Yes, that looks like an interesting, time consuming and probably expensive project. Perfect for keeping a retired person out of the recliner and away from unhealthy expensive food! 😐 If you are a member of NAMGAR ( North American MGA Registry ) they may have some records of previous owners, also I wonder if your province keeps and will share records of previous owners? My 58 roadster at present is in worse condition due to lack of dry storage and lack of money to restore it. I bought it in April 1967 with wire wheels and all manuals for $300.00 and drove it home. I still hope to save it but as each year passes the hope dims. Good luck on your expedition back in time, seeing new places is what we older folks are supposed to do, right? I like watching your progress, hope I can do as well someday. Thanks for including us in the repair and thinking behind it.
look forward to hearing more and hope you can reunite car and engine. I own YD/643, which rolled off the production line in Abingdton not long after yours! Was originally Old English White with a back interior. Had been off the roadd for over 25 years, painted a nasty red, with a B series replacement push rod engine. Now back to OEW with a red interior and has been reunited with a (different) twin cam engine and a close ratio gearbox. All the best with yours - they are wonderful to drive as well as the rareness. Would be great to have another one back!!
Great Saturday morning story. If it was Vancouver, maybe not the same MGA but there, yes I bet it is. All the old stuff here is either sold to USA or gone to make Asian cars. On the prairies time seems to weather better. Your chances are probably pretty good. In 2012 I bought a 1954 T100 motorcycle basket case in milk crates. I thought a first I would never find all the rare, one year only parts for this bike but as chance has it, one day on Craigslist there was a picture of a rear swinging arm with a caption "does anyone know what this is?". I would have had better luck finding hen's teeth! He ended up trading it for a couple of BSA parts that were of no use to me. MGAs and TR3s are dream cars of mine. I'll follow along as I do my MGB resto. Good luck finding the engine.
Hi Wayne, I hope you find the engine and sounds like a great reason for a road trip with a treasure hunt!! I am following your restoration of Dolly and your expertise in repairing the body and mechanicals. I think you got a great deal there for $1700. I suggest you keep the spare car and do lots of market research in Canada, US, and the UK to determine it's value. The twin cams accounted for just over 2% of total production so even without the engine it has to be valuable due to it's rarity. A potential restorer could finish the car and if a TC engine became available it would complete the car (albeit non matching numbers.) Apart from the wheels, there is another exterior identifier of TCs and that are the badges ( twin cam) which are situated just behind the oval vents (on yours, the vent grilles are missing and the badges as well but I couldn't see the two locator holes when your video panned past the side of the car, so just wondering what that indicates. There were three, one on each side and another below the MG script on the trunk lid. When TC production stopped a different badge was fitted. Mark 2 or 1600 ? Not sure. By the way, I had an Old English White MGA back in 1976 when i was 22yo. Lots of fun. Now have a 77 Fiat 124 spider ( ex US but now RHD with steering from a coupe. Good luck! Mark
Thanks for your suggestions. I do plan to try again to search for the TC engine. My 1st attempt was derailed when the brakes went out on my rv. Maybe this fall? As for the badges I can feel bumps underneath the badge location so???
3 месяца назад+1
My Twin Cam story: Around 1959 I was still in high school and very interested in cars My grandparents had renters who bought a brand new Twin Cam hardtop coupe, white with left hand drive. When he started it up in the morning he would leave it on fast idle for at least 10 minutes, seemed like a bad idea to me. The engine compartment was incredibly packed - the only car I ever saw more packed was a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, no room to fit a hand in anywhere. This was in Tujunga, California which is a very long way from Mother England!
I've owned many MGs back in the late 60's and early 70's. Including MGTD, several MGA 1500, MGA 1600, MGA 1600 MKll and Twin Cam. As I recall I purchased two TC motors one out of Ontario and the other out of the US MidWest. Both were problem engines and had been replaced with the regular 1600. Have no idea where those TC motors could be today
I have been down a similar road. I found an abandoned Twin Cam that had been wrecked in a race (front end crushed) and left to rot under a tree for years. I restored it (after much work) and used it as a commuter car to work for years. One day a boy and his father came and asked about it and I ended up selling them the car. YD3 1870. I have no idea what happened to it. I lived in California then.
Hi Wayne. This brings back a lot of memories I bought a 56’ for 500$ in 84’ and respired it. Absolutely a fun car, been looking for a project and wondering if you want to sell it Dave
My brother found a 59 Twin Cam in a field abandoned back in 1970 in Massachusetts. It was all original and ran very well until a valve broke and pretty much ruined the aluminum head! It was black with I believe a red interior. Later, my brother put an 1800 B engin in.
I miss my old MGA (1961 1600). I had it when I lived in Regina (91 - 94). I didn't know there was a Brit car club there at the time or I would've joined it. I jumped around the video and might have missed mention of it, but the grill on that car is wrong as well. At some point, someone replaced it with a Mk II grill from the last year of production.
We have a great British car club in both Regina and Saskatoon I don't know about the early 90s. Yes the grill is wrong Dolly also came with the wrong (mk II) grill.
Hi Wayne, what a fascinating story. Someone has obviously shoved a MK11 grille in it. Shame the cost to restore would far outweigh the value. It is possible to find twin cam engines here in the U.K but very expensive. So many of them were issued with replacement engines one with its original would be very rare indeed. I found a Coupe twincam once with a pushrod engine, still asking too much money because it was originally a twincam. Best way to sell would be to locate someone with just an engine.
Yes the engine is definitely the most expensive part of the restoration. I'm also unsure if I have another Total Restoration in me. We'll see thanks for the comment.
Hello Wayne, Greetings from the Netherlands. Hope you are able to find out more about the car's history. I would not sell it off as a part's car, as it is restorable, and you are not in it too deep financially. Either do it yourself and try to find a TC engine. Or find a good owner for it, who has the funds to bring it back to its former glory. Consider a helping hand from the internet community, in order to find out the history and maybe find out what happened with the engine.
It is a great story though… the dots do seem to connect as the twin cam cars are very rare. Hope you can get confirmation or run into someone that has something additional to add… maybe the missing motor???!!!🤞🤞🤞fun adventure regardless!
What a great find!! It's a gem in the rough for sure. Great, great story. I think you should definitely cruise the area where it came from. You never know if the original engine is just sitting there next to a shed somewhere waiting for you to find it. There have been so many coincidences so far with the car, who's to say you can't connect one more dot and find the engine! Let's go Wayne!!
It appears to be a 1962 MK II (mark 2) grille, but the tail lights are pre 1960. That motor would be a 1500 or 1600 as shown in the video it is certainly not a twin cam. It is a great find, NAMGAR can help with the original specs.
Yes the grill is incorrect and twincam badging missing and holes welded over I presume deleted in one of it's previous repairs. Steering rack position and heater are correct for TC. Thanks
Actually the 4 wheel disc brakes are there and heater and I haven't checked transmission and diff. I think the TC had a different final drive. You are right though it is in a sad state.
It looks like it might be a real twin cam to me. Its got (most) all the 1958 stuff. I was heavily involved w/ MGAs at one point. All, and that's only a couple, Twin cams I have seen were 58s. Does it have disk brakes? All twin cams do, (Dunlop I believe). Finding a motor, rad. etc., will be very tough.
Still I can't help thinking it's a Mk.2 De-Luxe, twin-cam chassis, disc brakes etc with a pushrod engine - the grill says it. Did US dealers fit a pushrod engine if the TC failed within the warranty period? The front side lights appear to be what was used on the 1500 cc MGA (which was the basis of the TC) not the MkII though. I understand that some De-Luxe models used TC chassis and others a standard MGA chassis? It was all about using up the left over TC components. Still a fascinating story, all the best with it.
I have no doubt that it is a TC. Even Barney Gaylord (mga guru) didn't question its authenticity when he visited. The original engine may have been changed out by the dealer but perhaps by a previous owner. Thanks for the comments.
With having and knowing the info on that car that you do ----- it would be kind of nice to find out the --- REST --- of the history since you have so much now ----- Don't know where you live ---- so I don't know how far you would have to travel ---- it could be just a nice little vacation ---- So --- one begins to wonder ---- Why was the Twin Cam removed --- did it blow a hole too ---- if you are lucky talking with the old Timers --- maybe you find out who had it ---- are they still there and if so --- maybe the engine is there also ---- and as you said --- doesn't cost too much ---- maybe they would be glad the car is still around and give you whatever was still there to keep a unique car alive ----- Either way --- looking at what you can show us ---- looks like it would be quite a project ----- It might be an -- INTERESTING -- vacation ----- Gotta find out ---- Good Luck ---- Hope you have a Good Week ---- Rodney
I still think its likely real twin cam. The 58 would not have any holes behind the MGA vents , for mk11, 1600, etc., trim. Its got the earlier lights front & rear, and the 58 style dash. I believe the twin cam , used a different steering rack, or mtg? Not definitive, but likely clues. Doe it have matching paperwork?. If so, that would make a project much more viable. Keep researching the car first.,,,,Love,,,DUBS,,,,,
You got yourself a money pit think carefully before proceeding The acquisition of a running twim cam engine is going to be difficult as they were not the greatest Might consider dropping in a MG 1800 motor bored to 2 litres or maybe the Rover V 8 most body panels can e obtained but it will be costly
Yes, that looks like an interesting, time consuming and probably expensive project. Perfect for keeping a retired person out of the recliner and away from unhealthy expensive food! 😐
If you are a member of NAMGAR ( North American MGA Registry ) they may have some records of previous owners, also I wonder if your province keeps and will share records of previous owners?
My 58 roadster at present is in worse condition due to lack of dry storage and lack of money to restore it. I bought it in April 1967 with wire wheels and all manuals for $300.00 and drove it home. I still hope to save it but as each year passes the hope dims.
Good luck on your expedition back in time, seeing new places is what we older folks are supposed to do, right?
I like watching your progress, hope I can do as well someday. Thanks for including us in the repair and thinking behind it.
Right but it gets harder every year. I will try what you suggested I have been meaning to. Thanks
look forward to hearing more and hope you can reunite car and engine. I own YD/643, which rolled off the production line in Abingdton not long after yours! Was originally Old English White with a back interior. Had been off the roadd for over 25 years, painted a nasty red, with a B series replacement push rod engine. Now back to OEW with a red interior and has been reunited with a (different) twin cam engine and a close ratio gearbox. All the best with yours - they are wonderful to drive as well as the rareness. Would be great to have another one back!!
Even in its present state I'm proud to own a piece of history. You are a lucky man and I only hope I too can have one I can actually drive lol.
Great Saturday morning story. If it was Vancouver, maybe not the same MGA but there, yes I bet it is. All the old stuff here is either sold to USA or gone to make Asian cars. On the prairies time seems to weather better. Your chances are probably pretty good. In 2012 I bought a 1954 T100 motorcycle basket case in milk crates. I thought a first I would never find all the rare, one year only parts for this bike but as chance has it, one day on Craigslist there was a picture of a rear swinging arm with a caption "does anyone know what this is?". I would have had better luck finding hen's teeth! He ended up trading it for a couple of BSA parts that were of no use to me. MGAs and TR3s are dream cars of mine. I'll follow along as I do my MGB resto. Good luck finding the engine.
I hope I'm as lucky as you were great story and thanks
Greetings from Brandenburg 🇩🇪 Udo 👍👍🚙🚗
Thanks
You got a brilliant deal for only $1,700 looking forwards to watching the progress on this iconic MGA
Dumb luck I guess but thank you
I had a 1956. My first car in 1968. What a trip.
It must have been fun unfortunately I have never driven one hopefully soon
Your car is heart-breaking. Your ambition is heart-warming.
I wish you every success with the project.
(and good luck with the Lottery).🙂
Thanks for the kind words
Hi Wayne, I hope you find the engine and sounds like a great reason for a road trip with a treasure hunt!! I am following your restoration of Dolly and your expertise in repairing the body and mechanicals. I think you got a great deal there for $1700. I suggest you keep the spare car and do lots of market research in Canada, US, and the UK to determine it's value. The twin cams accounted for just over 2% of total production so even without the engine it has to be valuable due to it's rarity. A potential restorer could finish the car and if a TC engine became available it would complete the car (albeit non matching numbers.)
Apart from the wheels, there is another exterior identifier of TCs and that are the badges ( twin cam) which are situated just behind the oval vents (on yours, the vent grilles are missing and the badges as well but I couldn't see the two locator holes when your video panned past the side of the car, so just wondering what that indicates. There were three, one on each side and another below the MG script on the trunk lid. When TC production stopped a different badge was fitted. Mark 2 or 1600 ? Not sure.
By the way, I had an Old English White MGA back in 1976 when i was 22yo. Lots of fun. Now have a 77 Fiat 124 spider ( ex US but now RHD with steering from a coupe. Good luck! Mark
Thanks for your suggestions. I do plan to try again to search for the TC engine. My 1st attempt was derailed when the brakes went out on my rv. Maybe this fall? As for the badges I can feel bumps underneath the badge location so???
