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This is the car British Leyland wanted to sell but couldn’t get.* Now it’s the car I frolic around in at the same time I show how much fun EVs can be.
To get here, I spent a couple of years researching and planning. I sourced a rare MG TF 1800. Then I designed and oversaw various professionals to create a unique electric vehicle (EV) conversion/restoration. That took another 2-1/2 years.
After extensive research, I chose a 96%-efficient Netgain Hyper 9 motor and controller combo that delivers 120hp and weighs 120 pounds. It’s powered by five Tesla Model S batteries. The result is a car that has the same weight as the original car, better weight distribution and a lower center of gravity.
Now, in the former engine compartment, three batteries live over the motor. Two more reside under the right seat and the former gas tank. Engine-turned conduits on top of the front battery box house cooling circuits. My layout is a tip-of-the-hat to the Jaguars and Astons of the fifties.
I was lucky to find Twisted Voltage, an EV shop in Purcellville, Virginia, to complete the complex wiring, coding and testing. The car still retains its original four-speed transmission, along with an upgraded clutch.
So my (the only) MG TF 1800-EV is surprisingly fast and has plenty of torque. I can ignore the clutch and just drive it around in third gear. It’s a delight to drive — handles just like any 1950s British sports car.
I also installed regenerative braking, LED lighting, custom Speedhut instrumentation, a period-upgrade Butler mahogany steering wheel, a dashboard of selected Santos Rosewood, three-point retractable seatbelts and heated seats.
I’ve been to numerous Cars and Coffees, farmers’ markets and other public events with it. I’m on my feet answering questions from beginning to end — from folks who think it’s a novelty, to tech experts and critics with whom I discuss EV and infrastructure pros and cons. There’s a high level of interest in EVs, both among car folks and the general public.
* The MG TF 1800 Victor is a rare tribute model; only 30-some exist. Compared to the original 1954 1500 model, it has a beefier chassis and stronger MGB running gear, including front disc brakes. Thanks to the tin-worm, many original MG T Series, MGAs and MGBs had become at one with the earth, prompting the fans of larger European and American cars to refer to the MG’s lives as nasty, British and short. So, in the 1970s, a tiny shop in Victor, New York, came to the rescue. They crafted a stronger chassis and body in which MGB devotees could install the engines and running gear from their rusted-out MGBs. The body panels were so accurate they were interchangeable with those on an original 1954 MG TF. And the cars sprang back to life — with the soul of an MGB in a perfect young body of an MG TF. The MG TF 1800 was so authentic it fooled all but the keenest observers, and it far outperformed the original. This is probably what led British Leyland to order a commemorative edition of 1200 some MG TF 1800s. Unfortunately, the small firm could not handle an order of that size. They went out of business shortly after that.
– Paul L., Virginia
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