1948 MG TC - Driving The Deadly Tin Can Your Grandfather Raced (POV Binaural Audio)

[@corbechupacabra]

My grandpa used to drive me around as a kid in his TC. His was green and I can still remember the smell of it. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.

[@johncox2714]

Oh Boy! Does this takes me back. I bought this very model in 1953 when I was serving in the AirForce in Malaya. I loved that car. Drove all over Malaya and Singapore, which was illegal without an escort. The Malayan Emergency was going at the time. At speed the front wheels used to bounce round corners. I am 94 now and have had numerous cars. The MGTC was a fun car. Thanks for the video.

[@kokliangchew3609]

My late father used to borrow his Uncle's MG during the 1950s in Penang during the time of the Malayan Emergency. He loved to drive the car but never bought one because he said that it was not tropicalised. I think you probably know what that means. Said the engine used to stall during heavy rains and the top leaked like a sieve, especially during the monsoon season. But he said that was probably the closest to a pure sports car that he ever drove.

[@ericcriteser4001]

Interesting. I live in Detroit and have two MGBs. Pretty much the same climate as England and they drive better in the cold-damp. Lol. ​@@kokliangchew3609

[@RutlandRick]

My favorite book when I was around age 12 was "The Red Car" about a Colorado teen who wanted a car, and came up with a wrecked TC. He was able to acquire the car, a parts donor from another wreck, and expert rebuilding and driving advice from "Frenchy" - the local foreign car mechanic. Frenchy turned out to be a former Bugatti racing driver, and they team up top bring the car back to driving/racing condition and defeat the arrogant Siata driver in the local race. The stuff of teenage dreams...

[@presbyterosBassI]

The fact that I also read that book, made me click on this video.

[@RutlandRick]

@@presbyterosBassI I tried to re-buy it a couple of years ago, but the result of my search seemed bogus. Somebody alleged they had one, and offered it for hundreds of dollars!

[@BigDaddyCaveman1]

@@RutlandRick i read that and loved it, I still have it I think, if I could ever find it.

[@RutlandRick]

@@presbyterosBassI As an adult, I have owned a couple of mid-life crises cars with the idea that they might satisfy the desire for a "fun" car, but have been mostly disappointed in the results. I came the closest with my '91 Firebird coupe. It had a 305 V8, and standard transmission. Sounded good going downhill to work in 2nd gear, but my 2004 Chevy Malibu V6 was actually much faster passing semis on the two lanes around here. It was a lot of fun on the twisties through the mountains (Rte 100) where its handling saved. me by being able to dodge around a large snapping turtle trying to cross the road in a blind corner. I had to let that car go after it developed a miss in the engine untraceable by gas station mechanics, and the usual $500 dealer charge to diagnose unknown problems seemed unaffordable with a son in college. My later life crisis car, a 2005 Mini Cooper S-JCW convertible developed a chronic SES light problem which I dealt with a few times. The final straw for me on this one was taking it to the foreign car specialist to replace the failed clutch, and having the SES light come on as I drove away from that repair! I also noted that if I tried to horse around on secondary roads, there was always a deer waiting in the road just around each blind corner! Possibly, the most fun I had with the Mini was driving it to the local convenience store with my 6'6" son in the passenger seat. I am 6'2", so we elicited some some stares as we exited the little car and went into the store.

[@johnzangari3432]

@@RutlandRick I read that book too.

[@darelvanderhoof6176]

I read a book in 3rd grade around 1965 called "The Red Car". I'm 67, but remember it pretty well. It involved a TC or a TD, thank you for letting me take a ride in it!

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Back in 1965 I had a 1946 MG TC Racer....way over bored, shaved and ported cross flow head. 1 1/2in SUs, Wild cam, every component weighed and balanced. 15" Borani wire wheels, Alfin brake drums, custom exhaust, roll bar the works. Streeterized it and enjoyed blowing off Porsches and the like. I miss that car. but.. I sold it off and bought a Fairthorpe Electron Climax, one of 21 and the only left hand drive imported to the US

[@davidminnesota4050]

I had not heard of he fairthorpe, I looked it up....I can imagine you had fun that car too.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@davidminnesota4050 Not just a Fairthorpe but the Fairthorpe Electron CLIMAX (1100). 1008 pounds. 108 HP Redline in the 8s. Close ratio gearbox. 35-40 MPG at 65 MPH I ate Bug Eyed Sprites for breakfast, Triumphs and MGBs for lunch and Porsches for dinner.

