Jim & Jan Sullivan
Jim & Jan Sullivan
Name: Jim & Jan Sullivan
Location: Kent, Washington
TCs owned:
1949 TC 7517 EXU / XPAG 8227, Green / Green
1948 TC 5515 / XPAG 6166, Black / Red ***SOLD 2023***
Bought TC 7517 in December 1964. Installed an 8 / 39 ratio in the differential.
About Us:
WHAT WAS I THINKING?
(The Rescue of the dumpster special)
I had been looking around for another TC project for some time. I didn’t want something that was already restored by someone else. I wanted one I could do myself. I chased around trying to find one that was “just right” but the ones I looked at were just not “right.” Finally, one day last year while sitting around talking to my friend, Pat Bigley, I asked him what he was going to do with that old TC body sitting back in the corner of his garage. He said, “Toss it in the dumpster.”
“What? You can’t do that. It’s way too good! I said. He said, “Do you want it?” “Of course. Are you kidding?” I replied. He also threw in some doors, running boards and some more stuff. Most of you don’t know Pat, but he has a beautiful red TC that he is just finishing.
Well, I had a beginning. Now what was I going to do? I decided to try and find something to go with the body, like a frame and a firewall. The TABC web site sounded like a good place to start. I put a message on saying, “I have a good TC body (a little exaggeration) and need a frame and/or a firewall.” To my amazement, I received eleven replies with various things like frames, frames and firewalls, and three were for complete “basket cases” in need of rebuild. I didn’t know what to do so I decided to go look at one of the basket cases in California. I flew from Seattle to Oakland, rented a car, and drove to Aptos, the location of the TC. All I know was that the guy’s name was Ed Browder. If you don’t know Ed, he is retired like me and has the biggest most wonderful collection of old MGs I have ever seen. He has at least fifteen TCs, lots and lots of twin cams, and other old MGs, most of them restored.
The restoration of TC 5515 has so far involved sand blasting, welding and painting the frame, rebuilding the engine with new crank, standard pistons and reground cam, a tranny rebuild, new wood, brakes including new drums, wheel cylinders, master cylinder and lines, front axle, rear end, gas tank, firewall welded, new toolbox, battery box, etc., etc.. I am now doing the body, replacing all the wood and most of the sheet metal.
I have owned a TC since 1958. It’s a very good original TC 7517 EXU and over the years, I seem to have accumulated a lot of knowledge and extra parts. This project is HUGE, INTERESTING, FRUSTRATING, SATISFYING and an adventure all at the same time.
I usually lose three or four months of working time in the winter while we are snowbirds in Arizona. I may do 5515 a little different with cycle wings and some other things, but it looks like it may be another year before it’s finished. Some of the sources I have used are: Rhode Island Wire Harness; Whitworth Shop (Craig Seabrook) wood and instrument panel; O’Conner Motors (Brian O’Connor) Moss dealer; British Auto Electric (Gerry Felper); the Internet, eBay etc.; Lots of friends, most from the TC Tourers.