Shed Of The Week: MG TF

Is now the time to start appreciating the TF? Shed makes his case for the defence

Shed once knew a chap who worked in the print business. Well, 'worked' might not be the right word. This was back in the days of the Wapping riots, when greasers would turn up to work on presses that hadn't needed greasing for twenty years, and a good night's work would consist of a four-hour card school followed by a nice lie down.

TF very different to the F, as Shed explains

This fellow was technically a machine minder, a miserable sort of cove with very little mechanical sympathy or understanding. However, he did run a small beer import-export business on the side, plus his Dad had done the job before, so he was perfectly suited for the post.

His specialty was not engineering, or even basic maintenance, but swearing. If the machine he was minding conked out, his solution was to swear at it until it came back to life. He once came out with a five-word sentence to describe a broken press. The first word was 'the'; the other four were all variations on the f-word.

Sadly, swearing nowadays isn't what it used to be. Used routinely as part of everyday speech, curse words have lost almost all of their impact. People swear for fun now. So whenever Shed wants to hear some truly Olympic cursing, as he occasionally likes to just for old time's sake, he simply pops round to his mechanic mate Ron's place, hoping against hope that there'll be an MGF up on the lift. If his luck's in and there is, he knows that he will instantly be thrown back in time to those grand old Wapping days when men swore mightily, but only when they felt they had good cause to. Which admittedly was most of the time.

Ron's reason for swearing is that he hates MGFs. He hates the Mickey Mouse suspension, pinched from a Metro. He hates the rusty engine/suspension subframes. He hates the K-Series engines with their chocolate cylinder heads. He hates the way those hateful engines are hatefully positioned in a hate-mungously knuckle-skinning box behind the driver's nut.

Cover the MX-5 plate and not the MG's; huh?

But let's forget all that, because here we're looking at an MG TF. That's huge because for a start it means no Hydragas suspension. It also means a stiffer body for better handling on those conventional steel springs.

And the good news just keeps on coming. There really can't be many K lumps left that haven't blown and been fettled by now with proper multiple-layer steel gaskets, uprated oil rails and a coolant level sensor kit. The 'improved' Pektron SCU (Security Control Unit) issue that naffs up the alarm, immobiliser and central locking systems only affects 2003-05 cars, so you should be all right there. Pre-'03 electrics are considered to be pretty sound. 20,000 TFs were recalled for loose/broken bolts attaching the upper suspension arms to the dampers, but you should still keep your eyes (and ears) tuned in for untoward noises.

Parts availability is excellent. Fitting those parts might not be the most fulfilling thing you're ever done, but you can't have everything. Bodywise, the air intakes behind the doors are a bit vulnerable to stone chipping. The TF doesn't have the earlier F's two-part sills, which could almost have been designed to corrode from the leading edge of the rear section. Wings front and rear will go too but this Shed looks like it's been pampered. Obviously look carefully at those front and rear subframes, made out of whatever old bits of angle iron were lying about at Longbridge. Rust prevention? Nah mate, that's for mugs.

Not just any leather, this is BLACK LEATHER

The friend who's selling this one for his mate has done the decent thing by prepping the car to a most acceptable standard. The ad doesn't say anything about the MOT, but Shed's own private inquiries reveal that it's covered until the end of Feb '15.

So, summing up in an objective fashion, what have we got here? Answer: a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive British sports car in British Racing Green with a smart black leather cabin; a decently quick (even in 135 guise) and cheap to run convertible that you can jump straight into and, with any luck, enjoy. For £800 or less.

Is it finally time to stop ignoring TFs? Time to recognize their style? Time to start praising them as underrated, excellent value British sports cars?

Or should we just carry on as before?

Hmm, yes, thought so. Whatever, here's the ad.

MG TF 1.8 135 16v 2dr BLACK LEATHER
British Racing Green Metalic, Great condition for age
I am selling this on behelf of a friend, and before putting it up for sale I have changed the ooil and filter (Castrol Edge) and replaced the rear screen with a new one. I have checked over the brakes and given it a good clean.
The interior is a fantastic environment with leather seats and the carpets are nice and clean.
It has a bluetooth Pioneer CD/MP3 player fitted

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