My Twin Cam story: Around 1959 I was still in high school and very interested in cars My grandparents had renters who bought a brand new Twin Cam hardtop coupe, white with left hand drive. When he started it up in the morning he would leave it on fast idle for at least 10 minutes, seemed like a bad idea to me. The engine compartment was incredibly packed - the only car I ever saw more packed was a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, no room to fit a hand in anywhere. This was in Tujunga, California which is a very long way from Mother England!
Great story thanks for sharing
I've owned many MGs back in the late 60's and early 70's. Including MGTD, several MGA 1500, MGA 1600, MGA 1600 MKll and Twin Cam. As I recall I purchased two TC motors one out of Ontario and the other out of the US MidWest. Both were problem engines and had been replaced with the regular 1600. Have no idea where those TC motors could be today
Sure would be nice to know what happened to those TC engines.
I have been down a similar road. I found an abandoned Twin Cam that had been wrecked in a race (front end crushed) and left to rot under a tree for years. I restored it (after much work) and used it as a commuter car to work for years. One day a boy and his father came and asked about it and I ended up selling them the car. YD3 1870. I have no idea what happened to it. I lived in California then.
Great story.
Hi Wayne. This brings back a lot of memories I bought a 56’ for 500$ in 84’ and respired it. Absolutely a fun car, been looking for a project and wondering if you want to sell it Dave
Thanks for your interest but for the moment I am still hoping to find an engine and do something with it myself
My brother found a 59 Twin Cam in a field abandoned back in 1970 in Massachusetts. It was all original and ran very well until a valve broke and pretty much ruined the aluminum head! It was black with I believe a red interior. Later, my brother put an 1800 B engin in.
Interesting. So what ever happened to the TC engine?
I miss my old MGA (1961 1600). I had it when I lived in Regina (91 - 94). I didn't know there was a Brit car club there at the time or I would've joined it.
I jumped around the video and might have missed mention of it, but the grill on that car is wrong as well. At some point, someone replaced it with a Mk II grill from the last year of production.
We have a great British car club in both Regina and Saskatoon I don't know about the early 90s. Yes the grill is wrong Dolly also came with the wrong (mk II) grill.
Definately an interesting story and being Saskatchewan there is at least a chance! I hope you have a good trip!
Thanks Keith
Hi Wayne, what a fascinating story. Someone has obviously shoved a MK11 grille in it. Shame the cost to restore would far outweigh the value. It is possible to find twin cam engines here in the U.K but very expensive. So many of them were issued with replacement engines one with its original would be very rare indeed. I found a Coupe twincam once with a pushrod engine, still asking too much money because it was originally a twincam. Best way to sell would be to locate someone with just an engine.
Yes the engine is definitely the most expensive part of the restoration. I'm also unsure if I have another Total Restoration in me. We'll see thanks for the comment.
Well worth doing up will.be great running around in the summer and paint it light blue.
Dolly the 1500 I'm working on will be light blue.
Hello Wayne, Greetings from the Netherlands. Hope you are able to find out more about the car's history. I would not sell it off as a part's car, as it is restorable, and you are not in it too deep financially. Either do it yourself and try to find a TC engine. Or find a good owner for it, who has the funds to bring it back to its former glory. Consider a helping hand from the internet community, in order to find out the history and maybe find out what happened with the engine.
Thank you. I replied previously but I don't see it so I don't know if you received it
It is a great story though… the dots do seem to connect as the twin cam cars are very rare. Hope you can get confirmation or run into someone that has something additional to add… maybe the missing motor???!!!🤞🤞🤞fun adventure regardless!
Yes i'm looking forward to it. Thanks
You really do have to try finding that original engine. If you did, it would be a great story to tell.
I agree and will give it another go.
What a great find!! It's a gem in the rough for sure. Great, great story. I think you should definitely cruise the area where it came from. You never know if the original engine is just sitting there next to a shed somewhere waiting for you to find it. There have been so many coincidences so far with the car, who's to say you can't connect one more dot and find the engine! Let's go Wayne!!
One can only hope! Nothing ventured... Thanks for the comment.
It appears to be a 1962 MK II (mark 2) grille, but the tail lights are pre 1960. That motor would be a 1500 or 1600 as shown in the video it is certainly not a twin cam. It is a great find, NAMGAR can help with the original specs.