[@4jackinthebox]

helped a friend restore a 54 TF. no window, leaking top, no heat. drive around the block and reset the carbs. hot in summer, cold in the winter. feel every imperfection in the road. despite all that, a blast.

[@motolargo]

As one of the big car magazine pundit described the TC: "sport motoring distilled to its purest essence"". My '48 TC gets regular exercise and always puts a smile on my face. It is easy to maintain and parts are stioll available.

[@loslaureles1883]

I'm old enough to remember driving around in one of these! Wonderful.

[@philesq]

Nice! My red 1953 MGTD with wire wheels is almost finished being completely restored. I bought it a 1971 and haven't driven it since the 1980s. It's been sitting in my garage and well it's being restored I'm restoring my garage!

[@OmegaAbyss]

My grandpa had a 1951 MG TD, which he raced all throughout the 50s in Nebraska. Story goes he picked it up off a used car lot. It was between the MG and a Jag XK120. He didn't have the cash for the Jag, so bought the MG. Installed SU carburetors himself, plus a whole host of other 'mods' in the day. He later went on to buy, build and race an Elva Mk5 with the Climax engine

[@RegencyRumBluffers]

Thanks for an enjoyable review. I restored and still own an identical model, down to the colour and year. They steal your heart. Not powerful by modern standards in the standard road-going tuning, but it feels thrilling with the low stance and open position. As you say, they were built to be thrown around. Drive 'em till they smoke and polish 'em till they gleam. The car you drove looked to be in beautiful condition, but before they were classics, they were ragged around as old bangers by young men, and very few will have survived without significant restoration somewhere along their almost 80 year lifespan. The wooden bodyframe of mine was eaten away by Californian woodworm and rot, and needed to be completely replaced when I repatriated it back to within 30 miles of where it was originally built. Thanks once again

[@trevorfroggatt9559]

I just watched this in the UK. I had one that I bought from a guy up the road for £100 in 1970 and towed it home. I restored it during evenings and weekends on a shoestring budget. Eventually sold it to buy a Morgan in boxes. My wife my daughter and I used it to go car shows in the UK including a 150mile round trip to Silverstone. Fun to drive, reliable and not unique when I had it. We always called it a Fly-Off handbrake and easily disconnected when getting in or out of the car, I speak from experience!! Nice video, sounds and looks just like mine even the same colour.

[@bobdadruma]

MG always had a good transmission. I have repaired and driven TC's, TD's, MGA's and MGB's. Awesome cars.

[@austinado16]

This was a lot of fun, and just like always, you drove it like you've owned it for 20yrs. Beautiful job presenting her!

[@TedwardDrives]

Thank you!

[@crusherbmx]

Considering how iconic this car is, there is an amazing lack of KZbin videos about these.

[@currinsnipes9879]

I fell in love with the MG TC when I read the book "The Red Car" by Don Stanford back in the 1970s. It would make a great movie!

[@mikefannon6994]

"The Red Car" was my introduction to sports cars too. Put ideas in my head, then my Aunt Mary married a guy with a Triump TR3. He took me for rides (I was about 12 in 1963). I was hooked! I had a Spitfire after high school, drive a 2001 Miata today.

[@kennethross9310]

Same here. Biult a model of one. Used carboard n balsa wood for the body n frame.

[@robthomson6780]

I have read The Red Car several times. Frenchy with his Bugatti tools!

[@jbtc-zn9ih]

Ich besitze seit 1984 TC8564 (1949) und kenne mich mit diesem Modell gut aus. Ihr TC ist wirklich wunderschön!

[@Pamudder]

My tongue hangs out whenever I see one of these. This video is probably as close as I will ever get. Thank you for the vicarious thrill.

