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MG TD TF 1500 - Horn/Dip Switch

I am in the process of refurbishing the dash components and have the combination horn/dip switch. I have noticed in various pictures the letters "D" and "H" on the rim in white - are these simply painted on or are they stamped and painted? My switch has no lettering at all.

Thanks,

Don Scott
don scott

Don,

The horn/dip switch on my early TD is plain, same as yours. No lettering at all.

Jasper

Jasper L Nederhoed

Mine (on a 52 model) is stamped and painted in yellowish grey white. By the looks of it (well worn) itīs still the original item.

Iīm not a great fan of it because itīs counterintuitive (to Dip, you move the switch Up), but thatīs MG...

Mike
Mike Fritsch

To my knowledge TC switches were different to TD in that the horn push was larger in diameter. The metal ring that retains the horn button was also different, it was flatter and had the letters stamped in it which I assume were then filled with paint. The internal horn contacts were also of a completely different design using a coil spring to keep the button off the contacts. The TD type uses a flat spring. Maybe the TC type carried over into early TD's. The complete assemblies are interchangeable but some of the internals are not.
Max Irvine

I'm pretty sure that this switch for the TD had no marks on it. Also not on the metal ring.
My '50 TD #3966 has an original switch.

Jasper L Nederhoed

Jasper, Your picture is the later production Lucas replacement switch. I'm pretty sure all production TDs had the swtich wih a much larger button and the letters stamped into the ring, same as on the TC. I recall mine having a big coil spring inside as well. My TD definitely had all original dash switches (#10835) with the large button/letters. George
George Butz

oops...

Jasper
Jasper L Nederhoed

Thanks - that helps explain why the switch I have, which must be the later Lucas replacement, has different internals from the pictures I was able to get from the archives. At least no letters is easier to refurbish!

Don Scott
don scott

I have the same switch in my car. I looked at it closely and there are small remnants of the original paint in the letters, so I am going to assume that they were slightly filled with white paint.

Hope this helps.

Can anyone help in how it was mounted... dip switch up or down? I have seen pictures showing both.
C.R. Tyrell

I happen to have one of each switch. I've attached a photo for reference.

It is a bit hard to see in the photo, but the one on the right has the much smaller button and no lettering. It is the same one Jasper has pictured.

The one on the left is the one with the larger button and the letters marked on the rim. The letters may be visible if you can enlarge the picture some. It has no vestiges of paint on the letters, but I don't know the history of this switch, so it may have had at one point. Certainly the letters are almost impossible to see from the driver's seat without some highlighting!

I understand some TD's came with a dip switch on the floor, but does that mean the horn button didn't have a switch on those cars? I've got a couple of floor-type dipswitches, but I wasn't going to install one in my restoration because they would be redundant to the instrument switch and, I felt, just complicate the wiring process.

David Littlefield

In the instrument panel section of my website (www.dbraun99.com)there are pictures of the dip switch. The handle mounts at about 7:30.

The factory went to the floor mounted dipswitch, and later, turnsignals. When they did, they put the turn signal flasher light above the inspection lamp sockets. It would have interferred with the dip switch in that position. That's also about the time when they added the main beam light in the speedometer because with the floor dip switch you could no longer look at the dash and see what position the beams were in. The horn push looks about the same (slightly smaller button) whether the dip switch is part of the unit or not. The stamped H and D are filled with white paint.

While it may seem counter intuitive to flip the switch 'up' for dipped, on a RH drive car, it flips down for dipped since the switch is rotated and also the center instrument panel is a mirror image from LH to RH.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Don,

My 1951 TD 9855 has the D and H stamped with white in the recess. I feel the switch is original as the car is original and never taken apart.

David....
David Honness

Thank you Dave Braun! I suspected that the one installed in my car was installed improperly...just didn't make sense.

I am just amazed that the switch even works after all these years!
C.R. Tyrell

This thread was discussed between 24/11/2011 and 26/11/2011

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