Yes the grill is incorrect and twincam badging missing and holes welded over I presume deleted in one of it's previous repairs. Steering rack position and heater are correct for TC. Thanks
The only value left on that car might be the knock off wheels which are probably worth more than the rest of what’s left…sad to see it like this
Actually the 4 wheel disc brakes are there and heater and I haven't checked transmission and diff. I think the TC had a different final drive. You are right though it is in a sad state.
Looks like a great project……..
What’s the value on the Twin Cam Engine? Could you put a Twin Cam Toyota in it with a five speed?
Do. You have any ownership paper work?
That is an option but not one the purest one to hear LOL
It looks like it might be a real twin cam to me. Its got (most) all the 1958 stuff. I was heavily involved w/ MGAs at one point. All, and that's only a couple, Twin cams I have seen were 58s. Does it have disk brakes? All twin cams do, (Dunlop I believe). Finding a motor, rad. etc., will be very tough.
Yes disc brakes all around and yes not having the motor is a big problem.
That would be a project for someone with deep pockets for sure, all hinges on getting a twin cam engine.
Yes deeper pockets than mine unfortunately
A 59' running TC engine would cost you probably set you back around 20 K , if you can find one . Nice story.
Yes and perhaps more and US $ so add 25%.
Still I can't help thinking it's a Mk.2 De-Luxe, twin-cam chassis, disc brakes etc with a pushrod engine - the grill says it. Did US dealers fit a pushrod engine if the TC failed within the warranty period?
The front side lights appear to be what was used on the 1500 cc MGA (which was the basis of the TC) not the MkII though. I understand that some De-Luxe models used TC chassis and others a standard MGA chassis? It was all about using up the left over TC components. Still a fascinating story, all the best with it.
It's not a Mk II. The tail lights/ rear wings show it's an earlier car.
I have no doubt that it is a TC. Even Barney Gaylord (mga guru) didn't question its authenticity when he visited. The original engine may have been changed out by the dealer but perhaps by a previous owner. Thanks for the comments.
With having and knowing the info on that car that you do ----- it would be kind of nice to find out the --- REST --- of the history since you have so much now ----- Don't know where you live ---- so I don't know how far you would have to travel ---- it could be just a nice little vacation ---- So --- one begins to wonder ---- Why was the Twin Cam removed --- did it blow a hole too ---- if you are lucky talking with the old Timers --- maybe you find out who had it ---- are they still there and if so --- maybe the engine is there also ---- and as you said --- doesn't cost too much ---- maybe they would be glad the car is still around and give you whatever was still there to keep a unique car alive ----- Either way --- looking at what you can show us ---- looks like it would be quite a project ----- It might be an -- INTERESTING -- vacation ----- Gotta find out ---- Good Luck ---- Hope you have a Good Week ---- Rodney
Thanks Rodney, Yes i think it will be a nice vacation. I plan to hit some small town car shows along the way.
I still think its likely real twin cam. The 58 would not have any holes behind the MGA vents , for mk11, 1600, etc., trim. Its got the earlier lights front & rear, and the 58 style dash. I believe the twin cam , used a different steering rack, or mtg? Not definitive, but likely clues. Doe it have matching paperwork?. If so, that would make a project much more viable. Keep researching the car first.,,,,Love,,,DUBS,,,,,
Yes the steering rack is mounted about 1" forward to accommodate the TC engine.
Nice catch... NOW GET TO WORK
Thanks
Wow how amazing, twin cam
I'm not sure if that's sarcasm but I think it's amazing. Thanks for the comment
@@whatswaynedoing Amazing as i said🏁
Just make it a reliable driver,and leave the body as is ! Fix the floors & trunk of course. The story is fantastic! Also be cool to find the engine
That would be interesting.
As much as I love MGAs, that looks like a money pit. My recommendation - sell the good pieces and recoup your cost with the scrap value.
I can't argue with the logic but???
Such a shame the twin cam was swapped out
Agreed 👍
Onward!
Thanks.
You got yourself a money pit think carefully before proceeding The acquisition of a running twim cam engine is going to be difficult as they were not the greatest Might consider dropping in a MG 1800 motor bored to 2 litres or maybe the Rover V 8 most body panels can e obtained but it will be costly
That is precisely why I didn't start restoration on the twin cam and if and when I do it will be with my eyes wide open
You have to put some effort into finding the engine. I do know someone who needs a Twin Cam wheel though....
Thanks I'll keep it in mind
Thanks I'll keep it in mind
I owned 62. Not twin cam
Nice