MG Story: Michelle’s MG TF1250

Stories about acquiring classic cars are often interesting ones, full of journeys, history and personality. They give a fascinating insight into the car and its owner and, sharing parallels with our own journeys, help add to the bond we share because of our passion for MGs and motoring.

This month, Classic TF and Illawarra Register Michael Hough shares the story of Michelle Page and her classic MG TF, with thanks to Michelle.

Michael Hough

It is a real delight to get a ‘bonus’ story like this and I want to sincerely thank Stephen and Michelle for their enthusiastic support of the Illawarra Register events, and to Michelle Page in particular for her willingness to put ‘pen to paper’ and permit us to share her enthusiasm for her TF1250. Thanks so much!

By Michelle Page

My husband, Stephen, and I are a car family, having grown up with our fathers heavily involved in vintage and classic cars. We have a number of vintage cars ourselves, and decided that we needed something a little more modern.

So, I decided upon an MG TF as I had always liked their stylish good looks. Stephen is very mechanically minded and can fix just about anything, so finding a car that needed some work and love was not a problem. It also gave us a chance to get to know the car. We had also begun collecting some books and a workshop manual for the car.

After looking around for several months we found an unregistered MG TF 1250 on the north side of Sydney. We bought the car in February 2002.

When we took a car trailer to collect it, our fathers joined us. Both were eager to see another car come home and began inspecting the car before we had paid for it.

With the enthusiasm of a new car in the collection, work commenced immediately. By the end of the weekend the engine oil had been flushed with new oil and a filter, a tune up completed with a new coil, condenser, points and plugs fitted, and valves adjusted. It was now running like a TF should. But there was some more serious work to be done.

Over several months we did extensive mechanical work on the car to get it back on the road and in a reliable state.

We overhauled the braking system, cleaned out the cooling system and the fuel system, replaced welsh plugs, overhauled the carburettors, replaced the windscreen, 5 new tyres, a new battery, new king pins, front suspension rubbers, rear rubbers and added rear shock absorbers.

The car was registered in October 2002 and we joined the MGCC in December 2002.

We have a large collection of paperwork and receipts for the car dating back to the late 1960s. They’re great records of how much was spent on the car and what maintenance work was done.

From what we have been able to find about the history of the car, it had been owned by a lady in Collaroy. She owned the car from 1969 to approximately 2000. She obviously loved the car and spent reasonable amounts of money maintaining it.

She had the car for approximately 30 years and drove it regularly. She volunteered at Taronga Zoo and drove the car to the Zoo when she did her volunteering work. I believe she was a member of the MGCC but have been unable to find any records to verify this. She may have competed at MG events as there is an Amaroo plaque in the car. We also have the complete set of original tools for the car and some old photos.

My little car is in original condition and is still loved very much. It is a great example of an unrestored car. Over the 15 years that I’ve owned it Stephen and I have had lots of fun participating in many rallies around New South Wales and Victoria and local runs around Sydney. We’ve added a luggage rack to the back so we can pack a few more things for travelling. It’s a very reliable car and, unlike some of our vintage cars, hasn’t caused us any trouble.

Thanks to Michael and the MGCC starting an Illawarra chapter of the Club we’re able to use the car even more on runs in the Illawarra area, not far from home.

Michelle Page