[@JoeMama827]

I'm as old as that TC and I feel so grateful that I could live in a time when there were so many cars with wonderful quirky personalities, rather than today where cars are just appliances.

[@adrianshephard5251]

In the mid-60s there was a car dealer under the Chiswick Flyover (West London) who had so many of these (and later) that you had to climb over them to look at them. Sadly, I was too young to drive one! I wonder how many still exist.

[@williamharper7]

That was a lovely Sunday drive..Well Done.

[@geoffwright9570]

A very nice piece of British nostalgia always a pleasure to see.

[@mikeopo]

Absolutely lovely ! Thanks for this video. Many years ago I frequently drove an YA (same basis 4 door saloon but already with independent front suspension) and an early TF. Both had the same XPAG 1250 engine and the sound on your video made me revive many sweet memories from 40 years ago. Keep on the good work.

[@GRAHAMEFADDIE]

My father owned one new absolutely gorgeous, l have always wanted to own one, l better get a wriggle on.

[@davidlewis2626]

Ah, the 1 1/4 litre.

[@edalder2000]

Ah, gauges who are "I am thinking, thinking...oh that's it!!"

[@stevenmiller184]

Beautifully restored.

[@mark_e82]

As a 80-90s kid, I have to agree. So many dads had MGBs, Midgets/Sprites, and Spitfires. I still have a soft spot for all of the post war sports cars from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@byrongreene6234]

I had a '67 Midget. LOVED it!

[@dotpeat1372]

Nice upload and interesting comments. Restoring a predecessor, a '35 PB, significantly smaller and less forgiving with its crashbox but the way to experience early roadgoing

[@w2aew]

The 3 positions of a Lucas switch: Off - Dim - Flicker

[@tedecker3792]

Unless it’s the heater, then it’s rattle, squeal, and smoke. Or the dome light: on/maybe/on. Such fun, I’ve had three Midgets, an MGB, and a 63 E-Type.

[@SamhainBe]

My absolute "dream car". Never owned one and now too old to drive it - damn!

[@edalder2000]

I swear that Michael Caine could have driven this in "The Battle of Britain." Older design but pure style and just gorgeous. This MG is made for blasting around back roads.

[@marknelson5929]

Yes the Michael Caine character drove a Bentley, but remember the RAF officer played by Christopher Plummer in the same film, drove a 1930s MG PA or PB, a sister car to the later TC, it had all the styling ques to be found on the later TC.

[@robthomson6780]

@@marknelson5929 Along with Anthony Andrews in Danger UXB

[@axiomist4488]

@@marknelson5929 It was an MGJ1, which was the 4 seater version of the MGJ2 driven by Fred Astaire in The Gay Divorcee .

[@britishsouth]

I own an MGB. I now want to go back even further.... all the way back to a "T" series. I need to drive a few, though.

[@BenCavileer]

I have just finished restoration on 1949 TC. They are an absolute joy to drive, involving you in every action and response. Yea, tech is obsolete, but somehow the experience is better than today's crop of plastic crap.

[@AllenGarvin]

Oh man I hate driving right side drives in the US. I'm terrible at shifting with my left hand, and also passing is a nightmare!

[@fastmail55]

Had a '66 MGB I rebuilt from a dismembered hulk. Then I realized a childhood dream (after reading The Red Car) and purchased a "restored'' 51 TD. I ended up re-restoring much of the TD's mechanics as the car had suffered from a bad case of British automotive engineering coupled with previous owners botched work. Wonderful history - Edsel Ford was allegedly America's first MG owner. Wonderful driving experience. But.... More fun to drive than actually own. Biblical unreliability... And then there's Lucas Electrics which one fellow Brit owner suggested was not meant for night use. Wonderful history but for a great, affordable, AND RELIABLE sports car experience, I highly recommend the Mazda Miata. My '30 Model A Ford Roadster was light years ahead of my '66 or '51 MGs in terms of reliability and build quality. Regarding the tachometer; it's a chronometric instrument; i.e. a clockwork mechanism and highly accurate (at least by British standards). This was also used on the WWI Brit Sopwith Camel fighter.

