild my TF using good quality, clean parts and in a decent workshop! The younger generations have not picked up traditional skills and cannot relate to the nostalgia of old cars. I could go on about Mums own cooking versus takeaways but wont.

Jan T
J Targosz

Jan T. whilst I'd like a Myford not sure whether I can personally justify their price. Been looking for awhile and not yet seen one under £1K so resorting to get a local machine shop to produce my odd bits. Jan M.
JK Mazgaj

Today it's all about 3D printing, which is fine (better) for some applications.

Young people would probably go for a CNC machine but nobody is buying that for a few hundred dollars.
Christopher Couper

Getting kind of OT guys?
efh Haskell

I don't think any of my kids would be interested so I have an idea for a condition in my will.


A. They need to be sold directly to an enthusiast - not a dealer.

B. Once the deal is done the purchaser will be given back 5% of the purchase price a year later ( make sure they keep it) on the sole condition that they use it to improve the car in some way. Restoration etc - not servicing or running repairs.

Cheers.
Dave
D Moore

It is an interesting subject
A car collector here has several valuable cars in various stages of disrepair and sometimes I wonder what would/will happen to some of these cars that are dismantled etc if something were to happen to him
William Revit

If you haven't specified where you want the stuff to go, then it often ends up at auction, at least here in the UK. That's where you see all the unfinished projects, boxes of bits labelled 'starter motors', tools etc as separate lots. Last week I transferred a Fortis Steel No 10 vice from the workbench of my recently deceased mother's house (my dad died fourteen years ago) to a workbench in one of my sheds. A lovely well patinated bit of kit, which I'd have been happy to have on show, but my wife and young daughter curiously weren't entirely convinced! The latter, if pushed prefers the MGB to the Riley (because it looks happier?!?), but for the future expresses a passing interest in getting a mint green Fiat 500 when she's 17. However, says she'll also be quite cool with autonomous cars.
Where you do see youngsters (posh ones!) is at VSCC meetings, and vintage race meetings, so there may be some hope for the future of older stuff
Peter Allen

Peter Allen,

This model Riley?

James Neel

Ahh, James, the sought after Roadster. Mine's one of the more prolific saloons.

Peter Allen

I've got a Riley Kestrel that I'm selling. Anybody interested?

gc

Gord Clark

I have given instruction to get the neighbor to dig a large hole out back with his back hoe in the pasture and put me in the drivers seat of the TF with my hands taped to the wheel and shove it in the hole and fill it up.


I have also mentioned trying to sell it at a reasonable price but if all that come are lowballers then put it out back and set it on fire. Screw em.

Seriously, no one in the family will want any of my cars when I'm gone except possibly the TR8. I'll be dead so I won't care.


Nobody will pay your heirs what you think they are worth...example is Liz Dubois...still has Dave's TD which I thought was a good bargain at 15 grand, but she has seen little interest last I heard.
L E D LaVerne

I couldn’t care less what happens to my cars after I’m dead and gone. If you really want to leave a legacy donate the car to your favorite charity. For me the estate will benefit an Aussie (dog) rescue and my HS Alma Mater to be used for Nursing Scholarships or Paramedic training.
W A Chasser

Riley Kestrel......yeah I'm drooling again

Mike
TF-8257
M Brand

LaVerne, Elon Musk might be interested in launching you and your chosen car into Mars orbit just like he did with his David Bowie dummy in his own Tesla! Hey, I might join you? We can practice guitar on the way. "Ground control to major Tom....your circuits say there's something wrong..."

Ed
efh Haskell

We're only custodians of this stuff for a short blip in time. What is interesting is that this is all machinery that has a life cycle. A well used TD probably, particularly in a damp climate, needed a rebuild after twenty years. Used more sparingly, that might stretch out to thirty/forty years. So even the most beautifully restored vehicles will have to go through this process every so many years. When the fuel isn't readily sold anymore, so they can't really be used, I can see a few being saved for museums, but what will happen to the rest? In short term they'll be stored away, deteriorating all the time until somebody looks in a shed and thinks it requires money and/or skills that will no longer be around and say it's never worth it. Using a non car example, nobody now in the UK wants heavy old furniture. They live in smaller, lighter, airier, just passing through, places. It's been saved and used for 150 years, but the fashion has changed. The value of this stuff has now plummeted, so isn't now worth saving, but had been before.
Peter Allen

Little anecdote on the Riley Pathfinder. Back in the early 60s as students my friend had one and with at least 6 of us in it one evening drove along with two of us head and shoulders out of the sun roof singing away. Ahead of us was a policeman on a bicycle telling a poor lad off for riding on the pavement (remember those days when it was frowned upon). Realizing we were likely to be in trouble my friend switched off his lights and swiftly left the area driving round the block. However on approaching the junction of the main road we'd left there was the policeman on his bike. My friend stopped at which point all the doors were thrown open and the occupants apart from my poor friend the driver fled the scene. The policeman apparently then slowly rode up to the car lent is bike against the kerb and spent about 10 minutes admonishing my friend on the rights and wrongs of good safe driving. Finishing off by kindly walking round the car and after shutting all the open doors suggested that perhaps he should find some more sensible and loyal friends.
JK Mazgaj

This thread was discussed between 12/08/2020 and 20/08/2020

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