Posted on 01/01/2009 7:54:53 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
I couldn’t think of the make when I replied, I think it’s an M G from the fifties. See a few for sale if you have 30 to 60 grand you’re not using.
Leno was my first thought as well.
After owning a MK IX Jag, two 109 Landies and a Rangie, I can assure you that Lucas was not, repeat not, the Prince of Darkness.
That Lucas was The Inventor of Darkness, I won’t argue, however.
Actually, I was impressed with how well the electrical systems built by Lucas had held up. None were less than 20 years old and all had original components, save for perhaps a rebuild on the starter or such.
The Landies still had their original hand crank, which I occasionally used for the fun of it.
....but then, I'm old.
Is it true that the frame of that car was made of wood? I remember that being mentioned ones - but do not recall the episode.
....they selected Lucas.
I don't believe the frame was...but floor panels and maybe the bulkheads...firewall and cockpit rear were made of wood.
Now the Shah’s Bugatti is cool, some of the others are a bit frumpy.
I was thinking Clive Cussler. He writes about cars like this in all his books.
It was Joe Lucas, not Charlie
* The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
* Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
* Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
* Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
* The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off.
* The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
* Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices
The above are from here
I once had a girlfriend with a old TD and an MGA. When they ran they were great fun, but it was best to drive them on clear sunny days, and to carefully avoid puddles.
They really are stunning. Nothing now comes close in style.
My Motoguzzi had lucas electrics on it, there is just nothing like rolling down the road in the middle of the
night at seventy and losing power and lights.
It happened one night crossing Mount Eagle just as I was
coming up on a hitch hiker, I heard him scream as I went by.
Mosty times you could pound on the switch box and it would
come back...
Dim, Flicker, Off. The three positions on a lucas headlight switch. (with any moisture it transforms to flicker, smoke, off).
Thats alright, my first car was a Datsun Fairlady. It had enlarged copies of SU carbs. Taught me a lot about tuning that car did...
You probably had one of those SU air flow meters too.
Here’s some info:
FEATURE ARTICLE from Hemmings Motor News
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1945-1950 M.G. TC
Hemmings Motor News - DECEMBER 1, 2006 - BY DAVID LACHANCE - PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD LENTINELLO
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The passage of time has only made the classic from Abingdon more afforable
Look at the graph of average values for M.G. TDs over the past quarter century, and you’ll see a steady rise, aside from one small setback around 2000. Nothing too surprising, right? But an interesting fact reveals itself when you adjust the numbers for inflation: Real values actually peaked in 1990, at the equivalent of $32,000 in current-day dollars, and have taken a drop of 22 percent or so in the 15 years since.
Why? If you managed to stay awake through enough of Economics 101, you may recall that market values are driven by supply and demand. In the case of the TC, both seem to be working to hold prices back. MG produced more than 10,000 TCs, a healthy number for the Abingdon works, and a significant number survive—in fact, in the past couple of decades, the number of basket-case cars that have been restored has outstripped the number sent to the crusher. At the same time, the number of potential buyers has been on the wane.
The backbone of the TC’s market has traditionally been made up of those who owned or lusted after one of the cars when it was new, perhaps having seen one tearing down the track with a number on its door, or cruising on a back road with a happy couple and their picnic lunch aboard. But that was more than a half-century ago, and those enthusiasts are passing from the scene. Potential buyers who have no memories of the TC may find themselves instead drawn to other, more usable cars that offer similar experiences, including two from M.G.’s own stables, the TD and TF.
“I always look at it as, who would buy one, and why would they want one?” said Marc Evans, president of the New England Classic Car Company in Stratford, Connecticut, who estimates that he’s sold 200 TCs over the past 30 years. “I love TCs — I think they’re great cars,” he said. “But there are a bunch of fun cars to drive.” Where the TC shines is in coupling pre-war design with relatively good parts availability and such modern design features as press-fit bearings. The solid front and rear axles, big wire wheels, cart springs, cut-down doors, flowing fenders and classic, upright grille offer the lucky owner a true 1930s driving experience at a price below that of most genuine pre-war cars.
Launched in 1945, but not exported to the U.S. until 1947, the TC earned its eternal fame as the car that introduced Americans to sports cars. It was powered by a 1,250cc XPAG inline-four that made 54.5hp, sufficient for a top speed of somewhere around 70 mph and a comfortable cruising speed around 55 mph. A three-speed gearbox with synchromesh on the top three gears and hydraulic drum brakes were fitted, and all examples, whether Stateside-bound or not, were right-hand drive.
Buyers beguiled by the TC’s unsinkable charm will want to make sure that they check out the wood frame that lies under the body panels—it can, and does, rot, requiring costly repair. Marc Evans suggests that $25,000 will buy a solid car, while a $35,000 car should have “at least a couple of ribbons.” We recently saw a tatty, but usable, TC sell for $11,000 at auction, which has to rate as something of a bargain. As always, should you decide to take the plunge, find a knowledgeable specialist or club member, and learn all you can before writing that check.
This article originally appeared in the DECEMBER 1, 2006 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
Order Backissues of Hemmings Motor News Here.
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Can you guys pay back that loan so I can buy this ride...
.........and I’ll take the $$$$ ...for whatever either of them are worth. ;D
About 1970 while doing 105 mph on Rt. 301 in Maryland about 2:00AM the lights went out after hitting a bump.
I was always thankful that there was a full moon that night.
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