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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 4 year midget restoration completed

Dear All,
After 4 years and 5 months (approx 660 hours of work) my midget is finally roadworthy!
Bought for £150 from Ebay (minus engine), with the idea of a quick and dirty rebuild (haha!)
A lot of welding
All running gear rebuilt
front end replaced with a Speedwell Monza bonnet.

Highlights, fitting the bonnet and getting it all resprayed.
Low points, rubbing down the body (still not satisfied with it in places!), finding the rear axle leaked oil after a rebuild, busting 2 temp gauges and fitting the oil rings incorrectly!

Have now also driven it (first time ever in a moving midget!!). Seems real fun, surprisingly few rattles and very peppy (needs running in and tuning though).

A happy man!
cheers
Tim


T Dafforn

nice car Tim

satisfying feeling isn't it?

now drive it like you...
Bill1

Yes. Currently all smiles.
Had done a full restoration before. (Dare I say it it was a spitfire ).
But it is nice to see it pretty much finished and more importantly it's good to drive it. Particularly as I have never driven a midget before.
It certainly feels different to my TR6.
Cheers
Tim
T Dafforn

Congrates Tim!!
Looks very good, love the monza bonnet.

Anymore pictures?
We love photo's of car-p*rn, especialy of virgins (fresh rebuilds I mean) :)
Arie de Best

Can I just see the porn with the virgins please? ;)

And the car looks nice :).
Lawrence Slater

Very good looking car, do you have images of the Monza front hinge set up?
frogeye Gary

Looks superb, great colour choice to! Are those the original light pots and headlights? How does the chrome surround fit? Mine has the frogeye lights and the surround makes a poor fit on the speedwell.

Alex
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

Hey lawerance,

Here is some virgin porn....enjoy

http://db.tt/SkrfTbca

Tim...

What nice looking car, im assuming she is no longer a flip for profit :-), I had a similar experiance...I got mine and thought, id drop a $1000 and get it running decent and drive it for a couple summers and off to the salvage yard

Boy was I ever wrong...13 years and brick(S) of cash later, I feel like ive just left the starting line

Prop

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Well done Tim!
M Le Chevalier

Thanks chaps,
the first picture actually shows the car without the headlamp trims. I had taken them off so the MOT guy could adjust the aim..
The headlamp bins are repro plastic and yes the trims are difficult to fit.. currently they are sort of twisted on until they jam.. Not sure whether they will stay on.
have attached a picture of the engine bay (note still have to tidy up some wiring.


T Dafforn

And here is a picture of the hinge.



T Dafforn

Ah that explains it, same problem that I have. Thanks for the reply!
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

Ah, so that's where the expression, "F#$#K a duck" comes from Prop.
Lawrence Slater

That would be my guess lawerance....haha

I came across that photo about 5 years ago and still find it funny today
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Took the car out for a run to the restoration show at Stoneleigh today. Only a 5 mile run from my house but went with a mate who has lived the ups ad downs of classic car ownership. He was quite impressed!
Was great diving in the windy sunny weather! Still need to tune in the thermo switch for the electric fan. May refit the engine one until I have it all Sussed. However system seems to work ok as it cooled the car in the queue for the event.
Also need to source a speedo cable and voltage regulator that works.
Was finding it hard not to push the car on the way home:-) must think off he running in period!!!

Cheers
Tim
:-)
T Dafforn

Tim,
I think you'd do better by driving it more than 5 miles for the benefit of the car and before fiddling with the cooling fan stat

this time of year isn't the best to think about adding the engine driven fan that cools the engine when you don't want it, i.e. when the engine is cold, and doesn't cool the engine enough when it's required i.e. at standstill tick over

get the car fully warmed and then run a straight road at 40 or 45 mph in fourth for a while and see where the temp gauge is, possibly because of your f/b enclosed front it might be at a slightly warmer position than a standard front car but I guess it'd still be before the mid-point on the gauge
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 26/10/2013 and 27/10/2013

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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