[@mauricecanney7472]

I worked in a business that had cars on consignment and we had a mix up on time frames of one leaving for another to come in, so I had to alternate driving them home in the evening for safe storage. Alternated between an MG PB and a DeTomaso mangusta. Loved that job.

[@axiomist4488]

I remember an MGTB I saw a few times around Manhattan (NYC). It was possibly English white (like a light ivory) and the guy always drove it very slowly, since the streets in Manhattan are terrible, filled with bumps and potholes, so a good bounce could have destroyed the suspension. Also, once saw a white TC at a light waiting, while I was waiting for a bus, in the dead of winter, with the top down and the guy wearing a thick turtleneck sweater. I thought it was so cool ; no reason to put the top up .

[@AlipakSchl]

selten so ein elegant geschwungenes Cockpit gesehen!

[@olivierb9091]

Love the jaeger clock ticking away!

[@davidwarr8600]

Please remember that the TC is pretty much just a little bigger TA from prewar.

[@mtshark7]

Nice review Ted! That's a super nice classic car. Very interesting they chose right handed driving for the US.

[@bronzetrull9313]

Used to race SCCA, people always asked me what the fastest i ever drove I told them the fastest feeling was 75 in a TC. Like a Sopwith Camel in a dive 😑

[@garygullikson6349]

Love the old fashioned gear sound. Sorta like a four wheeled vintage motorcycle.

[@marknelson5929]

If I understand correctly the battery, combined tool box in the car was a wartime ammunition box. MG stopped car production during WW2 and helped with the war effort, repairing Matilda tanks and assembling British Albermale bomber cockpits.

[@Helm-w1q]

Sportscars, motorcycles, and biplanes. Ive had the fun of doing mechanics work on some of this old prewar mechanicals. The men who, flew,drove, or piloted these machines were lunatics. I had fun loosing my marbles.

[@clyneheretic]

Commonly referred to as 'a coffin on four harps.'

[@prl.5108]

Essentially a pre-war car produced after the war. Many were raced here in Australia, usually with 16 inch wheels and re-geared accordingly. Some of the highly developed TCs had quite extraordinary performance, as did many over your way.

[@pfsneu]

Your best stuff is when you drive something old and complicated but make it look easy

[@guily6669]

I love the RPM gauge, it's even magical to keep staring at it 😎

[@bobconstantine2775]

Have always loved that car, thanks

[@jimbower9268]

I love the dashboard. This is a car that you should only drive in the country on gorgeous days. It’s a work of art.

[@geoffdobbin9512]

Hi the tach is a mechanical geared unit. It is driven from the back of the dynamo/genereator by a gearbox using a cable. The eratic movement of yours probably means the gearbox or the tach is faulty.

[@cestusfr]

the gear lever throw looks so tight.

[@steveneldred8928]

My all-time favorite car...

[@bodieb.1239]

Ya got to love them. Pretty and got that cool winding sound. TED, if you have any interest I've got a 1969 Triumph TR6 here in Massachusetts. If you had any interest it would be my pleasure to allow you to borrow it and do a video.

[@carsmartsmedia2324]

Yep, dad drove them with Bob Holbert in the 50's (mostly TD's and TF's)

[@YSekiai]

A car as beautiful as a jewel! Driving this car will surely be a wonderful experience. And you are a very skilled driver.💯

[@TedwardDrives]

Thank you!

[@jackmullett9198]

A friend of mine had one back in the 1960s, it was red and black and I lusted after it thinking it was one of the most beautiful cars ever made. He thought it quite a pig to drive and swapped it for a very mediocre Austin saloon. With prices high now, I’m never going to afford one. I like your comments on the way it goes around bends, you never know whether the back is going to follow the front. I have access to a modern Morgan, built in the same style with wood, and a spare wheel at the back, that feels the same, despite being a sports car it is better on the straight than on the twisties.

[@Localtraveler2376]

I loved the styling of 70s mg’s as a kid. Unfortunately I don’t think too many lasted past 1985 in New England.

