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TA auction bits

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:05 pm
by jddevel
Lot 8 in the H&H auction on Thursday 19th at Duxford. Interesting for any of you TA guys.

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 4:11 am
by Tom Lange, MGT Repair
Very obviously an MPJG engine, but completely mis-described as an XPAG engine, with no mention that it comes with a gearbox!

I have written - let's see how they correct the listing.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:46 am
by jddevel
That point could be to the favour of a TA owner possibly. As the XPAG started with the TB and when I viewed the listing the first picture showed the gearbox with the remaining items shown later. I see they now show the block in their first picture. What I read and saw was references to a TA but acknowledge that the reference to XPAG is/was incorrect. Don`t know where the information came from but reference to a running engine in 2016 seems that it`s current marketing makes me feel that there are circumstances behind the sale which are not straight forward. Divorce, bereavement- just strange.

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:48 am
by jddevel
Would have attended the auction but I`m on a continental rally and unless inexpensive wouldn`t bid without viewing. May take a punt.

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:27 am
by Tom Lange, MGT Repair
Odd that they make absolutely no mention of the crank or pistons, cam or other internals. I see the crank pulley and timing cover are in place, so I assume the "shorst block" is largely complete internally.

They still call in an XPAG...

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:00 am
by TC9800

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 5:07 am
by Tom Lange, MGT Repair
Despite this reply,

"Thank you for your email in regards to the MG TA engine. We were advised by the vendor that it was an XPAG however as you have stated it is an MPJG and we have now updated this."

no change has yet been made.

Tom Lange

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:23 am
by frenchblatter
Tom, they have in the "bullet" points just below the picture but not in the text further down.... or was it always like that. My eyes aren't good enough but can you see if it's an XPJG or an XPAG?

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2019 4:16 am
by Tom Lange, MGT Repair
I see that they have corrected the entry by adding a sentence, " PLEASE NOTE: This lot is an MPJG engine and not an XPAG engine as catalogued." I am surprised that they did not also note that this engine came out of TA 2931, which I did also tell them.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 1:03 am
by jddevel
Made £2250. More than I bid unseen being unable to visit as I was away. I suspect that as stated in my earlier comment we don`t know the background to the ownership and the auctioniers who I`ve bought from in the past are normally quite professional and it is obviously in their interest to squeeze the last drop out of the selling price. Let`s hope that the buyer is a MG man and not a dealer whose got a bargain. Perhaps they will read this and let us know.

Re: TA auction bits

Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 11:02 am
by Tom Lange, MGT Repair
I am puzzled by a few things. First, engine MPJG3192 was originally fitted to TA2931, which is a very pretty red/red car currently registered as EBY871 in the UK. The engine was said to have been removed from a running vehicle in 2016, and it seems to be largely complete with a transmission (impossible to see the rods, pistons or crank), spare head and rocker gear. But if it was running, why is it partly disassembled? I assume whoever removed it from whatever car replaced it with an XPAG.

TA engines are notoriously fragile and moved around from car to car, so it is certainly possible that this engine was removed from an entirely different car in 2016. If so, I hope the owner of TA2931 bought it back.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair