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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - A few Qs from a midget virgin

Chaps

Been nosing around a bit on my 73 RWA. Cannot readily find answers to below in my extensive midget library so...

Windscreen pillars - Mine look to be silver-ish painted. They would pass muster, but I feel a little titivation coming on. Repaint? Alternatively, take it back to bare metal and polish up..

Bonnet does not sit completly flush with wings - Is this a case of fiddling with the rubber stops and adjusting the front central spring-loaded locking pin? I did fiddle a little, and whilst flush at front and rear, bonnet sits up a bit in the middle.

Are the seats interchangeable? Mine certainly look to be - and they appear standard - albeit leather upholstered. Driver's side a little soggy, passenger less so - swap....

Also - Your views as to the stainless steel/black mesh grille, looks like a honeycomb - as seen on a well known auction website for 70 odd quid.

Many thanks as ever

Mark





Mark O

Hi Mark
in order to polish the windscreen you will need to remove and dismantle it, a daunting proposition, so painting it may be the best option
the bonnet is probably bent your choice on panel beating or replacement if you can find a good OE second hand one.
the seats are easily refurbished, if the upholstery is good just replace the rubber straps underneath that way you don't have to fiddle around swapping them from one side to the other
the stainless grille is expanded mesh, probably original, if in good nick just repolish it with a nylon brush and metal paste.
cheers
Rod
R W Bowers

Why do do many posts come with the warning of great difficulty ahead?

"in order to polish the windscreen you will need to remove and dismantle it, a daunting proposition,"

More defeatest comment. It's not daunting at all. It just requires a bit of time and patience. A few nuts/bolts, some screws, etc.

I'd call climbing the eiger daunting, but not taking the windscreen off a Spridget.


Lawrence Slater

I'm glad I took the time to "rebuild" my windscreen. I fitted new glass and seals and polished the pillars. The car seems to perform much better with a tidy unmarred windscreen. ;
Trevor Jessie

Hi Mark,

the seats are physically interchangeable (bolt the mounting hardware on the opposite sides of the seat frame bottom), but the recline lever is not - if you swapped sides you'd not be able to adjust the seat angle unless the door was opened first

I agree with Rod that the seat sag is most likely perished rubber straps under the cushion, which are easy for an upholsterer to replace, and you can too, with a bit of patience.

I also agree with Lawrence, the windscreen can be dismantled and re-assembled, there are good instructions on the internet (google on MG Midget Windscreen and you'll find several). But I also agree with Rod that it is not a doodle for a first timer.


Norm "agreeable" Kerr

Norm Kerr

Mark. The top and bottom rails of your screen frame are anodised, where as the side pillars are bare aluminium. If the top and bottom are OK, you should be able to restore the side pillars by using wet and dry paper gradually getting finer, then finishing off with metal polish. They are originally a satin finish so you can go as far as you like. I did mine before I fitted it diring the restoration, but if you're careful you could do it in situ.

You bonnet problem could be that the wing edges have been pushed down by the previous owner leaning on them. Maybe you could try to carefully pull them up if the discrepancy is not too much. Or maybe the bonnet has been "sprung" some how.

You can buy seat re-furb kits if you want to keep the leather ones, or you can fit seats from a different model Midget or even a different type of car, I've got MGF seats in mine as have several others on here.

I think the stainless honeycomb grille on Ebay? you are referring to is made by Ashley Hinton and all his products are of good quality. The original grille is not stainless steel, but aluminium. Your one should be black with a bright strip running round the middle bit.

Bernie.
b higginson

Just out of curiosity ive searched the world-wide-web for "midget virgin" to see what Mark's background is .... absolutly shocking what I saw.
LOL!!!







Just kidding Mark, welcome here in the guru&weirdo's bbs.
Arie de Best

<< ive searched the world-wide-web for "midget virgin">>

I hope Prop doesn't see this thread!
Dave O'Neill2

I followed your lead Arie. Yup, some great pictures out there. lol.
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed on 23/08/2012

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