[@BullittHilts]

I want to drive that through the countryside in Wales 🤩

[@OxterMcLauglin]

I've driven my olde campervan though North Wales to the South. Such tight roads need a nimble beast such as her. 👍

[@nathanrichardson8250]

at 20mph lol

[@johnzangari3432]

No problem with the electrics today, the sun is shining. The tach's behavior seems weird because it is a mechanical instrument as is the speedo. I liked driving the TF1500 best of the C, D and F, because it did everything better. But the TC is real eye candy, but can be a chore to drive hard, and super cool to own.

[@diffened]

These cars definitely weren't made for sissies or people who want to look at their cell phones while driving. I had a 1959 Alfa Romeo Spyder 1300 in high school. Sure wish I had that car back. The man I bought it from had raced it at Lime Rock Ct. so it had racing numbers on it and G production designation, which I forget at the moment. Very cool for a high school student in the 60s. Always loved the MG TCs and MG TDs, though.

[@axiomist4488]

Cool, indeed; must have been a hit with the girls !

[@janp7882]

Day 5 of asking Tedward to drive the S60R (love the speedo on the left for when you're trying to impress someone lol)

[@MikeBanks2003]

I had one of the last TC's built in 1950--the TD was different--and the TA had sliding trunnions and was pre-war. Of course I did some improvements--mine did a genuine 100 mph--at over 6000rpm on a 3 main bearing shaft. The tyres I had to change--bigger rims and stronger spokes--and better brakes. The front beam axle was a bone shaker, but cornered better than the later independents once wider tyres were fitted. The brakes were not really good enough. One did need a roll bar--I lost a workmate who flipped a MG TF--she was killed instantly with a broken neck. The TC those swing-out Trafficator turning signals--bloody useless, most of us got rid of them and fitted turn indicators. If one ran over a match--one would feel it in its original wheels and springs. The roof was fine in a downpour s long as you fitted a rubber seal where it came down on the windshield. The original flap system was not good enough on its own.

[@seeharvester]

That's a little beauty. Perfect for popping down to the pub for a pint or 2.

[@rdmgwinn]

Compared to a "modern" sports car the 48MG might feel like a deadly tin can. Compared to other cars of its vintage it feels like a sports car. Some 76 years later it is still a blast to drive

[@artford8674]

Tach in not Impulse, it is a Chronometric. It jumps a step at a time like a watch, which is the type of movement it has.

[@billiondollarman3847]

Truly Liberating... Driving by the seat of your pants in vintage style. 🛣️👌

[@Cherokeelion]

What a gorgeous little car.

[@WilliamParmley]

Oh, for the days of iron men and wooden cars! 😉😎

[@Fds840]

Nice car and a very great experience drive this car for Tedward.

[@marial8235]

Ted: Props for shifting in RHD.🏆. What a cool little car.❤

[@donfoster5576]

In the '60s, I had a '50 TD, which I took to college with me. Was a fun car, though it needed constant TLC plus a few engine rebuilds. Same color as this TC. I beat the daylights outta it but drove it everywhere. Often had to use the crank to start it. 'Twas a chick magnet. BTW..... looks like you're in one of the old Polaroid lots at the Reservoir site, off Winter Street.

[@ranger_a6953]

Lucas 3 way switch. Off, spark, fire!

[@Paco_Gaepedores]

OMG What a Incredible machine woot ❤

[@robertinget1613]

My first sports car purchased on my 20th birthday 1954 (used) Miami Sports Car Club member.

[@francoisgs1]

Yes the car is a little like driving a truck , look really smooth, but no steering assistance you need a big wheel and good muscles;)) I love driving mine and yes break you need to be well alert ;))😅

[@rooky55]

I had a 1962 MGA when I was 16 and would like to have it back now that I am 71 and have spare change. Fell in love with the double bubble dash and ended up with a 65 Corvette

[@finlayfraser9952]

What great fun! Original condition seems unlikely

[@Deraco1]

That's an awesome car!

[@Kema234]

Oh wow, steering wheel reminds me of your channel's logo

[@marcob4630]

A really British sportster!

