The May 2018 Classic TF Registrar’s Report

Hi! Welcome to another successful year of interest and activity in MG related motoring.

In this fourth Classic TF Registrar’s report for Opposite Lock 2018 I want to:

• Quickly update you on Wings Over Illawarra 2018, coming up on the 6^th of May
• Give a quick pictorial review of some classic MGs and Jaguars at a very localised car show held in Wollongong in April 2018
• Give some advice about preparing your classic TF for the MG Car Club Display Day and Concours in October 2018 – our second-half year Classic TF activity
• Continue a dialogue started last month on whether we can organise an import of some 5 speed classic TF gearbox conversions
• Encourage you to write about your own experiences, by providing another short story about the MGs I have owned
• Recommend a very handy little guide book to buying a Classic TF which I have recently purchased and enjoyed

So, let’s get started!

The Annual TF Register Run: Wings Over Illawarra 2018

The first half-year Classic TF Register run is coming up quickly, and will be held on the Sunday of the two-day Wings Over Illawarra air show on Sunday the 6^th of May, 2018.

As this article is being written in April, then I hope we all had a great time and the weather was fine. I hope that as many MGs as possible made it and I will report on the air show in detail in next month’s Opposite Lock.

Again I must acknowledge the reality that our club continues to schedule two events that clash with each other, which means that members supporting the Club’s Touring Run will not be able to come to WOI, or vice versa. I present a specific request each year to the Registrar’s planning meeting that we decouple these two events, and the request is ignored each year so far. (I think the Touring Run is a very attractive event and miss the opportunity to go on it because of the clash with WOI).

Classic MGs and Jaguars at a Very Local Car Show

In April this year the National Trust (Illawarra and Shoalhaven) ran a vintage bazaar in a great little venue – the historic court house at Wollongong Harbour, which offers a tiny (10-space) car park.

The local members of both the Jaguar MG and South Coast Veteran and Vintage Car Clubs all contributed to a display of some really excellent early Jags and MGs and we had a nice line-up that included MGTCs, MGTFs, MGAs and MGBs to promote the MG cause. The Jaguar line-up included XK 120, XK 150, Mk 5, Mk 9, 420 and Mk 2.

Preparing your Classic TF for our 2018 Car Show and Display Day

It is very satisfying to report that our classic TF turnout is now one of the strongest register turnouts on each October Display day, and again I want to thank each and every person who supports us in this way.

The competition was again very strong in 2017 and the standard of the Classic TFs on display each year just gets better and better! Accordingly, I have obtained a copy of an advice guide to prepare your Classic TF for concours and show presentation. It is in pdf copy and will be available on the MG Car Club website as part of this report. Click here to download the pdf guide please.

5 Speed Gearboxes for Classic TFs

In last month’s Opposite Lock I began a dialogue about whether we could get a significantly large number of interested purchasers to consider importing some 5 speed gearbox conversions from the UK which do not require alterations of the car’s interior to fit.

I would still like to have a dialogue with interested person(s) who may consider purchasing one of we could agree to make a bulk buy and import say five or so of these conversion kits.

So, without prejudice or commitment, I again request that anyone interested let me know if your ‘in principle’ interest in purchasing a 5-speed conversion for a classic TF. Depending upon the levels of response we may or may not proceed further with the endeavour.

The MGs I have owned

Very frequently Ros, Opposite Lock Editor, and I make appeals to our readers and club members to write about their classic car or MG experience(s). I have already written about my earliest two cars – a Riley 9 sports and an MGTC – and so I have provided to Ros a summary of all the MGs that I have owned, including some very scrappy photos,  of my MGTC, a first MGTF1250, an MGBGT and a second and current MGTF1250.

So – how about telling us your story please?

Considering Buying a Classic TF?

I recently purchased online from the UK The Essential Buyers’ Guide to MG TD TF and TF1500 written by marque expert Barrie Jones and published by Veloce Publishing. Their website is www.veloce.co.uk.

It cost less than $A25.00 including postage from the UK, and I strongly recommend it as a very handy little guide book to buying a Classic TD or TF!

Enjoy your motoring!

Michael Hough,
Classic TF Registrar
[email protected]
0418 424 748