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Barn Finds reader Bill C has been scouting around and found this wonderful MG TC for us to write about, so my thanks go to Bill C for that. This MG TC is listed for sale here on Craigslist. Located in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, this classic little British gem comes with a clean title. The seller has set the price at $15,000.
Of course, as an Australian, the first thing that I notice is that the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. I know that there are people who are unsure about driving a car that is right-hand drive after a lifetime of experiencing the opposite, but from experience, I have found that it isn’t that hard to adapt to driving on the opposite side of the car. The first few times you may go to shift gears and accidentally wind the window down, but after that, it’s plain sailing. This particular barn find has been sitting for more than 40 years, and is just waiting for someone to revive it.
The MG TC was the first car produced by MG following the end of World War II. Built in the UK, it was exported to the USA even though it was only ever built in right-hand drive form. There are a few notable differences between the UK and the US versions. One of the most obvious is that the US version has smaller headlights, coupled with twin tail-lights, turn signals and chrome bumpers with over-riders. Looking at this particular TC makes me think that it may be a private import due to the lack of correct bumpers or turn signals for the US market. The body appears to be in quite good condition, but the paintwork reinforces the seller’s claims that it will need a complete restoration. Of course, the most important area to check on this car would be the frame, although the TC doesn’t seem to be as prone to corrosion as some other offerings from MG.
The interior of this little MG may require a bit of work, depending on individual tastes. The seats look like they may be quite serviceable if treated to a deep clean. The dash is the sticking point for me. Apart from the fact that there are a couple of non-original gauges in there, the red paintwork just jars on me. It appears that at some stage the original timber may have been painted over. This was not an uncommon practice many years ago if the original polished finish started to become tired looking, as it was a quicker and cheaper option than having the timber professionally re-polished. I personally would be trying to return the dash to original if possible.
The MG TC featured a number of engine upgrades when compared to the TB. The engine was broadly the same at 1,250cc, but the TC engine featured slightly increased compression which saw the engine output increase by a half a horsepower in base form, although there were some performance upgrades available from MG. The big changes were designed to improve reliability and included a 12-volt electrical system and automatic advance on the ignition system. Unfortunately, this shot is as close as we get to an engine photo in the ad. The seller doesn’t indicate whether the engine turns freely or not, but given the fact that it has been sitting for more than forty years I would be banking on dismantling the engine for the sake of peace of mind. What this does tell us is that this is the standard spec engine, not the up-rated XPAG version, so horsepower will be around 54.5hp.
The MG TC is never going to give a Miata a run for its money in performance terms, but it does hail from a totally different era. This car is less a performance car, but more designed to be an elegant and relaxed top-down tourer. An MG TC which was a really nice older restoration was recently sold for $27,000, which I guess places a question mark over this particular little car. If the body and frame are solid, then there is nothing that would prevent a person who is handy with a spray-gun from bringing the body back to life. If this MG TC doesn’t need a significant amount of mechanical reconditioning then it may well be a good little car to buy. Relaxed weekend touring sounds like a nice option in this day and age.