[@seeharvester]

If that pedal box is a little tight, you simply must have a pair of Aston Martin Valour Driving Shoes. At a mere 1000 pounds the pair, a must have for every owner of fine motorcars.

[@crypts1098]

The steering that car look like your logo😊

[@pkrbkr20]

I have always been intrigued by Tachometers like that. I see them a lot in older F1 cars. Does anybody know if the "impulse" action is intended to be a feature (e.g., easier to read as it pauses) or a bug? And if so why?

[@nnamggiFellauQrD]

I'm pretty sure it's not a bug and works like that. I can't give you a technical explanation but I know that my father had a aftermarket Jaeger Tacho in his Fiat 500 Abarth that worked exactly like this one. Maybe it's the difference between early electric Tachometers with contacts to newer ones which have sensors

[@Addison0526]

My guess is it’s the design. It might be pulling the rotations information from a smaller part of the engine. Usually there’s magnets on the crankshaft or flywheel that the rpm can be read off of. Maybe with this design it’s off of the camshaft or distributor and therefore the refresh is slower or there’s not as high of clarity for it to show up smooth on the tachometer.

[@iwb316]

They give stable readings, unlike cable drives which tend to bounce and waver, which is much better in performance applications. In race situations you want to see the RPM you are managing to pull and not have to take a guess at it. In formula racing armed with accurate knowledge you can now adjust the gear ratios to optimise for that track.

[@davidkean1487]

Lot of Brit bikes had them too. Smith's chronometric.

[@allareasindex7984]

Look up Smiths Chronometric. It’s a very smart design, and yes, it’s meant to do that.

[@kallekas8551]

Fantastic!👍

[@mattyb7736]

The delightful TC. They took the 1938 Morris 8 sports and refined? it. If I had my choice, I'd have the 8 sports chassis and body, Morris 10 diff and the TC motor. That would be a weapon.

[@KlingbergWingMkII]

I always thought it was a Coffin on Four Harps!

[@grandboisdavid9426]

It sounds good 6:47

[@JoeMama827]

If Ted needs a pillow to fit in a TC he must be 4'10". When I was a teenager I sat in one and could barely cram myself into it.

[@TedwardDrives]

5’9”. Maybe the seat you had moved closer than this one

[@leoroverman4541]

A lesson in minimalist KISS engineering compared to modern cars-which you can't work on without computers. Motoring as an adventure had died a death. Trust me our forefathers did not treat these gently.

[@boots_n_coots]

Oh you crazy young boys with your swerving and beeping, you just can’t keep your foot off the acceleratrix can you? 😂

[@TedwardDrives]

Please tell me this is a Monty burns quote 😆

[@boots_n_coots]

@@TedwardDrives he did actually use the word “acceleratrix” haha

[@TedwardDrives]

Made my whooooole day 😆

[@alestout5632]

Morris garages Brit engineering at its best🇬🇧

[@alanbatten5548]

Knock on wheels and spinners. Are the nearside and offside spinners threaded the same way, or 'clockwise' and 'anticlockwise'?

[@rooky55]

My 1962 MGA knock offs were threaded opposite as were many Dodge wheel nuts in the sixties.

[@yankee2yankee216]

Regarding older cars, I figure that MOST great cars weren't built yesterday. Most great cars are NOT the current models! Most great cars were built in the past!

[@myobboy9973]

Trust me here, that leather is no more than eight years old, it is not seventy years old.

[@williamjc7195]

beauty!

[@trackah123]

Its a nice car, but what causes the steering wheel to vibrate so much? the engine, suspension or wheels?

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

That steering wheel designed by the same person as your logo?

[@currinsnipes9879]

That is called a Brooklands Steering Wheel - named after the famous banked racetrack in England.

[@RoyCousins]

It's a Bluemels Brooklands steering wheel.

[@geoffreystearns1690]

I had a MG TF. Not much different from the TC. Like driving a brick but fun.

[@geoffb108]

Thanks for driving the car i have always wanted. Same age as me. No one under the age 30 could possibly drive,im sure. When i win Lotto it will be the first thing i buy......hang the $$$$$$$